Thanksgiving Week

We took a family trip up to North Dakota for Thanksgiving. It was Izzy's first major road trip and to our surprise, she did really really well in the car! We made the trip in about 13hrs. Not too bad considering all of the stops we made.

Seems like almost every time we go that way Maison gets car sick. We were there a whole day before it kicked in. Of course it happened while I was trying to take a shower! He ended up barfing all over the toilet seat lid and the floor! Yuck! Jason was stuck cleaning it up because I was conveniently in the middle of a shower. To my dismay, he threw a bunch of paper towels into the toilet which plugged it up! I told him if I had to go to the front desk and ask for a plunger I was going to tell them he pooped up the toilet! Luckily for Jason, he managed to get the toilet to flush without the assistance of a plunger!

The kids enjoyed a dip in the pool after everyone was feeling better!

For Grama's birthday we all had dinner at the Elk's Club. Our family was late as usual. Not because we wanted to be but because I can't seem to get us all ready in a timely fashion. I like to blame it on the baby. It wasn't so bad because we had the birthday girl with us. In the video below, about 95% of the pictures were taken by Maison. He really loves photography and video!

After dinner we headed over to Uncle Don and Aunt Cindy's house for cake, ice cream, and presents. Poor Libby, the Noodle Man even tried to steal her cake! (For those who may not know or remember, a couple of summers ago when the kids and I took our yearly summer drive up, we had spaghetti at Uncle Don and Aunt Cindy's house for dinner one night. Libby was sitting in between our cousin Brent and I when one of her noodles hit the floor. Brent picked it up and put it on his plate, obviously not wanting to eat it, but Libby freaked out and accused him of stealing her noodles.) The rest is history.

Brent and Stuart stole Libby's purse and were really giving her a hard time. Stuart even made Libby cry! That night when we headed back to the hotel, she practiced up her Kung Fu moves to show them who was boss the next day.

On Thanksgiving everyone tried to talk Libby into leaving her purse at the hotel so the boys wouldn't get it, but we all knew she liked the teasing. When we got to Uncle Don and Aunt Cindy's house the fight was on. Brent and Stuart were no match for Libby's sweet Kung Fu moves! All in all we had a great time! The kids are already discussing our next trip. Unfortunately it won't be anytime soon. Mommy can't handle another 13hr trip in the van with 3 kids all by herself! Maybe this summer.

1 Month Old

Hard to believe Izabella is 1 month old already! It has been quite an adjustment, more for me than anyone! Unfortunately she has been quite colicky and has a horrible case of infant acne! (I have a hard time resiting pimple popping!)

The kids absolutely love her and at times seem to love her more than she can handle. We still haven't decided on a nick name but have DEFINITELY ruled out Bell or Bella. We all know how kids can tease each other and we didn't want Bell or Bella to turn into Belly, which then has the possibility of turning in to Jelly, and the final blow...Jelly Belly. Sound all a little premature and crazy? I assure you it's not. My folks were going to name me Stephanie, but obviously didn't because they didn't want kids to call me Step on Me. Whew! Close call for me! I only had to deal with Crusty Sh*t. Way to go Mom and Dad! That one was much easier to deal with! (Denote lots and lots of sarcasm in the last two sentences)

Libby first wanted to call her Bizzy Bee, which I thought was really cute. Maison wanted to call her Izzy, which Libby has conveniently changed to Izzy Mo Wizzy (because of all her dirty diapers, but mostly just because it annoys her brother!) Jason still likes calling her Libby and I have been calling her Baby Sis. Why do names have to be so difficult?

Izabella has received lots of wonderful gifts and has accepted many visitors. Great Uncle Bill and Aunt Pat came to visit a couple of weeks ago. (FYI Libby has a pair of butterfly tights that she is absolutely certain Aunt Pat stitched just for her, which is a story all on its own!) Great Aunt Janis and cousins Georgia, Ella, and Ian came to visit a couple of nights ago as well.

Happy Halloween

Click play for a Halloween treat!

Halloween was quite an ordeal this year. There were a total of 3 celebrations! The weather was perfect...65 degrees and no wind, which meant no coats!

Earlier this fall, Libby had talked Grama Mary into buying her a horsey suit (this has proved to be the best purchase ever!) because she wanted to be a cowgirl this year for Halloween. We already had the hat (a gift from Grama Shari and Papa Ed), Grama Mary provided the horsey, all she needed was a cowgirl shirt. We went to the local cowgirl clothing store and found the perfect shirt; pink pearl snaps and pink sparkly horsies! It was made just for her. Washing and ironing will of course be a whole different story!

