The Westphall Family

Yummy Links

2012-02-08T06:48:00.000-08:00

Delicious ideas on the web today:

The Pioneer Woman has made pork chops in a wine and garlic sauce. Sam and I once made chicken with red wine sauce after we bought wine and found out it is disgusting to drink. Good to cook with, though! And if you are not watching The Pioneer Woman cooking show on Food Network, you are missing out. It is on Saturdays at 9:00 and just might be the highlight of my kids' weekend. They love to watch Ree and her family on the ranch.

Cassity at Remodelaholic made sugar cookies in her waffle iron. Sounds like an easy, chocolate-free treat for me! (I must remind everyone that I am an equal-opportunity sugar consumer; a treat need not have chocolate in it to be delicious. Examples: sugar cookies, vanilla pudding, carrot cake, etc.)

In other links, I read all of the "Best Of" entries at Rage Against the Minivan yesterday. I was engrossed by Kristen's stories of adopting her two sons and the trials they face as a blended family. I love to look at the craft ideas at Prudent Baby, but they had a dud recently. I could rant on and on about the ridiculousness of candy-free Valentines, but their suggestion of sending home a bottle of glitter instead of candy made me roll my eyes a little extra. Please, parents, do not send home a vial of glitter with all your child's classmates. The other parents will hate you for either introducing glitter to the house or for making them be the bad parent and throw away the glitter.

The basement walls were textured yesterday, so we can move ahead with the painting! Paint is definitely my "jurisdiction" and Sam was giving me a hard time at Menards last night, saying, "It is nice to have the roles reversed here. When is that painting going to get done?" Now I must impress him with my speed and efficiency.

Baby Update--very wordy--for extremely interested readers only

2012-02-06T10:08:00.000-08:00

A brief overview of what's been going on with Baby #3:

We had the 20-week ultrasound right after Christmas. Baby was fine, but laying in a funny position. He/She did not want to roll around and be cooperative, and the technician wanted to get a clear picture of his/her heart. They routinely check the heart looking for all 4 chambers, checking blood flow, and identifying the "aortic arch". The tech eventually gave up and told us we'd probably be asked to come back in 4 weeks to try again.

I returned 4 weeks later to give it another go. Baby was still fine and slightly more cooperative. We got a better look at the heart, but were later told that the baby's heartbeat was irregular. Hearing scary words like, "cardiac arrhythmia" and "level-2 ultrasound" is not pleasant. We were set up with an appointment at the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Center in Burnsville for a more detailed ultrasound.

The six days of waiting in between was no fun. Sam and I learned that we both deal with scary news in the same way: don't talk about it. If you don't talk about it, your fears do not seem quite as real or possible. (We were the same way during Sammy's eye surgery--pretty much silent for 1 hour while we waited)

Last week we went to Burnsville to see our babe yet again. While everyone there was extremely helpful and professional, I would prefer to never go back. It is definitely the place for high-risk pregnancies--a category I do not want to be a part of! We got to see the baby again and any concerns about his/her heart were gone. The technician and the doctor both kept saying that, "Everything looks normal" What they suspect was seen at the 24-week ultrasound were atrial flutters caused by caffeine intake. Treatment: no more caffeine for me. No more chocolate, even! I promise I was not ingesting more than 1 cup of coffee per day....seriously....

In other news, our baby continues to "measure big", meaning his/her bones and whatnot indicate an earlier due date than May 15. I am sure that this due date is correct; we had 2 big babies before, though neither of them measured big at any point. This one may just be the biggest one yet :) The ultrasound techs have asked, "Do you have big babies?" and we like to tell the story of newborn Sammy not being able to keep his hospital-issued hat on his head because it was stretched so far. It kept creeping up from his ears and just balancing on the top of his skull. I have already found a bigger hat to bring for this baby!

We are at 26 weeks now; 14 to go. The time is FLYING by as we have so much to do in the next 3 months. The basement project is progressing nicely; the walls are scheduled to be textured tomorrow, meaning we can prime and paint anytime after that. Paint, floors, and trim work are all that stand between us and a dramatic increase in square footage! Any other minor work can be done after that. HUGE thanks to our pal Karl (and his generous wife and children) for helping Sam with the drywall. I'm sure we won't be doing that project again anytime soon :)

Skating with Opa

2012-02-04T19:35:00.000-08:00

Anne and Sam were the only kids at daycare on Friday, so they got a special trip to the arena for their first ice skating. We bought skates for both kids way back in December, but this has not been the best winter for skating! Indoor open skating only happens during the mid-morning hours on weekdays (huh?) and our outdoor rink has either been too warm and melty or way too cold for small children. We were very grateful to Oma and Opa who bundled up the kids and took them out on Friday.

Anne had a great time and did pretty well on her skates. Sambo had fun being in the arena but he never quite got his legs under him...let's remember that he's only 2 years old :)

Getting a little help from Opa

She had 2 hats on in case she fell on her head...

Sammy trying the walker

"I can't do this, but I'm having fun!"

Man down!

Checking out the net...stop encouraging this child to play goalie...

Old Wives' Tales

2012-01-11T15:10:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't heard, we are keeping this baby's gender a surprise. We do NOT know what it is. Sam never wanted to know, but I was always dying to know the first two times. This time, surprisingly, I really didn't want to know. We have one of each, so what does it matter? It will be one or the other :)

Everyone in our little house thinks the baby is a girl. Oma, Opa, and Grandma Joye think it is a boy (and Grandma has an excellent track record). Here are some common old wives' tales and what they mean for us:

Craving sweet: girl. Craving sour or salty: boy (I'm craving Doritos!) BOY

Baby is carrying low: boy Baby is high and wide: girl (I feel more low than wide): BOY

Breakouts, slow hair growth, "filling out the bra": girl GIRL

Heart rate below 140 beats per minute: boy (it has been on the low end...) BOY

Mayan legend: Mother's age and the year: If both are even or odd, it's a girl. If one is even and one is odd, it's a boy (Age 27 in 2011=girl) GIRL

Chinese birth calendar (Google it) says GIRL. However, this thing was wrong for Anne and right for Sammy....

Three for boy, three for girl. That wasn't helpful at all, was it? Weigh in with your opinion in the comments.

Still here...

2012-01-11T08:45:00.000-08:00

...just not much to report on. I may upload Christmas pictures one of these days.

A few highlights/notes:

We tried a bit of potty-training with Sammy over Christmas vacation. It was, I'd say, 30% successful. He went a few times, wet his pants a lot, and made it very clear that he likes his diapers. On the first day he climbed up the changing table, sat down and said, "I want my diaper." Even now he tells Anne, "You don't wear diapers. I wear diapers." I really, really did not want to train him with a newborn in the house, but it looks like that's what we'll be doing. I've done it before, I can do it again!

Anne is still a busy bee with preschool, AWANA, and now kids choir at church. She was pretty pumped today when I told her she had "singing class" tonight. She and Sambo both like to sing and are getting pretty good with their lyrics. We also have family concert time--Sammy brings us each a hockey stick and we hold it like a guitar ("Your kit-tar!" he says) and sing. Sometimes the little golf clubs are turned on end to be microphones, too.

Sam has been hard at work at home and out in the world. He works for Dish 4 days a week and works with a friend doing home theater work on another 2 days. His only true day off is Sunday. He spent this past Sunday wiring lights and outlets in the basement, then hanging drywall with our buddy Karl. The basement is 95% covered with drywall now! Once that is finished (and we get our tax return) we can have someone tape and mud down there. The Westphalls pretty much do not pay for labor, but we do pay for plumbing and drywall finishing. That is beyond our skill set. After the walls are prepped I can finally start helping down there as we paint, lay floor, and do the trim work. The May 15th deadline approaches quickly!!!! I have been taking pictures of the process, which I will share when the whole thing is done.

This non-winter we are having makes me chuckle every day. Way back in November we did all the winter prep work: bringing in the toys and deck furniture, rolling the grill into the garage, patching our leaky gutters and covering the new AC unit. We never did rake our yard--I was newly pregnant and Sam hates raking, so we said, "Meh, it will be covered with snow soon enough." Joke's on us! We were actually READY for winter and counting on some snow--denied!

Since it was a balmy 53 degrees yesterday, we played outside after school. Anne asked if I would put the training wheels on her little bike, and I said I would. I was looking forward to taking a picture of her riding it for the first time on January 10th. After searching for the proper wrenches, getting the bike down from the ceiling hook, and finding the box with the training wheels, I set to work. I see now why my parents would put the training wheels on ONCE and take them off ONCE--it is a serious pain in the neck. I put the wheels on as short as they could go for this tiny bike, but when we set it down, my fears were confirmed: the training wheels were too tall, resulting in the back bike wheel hovering above the ground. Anne was so sad that I had made her a stationary bike! She pedaled and pedaled and went nowhere. I let her ride her trike for a bit, but her knees were hitting the handlebars, so it was a poor substitute. In the spring we shall be on the hunt for smaller training wheels.

That's all for now, I think. I have been writing a baby-related post in my head for a while, but that is for another day :) Stay tuned!

Chatty Chat Chat

2012-01-05T09:58:00.000-08:00

More random speech from my ultra-verbal kids:

Me: Hoot! I'm an owl!
Anne: Ra-a-a-a-a-wr! I'm a lion!
Sammy: I'm a chicken! Cock-a-doodle-doo! (how manly of you!)

Sammy (taking $2 from the console in the car): Mom, you want cash back?

Anne: Mom, watch my pirouette!
Sammy: Mom, watch my pillow pet! (good try, buddy; good try)

Sammy loves to slide his feet in the snow and tell you, "I'm skating" He runs around the house like crazy playing hockey and skating. Last night he was going full-out, stopped, then dropped to the floor in a heap. He looked at us and said, "I got hurt" He laid there for a minute, then got back up to go again. He's seen too many Wild players get injured this season!

Kissing Sammy goodnight, he holds up his new stuffed bear and says, "Him, too" Awwww....

Anne had a black-and-white paper with the names of colors printed on it. She read them all! Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, black, and white. She has also read pizza, yogurt, milk, and eggs from the grocery list. Her letter-writing is improving a TON and she will try to write anything if you spell it for her.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm happy with my talkers! Better to have talkers than climbers :)

Ballet Buddies and Big Boy Bed

2011-12-29T20:07:00.000-08:00

Anne's friend Elsa and her brother Brahm came over to play one morning. The girls found the dress-up clothes and decided to be ballerinas!

"Elsa, put your arms up like this!"

Operation Baby-No-More completed phase one when Sammy got a new bed! We took the crib down and brought in a twin bed for him. He LOVES it! He lays in there, stroking his blankets, saying, "It's so nice!"

He looks a little smaller in there now...

