TheHenrichsens.com

For Halloween I made up these Jello-Bean eyeballs for Devanie’s Pumpkin Carving party. I got the recipe from the Food Network but they called for round bottomed ice cube trays, which I have none of. So, we used our Jello-Bean molds and they turned out pretty great. And. . . they tasted really good too. How’d we do it? Just make up some Jello Jigglers, drop a frozen blueberry in each mold (ice cube tray or whatever), pour jello over the blueberries and refrigerate for a few minutes. Because the blueberries are frozen, they act like ice cubes and set the jello really quickly. Oh. . . and don’t forget to spray your molds with PAM.

The stick guns were created first by the boys and enhanced later by me. It amazes me how in just a few minutes they can run into the woods and come right back out with a stick that looks exactly like a gun. I could see the same stick laying on the ground and think nothing of it. But not the boys. They immediately see a gun and start shooting at invisible monsters and “bad guys.” Of course, they always have to bring them home and one day I thought, “Those would make great rubberband guns.” So with some clothespins, a few rubberbands and some hot glue I managed to transform their guns into pretty good rubberband guns. There’s really no point in explaining how I did it–with the pictures it’s self-explanatory.

I’ve never been a real big fan of Home Teaching and Visiting Teaching. First off, I don’t like having people come over just to “check up on me,” especially when they are only doing it because they were told to do it. Second of all, it’s not like I’m going to tell someone I hardly know that I’m having a hard time or that I need help. People can’t expect to come by once a month for 20 minutes and expect to be my best friend. It doesn’t work that way. And most of the time, at least in my experience, I usually only see my VT’s or HT’s once or twice a year. So it’s very unlikely that I’m going to open up and spill my guts to these people. It’s just a bother–to have to clean my house and have a shower and keep my kids quiet–just so these people (who I’m sure are very nice) can come by and ease their consciences. It goes the other way around too. I can’t imagine too many people are anxiously awaiting my visit, so I can act like we’ve been best buddies since first grade and pry into their personal affairs. I know, in a perfect world it would work. We’d all really be concerned about one another and be friends with one another and it wouldn’t matter if we’d done our visiting teaching or home teaching by the end of the month, because there would never be a deadline or a time limit. We’d all be friends and we’d all love and serve one another without assignment. But we all know we don’t live in a perfect world and like it or not, as members of the church, we are going to have VT’s and HT’s.

So, why am I rambling on about all this? Because. . . . Mark and I have been assigned Tom Steinke as our Home Teacher. And as kind and fun as he is, he has the WORST timing when it comes to visiting our home. I think he’s been here four times in the past year–which is REALLY good for our record with HT’s. We usually assume we don’t have one–since we see them so often. Anyway, in the four times that he’s been here I don’t think I’ve ever been showered, my house has never been clean, the kids are always a mess, and I’m usually never doing anything productive at the time. I wonder what he thinks of me.

Visit One scared me to death, seeing as I’d never met the guy before and knew nothing about him. It was February and I was running around the house frantically trying to get myself and my husband and three kids ready for a trip to Kansas to see my parents. The house was a disaster–the dishes were overflowing the sink, toys were strewn everywhere, it was awful. I was in an oversized t-shirt and some leggings (and I’m sure, due to the 20 pounds of baby fat I was still packing around, the leggings were probably obscene). I hadn’t had a shower for almost 2 days but I had managed to pull my greasy hair into a ponytail. The kids were eating tomato soup for lunch and none of them had shirts on. Noah and Denver had soup in their hair and all the way down their fronts and all of them looked like they’d been neglected for a week. Anyway, all of the sudden I hear a knock at the door and when I look out the window to see who it could be, I see a police car. Oh great, I think, Child Protective Services. I open the door, my heart’s thumping and. . . . there’s Tom. Thankfully I recognize him from church and my nerves calm a bit, but I’m absolutely mortified about my appearance and that of my home and my children–so much for first impressions.

