Dance to the music...

I can only say one thing, my kids love music and when we want to burn some energy, this works wonders! Enjoy. Try not to look to closely at my two-tone living room - it is waiting for some paint after ripping the wall paper down - there is always a project to be done and never enough time when you're playing.

Also, Abby goes kind of ballistic towards the middle when she can't touch, climb, chew, throw, climb, tinker (did I mention climb?) with things she's not suppose too.

Sorry for the screaming but that's my life. :)

Halloween 08

It was a very busy Halloween this year. Jake was very excited to get out there in his construction worker costume and gather candy and to see the neighbor kids. The weather was wonderful and we had planned to have our friends hang out around the fire pit to enjoy all the trick-or-treaters. But, in the morning I had to take Nicky to the doctor because he was wheezing and grunting, having a hard time breathing generally with a bad cold. So, after our visit, poor Nicky had Amoxicillian for a double ear infection as well as a nebeulizer with Albuterol to help him breath and Prednisolone to open his airways. Holy cow - he was really sick so he did not trick-or-treat. But John took Abby around with the kids to get some candy and Abby loved her costume and a red sucker. It was not a relaxed evening as I had hoped but I did get to visit with our friends and have some tasty home-made chili. Okay and a few beers!

We are keeping busy this fall...

I can't believe that September came and went but October has been BEAUTIFUL! The colors of the trees are wonderful but lots of leaves to rake. The kids enjoyed jumping in a big pile of leaves a couple of weeks ago but man, my arms we're sore. We have been trying to get outside as much as we can knowing that the winter is just around the corner. The Farmer's Almanac predicted that this winter is going to be like last year - lots of snow. I think we had a total of like 109 inched of snow for the whole winter or close to that.

Jake is loving school and doing very well. His teacher has asked us to have a challenge packet sent home for him to work on because he is doing so well. We knew that Jake would do well but we we're pleasantly surprised that he was exceeding. What reminds us he's still 5, his listening is a skill that he has to work on. It takes about 7 times to get through to him at home and it is now something he has to work on at school too. He also has to keep learning how to tie his shoes. I've been teaching him and I have to say - MAN - when you have to slow down and go through the steps of actually tying - I am caught off guard. Honestly, it is something that I had to think harder on after doing it for 35 years. So, hopefully Jake will catch on before too long. Viva la Velcro!



Nicky & Abby have been keeping me on my toes but mostly Abby. She has just recently figured out how to scale the gates that have been keeping them caged for the past 1 1/2 years. I guess thinking we could keep them in for 4 years was a bit of a stretch. So, we tried putting the spring gate on the stairs, she scaled that and fell off. She won't stop. Now, we have bungee corded a headboard (yes, a headboard) to the bottom of the steps and banister. Thinking we had them beat...I snuck upstairs to take a quick shower and 2 minutes into it, there was Nicky in the bathroom talking to me. I couldn't believe it - how did those little stinkers get through that? All it took was Abby (our pudgy pie) to squeeze through the bottom banister and 1st rung and Nicky followed right after. Unbelievable! So, now John is going to shrink wrap the banister all the way up and hopefully Abby won't chew on the plastic like a dog. They are 22 months and we hope that they will be stable enough on the stairs by summer. But for now, we are trying this. Next up, leashes! You think I'm kidding? Just when we think we have won, they find a way to "one-up" us and frankly, John & I are completely frazzled. Each day, I think "what will they get into today" and just go moment by moment. We laugh a lot and why wouldn't you when you literally have the circus in your house. I need to buy one of those smart cars to put in my family room. I don't need it to drive, just to see how smart they really are. For all I know, they may figure out how to drive it through the bay window. :D I will cherish these days when they are older but GOOD GOD - they are making my hair turn gray before it should!

When John shrink wraps the banister, I will post a picture. Maybe we should just shrink wrap everything? How could they get to anything then? I kid, I kid.

First day of School

I can't believe my little boy is a big boy now and is in kindergarten! Sniff, sniff.

Jacob LOVES school to say the least. He was ready for that bus at 6:30 - out of bed, dressed and back pack on waiting to get on that big, yellow bus. Now, the bus does not come until 8:30 but he was READY! He had the biggest smile on his face from the bus window I have seen since he got his guitar for Christmas. He only had 2 days the first week and now is in full time - all day. I was sad for about one day, then he was home and driving me nuts and couldn't wait for the bus to come the next day.

But I am a little sad that he likes it so much because I miss our little conversations during the day and my helper. The twins miss him too. I think they we're too dazed the first week but this week, Nicky has cried when Jakey gets on the bus and it leaves. They say and point to the road, "Jakey bus" every time we are outside and I explain to them that he is at school and will be home later. We are all happy to see him when he gets of the bus! I'm glad the transition was easy and hope that Abby & Nick give me the same. Then I will be weeping for sure.

The hand is better...

And the shed is complete! It's so nice and has already been put to use - full of all kinds of things in it's first week! And John's hand is getting much, much better. We have been able to do some putzy stuff - especially cleaning out and organizing our garage after moving all kinds of yard and outdoor things into the shed - should be able to park the truck in there this winter now.

