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In dealing with the craziness of having three small boys running amok in my home, I’ve discovered three great ways of coping. They don’t necessarily keep me from going insane, because I’m definitely losing my mind, but they keep me from doing anything crazy myself, which is a good thing. And they are: music, books and the internet.

First off, music is a necessity. I’ve put a small cd player in the kitchen and most of the time I can drown out the sound of the tv and some of the kids’ screaming with a little music. My latest discovery is Tommy Shane Steiner, a country singer. I recently joined the BMG music club because it meant I got 13 cd’s for the price of one (plus shipping) and Mark and I haven’t been able to afford cd’s for sometime. I figured this was a great way to get some of the music we’ve been wanting but couldn’t afford. As soon as I sat down to pick my 12 free cd’s, however, my mind went blank as to which ones we’ve been wanting so badly. I asked Kathy who sang a song Hunter liked and she said it was Tommy Shane Steiner. Well, we got his cd and I love it. It is one of those cd’s that you can listen to the entire way through and love every song. Visit his website (tommyshanesteiner.com/music.htm) and check him out sometime. He sings some pretty great songs. I especially love tracks 2, 4, 5, 6 and 11.

Second, reading a book is such a nice little vacation from reality. Hunter and I have been reading “Danny, Champion of the World” and I think I’ve been more anxious to get to the next chapter than he has. Roald Dahl is a great author and thanks to him, Hunter and I have spent the past couple of weeks poaching pheasants and having a wonderful time. Kathy also introduced me to Brian Andreas and just so you know, any of you who might be looking to get me a birthday present, I want his books. He writes a bunch of silly and very interesting stories and illustrates them with even crazier drawings. But they are so great. If I’m feeling at all grumpy, a quick flip through the book I borrowed from Kathy leaves me smiling and renewed. You can read his stories on “storypeople.com” and buy his books, framed artwork and sculptures there too. Check him out sometime–you won’t be dissappointed.

And third, the internet. For some reason, when I’m really needing a break from the kids, if I get out my computer and visit EBAY for a few minutes, I’m good again. I don’t buy anything, I just browse–looking mostly for old toys I used to play with. Last week I came across some dolls that are absolutely amazing. They are called Berenguer babies (or Berenguer Reborns). Now, you can’t just get on EBAY and look at the first berenguer baby you see, because they are not all equal. You have to take some time and look at several of them. And soon you will see why they are so amazing. They look 99% real. No kidding. They are so awesome. You adopt them from their creators and you pay a pretty penny for them. But then, you have this baby that will never grow up and will always be cuddly and small. Like Mom said, “You don’t have to have babies anymore!” Just get a berenguer baby and you are set for life–all the baby snugging you’ll ever need, right there in a doll. I think they are pretty awesome and will definitely be adopting one for myself in about 18 years when my boys are all grown up and through cuddling with me. And then, I’ll just sit in a rocking chair, cuddling my baby doll and singing lullabyes for the rest of my life. Here are a couple of pictures and a couple of links to some really good ones.

BerenguerBaby

Kathy’s Favorite

Kathy’s Favorite 2

Lullaby Lamb

“When people asked how old she was, she would say 1009365, more or less because she was so glad to be alive that she counted every day a birthday. . . .” Brian Andreas

This weekend, Hunter wibble-wabbled between being five years old and seeming like a thirty year old. Friday, I was cleaning up the kitchen after lunch. Hunter really wanted me to play but the dishes had piled up a little too high and I couldn’t put them off any longer. So, I sent him away to play and didn’t pay too much attention to what was going on in the house, except that it was quiet and I didn’t mind it. About ten minutes later Hunter came downstairs and asked me for some tape. Tape is a favorite thing in our home and although I haven’t figured out why they love it so much, I don’t mind if the boys play with it every once in a while. Then Hunter said, “I’m tucking in the little boys for you so you can keep working.” That surprised me and as soon as I had the dishwasher started and a bottle made up for Denver, I went to see what was going on. Sure enough, Hunter had helped Noah get his pull-up on and even had Denver in his crib. He was telling the boys that if he heard a “peep” out of either of them, he was going to tape their mouths shut. I quickly confiscated the tape and explained that we don’t tape people’s mouths shut, but that I would help quiet them down and get them to sleep. We cuddled together on the floor and Hunter read (all by himself) three books to the boys. He handed them their bottles and sippies and turned on their music and tucked them in for their naps. Then, he excitedly ran downstairs, flipped on the TV and started watching Disney. One minute 30 years old, the next minute. . .five.