Visit Two: It was one of those weeks I was fighting depression and was doing everything I could just to stay afloat. Hunter and I were snuggled up on the couch and were eating beef jerky and crackers while we played Gamecube. I should have been doing the dishes or folding laundry, but I was struggling and just wanted to be with my kids and take things slow. So, who should appear at my door but Brother Steinke, full uniform, freaking me out again. I let him come in and again shrink, embarassed that I’m not doing more with my kids and that my house isn’t in tip top shape. He brings us Bostom Market for dinner (which was very kind of him) and off he goes.

Visit Three: Absolutely stunned that for the third time in a row he’s shown up unannounced, right when my house is a wreck, Mark saves the day and meets Tom outside. It’s warm outside, a nice summer evening so we chat outside for a few minutes and he’s on his way again.

And Visit Four, today: Unbelievable. This week has been so busy. My house isn’t a total disaster but it’s not perfect. The boys and I are sitting on a blanket in the family room, eating chicken nuggets and apples while we watch Cartoon Network. Hunter has just gotten home from school and is having his “downtime” in front of the TV. I spent the morning putting away papers that have been needing to be filed for awhile now and playing with the little boys. Noah and Denver are still in their pajamas, Denver’s diaper hanging to his knees. The sink is full of dishes, although they are mostly clean, and the floor needs mopped something fierce. I haven’t had a shower yet and am wearing sweats and a baseball cap. And who comes knocking on our door? You guessed it–Tom. How does that happen? Four times in a row! He says, “I just came from Melody’s house and she had me laughing so hard my sides hurt.” And I’m thinking, Oh, great! Melody’s house–her house is never not perfect. And I’m so worried about the condition of my home and kids I can’t think of a single funny thing to say. What a nightmare. And I just wonder–what good is any of this doing me? He didn’t bring any great, uplifting spiritual thoughts. He didn’t bring Boston Market. He didn’t offer us any help or ask if we need anything. All I got was totally humiliated.

I won’t even start with my VT, since I haven’t seen or heard from her in a year and a half now. I just don’t get it. Wouldn’t it be better if we just had a temple worthiness question like, “Do you do your best to love your “brothers and sisters,” both in and out of the church? And are you doing your part to make sure that none of God’s children are being left behind?” Isn’t that what it’s really about? Who cares about the last day of the month? Who cares about the phone call or letter in the mail? Wouldn’t it be better to know that you are really loved and missed when you aren’t there and that people really do care about you and they don’t need an assignment to be there for you? If we all just did our best to love and take care of one another. . . .

P.S. I know Tom Steinke is a very nice man and I am grateful for his efforts to make sure we are all well. He’s doing the best he can with what he’s got and that is more than I can say for a lot of people I know. He just has really bad timing and how could I ever hold that against him?

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I know when I am busy I am much happier as a person. The past couple of days have gone by so quickly and it’s all thanks to a very busy schedule and extra long “to do” list. Monday I ran Hunter to Kindergarten, Mark to the train and ran home to vacuum out our car before I picked up our neighbor Elizabeth. She’s not doing very well lately and needed a ride to the doctor. I was not, however, going to pick her up in our disgustingly dirty vehicle. A quick run with the vacuum and Noah, Denver and I were off to pick up Elizabeth. After dropping her off we ran by CVS to drop off some film and returned home to finish cleaning the car, rake some leaves and mow the front lawn. In an attempt to keep the little boys busy I set up our tents and tunnels out front and I threw some yogurt raisins at them while I ran around like a mad-woman with armor-all and the lawn mower.Then we rushed back to pick up Elizabeth and returned home to find our neighbor kids having a blast in our Playhut collection. I tried to encourage Noah and Denver to join in, but they refused to be social and eventually the neighbor kids got pooped and we all retreated to our separate living quarters for lunch. After lunch I had a quick shower and then took Noah to the doctor for a little visit–nothing major. We picked up his prescription at CVS as well as my film and a treat for each of the boys. Then we rushed home for Hunter. I did my best to tidy up the house a bit then we had to get Mark, eat dinner and call it a night.

