Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Happy Bird-day Hayden!
Hayden's birthday was November 20th, but we had his party Saturday the 24th. He still loves Angry Birds, so that's what we chose for a theme. I made Angry Bird cupcakes: Red Birds and Green Pigs. They weren't my best work ever, but the birthday boy liked them and that's all that matters.
The Red Birds were chocolate cupcakes with red frosting and red sugar
crystals. The belly was a third of a marshmallow and the nose was a
third of an "orange slice" gummy candy. The eyes were a mini marshmallow
cut in half with a dot of black frosting. I used black frosting for the eye brows too.
The Piggies were funfetti cupcakes with green frosting. A half of a
marshmallow made the snout and the nostrils were mini chocolate chips.
The eyes were the same as the birds. I just used black frosting to make
the mouth and eye brows. I should have gone to the trouble to track down
some green jelly beans for the ears, but I was too lazy. I thought about
frosting mini marshmallows instead, but I had so much trouble frosting the big
ones I gave up on that idea!
We used one of Hayden's favorite gifts from last year's birthday for
table decorations! Cardboard bricks and Angry Bird plush toys. For dinner we had a Taco/Nacho bar with all the fixings. We
splurged on a big can of the real snack-bar-style nacho cheese from Costco. Everyone
enjoyed the food!
Hayden loved his gifts... Angry Birds (of course!) attire and games... and Legos!
Annabeth seemed to take an interest in the gifts, or at least the
wrappings, this time. She also showed off her new walking skills and
found time to sit down and play a little bit with her cousins.
Hayden loved his new Angry Bird pajamas and wore them to bed that very
night. They spent one day in the laundry and they were back on! I
thought he looked so cute (and colorful) the next morning during
breakfast that I had to take this picture.
Happy 7th Bird-day Hayden!
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Off She Goes
Annabeth finally figured out that walking is better than crawling! This video is from last weekend and she is already more confident than she was last week. Way to go Boo Boo!
Friday, November 9, 2012
Game Day
Since the Packers were playing the Cardinals this past Sunday we let the boys wear their Packer jerseys to church. Unfortunately, we didn't have a little Packer jersey for Annabeth so she just wore regular clothes. Wesley wasn't particularly fond of the idea (he wanted to wear a polo as usual), but he was a good sport and went along with it anyway.
We get plenty of stares on a regular week, but dressing everyone in Packer attire really gets you noticed! We thought about Cousin Carter wearing his Cardinal gear at Lambeau while we were wearing our Packer gear here in Arizona! Go Pack Go!
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Seasonal Decor
Way back when, I used to decorate a lot more for each season/holiday. But through the years we lived in Wisconsin I seemed to do it less and less. I always thought it was because I was so much busier than I used to be. I have discovered it wasn't that at all!
In Wisconsin, the season's change and the "decor" automatically changes with it. I didn't need a million little snowmen in my house when my whole yard was covered in 18 inches of snow. I didn't need fake fall leaves when we had piles of them.
Now that we are back in Arizona, I find myself wanting to decorate again. Why? Well, the calendar says it's fall, but it doesn't feel like fall and it sure doesn't look like fall. So let's pretend!
I dug out my fall box and pulled out some fake leaves. Please ignore the palm trees to the right of the front door. They don't really help with the fall look I'm going for here!
Outside: Cornstalk garland, fake leaves, and floral picks by the front door.
Inside: More fake leaves and a pretty fall wreath my mom made for me!
It's not quite the same, but it made me feel a little bit better. Now if only I could make some chili and not have to eat it wearing shorts!
In Wisconsin, the season's change and the "decor" automatically changes with it. I didn't need a million little snowmen in my house when my whole yard was covered in 18 inches of snow. I didn't need fake fall leaves when we had piles of them.
Now that we are back in Arizona, I find myself wanting to decorate again. Why? Well, the calendar says it's fall, but it doesn't feel like fall and it sure doesn't look like fall. So let's pretend!
I dug out my fall box and pulled out some fake leaves. Please ignore the palm trees to the right of the front door. They don't really help with the fall look I'm going for here!
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Election Q&A with Jerry
I thought it might be a fun blog post to ask my in-house political expert a few questions about the election. In case you didn't know, Jerry is very into politics (when we lived in Wisconsin he wrote a political blog). He reads and researches and doesn't let emotions get in the way. (I think he's part Vulcan!)
Q: Are you upset by the election results? Why or why not?
No. The result was not at all surprising at the presidential level. Gains by Democrats in the Senate were more surprising (especially in places like ND and MT).