Yesterday, we went to Trumbull Days to see the fireworks. We went two years ago and were so impressed with the show, we were really excited about going again this year. When we were ready to go, Mark and I sent the boys outside to climb in the van while we gathered up a few last minute items and locked up the house. When we got to the car, we discovered Hunter buckling Denver into his carseat and Noah already buckled. Nobody had asked Hunter to do it–he just did it!

He spent the night at Kathy’s house. He knows how to tie his shoes all by himself. He gave the scripture in Primary today with absolutely no help and then led the entire Primary in reciting the scripture again. In so many ways, he seems so big, so grown up, so ready for the world. And yet, he is still very young and little and immature. There are days I’m afraid he acts worse than Noah and Denver combined. He still has so far to go in so many areas. Either way, good or bad, grown up or not, I love him. And even though I feel sad watching him grow up so fast and I want to keep him tiny forever, I also feel happy to see him learning so many great things and doing such wonderful things with his little life.

Anyway, here’s to growing up and making every day a birthday and loving every minute of it! And here’s to staying young despite the wrinkles brought on by the stress of life and living. May we all make every day a birthday, grow old gracefully and stay forever young!

Today we spent the day at the beach. We’re so blessed to have Jennings Beach–which is a private beach for Fairfield residents–just 5 minutes from our home. Noah and Denver are both feeling pretty yucky, but I figured a day in the fresh air and sun wouldn’t hurt either of them and wouldn’t spread any of our germs to anyone else. Kathy and Megan joined us. Both Noah and Denver had pretty lengthy naps under the shade of our beach umbrellas, wrapped up in towels. Hunter, Megan, Kathy and I spent a good part of the afternoon burying each other in the sand and making sand sculptures. It was a perfect beach day, not too hot and not too cold. The water was warm and there was a nice breeze blowing. Hunter and Megan did a bunch of swimming in the ocean and towards the end of our stay, the waves kicked up a notch which was extra fun. The waves were a little too much for some of the kids and we saw a couple of kids get swept under. Megan saved one small boy’s life and both his mother and the lifeguard who wasn’t paying attention were very grateful. After four hours in the sand and the sun, we said farewell to Jennings Beach and hurried over to 7-11 for a nice cold slurpee. Now I’m in the middle of juggling several tasks (blogging, making dinner, mopping the floor, setting a new infusion set in Hunter’s bottom, cleaning up the mess from the beach and putting together Kathy’s house-warming present) before Mark calls and needs picked up. Then it’s off to girl’s night out at Kathy’s house!

Hunter graduated from preschool today. Big whoop, you might say, but it was a very emotional day for Miss Melody and surprisingly, for me too. Melody started the ceremony with a little speech, a little wonderful speech about how much she loved the two boys and a few of the things she had learned from them in the past year. She said she learned perserverance from Hunter and that, despite his diabetes, he lives his life always happy and carefree. The thing that started me crying was how emotional Melody got when she spoke about Hunter and I realized how much she really does love him. He’s won a place in her heart forever, I think. I’ve been debating sending Noah to her this Fall, a little unsure about sending him to preschool two years in a row. I think that’s a little extreme, since most of us growing up only had one year of preschool, but seeing how much Melody loves Hunter convinced me that Noah most definitely should be with her this September. How lucky I am, to have found a school for my boys, where they are loved almost as much as they are at home. Now I just hope Denver gets a chance to spend a few “Mornings with Miss Melody” before she turns her preschool back into a dining room.

