Burned Waffles

These are part of tonight's dinner. Waffles Burned waffles. We had breakfast for dinner tonight, and I burned them. Luckily, we had a whole stack of Hello Kitty Waffles to eat before these, but I completely forgot about this last batch after sitting down to eat my own dinner. After about fifteen minutes, Nate went over to the Hello Kitty waffle iron, opened it up and said, "Honey, I love you for this. This is so you."

There are several things to fill you all in on here. Why do we have a Hello Kitty waffle maker? We won it at a silent auction. Yes, we actually bid on this item and won. I guess that's what having two little girls does to you.

And yes, I do have an issue with burning food. Not all the time, and much less frequently than in the past. I am absent minded. Big time. Especially when it comes to things around the house. I'll put a batch of cookies in the oven (and not set the timer because I'll be sure to remember to get them out), put a load of laundry in, clean half of the bathroom before I realize that the cookies are burning and I forgot to check on them. I do this a lot, but I have been trying to be better. I actually set timers now and really try to finish one task at a time. Like laundry. I really try to fold all the laundry and actually put it in the drawers all in one day.

I'm just happy that Nate has come to the place where he doesn't get annoyed or angry when I forget something and food ends up burned. He just loves me for it:)

Getting Into Mischief

You might think that the stroller that Abby is sitting in is real, but it is actually a toy stroller. It just happens to be huge! Abby likes to sit in it, even though she knows she shouldn't. I orginally took this picture because Abby chose to wear snow boots in 95 degree weather:)

This is true mischief! I accidentally left a bag of cookies on the counter. While I was upstairs, my two little sweethearts swiped a plate of them.

Cookie victory!

After work today, I was changing my clothes. I was seriously upstairs for 3 or 4 minutes. In that amount of time, Abby had gotten a chair in the pantry, fetched the strawberry milk, and helped herself to spoonfuls of yummy pink powder.

So yummy!

In Conclusion . . .

to my moral dilemma post, I have come to understand that such a delicate and personal issue as birth control is one that is between you, your spouse, and God. As for me, I will continue to wrestle with all the different angles of birth control and IUDs, especially. Researching and learning about it has certainly been an eye opening experience and I am thankful to those of you who shared your experiences with me.

A Trip To the Salon

I just ran across these pictures and had to post them because we had such fun on this particular day. Back in August, my mom was here visiting and needed her nails done. Recently, I've found this great salon in our area and absolutely love our new hairdresser, Bruce.

On this day, Abby had her hair cut, so me, Jenna, Abby, and Mom were all in the salon at the same time. As soon as they saw Grandma getting her nails done, they wanted theirs painted too! The nice nail lady, whose name I cannot remember, quickly painted the girls nails for free! She was so wonderful and the girls were ecstatic over their pink and purple fingernails !

This picture cracks me up because Abby is looking rather suspicious of the entire situation.

She really did have a great time. Just not sure about that little fan that dries nails:)

All smiles for Jenna!

A Moral Dilemma

This is one post that I would really like feedback on. If you are reading this, please don't be afraid to comment even if it is anonymously.

I am really interested in knowing as much as I can about the IUD (birth control device). Not only for my own knowledge, but for others who ask me about it. The topic of birth control comes up frequently in my circles. Most of us are done having babies, but can't stomach the thought of the pill forever or the permanency of a vasectomy. The IUD seems like a great choice for many of us, but after doing some research and talking to my doctor, there is still a chance that an embryo can form and be "aborted" because the conditions aren't right for implantation. From what I understand that chance is very, very, very small . . . but I struggtle with whether it is right to have an IUD given even the smallest chance of a baby forming.

I am not a crazy right wing Christian who pickets abortion clinics. I think those people give us Christians a bad name and go about it in an ineffective way. But I do believe that life begins at conception and that we are precious and honored and loved even as an embryo.

When we were on vicarage, I had the opportunity to volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center. It truly was one of the most fulfilling experiences in my life. I got to know women as individuals and talk with them about their situation. I got to to guide them through their choice of life. Not always, but many times. I am passionate about helping women during this crisis time and look forward to the time when my schedule allows for me to volunteer again.

Given all of that, I cannot fathom the idea of possibly creating a little Hartke baby and essentially making the choice for it not to live. And if this fact is true, that an embryo may be created and "aborted," how can I in good conscience counsel other women to do the same?

The trick here is that research and my own doctor says that there is no way to really know if creating an embryo actually happens, but that the IUD only prevents implantation, not fertilization. Many doctors are using the Mirena brand which seems to be more effective. A pro life doctor at my doctor's office has started using them after refusing to provide IUDs for years. She now feels that comfortable with their effectiveness.

If you are reading this and have an IUD, I am not judging. I am just asking questions and trying to find out answers. It's hard to find good information out there about whether an embryo is actually formed when using an IUD. The research goes both ways.

