Sugar and Spice

'Tis the season!! My mom recently set the boys up with a gingerbread house kit, and they went to town decorating and munching until the candy was all but gone. Lucian, lover of all-things-glue and all-things-sugar, was pretty excited about the prospect of gluing candy to gingerbread using frosting. Just too good to be true! The poor kid, though, has asked to eat his finished gingerbread house every day since he made it. I have tried to explain that they are just for decoration now, but what kind of sick joke is that? Gingerbread cookie with frosting and candy is... a decoration??

I think he'll be OK, though, because... 'tis also the season for Christmas cookie baking! We whipped up a batch of chocolate chip cookies a few nights back to start things off, and some time next week we will hunker down and make our annual treat, pecan tassies. Combine that with St. Nicholas' gifts earlier this month, treats from other families, and many cashiers' habits of giving out sweet snacks to kids in the checkout lane, and our kids will be well-sugared for weeks to come.

Oh! Snow!

I kind of forgot that Minnesota usually gets a major snow pile dumped on us in December... we missed out on it last year, but this year did not disappoint! Last winter, we were able to scrape together enough snow for one snowman once, and we never even made it sledding or skating because it was just so darn warm. But I think things are looking up this year. We got about a foot of snow this weekend, and Max is spending all of his spare time rediscovering our backyard. He was outside from 7:00 to 9:00 pm last night while Paul and Megan worked on shoveling.  (Poor me, I was stuck inside the dry, warm house with two dry, warm children and in my own dry, warm clothes...) As of yet, the snow hasn't been ideal for snowman making, but Max has taken to carrying a carrot around with him in the backyard in case circumstances suddenly change.

I remember loving the snow as a kid, and I never minded the huge hassle of snowpants, boots, mittens, hats, and jackets. But now, I'd just as soon stay inside and watch from a warm kitchen as Max tromps through waist-deep piles of white. Thankfully, he doesn't mind as long as I'm available to help in an emergency situation. Actually, as I was writing this, I heard a scream from outside. When I went to investigate, I found that he had managed to wedge himself between the deck and the railing. In the summer, he can easily climb through the space, but he just learned the hard way that winter gear adds quite a bit of bulk!

Welcome back to Minnesota, snow! We missed you in our yard last year... but we've got enough to last us awhile. You can take a break now.

Rest in Peace

We said goodbye to my Great Grandmother on Monday. At ninety-nine years old, God called her home peacefully in her sleep with her daughter (my grandma) and two of her grandchildren (my mom and uncle) at her side.

Great Grandma Martha Lanoue was a firecracker with a great sense of humor! When we were kids, we would get to go see her whenever we went to visit my mom's parents in Marshall. We would make a beeline for the etched glass candy jar that she kept stocked for us, and then we would entertain ourselves with dominos (in the winter) or paintbrushes and water (in the summer). My mom credits her with teaching her how to cook; she was famous for her slickers (kind of like dumplings) and Belgian cookies.

Years later, Grandma Lanoue was able to attend our wedding at Holy Redeemer, the same church that she and my Great Grandpa Buck were married in... along with my grandparents and my parents! She also got to meet all three of our kids, even Audrey just a few months ago.

As she got older, she did start to get a few things mixed up- she was an avid Twins fan, and she was thoroughly convinced that my mom had married pitcher Brad Radke. She sometimes didn't know what year it was, and she had been telling people she was 100 years old for about a decade. But she always knew who my mom was. Whenever we would go to visit her, she would take one look at my mom and her eyes would fill with tears. "Oh Lori!" she would say as she pulled her close.

At the wake and funeral, there were tears of course, but there was such a spirit of joy since we all knew Grandma had left behind her wheelchair and was now dancing in Heaven with Jesus. I was on the program to sing a solo during the Communion meditation, one of Grandma's favorite hymns, but the morning of the funeral my dad mentioned that maybe- just maybe- my Grandma Moorse would like to sing with me! "Ohh, no I couldn't do that!" she said. But after practicing a few times with her and my mom, we decided to make it a three-generation trio! I'm sure Great Grandma loved it!