Maison wanted to be an apparition this year! We spray painted his hair white, put on his skeleton shirt, and found a ghost robe! Libby was really scared of him and he got her good a couple of times.

Little Izzy was a sleepy pumpkin! She slept through all of the events including trick-or-treating!

Izabella Rose

Well, a new addition in our family wouldn't be the same without some drama! This pregnancy had been SO incredibly different than the other two! With Maison, I had diabetes, placenta previa, and LOTS of complications which resulted in a exciting ambulance ride and an early delivery, two months early!


With Libby, I had diabetes, with less complications, labored for almost a week, and had her a month early. She had beautiful hair which all fell out due to extreme eczema, and was left with a Donald Trump comb-over for months!


On October 9th I went in for my weekly check-up and was dilated to a 3 and was almost fully effaced. My doctor thought I would be ready for delivery on Sunday or Monday, and if that didn't happen she was going to induce me on the 16th, because the baby according to ultra-sound weighed 6lbs 8oz. Earlier in the week my brother informed me that he had no intention of sharing his birthday with anyone, which is on the 16th. No pressure there! (I think he secretly would have loved to share his birthday, but was unwilling to admit this to his arch nemesis!)


Once the weekend hit, I was feeling a little depressed as my contractions remained irregular and everyone kept calling to check on me! Hasn't anyone ever heard of that old adage about water not boiling when the pot is watched? My mom was calling daily, my brother actually called to check on me, my friends were calling, my dad called, my grama called, got an email from my aunt Cindy, and a lady from the gym I go to even called. I was beginning to feel like it would never happen because everyone, including me, wanted it to happen.


My plan was to mow the lawn on Sunday if nothing happened, but Jason talked me into a lunch date instead. We settled on Olive Garden. I hadn't eaten there in a long time. Of course I ordered the Rosemary chicken with broccoli, served on pasta in a heavy garlic cream sauce. As I sat and fully enjoyed my lunch, I leaned across the table and said, "I shouldn't be eating all of this! I know I will be in the bathroom all night!" Did that stop me? NO WAY! I unfortunately ate the whole thing!


I was looking forward to seeing the kids Monday as they had gone to Indianapolis with my mom for the weekend to visit my dad. They had been gone since early Friday morning. That night around 2:30am I woke up saying to myself, "I knew it! I should have never eaten that food!" So I was in and out of the bathroom for almost an hour. Finally, when I went in to go again, nothing happened. I sat there thinking..."Am I in labor?" I was quite hesitant, and laid back down in bed as I didn't want to go to the hospital just to be sent home because I had to poop! My contractions became more regular, but not very strong. I decided to get up and pack a bag. (You would think with my history, I would have packed a bag a month ago!) So I packed a bag, cleaned up the kitchen and the house, and charged the batteries for the camera. I woke Jason up around 3:45am and told him I think we needed to go. I decided to jump in the shower quick to wash my hair just because it had been a couple of days, and it was nasty. Time I got out of the shower, the contractions were definitely getting stronger! I think we left the house around 4:15am. Before we were out of the development, I realized I had forgotten my pillow, but decided to forgo it.


Jason took the back way to the hospital which included a very dark and windy road on the outskirts of town. The moon was high and full and the deer were out. There I was with one hand on the Oh Crap handle and the other digging into the arm rest, panting like a dog, watching out for deer! After what felt like eternity, we made it to the hospital. We decided to park in the ramp thinking we would avoid having to moving the car later. Jason went to the second level where the sky walk was located, we got the bag, he wheeled me to the entrance...and it was locked! The doors wouldn't be open until 5am. I looked at my watch and we were about 15mins. early. After some hesitation, we headed back to the van and made our way to the emergency entrance. Jason left the van running and we hobbled in. The receptionist got me a wheelchair and up to the 3rd floor we headed. As we headed toward the elevator, Jason slowed only for the rubber handles to pull off the wheelchair and I ran into the wall by the elevator. We got upstairs and at this point, I was really huffing and puffing. They ironically put us in the same room we had Libby in, I got my clothes off, the gown on, laid down, the nurse checked me and I was at 8cm to 9cm. At this point it was about 4:50am. One of the nurses asked Jason to go move the car. So he left quickly. I was in so much pain and knew in my heart of hearts this was going to be al natural! I had one nurse trying to put an IV in, another asking me about domestic abuse, and another trying to hook a monitor up. The nurse gave up on the IV, I quit answering questions because I was screaming my head off, and the other nurse was telling me not to push. At that point, Jason claimed he could hear me screaming all the way down the hallway, came in the room and replaced the nurse, who was laying on me to hold me down, I screamed a little more, got the token "OH SXXT" in, and there she was, followed by my doctor entering the room. She was officially born at 5:02am, only 12mins after we entered the delivery room! I looked over at Jason and he was teary, not because he was emotional after the birth of our third child, but teary because of how much pain he perceived me to be in! (You know it must have been bad if it mades other people's eyes water!)