Any thoughts?

My Sweethearts

Jenna, Nate, and Abby at the beach party at Camp Pioneer. The girls had fun decorating Daddy:)

"Stuff Issues"

A while back, I posted about how difficult it was for me to get rid of all the baby clothes that were sitting in bins in my garage. I am long over that and have found great freedom and joy in giving away those clothes to people who could use them. I also have discovered that "stuff" suffocates me. I've been getting rid of toys that aren't age appropriate for my kids as well as my own clothes and things that I no longer use or need. Very freeing.



I am having an issue with other "stuff." Namely video game "stuff." I am feeling this pressure to have the newest and best gaming systems. Please know, that we have not owned a gaming system since our seminary days when we had no kids. This past summer, we became proud owners of a PS3 as well as Guitar Hero. Nate plays that often--usually after I go to bed and that doesn't bother me.

What bothers me is the kids side of it. Everytime we go to a friends' house that has a Wii, Jenna asks for one. So, Nate and I have thrown around the idea of giving that to the girls for Christmas. But I don't know if I really want to do that. Do 2 1/2 and 4 1/2 year olds need a Wii? Do we want to start the slippery slope of wanting the newest gaming technologies out there? Do we want to start allowing our kids to play video games on a regular basis? My answer is no to all of that, but I don't know if I am being too restrictive.

Yes, my kids watch tv, and yes, Jenna loves to play on the Barbie website on the computer. But I am very aware of "screen" time and don't want to allow too much at any given time. And introducing video games makes me cringe a little.

Does anyone else have an opinion on this? I am open to all of them:)

The Ice Cream Truck Denial

Below is a conversation that happened between Abby, 2 1/2 and Nate at bedtime. Imagine a sweet, high-pitched two year old little voice, very upset that she did not get ice cream today.

I apologize if this isn't funny to any of you, but it was hilarious to us:)

Abby: I heard dee eye keem tuck tooay. And I wanna get some. I ent to akk Mommy if I ould hah um, because I eyed to. (I heard the ice cream truck today. And I wanna get some. I eent to ask Mommy if I could have some, because I tried to.)

Nate: And what did Mommy say?

Abby: See said NOOOOOOOO! I tie morrow. (She said nooooo. I try tomorrow.)

Jenna Got Into My Eyeliner

Just Because It's Funny :)

More Adventures in Teaching

This new job continues to be an adventure. Here are some things I have learned in the past few days.

* Many students landed in my class because they didn't pass either section of their high school exit exam and have a lot of work to do academically. Motivation to learn is an issue and part of the reason for the non-passing status of these students. I am trying to figure out how to motivate them to learn when they don't want to. I have been trying to get one kid to write a few paragraphs for me for a few days now. I finally sat next to him and pushed him to write.

They don't get grades. The only things they gain from my class is skills to pass the test and confidence in themselves. So far, I'm not sure if they are interested in either. Any ideas?

* Now that they are comfortable with me, they #1 try to push my limits (like children) and #2 challenge my opinions. For example: That driving drunk isn't a good choice. Seriously . . . .

* The more I get to know some of these students, the more I pray for them. I walk into my classroom every day now and pray that God would permiate the room. Most of my students have to be there and are coming from awful situations at home. Today, I had a student come in shaking. She was so upset because she is afraid of going to juvvy (juvenile detention) because she violated her probation. I bought her a water and talked to her. I really do hope that God works healing in her life.

I feel like I walk into a battleground every day now. I have to fight to get some of them to participate. Many of them are fighting situations in their lives outside of our classroom walls and the only way (and the most powerful way) is for me to ask God to work in their lives.

Of course, I can never say His name in my classroom. I can't talk about my faith or even tell them that I pray for them. But they know Nate's a pastor and I hope they see a little spark of Christ's love for them through me, even if I can't say it.

I Had To Ban The Word, 'Homie"

My new job is unlike any I've had before. I teach adults who want to get their GED. But I also help students right out of high school pass their high school exit exam. Basically, I have 2 or 3 classes running within my classroom. Very confusing and busy, but I think I have the hang of it.

The most interesting part of my job are the people I get to teach. I have some people who are only there to work on language skills because they have just arrived from another country. Then I have people who truly want to work on their skills to get their GED. But the most interesting group of students I have are the ones who don't want to be there. They have to be there as a requirement for probation or some other government program they are involved in like welfare. So getting them to show up consistently and actually do work is a chore.

We had a bit of a breakthrough last week. After reading some paragraphs we were working on writing, I made a whole class announcement that the word, "homie" was banned from all writing in my class. They didn't quite understand this, so I had to explain the difference between the spoken word and the written word. But this banning of "homie" led into an extensive and eye opening conversation about gangs, which is the world that most of them either live in or are familiar with.