Hockey Genius

2011-12-22T21:06:00.000-08:00

Here is our boy, showing off his knowledge of the Minnesota Wild roster. Opa has been training him since the season began in October. Read the list before watching so you have a clue what he's saying! Maybe soon we can show him naming all the NHL logos--his toddler speech makes for some funny pronunciations.

#7--Matt Cullen
#9--Mikko Koivu
#10--Devin Setoguchi
#15--Dany Heatley
#21--Kyle Brodziak
#22--Cal Clutterbuck
#32--Niklas Backstrom (the goalie)
#55--Nick Schultz (aka Schultzie)
#96--Pierre-Marc Bouchard (known to all as "P-Marc")

Old Stuff: Pumpkin Patch

2011-12-22T14:10:00.000-08:00

We made our annual trek to the pumpkin patch WAY back at the end of September. We very hastily went because Sam was potentially leaving to work out of state for most of October. That ended up not happening, so we just had our fall fun early! At least we had nice weather for once--we're always the dunce family who comes on the coldest weekend of the year. The farm is conveniently located between our house and Will and Adrienne's house, so they met us there and helped us wrangle the kids.

Anne and Sammy enjoyed the petting zoo, train ride, hay maze, corn box, and "big bales" for climbing. It was nice this year that they were both old enough to do everything and not get scared or cry at any point.

Riding the train--the only 2 kids there!

Playing with antiquated farm equipment--don't lose a hand! You put the corn in the top, turn the crank, and the corn kernels are stripped off and the cob shoots out the bottom. She thought this was hilarious.

How old does this boy look?!?! Where is my baby?!?!

Sam loves to hide in the hay maze and make the kids find him. Cheap thrills. Adrienne had to help them a bit this year.

Plenty of spotters on hand for the climbing.

Riding the stick ponies through the grass.

Can you see their blonde heads in the grass? They're in there!

He just adores his big sister...


Thank you, helpful aunt and uncle!

Christmas Lamb

2011-12-21T07:01:00.000-08:00

I have pictures from Anne's first Christmas program (and many other things we've been doing), but here's a teaser from Opa's fancy new phone! Anne was a lovely lamb in our church's production of "Follow That Star" on Sunday. She and her preschool buddies made an adorable menagerie of lambs and cows. They were so cute singing--they even learned some Latin! Anne was quite proud of herself and did a good job as a "performer" for one morning.

I'm in so deep, I'm practically drowning

2011-12-14T08:37:00.000-08:00

So, you know our family loves us some hockey. High school, college, NHL; it's all good. The kids have hockey books and hockey shirts and 4 (four!) little hockey sticks of their own to play with.

Part of loving hockey is finding others who share your enthusiasm. Our goal today is to convert some of you into lovers of this great game. The Minnesota Wild are red-hot this year and we have many ways for you to enhance your hockey experience. Follow these steps and you will be just as smart (smarter, really) than any analyst on FSN.

Tonight the Wild play the Chicago Blackhawks at home. This afternoon you can get your pre-game notes at Opa's hockey blog: WildGameNotes.com Next, hop over to Uncle Travis' Wild blog: WildlyBiasedObservations.tumblr.com for a sassier take on the game (and many pop culture references).

At 6:30 tonight, plop down on the couch and turn on the game. Tonight's broadcast can be seen on Versus, a channel that shows 100 different fishing and hunting shows and an occasional hockey game. While enjoying the game, log-in to your Twitter account and follow Uncle Trav as he offers live commentary. He tweets @WildlyBiased

This multimedia blitz is sure to turn any lukewarm fan into a diehard citizen of the State of Hockey. Now get reading.

Family Nap Time

2011-12-12T20:58:00.000-08:00

This is what you will most likely find if we are all home at 5:30 p.m. Dad sleeps, Anne sleeps, Sambo enjoys the snuggles while I make dinner in relative peace. Most days, though, Dad is not home that early and the kids are grumpy!

More blogging to come soon--the Christmas season is upon us and we are quite busy. Too busy for uploading photos, at least :)

Edited and Updated: Too many quotes for a status update

2011-11-19T09:41:00.001-08:00

An argument that could only happen at our house:
Anne: Ooh, let's watch Giada!
Sammy: No! Paula Dean!

Removing the tongs from the dishwasher...Sammy says, "Giada has that!"

Anne walked into the kitchen with a baby doll. She said, "I'm an Indian!" I said, "What do you mean?" She said, "I'm an Indian. I am stealing this baby." I replied, "Huh? Where did you learn that?" She said, "From 'Peter Pan'!"

Here's the quote that made me think, "I gotta blog these": Anne asked me to come to the bathroom with her. I lingered in the doorway for a moment while she got settled, then went to toss some socks into her laundry basket. She shouted from the bathroom, "Mom? Where did you go? You said you would always be there for me!" I thought to myself, "What the what? Who says that?" Anne quickly recovered by laughing and saying, "That's like 'The Lion King'" She had me reeling in the mom-guilt for a second!

Preschool Update

2011-11-15T07:22:00.001-08:00

We had Anne's first parent-teacher conference last night. As a teacher, I was pretty sure of what to expect, and it is exactly what we got: She's great, no concerns, thanks for coming.

Anne's class has two teachers, and we met with just one last night. Mrs. B. told us that Anne is doing well in all areas. She is an especially good helper to her classmates, she listens well and follows directions, and enjoys all activities in the classroom. Her coloring and cutting are very good, she can write her first name (so cute, by the way!), and she does a good job of taking care of her coat and backpack (a big skill in the 3-year-old class).

As I've said before, I don't always get a lot of info from Anne about school. When I asked her what she liked about school she said, "Playing kitchen and singing on the purple carpet." She has 17 classmates, and a few names that get tossed around are Nora, Mac, Landon, and Willow. I know that Nora is her good buddy, and Mrs. B. said that they play together a lot.

Sidenote: I felt bad for the teachers last night when I learned this class has girls named Annie, Evie, Avi, and Ari. I'm betting they get mixed up once in a while!

All in all, Anne is doing just fine and enjoying school. She is always excited to go and always excited to show us her projects and tell us what she's learned (with a little gentle prompting). I'm a little excited because next Wednesday I get to take her and drop her off--something I've never done! Maybe I can get another little peek into her world.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

Here they are, folks! In case you do not have a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old of your own, let me tell you that it is nearly impossible to take a nice picture of them. They smile too big, they blink at the flash, and they can't hold still for more than .63 seconds. What you see are the 3 best photos of about 30...

Sidenote: How hard is it to schedule Halloween? Between picking up kids, trying to make dinner, and getting everyone dressed and out the door I about lost my mind! We did not manage to get out the door before the sun went down...maybe next year (oh, and speaking of next year, I am totally letting Sam take the kids out by himself. I will stay home and answer the door.)

Without further ado, here are my kiddos! I made Anne's costume--she is "Jessie the Cowgirl" from Toy Story. You can see more photos of the real Jessie here. Sammy is just a generic cowboy--his bandana got left behind in the rush and his jacket is buttoned up so far you can't see his plaid shirt! He made up for it with his adorable, "Tay koo" after getting his candy.

All in all I was able to costume the children for less than $10. Thrift finds and stuff we had around the house worked just fine for us!

Halloweens Past

2011-11-02T08:10:00.000-07:00

While you wait for this year's Halloween pictures, here are a few old ones to keep you occupied:

Anne's first Halloween in her penguin suit. If memory serves she was a happy girl that night as we toted her around town.

The following year, newly 1-year-old Anne as a dalmatian puppy.

Halloween 2009--kind of a nightmare. Anne didn't really like that costume and didn't really "get" the whole concept of trick-or-treat. Sammy just cried in that same penguin suit.

2010: Now we are making progress! This was a good year as Anne ran from house to house for more candy. Sammy tagged along in the stroller.

And 2011? Sammy at least got his own original costume--no, he did not wear the candy corn. More to come. (Soon? No promises.)

Grown-Up Television

2011-11-01T07:56:00.000-07:00

As I've said before, my kids love to watch Food Network and Cooking Channel. I love that they love it because it means we don't have to watch Nick Jr. all the time. Less "Wonder Pets", more "Barefoot Contessa"

However, Nick Jr.'s perk is its lack of commercials. Grown-up channels have commercials...for grown-up things. While we are still avoiding annoying commercials for junky toys and crap, my kids have established an interesting vocabulary. Some examples:

Anne: Mom, this is green and starts with "B". I think it is Benefiber.

Anne: We are CenturyLink.

Anne: .....cash rewards card.....

Anne: Mom, do you know what is an easy dinner? You take the meat and wrap it in the dough! (This is a commercial from Pillsbury--an "easy dinner idea" of wrapping hot dogs in Crescent roll dough)

Strange? Yes. But hey, no one is asking me for a Leapster or "Little Miss Muffin" for Christmas!

The Vomit Saga

2011-10-29T17:20:00.000-07:00

We took a family drive to Chippewa Falls, WI today. We have been in the market for a new car for Sam and found one that we liked and wanted to see. It was a long drive, but worth it in the end, since we came home with a truck!

But the real fun happened while Sam was on his test drive. The kids and I were chilling in our car. I had been finishing up Anne's Halloween costume and talking to the kids when a salesman said, "We have a nice waiting area inside. You can come in and watch TV." I thought, "Well, the kids can stretch their legs and go to the bathroom." So we unloaded and headed inside. As I unbuckled Anne she said, "My tummy hurts." I replied, "I bet you are hungry." (It was 1:30 and we had not yet had lunch). We went inside and headed for the waiting area. As we passed the bathroom Anne said, "Mom, I need to go potty." So in we went.

If you have ever taken small children into a public bathroom, you know that it requires a bit of skill. Find a place for the purse, establish non-peeing child in a clean area, help other child use the toilet. I got Anne up on the seat and she started to whimper. She went through her usual "sad comments" of "I miss Oma" and "I miss Daddy" In my mind I was thinking, "Gah, just go to the bathroom! I'm crouching on the floor and it is gross!"

In the next few seconds she started making this bizarre noise. It was not gagging so much as a soft grunting sound. I looked at her funny just in time to watch the vomit come pouring out of her mouth AND nose. Most of it landed on the floor in front of her, but plenty was down the front of her coat and in her lap. Anne, to her credit, was completely calm. She did not ever cry or panic. I was just kind of frozen, not sure if I should move her or not. Sammy, on the other hand, COMPLETELY wigged out. The minute he saw the barf he started screaming and crying, "Annie! Annie! I scared! I scared!"

Thus began the dance of Calm-The-Baby, Clean-The-Puke. My text message to Sam was, "CRISIS! WE ARE IN THE LADIES ROOM" It only took him a minute to arrive and remove Sammy from the situation (he apparently continued to freak out outside the bathroom until a kind salesperson gave him some candy).

Back in the bathroom, I took stock of the situation. I had extra pants and underwear for Anne, but no burp rag or extra towel. The bathroom was completely out of paper towels, so we attacked the mess with toilet paper. Anne was a trooper as I cleaned her up, changed her clothes, and then she sat patiently on the floor while I assessed the damage.