Yesterday was just as crazy. I got Hunter to school and Mark to the train as usual and then rushed home to get Noah and Denver in the bath and dressed. While they were in the bath I read them Halloween stories and rehearsed “Five Little Ghosts” so I’d be ready to read to Hunter’s class. Then I bicycled Noah and Denver over to Miss Melody’s where we left Noah for preschool. On my way home I felt sort of popular because I kept running into people I know and a five minute trip took me almost 45 minutes to complete. Of course that threw me off of my schedule a little and instead of a leisurely shower and a real hairdo I had to settle for a two minute rinse and a wet pony tail. Then Denver and I grabbed our sandwhiches and walked up to school where we joined Hunter for lunch. Mrs. Bunkoci was smitten by Denver and couldn’t believe how well he speaks. We helped her wipe down tables (including Denver) and Mrs. Bunkoci said we should have at least ten more kids. I cringe at the thought of even one more–but it made me feel good at least. I ran Denver over to Miss Melody’s after lunch and then went back to school to read to Hunter’s class. After reading to them, we picked up Grace and returned her to Miss Melody and I picked up Noah and Denver. We ran to the grocery store, which is a really bad idea right after school and before naps, but we muddled through and got the necessary goods. Because I made the mistake of opening the garage when I got home (to put away some ice cream, of course) the boys pulled out all of their bikes and zoomed off down the street. So, I pulled out the mower and the rake and finished the backyard while they played. I made dinner and before you know it, the kids were in their pj’s and sawing logs in the back of the car, on our way to get Mark. Mark and I ended the day with “50 First Dates” which is a fantastic movie and two large helpings of Peppermint Ice Cream which is back in stores for the holiday and also on sale, buy one get one free–yipppeee!

Today is another hectic one but since it’s not over yet, I won’t bore you with the details. I do need to get dressed though and get going to Nate and Devanie’s for our Pumpkin Carving Party. It doesn’t seem real–time to carve pumpkins already–but that’s the way it is when you are constantly running. Time flies and the days and weeks and months just sort of blur all together and make me crazy.

So far we have 16-30 gallon bags of leaves packaged and ready for the garbage man. Last year we had around 60 bags by the end of the season. I imagine we will at least tie, if not beat that number this year. Exhausting!

With the release of the family gift exchange lists I’ve decided to post wishlists for everyone. I’m disappointed that more of the Stouts aren’t participating, seeing as this is a tradition that has been in the family since we were KIDS but . . . there you go. We are anxiously awaiting your wishlists and are looking forward to seeing what y’all want. We’ll do our best to make your wishlists come true, at least in a small way, and are excited to get busy shopping, wrapping and giving! I’ll make adjustments in our lists from time to time so check back every once in awhile–especially those of you that have Mark. Getting a list out of him is like pulling teeth! And of course, thanks to Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, Hunter is constantly adding things to his list. . . . (Everything in red is new since 11/15/04)



Hunter:

Lego (or anything he can construct with)–Fire and Ice Dragons by Mega Blocks???

Anything he can take apart–used phones, radios, clocks, etc.

Science/Electricity kits

Super Monkey Ball 2 for Nintendo Gamecube (new or used)

Wireless controllers for Nintendo Gamecube

Magnetic Stix and Balls (available at www.stevespanglerscience.com, Toys R Us, or www.mindwareonline.com, www.amazon.com or www.hearthsong.com)

Scooter (2 wheel)

Tae Kwon Do lessons

Any and all Transformers (available at Toys R Us)

Noah:

Computer game that teaches Spanish like “Dora the Explorer”

Shrek Operation (Game)

Scooter (3 wheel–Toys R Us has a Shrek scooter that’s just his style–available online)

Anything that lights up or glows (Light up tire spoke decorations, glo sticks, glo necklaces, etc.)