I've learned lots about gangs, and what these particular students think of them. I've learned that:

-everyone is a homie

-wearing red or blue can be dangerous to your health--although they informed me that if they saw me at Target in red, they'd leave me alone because I am OBVIOUSLY not in a gang.

-people are born into gangs and it's a way of life.

-some would rather commit crimes as opposed to have a job

-a lot of it's about protecting neighborhoods and family members

-education is not valued very highly

Out of that conversation came understanding on both my part and theirs. But I think I have gained some respect in trying to learn about their lives instead of judging them. This morning they came in and made fun of my choice of music, because I told them I was into the Dave Matthews Band and Counting Crows. They actually tried to accuse me of having ticket to the sold out show for the New Kids On The Block. (yeah right:)

So I'm feeling good about my class. I never thought I'd be teaching gang members, but it's kind of exciting to me to be teaching people who have been counted out by the rest of the educational system.

Definitely An Outsider

I am definitely an outsider . . . in many areas of my life, but for this post, I will only focus on my new job. I am a new employee of a public school district in our area. I teach at the adult school (which for you midwesterners is completely foreign, but yes they exist out here). I teach the GED/test preparation class. Basically, I help people prepare for their GED, high school exit exam, or any other test they want to throw at me.

Before I tell you my story, you have to remember this . . . I work in a PUBLIC school district in CALIFORNIA which in my case equals extremely liberal. After all, this is the left coast, right?

We have about a half hour break during class and many of the teachers gather in the lounge to socialize. Every day, the conversation goes political. Last week, it was all about Obama and the DNC. I could not find one person in that room that was not head over heals for Obama. Completely sold out to him, some to the point of tears. I sat quietly and listened, commenting occasionally.

I was really interested in the conversation today, given that Sarah Palin spoke last night, so I made it a point to be in the lounge at break time. Of course, the conversation went to Sarah Palin's speech, and all the comments were about how awful and destructive she is. How she is for guns, drilling, and limiting choice for women. All I said was, " I think she did a really great job last night." (Then I got some bewildered stares.)

So I think they know that I am not your typical liberal around here. They had to have figured that out already. I so badly want to say something in front of the group about my differing opinions, but I don't know how to exactly do it. I don't want to get into a debate or feel like an idiot. I don't want to offend anyone else. I just want them to know that I don't fit their mold.

I call myself an Independent. I don't want to be associated with the right-wing conservatives, although I have many beliefs and values that line up with them. And I don't want to be associated with the left-wing liberals, although I have taken a strong interest in some of their issues as well. Right now, I don't know what I am, so I call myself an Independent. I just know what I believe and want the freedom to choose a candidate based on how my values and beliefs line up with their views on important issues. I see great things in both McCain and Obama. I am not one of those who hates one becasue I support the other. I have great respect for both and think that whomever is elected will do a good job.

Regardless of who I vote for in the November election, I know one thing. I was REALLY impressed with Sarah Palin last night and think that she brings something to the Republican ticket that is worth getting excited for. So I seem to be leaning back to my Republican roots and don't fit in politically around here.

But I'm okay with being the political outsider. It's kind of fun listening to the rantings in the teachers' lounge and soaking it all in. We'll see if I get enough guts to actually say anything:)

A Day of Firsts

Today was Jenna's first day of preschool! She attending the same school last year, so she's an old pro. She said everything went great today, except that no one would play with her. I am not sure if I believe that or not because she wasn't upset in the least at that idea. So we'll see tomorrow.


Abby had a first today too. It was her first day of daycare. Gosh, I hate even saying that word. I am working part time in the mornings, and Abby goes to a babysitter. She is with other kids from church whom she knows and her sitter is absolutely fantasitic. She has a wonderful time too and came home with several new best friends:)


As for me, it was my first day of doing the morning routine of getting everyone up, ready, out the door, and to their appropriate destinations for the day. Nate is a great help in the mornings, and everything went smoothly. I did have a twinge of sadness as I left my girls so that I could work. It's just the way it is here. We like to eat, have shelter, and occasionally do fun things, so in order to do that here in the Bay Area, I have to work. We knew this day was coming and are thankful for the time that I was able to stay home, but that time is no more. I now have zero friends who do not work here. Yep. All moms work. (Most, at least.) But each day will get better and I'm happy with where they are and thankful that I get to be home everyday after noon.

More Pictures

A family picture with monster face Abby and "You want me to do what?" look on Jenna's face. We never did get a good picture of all of us that day.

Abby swimming in the lake.

No clue what Jenna's doing, but cute.

"Take a picture of me! Cheese!"

The Hartke girls

Our buddy, Arden

We have this neighbor who I can't help but write about. Arden. Arden lives next door and has many roles in our neighborhood: policeman, watchdog, parking director, garbage can overseer, and general know it all about everyone and everything. Arden is probably in his 40s and one of the nicest, most helpful people I know.