I was attempting to wipe/scoop the puke with wads of toilet paper. I did a few swipes, then flushed them away. A few more swipes, flush....toilet is clogged. You have got to be kidding me! I let the tank fill, then tried to flush again...the water began its telltale creep upward instead of down. Thank goodness my mom taught me where the water shutoff is on a toilet! We turned the water off and continued the wipe-and-scoop and threw the mess in the trash. I managed to remove all traces of vomit from the bathroom, but someone probably had to plunge the toilet after we left!

So, that was our first real experience with a puking child. I'm not anxious to revisit it anytime soon.

(Anne was totally fine, by the way. Too much breakfast + hot car ride = puke)

Funny Stuff

2011-10-21T10:19:00.000-07:00

I'm home with the kids for a few days while school is out, and they are chatting my ear off. Here are a few samplings of their cutenss:

Sambo (having a monologue while looking at a cookbook): Would you like hamburger or French toast? French toast? Okay, here you go, sir.

Anne asked me to make her a list of "directions" for Halloween. She wanted me to write out numbered steps about how I was going to make her costume and how she needed to get dressed for trick-or-treating. I wonder where she gets this trait?

(Sidenote: The other day I decided if I ever wrote an autobiography it would be titled, "Even My Blood is Type A". Seems appropriate.)

We have been putting baby powder on Sammy lately when we change his diaper, and he calls it "sprinkles." He'll be laying there half-naked and say, "Mama, have sprinkles?" and make this little pinching motion with his fingers, like he is sprinkling salt on his food.

So Smart

2011-10-18T15:27:00.000-07:00

I worked late last night for parent-teacher conferences. When I got home around 9:00 Sammy was still awake and eager to greet me. Here is our exchange:

Sammy: Mama! You're back!
Me: Hi, baby. Yes, I'm home now.
S: You church?
M: No, I wasn't at church. I was at work at my school, in the library.
S: Oh, ah-work.
M: Yep, in the library
S: Library? Lots of books. Be quiet.

That boy. He gets me.

Dying from the cuteness

2011-10-10T16:00:00.000-07:00

Sambo: Mama, let's pray
Me: Okay. Dear Jesus, thank you for our...
Sambo: Food
Me: And thank you for our...
Sambo: Friends. And Dad, and Mom, and Annie, and Bobo! And Mom. Amen.

So handsome!

2011-10-10T07:30:00.000-07:00

I have no picture of how handsome my son is, but I do not want to forget this. Sam gets him dressed each morning and then he toddles to me in the bathroom and says, "Mama! I so han-some!" and smooths down his shirt and wiggles his little bumper. It is SO cute (and so very true.)

Can't Forget the Unicorn

2011-10-07T20:06:00.000-07:00

We also bought Anne a "Blanket Buddy". It is a stuffed animal that came with a fleece blanket attached. Her animal of choice was a unicorn. Anne had been eyeing it all summer at Menards, and when I saw they were on clearance for $4, I relented. She was thrilled to see it and shouted, "My unicorn!" On Thursday she told me, "Mom, my unicorn's name is 'Giada'" and I about died laughing inside. She is a one-of-a-kind kid, for sure.

Birthday Fun

2011-10-07T19:59:00.000-07:00

Anne celebrated turning 4 on Tuesday night with Oma, Opa, Will, Adrienne, and the rest of the Westphalls. We had pizza and cake and ice cream and Anne was thrilled. She had been asking for weeks about her "birthday dinner"

Anne received clothes from Mom and Dad and from Will and Adrienne. Gotta make sure she looks spiffy for school, you know!

Daddy also remembered how much Anne had admired the piggy banks at Target. She asked for one all summer. I had forgotten, but Dad didn't, so we picked one up. It is hard to tell in the photo (click it to enlarge) but she was ecstatic! She spent the rest of the night asking people for money.

Our big girl

We sang the song and she methodically blew out the candles one by one. Uncle Will joked that she was wishing for fewer candles.

And in general adorable-ness, here is Uncle Will playing piano with Sambo.

You are 4 today!

2011-10-05T07:30:00.000-07:00

Anne, you are 4 years old today!

Here's what you looked like when you turned 1...

And 2...

And 3.

Here you are as a tiny baby!

Your dad and I cannot believe how fast you have grown. These four years have passed so quickly. It is exciting to see you grow and change and learn new things, but it is sad to think that the next 4 years will go just as quickly. Soon you will be 8, then 12, then 16! Happy birthday, Anne Meredith. We love you so much!

Matching Jammies

2011-10-01T21:17:00.000-07:00

The kids have matching "woodland animal" pajamas. This is the best of about 20 pictures I took. Sambo is a little blurry...

Cute pajama-related stories:
Sammy calls them "jamas"
Anne has a movie with a deer character named Giselle, which she pronounces "Duhzelle" Since there are deer on her jammies, she said, "There are about a hundred Duhzelles on here!"
Anne doesn't really like pajamas; every night she asks if she can sleep in her clothes.

Easy Potato Soup

2011-09-21T08:31:00.000-07:00

This comes from an awesome cookbook, Betty Crocker's "4 Ingredient-Dinners" which my sister purchased for me one Christmas (I think I asked for "some kind of 'cooking for dummies' or 'super-easy cooking' book") I have altered it slightly, but it is basically the same recipe.

It goes like this:

1 32-oz carton of chicken broth (Anne calls it 'chicken brock')
3 medium potatoes, washed and diced (no need to peel)
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Put chicken broth and potatoes in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for approximately 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. (You can boil potatoes, right? Not hard.) (As Rachael Ray says--the smaller you dice, the faster it cooks).

Over low heat, mash the potatoes slightly to create a rough texture. Stir in the milk, then slowly add the cheese, stirring until it is all melted. Add salt and pepper to taste; garnish with green onions if you are fancy.

Sam and I both thought this was very good and very easy to prepare. The kids had more fun crushing saltines into their bowl than actually eating, but Sambo did get a few good bites in. Anne, as always, had to be coerced into taking the mandatory 3 bites. Girl loves to cook, hates to eat. Go figure.

Forgotten Summer

2011-09-20T19:11:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple shots from the summer. As I sit here writing this I'm thinking, "Did I post this already?" I am clearly losing my mind. In any case, enjoy my adorable children.

I will give $10 to the person who can definitively prove which parent this child looks like.Anne was actually successful in hiding from me one day. She climbed into the cabinet (where the CrockPot usually lives) and closed the door. It was hilarious! I could hear her but didn't see her and then she popped her head out at me. We both had a good laugh.

The First Day of School

2011-09-12T14:53:00.000-07:00

Anne started her sure-to-be-stellar academic career today. She had her first day of preschool! I have been trying to be appropriately excited: happy for her, but aware that preschool is not that big of a deal :) She got up bright and early today and let me take some pictures before I headed off to school myself.

Here's her "Class of 2026" shirt. The idea is that she'll wear it for a photo each year on the first day of school so that you can see her growth over time.Sambo got into the school spirit a few days ago by wearing his own backpack
This morning he posed in his jammies. We say, "Show us your muscles" and he says, "My pipes!"
Anne was silly with her backpack
She was very excited to go to school
"Now one with funny faces" she said
I had to add this one...you can see how Sambo just does whatever she does!
I didn't get too many details from Anne about the day. By the time I got to her she had been grilled by Daddy, Oma, and Opa (though she didn't say much to any of them). I'm sure more information will emerge as the days progress.

The Family Expansion Continues

2011-09-07T18:50:00.000-07:00

Here's the whole big bunch!

Erin and Todd; Mom and Dad; Will and Adrienne; Travis; the Westphalls

Yay!
(I obviously did not take this picture. Photo credit to the professional, of course. Kudos, also, to Adrienne's sister Christa, who was making my kids smile behind the camera)

Preschool Screening

2011-09-07T18:35:00.000-07:00

Anne had her official school district preschool screening today. Daddy got to take her and observe the whole thing. Here are the highlights:

She is 41 inches tall and weighed 34.5 lbs.

Sam described her as a "steamroller" when she went into the classroom to play. She waltzed right up to a group of kids playing with the kitchen and said, "Oh, you can sit here and you can eat this. I will heat up your pancakes!" She's not shy....

She performed well on her physical tests; she struggled just a bit with balancing on one foot.

She surprised Sam by being able to complete analogies. One was "A bird flies, a fish _____" (the answer is "swims", obviously)

Anne told me her favorite things were: playing kitchen, playing with the babies, and building blocks. She also liked that Daddy put her in charge of the papers and that she got a name tag.

I have NO IDEA how these things are scored, but a minimum score of 15 is required to be "ready" for preschool. A score of 15-21 is considered normal for children ages 4-6. Our little monster scored a 22. Bam! Seriously, if she could write more than one letter she would be ready for kindergarten.

Sunday school starts this week and the first day of preschool is Monday. Time for our girl to get out in the world.

Shopping!

2011-09-01T12:10:00.000-07:00

That is totally my likeness on this t-shirt....For Anne? Or perhaps a reason to have #3?
To buy, go here: http://www.buyolympia.com/q/Item=futurelibrarian

Wedding Fun

2011-09-01T10:25:00.000-07:00

The long-awaited wedding was last Saturday. Uncle Will (my brother) married the beautiful Adrienne. The day was completely perfect--everything ran smoothly and everyone was happy. Here are a few snapshots of the day, courtesy of Oma.

The Westphalls, looking sharp. Sam had the honor of being a groomsman. We realized over the weekend that Sam has known Will since he was 11 years old--that's half his life!
Anne was not the flower girl, but she did hold Erin's bouquet during pictures.
Baby Sam and Opa, taking a stroll. This is Riverside Park in Menomonie, WI. It was a gorgeous day--plenty of sun, slight breeze, and not too hot.
The bride and groom :)
With Auntie Erin, who was a bridesmaid.
Like I said, the day was very nice. The only bad/sad part was Sammy's behavior during the ceremony. He had not napped and was punch-drunk. As we sat (in the front row, of course!) he was kicking Anne and throwing his blanket and giggling. I got to watch about 2 minutes before I took him back to the nursery. Good thing there was as viewing window so we could keep watching everything!

Congratulations, Will and Adrienne!