Tae Kwon Do lessons

Marble shooter game and marble shooter available at www.hearthsong.com

A “big boy bike” with brakes on the handles (I’m not sure he’s big enough for this yet)

Anything artsy–paper, markers, scissors, glue, glitter, paint, playdough, etc.

Aquadoodle and accessories

Denver:

Any giant trucks or “foot-to-floor ride-ons”. He prefers excavators, bulldozers, and front-end loaders. You can find “ride on excavators” at www.amazon.com or www.onestepahead.com , but he’d love any, and I mean ANY kind of construction truck, big or small.

Anything that involves digging or pouring. (Sandbox toys, bathtub toys, that kind of thing)

Books, books, books!

Scooter (3 wheel)

Any clothing item that isn’t a hand-me-down.

Any “Nursery Rhyme Game” by Hasbro available at KBToys, except Old Macdonald.

Mark:

GI Joe vs. Cobra 3.75″ Vamp with twin battle gun

Star Wars Trilogy Widescreen Edition

Elite Force 1:18 Scale Apache Helicopter

Heigh-Ho Mozart (CD)

Bibbidi Bobbidi Bach: More Favorite Disney Tunes (CD)

Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory Widescreen Edition (DVD)

Chitty Chitty Bang-Bang Special Edition (DVD)

Heigh-Ho! Mozart: Favorite Disney Tunes in the Style of Great Classical Composers

A new TV

Shana:

“Mad Gab” (game)

Any of the great games that everyone was playing at the Henrichsen Reunion this summer–as soon as I get the names of them, I’ll post them.



“Raising Helen” (DVD)

“Wimbledon” (DVD)

Soundtrack to “Raising Helen”

Matchbox Twenty “Yourself or Someone Like You” (CD)

“Harmonium” by Vanessa Carlton (CD)

Shea butter or Cranberry butter from Body Shop

“Organsa” perfume by Indecence

“Make Mine Music” by Disney (DVD)

Bathroom Towels and/or Washcloths in White, Yellow or Baby Blue (Thanks to the humidity and my inability to keep up with the laundry, all of ours have gone a little sour.)

Stars and Stripes Recipe box and matching cards (www.lang.com)

Garden Companions recipe cards (www.lang.com)

Copper Fire Pit

“The Terminal” (DVD)

1. Hunter and Noah’s “spaceship” made up of 1 wagon, a lawnmower, 3 bikes and some assorted pinwheels.

2. Denver’s “candy machine.”

3. Denver “making candy.”

4. Hunter’s “great big bubble bath.”

5. Denver, fallen into a basket.

6. Twins? No. . .but almost.

7. Noah’s first picture of Baruca from “Willy Wonka.”

8. A close up of Noah’s second picture of Baruca.

9. “Block Man!” (Noah)

10. Hunter and Noah taking apart a clock that we picked up at Goodwill a few weeks ago.

11. The infamous “Ashlin,” Hunter’s mystery friend from school. Apparently she says she knows Hunter from somewhere and that has made them instant best friends. Hunter and I have come to the conclusion that they were best friends in Heaven and that must be where she remembers him from.

12. Noah’s very own hairdo–he did it all by himself. Looks great to me!

I try not to complain about my life because I know I have a really wonderful life and that I’ve been very blessed in many ways. I haven’t been taken hostage by a group of Iraqi freaks. My kids haven’t been held hostage in a school for a week without water. No one I love has died in a plane crash. I have a roof over my head and food to eat and clothes to wear. My husband has a job and I get to stay home with my children which truly is a HUGE blessing. Mark and I have wonderful families, Hunter is in a great school, Noah has Miss Melody, we have great friends, and three healthy happy spectacular children. Really, I shouldn’t be complaining. But. . . just this once. . . .