Special big thanks to John's brother Joe and his wife Jane for surprising John on painting the shed. It looks beautiful and now we can focus on what the house colors will look like next year.



John has been loving having a little haven to go to when out in the yard... it's pretty nice. He did some masterful work and we are thankful to God that his hand is healing okay!

So - the work comes to a BIG halt...

I know that I went on & on about the house work ahead, siding, windows, painting, etc. but it has all come to a stop because of a accident involving a saw and a hand. Yep, not two things that mix well with each other. I am happy to report that all the digits are there and no major surgery was needed. Yet.

Say hello to Tim, the tool man Taylor...


John had a terrible accident last Thursday night while I was reading a bedtime book to Jake. He was in the basement cutting dowels for his new shed on the Miter saw and the plastic guard got stuck in the up position when he let go of the release lever to stop the saw, his right came up with dowel in hand and caught the blade. He cut just above his wrist all the way up to between the middle & ring finger before the webbing. He sliced it pretty deep and caught a tendon. It didn't completely sever the tendon which is GREAT news - it was stitched back together as well as the cut and now is waiting to see how the healing process goes.

He is a very lucky, lucky man that it wasn't more serious than it was. God must have been watching over him - it's a shame it happened but accidents are just that - accidents. He's mad at himself and wishes he'd looked at the guard but that's hindsight and now we just have to focus on it getting better. He can move his ring finger a little but it will maybe take some therapy and time to completely heal and HOPEFULLY, he won't need to see a orthopedic hand surgeon and we can focus on all our house projects for spring. Thank goodness he didn't start to tear the front of the house apart - that would of been a big hassle.

But the shed is done and I think we are going to paint that at least before it gets too cold. That way we can mill over the color choices all winter before we paint the house.

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers and a big thanks to Chris - he sat with John at the emergency room for 4 hours and even watched the suture process like he was watching the Discovery Channel - iron stomach Rothwell! And Scott for mowing our lawn, Emily, Jessie and Amy for watching Nick & Abby so Jake & I could go to swim lessons. You all mean a lot to us and we appreciate your help! Here's to 2009!

Fish Killer!

We we're invited to spend this last weekend with our neighbor friends, Chris, Jennifer and kids at our other neighbor friends, Joe and Sue's cabin, outside Shawano, for a fun, relaxing and good time. At first we hesitated about dealing with the twins away from home but sometimes you just got say... what the heck! Let's roll with it. We had a packed car, lots of drinks and snacks and ready for the 3 1/2 hour trip up on Friday. It was worth it. Even a huge screaming meltdown by Nicky combined with a rogue rainstorm around Oshkosh pouring buckets of rain which lead to a hour stop at McDonalds play land to re-group on the way didn't deter us - Diet Coke, french fries and running around was the charm - the babies slept the rest of the car ride. The rest of the weekend, the kids slept great and the weather was perfect! Jake loved being able to fish with Dad and the twins just wanted to be in the lake all the time. Jake and Dad went canoeing (broke a paddle and Jake abandoned ship to the Floatilla in a panic which sent Dad under water - totally funny) and Mom and Sue hung out on the Floatilla drinking beers enjoying the napping twins. Lots of boat rides and blazing sun pretty much wiped everyone out.

Saturday night was the funniest event in my opinion. Around 9:30, Sue disappeared outside by the fire pit and I went to go chat with her. But she was standing on the pier. She said she heard a big fish jump and ran out there to see if she could hook it. So I decided to try too. Now, mind you, I have limited fishing knowledge except how to cast and that the worm goes on the hook. I don't touch worms or fish (euw) so my fishing pretty much ends there. But I said, "what the heck" again and threw a line with a fake worm on it into the water. It was like the 2 stooges out there since each of us had a few beers and we we're talking more than paying attention to what technique we had. I caught more weeds with that fake worm and Sue's pants once or twice. It was all comical. Then around 10:30 - BAM! - Sue starts screaming - "I got a big one! I got a big fish! Oh My God! Oh My God!" Everything moved very quickly from there out! I ran up the beach, dropped my pole, tripped on some big root and screamed the whole way! "Holy crap - Sue's got a big fish - get a flashlight - get a camera! Wake up everyone!" Everyone else was either in bed or getting into bed. All the kids (except Jake and Joe), John and Chris came down to see what she caught... it was a 25 inch Northern! Crazy! Biggest smile I have ever seen on her face! Before we got back down there, she had proceeded to drag it about 100 yards on the beach under a light to get a better look and so it wouldn't get away. Let's just say the fish looked pretty beat. Chris & Danny (Sue and Joe's oldest son) got it off the hook and began to revive it. It wasn't looking to promising and we started to call her "Fish Killer." After about 10 minutes the fish started to get it's bearings back and slowly - I emphasize - slowly swam away. We don't know if the poor fish made it but the pictures will last forever. It was hysterical. Look out Babe Winkelman!





















Overall, the weekend was a lot of fun and I'm glad we made the effort to get the babies out of the house and have some fun! Sooner or later I have to spring them from their baby jail. With the mini-vacation over, it's back to painting the shed, getting the windows and new front to the house. Work, work, work. It never stops!