She looked perfect and just like Libby! She had a tiny bruise by her eye and one on her collar bone, lots of fluid in her ears, and a broken blood vessel in her eye! All due to her prompt arrival. Apparently during "normal" labor, there is time for the fluid to be squished out of all orifices and time for the eyeballs to decompress. There was no time for decomression of any kind! She was much too excited to wait!


All in all everything went fine! I don't know whether to commend women who opt to give birth naturally or question their sanity!

Honey Creek Apple Orchard

A new apple orchard in Swisher opened this year. We decided to take the kids up there to pick some apples and get a couple of pumkins. The kids had such a great time picking apples that we ended up with $16 worth the apples at a $1.50 a pound. I have lots of baking to do now!

Disney on Ice

We took the kids and Grama Mary up to Cedar Rapids to see Disney on Ice. The kids absolutely loved it! They talked Grama Mary into cotton candy, popcorn, and hand held lights! Everyone took turns wearing the Dash mask that came with the cotton candy.

The whole premise behind the show was that the Incredible family wanted to take a vacation and just be a regular family, so they decide to go to Disneyland. When they get there, the dad, Bob, keeps destroying the rides because he thinks they are in danger. They destroyed the Jungle Book Ride, the Tea cups, the Haunted Mansion, the Pirates of the Caribbean, Buzz Lightyear, and a Small World (which might not be so bad, considering how annoying that song is!) Syndrome shows up and kidnaps Mickey and Minnie, so the rest of the show becomes a rescue mission by the Incredible family, where they continue to destroy more rides.

In the end, the Incredibles save Mickey and Minnie and the Light Parade goes on! YEAH!

Popcorn

It's that time of year again. Maison's pack is out selling popcorn. He is REALLY excited about participating this year. Grama Mary took him out for awhile this morning and he did really great, dispite it being a game day.

Maison made a sign for Grama Mary and sent some popcorn home with her to sell at the Bud Barn. He is quite the thinker! Hopefully it will sell!

Back to School

Maison had his Back to School Night tonight. We went to school and learned about his day and looked over some of the things he has been working on at school. His most recent project has been creating his own newspaper.











His main story was about RAGBRAI and how his Great Uncle Dan brought his team here to stay the night. His hero is his Dad. His cartoon was a drawing of Alvin and the Chipmunks swimming in soup and his favorite book is any one that he can read. He did a great job!

The Cyclones vs. The Golden Flashes

Double click the play button for some football follies!

Jason and I decided to take the kids to a football game. This was Maison's second game and Libby's first. We met Jason's friend Eric, his boys Jackson and Bronson, and Eric's Dad for the game.

We first had to make a trip to the Strawberry Patch at the mall, which sells ISU clothing for adults and kids. Maison and Libby wanted/needed new chicken shirts. (Cy, is the school's mascot. He is a Cardinal, but for some reason the kids think he is a chicken) ISU changed their logo along with their color pallet because of last year's coaching change. So of course Jason and I also needed new sweatshirts so we wouldn't jinx the team with our old stuff. So after spending a small fortune, we headed over to the game.

Jason's work, Country Landscapes Inc, shares a tailgating tent with a couple of other businesses, so we headed over to grab a bite to eat. The kids had a great time playing with Jackson and Bronson. Libby had to make a trip to the port-a-potty. Next think I know, I have all 4 kids with me, not realizing this would be the first trip EVER for all of them! So they each head into their own Johnny, and pretty soon everyone within earshot is getting a play-by-play announcement of what's in the toilet, what color it is, and how disgusting it is! Libby peeks out of her Johnny with her pants around her ankles asking me for help because she is afraid she will fall in the hole and get "that green poop all over her new cheerleader suit!" Everyone was dying!