Mark got paid yesterday and we’re down to nothing today. After paying bills, buying groceries, filling the car with gas, and buying diapers at Walmart we barely have enough money to scrape by until next paycheck, in two weeks. And that paycheck is already committed to our mortgage and tithing. Our fuel tank needs filled and I don’t know how I’ll ever come up with $300 to fill it up. Hopefully the weather will hold out and the snow will wait until I can pull together enough money. Our TV is presently being held together by superglue and tape. Our stereo won’t play cd’s. We have so many “projects” around the house, I have no idea how we’ll ever be able to afford them. Christmas is coming all too fast and paycheck after paycheck I sit and wonder how I’ll ever be able to afford it. Our couches are starting to fray and the springs are beginning to poke in our backs. And the stress of it all–the debt, the bills, the unknowns–constantly weighs on me.

Ah well. We’re young. Everyone goes through it at some point in their lives, right? I know my parents did–Mom used to run to the bank everytime they got a paycheck in the hopes that a check wouldn’t bounce. And they made it just fine. With a lot of work and muddling through so will we. And really, I couldn’t ask for more than what I already have–true love, 3 beautiful children, a home and the gospel. The rest will take care of itself and really doesn’t matter anyway.

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN SCHOOL OFFERS GREAT REWARDS

Tuesday, October 12

This week I enjoyed the pleasure of being a “guest reader” in Hunter’s kindergarten class. Thanks to Miss Melody and a very supportive husband, I’ve managed to do a little volunteering up at the school in Hunter’s class. This week I read three Halloween books to the kids and had a wonderful time. They are all so cute and they have so much to share and they think you are so cool–no matter what. This whole Kindergarten thing has been wonderful–I can’t believe I ever worried about letting Hunter go. His teacher said Hunter is doing great and that he has gotten much better following directions and keeping the rules. Mark and I can’t believe how well he behaves in Primary now–he sits still, raises his hand when he has something to say and he sings all the songs. He still struggles at home, but he is getting better every day and I feel so grateful to Mrs. B for all the things she has done with Hunter that we as parents haven’t been able to do ourselves. I’m already looking forward to the next time I get to go and read. I’m planning on taking the 5 little ghosts story and I know they are going to love it (thanks, Mom!)

The school also allows parents to come and eat lunch with their children and I think that is the greatest thing. It is so much fun to sit with Hunter in the lunchroom and watch him interact with all of his little buddies and talk with the little kids and help them open their applesauce and milk cartons. Hunter gets so excited on the days that I get to eat with him and he loves showing me where to buy milk and telling me all the rules of the school and correcting me when I do something wrong. I almost know all of the kids in his class by name and they all know who I am. It’s all so much fun.

MOTHER OF 5 YEAR OLD DIABETIC FINALLY GETS A GOOD REPORT CARD

Wednesday, October 13



Yup, it’s that time of year again–the dreaded Diabetes clinic and the “mommy report card.” Without looking at Hunter’s numbers I would probably tell you that I had pretty good control over his diabetes. But, after Mark printed out his Glucose log and all the “highs” were highlighted by bright yellow I lost any and all of the confidence I had in myself. So, my stomach was in knots the entire way up to Yale and through the first 15 minutes of his appointment. Then, Hunter asked if his A1C test was done and Katie showed him the numbers. Mark saw them next. I was sort of hiding in the corner, dreading the results and the disappointment that would follow with the nurse. But, to my surprise Mark smiled and told me I’d better come take a look. And what to my wondering eyes should appear but a 6.6 (normal A1C is 6)! We’ve hovered around an 8 for the past 4 years and the lowest we’ve ever gotten was a 7.2. I couldn’t believe it! A 6.6–that’s an A on my report card. That’s like going from a C to an A. It was a wonderful feeling. We’re finally getting it! It probably helps that I’m keeping tighter control because he’s at school all day and I don’t want the nurse freaking out because his sugar is too high. But I think the glucometer that attatches to his pump also helps, as well as the new infusion sets. Whatever it is, I can’t describe what a wonderful relief it is to get such a good grade after so many failed attempts.



