Post for Grandparents in Montana

We just wanted to show the Montana Grandparents what you're missing -- six cousins (8 years old and under) all together for a pajama party! It's been a lot of fun, but quite loud at times.

The Award for Mother of the Year Goes To...

NOT me, I'll be busy making license plates in prison. Look what Evan took to preschool today.

What kind of mother lets their five-year-old take this to school?! And the best part is that I didn't find out until another preschool mom told me. Great. Gotta love that.

I dropped off Evan at school this morning but didn't pick him up because he went home with a preschool friend. Later in the day I went to his friend's house to get him and the friend's mom hands me a grocery bag and says, "Mrs. S said Evan had these at school today."

I started laughing so hard! What are the chances my kid would take not one but THREE knives to school?! And not only does the teacher know about it, now another preschool mom knows. Oh. my. gosh! Fortunately the other mom was able to see the humor in the situation too (thank God!). Apparently Evan had them in his pocket, showed his teacher one knife and when she confiscated it, he reached into his pocket and innocently said, "I have these too."

For Evan's next act, we're going to see if he can get through airport security with his arsenal.

This Makes a Mama Proud

My "rockin' cousin" (mentioned in a previous post) has a very special talent -- a talent above and beyond being a rock-n-roll legend. She can put her entire fist in her mouth! Are you amazed or what?! After telling my kids about this talent of Angela's, the boys all tried to live up to the legend of Angela. Here are the photos of my somewhat talented boys (not quite as good as Angela, but they have years to practice):

Drew Learned Two Things Today

This morning Drew learned:
A. Silly putty sticks to the TV remote control.
B. Remote controls should NOT be washed by immersing them in water.

And what did Mom learn today? That remote controls are free from Buckeye Cable as long as you turn in the "damaged" one. (This fact saved Drew's life!)

Rock-n-Roll Cousin

Here's a video of my cousin Angela rockin' at the "White House" while she was visiting us for Thanksgiving weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving

This is a picture of our fireplace. I thought it looked very "fall-ish."

This year I'm thankful for a wonderful family, a house, church and friends I love and I'm thankful that we still live in Ohio and not Reno! I'm also thankful for missionaries like our friends Drs. Tom and Karen Asher who are leaving this week to serve for three years in Sierra Leone, Africa. Thank you God for people like them who have a heart for Africa and are willing to follow your great commission.

For what are you thankful this year?

Announcing an Addition to the White House

Yes, it's true, we have a new addition to the White House -- "Cheesy" is Evan's new hamster. Isn't he cute?! Evan has been begging for a mouse or a gerbil, but I hate tails; since hamsters have no tails, Evan and I compromised and he got Cheesy for his 5th birthday. I was very reluctant to get another pet -- we already have our geriatric goldfish, Dorothy and our cat, Millie -- a card-carrying member of AARP (or is it AARC?) and quite honestly, I have absolutely NO "need to be needed" and didn't really need another creature looking to me for care. But, I finally gave in to a hamster when Ben agreed to clean the cage (he promises to clean it once a week).

Now here's the secret -- I'm the one who has bonded with this rodent; I now officially love him. Evan wants Cheesy in his room at night, but after Evan is asleep, I go and get the little thing out of it's cage and hold and play with him. He's SOOOO cute! Shhh! Don't tell Ben I love the hamster, he might make ME clean the cage. mwahaha (evil laughing)

Leaf Pick-Up or Mess-Up?

I spent my morning raking to the curb what little leaves we have so that the leaves could be picked up by the city trucks. About two hours later the pile of leaves was discovered by Evan and Drew who thought the leaves were raked just for them! Evan was so incredibly thrilled to find leaves to jump in that I didn't have the heart to tell him "no." So my work was "un-done" but it was well worth it when I saw how much fun the boys had.

This is Evan trying to put the leaves back on the tree (?!).

She's NOT Dead

This is Dorothy. She's NOT dead. So if you come to my house and see her floating on her back on top of the water, please don't be alarmed; this is just how she relaxes at the end of a long day ('cause we all know fish have rough lives).

Dorothy is the goldfish that Ben and I have had for...well..we really don't know how long we've had her, but we do know she's been with us for at least 14 years. Yeah, I know, you don't believe me, and I can't be positive, but we do know she's very, very old. She used to be bright orange and now she is white.

The story is that I bought two goldfish when I was in college. When one would die (as goldfish do quite easily) I would replace it with another one because I heard goldfish are "social" creatures and that they prefer a "roommate." At one point I ended up with one fish and every time I put in a new roommate, the new fish would die. One even committed suicide by jumping out of the bowl. I finally determined that this fish wanted to be alone so I let her(?).