* Tonight, Arden rang my doorbell to tell me that our garage light was on. He also added that I was wasting energy and that I would never find him with his garage light on.

* He often rings our doorbell at night to tell us if we accidentally left the dome light on in one of the cars. Very, very helpful.

* He always asks about guests we have or where Nate is if he notices his car gone at unusual times.

* He takes our trash out when we are on vacation without us even asking him. Last week, he scolded me for leaving our big recycling bin in the garage where he couldn't get to it while we were away.

* Arden scolds Nate for not watering our lawn three times a day.

* When we have our small group over or any large number of people, Arden does one of two things: 1) He puts his trashcans out in the street in front of his house so no one can park there or 2) He stands in the street in front of his house so no one can park there. Quite humorous:)

* Another trashcan issue. Arden leaves his trash cans/recycling cans out as long as he can during the week so that no one will park in front of his house. Unfortunately for Arden, we have a neighbor across the street who is a trash hauler and yells at Arden often to put his cans away.

* When we moved into our house, Arden was one of the first people in our house as friends from church were helping to move furniture and boxes in. He toured the house before we even knew his name.


I've decided that I really love and appreciate Arden. At least I know who is always ringing my doorbell at 10:30 at night!

The Vaccination Debate

The question of whether or not to vaccinate kids is one that intrigues me. I've become interested because there has been a flood of media coverage on the subject lately and I have been thinking about all angles of this controversy. One question that I read about was about letting vaccinated and non-vaccinated kids play together. I have never even considered that before. What would I do if friends of Jenna's weren't up on their shots? How would I feel if I knew that kids in her preschool class were given exemptions and weren't vaccinated?

My answer is that I don't know. There's a lot to this whole issue and it's one worth investigating and talking about. Here's what I know. . .

#1 Doctors overwhelmingly say that the benefit of vaccinating kids far outweighs the risks.
#2 Many people strongly believe that something in the vaccination shots is causing the autism epidemic.

When it was time to have our girls vaccinated, I really didn't think twice about it. The girls have both had all their shots. I trusted my doctor and believe that vaccinations are not only good for my kids, but for the greater good of people on a whole. Outbreaks can occur in if the percentage of vaccinated people in a given area go below 75-95%, depending on the disease.

On the other hand . . . what if vaccinations are causing autism? What if that could be prevented. We were at camp last week and met an incredible family that has two autistic boys. Their mother strongly believes that vaccinations are to blame. She says that both boys were normal, healthy children until about 18 months, right after their shots. They have actually gone through some kind of treatment (that I can't remember the name of now) to have the metals from the vaccinations removed from their bodies. She says that there is a huge improvement in both boys.

Seeing autism first hand makes one wonder if this issue is being swept under the rug and not being given the attention it deserves. I don't know, but I wonder.

I also wonder about spreading vaccinations out. The family at camp with the autistic boys said that after all of her research, she would recommend to any parent who plans to vaccinate to have every shot done separately, even if it costs more money in co-pays. She believes that giving so many shots at one time (because there are several vaccinations in one shot) could be part of the problem.

We have an excellent pediatrician and she has recommended spreading shots out for my girls, and I am thankful for that because I wasn't as aware of the risks as I think I should have been.

So the debate goes on . . .I guess I don't have a clear cut opinion. I am a believer in vaccinations all but erasing dangerous diseases, but see that there could be a link between autism and these shots. I hope someone figures it out though. There are a lot of families suffering.

Clubs I Do Not Belong To

There are certain "clubs" in life that I am not in, but desperately wish to be in. These "clubs" are activities that many people seem to enjoy and seem to be the in thing or seem to be cool. So here are some "clubs" that I want to be in, but have no hope of ever joining . . .

1) The red wine club. I want to like red wine. I really do. But I don't. I prefer white wine, but I must admit, I feel like a sissy when I am drinking it. It seems like sophisticated people drink red wine.

2) The coffee club. I want to like coffee, but no matter how many times I taste it, I cannot like it. I do, however, like the smell of it, and occasionally try to taste it in hopes that I grew new taste buds. But nope. Every time I go to "coffee" with friends I always get a hot chocolate with a shot of peppermint. They've started to call it going to "hot chocolate" with Laura.

3) I really wish I were young and cool and were into texting. I have texted. It's fine. I just don't understand why one wouldn't just pick up the phone. It's much more personal. Now, I do understand that sometimes, you can't talk and that texting is better. But 100 texts a day? Seriously. I am definitely not in that club and it makes me feel old.

4) Sometimes (notice I said sometimes) I want to belong to the perfect, well-behaved pastor's wives club. I am surely not part of that club, but am trying hard to achieve the well-behaved part.

I'm sure there are more "clubs" that I'd like to be a part of. If I think of any more, I'll write a post.

Does anyone out there have any "clubs" they'd like to be a part of?