KINDERGARTEN CELEBRATES FALL WITH FIELD TRIP TO BISHOP’S ORCHARD

Thursday, October 14



2 hours on a schoolbus, 45 minutes on a chilly hayride, 60-5 year olds and a bunch of apples–that’s Hunter’s field trip to Bishop’s Orchard in a nutshell. The kids had a blast and even the adults learned something new. On the way home I taught the kindergartners how to make Semi’s honk and through Bridgeport we managed to get several tractor-trailors to honk at us. It helps to be eye-level with the truck drivers and have 30 kids all doing the same thing. How could they not honk? When we returned to the school I got to stay and eat lunch with Hunter one more time and help Mrs. B send off the short day kids. I think we’ve finally made a little connection and I’m starting to feel a lot more comfortable with her. I really like her and the way she handles the children and the classroom–she’s a great teacher.

THE DANGER OF PET-SITTING

Thursday, October 14



We are pet-sitting Kathy’s cat this week while she’s in Utah. The kids seem to have a love-hate relationship with Sib and I’m afraid by the time Kathy gets back he will have used up most of his 9 lives. Denver especially seems to have it out for the poor cat. Anytime the cat runs by Denver he tries to kick him. The other day the cat was hiding under a blanket by the couch. When Denver caught on, he immediately climbed onto the couch and started jumping off, trying to smash Sib. Then, when Sib stuck his head out, Denver ran over and stomped on his head. The boys love to team up and try and catch Sib in the pet carrier and then, once they have him, they carry him around the house, pausing every once in awhile to watch him. Last night, Sib was trying desperately to sleep with Noah. Noah did not want the cat in his bed so I had to keep moving Sib elsewhere. After 3 or 4 attempts at trying to sleep with Noah I had to lock the cat in the bathroom for the rest of the night. Poor Sib. But then again, he’s getting lots of loving and what cat doesn’t like being chased and played with constantly? It sure beats sitting alone in an empty apartment all day.



A FUN FALL PROJECT FOR YOUR LITTLE ONES

Friday, October 15



With the Fall foliage in full season, a craft that involves the fallen leaves is a welcome one. Kathy and I came up with this one and it is simple enough that even Denver was able to participate. All you need is a couple of Fall leaves, some cardstock, a spongebrush and some Mod Podge. As soon as the leaves start falling off the trees, I love to take the kids on “leaf walks” and collect some of the pretty leaves to dry. It only takes a couple of days for them to dry out and I just press them between pages in our giant Bible and Book of Mormon. As soon as they are dry they’ll be paper thin and perfect for this project. All you do is fold the cardstock in half to make a card. You can make it smaller if you’d like, for mailing purposes. Then position one or two (or more) leaves on the card. It’s easiest if you secure them with double sided tape but if you have bigger kids you can probably get away without the tape. Then, let the kids paint over the front of the entire card with Mod Podge. For super fancy cards, once the painting is done but before the glue is dry, let the kids sprinkle glitter over the card. When the Mod Podge is dry the card is glossy and the leaves are preserved beautifully to send to a friend. We spent the afternoon making these cards and decorating sugar cookies for a friend that was sick. The kids enjoyed the project and were so excited to share them with their friends. Give it a try. I made a bunch of my own one night when the kids were in bed and can’t wait to send them out myself.

PUMPKIN PICKING, HAYMAZE, DONUTS: FALL FUN FOR EVERYONE

Saturday, October 16



Today we went to Benedicts Farm to pick pumpkins and play in the haymaze. The kids love playing there and burning some of their energy climbing over hay bales and crawling through tunnels. Melanie met us there with her little bundle (Jorjito) and we all had fun watching the kids throw hay at each other and climb and jump and play. Noah picked out his pumpkins first and was excited to show us that he could carry them all by himself. Hunter picked out a tall skinny one and Mark picked out his traditional ugly one which he’ll turn into a scary jack-o-lantern in a couple of weeks. We visited the “petting zoo” (which isn’t really a petting zoo) and saw the pigs and chickens and peacocks. Mark saved Hunter’s pumpkin which rolled off the wagon and into the fish pond and Noah and Denver tossed a couple of rocks into the lake. Then we headed off to Toys-R-Us for their “buy 1 get 1 free” game sale and then stopped by Krispy Kreme for some donuts. It was a great way to spend a chilly Saturday afternoon.

