From the mouths of little boys

Well, the four of us made a quick decision trip to Texas this week. My husband had an uncle pass away, so we came for the memorial. We drove the entire way--like the entire 1400+ miles way... When there are 2 adults, one 8-year-old, and one 5-year-old in a car for 12.5 and 8 hours, that trip is WAY to long!

We noticed a speed trap, and my husband said he needs to be careful or he'd get pulled over. (The speed limit from Kansas south ranges from 45 to 75.) Well, a little voice behind him pipes up with, "Hello, officer. Did you know police like donuts?"

My husband bursts out laughing, but also struggles to make sure our 5-year-old knows NOT to say that if L gets pulled over... We envisioned that scene, and I told L to give me his wallet so I could post bail!

Needless to say, we can see our youngest being the one who carries fresh donuts in his vehicle to avoid tickets... I sure hope it doesn't happen that way though!

Other than that, the trip was long. Ok VERY LONG since our portable DVD player is somehow not responding to our dvds. We are not sure what our oldest did to make that happen.

Hope the return trip goes well. Wish us luck.

Ok, I'm trying to catch up to my life...

So I've been away for a while. A lot has happened and is still going.

We finished the school year. Monster is now a 2nd grader. I have him and Peanut signed up for summer school July 30-Aug 16 7am to 12pm M-Th.

We have found an inexpensive activity the boys love: Pedal Tractor Pulls. This is Monster's 3rd year and Peanut's 1st year. The first pull we went to for the year was Durand's Fun Fest in early June. Peanut placed 4th in the 4yr old boys division. Monster placed 3rd in the 7 yr old boys division; this qualified him for the WI State Pedal Tractor Pull in Reedsburg, WI Sept 15.  Then we went with Erik's family to Ellsworth Cheese Curd Festival to pull again. Monster placed 2nd this time! Peanut tied for 5th, and Erik's boy I placed 7th. We will be attending a few more pulls this summer, to give Monster practice and see if Peanut can qualify for state too. (Peanut really wants to qualify like his big brother!) If Peanut qualifies for State, and either boy gets 1st, 2nd, or 3rd at State, they move on to the National Pedal Tractor Pull! (Last year a boy from Durand placed 4th at National, and he is younger than Monster.)

Both boys were in swimming lessons. Monster has to redo level 2 next summer, but the plan is to get him in the pool as often as we can and then do 2nd session of lessons. Hopefully, it will work!

Monster sold enough Popcorn and Evergreen products to attend Cub Scout Resident Camp this summer. He and I went July 8-10. Peanut got to stay with Grandma and Grandpa. He had fun and earned another belt loop: BB Gun Shooting.

We had Cub Scout Day Camp for our District last week 7/24-26. Monster, Peanut, and I went. Monster was in the Moonmen Den, and Peanut and I were in the Wookie Den. Monster earned more belt loops: Astronomy and Table Tennis.  The theme was outerspace! The boys really had fun. Peanut was awarded for his soda-bottle-rocket launch; it was AWESOME! (Now they want to build a launcher for at home...)

By the end of Monster's 1st year as a Cub Scout, he'll have earned 14 Belt Loops (the Cub Scout equivalent to Boy Scout Merit Badges). That is 1/4 of all he can earn! Plus he's well on his way to earning his Wolf Badge. Yeah Monster!

Peanut is excited buy scared about starting school 9/11. Luke and I aren't sure if we should cry or be happy---our baby is starting school!!!! Where did the time go?!?

I'm Monster's Den Leader again this year, so planning meetings and outings has started and getting ready for the 2012-2013 school year schedule... Ready or not, here we all come!

Youth Blessing

Peanut and I joined the 1st through 6th graders (and quite a group of the community) for a Youth Blessing today after Monster was done with catecism. We all received our Ash Crosses. I'd like to attend the Mass tonight but it starts at 7:30 PM and two little boys have an 8 PM bedtime.

Monster brought home a Lenten Gift box. He put all the money he had in his bank into it. Peanut even put some money in, too. It makes me happy to see that both of the boys enjoy giving to others.

A major head/chest cold has been running rampant in our house. I ended up with a sinus infection, and I'm hoping I am getting over it. Monster and Luke both have the congestion and coughing going. Peanut actully seems to be the only one NOT to get this cold. Hopefully it stays that way.

Our community library does not offer story time on a weekly basis. I wish it did, just for something Peanut could look forward to. Next week starts the spring story time. He'll get to go from 6 PM through 7 PM for 3 weeks on Thursday evenings. Hopefully he'll sit well and listen to the librarian. He hasn't wanted to since turning 3. (Our story time is for 3 to 5 year olds.) I guess I'll find out next week.

Happy Lent everyone!

Did anyone get the license plate on the truck?