Midwest Extravaganza

I love vacation and especially being home. I love to connect with our family and friends that we don't get to see very often. We spent time with my family in Pittsburgh, Nate's family in Toledo, and spent a week at Camp Pioneer in Angola, New York.

Josh, Nate's brother, up to bat at the annual Hartke family wiffleball game.

Beth, my sister-in-law, up to bat a the annual Hartke family wiffleball game.

Jenna and Abby watching the always beautiful Pioneer sunset over Lake Erie.

The kids at family camp at Pioneer. The driver is Noodles--the counselor who hung out with us all week. He's awesome. The kids begged him everyday to ride this train. He always gave in:)

Us with our good friends, the Rozelles. They live in the area and were able to come to camp too. It was so wonderful to see all of them.

Little travelers with Blossom and Deedee.

Our newest nephew, Jeremy, Matt & Misty's son. So, so cute!

We never get to celebrate birthdays together as a family, so we took advantage of my niece, Alayna's, fifth birthday and had a princess party for her!

Nate, at the annual Hartke family wiffleball game.

So we're home from vacation . . . .

After 7 hours on an airplane with a 2 & 4 year old, we are finally back from our Midwest extravaganza. When I get my pictures organized and suitcases unpacked, I'll give you all an update!

Tagged

This is a new phenomenon that has just come to my attention. My friend, Tamara, tagged me on her blog and I am now responsible for doing some tagging on mine. So here it goes. (I have to figure out how to link first!)

Rules:
1) Link to the person who tagged you
2) Post the rules on your blog (this is what you are now reading)
3) Write 6 random things about yourself (see below)
4) Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them (This is only a game)
5) Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog
6) Let the tagger know when your entry is up

6 random things about me

1) I tried out for cheerleading twice--once in jr. high and once in ninth grade. Both times I didn't make it. The second time, I was the only one cut from the squad. Crushing at the time? Yes. Good in the end? Yes. I am so uncoordinated, I would have been an abomination.
2) I secretly want to be from the South. I LOVED living in Texas. I like the idea of big hair, fancy nails, a Southern accent, pick up trucks, country music, and good old Southern hospitality. Every time I participate in a Beth Moore Bible study, I secretly want to be her--she epitomizes a Southern girl to me.
3) When I was in high school, I ran into a curb and blew out my tire. For years, I told my parents that the tire just randomly popped while I was driving. Lame, I know.
4) I love the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus.
5) I have a huge crush on Chip Esten, who is a guest performer on the long lost show, "Whose Line Is It Anyway." I search through our TiVo'd episodes just to find the one's he is on.
6) Nate and I got married on a Wednesday and made the groomsmen wear Santa hats at the reception. Sorry guys!

So here's the tagging part.

1) Tamara is a gift from God. I don't have a sister, but I consider her to be the one I never had. We only lived in the same place for a short time, but we have remained close for five years now. She is a lifeline, does a great baton routine, laughs about being a parent with me, and loves me and supports me at all times.
2) Matt and Misty--Matt is Nate's brother and Misty is his wife. We don't get to see them often, but they can play a mean game of Mexican Train! We get to see our new little nephew, Jeremy, next week:)
3) Maria is my friend from high school whom I have re-connected with in the past few years. She is one of the nicest, most friendliest people I know. She is an awesome mommy with an adorable family.
4) Marci is a new friend of mine. I coordinated our women's retreat this year, and she is the contact person at the retreat place. She was so much fun to work with. Through emails and blogs, we have become friends:)
5) Tara was a classmate of mine in high school. Unfortunately, we didn't know each other well back in the day, but I have come to love reading about her family and all their adventures. Her blog is hilarious!
6) Julie is my friend, who married Nate's good friend, Jason. They have two adorable redheads just like us! I wish we would have had more time with them at seminary. It would have been fun for our families to be friends.
So there you have it! Enjoy!

"Mama . . . me and Daddy rock!"

Today is Nate's birthday, and the above picture is of Nate and Jenna playing Guitar Hero together. No, they don't make purple and pink guitars for Guitar Hero . . . that's Jenna's play guitar. She thinks that she is really playing, and it works out great for everyone. After she got done playing with Nate, she said, "Mama. . . . me and Daddy rock!" How cute:)

Speaking of Nate's gift, here's the story of how this gift came to be. I am horrible at picking out gifts for Nate. I love giving gifts and will spend way too much time in the toy aisle of Target looking for the perfect gift for the 4 year old birthday party. But when it comes to Nate, I never know what to get him. Everything he wants is too expensive and I usually end up getting him clothes (my opportunity to buy what I like)! So, I bought the usual Polo shirt from Kohls this year and hid it in my drawer.

On Saturday, I took the girls to Target to pick out cards (they both picked out My Little Pony cards) and as we were passing the technology department, Jenna said, "Hey Mommy, how about we get Daddy Guitar Hero?" I thought for a minute and agreed knowing that it would be a gift both of us would enjoy.