Melody then presented them each with a diploma. Afterwards, she explained that she puts stars all over the preschool and all over their school work because she believes they are “superstars.” And she said, “If they are stars, then you as parents are definitely the sun, because you are what make them shine and sparkle.” She had the boys present us each with a bouquet of yellow flowers (that looked like little sunshines) while she and the boys sang “You are my sunshine.” And finally, she presented each of the boys with a gift–suckers and a photo album stuffed full of pictures from their days spent at preschool. I think it was the best graduation ceremony I’ve ever been too. Hunter was a little goofy through all of it (making fun of Melody for crying and trying to peek in the gift bags on the table) but, it was a really nice way to say goodbye to his little boy days and “hello” to his big boy days. I can hardly believe I have a kindergartner. Look out Holland Hill Elementary–here he comes!

We’ve been having a lot of fun the past couple of days. I could write for hours about all of our adventures (since I tend to be a little long-winded) but I’ll try to limit myself for all of your sakes. I know blogging is supposed to be a daily occurence, but looks like I’m lucky if I get it in once a week nowadays. Don’t know what’s changed in my life that is keeping me from blogging on a regular basis, but hopefully I’ll get back into the swing of things soon.

Anyway, Saturday after all of our grocery shopping and chores were done, we went bowling. Noah absolutely loves bowling and I figured it was about time we take him and thrill him a little. Kathy and Megan joined us and we all did a terrible job at bowling and a great job at having fun. I think Mark got the only strike and believe it or not, Hunter managed to get a spare all by himself, minus a little help from the bumpers. Afterwards, we returned home to find our little lightning bugs all aglow in the backyard. Noah had been waiting for several nights to stay up late enough to see the fireflies and I couldn’t resist letting them run wild for a few minutes. I ran inside and got our mini s’mores maker and we spent the rest of the evening roasting marshmallows on the back porch and chasing after lightning bugs. It was so much fun–almost as good as camping.

Sunday (Father’s Day), I got up early to make Mark some breakfast in bed and wrap up a few gifts. Earlier in the week Mark found a BBQ utensils kit at Kohl’s that he really wanted so he went ahead and got it. He then said all he needed was an apron and a chef’s hat and he’d be all set to grill us a feast of steaks and hamburgers. So, Kathy and I helped the boys make an apron for Mark, using their hands and a little fabric paint. Denver didn’t like the smell of the paint so much and barfed all over my lap in the middle of the first handprint. But, I insisted we do two, despite the vomit, and the second handprint turned out better than the first, thanks to some careful guiding of Denver’s hand away from his nose. Hunter made Mark a tie out of a bunch of old ties we donated to Miss Melody’s preschool. They cut them up and glued all the different pieces onto an old tie. It turned out very cute. And of course, what Father’s day would be complete without a new razor and some after shave? We actually made it on time to church and afterwards had a picnic at the park, complete with BBQ shredded ham, mozerella and rotini salad and cherry cobbler for dessert (I’ll post the recipes later–2/3 are crockpot recipes. Gotta love that!) Kathy and I finaggled a ride on the tire swing and I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard in a year. We gave Mark a whirl too and had all sorts of fun chasing the kids around the park.

Monday we went to the park in the morning and after naptime, we went up to Milford for Hailey’s birthday party. Devanie did a great job with the party and we had so much fun, jumping in the bouncy castle and on the trampoline, eating creamed eggs and birthday cake, and smashing the pinata. Today was a “down” day, due to some rain. Megan spent the day with us and we played a lot of barbies and watched “The Cat in the Hat.” Melanie and Kathy stopped by for a little while and then we had dinner–Chicken Tortellini Soup. For those of you who don’t have that recipe, I’ll post that too. It is one of our favorites and very simple. The kids are all coming down with a nasty cold so this may be the end of our fun for a little while. Hunter graduates from preschool tomorrow and maybe, just maybe, we’ll go to the beach tomorrow for some fresh air and sunshine. And, I don’t have to worry about making anyone else sick. Mark is going to a clam bake on the beach tomorrow (part of a task completed party)–so I don’t have to feel so guilty, spending the day on the beach, suntanning and having fun without him. He’ll be having fun too.