Ok, I feel awful. I went to Luke's sister's son's 1st birthday party yesterday evening. We got there about 4pm, and I was ready to go home at 6:30pm. I had a migraine starting. Got home around 9:30pm, put the boys to bed, and went home myself. I didn't wake up until 7:15am this morning. But I woke up with my back muscles spasaming. They felt a little better by 9 AM when Luke said the family was going to split wood. Now, I feel like I got caught between a truck and a wall. My back muscles really hurt right now... I think I need a full body massage... And if my in-laws are taking the boys camping this weekend. I'm scheduling one for Friday afternoon or Monday morning.

We survived our Blue & Gold Banquet (Cub Scout annual banquet). I had made a very full 5 quart slow cooker full of spaghetti casserole (16 oz elbow maccaroni, 2 pounds browned hamburger, and 3 26.5 oz cans of spaghetti sauce with 1 26.5 oz can of water). I thought for sure I would be bringing 1/2 of it home. I brought home a dirty slow cooker; it was completely gone... Monster has earned his Tiger Badge, and he earned 4 belt loop awards--archery, flag football, ultimate frisbee, and basketball, and the Outdoor Activity Award badge. Out of 8 boys in our den, 6 have earned their Tiger badges. Good job Tiger Cubs! All the active families are looking forward to this summer when we start working on their Wolf requirements. I hope we all have fun!

Well, I'm off to give two boys their ultimate clean-up shower. They both ended up filthy from playing while Luke and I were splitting wood today!

I read this in a magazine...

I found this in a magazine I bought today for some recipes. I had to pass it on.

A MOMENT FOR YOU!

You deserve to be happy. Joy isn't something you should have to wait for, wish for, or work for. It's something you can feel right now! And all it takes is giving yourself permission to take a break, letting yourself relax--and opening your eyes and your heart. Look for reasons to smile, and you'll find so many!

A little one's prayer and the Seefeldt humor

This morning Peanut, Monster, and I were at the table while the boys finished their breakfast and vitamins. I looked over at Peanut. He had his hands folded in prayer, head bowed, and was saying a prayer. He had to start over because Monster and I were talking at the moment. Here's my 4-year-old's prayer:

"Dear God, Please let it snow 10 times for me. Please? Thank you. Love, "

I just had to smile and tell him he did a very good job. He said it so solemnly... Where'd he learn to do that so fast?!?

Ok, my siblings, mom, and I all have a strange sense of humor. Last week while they were visiting, I had Erik check my computer to see what could be cleaned off it to help it run better. Well, Luke had put some things on my desktop in a fold titled LUKES JUNK. Erik, with our family's sense of humor, promptly said," I don't want to see his junk! I refuse to open that folder. It's indecent!" To which I burst out laughing. He quickly added, "Luke's junk belongs in his pants!" I laughed harder... Erik put Luke's Junk in Luke's Undies in Luke's Pants. So now I have a folder on my computer called Lukes pants...

Sledding fun!

This morning started with Peanut joining me shortly after 6 AM. He decided he wanted his leftover Mac & Cheese and some leftover hamburger helper for breakfast. He was in a very good mood. Then Monster decided he'd get up. He was grumpy... After 30 minutes of his tantrums, I gave him 2 choices: 1) go back to bed and come back out when he's in a better mood or 2) eat breakfast and improve his mood. Luke came down shortly after Monster decided to go back to bed... The boys are grounded from video games, computer games, and the TV for the morning. After Monster ate, I made them both get dressed to go out and play.

I decided I'd go sledding too. While sledding and pushing the boys down our driveway hill, I decided snowpants, gloves, hat, winter coat, and winter boots was too much clothes. Next time I go out I'll just do mittens, hat, boots, and coat.  NO snowpants. Well, first Luke got to push the boys down the hill because I was getting more snowmelt salt. Each boy ended up almost to our chicken coop (at the end of our driveway...).  Luke was cold so he decided to go back inside while his car warmed up. I pushed the boys for another 30 minutes until Luke came out to leave. We learned if Peanut is lying down in the sled he goes the farthest, but he has to have his feet at the front of the sled. Plus, pushing his sled when he's lying down is very difficult, even for me. Take almost 41" and cut it in half. Then try to push it down a hill. Or worse yet have the almost 41" be shrunk down to about 6" and then push it down a hill. We all had fun. 

Then, just before Luke left for the morning, I had him push me and my sled. I go my momentum up, and then Peanut saw he could reach out for a HUGGIE! Well, I grabbed him with one arm and proceeded to make my sled spin a 180. He looked at me laughing and said, "Huggie?!?" I guess the one arm hug did't work as well. (I pushed the boys for another 15 minutes after that, then went in to fold clean clothes and do some house cleaning.)

While cleaning, I discovered that I don't stick with cleaning one thing until it is done. I am totally hit or miss with my cleaning because I do a little of this, then have to throw something away and something else catches my eye, so I clean that for a little while, then head back to cleaning number 1, get distracted, and start in on number 3... I work at all the different things until I end up getting them all done one right after another... (Final steps to clean for all the different things all done successively.)  My mom said I shouldn't clean like she does... Aaah, the truth comes out from where I got it from!