In the car on the way home, I had Jenna practice what she was going to say when Nate asked her what we got him for his birthday. I told her to tell him, dirt. We practiced and practiced on the way home.

Did it work? Nope. As soon as we got home, she rushed up to him and whispered in his ear, "Daddy, we got you Guitar Hero, but don't tell Mommy that I told you!"

So, the Polo from Kohls is waiting to be returned and we have a new fun game to play:)

Vacation Bible School

VBS is a HUGE deal in our house every year. It starts in about April or May when the new VBS cds are available for sale. We buy ours as soon as we can, and in a matter of days know all the songs by heart. Our girls love the music! (So do I . . . )

The actual week of VBS is in July and it is usually a family affair. Nate's job is to lead music. Not the guitar kind, like in the worship team, but he gets up in front of the kids and teaches them the hand motions. I happen to really love watching him do that, because it reminds me of our camp counselor days . . . But it's really awesome for Nate to be the pastor of the church and be able to connect with the kids of our church through VBS. It's also a good way for him to meet the families who don't have a home church and connect with them on a more personal basis. I have been involved in the past few years, but wasn't able to this year due to work. But I still get to sneak in at the very end to see the last few songs:)

Yay for VBS! It really is the highlight of our summer:) Here are a few pictures from this week.

Santa Cruz Boardwalk

Sometimes I forget about the beauty that surrounds us here in the Bay Area. In a matter of hours, we can be at the ocean, in the Sierras with the snow, or in a beautiful forest with the Redwoods. Yesterday, we ventured out to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk with our good friends, the Johnstones. It has become somewhat of a tradition to take this trip with them and we look forward to it every year! Here are a few pictures of our day at the Boardwalk.

Abby and Michelle playing in the water on the beach.

Jenna and Abby's favorite ride. Notice the rainbow car? They tried to get it everytime. According to Jenna, "rainbow" is a color, and her favorite one at that!

The airplane ride overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Jenna watching Abby play in the water.

An Awful Show and An Awful Word

First of all, did any of you see that awful show called, "Wanna Bet?" on tv tonight? Nate and I were sitting on the couch checking out the shows (which were all terrible by the way) and came across this game show type program. We only watched about five minutes of it, but all I saw was this guy licking cds and then guessing which ones they were. Yes, I said licking cds. Who thinks that's a good thing to put on tv? You will all be happy to know that the cd licker got 4 out of 5 correct. Seriously, who puts a guy on tv who licks cds?

Second, my chiropractor told me today that I have arthritis in my upper neck. For a long time, he kept using the word "degeneration." So today, I finally asked him what that exactly means. He looked at me like a puppy who had been kicked a few times and said, "You have arthritis." So Tamara . . . if you are reading this, I think we are tied. You have bifocals and I have arthritis. Yuck!

Funny Kid Stuff

* I had a conversation in the car with Jenna that went like this:

Jenna: Mommy, does God love everyone in the whole wide world?
Me: Yes, He loves everyone.
Jenna: Does He love me?
Me: Of course, He loves you Jenna.
Jenna: Do you think God loves me even if I have red hair?
Me: He made you with your red hair!
Jenna: How did God make me?
Me: (I am thinking that this is a foreshadowing of the birds and the bees conversation to come down the road.) God made everything and He made you very special.
Jenna: When do we get to go to Heaven?
Me: Not for a while. We need to be here to tell everyone how awesome God is so that they can go to Heaven too.
Jenna: Will they say no or yes to Jesus?
Me: Hopefully yes.

Wow! Who knew I could have such a great conversation about faith with a four year old! I told you all . . . the best conversations happen in our minivan!


* Yesterday, Nate and I were watching Jenna kick the ball during her first soccer lesson. Our backs were turned away from Abby who was playing right behind us with the soccer ball. Or at least we though. Nate turned around and caught her attempting to change her own diaper. She got the changing mat out of the diaper bag, laid it down, and put the wipes and a new diaper on the ground. She was laying down trying to get her old diaper off when Nate intercepted her. Crazy girl! She has been known to carry the wipes and a diaper around asking us if we need our diaper changed:) So independent.

* Right before we were to walk out the door to go to a picnic today, Nate found Abby in the bathroom with her hands on the toilet seat lid and her head on it's way into the toilet. Thankfully, he intercepted her in time. She told us that she was trying to wash her hair. Seriously . . . more child protection needed! I thought we were past most of that!

Oh, and I am not sure where she got the idea of washing her hair in the toilet. Don't think that's the norm at the Hartke house!

The Sleep Nazi Is Back!

I used to be the sleep nazi in our house. With both girls, I was usually adament about keeping to a sleeping schedule because I am a huge believer in routines for children. When my girls get the right amount of sleep and go to bed at a decent time, the next day is much easier. The real nazi part, however, comes in with kids sleeping in their own beds and more importantly not in MINE!