After the funeral and reception, we all ended up at the Wooden Nickel- a local watering hole that we also visited the night before my wedding- reminiscing about the old bowling alley Grandma and Grandpa used to own, the cheap wine they used to drink, and a life well-lived by a woman well-loved.

Grandma, we will miss you, but we know you are at rest now. Max keeps telling me he can't wait to see you again when he gets to Heaven!

Grandma's 99th Birthday

Personalities

Everyone tells me that your first and second born children always have the most different personalities. Now, I don't know about my older brother and me - sure we have our differences, but all three of us are pretty much on the same track (Mom, correct me if I'm wrong). But I have seen in play out in other families (Monica and Paul maybe?), and I am currently seeing it play out in our own family. I've noticed it for quite awhile, but never before has it come out in such a visually obvious way as it did tonight while the boys were playing with Duplos. Max was busy at work on his castle, complete with turrets, pillars, a matchbox car, a beast of burden, there were no limits to the possibilities.



Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Lucian was working just as hard on his creation...



Rectangles. Everything was orderly, every block had its proper place. Lucian is already showing himself to be the polar opposite of his brother. Where Max is footloose and fancy free, Lucian is an organized planner. Max could walk through a room ten times before finding what he is looking for; Lucian will walk right to it. Max would never even notice if the house is a mess; Lucian is a compulsive cleaner.

He even cleaned up our popcorn bowls for us last night during the movie! He stacked them up, carried them downstairs, and set them on the table. I don't know what to do with this child so unlike myself... so unlike anyone else in this house. If he keeps it up, I fear that the rest of his family will drive him up a wall! In the future, I'm envisioning a tape line down the center of the boys' room ("You keep your stuff on that side of the line, Max!") or the living room ("You keep your stuff on that side of the line, Mom!").

I am in awe that we could have created two such unique characters- I would have thought all of our kids would have personality traits from one of us or the other, but thus far it is so not so. It's exciting, and a little terrifying... If Max can be an extrovert and Lucian can be a neat freak, what could Audrey turn out to be??

Treasure Hunting

My mom called me up Saturday on a whim to see if we wanted to try something new with them... Geocaching! It was a beautiful day, and how could we pass up the chance for a real live treasure hunt?? If you've never heard of geocaching, basically you follow a map on your phone to a spot of your choosing (they are all over the world!) and try to find the "treasure" that is hidden there. It comes in the form of a metal, waterproof box containing trinkets left by previous hunters. You can choose to take a trinket from the box as long as you leave something in return.

So of course Max was all on board with this idea. He took control of the map and lead us toward the coordinates. Once in the general vicinity, we started hunting among the trees until we came across a metal box hidden near a big tree.  With Grandpa's help, Max opened the box and admired the treasures within! He decided to trade a toy helicopter for a dusty little rubber frog that opened into two pieces (one man's trash...)

We followed the map to two more locations, and besides a run-in with a thorn branch, everyone had a great time! The boys enjoyed the exploring as much as the actual hunting, and we got to see areas in our neighborhood that we never would have ventured into otherwise! The boxes were hidden fairly close to walking trails, but there was still some bushwhacking involved.

It was an exciting day. I kind of feel like I stumbled upon a hidden subculture, and I can't believe all of these treasures are hidden almost in our backyard! I'm sure we'll do it again, and who knows? Maybe some day we'll unearth a real treasure.

The aftermath of a thorn branch attack

Toy Jail

Max's "Train Track Skull"

There's a new sheriff in town, and he's layin' down the law.

We've been getting fed up with our kids' lazy cleaning at the end of the day, and we were having trouble figuring out a good consequence for not picking up their toys. One day, Paul had a stroke of genius and invented "Toy Jail". Every night before bed, the boys have five minutes to clean up all of their toys in the living room. At the end of that time, Paul sweeps the room and picks up anything remaining out of place. These toys are banished to jail until they are earned back by Max or Lucian.