We’ve been a little busy since the arrival of my sister, Kathy, so you’ll have to forgive me for the lack of entries lately. Plus, we’ve had some really great weather and who wants to waste a bunch of sunshine sitting in front of a computer? Not us! Tuesday, we had a pool party in our backyard since we were stuck at home waiting for our new KING size bed to be delivered! Hunter convinced me to fill up our big, blow-up pool and we invited a few friends to come and play. Grandma Stout arrived around 2:00pm with McDonalds and we played a quick round of “Don’t Eat Pete” with her before she had to return to Kansas. For those of you looking for a fun and very easy FHE game, try “Don’t Eat Pete” sometime. Just make a game board with twelve squares on it(3×4). In each square draw or print a different picture. On mine we have things like an ice cream cone, a frog, a sunshine, a teddy bear, a dinosaur, a car, etc. Then, you choose one person to be “it” and they have to cover their eyes or leave the room (especially if they like to peek.) Then, the rest of the group places one small goodie on each square (like an M&M or cheerio or skittle) and decides which square will be “Pete.” Then, whoever is “it” returns to the room and starts eating the goodies one by one. When they pick up “Pete” everyone screams “Don’t Eat Pete!” Then someone else gets a turn. If you have competitive children (like I do) you can keep score of who eats the most goodies before eating Pete. Silly game but very fun and simple.

Wednesday we spent the day at Lake Mohegan. The kids have been waiting all winter/spring for the weather to warm up enough for us to go and Wednesday was their lucky day. It was almost 90 degrees and the kids had a blast digging in the sand and playing in the water. I managed to squeak in some grocery shopping beforehand, while Hunter was at Preschool which was a chore I’d been putting off for quite sometime. I hate making grocery lists and trying to decide what I want to cook and guessing what the kids will eat for the next two weeks. The shopping part is okay (even with 3 kids in tow)–I juat hate the list part. Anyway, I managed to pick some good recipes this time and will list them at the end for anyone interested in some delicious and very simple crockpot recipes! And yes, even the kids like them.

Thursday and Friday were spent mostly catching up on housework that had been put off due to the sunshine. There are so many days I feel like all I do is chase after messes and wash laundry. It can be pretty exhausting and tiring. But thankfully, I managed to get all caught up, just in time for the weekend. Friday night I managed to get a bunch of pictures put away into albumns that I’ve been wanting to do for awhile. Saturday we went strawberry picking, which has become a tradition in our household. It took us 45 minutes to pick about 30 pounds of very delicious strawberries. I don’t think the kids picked any that they didn’t eat and they left the farm feeling pretty sticky and tasting really sweet. We ate lunch at McGowan’s pizza. Within the first 10 minutes our waitress managed to spill and break a glass of water on me and I managed to bleed all over the table, thanks to the broken glass all over my lap. It was sort of a crazy lunch but we all had fun and that’s what matters. Saturday night Mark and I were up until 1:00am putting our 30 pounds of strawberries to good use. We made 1 strawberry pie, a triple batch of strawberry pudding, 2 dozen chocolate dipped strawberries, and 12 jars of strawberry jam!

This morning, because we had leftover strawberries, we had belgian waffles for breakfast. Then it was the regular Sunday morning routine, church and dinner. Afterwards we had a mini Strawberry Fest. We had all of the above strawberry treats as well as some strawberry juice, thanks to Kathy’s juice maker. Nate and Devanie joined us and we’re all nice and bloated now. We have just enough strawberries left to freeze for a rainy (or snowy) day when we’re all craving more of Mark’s delicious homemade strawberry pudding or a nice, cold strawberry smoothie. We’re already planning a Blueberry Fest next month, when blueberry picking is in season. Then it’s raspberries followed by apples, pumpkins and finally, Christmas trees.

Tortilla Soup

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1/2 tsp. minced garlic

2 cans (14 oz. each) chicken broth

2 cans (14 oz. each) stewed tomatoes, chopped, with liquid

1 cup medium salsa

2 Tbsp. dried cilantro

1 Tbsp. ground cumin

Combine all inredients in greased crockpot. Cover and cook on high heat 4-6 hours or on low heat 8-10 hours. Before serving place strips of flour tortilla and grated Monterey Jack cheese in bowls. Pour hot soup over tortillas and cheese. Top with extra cheese.

