Click to play:

And, yes, that drool did end up on my computer.

That means, “I’m so happy to see you!!!!”

To see her crawling, be sure to click -> Read the rest of this entry »

No, this is not a political diatribe on capitalism or our consumerist culture. This is an introduction to the most effective tool we have ever seen in parenting. And no, I’m not talking about allowance as bribery, either! The Family Dollar system has transformed my family with four children from being resigned to never EVER going shopping with the boys again (even with 3 adults present I felt they were out of control!) to constantly receiving compliments on how well-behaved my boys are in public. Read on if you’re curious.

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I’m cleaning up my first blogs that I kept while going to grad school.  Here are some keeper posts about the 2 year-old version of Neils:

January 13, 2004

Growing lots

Man, is Neils growing! Every day I look at him in amazement. His speech is getting so much clearing and he is able to express himself very well.

Today, I was home for lunch, and was just watching him talk about a book while sitting on Melissa’s lap. He was talking about the different pictures and using his imagination very well. My eyes got all wet just thinking about what a handsome, smart, and loving boy we have.

…and there’s more: 

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Just had to post these adorable little baby shoes someone in our ward made for Eva. So darling! I just need to figure out how to make them now. She’s already outgrowing everything!

Okay, so now that I post it, I realize it’s not the best picture, but the soles are that suede kind of fabric, and the back is that same red color that’s in the flowers. SO cute.

And a picture of the girl.

Just wanted to share our greatest discovery in the realm of Mathematics. Marshmallow Math. My biggest frustration with Homeschool is finding consistently useful and affordable curriculum. This is cheap, flexible, and most importantly… it’s working!

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So here’s some fun projects my kids have been up to…last year. I’ve had them ready to post for about that long, but never did post them. Ah, well. Life is life. Here they are:

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So I thought we were looking at a miracle when it hit 50 degrees on Sunday and sent the boys out to play in just sweaters and scarves, then Tuesday we had a high of 60! If that’s not park weather I don’t know what is. I even took Eva outside to play. Well, observe from the baby carrier anyway! She would watch her brothers climb and swing and just giggle and gab… she’s already SUCH a chatterbox. Now if only I could catch it on camera… and figure out how to upload it.

I’m posting pics from Sunday, and Tuesday. Alas, last night it snowed and hasn’t really let up since. We’ve already got at least four inches.

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My mom and dad got us an art easel for Christmas, and boy do the kids enjoy it! We are even taking art lessons. A wonderful woman in our area has agreed to teach family lessons once a week, so I get to learn too! So naturally I had to put up a bulletin board to show off all their artwork… the fridge was just not big enough!

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Your neighbor uses a backhoe to clear his drive

The “warming trend” for the week means a high of 18 degrees

You dress your baby girl in about 11 layers of clothing… for staying inside.

Ah well, she doesn’t seem to mind.