How do they earn a toy back? Well here's the best part! They earn stars on a chart for doing nice things for each other, listening well, and generally being good and helpful kids. When they earn ten stars, they are allowed to rescue a toy. So this gives them incentive to climb in the car a little more quickly, put on their shoes after being asked only once, and maybe try to share their train set with their brother even if they don't really want to. I'm not saying they've changed overnight, but I have noticed that they're maybe just a little bit more aware of the consequences of their actions.

And they sure do clean a lot faster than they used to.

Up North

A couple of weekends ago, my parents invited us on an impromptu overnight on the North Shore. I am so impressed with us- we left less than 24 hours after deciding to go! Who needs planning and foresight? Not us! We left Saturday morning and caravaned with my parents, sending Lucian to ride with Grandma and Grandpa and the Okee Dokee Brothers CD (he's a little obsessed ), while Max opted for the minivan with the DVD player.

Our first stop was the Duluth Train Museum. Not just electric models, this was a museum full of real trains, many of which are open to climb in! Lucian thought he died and went to heaven. The boys climbed from engine to caboose to snow plow to dining car, pressing buttons and pulling levers everywhere they went. And by boys, I'm sure you know I mean all four of them. My dad and Paul were just as into it as the little ones, and in some cases possibly more so.

After the museum, we walked along the pier and out to the lighthouse, and of course the boys got to climb on some rocks. Then we warmed up with a treat before making our way farther North to the cabin where we would be spending the night. My mom made an a-maz-ing carnitas for dinner, a recipe that I am actually stealing and making for dinner tomorrow! Then we settled in, put the boys to bed and played cards.

We spent most of the next day exploring the shore, throwing rocks and hiking around the cove. Yes, there was a real live cove on the grounds of this resort! You can guess how excited Max was to experience his first cove. Sadly, we didn't see any pirate ships anchoring there, but he is thoroughly convinced that once upon a time it was a hot spot for scallywags.

In the afternoon, Paul and I stole away for a bit to play a game of cribbage in the "Fish House", a little hut heated by a wood-burning stove and overlooking the lake. We daydreamed for awhile about living in a place like that, and then I remembered that it had no bathroom. Most modern luxuries I could live without, but I should thank God every day for sewers and running water.

We stayed into the early evening and then drove home, getting back around bedtime. It was an unexpected vacation, and a reminder that it doesn't take months of planning to indulge in a fun little getaway... although it does sure help to have two grandparents who do all the work for us!

The Lie

THE CRIME: 

First Degree Artwork on a non-approved surface

THE SUSPECT: 

Maximilian Yantes, AKA Captain Max Salty, age 4

THE CRIME SCENE:

Pirate ship carving in guest room door 

Detail: smiling jolly roger

 THE PLEA: 

Not guilty

THE STORY:

"Lucian did it!"

THE EVIDENCE:

-No alibi

-Time of crime coincides with Suspect's rest time in the room where crime was committed

-Height of artwork exceeds reach of Suspect's brother, "Lucian"

-Piratical nature of artwork fits Suspect's modus operandi

THE VERDICT:

Guilty

They say lying is a normal part of a child's development, but it was still really hard to see Max lie to us in the face of indisputable evidence. He stood by his story for quite awhile, perfectly willing to let Lucian take the fall for him. Lucian even admitted to the crime after some prompting from his brother, even though he couldn't reach the top of the sails! Max did eventually confess to his crime after a long talk with Judge Dad, and we are hoping that he is fully reformed and ready to re-enter society as a productive citizen.

Boo!

Max has been talking about Halloween since June. I don't know where he gets his love of Halloween, except that he gets to dress up in costume and knock on strangers' doors and collect loads of candy... ok, I guess I know exactly where he gets his love of Halloween. 

We recycled our beloved lion costume for Lucian, originally worn by Uncle Liam back-in-the-day. That one was easy. Max, on the other hand, has been dead set on being a green and yellow triceratops since before my parents closed their swimming pool. Supposedly this would be a good thing, giving me lots of time to prepare, but you know me. Need I say more? Thankfully my mom came to the rescue, finding a green dinosaur costume and sewing on a yellow frill and three horns. Have you ever seen a better triceratops costume?? I think not. 