I could never sleep with my kids in our bed. I also like our separate space. That doesn't mean that we never let the girls crawl in bed with us or that Abby didn't spend a few weeks in my bed when she was first born. I am not that inflexible, but I always have encouraged everyone sleeping in their own beds.

Jenna is giving me trouble these days. She wants to fall asleep in our bed and have us carry her to her bed after she's asleep. Or she doesn't want to go to sleep on her own. She often asks if I'll lay with her or rub her back. If I don't do what she wants, she will sit in her room and cry and cry and cry. I am usually so tired by the end of the day that the sleep nazi in me cannot show her face. I end up rubbing her back or laying with her for a little bit.

But the sleep nazi came back yesterday. Ever since I've been working part-time, I have been so, so tired at night. So I decided last night that I would not put up with any more bedtime shananingans from her. So I put my foot down and explained that if she cried about wanting something, that I would take away a privilege that she loves--playing on the computer. It worked. Not a peep. It was a peaceful night.

Here's my problem . . . I have to be consistent and I haven't been in the past few months. It's so easy to convince myself that it's easier to give her what she wants (isn't it like that in all of parenting?) as opposed to doing what's actually good for her and us--and following through.

But I've decided that the sleep nazi is back and here to stay and the nighttime shananigans are over and done with. She is testing me and learning what she can get away with. No more! Nighttime will be peaceful again!

Hiding in the dryer

Really, there is no need to call anyone about the pictures that you see in this post. I know that it's dangerous for kids to play in the dryer. As soon as I got done laughing in the other room, both Abby and Jenna were told how dangerous being in the dryer can be. But when I found her, I really couldn't stop myself from laughing at the choice of places she chose to hide.

I was getting us all ready this morning to go to a birthday party, when I realized that I couldn't hear Abby. She had been playing in the tent in her room and was in and out of my bathroom. I went to look for her and couldn't find her. I looked everywhere and called her name a million times. Finally, I saw the laundry room light on and somehow thought to look in the dryer. Yep, there she was, smiling back at me feeling so proud of her good hiding place! The door was not closed and she didn't seem to be scared, but she was definitely in the dryer.

Have I mentioned that Abby is my adventure? She constantly keeps us on our toes, and this is just one more experience to prove it.

It looks like I'll be installing some sort of babyproofing mechanism on the dryer door very soon!

Soccer

Today was Jenna's first day of soccer! I have to admit, that I signed her up for two reasons. #1--I panicked a little bit at the end of preschool and wondered what I was going to do with her all day every day. I wanted to have some activities for her to do in the summer. #2--I wanted to see if she liked a sport as much as she likes dance. I want to let her decide what she pursues (down the road of course) but I wanted to see how she liked sports along with dance.

So . . . today was SUPPOSED to be her first day. Last night, we went to Sport's Authority and got pink shinguards, a pink ball, and pink soccer socks. We were set. She had her shinguards and socks on all morning and was SO, SO excited. As we were getting into the car to go to her session, my cell phone rang. The instructor was sick and the class was cancelled. Jenna was very disappointed.

So we decided to go the park and have our own soccer lesson instead. I did my best from what I remember from 20 years ago. Here are a few pictures of our first soccer experience!

Notice the pink theme? Notice the socks on Abby? She had to be like her big sister!

All ready for soccer!

Our "soccer lesson" in the park.

A Question from Jenna

"Mommy, why is the top of your hair all dark and brown and the bottom of your hair is blonde?

When your four year old daughter recognizes "the dark and brown" on the top of your head, you should probably do something about it, right?

I have an appointment for a cut and highlight on Friday:)

Heatbreak & Guilt

I haven't worked full time in almost five years. Wow--that's a long time when I think about it! I've done some very, very part time things in the past five years, but last week, I went back to work. I am teaching the GED preparation class for three hours in the mornings at our local adult school. It's only part time, but this position requires me to have a sitter for the girls this summer. In the fall, when I teach the class, Jenna will be in preschool and Abby will be with a regular sitter.

Going back to work has stirred up a whole range of emotions for me. On one hand, being able to contribute to the family finances and have some time in the professional world is appealing to me. But on the other hand, I absolutely hate the idea of Abby (especially) having to be with a sitter while I work. I feel guilty for not being with them all day and going off to work. But me working is in the best interest of our family at this point. The last week has been okay. Work has been fine and our new schedule seems to be working for us.

But today was hard. When I picked the girls up from the babysitter's house, Jenna broke down and cried. First she cried about the vaccination shots she'll have to get in January. Then she cried about the fact that I still make her sit in the car seat with a five point harness as opposed to the booter seats with the regular seat belt. But then she said," Mommy, I don't want you to go to work. I like being at home with you better. Why can't I be with you?"

heartbreak & guilt . . .

We going booms?