The Birthday Party--Part 1: The Food

2011-08-31T18:50:00.000-07:00

Here's just the beginning of the Sammy Westphall 2nd Birthday Extravaganza. The whole party had a golf theme, since that is one of Sambo's favorite things. Here's what we ate for lunch:

"Sand Trap" cupcakes. They were chocolate cake with homemade peanut butter frosting, then covered with crushed Butterfinger bars to look somewhat like sand. Regardless of appearance, they were delicious!
Meatballs in the Crockpot were re-named "Bucket o' Balls" For those of you who don't golf, when you visit the driving range you pay for and hit a bucket of golf balls to practice.
These were Open-Faced Club Sandwiches. I used cocktail bread to make little sandwiches. The joke (besides referencing a country club) comes from The Simpsons: Homer is taking golf lessons and Tom Kite says "Homer, you need an open-faced club, a sand wedge" and Homer replies, "Mmmm...open-faced club sandwedge."
The Fruit Cup, complete with #2 flagsticks.
We were drinking Arnold Palmers, too!
Here's a snapshot of Sammy's custom golf shirt for the day...Mommy made it :)
More to come from the birthday boy!

Satistics Update

2011-08-31T18:46:00.000-07:00

Both kids have been to the doctor in the last week, and here are their stats:

Anne (6 weeks shy of her 4th birthday)
32 lbs
41 inches tall

Sam (2 year and 1 day)
29 lbs.
36 inches tall

Anne did all the things the doctors asked her, such as naming colors and drawing shapes. He joked, "So, what's left for you to learn at preschool?"

Sam did not show quite as much personality, but he did not scream hysterically, so we'll call that progress.

The Next Food Network Star

2011-08-31T18:35:00.000-07:00

Anne has decided that she loves watching "cooking". We watch a ton of Food Network AND Cooking Channel (and Anne can tell the difference).

It all started one day when she asked, "Can we watch the pretty girl who cooks?" It took me a while to figure out who she was talking about, but we figured out it was Giada deLaurentiis from "Everyday Italian" and "Giada at Home"

Now that she has been watching Giada (and Paula and Ina and Kelsey and "The Pioneer Woman") she has quite the vocabulary of cooking terms. Here are a few of my favorite things she has said:

Mom, whisk your chicken broth!

Is this fresh basil?

I will get my baking sheet.

My lemonade has to rest in the fridge for 35 minutes.

There are many more things she has said, which I (of course) can't remember. Watching cooking also made Anne aware of what we buy at the grocery store. On our last trip she recognized chicken broth, pasta (not "noodles"), and read the word "Sargento" on the cheese. She's so casual about it, too. She looked at me and said, "We know that. It's Sargento." Like 3-year-olds everywhere know that stuff! She's such a funny girl.

Here she is, whipping up a little somethin' on the deck.

Pudding Face

2011-08-21T15:59:00.000-07:00

One baby boy. One chocolate pudding cup.

Summer Randoms

2011-08-18T20:46:00.000-07:00

Some snapshots of our day-to-day life!

Here's Anne during "quiet time" She rests every day while Sammy takes his nap. Usually she watches a movie in the living room, but sometimes she chooses to rest on our bed. On this particular day she fell asleep on top of all my pillows.

My handsome man!
These two have been my nearly-constant companions this summer. It will be a bit strange to head back to school and not be with them all the time. I won't miss their constant eating and my constant food preparation :)
Babies! I clearly have my hands full.
Soon to come--Sammy's birthday and Uncle Will's wedding. A bit later to come--Anne's first day of school and her 4th birthday. Keep checking in; our busy season is just getting started.

Parade

2011-08-10T20:13:00.000-07:00

We took in our local parade on Sunday. I have always enjoyed the fact that our town festival is held during the first weekend of August. It gives us something to look forward to as summer winds down.

The parade was a good one--lots of candy! We also walked away with bead necklaces, a slinky, and several pencils. If it had been an election year our kids would've been covered in stickers, too.

Here's Dad and Anne, taking it in. Anne got those Dum-Dum suckers up off the street and into her mouth pretty quickly!Mom and Sammy. This was right at his naptime--he wasn't really diggin' it.

(These pictures illustrate our "divide and conquer" parenting strategy. When we go out I let Sam pick which kid he wants to be in charge of. I usually get Sammy since Sam doesn't like to push the stroller.)

Blue tongue!
Seriously, take me home and put me to bed...
Check out Moammar Gadhafi standing over my shoulder. Someone should tell Obama he's in the country.

Summer is soon to end for the Westphalls. We're trying to make the most of the few days we have left!

Faith like a child

2011-08-03T15:26:00.000-07:00

Anne has been attending Bible school at our church this week. There is much that I can share about that, but I think I will wait until I have some pictures or video or links to share with you.

Last night, though, she and Sammy were being noisy after bedtime. I was just about to get up and tell them to be quiet when Anne said, "Sambo, let's pray. Dear Jesus, thanks for all my Bible school stuff. Thank you. Amen."

She is obviously learning quite a bit and enjoying herself!

Week of Recipes--Day 7

2011-08-02T12:38:00.000-07:00

BBQ Chicken Wings

I'm taking the lazy way out today and linking you to the recipe I made. Deal with it :)

As a general rule, I do not like chicken wings. They are small and bony and hard to eat. However, I was in possession of a bag of "party wings" and I wasn't going to just throw them out.

Enter: the CrockPot

My mom suggested making the wings in the CrockPot. I didn't think it would work, since meat in the CP gets really tender and falls off the bone--something you do not want when cooking wings. However, I went to the Crockpot 365 blog and found several recipes for chicken wings. We went with Apricot Barbecue Wings and they were delicious! I used a jar of grape jelly instead of apricot since I was not about to drive to the grocery store with 2 kids just for a jar of jelly.

Even when I was dishing up our dinner I was thinking "I'll just eat a couple, to try them, and leave the rest for Sam" Well..."a couple" turned into half a dozen--they were so good! Sammy ate some of the meat, too.

Give these a try. I am sure you will enjoy them!

Week of Recipes--Day 6

2011-08-01T12:29:00.000-07:00

Party Leftovers Pie

After our rocking s'mores party, we had some random leftovers. The kids ate the chocolate marshmallows as snacks A LOT (Sammy would say, "Kah-kit mahmeshow?") and Anne enjoyed the few remaining Hershey bars ("that chocolate in the brown paper")

When the supply dwindled, I created this pie to use up what was left.

To begin, make a graham cracker crust. We had one sleeve of graham crackers that was broken in the box, and I had saved the shards. Combine 1/3 cup butter, melted; 1/4 cup of sugar; and 1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (about one sleeve's worth). Press into a 9-inch pie plate and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

When the crust has cooled, cook up a large (6-serving) box of chocolate pudding. You could use instant, but I accidentally bought the cook-and-serve kind, so that's what we used. While it cools, spread your remaining Nutella on the pie crust. Then, using kitchen shears, cut a giant marshmallow into slices. I used 2 marshmallows, which made enough slices to cover the pie in one layer. Pour the pudding on top. Throw it back in the fridge for 3 hours to let the pudding set. If you are using instant pudding it will be ready faster (duh).

Slice and enjoy--consensus was that it would've been even better with whipped cream on top!

Week of Recipes--Day 5

2011-07-31T13:12:00.000-07:00

Hearty Calico Bean Dip (or, as we call it, "That Yummy Bean Stuff", as in "Are you going to make that yummy bean stuff?")

This recipe uses the almighty Crock Pot, which I love. What I especially like about mine is that it came with an insulated cover so that I can take it places. We brought this bean dip to a 4th of July party. It traveled well and was devoured. Thanks to our friend Ginny for buying the best Crock Pot for our wedding :)

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1/2 lb bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled (I have used the pre-cooked bacon here, and it is just fine. Just chop it up.)
1 can (16 oz) baked beans (Bush's Homestyle are the best)
1 can (15 oz) Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard

Toss everything in the Crock and stir it up. Cover and cook on Low for 4 hours or High for 2. Serve with tortilla chips.

**Notes**

If you want to stretch this a bit, use the big honkin' can of baked beans instead of the standard-size one.

Sam says this is good on a hot dog bun with the hot dog on top. A somewhat sophisticated beanies and weenies, if you will :)

Sometimes I use cannellini beans instead of Great Northern and red beans instead of kidney beans. Those big beans can be kind of mealy and the texture puts me off.

Interlude--Trip to the Children's Museum

2011-07-31T12:10:00.000-07:00

Nana very generously purchased us a membership to the Children's Museum as a Christmas gift. We took a trip last week to check it out. The kids were thrilled to be in "the city"; they walked the skyways and saw big buses! Here are a few snapshots from our trip:

First, a quote on the wall to inspire my work at school!
The visiting exhibit right now is all about Legos. Here the kids sat on a giant Lego bench. The quietest place in the museum was the Lego building area for kids 3 and up--they were taking their work very seriously!
We freed Sammy from the stroller and he was strutting around like he owned the place.
Anne enjoyed all of the hands-on exhibits. Here she is checking out an x-ray of a frog.
There were several school/daycare groups at the museum that day--I forget that my husband does not work with small children :) He was ready to go pretty soon after we arrived because the noisy crowd was making him crazy! I had to remind him to relax and just keep an eye on his own kids. Funny how I didn't even notice, though, while he was really bothered. I guess I am immune to kid noise now!

Week of Recipes--Day 4

2011-07-30T13:07:00.000-07:00

Microwave Oatmeal Bars

Delicious bars without having to turn on your oven. Perfect for summer time! This recipe is from the Taste of Home "Ultimate 5 Ingredient Recipes" book.

2 cups quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup corn syrup (can substitute 1/4 cup white sugar plus 1 tablespoon of water)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a bowl, combine oats and brown sugar. Stir in butter and corn syrup. Press into a greased 9-inch square microwave-safe dish. Microwave on "high" or "full power" for 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Microwave at 30% power for 4 more minutes or until the chips are glossy; spread chocolate evenly over the top. Refrigerate 15-20 minutes before cutting.

These were a definite hit at our house--they taste a bit like "Scotcheroos" or "Special K Bars", but without the peanut butter. Five ingredients, no oven--what's not to like?

Week of Recipes--Day 3

2011-07-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

S'mores Party

We invited some friends over for a fire in our backyard fire pit and we created a "s'mores buffet". It was kind of a disaster because it was hotter than you-know-where, but the idea was a success...

There are 3 parts to a s'more: base, chocolate, and marshmallow. We had several options in each category.

Base: graham crackers, chocolate chip cookies, vanilla wafers (for mini s'mores)

Chocolate: Hershey bars, peanut butter cups, peppermint patties, and a jar of Nutella

Marshmallow: regular-size white mallows, regular-size chocolate mallows, and the giant Campfire brand "Roasters", which are about the size of 4 regular marshmallows.

We also had "man s'mores", which were summer sausage, cheddar, and Ritz crackers.

Our kids liked the chocolate marshmallows best, especially when paired with peanut butter cups. I liked graham-Nutella the best, as well as just dipping vanilla wafers in the Nutella jar! Sam ate a lot of man s'mores--sweets are not his thing :)

So if you feel inclined, set out a few marshmallow sticks and throw yourself a party!

Week of Recipes--Day 2

2011-07-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

Party Salsa/Bean Dip/"Mississippi Caviar"

If you have been entertained at my house, you have probably eaten this. Sam and I like to eat it for dinner if we have the chance.