Q: You have said repeatedly that if someone went into a coma this year and woke up in 2015 they wouldn't be able to tell if a Democrat or Republican was president. Are they really that much alike?
Yes, but no one believes me when I say this. If you watched the debates you may have come away thinking there are sharp differences between the two major parties. This is impression is due entirely to the way the debates are formatted and presented. Consider the fact that it was a GOP Congress and President George W. Bush (gasp!) who expanded Medicare to include a prescription drug benefit. And who, exactly, do you think gave us TARP and the auto industry bailout? (Hint: NOT President Obama.)
Q: Did third party voters lose the election for Romney?
No, this simply wasn't a factor. Even in the most famous example of this in recent history (1992) Perot did not cost GHW Bush the election.
Q: Is a vote for a third party candidate a wasted vote?
At the level of the individual every vote is a waste. When millions of votes are cast no single vote matters, third party or otherwise. An individual may be wasting their time voting but they are not wasting their vote by casting a ballot for the Left Handed Vegans with ADHD Party. ("But what if everyone thought that way, then no one would vote" you object. Allow me to retort: They don't, so it doesn't matter.)
Q: What can/should Christians do (politically speaking) to help this country?
Pray. Generally be subject to the authority of our government (1 Peter). Be informed on policies AND personalities. This is harder than it sounds. You have to seek out this information. It does not come in 20 second soundbites on any cable news channel. You may "know" Obama was born in Kenya, but do you know who the Secretary of State is or anything about US policy in Africa?
Q: Is there too much money in politics?
No. The antidote to money in politics is informed citizens. It is not new/more/better rules about money in politics. I'm for unlimited personal spending on political campaigns combined with full disclosure of donations.
Q: Is our country too polarized/partisan?
No. See above on differences between the parties. We need a greater diversity of ideas among (and within) the major parties AND we need to articulate those differences in a way that is respectful. Simply put, we need polite partisans.
Q: If you believe we need a smaller federal government does that mean you hate Big Bird/the interstate highway system/victims of super storm Sandy?
No. The federal government does too many things and too many of them not well enough. Even if we ultimately disagree, we should be able to have a discussion about what are the appropriate roles of the federal government, state and local governments, and individuals. We should be guided by the principle of assigning roles to the lowest level of authority that makes sense (for example, the city shouldn't be in charge of interstate highways and the FBI shouldn't do animal control). The fancy name for this is subsidiarity, but it's really just common sense. There is no credible spokesman for this approach on the national stage today.
If you have a question for Jer, leave it in the comments!!
Q: Are you upset by the election results? Why or why not?
No. The result was not at all surprising at the presidential level. Gains by Democrats in the Senate were more surprising (especially in places like ND and MT).
Q: You have said repeatedly that if someone went into a coma this year and woke up in 2015 they wouldn't be able to tell if a Democrat or Republican was president. Are they really that much alike?
Yes, but no one believes me when I say this. If you watched the debates you may have come away thinking there are sharp differences between the two major parties. This is impression is due entirely to the way the debates are formatted and presented. Consider the fact that it was a GOP Congress and President George W. Bush (gasp!) who expanded Medicare to include a prescription drug benefit. And who, exactly, do you think gave us TARP and the auto industry bailout? (Hint: NOT President Obama.)
Q: Did third party voters lose the election for Romney?
No, this simply wasn't a factor. Even in the most famous example of this in recent history (1992) Perot did not cost GHW Bush the election.
Q: Is a vote for a third party candidate a wasted vote?
At the level of the individual every vote is a waste. When millions of votes are cast no single vote matters, third party or otherwise. An individual may be wasting their time voting but they are not wasting their vote by casting a ballot for the Left Handed Vegans with ADHD Party. ("But what if everyone thought that way, then no one would vote" you object. Allow me to retort: They don't, so it doesn't matter.)
Q: What can/should Christians do (politically speaking) to help this country?
Pray. Generally be subject to the authority of our government (1 Peter). Be informed on policies AND personalities. This is harder than it sounds. You have to seek out this information. It does not come in 20 second soundbites on any cable news channel. You may "know" Obama was born in Kenya, but do you know who the Secretary of State is or anything about US policy in Africa?
Q: Is there too much money in politics?
No. The antidote to money in politics is informed citizens. It is not new/more/better rules about money in politics. I'm for unlimited personal spending on political campaigns combined with full disclosure of donations.
Q: Is our country too polarized/partisan?
No. See above on differences between the parties. We need a greater diversity of ideas among (and within) the major parties AND we need to articulate those differences in a way that is respectful. Simply put, we need polite partisans.