I really don't know when I got this fish, but it was sometime between college and when we moved to Kansas City because I distinctly remember taking this fish with us to Kansas City and that was in 1994! It wasn't until we had our first child that she(?) finally got a name; Joel watched Sesame Street so we named her "Dorothy" just like Elmo's fish.

Dorothy has a "gimpy" fin and spends most of the day on her back at the top of the fish bowl, but every single morning when I come into the kitchen, she goes crazy and swims fast and furious slapping the water waiting to be fed.

My sister Mindy thinks Dorothy is suffering and my sister-in-law, Robbon, says I need to "find someone who will lovingly take Dorothy to the 'other side,' " but I think Dorothy is fine -- afterall, she recognizes me in the morning and is excited to see me! (Not many people want to see me in the morning!)

Why is the Sky Blue?

If you ask my dad what time it is, he tells you how the clock is made. Recently, after Joel spent some time with my dad, he and I had the following conversation:

Joel: "I think I'm the only kid who knows why the sky is blue."

Me: "Why is the sky blue?"

Joel: "All colors are bent but blue is bent more so your eyes see blue first." (Not an exact quote, but close.)

Me: “Did Grandpa tell you that?”

Joel: “Yes, but I made it shorter.”

Crocodile Diorama

Joel had to make a diorama (a.k.a. shoe box habitat) for a 2nd grade school project. His was on a crocodile. Isn't it cute?

The picture below is what he drew on the outside of the box -- it's a bird with a sad face because "it's going to get eaten by the crocodile."

Not to be outdone, Evan created his diorama with Joel's leftover pieces.

Hand-Me-Down Trick-or-Treat

My three trick-or-treaters:

Buzz Lightyear, a gladiator and a Power Ranger.

And next year, Buzz will be "retired" after three boys have worn it, but the other costumes will appear again (just on a different child).

I have to try to find the "good" in having three boys, and one thing that's great is that I don't have to spend a lot on costumes -- I just buy one costume every year (lucky Joel, he gets to pick whatever he wants) and then it gets passed down through all three boys.

This year however, Evan got lucky and borrowed the Power Ranger costume from a friend and we let the friend use one of our old costumes. But next year, unless Evan finds a friend to borrow from, he will be the pirate that Joel was last year.

FYI: It's mid-November and we still have candy all over the house! Ugh!

First Lost Tooth

It happened -- Evan lost his first tooth today. He came up to me yesterday and said, "I don't know how to say this....(pause)...my tooth is loose." Having a loose tooth shocked him so much that he was at a loss for words (that's another first for Evan who always has something to say -- hmm, I guess he's like his father in that way. Yeah, right).

Crazy as I may be, I got all teary-eyed when he showed me the tooth because I realized he's getting so big. He's only four, but he turns five at the end of the month. sob, sob, sob

Here he is showing off his tooth. Oh so proud.

Here is the special tooth super-hero I have been saving for this very day.

A Special Note from Ben

It’s not often that I have a “guest writer” on my blog, so it is with great pleasure that I welcome my husband Ben to my blog.

Dear family and friends,
As an Ob/Gyn I witness the miracle of life almost daily and work tirelessly to promote the safety of a baby in the womb. Then I hear from Barack Obama who thinks these very precious lives are not worth saving. He wants to “spread the wealth” to everyone – but wants to kill babies. AND, he wants you to pay for it -- Obama endorses spending taxpayer money (YOUR money) on abortions.

When we talk about the treatment of the “less fortunate,” let’s not forget to include the most vulnerable group -- unborn children, who do not yet have a voice of their own. Just four weeks after conception (just as a woman discovers she is pregnant) a baby has a beating heart. It is truly unthinkable for me to interrupt the safe environment of a woman’s womb yet Barack Obama wants to do just that – he wants to stop that little beating heart.

It’s NOT OK to kill unborn children. Why would you, by your vote, want to endorse a man who stands up for and supports this form of holocaust? Abortion is not some small issue like some want you to believe; it has a powerful bearing on the whole future of our country. When you vote for a pro-choice candidate, you are voting for abortion.

Please, when you go to the polls to vote, remember that, as my sister-in-law Teressa put it, “we cannot lose sight of the fact that there is much more to the presidency than the economy.” A human’s life is on the line and the littlest citizens of all are counting on you.

Ben

Jeremiah 1:5"Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I set you apart for my holy purpose.”