In a large bowl combine:

1 can Rotel tomatoes, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn with peppers, drained
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red onion, diced

Sprinkle the surface with garlic powder, then toss with bottled Italian dressing. Use just enough dressing to moisten and bring things together--too much will make a soupy mess, so be careful. Serve with tortilla chips, preferably Tostitos Scoops for optimum dipping.

Week of Recipes--Day 1

2011-07-27T09:34:00.000-07:00

We're still here!

Post-vacation we are busy with working on the basement, going to softball games, and getting ready for Uncle Will's wedding. Football obligations have started again, and my library has re-opened after some renovations. In short, we are busy!

I have wanted to share some summertime recipes with you, and I have enough now to do a Week of Recipes. Check back every day to see what's new.

Today we bring you Ramen Salad. This recipe is from my good friend Dana and it is perfect for summer. Light and dairy-free, it is a perfect salad for outdoor gatherings.

Ingredients:
For salad:
1 package of broccoli slaw (found near bagged salads)
2 packages of chicken Ramen noodles
1 cup shelled sunflower seeds

Break noodles into bite-size pieces. Toss all ingredients in a large bowl.

For dressing:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 flavor packets from Ramen

Mix all ingredients in a large container or jar. Shake to combine. Dress the salad immediately before serving--it gets soggier as it sits.

Florida Days 8 and 9--Wrap it up!

2011-06-28T22:24:00.000-07:00

Sunday's task was to drive from Macon, GA to Lebanon, IN (a medium-sized city outside of Indianapolis). We weren't really on a schedule of any kind, so we made a lot of stops. The best one was Sugerno's Coffee Shop in Louisville. It came recommended by 2 different Facebook friends, so we made a mid-afternoon stop. The kids enjoyed their hot chocolate and chocolate chip scone.

We had a rough night in Lebanon--Sammy was awake until 10:30 and Anne until 11:30. I was awake until 12:30, and Daddy woke us all up by 6:00. It was a little rough there for a bit... :)

Monday was the drive home to sweet Minnesota. No offense to Erin and Todd, but how do you people live in Chicago?!?! Worst traffic of the entire trip. We left Indiana at 6:30 a.m. and reached our driveway at 4:02 p.m. We were all anxious to be home and enjoy our own space. Sam and I both slept hard last night on our familiar pillows!

Here are some random facts about the trip:

--Gas averaged $3.50 per gallon--most expensive was in Chicago ($4.12)

--Our awesome Kia averaged 26 MPG

--We saw license plates from 30 different states and families on the beach from several different countries (My favorite? The super-British dad with children named Ruby and Archie)

--Sweet tea is the cocaine of the South--so good!

--DVD players are not good for every day driving, but they are awesome for long road trips. Thanks, Opa, for loaning us yours. It made all the difference.

--Also indispensable for modern travel is a smart phone. It seemed like I was constantly Googling things while we were on the road, such as "McDonalds playplace locations Indiana"

--Three states in a row claim Lincoln as their native son. We passed through Illinois (The Land of Lincoln), then Indiana (Lincoln's Boyhood Home), and then Kentucky (Birthplace of Lincoln) Get a new claim to fame, people!

--This country's time zone boundaries are senseless and confusing. We spent several hours of travel not knowing for sure what time it was.

This trip was excellent and we will definitely do it again. Feels good to have some new family memories!

Florida Days 6 and 7--Catching Up and Heading Home

2011-06-25T17:16:00.000-07:00

Friday:
We stayed inside most of the day. Sam golfed with his uncle Dave and had a great time. I kept the kids inside--Sammy was acting weird and seemed like he needed some time out of the sun. We spent the evening having our picture taken by a professional photographer. Since ALL of Sam's family was together we had someone come out to capture the moments. It was all fine until little Sam decided he had had enough and had a total screaming meltdown when Claire tried to take his picture. So embarrassing. We spent the remainder of the evening sharing a meal and conversation with the rest of the family. Pictures from that day will be coming soon :)

Saturday:
We packed up and headed out of Orlando about 8:30. We took a short side trip to the national cemetery in Bushnell to see Sam's grandparents. Grandpa Jack died a while back, but Grandma Diane died just a few weeks ago. We had planned this trip to see her and celebrate her 75th birthday. She used to tease us and say "I hope I get to meet your son someday...." and we would laugh about how she was guilting us into coming to visit. Turns out she was right, and she never did get to meet Sammy. We went today to say our official "goodbye". It was pretty emotional, and inspired a difficult conversation with Anne about death.

We continued on up the road and are now in Macon, GA for the night. We are enjoying everyone's Southern accent. Tomorrow we'll drive to Indiana before heading back to Minnesota on Monday.

Florida Day 5--The Gatorland Photo Essay

2011-06-23T18:29:00.001-07:00

As we've said, today's main event was a trip to Gatorland. Gatorland is a zoo of sorts with alligators, crocodiles, snakes, and other assorted animals. We had a very good time around the park, and our kids' behavior affirmed our decision to NOT invest in Disney tickets or anything crazy-expensive. They had fun, but not the kind of fun you want your children to display when you've sunk a lot of money into something, you know? If we'd dropped hundreds of dollars for Disney tickets, I would've wanted my kids to think everything they saw was the most amazing thing ever! When you invest tens of dollars into an alligator-themed attraction, it's okay if your kids whine a little bit. :)

On with the show!

Dad, Anne, and Sammy at the start of our day:One of several alligator-sunning areas. These were not even close to being the biggest alligators in the park.
Sambo with the "PhotoGator" Anne would not go anywhere near it.
She did, however, enjoy these tropical birds!
The park has several shows throughout the day. We took in the "Gator Wrestling" show and watched Brett here wrestle this alligator into submission.
I was there, too! Mom is mostly behind the camera....
This was toward the end of the day, when Anne's patience was running out. We took a train around part of the park--we enjoyed the shade and the sitting!
Bobo took the opportunity to act like a sullen teenager and text his friends.
One last photo at the entrance before we hit the road:
Sammy was asleep pretty quickly! He had a rough day--strapped to the stroller, sweat and sunscreen running in his eyes. He chose the white "leucistic" alligator as his souvenir and proceeded to teethe on its snout.
Anne zonked out as well.
Upon our return to the resort we saw FOUR armadillos outside our villa. I have no idea if armadillos are ever dangerous or aggressive, but we encouraged our kids to chase them.
Daddy made grilled cheese for lunch when we got home and the children were happy again. It is good to remind ourselves that they are happy to do fun things, but they are just as happy to have their lunch laid out as a smiley face. They are easy to please.
I wasn't going to blog this one, but when Sam saw it he said "Aaah! I never get to see my bald spot from the top! It is so bad...." Judge for yourselves, folks.

Florida Day 4--The Day with No Pictures

2011-06-22T20:37:00.000-07:00

So, today was a fun day, but I did not have the camera with me at all. We had a very relaxing day, just playing at the on-site water park and venturing out to nearby towns for dinner. The water park has a lazy river and some kid-sized water slides. Anne was in heaven and Sammy....notsomuch...apparently "tot swim class" was not as successful as anticipated.

"Sad" is not the right word, nor is "depressing", but it was very apparent as we traveled down the Interstate that America has become a very homogenized nation. Same chain restaurants in every state, very hard to find anything unique to the area you are in unless you really seek it out. Sam has done a good job of looking for local restaurants to eat at so that we take advantage of the time we have here. He found a nice tavern in Clearwater yesterday for lunch and a funky diner for dinner tonight. We had a nice walk after dinner and some delicious ice cream before we came back home. While these places are not exclusively local, they at least are not restaurants that we have at home.

Random Information:

We have seen the following bizarre wildlife: cranes, geckos, an armadillo, and a grasshopper the size of my middle finger (shudder)

We have seen stadiums for the following teams: Chicago Bears, Chicago White Socks, Indianapolis Colts, Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Braves, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Coming up tomorrow: Gatorland! (Orlando's most popular half-day attraction!)

Florida Day 3--Sunburn-free at the beach!

2011-06-21T13:22:00.000-07:00

Someone was up bright and early this morning...no rest for the weary parents!Today was beach day. We drove from Orlando toward Tampa Bay and went to Clearwater Beach on the Gulf of Mexico. It was amazing! Sam and I have both been to the beach on the Atlantic, but it is nothing like the white sand and bright blue water we saw today. It was a perfect beach experience. Temps are in the high 90s here with a scorching sun--we wore a lot of sunblock today :)

Here's our botched attempt at a photo of me with the kids:
Anne and Sammy did not sit still for very long--they wanted to play, not take pictures.
Anne loved the water and bounced in the waves with Daddy. The salt water didn't seem to bother her too much.
Sammy stayed busy on the shoreline, lying on his belly and chasing seagulls (hilarious--he would run and them and laugh as the waddled away from him)
Being in and out of air conditioning has given both kids a stuffy nose. Today's swimming in a giant vat of saline solution left them both with extremely runny noses. It was unexpected to need a giant Kleenex at the beach!

Tomorrow we'll be checking out the swimming pools and water park here at our resort...stay tuned :)

Florida Day 2--Not as fun as Day 1

2011-06-20T20:14:00.000-07:00

Reality hit today. It wasn't awful, but we had one bad hour with Sammy as he was restless and fussy. We drove from Louisville, KY to Orlando, FL, hitting Nashville and Atlanta on the way. We decided we love Chick-Fil-A for their sweet tea and playgrounds! That was the best stop of the trip so far :)

Here are the kids with Daddy right as we crossed the border from Georgia to Florida. We're keeping it real--the baby pooped through his shorts and is not wearing any pants!We are comfy and cozy in our resort now, resting for our trip to the Gulf tomorrow. More to come!

Florida Day 1--Father's Day Fun

2011-06-19T17:13:00.000-07:00

We set out bright and early this morning (5:50, to be exact) and hit the road. Today's goal was to drive from home to Louisville, Kentucky and we were extremely successful!

Our route went like this: Red Wing, through western Wisconsin and south to Chicago. We had lunch with Erin and Todd outside of Chi-Town and then got back to it. Chicago led to Indiana, which is a lo-o-o-o-ong state. It was more than a little boring, but the kids slept through most of it and watched a DVD for the rest. We are resting now in Louisville, regrouping for a longer day of driving tomorrow. Today we covered approximately 650 miles; tomorrow's trek to Orlando is 850 miles.

The kids were beyond great today--they played, slept, watched DVDs, and shared very well. Anne wasn't fussy at all, and Sammy had just a few moments of restlessness. Hopefully they will sleep well tonight and we can do it all again tomorrow!

Here's what we were looking at today:

A very happy Fathers Day to my hubby, who did ALL the driving today and was in a very good mood the entire time. What a guy!