Q: If you believe we need a smaller federal government does that mean you hate Big Bird/the interstate highway system/victims of super storm Sandy?
No. The federal government does too many things and too many of them not well enough. Even if we ultimately disagree, we should be able to have a discussion about what are the appropriate roles of the federal government, state and local governments, and individuals. We should be guided by the principle of assigning roles to the lowest level of authority that makes sense (for example, the city shouldn't be in charge of interstate highways and the FBI shouldn't do animal control). The fancy name for this is subsidiarity, but it's really just common sense. There is no credible spokesman for this approach on the national stage today.
If you have a question for Jer, leave it in the comments!!
Sunday, November 4, 2012
What's Cookin'
Annabeth is underfoot every second I'm in the kitchen. Hopefully someday she'll be a great kitchen helper! She loves it when I turn on the oven light so she can see what's inside.
This time she was happy to see it was one of her favorite things... cookies!!
Brotherly Love
All my boys love babies. Annabeth doesn't know how lucky she is to have five big brothers who think she's the sweetest baby around! Here are a few moments of brotherly love I captured recently.
Hayden leaned in towards Annabeth while she was sitting in her high chair at dinner, so she did the same.
Not wanting to be left out, Justus took a turn next.
Annabeth loves her brothers too. Here she is watching them through the back door.
She was so happy when someone noticed her! Soon enough she'll be able to run around with them, but not just yet.
Here she is trying on Wesley's sunglasses. Whenever we put sunglasses on a baby we always tell them they are "too cool for school". At first she wasn't too sure.
But in the end, I think Annabeth agreed with that!
Hayden leaned in towards Annabeth while she was sitting in her high chair at dinner, so she did the same.
Not wanting to be left out, Justus took a turn next.
Annabeth loves her brothers too. Here she is watching them through the back door.
Here she is trying on Wesley's sunglasses. Whenever we put sunglasses on a baby we always tell them they are "too cool for school". At first she wasn't too sure.
But in the end, I think Annabeth agreed with that!
Off He Goes!
They say once you learn you never forget... so today was an important
day for JD! He learned to ride a bike without training wheels! He asked awhile
ago to have his training wheels taken off and when Jerry complied he
just wasn't ready. He starting asking again recently, so this afternoon Jerry took
the training wheels off. He was obviously ready this time!
Here is a little video of him riding. Unfortunately, I didn't know my camera lens was dirty so the video is a bit fuzzy.
It's become a blogging tradition to post a short video of every boy riding on two wheels. If you want to look back, you can see Wesley's video here (they were so little!) and the twin's video here and Hayden's here.
Here are a few more photos of our newest two-wheeled biker!
Here is a little video of him riding. Unfortunately, I didn't know my camera lens was dirty so the video is a bit fuzzy.
It's become a blogging tradition to post a short video of every boy riding on two wheels. If you want to look back, you can see Wesley's video here (they were so little!) and the twin's video here and Hayden's here.
Here are a few more photos of our newest two-wheeled biker!
Thursday, November 1, 2012
One Year Later
Here are some random thoughts on the first year anniversary of our return to Arizona:
Summer is hot. Jer and I already knew that, but the boys didn't really understand. It's something you have to experience. At the same time, if you have AC (and are willing to pay high electric bills) it really isn't too bad. Similar (in a way) to the extreme cold, you just stay inside as much as you can. How people did it without AC is beyond me... maybe the heat melted their brains and they couldn't figure out how to leave.
God puts you where you need to be. We were in a rental house for the first 5½ months we lived here and while it seemed a random choice at the time, God surely knew it was not! We made some wonderful friends while living there. Never, NEVER, have we had such a fun neighborhood! We got to know at least six families. And I don't mean just a wave hello as you walk by, I mean sit and chat for hours and have meals together friends. We love our house, but we miss being steps away from friends! Thankfully, they are just a few miles away and we can still visit, but the boys remind me frequently it's "just not the same".
Not everyone is nice. As I just said, our rental neighborhood was great. I try and focus on the positive, but during our time there we did have our first taste of someone not liking our family. Frankly, it sucked. One neighbor lady just did not like us. She doesn't enjoy children and the noise they make while they are playing outside. She didn't approve of them playing anywhere near her property or even in the public street in front of her house. Sidewalk chalk? Hose it off! Walk two steps in her side yard? Put up planters to block the way! Kids playing in the street with capable adults watching? Call the sheriff to step up patrols! It really was a sad, frustrating situation. We tried to be kind, sharing a plate of cookies at Christmas and waving hello, but she would just turn her back on us (literally) and bad mouth us to whoever would listen. She must not have ever lived next to really bad neighbors. We knew the rental wasn't the type of house we were looking for, but might have actually considered buying it if she hadn't lived right next door. We learned that some people just can't be won over. I just try to remind myself that she didn't even really know us. In the end, it was her loss.