Creamy Italian Chicken

4 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 envelope dry Italian salad dressing mix

1 can (10-3/4 oz) cream of chicken soup, condensed

Combine all ingredients in crockpot. Cover and cook on high heat 6-8 hours or on low heat 10-12 hours. Serve with rice or noodles. Also great with Broiled Feta Tomatoes.

Broiled Feta Tomatoes

3 medium tomatoes, halved and scraped out.

2 Tbsp. olive oil

basil

salt & pepper

feta cheese, crumbled

parmesan cheese

bread crumbs

Rub olive oil on inside of each tomato. Sprinkle each half with salt, pepper and basil. Broil till heated through. Remove from heat and fill each half with feta and parmesan cheeses, sprinkle with bread crumbs. Broil again until cheese is melted and tops are golden.

Mark’s Homemade Strawberry Pudding

1 cup strawberry puree

3-1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch

2/3 cup sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

1-2/3 cups milk

1/3 cup cream

1 tsp. vanilla

Warm strawberry puree in microwave (about 1 to 1-1/2 minutes). Set aside. Mix dry ingredients together in saucepan. Gradually add milk and cream, stirring constantly over medium to high heat. Heat until pudding thickens and cook for 1 additional minute. Remove from heat and let cool 5-10 minutes before adding strawberry puree. Add vanilla and mix well. Serve warm or chilled.

This morning was a beautiful, sunshiney day. So, we decided to go to the park. It was sort of a struggle getting there, because I made Hunter walk (and he hates any form of exercise), but we got there. And it was just what we all needed. A little fresh air and exercise and sunshine–so therapeutic! After we stopped playing to eat some lunch, the boys decided they wanted to throw some rocks in the pond. We’ve gotten really good at collecting rocks on our way to the park (and sometimes on the way home) so we’ll have plenty to toss in the pond later. On our way towards the water Denver spotted two geese and their four goslings sitting in the grass, nibbling at odds and ends. He went racing towards them, really upsetting the parents, and chased them all back into the water. It was so cute to see my little baby chasing after those four little goslings, each one of them waddling and wobbling as fast as they could go.

A little while later, while we were tossing rocks into the pond, a female Mallard came swimming by. She must have thought we were throwing in more than rocks. Anyway, on the bank not too far from us, two male Mallards were just hanging out. They must have gotten bored and decided to chase the female, because a few minutes later they snuck up behind the female and scared her right out of the water. She ran off, followed by the two males in hot pursuit and they were followed by my three boys. All six of them were squacking and screaming and shouting and laughing like they were having a great big game of chase. Then, the poor female (she must have been scared out of her mind) flew off, over the fence and back into the water. The two mallards gave up and disappeared. And my boys, disappointed that the chase had ended so soon, returned to the swings and slides. I just wish I had had my camera on me. Definitely mental pictures of the boys I hope I never forget. Such fun to be so young and carefree.

Today, while I was tucking Denver in for nap, he expressed his desire to sleep in Noah’s bed. Yesterday, Noah, Denver and I all tried taking a nap in the bottom bunk which didn’t work out at all. They were too busy laughing and talking to even think about sleeping. So, today I wasn’t so sure it was a good idea. I read Denver his books in the hopes that he’d forget about the big boy bed and be content to sleep in his crib. He didn’t forget. Every two pages or so, he’d try laying down in my arms and would say, “Bed. Mommy, bed?” He was so excited at the thought of getting to sleep in Noah’s bed that it was all he could think about. Normally he’s so excited to sit down and read books but today he wanted nothing to do with them. It was Noah’s bed or bust! So eventually I gave up on the books and took him to lay down in the bottom bunk. He fidgeted around for awhile, pointing out stars or looking down the crack but eventually layed down, very still and quietly fell asleep. Later, around 4pm, while the other two boys and I were playing Gamecube, I heard Denver call my name. Down the stairs he came, grinning from ear to ear, exclaiming, “I did it, Mommy! Get out of bed! I did it!” He was so proud of himself. Looks like he’ll be taking naps in the bunkbed from now on and maybe for his 2nd birtday we’ll get him a big boy bed of his own. My, don’t they grow up fast?