We're NOT Moving

To those of you who may not have heard, the White family is NOT moving to Reno, Nevada. Sigh! That's my big sigh of relief that we're staying in Toledo. Who would have ever thought I'd be happy to stay in TOLEDO?!

Here's what happened to our Reno plans:
When two of the local Toledo hospitals discovered Ben was interested in changing employers, they called with offers trying to get him to stay here. We still weren't sure what to do, until things started to fall apart with the hospital in Reno. For example, when Ben first interviewed in Reno, they told him he would be sharing "in-house" days (when Ben would be in the hospital for a 24-hour shift) with five other docs. Then when the final contract came, Reno executives said it might only be three other docs on the "in-house" schedule. That meant Ben would be living in the hospital for two or three days/week (24-hour shifts) and it's an EXTREMELY busy obstetrical hospital. Then after the in-house days, he'd still have to do his regular work: patient office visits and surgeries. All of this seemed like it would only make Ben's stress level worse, not better.

So now we're staying in the house we love and near family, friends and our church. And to our Montana family: you are being so nice about all of this; I know you're disappointed we're not moving closer to you guys. And truth be told, I was kind of excited about a big move and living out West (with no humidity), but it would have been so difficult for us to leave here. Ultimately, this was a decision that Ben made with his gut and through a lot of prayer. I'm just thankful Ben has had so many options and opportunities available to him. I'm also grateful for Ben's education, his work ethic and his character. But I'm most grateful that I don't have to pack up this house!

(For the original post about us moving to Reno, click here:
http://whitehouse5.blogspot.com/2008/05/were-moving.html)

Pumpkin Farm Field Trip

Oh, it's that time of year again -- time to head out to the pumpkin farm. It seems every year I find a better one than the year before; this year we went to Trabbic Pumpkin Farm in Michigan with Evan's preschool (Joel was at school and Ben was at work so they didn't get to join us). It was a wonderful place and the owner/farmer told all the children how he and his family get up every morning at 3:30 a.m. and pray for every visitor. Isn't that cool?Evan and Drew's favorite activity was playing in the hay maze -- they played in this thing for over an hour! Then I spent an hour digging hay out of sweatshirts and shoes.

The boys also loved the pumpkin train -- isn't this the funniest looking thing? When the train driver told me the pumpkin spins while the train moves forward, I decided moms aren't allowed on the train, only kids. Ugh!

We also enjoyed seeing lots of animals, picking some field corn and warming up with hot cider. If you're looking for a great pumpkin farm (or just for a fun way to spend an afternoon) I'd highly recommend this place.

Extreme Dune Buggy

I have three boys, ages 8, 4 1/2 and 3, but it's the youngest of the three who figures out how to ride the dune buggy BACKWARDS. Oh what my future holds with this one.

Joel's Cardboard Testimony

Recently at our church our pastor talked about life before Christ and life after we invite Jesus into our hearts and our lives -- Jesus makes all the difference. At the end of the sermon, he had people from our congregation give their "cardboard testimonies." Joel was asked to be a part of this since he is a "miracle baby," born 3 months early at 2 lbs. 7 oz. The video is kind of long, 6 minutes, but I hope you take the time to watch it.

Note: the sound is pretty bad because I just used my digital camera to record it -- it really didn't sound that bad at church. :-)

Note 2: Joel comes in the video at the 4 minute and 45 second mark.

Click on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nECPqKgMIxg

Peanut Crusts and Fevers

Yesterday Drew was eating a bowl of peanuts in the shell and wanted an additional bowl for the "crusts." (a.k.a. the shells!) haha

Just so you can feel sorry for me, I have been stuck at home for almost a week straight because of two sick kids! Evan had a high fever for 4 days straight and then two days after his was gone, Drew came down with the same thing. It's awful because the boys have gotten SO HOT (I don't know exactly how hot -- I'm a third-time mom so I never take temperatures -- I just throw ibuprofen down their throats) and at its worst, they just shiver. With Drew, as soon as the medicine hits his system, his fever breaks and then he soaks his clothes. Two nights in a row I've had to completely change his pajamas and put a towel on his bed because it was so wet.

The little guys' fever has also been accompanied by bad dreams. Drew dreamt that a "green guy with no hair srew (threw) me into a zolcano" (volcano).

Now for the "bad mom" part of me -- I kind of like it when they are sick (without puking) because they are so sweet, lethargic and cuddly. It's not often that they want to sit on mom's lap and just cuddle so I'm enjoying that part of the "sick bay" at the White House.