June thus far

2011-06-16T12:04:00.001-07:00

Any teacher will tell you that the first week of summer vacation is a very bizarre week. Working in a school is extremely regimented--you live by the clock and the bell. Very Pavlovian. But when vacation comes and there is no schedule at all, we feel kind of lost! We can do whatever, whenever, and the choice is overwhelming. We here at the Westphall house have been trying to create some kind of schedule over the past 10 days. We've done many crafts, baked many things, and slept quite a bit (apparently my body's summer project is to make up some sleep debt). Here are some photos of what we've been up to:

I made Anne 2 new dresses using the "Pillowcase" dress idea from Prudent Baby. For the first one I used a thrifted button-down shirt in a green gingham. I reversed it so that the buttons go down the back. Anne likes it, and I liked being able to skip the bottom hem!From the back (look at that scraggly ponytail! Yech!)
Sambo's been great so far, playing very well with Anne and by himself, and generally being super-cute.
Here's Anne's second dress. The first one was the "practice," and this one was the real deal. She needed a blue dress and I could not find one to purchase, so I made one. She was pretty pumped about her "new blue dress!"

The child cannot resist making faces in photos.
I used a few scraps to make a bow, which I then glued to a headband.
And yesterday, as a result of that scraggly ponytail, Anne got a haircut! She lost about 2 inches in length and got some layers, which will supposedly help with the massive tangle-ball she always has on the back of her head. The stylist put some "curl creme" in her hair before we left, so it was extra-curly. All of the people in the salon were saying "What cute hair" and "How beautiful" and while I am inclined to agree with them, Anne's ego was getting quite the boost! There's more to life than being pretty, dear daughter. I felt like we needed to go home and do some flashcards or something.
So that's June thus far. Keep checking the blog next week as we head out on our journey to Orlando, Florida! It is my goal to blog as we go while things are fresh in my mind....hopefully I will be successful :)

May Catch-Up

2011-06-16T11:36:00.001-07:00

A random assortment of photos from the month of May:

Anne being silly:Anne trying out our new batting tee:
Sammy was not really sure what to do with the bat--he treats it like a golf club.
My BoBo, all dressed up for church:
Sammy's first circle. He used a bath crayon to draw a circle on the shower wall. It is to the left of his name. He was very proud of his "suh-cuh"

It is officially summer

2011-05-30T19:32:00.000-07:00

Daddy brought home a watermelon today. Summer is upon us! (Only 6 more days of school!)

Both kids ate their weight in melon, but Sammy seemed to enjoy it the most.

Links! Time to Browse the Web

2011-05-25T06:51:00.000-07:00

Summer Projects
Dress for Anne

Or maybe this dress instead

Sammy's birthday theme?

Use up Sam's old t-shirts

Be housewife-y

A plan for Anne's dollhouse (currently in storage)

Someday Projects

Headboard

OTHER Headboard

Bookshelves/Nightstands

Farmhouse Table

OTHER Farmhouse Table

Mudroom Lockers

Laundry Room Pedestals

OTHER Laundry Room Pedestals (I need a non-leaking washing machine first)

Recipes

Chocolate Bread (made this already...amazing)

Microwave Chocolate Cake

Dorito Casserole (how white-trash did I feel typing that?)

Other Fun Blogs

Felt So Cute

Diary of a Quilter
Blue Skunk (library-related...be warned)

Remodelaholic (ack! Love this!)

Debbi Does Dinner

Prudent Baby

Kelly's Korner

Simply Step Back

Photo Catch-Up: Randoms

2011-05-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

Sammy, enjoying his toy grill. Garage sale find!Anne trying her new tricycle. She was so proud when she pedaled it all by herself.
Yes, these kids cry sometimes...especially when tired...
But they usually cheer up pretty quickly!

A Set of Sweaty Sams

2011-05-12T09:58:00.000-07:00

Father and son, in matching red shirts:Finally did some picture uploading last night--more photo-centric blog posts to come!

Whose kid are you? Oh yeah, your dad's.

2011-05-05T06:57:00.000-07:00

Anne cracks me up some times. There are days when I see her and think "Ugh, you are my clone!" and other days "Wow, you are your father." (Funny how when she is bothering me, it is because she is acting like me....)

Last night we walked over to see Sam playing roller hockey. Anne was walking around the rink with 2 new toys--a Jessie and Bullseye set from "Toy Story", compliments of Nana. She was enthralled with them, but when another little girl wandered over, Anne blew me away. She said "Hi! These are my new toys. Do you want to play with them with me?" And she held them out and let this other girl take one and off they went.

Now, if that had been me at age 3, I would have looked at the other girl, rubbed my toe in the dirt, and turned the other way to find my mom. So shy! I'm glad my daughter has inherited her father's ability to socialize. She should have no problem making friends at preschool (though she may drive her teacher crazy!)

Cute Words

2011-05-04T06:04:00.000-07:00

Both kids seem to be saying adorable things each day, and I am not doing a very good job of writing them down!

Last night Sammy swallowed funny and got a piece of food in his throat. He worked it back up himself and I said "Are you okay?" He replied, "Uh-huh. Owie. Have some milk." and took a chug from his sippy cup.

One of my favorite "games" with my kids is to sing a song or read a book and leave out a word, then wait for the kid to fill it in. Last night Sammy impressed me by filling in all the gaps I left while singing "Jesus Loves Me" He even tries to sing--so cute!

His fave song, though, is the Wild Anthem. I have been singing him this song since day 1, and now he asks for it by saying "hockey song? hockey song!" until I give in. It is a very boy-appropriate lullaby, in my opinion :) He is very good at filling in words in this song, too. Listen to it here: http://youtu.be/nvxQa9Z7z6g

Our neighbors have a 3-year-old grandson named Landon who spends a lot of time at their house. Anne, being the social butterfly, always notices when he is outside and runs over to the edge of our yard to say "Hi". For some reason she has a hard time saying "Landon" and always says "Andalyn". Last night they were playing together and it was time for us to go in for supper. Anne said goodbye and Landon kept calling "Annie, come play with me" and she kept yelling back "Andalyn, I said 'after supper!'"

After church on Sunday Anne was with me in the kitchen and she started singing, "Savior, he can.....my God is mighty to save, he is mighty to save. Forever.......he conquered the grave, he conquered the grave!" I said "Did you sing that in church today?" (I was on nursery duty that morning). She said, "Yep, we sang 'Conquered the grave'" Turns out they didn't sing it that day, but we've sung it before and it stuck with her. It was so cute to hear!

Here's a link to the song I'm talking about, if you don't know it: http://youtu.be/pYqogpLpC5Q

Parents! Go read this now!

2011-04-28T11:10:00.000-07:00

Good for a laugh, for sure, especially if you have more than one kid.

http://www.anymommyoutthere.com/2011/04/then-and-now.html

Easter Soundtrack

2011-04-22T08:37:00.000-07:00

A couple songs...take a few minutes to listen and reflect over the next few days.

Easter Fun

2011-04-20T12:28:00.000-07:00

A few Easter-related links for you:

Easter Story cookies

Zombie Bunny

The annual Easter song of the Droogsmas (don't laugh at its cheesy-ness)

And an Annie quote for you: I am drinking delicious blood!

It took me a few days to understand what the heck she was talking about....finally I figured that the Easter video she's been watching at daycare talks about the Last Supper. At least she isn't learning about vampires and such :)

Trump

2011-04-20T07:30:00.000-07:00

Jeez, I didn't even touch on the Donald Trump issue in my political post! A commenter at National Review summed it up well:

Isn't there something about a Trump presidential candidacy in the Book of Revelation where the angels pour out the bowls of God's wrath upon the earth? If the Republicans nominate Donald Trump for President I'm building a rocket and shooting myself into the sun. It would be less painful than watching the election returns of an Obama/Trump contest come in.

Couldn't have said it better myself :)

Ah, technology

2011-04-18T09:51:00.000-07:00

Daddy Sam got an iPod touch for Valentine's Day. It was his reward for slaving away in the tundra of North Dakota. He loves it and the kids REALLY love it, and now I love it, too. Sam took a picture of little Sam this morning and emailed it to me. It was a nice surprise when I sat down at my desk to check my email. I think he was proud of the outfit he put together....
(Sam's shirt has a full dumptruck on the front and says "Can you dig it?")

Anne!

2011-04-15T18:46:00.000-07:00

Not to totally ignore my firstborn....Anne is here, too. She is also adorable, though she knows how to push my buttons more than her brother does. The fact that we can get exasperated with each other does not bode well for the teen years. She is very cute when she sings songs or makes up little stories. Right now she is very interested in Easter and Jesus and reading her Bible.

Here are the kiddos, brushing their teeth:Hamming it up at dinner:
So cute!
Some memorable quotes from recent weeks:

"Do deer eat ice cream?"

"I just need to tell you something!"

"If you don't give me the fruit snacks, I'm just going to cry!"

"Will you read when Jesus dies on the cross?"

"Daddy, you are growing up!"

"If I am good, can I have gummy bears?"

Sam!

2011-04-15T09:30:00.000-07:00

Opa got a great photo of little Sam yesterday. He was showing off his new haircut and his sweet Wild suit. We used to call it his "little Todd Richards" outfit, but that isn't really relevant anymore.

Sam is doing all kinds of cute things these days. His vocabulary expands every day--some fun things he says are "see ya", "big DeeDee" and "walk, please walk!" He can also identify the letters T, D, S, and A, though for "A" he just says "Annie!" He loves "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and does all of the hand actions. He's learning the NHL logos just like his sister did, and he can identify the shapes of star and heart. If you ask nicely before bed he will give you a little peck of a kiss and say "Wah-voo" :)

First Home Haircut

2011-04-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

Sam Roman received his first at-home haircut today. One thing I've learned about having a son is that boys need haircuts all the time! Sam had 3 haircuts before today's, which ties him with Anne in the "All-Time Haircuts" race. In order to save money and stress, we invested in a simple hair clipper and went to work. Just for the record, Dad did the cutting....

Here he is before, adorably shaggy:

Ready to go, comforting cup of milk in hand:

This was the face he made during most of the cutting:

Showing off his new buzz:

Big boy haircut--no more baby locks!
I knew he would lose his "baby" look once we went with a clipper cut instead of a scissor cut, but I think he looks pretty cute. He was walking around rubbing his head saying "Haircut! Haircut!" And, as Sam said, it will always grow back.

Frankie says: Relax

2011-04-13T08:39:00.000-07:00

This blog rarely wades into the political, since I am familiar with the stances of most of my readers. However, I am in an interesting position as a Republican voter in a deeply Democratic world (teachers and librarians are notoriously liberal...I am a combination of both teacher AND librarian...liberals abound in my day-to-day life)

In the Republican world there is much debate about who the nominee for President will be in 2012. No one knows for sure, and I am certainly not educated enough to wager a guess. What I can tell you is who it will NOT be. I write this for my handful of liberal readers who need to CALM DOWN about the potential nominations of:

Sarah Palin

and

Michelle Bachmann

While I find these women to be excellent role models, they are far too polarizing to ever get support from the delegates at the RNC. You either love 'em or hate 'em, and we GOP-ers know that we need a unified party to topple the Obama regime. So stop your yak-yak about a Palin/Bachmann ticket, 'cause it ain't gonna happen.