BUSY DAD STILL FINDS TIME FOR FAMILY AND CHURCH

Sunday, October 17



I have to take a few minutes to praise Mark for all the hard work he does for his family. He’s working ever so hard on his SOX report and it seems like the audit is always hanging over his head. But you’d never guess it by the way he treats his family. He let me sleep in this morning and did all of the dishes for the entire weekend. He made dinner for the kids last night and let me watch “Trading Spaces” last night even though he really wanted to watch a movie. Today he made me Belgian Waffles and even found time to attend Stake Choir Practice. He seems excited to participate even though he will only be able to perform on one of the nights. He took Hunter on his first field trip (to the Fire Station) and babysat so I could take Hunter to Bishop’s Orchard. He took time off of work so he could be there for Hunter’s diabetes clinic and tonight he read the kids their bedtime story and tucked them in. We’re so lucky to have such a wonderful man in our lives!

INEXPENSIVE TICKETS: GET YOUR’S TODAY

Sunday, October 17



This morning, quite by accident, I came across some really inexpensive tickets to Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular in New York. I’ve been wanting to go for the past 2 years but never could afford the outing. Tickets run around $80.00 and can cost up to $140 each. Anyway, this morning I was on Stop and Shop’s website looking for a recipe that I wanted when I noticed an ad that said they had tickets for the Christmas Spectacular. So, I checked it out and was really excited to find Orchestra Level (just right of center stage) tickets for $34 each! That is a really great price–trust me, I’ve been looking for awhile! Anyway, for $200 (there’s a $7 fee added on to each ticket) we are taking all three of the kids to the show in NYC. How fun will that be? You can also try buying tickets through ticketmaster and entering the promotion code DMVALUE for cheap tickets–although I doubt they will be as good as the ones we snagged. So, if you are interested in going to the Christmas Spectacular check out Stop and Shop’s website and snag some tickets of your own before they’re gone. It’s a fantastic show for the entire family and a great way to kick off the Holiday season.

TOOTH FAIRY TO VISIT HENRICHSEN HOME SHORTLY

Sunday, October 17

Back in August the dentist informed us that Hunter had two loose teeth. Since then they have become very wobbley and should be falling out any day now. Hunter has mixed feelings about the whole situation and up until today has been vigorously wiggling the two teeth. When I told him they would be coming out soon, he changed his mind and refuses to let me see or touch them. Either way, they are very loose and I suppose that means we’d better get busy making a tooth fairy pillow and figuring out the price of a tooth nowadays.

Today, Hunter had the day off from Kindergarten and the weather was so chilly and Fallish, I decided to take the kids up to Silverman’s Farm. They have a petting zoo there, pumpkin picking, hayrides, a cider mill and lots of yummy food–fresh cider, funnel-cake, candy apples, pumpkin pie etc. It was a lot of fun. All of the kids were a little nervous about feeding the animals but with a little encouragement they all managed to feed something, even if it was just throwing some corn at a duck or two. There was a bull there that kept sticking its tongue through the fence and kids were pouring cupfuls of corn onto his tongue. Then, he’d curl his tongue back into his mouth and munch it up. All you had to do was walk over to him and shake your cup of corn and he’d stick out his tongue. So we dumped a couple of cupfuls of corn onto his tongue, which seemed to thrill all of the kids.