When you grow up…

Me: What are you going to do for a job when you get older?

Evan: I wanna work at Bob Evan’s cause they get lots of money. People eat slow but it’s still fast. (???)

Me: Do you want to cook the food or serve the food?

Evan: I want to be the man at the end because he gets the money (the cashier).

Me: What are you going to do with your money?

Evan: When I’m a man I will buy dishes for my mom.

Me: For me?

Evan: (funny look on face)

Me: Do you mean you will buy dishes for your wife?

Evan: Yeah. Dishes and forks.

Watch out Mrs. Evan -- you’re going to be gettin’ some great Christmas gifts. Haha. I found it so sweet that he wasn’t going to buy things for himself, but for his wife.

"If I'm Cute I Won't Get In Trouble"

This is Drew's new look when he gets caught. For example,
"Drew, are you eating candy?"
"No" (face).
"Drew, did you just hit Evan?"
"No" (face).
He must think that if he smiles and shows all of his teeth, I won't punish him. Or maybe it's sort of an animal kingdom response -- "Showing all my teeth will scare off the mom." (Sometimes it actually works!)

If You Don't Have Enough Wind for a Kite...

...create your own wind! Evan found a kite in a closet this week and of course wanted to fly it. I tried to explain that there just wasn't enough wind for a kite but, within minutes, he had THREE fans, carried them all outside, plugged them in and tried to fly his kite. Ben Franklin, eat your heart out. Evan didn't discover electricity, but he sure is resourceful.

Ode to Mrs. Richter

I immediately knew I was going to like Joel's 2nd grade teacher when on the first day of school I asked if I could get a picture of Joel and her together and she leaned over and put him in a headlock. This is the picture. Joel's huge smile told me he was going to like her too.

About two weeks into school Joel told me that Mrs. Richter is his favorite teacher so far because she reads to the class. She has told the class and the parents that she is an avid reader and hopes to instill the love of books in her students too. Yahoo! She also has a great sense of humor (sort of sarcastic) and loves science. What more could a boy ask for?

In case I didn't already love her, she said something last week that just "sealed the deal":

On Monday Joel got a brace for his left leg that helps him walk better. His gait isn't awful, but his left heel doesn't touch the floor and he kind of slaps his left foot when he walks (from a brain bleed caused by being born three months premature). Anyway, this brace, or "AFO," isn't really obnoxious, it's just a simple brace that fits in his shoe and goes up just below his knee. I wasn't going to make Joel wear it to school until it was "long pants" weather so that he wouldn't be embarrassed, but the next morning he just got up, put it on and went to school. I later asked about the kids' reactions to it and most kids just wondered, "What happened? Did you break your leg?" It wasn't until the next day that I got more of the story.

The next day Joel didn't wear the brace and I thought nothing of it, but when I picked up Joel from school he was standing with Mrs. Richter waiting for me. As he got in the car, Mrs. Richter said, "Joel, don't forget your special tool tomorrow, you didn't wear it today so make sure you wear it tomorrow. She then looked at me (sort of trying to explain what she was talking about) and said, "We talked yesterday about how many people need tools to help them, but Joel didn't have his on today." I immediately started crying, quickly thanked her and drove off. Joel filled me in on the story saying that when the kids asked "what happened to Joel's leg?," Mrs. Richter explained all about special tools (i.e. glasses, braces, etc.). How wonderful that a teacher, instead of ignoring the obvious, takes the time to truly educate children and to make Joel feel special that he has a "tool."

Don't you love her too?!

Toilet Monster

Drew decided to follow Ben into the bathroom while Ben was...um....shall we say..."using the facilities." Ben told Drew there was a toilet monster and that one time a man was sitting on the toilet and a little boy turned off the lights and shut the door behind him. When the boy came back into the bathroom, the toilet monster had sucked the man into the toilet and all that was left were the man's clothes laying on the floor. "So," Ben says to Drew, "don't you dare turn the light off and leave the bathroom."

Of course Drew, being a defiant little three-year-old, did exactly what he was told NOT to do; he turned the light off, exited the bathroom and closed the door behind him. A few seconds later Drew peeked into the bathroom to find Ben GONE and his clothes laying on the floor.

Drew's scream could be heard throughout the house! Ben quickly threw open the shower curtain and jumped out of his bathtub hiding place.

I wonder -- how long do you think before Drew is on Dr. Phil talking about his fear of the toilet?