Also not going to happen is a Mitt Romney nomination. Too liberal, too Mormon, and he's from Taxachussetts. Barf. Take your sacred underwear back to the eastern seaboard and get out of my life.

The Westphall house offers no prediction on who will take on Obama in 2012. Gingrich? Pawlenty? Christie? I did shake hands with T-Paw once, and we love a bit of national attention for MN, but that's nothing to base a decision on.

Democrats, relax. We crazy conservatives will continue our pattern of nominating an educated white male for President. Sarah and Michelle will continue to appear on Fox News just to get you worked up.

Little Somethin' to Make You Laugh

2011-04-12T19:58:00.000-07:00

Saw this on TV last week...enjoy!

The Sport of Kings

2011-04-06T06:44:00.000-07:00

Here is little Sam at Oma's house, enjoying his new favorite pastime: golf. Or, as he calls it, "gols" Opa is smart and has a nice set of plastic golf clubs for Anne and Sam. At home we give him a real golf club and just tell Anne to watch out!

Outside!

2011-04-01T07:27:00.000-07:00

Sam Roman loves to play outside. "Side? Side?" he will ask, then run and stand by the door, like a dog that needs to be let out. He and Anne got plenty of fresh air yesterday playing at Oma's house and then again at home. Oma was kind enough to snap a few pictures and record a few videos for me. (Videos to come later...)
Such a happy little guy.

Oma's Birthday

2011-03-24T06:35:00.000-07:00

Oma's birthday was 3 weeks ago, and I made the kids some cute shirts for the occasion. It was pretty easy to do with some letter stencils, felt, and the magical "Stitch Witchery" bonding tape.

Here's Anne with her hair out of her face (a rare occasion)And my Bo-Bo...
Taking a break from yelling "NO Sambo!" and screaming at each other
And now, we must soothe ourselves.
Thanks, Oma, for taking their picture! We'll get a new camera one of these days...

Classmates

2011-03-23T19:20:00.001-07:00

Sammy and I are taking a Parent/Tot swim class at the YMCA. It is a pack of mommies and toddlers singing and playing games in the water. It's fun, but I'm usually ready to be done after 30 minutes :)

I find people's names to be very interesting, so here are the names of Sam's current (and future) classmates. Diversity!

Brooklyn
Lexie
Isabelle
Ava
Svea

Caleb
Anthony
Tavaris
TJ
Carter
Davis
Owen

Marches Past

2011-03-16T10:14:00.000-07:00

A little blast from the past for you today:

March 2008--Anne was 5 months old (and still a brunette!)

March 2009--getting ready for Erin's bridal shower and role as flower girl
March 2010--ready for a day of hockey

Oh, Sambo

2011-03-14T09:50:00.001-07:00

To continue the theme of black-and-blue bruised babies, Sammy managed to fall off the couch on Saturday and then fall over me last night, landing on his head both times. I'm concerned when he cries, but also concerned for the times he DOESN'T cry. I guess if I just slammed my forehead into the floor I would cry, but sometimes he just dusts himself off and keeps going.

Yesterday he pushed our little kid table to the back of the couch, climbed up on the table, then rolled himself over the back of the couch. It was terrifying and hilarious at the same time.

Last night both kids were wild and not calming down for bed. I had gone to their room once before to try to quiet them, and on the second time I was very stern. I looked at Sam and said "No! No! You will be quiet!" (not yelling, but stern!) He just stared at me, dead silent, like "What the heck was that?" I laid him down and he didn't move a muscle--just stared at me until I left the room. Apparently I am not stern with him very often!

Sam-a-palooza!

2011-03-03T07:11:00.000-08:00

It is all Sammy, all the time around here. Oma snapped some cute pictures last week so we can finally get some images around here!

This is Sam fingerpainting. They used a mixture of sweetened condensed milk and food coloring to make shiny paint. He was a sticky mess, but he smelled so sweet!
The official 18 month photo. His shirt says "Mountain Dude", and it was a gift from Erin and Todd. They picked it up on their honeymoon in Breckenridge, CO. He looks pretty cute!
Good thing Oma got a picture last week--this week he has a bruise on his forehead, a scrape on his eye, and a runny nose. Not exactly photogenic. People tell me that is par for the course when you have a son--constant bumps and bruises.

More cute things he says: oopsy-daisy (oopy-deezee), happy birthday (ah-pee day-day), and "What?" while holding up both of his hands.

More Words and Stuff

2011-03-01T07:25:00.001-08:00

Little Sam is coming up with more and more words every day. This was one of my favorite stages with Anne and it is the same with Sammy. Yesterday he said "cookie" with extreme clarity and said "Oma, poop" when he had a dirty diaper. He is also very good at inflection--his words "go up" when he's asking for something or asking for confirmation. His "dog?" sounds different than "dog!", which indicates he understands the purpose of his speech. Such a smarty-pants!

Speaking of pants, I forgot to mention that Sammy can identify many things by pointing, including pants, shirt, shoes, socks, belly, eyes, ears, nose, hair, and teeth. He also screams "teeth!" at night when it is time to brush teeth before bed. He really loves doing that and looks like such a big boy standing on the stepstool at the sink rinsing his toothbrush. Makes me say "Awwww...."

We were getting ready for a bath the other night and I told Sammy "take your pants off" and he bent down, grabbed the hems of his pants, and pulled them up to his knees. It was hilarious.

Glad I'm in America

2011-02-23T06:47:00.001-08:00

If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is....

Health-care reformers love to cite Canada as an example of health-care glory. Everything is paid for! Everything is covered!

Well, for one Canadian family, the situation is not so rosy. They have been ordered by a judge to take their baby off life support. The court will not even allow them to take their son home to die or allow them to seek care elsewhere. Seems like a pretty high cost for "free" health-care.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/02/22/canadian-family-fights-babys-beathing-tube-place/

18 months!

2011-02-22T11:39:00.000-08:00

Sam Roman is 18 months old today! Here are his stats from the doctor on Friday:

Weight: 28.8 lbs
Height: 33.75 inches
Head: off the chart

Physical Skills:
Sammy can climb up the stairs, walks and runs well, and can pull himself up to sit in his rocking chair. He can step up on to the stepstool in the bathroom or kitchen and get himself down. He really wants to be able to climb on the couch, and he can turn himself around to slide off of the couch or a bed. He has had some falls and bumps and bruises, but for the most part he is pretty tough! He also stacks blocks well.

Mental Skills:
Sammy can follow two-step directions, such as "Go to your room and get your deedee" He's very good at one-step directions like "Bring me your cup" or "Get me some socks" He likes to help and is conscientious right now--he puts toys away and likes to turn off lights. He loves to read--Goodnight Gorilla is his favorite, as well as anything with photos of real babies.

Speech:
I told the doctor that Sammy had "about 15 words", but after thinking about it, he has many more. Behold the following database of words:

Names: Oma, Opa, Annie, Mama, Daddy, Nana, Parva, Will, Todd, Elijah, Lydia, and "BoBo", which is what he calls himself.

Food: Apple, milk, banana, pizza, cracker (says "Mo cackah?" and is SO CUTE!)

Manners: Please, thank you, more, all done, bye, hello (huh-whoa) He also waves goodbye.

Animal sounds/names: moo, neigh-neigh, baa-baa, maw (cat), dog

Other stuff: read, coat, hat, ball, baby, hockey (this word has his best pronunciation), Bible, bottle, phone, says "I did it!" and combines 2 words often, especially "Bye, Daddy", he shakes his finger and says "No no!" (wonder why?), eat, seat, holds his finger on your mouth and says "Shh"

Tooth Update
Sam has 8 teeth now (finally!) Four on the top and four on the bottom. I can see his incisors through his gums, but nothing has popped through yet. His teething, for us, has been pretty painless.

Sammy is an all-around happy kid. We are so thankful to have him!

Still here...

2011-02-09T10:04:00.001-08:00

....nothing exciting to report, really. The kids are here, Daddy is home, and we have been trying to stay busy and warm! No new pictures, no new tricks. Sorry, faithful readers. We'll try to do something news-worthy this week.

Speech, speech, speech!

2011-01-27T09:37:00.000-08:00

Some new things Sammy is saying:
okay!
please?okay! (all one word, approving his own requests)
hooray!
woo hoo!
armadillo (comes out as "ah-co-co", but it is too funny!)
what did you do? (ah-do-do?)
I did it!
oh my!
oh no!

He really does exclaim these things--everything he says has a tone of extreme importance.

Sammy has a book that asks a question on each page, and the answer is always "Me, I do!" Now I read him the questions and he knows to respond to the next page with "I do!" The little man really loves his books right now, especially those with babies in them. He'll stand at the bookshelf saying "Ah baby? Ah baby?" until you find him the baby books.

Anne also said some hilarious things recently:

First, she was talking about Daddy coming home from North Dakota. I said he would be home when she was in bed. She told me, "I will come to your room, and Daddy will open his eyes, and he will say, 'Who is that kid?' and I will say, 'I'm Annie!'"

The second quote needs some backstory: Anne sometimes watches "Olivia" on TV. The character Olivia will stop once during the show and share one of her "Rules of Life". One rule is "Rule of Life number 45: Whatever the problem, costumes are always a good answer."

We got haircuts on Tuesday and Anne did not want her hair cut. She was talking the whole way to the salon about how she did NOT want a haircut. All of a sudden she says: "Rule of Life number 45: Whatever the problem, haircuts are always a bad answer."

How's that for complex thinking skills, huh?!?! Super Genius strikes again.

January....blech....

2011-01-14T10:15:00.000-08:00

Man, oh man, I hate winter. So cold. So bleak. So boring.

Sam has returned to the great North Dakota for 3 weeks this time. He has been gone for 1 week now, so we are 33% complete. It has been harder this time--last trip we had Christmas to look forward to and prepare for and keep us busy. Here's what we have been doing to keep ourselves busy:

Puzzles are one of the preferred toys around here. Sam Roman received several great puzzles for Christmas, so we have been doing them quite often.
Talking to Daddy! Sam Roman sees any phone and says "Al-oh? Hi, Dada!" He really was talking to Sam in this photo.
Taking lots of baths. By 7:00, I am tired! It is too early for bed, but half an hour in the tub helps kill that last hour of the night. Anne and Sam Roman have about a million tub toys, but they prefer their simple nesting cups.
This is the mischief face. This boy is about to be up to no good!
All wrapped up a snuggly...this photo reminds me a lot of Uncle Will!