Overall, I don't know how much of the game the kids watched, but they had a blast and we won!

First Day of School

Last night proved to be more of a challenge for Libby than Maison. The kids and I ran a few errands and got home around 8:30pm. I got Libby into the shower first, but yet she somehow managed to be the last into her jammies. Maison wouldn't admit to his excitedness, but brushed his teeth 3 times and gargled twice. (He wanted to make sure his teeth were nice and clean!)

Maison hopped into bed without much fuss before 9pm, while his sister was in and out of our room what seemed like a half dozen times! Finally sometime around 10:30pm things were quiet.

I got up around 5am and headed to the gym, came home around 6am, made banana bread, played with the dogs, woke Jason up, and was in the shower around 7am. Maison was up before 7:15am, when his alarm was set to go off, and had his first banana bread loaf. Time I was dressed and had Libby up, I think he brushed his teeth another couple of times. Libby on the other hand was her usual slow poke self. Despite her slowness, we had plenty of time for a couple of pictures before Daddy met us at the house.

We got to Maison's school and it was a whirlwind. There were kids, adults, and school supplies all over the place. Maison picked out his locker and we got him unpacked and somewhat situated. There was absolutely no fuss and when we tried to say goodbye, he just pretended we weren't there. I was okay with that because I was expecting a tearful goodbye from Libby later this morning.

Not realizing the time, we left in a flash because we had 5 minutes to get Libby to her first day of school. Not a great way to start off the year. We made the 5 mile trip back to North Liberty with 0 minutes to spare. Got her out of the van and into the school. She picks a great spot to hang her backpack, turns to look at us, and says "can I go play with my friends now?" I didn't know what to say, other than yes, but I was so let down. I didn't want major theatrics, but a little heartfelt whine would have been appreciated. Off she went and back to the van for us. As we were driving away I said to Jason, "can't believe neither one of the kids are going to miss me!?" In between work calls, he says "I miss you already." It just wasn't the same.

Raingutter Regatta

Click play, but hold on to your hats, it's windy!

Maison raced in his first Raingutter Regatta for Cub scouts today. It was a double elimination, and needless to say, he was eliminated twice rather quickly. It was a great race and a great experience. He and Daddy worked hard on the boat and it looked great! It was of course red, white, and blue, and numbered 44. Maison asked why number 44 and I replied that number 44 was Daddy's favorite number. Maison responds, "that's too bad, because I like number 45." Just had to be one higher. Daddy had to clear the air by saying his favorite number was actually 43. I guess I can't say I have a favorite number. What does a number actually do for you anyway? All in all, it was a great race!

Libby's 4th Birthday

Click play for some birthday party fun.

Libby had quite a busy birthday weekend. On Saturday, we went to Maison's school for a clean-up day, then headed over to watch him race his boat, back to the school for more cleaning, over to Grama Shari's and Papa Ed's, then to the Texas Road House for dinner, finally home for birthday cake and presents.

Hard to believe she is 4 already! On Saturday when she woke up, she says "am I still four?" My reply was yes and she was sad for a minute because "I won't ever be three again?" I said, "no, but in a year you'll be five." That seemed to cheer her up rather quickly! Thanks for all the great gifts and cards. Everything was so perfect for her...sparkly, girly, or princessy!

Cedar Rapids Kernels Game

The district that Maison's Cub Scout Pack belongs to had the opportunity to attend a Cedar Rapids Kernels baseball game. We have never taken the kids to a baseball game and I haven't attended a game since high school, so it was pretty exciting. All the scouts from the district were invited onto the field before the game for a parade around the bases.

The kids had a great time eating cotton candy, learning "hey batter, batter, batter" and "we want a pitcher", and dancing during the 7th inning stretch. I really don't know how much of the game they watched, but they, including B, really seemed to enjoy it. Papa Ed even managed to squeeze in a nap. (How anyone could sleep with all of the noise is beyond me!)

The kids enjoyed the fireworks the most! As we entered the stadium, we were handed special glasses to make the fireworks more enjoyable. I managed to get a video clip of the more enjoyable fireworks. I have to admit, the glasses were pretty cool!

Click the play button for some summer baseball fun.

Digital Photography

Double click the play button to enjoy some photo's of the kids

We used our "bonus" money from the government to buy a new computer as well as some digital photography editing software. I have been toying with the idea of starting up an at home business that would include photography, but I haven't really sat down and put the whole thing together yet. Lots of ideas, but I need to narrow it down.