After feeding the animals for awhile we journeyed over to the shop and got some fresh cider that they serve in little plastic apples and wandered over to the hayrides. Denver was so excited about riding behind a tractor it was hard to get him to wait for his turn. But, eventually we boarded the wagon and off we went to the top of the apple orchard where we could see, all the way from Easton, the Long Island Sound. The tractor driver zoomed down the hill at top speed and all three of the boys threw their hands in the air and screamed like they were on a roller coaster. We were covered in dust and all of our eyes were scratchy, but it was well worth it to see the view from the top of the hill–so many, many colors!

Then we picked up some pumpkin pie and funnel cake for lunch–I know, I know it’s not very healthy–and the kids snarfed it down in a flash. Denver loves pumpkin pie and Hunter seemed to like the funnel cake. Noah, well. . . Noah just doesn’t eat much. We stopped by the shop one more time to pick up some apples and then hurried home to get Denver a “ba-ba.” While he had a nap, Hunter and Noah helped me make homemade applesauce from the apples we bought at the farm. It turned out delicious and made a great FHE treat.

For FHE, we talked about our Family Tree and tried to explain the family line to the kids. I’m not sure they grasped it, despite the pictures, and were more anxious to color on the gigantic sheet of paper we were using to draw our family tree on. So, we wrapped it up and let them color while we dished up the applesauce and then, put them to bed.

Lately we’ve been sort of frustrated with Noah because he won’t go poop in the potty. He’s been going “tinkle” in the potty since he was two but everytime he has to go number two he insists on having a pull-up and standing in the corner of the toy room, next to the toy kitchen. Anyway, this weekend Mark decided “no more pull-ups” and I’ve been left with the dirty work ever since. After only three days of trying (and about 10 hours in the bathroom, sitting on the cold tile floor, cheering him on and reading picture books) I’ve had it! So, this afternoon Noah and I hit the internet and did a google search–”Poop in the Potty.” Unbelievably, there were a few blocked sites (reason code: sexual education????) and a bunch of message boards full of mommies looking for suggestions, but not getting a whole lot of help. Noah snuggled mostly while I read and eventually we came up with a plan for moving Noah’s bowels up in the world. First, thanks to a Dr. Alan Greene I was reassured that “children have a deep, urgent desire for growth and mastery. They would love to be able to poop on the toilet like their parents, like their teachers, like their friends. This longing is profound, and will win out in the end.” So, eventually, he’ll get it. Next, we made a little compromise that I would give him a pull-up if he would sit on the potty while he pooped. And amazingly enough, it worked. In about 30 seconds he had pooped, we wiped, dumped, flushed and lit a match. He was happy and so was I. And hopefully, by the end of the week we’ll be able to do the entire process without the pull-up. Last but not least, Dr. Alan Greene made the following statement which I think is so great, especially when you are somebody like me whose life revolves around your kids’ bowel movements.

“Although this time can be a frustrating and messy one, it’s a great opportunity for you to model for your child how to approach many of life’s challenges:

- when you want to do something, it’s easier

-if you don’t want to do something, figure out why

-internal motivation is the best motivation

-identify what it is that stands between you and completing your goal

-sometimes pull-ups slow down your progress

-often others see when you are shifting from foot to foot, before you do

-continuing to do what you are comfortable with can keep you from growing

-poop happens, accidents are part of learning to do it right

-don’t beat yourself up over mistakes

-overcoming a challenge is a process

-sometimes you just need to do it

-celebrate sucesses!”

Happy Pooping!

For those of you that love Marble Cake and that also love blueberries this recipe is for you! Delicious!

4 cups flour

1 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

2 cups milk

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 cups fresh or forzen blueberries (we used the blueberries we picked this summer and then froze)

Filling:

1-8 oz. package cream cheese

1 egg

1/3 cup sugar

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat the eggs, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in the blueberries. Spoon a small amount of batter into each (greased) muffin cup.

In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, egg and sugar. Place about 1 Tbsp in the center of each muffin cup (do not spread). Top with reamaining batter. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Cool for about 10 minutes before removing from muffin tins. Yield: 2 dozen.