Wedding & Hurricane Ike

I'm supposed to fly to Louisiana this Thursday for my cousin Becky's wedding and now hurricane Ike could ruin my plans (not to mention Becky's plans!). Can you imagine getting married this Saturday in Louisiana knowing that a hurricane is headed straight for you?! You know me, I'll go anywhere for a party, but I'm not sure Continental Airlines feels the same way.

Ben has been away for five days and I am in desperate need of a break; I am so looking forward to this coming weekend, so please, if you wouldn't mind, say a prayer for my cousin's wedding.

You can track Ike by clicking the link below.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26295161?preferredName=Hanna

My Tarzan

So we went camping this weekend and here's what kept Ben busy.


Isn't this hysterical?! The kids tried it too, but swinging on a tree vine is much funnier when the "Tarzan" is 42 years old.

Here are a few more camping pictures. We had such a wonderful weekend with the Powlesland family at Pokagen State Park. The weather was georgeous (except for a short rain shower one day) and it was nice and cool at night. All three boys were most fascinated with the fire. What is it about fire that captivates boys so much?One of the highlights for me was telling ghost stories I found online. I have some GREAT ones (that aren't too scary) if anyone is interested. If you see the boys, make sure you ask them about bloody finger, red sloppity lips, and the purple gorilla.

We're Hooked!

The boys and I went fishing with Grandma and Grandpa at a little pond owned by a friend of theirs. Neither Ben nor I are big fishing fans, so it's a good thing that both Grandpas like to fish (and teach). This was Drew's first fishing experience and boy was it a good one! All three boys caught at least one fish -- even I caught one! When we got home the boys went running in the house telling Dad all about the bluegill they caught -- except Drew, he said his was a "white gill."

"Kung Fu Panda" Under Water

OK, this blog is mainly for the Grandparents to see Drew swimming. The rest of you (all two of you) can just smile and nod.

(Make sure your speakers are turned on.)

Tool Time

Thank God for Lowe's!

On Saturday Ben and I had a showing of our house so we had to leave from 10 - 11 a.m. Ben was at the hospital so it was up to me to find something fun to do with the boys. I mentioned to my friend, Kristen, that I needed something to do and she recommended going to Lowe's for their children's project time. How perfect!

At Lowe's there is a special room where the children go and get to pick out a project to make. Each child got a free apron and goggles and all project materials needed to complete a "quickie" handmade craft. (Did I mention everything was FREE?!) Joel chose a "land sail" (a car with a sail) and Evan chose a periscope (because he likes to play spies!). I couldn't believe how fun it was! Joel was able to complete his project with almost no direction from me; Evan needed a lot more help and kept asking, "Are we done?" He quickly tired of hammering nails and just wanted to play spies.

They were so excited to show Dad their handiwork! When we got home Daddy set up a work station where the boys could practice hammering nails and using screwdrivers; of course Evan had to put on his "work clothes."

Thanks Kristen Merrick for an awesome idea!

Ornery Drew

I am very sad to report that my "baby" turned three this month! I cannot believe it. I've begged him to stay little, but it just doesn't work.

It's not very often that I get a picture of Drew laughing, so I just had to post this one. A friend of mine, Pam, hosted a "combined" b-day party for her five year old, Michael, and for Drew. There were two set of candles on the cake -- one set for Drew to blow out and the other set for Michael. Michael hesitated to blow out his candles so Drew seized the opportunity and proceeded to blow out all of the candles! We told him not to do it, lit the candles again, and once again Drew blew them all out. This is why Drew, my little sinking, ornery child, is laughing. He loved every minute of being a meanie.

4th of July Parade

In 1976, when I was a very young child (cough, cough), my mom planned a neighborhood parade to celebrate America's bicentennial; this year I did the same for my neighborhood. I invited the entire neighborhood and was thrilled to have about 30 children participate. At the end, we all met in the park where Ben was handing out popsicles. I hope we created a memory our children will always fondly remember.

The Art of Coercion

Last Sunday I told Ben that I wanted a bicycle. His response, "We'll get you one eventually."

Me: "I want one today." (I want to be able to ride around the neighborhood with Joel.)

Ben: "I don't know where our budget stands."

Me: "Earlier you mentioned you are going shopping for fireworks this week and you never mentioned 'budget' then."

Ben: "Kids, get in the car, we're getting mom a bike."

I am now the proud owner of a beautiful new Schwinn bicycle! Thanks Ben, I love it! (So if you see me walking funny, that's why -- my butt is killing me!)

The Three White Boys

Here they are, the three White boys, ages 7, 4 1/2 and 2 (almost three).