The kid's pictures have been my first attempt. I learned lots from just this attempt. First important point, sunny days are not ideal! Too much squinting and shadows. All in all, not to shabby.

Swimming Lessons

Double Click the Play Button to See the Fishies in Action

This was Maison's second round of swimming lessons for the summer. He advanced to Level II. This was Libby's first class, Tadpoles, and she passed with flying colors. The kids are looking forward to the fall to continue their swimming adventures!

Get Grossed Out @ Your Library

Maison and Libby were involved in the summer reading program at our library. Every Tuesday Maison met in the Rec. Center for a story and activity. This summer's theme was gross. They read books like Walter the Farting Dog, The Gas We Pass, Guts, etc. They loved it.

Libby was supposed to be read to for 20min. each day and Maison was encouraged to read 30 books at his reading level. For each 5 books (Maison) or for 100 min (Libby) they received a raffle ticket for a prize drawing when the program was over.

Maison ended up reading 50 books this summer and Libby heard 600 min worth of stories! At the finale each received a t-shirt and a mug full of goodies. Neither one won anything from the raffle, but Libby won a door prize in her age group! Before they finished calling her name, her hand was up in the air and she says "that's me!" She won a scooter and a helmet. Unfortunately, she has a helmet and a scooter just like the one she won. We opted to return them to the store where she picked out a backpack for school and decided it would be a great reward for Maison to get a new L-Max game for all his hard work. All in all, everyone was a winner!

RAGBRAI XXXVI

RAGBRAI

Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa

August 26-31, 1973

The Register's bicycling tradition began with an idea (a kind of a challenge) between Des Moines Register feature writer/copy editor John Karras, an avid bicyclist, and Don Kaul, author of The Des Moines Register's "Over The Coffee" column. Karras suggested to Kaul that he ride his bicycle across Iowa and write columns about what he saw from that perspective. Kaul, also an accomplished rider, lived in Washington, D.C., and wrote his column from The Register's Washington Bureau.

Kaul liked the idea but issued the challenge that he would ride across Iowa if Karras rode with him. Karras agreed and the plan was approved by the managing editor. Coordination of the ride was assigned to Don Benson, public relations director, and the RAGBRAI trio was formed. Benson served as coordinator of the ride until his retirement in 1991, when Jim Green took over the duties.

Kaul and Karras then invited 'a few friends' (the public) to ride along. The route was laid out on maps and readers were told that the ride would start in Sioux City on August 26 and end on August 31 in Davenport. Overnight stops were scheduled in Storm Lake, Fort Dodge, Ames, Des Moines and Williamsburg. (Year One's overnight towns had the largest average population of any RAGBRAI through RAGBRAI XXIV.) The ride was informally referred to as ' The Great Six-Day Bicycle Ride' and was scheduled to tie in with a Register and Tribune circulation sales meeting in Des Moines.

An estimated 300 people showed up for the start of the ride in Sioux City. By actual count, 114 riders made the entire distance that first year. The number swelled to 500 riders on the stretch of the route between Ames and Des Moines. In fact, the ride has become so popular that RAGBRAI officials now limit the number of week-long riders to 8,500 in order to maintain a sense of control and insure fewer injuries. And so it began and continues.

This year's route:

Our Part:

We invited Jason's Uncle Danny and his team to stay at our place on Thursday for the overnight. Tuesday the kids and I spent the day preparing food (Spring Salad & Watermelon), picking up dog doo, mowing, and cleaning up the garage. (I don't recall the garage looking so great!) Wednesday we spent the day cleaning the house, upstairs and downstairs, and making a banner in the driveway out of chalk. Thursday morning I hit Wal-Mart around 4:30am to pick up some final things, headed to the gym, and came home to make signs. The kids and I got our signs out around 10am and just in time, because shortly after Team Pump's bus arrived.

We had around 20 riders, 1 school bus, two trucks, and about 8 tents in the yard. The kids had a blast and the weather was great. It didn't get much over 70 degrees and we were able to have a fire!

Pack Picnic

Maison's pack had a picnic today in the park. Complete with hotdogs, other delicious sides, and a water fight. Our kids must have been the driest! Maison was also able to pick up his boat for the Raingutter Regatta coming up in August.

Maison: Level 1 Completed

The past week, Maison started and completed his first swimming lessons at our pool. He was the best in his class! On the last day of class Maison received a certificate, a certified Red Cross card, and a sucker. Not too bad. He will begin Level II next week.