Buying a house is a LOT different here. Someday I'll write a post about the purchase of our current house. A lot of people think we were lucky because we purchased a house while "prices were low", but I like to think of it as we bought a house while prices were normal. The housing prices, especially here, were just inflated for several years. That doesn't mean they are "low" now. Yes, we got a "deal" compared to 5 years ago, but I think what we paid for this house was a fair price. Thankfully, not inflated, but also not especially low.
Overall the cost of living is higher here. I don't know why, but that surprised me. I mistakenly thought we'd have cheaper prices on somethings (produce for one), but that hasn't been the case. In addition, sales tax is more here so even if the price isn't too bad the total is never what I expect. We have spent more money in the last year than we have EVER and our savings shows it! We're hoping to build it back up ASAP.
Homeschooling is a blessing. I knew this already, but it was especially helpful when it comes to children adjusting after a move. Moving is hard on kids. I hated moving as a kid, changing schools and making new friends is hard. Our boys adjusted a lot better than I ever did after a move and I think homeschooling played a big part in that.
As for me personally, I still hate moving. Packing and unpacking boxes is easy. Finding a new church, doctors, dentists, etc. is a real pain. Just the paperwork from taking my gang to a new dentist gave me hand cramps for a week! Finding your way around a new area is a challenge too. I still get lost once in awhile. Well, not lost like I can't find my way home, but take a wrong turn. There is no "autopilot" driving here for me yet.
We got rid of too much before we moved. Last time we moved across the country, we didn't get rid of enough and we didn't want to make that mistake again. We just didn't know we were going to find a place with a spot for guests where we could use all that extra stuff! Maybe next time we move we'll get it just right.
When we moved to Wisconsin, it took me 10 years to stop calling the electric company SRP (Salt River Project) instead of WPS (Wisconsin Public Service). And now the reverse is true. Same with the PBS channel, it's 8 here and 38 in GB, but they're completely interchangeable in my mind. Jer also recently pointed out that the radio presets in the van are still set to Wisconsin channels. Not sure what that says about me. Am I in denial?
We still interact enough with Wisconsin family and friends that I think of Green Bay things as "local" and at the same time local Arizona things seem "far" away. Every once in awhile I am surprised to see an Arizona license plate or someone wearing an ASU shirt and then realize I'm not in Wisconsin. Thankfully, that has been happening less the longer we're here. Either place Packer gear is completely normal! Go Pack Go!
Costco isn't all it's cracked up to be. I think of it as The (Two Hundred) Dollar Store. Double coupons aren't that great either. I like doubling a limited number of $1 coupons to $2 a lot more than doubling a $.75 coupon to $1 every day. I can count on one hand the number of times I've gotten a really great deal because of double coupons. Most of the time they don't make up for the higher price of just about everything here. It is nice getting the better regional coupons though!
There aren't as many flying bugs here, but we're not celebrating because there are a lot more crawling bugs. I think I prefer flying bugs. Love, love, love my exterminator!
Mountains and sunsets are beautiful here in the desert. The phrase "when it rains it pours" must have been coined here. It either does not rain at all or it pours. Except during Monsoon season, the weather here is boring. It gets dark faster here (not earlier though), dusk is shorter. [The closer you are to the equator the shorter dusk is, did you know that? I didn't.] The moon is the same no matter where you live.
Facebook makes moving easier! The last time we moved it was hard to keep in touch with the friends and family we left behind, but with Facebook it's easy! I can keep up on the day to day lives of far away friends instead waiting for Christmas cards or visits. I am so thankful for that!
Summer is hot. Jer and I already knew that, but the boys didn't really understand. It's something you have to experience. At the same time, if you have AC (and are willing to pay high electric bills) it really isn't too bad. Similar (in a way) to the extreme cold, you just stay inside as much as you can. How people did it without AC is beyond me... maybe the heat melted their brains and they couldn't figure out how to leave.
God puts you where you need to be. We were in a rental house for the first 5½ months we lived here and while it seemed a random choice at the time, God surely knew it was not! We made some wonderful friends while living there. Never, NEVER, have we had such a fun neighborhood! We got to know at least six families. And I don't mean just a wave hello as you walk by, I mean sit and chat for hours and have meals together friends. We love our house, but we miss being steps away from friends! Thankfully, they are just a few miles away and we can still visit, but the boys remind me frequently it's "just not the same".