We carved pumpkins the Sunday before Halloween with Chris and Grant again, and the boys were beside themselves with excitement that their two friends were finally back! Paul was happy to put them to work doing the bulk of the carving while he whipped up some tasty roasted pumpkin seeds. 

On Halloween, we invited the Rogers and my parents over for pizza and trick-or-treating. Anna was adorable as a little bumblebee, and the three kids were the definition of cute as they trekked around the block together. Everyone gathered more than their share of candy, and I've snitched plenty of my favorites already (don't tell them!). 

It struck me this year how incredible it is that in this day and age, people still come out of their homes in droves once a year and knock on the doors of strangers. No, we didn't stop any one place long enough to make much of a connection, but at least we have seen the faces of our neighbors. It gives me hope that people do still want to be a part of their community. We just need more opportunities to open our doors and come out of our shells!

Yes, that is actually Lucian sticking his hands in the nasty pumpkin goop.

Jolly Roger, Triceratops, and Frankenstein

Early Bird

I. Love. Sleep. Getting out of bed in the morning is the toughest thing that I do every day. When Audrey was about six weeks old, I tried to give up coffee because I thought it might help her sleep better, but found that I was literally unable to function without my morning cup of coffee. Seeing as my two caffeine-free weeks were actually her most sleepless nights to-date, I decided to re-evaluate the situation. I came up with a plan that was unlike anything I've ever tried before. I decided to get out of bed before the kids woke up each morning! I resumed my morning coffee and made a decision to be up and ready before Lucian. 

That moment when Paul wakes me up before he leaves for work has become the most difficult moment of the day, because I can no longer roll over for another half-hour until I hear Lucian's "Mommmmmeeeee... me want buppist..." (i.e. breakfast). I force myself out of bed and into the shower, then have my morning coffee and breakfast by myself! I didn't realize how different my days would be if I had a few quiet moments before being bombarded by children with needs. As a mother of three, my days mainly consist of fulfilling needs, and I know now that what I need- as an unashamed introvert- is a cup of coffee by myself every morning. It is unbelievable the different trajectory our days take solely based on whether I get up when I planned to. A few recent mornings, I gave in to the urge to roll over and doze off again, and I felt like I was playing catch-up all day.

Today has been a special treat; as I write this at 8:25, all three children are still sound asleep! Unbelievably, I have had an hour-and-a-half of alone time already. I think I hear some movement in the next room... but I feel ready to take on the day! Maybe... just maybe... I could learn to be a morning person.

Morning people.

Not a morning person.

Pick a Peck

It's not really fall until we have twelve pounds of freshly-picked apples in the kitchen. We took advantage of a beautiful Sunday afternoon and went with my parents down to Sponsel's Apple Orchard near Jordan, MN. I think we could have arrived first thing in the morning and spent the whole day! The boys loved climbing on the huge hay pile, feeding goats and sheep, pony rides, wagon rides, digging in the dirt and, of course, the apples. Picking apples, eating apples, juggling apples, eating apples, throwing apples (only the bad ones, mind you, and not at anyone...), eating apples. We paid for one peck (12 pounds), but I have a feeling we ate at least half as many as we put in the bag. 

My mom and I took turns being on quality control, only letting the most perfect apples into the bag. If it was really bad, it ended up on the ground, but if it was only slightly bruised, it became a munching apple. Max and Lucian proudly picked several apples of their very own, learning (for the most part) to check for imperfections. Max came to me at one point, bearing an apple with broken brown skin on one side, and said "This apple shines as beautifully as a diamond, mom!" I didn't have the heart to turn him away, so I let it pass inspection, then waited til he wasn't looking to chuck it into the trees.

Megan and I are planning out how we will use our booty, and the list so far includes apple pie, crock pot applesauce, caramel apples and Maureen's upside-down apple dessert (I don't know what she calls it, but it sounded amazing. I'll let you know.) I intend to be firmly appled-out by the first snowfall. Who's with me?