Christmas Extravaganza

2011-01-05T09:18:00.000-08:00

Here are the Christmas photos, as promised.

A few days before Christmas, Anne got a special invitation to make cookies at Oma's house. She was psyched to roll out the sugar cookies and unwrap the Kisses for the peanut blossoms.
Anne received a "new" desk for Opa's office. She likes to sit in there and work with Opa. It is a "new" desk because it is a thrift store find, an old wooden school desk. Oma made a little saddlebag for Anne's markers so she can happily color away.
The siblings (minus Uncle Travis). The traditional Christmas Eve couch photo. Left to right we have Sam Roman, Sam, Corrie, Anne, Will, Todd, and Erin.
The Westphalls (click to make the picture large, then look at how Anne and I are making the same face...scary)
Anne was very excited to help pass out the presents. She was excited for everyone's present-opening, as well as her own.
Sam Roman was more of a careful observer. Or he was distracted by the plate of cookies on the coffee table....(look carefully...he's got a peanut blossom in his fist)
Anne in her dressed-up glory. She had a cute matching headband, but it didn't stay on her head past church.
With my kiddos in their new pajamas. Oma made them both 2 pairs of flannel pajama pants and they are SO cute! The adults were jealous.
My parents hosted the Christmas Day festivities this year, so we didn't have to travel far :) Sambo had a cute outfit (hand-me-down, in perfect condition) so we had to preserve it for posterity.
Opa taught him to say "moose" and point at his shirt, but I think this is a reindeer. Opinions, readers?
Erin and Todd got in lots of snuggle time with Anne and Sam.
The whole clan. We are a tall group! Please excuse Anne's Christmas hyperactivity. She's definitely an extrovert.

Flashback

2011-01-03T20:57:00.000-08:00

I was going through the archives from past Januaries and found this:

http://westphall.blogspot.com/2009/01/new-videos.html

Here's Anne, 2 years ago, doing almost exactly the same stuff that Sammy is doing now. It is too fun to compare them and track what they are doing. Take a quick watch...it won't take more than 90 seconds, I promise!

Sammy Super Genius

2010-12-30T19:45:00.000-08:00

A few recent accomplishments:

Sam can identify anything yellow by pointing and saying "yeh-woh". He can also point to and say "star" when he sees a star (very useful during the Christmas season)

He says "Hi Dada" and "Up, please" Tonight he stood and hung on to the oven door handle yelling "Ope, ope" because he was ready to eat but the food was not quite cooked yet.

Sammy sat in a pile of books tonight, calmly turning the pages and looking at the pictures. His favorites are pictures of real babies. "Baby!", he'll shout.

He will gesture that he wants something, so you point to an object and he'll say "No" and wave his hand until you point to the thing he wants.

Opa is his favorite person. He wiggled out of my arms several times today to get back to Opa. It is funny to hear him say "Oh-puh" in his little man voice.

All in all, little Sam is a great guy. He can be very sweet and snuggly, but sometimes very willful! He and Anne have had their share of screaming matches ("No, Sambo" (shrieking) "No screaming!!" (more shrieking) "Stop it!!") (and this happens in the time it takes me to go to the bathroom!) But we love you, Sam Roman, and we will choose to remember your happy, snuggly times and not your turf wars with your sister.

Christmas!

2010-12-26T18:55:00.000-08:00

So, I did not take any pictures of my kids over the last 2 days. This is partly because I have other people to do it for me, and partly because I don't believe in having 65 pictures of every family event. Maybe my kids will resent me when they're older. We'll see.

So here's a picture of Auntie Erin and Sam Roman, taken by Uncle Todd on his phone. Thanks, Todd, for being there and having a sweet phone. And thanks to your dad for working for Verizon, therefore enabling you to have a sweet phone. :)More pictures to come, once I collect them from my various sources.

Keepin' it Real

2010-12-24T07:45:00.000-08:00

A glimpse into our "real" life...I was trying to get video of Sam Roman coloring. He was standing at the table, waving a pencil around, eating more string cheese. For some reason I can't remember, he's wearing leg warmers instead of pants.

This is how we live, folks! If you want to try it for a day to see if you can do it better, I'd welcome the break. :)

Sam Roman's Ettiquette School

2010-12-23T22:20:00.000-08:00

Here's little Sam displaying his good manners. Off-camera I'm offering him a piece of string cheese. He says "cheese" "please" and "thank you" here.

Not to beat a dead horse...

2010-12-22T09:30:00.000-08:00

...but there was an interesting article on National Review today about school lunches. The author proposes that the program should be completely abolished and parents should pack a lunch for their kid every day. Low income parents would use food stamps to provide lunch for their children.

It is an interesting proposal, and the article sheds light on the true reason behind the school lunch program: federal farm subsidies. Give it a read here:

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/255702/will-mrs-obama-downsize-your-kid-mona-charen

Also interesting: 83% (average) of students eat school lunch, at a reimbursement rate of $0.26 per meal. My school has 650 students, so 540 of them eat lunch every day, earning our school $140.27 per day. At 175 student days, this means $24,547.25 of funding. Now, I do not know if this money can only be used for lunch-related things, but that's no small chunk of change. Also, our elementary students have "milk break" for which we are reimbursed $0.17 per student. Figure 325 students X .17 per milk X 175 school days = an additional $9,668.75

Again, I don't know how this money gets earmarked, but $34,216 seems like just enough to fund a full-time librarian! Maybe I am a fan of school lunch after all.... :)

Sixteen Months!

2010-12-22T08:14:00.001-08:00

Sam Roman is 16 months old today. Sam and I were discussing our opinions of the baby last night. Sam thinks he has changed a lot since his birthday and I feel like he's the "same old Sam" even though I know he's doing a lot more stuff! Here's a bit about what he's doing

Physical/Motor
-climbs up stairs
-walks very well
-sometimes kicks things
-starting to do well with a spoon
-climbs up on a chair
-turns around and slides off the couch
-pulls his blanket out through the slats of his crib
-walks out to the car (so funny to watch him toddle through the garage!)
-still has only 5 teeth
-still favors his left hand

Communication
-hits his head when he is mad
-arches his back and screams sometimes!
-pulls out the box of Play-Doh, drags it to me, and grunts until I open it

Signs and Says
-more
-milk
-please

Words
up
Mama
Dada
Oma
Opa
Nana
apple
mow-mow (cat)
tay-too (thank you)
Ah-nee (Annie)
yellow
hello
Bye-bye
neigh-neigh
baa-baa
moo-moo
Lydia
Elijah
ball
golf ball
duck (sometimes)
night-night
Dee-Dee (his blanket, just like Anne calls hers)
No no!
po (phone)

He has had some dry patches of skin on his legs, so when I put his pajamas on I put lotion on him. Last night I was rubbing his legs and rubbing his feet. He took the lotion and said "More, more" I guess he likes it! A little baby massage for my little guy.

He's growing just like he should be and is still a pretty agreeable boy. Love you, Sam Roman!

The Digital Story of the Nativity

2010-12-17T07:02:00.000-08:00

A cute re-telling of the story of Jesus' birth. Todd, please share with your seminary friends. You know you want to.

Via Doug Johnson at The Blue Skunk Blog

Photo Catch-Up

2010-12-12T12:57:00.000-08:00

A few shots of the kids from the last 2 weeks. Enjoy!

Anne and Sam wore custom T-shirts for Opa's birthday. They said "Opa's Girl" and "Opa's Guy" on the front. And by "custom" I mean 2 Dollar Tree shirts that I wrote on with a black marker.

Anne devouring her current favorite food: brown sugar yogurt. Take plain yogurt, sprinkle on some brown sugar, and stir. Voila!

Sam Roman likes it, too, but he is less handy with the spoon. He ended up slurping it out of the bowl.

A rare glimpse of Mommy! Anne made me a necklace with her lacing beads "for my birthday" and I was wearing it. We tried to take a picture of it, but this is all we got. Nice shot of our faces, but no necklace!
If you hold your hands up to the screen and crop out our hair, you might find that Anne and I look alike. My ginger hair and Anne's blonde fuzzball distract from our facial features :)

We're Here.

2010-12-06T10:19:00.000-08:00

Sam has been working in North Dakota since last Sunday, and he'll be gone until this Sunday. That's 15 days of Daddy-less life around here, and it has been keeping me busy!

Not much to blog about, but here are 2 flashback pictures to make you smile. Seriously, who are these people?

Links

2010-11-26T18:21:00.000-08:00

I have been finding all kinds of delicious recipes and fun projects around the web; some I've already tried, some to try later on. However, they are clogging up my Bookmarks and I need to put them somewhere else. (Does that make sense, since they are all non-tangible things? Can I really "put" them anywhere?)

Already Made and Was Delicious:

Cranberry Cheesecake Pie

Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

Looking Forward to Making Soon:

Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

Salted Caramel Bars

Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies

Inedible Crafts That Look Like Fun:

Infinity Scarf

Sweater Dress

Oh, to have all kinds of free time for baking and crafting...

Let us not forget Sambo

2010-11-23T21:11:00.000-08:00

15-month well-baby visit today:

26.6 lbs (Anne was 24 lbs, 14 oz)

32 inches (Anne was the same)

Giant head (giant brain)

He bumped up from 50th percentile in everything to 75th in height and weight and 95th for head size. The doctor actually said "What have you been feeding him?" I said "Anything and everything!"

Sambo had 3 major screaming fits during the 25 minutes we were in the office. I know he has some separation anxiety right now, but he was borderline hysterical. He cried when I set him on the scale, when the doctor checked his teeth, and when he got his shots. It reminded me of when he was a cry-y infant who I called "King Hysterical" because he would go bonkers over nothing. (I know, compassion is my middle name. Who rolls their eyes at a baby and thinks "Buck up, buddy"?)

In his defense, Sam did get 4 shots, which would make anyone a little grumpy.

Sam Roman is a textbook 15-month-old. The doctor and I always kind of look at each other and shrug our shoulders as if to say "Yep, it's all good--see you in 3 months!"

**Addition: He also has 5 teeth. Anne had 12 at this point. Not to be constantly comparing, but where the heck are the chompers, boy?**

And she spells, too

2010-11-20T19:04:00.000-08:00

Anne has an awesome set of alphabet blocks. They were a gift from my aunt Diane before Anne was even born, and they have been a favorite plaything for the past 3 years.

Anne knows all her letters and she often asks me to spell things. One word she is fixated on is "Bingo" We sing the song and spell it out, so it sticks with her. She has often tried to spell "bingo" with her blocks, but she's never been successful.

Today, however, she finally did it! I did not help her at all with this--I swear. She found all the letters and I reminded her that words go from left to right, and she figured it out.

This was one of the first things she did this morning, which explains the bedhead, pajamas, and peanut butter on her face.Way to go, Anne-Pan! You are doing a great job trying to make sense of what you hear and see.