Not everyone is nice. As I just said, our rental neighborhood was great. I try and focus on the positive, but during our time there we did have our first taste of someone not liking our family. Frankly, it sucked. One neighbor lady just did not like us. She doesn't enjoy children and the noise they make while they are playing outside. She didn't approve of them playing anywhere near her property or even in the public street in front of her house. Sidewalk chalk? Hose it off! Walk two steps in her side yard? Put up planters to block the way! Kids playing in the street with capable adults watching? Call the sheriff to step up patrols! It really was a sad, frustrating situation. We tried to be kind, sharing a plate of cookies at Christmas and waving hello, but she would just turn her back on us (literally) and bad mouth us to whoever would listen. She must not have ever lived next to really bad neighbors. We knew the rental wasn't the type of house we were looking for, but might have actually considered buying it if she hadn't lived right next door. We learned that some people just can't be won over. I just try to remind myself that she didn't even really know us. In the end, it was her loss.
Buying a house is a LOT different here. Someday I'll write a post about the purchase of our current house. A lot of people think we were lucky because we purchased a house while "prices were low", but I like to think of it as we bought a house while prices were normal. The housing prices, especially here, were just inflated for several years. That doesn't mean they are "low" now. Yes, we got a "deal" compared to 5 years ago, but I think what we paid for this house was a fair price. Thankfully, not inflated, but also not especially low.
Overall the cost of living is higher here. I don't know why, but that surprised me. I mistakenly thought we'd have cheaper prices on somethings (produce for one), but that hasn't been the case. In addition, sales tax is more here so even if the price isn't too bad the total is never what I expect. We have spent more money in the last year than we have EVER and our savings shows it! We're hoping to build it back up ASAP.
Homeschooling is a blessing. I knew this already, but it was especially helpful when it comes to children adjusting after a move. Moving is hard on kids. I hated moving as a kid, changing schools and making new friends is hard. Our boys adjusted a lot better than I ever did after a move and I think homeschooling played a big part in that.
As for me personally, I still hate moving. Packing and unpacking boxes is easy. Finding a new church, doctors, dentists, etc. is a real pain. Just the paperwork from taking my gang to a new dentist gave me hand cramps for a week! Finding your way around a new area is a challenge too. I still get lost once in awhile. Well, not lost like I can't find my way home, but take a wrong turn. There is no "autopilot" driving here for me yet.
We got rid of too much before we moved. Last time we moved across the country, we didn't get rid of enough and we didn't want to make that mistake again. We just didn't know we were going to find a place with a spot for guests where we could use all that extra stuff! Maybe next time we move we'll get it just right.
When we moved to Wisconsin, it took me 10 years to stop calling the electric company SRP (Salt River Project) instead of WPS (Wisconsin Public Service). And now the reverse is true. Same with the PBS channel, it's 8 here and 38 in GB, but they're completely interchangeable in my mind. Jer also recently pointed out that the radio presets in the van are still set to Wisconsin channels. Not sure what that says about me. Am I in denial?
We still interact enough with Wisconsin family and friends that I think of Green Bay things as "local" and at the same time local Arizona things seem "far" away. Every once in awhile I am surprised to see an Arizona license plate or someone wearing an ASU shirt and then realize I'm not in Wisconsin. Thankfully, that has been happening less the longer we're here. Either place Packer gear is completely normal! Go Pack Go!
Costco isn't all it's cracked up to be. I think of it as The (Two Hundred) Dollar Store. Double coupons aren't that great either. I like doubling a limited number of $1 coupons to $2 a lot more than doubling a $.75 coupon to $1 every day. I can count on one hand the number of times I've gotten a really great deal because of double coupons. Most of the time they don't make up for the higher price of just about everything here. It is nice getting the better regional coupons though!
There aren't as many flying bugs here, but we're not celebrating because there are a lot more crawling bugs. I think I prefer flying bugs. Love, love, love my exterminator!
Mountains and sunsets are beautiful here in the desert. The phrase "when it rains it pours" must have been coined here. It either does not rain at all or it pours. Except during Monsoon season, the weather here is boring. It gets dark faster here (not earlier though), dusk is shorter. [The closer you are to the equator the shorter dusk is, did you know that? I didn't.] The moon is the same no matter where you live.
Facebook makes moving easier! The last time we moved it was hard to keep in touch with the friends and family we left behind, but with Facebook it's easy! I can keep up on the day to day lives of far away friends instead waiting for Christmas cards or visits. I am so thankful for that!
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