"Booms" is Abby's word for the fireworks:) Last night, we went to see the fireworks, and our children behaved consistently with their personalities. Jenna flipped out at first. After a while thought that they were the best thing since sliced bread (although in our day and age, I would replace the words "sliced bread" with "DVR" or "high-speed Internet" or "the Shark Steam Mop." But I digress . . .

So, Jenna flipped out at first and Abby sat and watched them in amazement, clapping at the particularly spectacular ones. The first thing Jenna said to me this morning, was, "Mommy, weren't the fireworks SO AMAZING?" And all day, Abby's been asking,"We going booms?" She wants to go to the fireworks again tonight, but it'll, of course, have to be another year before we experience that extravaganza again:)

Just because I love these pictures

These pictures were taken on Jenna's last day of preschool in June, and I love them because #1 they are loving each other and #2 Jenna is doing her best to make Abby smile.

"Mommy, you got boos on!"

Jenna is enrolled in a little dance class, and I am really excited that she is enjoying herself so much each week. Today, they danced around with ribbons and learned how to shuffle with their little tap shoes on. They even did a little shimmy move, which was so hilarious to me!

While the little girls are dancing with Miss Mandi in the studio, it's a whole other world in the observation area where the parents and siblings hang out. You've got boys running around like crazy men, practically knocking all the adults over (much like the Playplace at McDonalds). You've got moms instructing their kids through the windows, which again is hilarious because the kids can't hear them. Then you've got the little girl whose Mom has no control over her as she runs back and forth between the studio and observation room, slamming the door each time. The best, however, is the mom who wears stiletto heels on the dance floor and talks on her cell phone while she dances with her limp daughter who refuses to participate in any part of the program. (I'm sure Miss Mandi really loves that!)

Abby and I just hang out by the observation window. I try to get a spot where she can see, because she likes to do the moves along with Jenna while she's watching. Today, I was holding Abby, who often loves to stick her hands down my shirt for no apparent reason. I am usually caught off guard, but catch her before I flash everyone around me. Today, I wasn't so fast. She grabbed my shirt, pulled it out and said, "Mommy! You got boos on!"

I was immediately mortified because I saw those crazy, running boys looking at me and some of the other mothers had turned to look at me too. I immediately thought she was saying, "Mommy, you got boobs!" but then she said, "Boo, I yike dat coyuer (color)"

Thank goodness she was only talking about the color of that particular undergarment. Hey, I figure that at least I'm not that lady in the stiletto heels!

Grocery Store, Broken Light Bulb, and an Old Man

After Jenna's dance class today, we stopped at the grocery store to get bags of salad for dinner tonight. But this was a new grocery store; one that I've never been to before.

I had no idea where the salad was and I couldn't see it from the entrance of the store, so we started on the right hand side and walked along the edges of the store until we found the salads, because they are usually on some wall in every store. As we were walking, Jenna kept touching *everything* in sight. When I realized she was doing this, I asked her to stop. She didn't. I saw her little hands beginning to graze the glass bottles of barbeque sauce and I immediately grabbed her hand.

After asking her several more times I started to tell her that if she touched on more thing that she would lose her computer privileges tomorrow. As those words came out of my mouth, she knocked over a lightbulb and it, of course, smashed into lots of tiny bits.

We stopped. Jenna knew she was in trouble. Surprisingly, I didn't get all worked up about it, I just calmly told her that the lightbulb was broken because she didn't listen to me the first time I asked her not to touch all the merchandise. (We are currently working on listening on the first time directions are given. It obviously didn't work out too well today.) Jenna was crying. I was trying to talk to her and find somene to clean up the broken glass at the same time.

There was an older man standing about five feet away from us and as I got up to ask the lady at the deli counter to help, he looked at me and said, "That wouldn't have happened if she wouldn't have touched the lightbulb." Now I was ticked. Really ticked. I am used to the occasional spectacle that we can be in a store. I've shopped with screaming kids before, knocked over an entire display of Ragu spaghetti sauce before, and picked up 50 apples that have fallen off the display in the produce section because Abby decided to swipe the one from the very bottom. But I have never had anyone talk to me directly, and make such an obvious and irritating observation.

I looked at this guy and said, "Do you think I don't know that? Really, do you think I don't know that the lightbulb wouldn't have broken if she wouldn't have touched it?"

I know, I know . . . not a very nice thing to say and certainly not very pastor wifish of me, but I just couldn't hold back. I'm happy that this particular store is not my normal grocery store. I won't be going back anytime soon!

My Sweet Little Adventure

Sometimes I write posts simply because I don't want to lose the memories that have happened during the day. This blog is a lot of things for me, and one of them is a record of our lives. I don't scrapbook and I don't keep a regular journal, but I want to remember the "stuff" of our lives and this seems to be the only way that happens for me.

So today is a post about our little Abby. She's two and still an adventure and I love being her mommy. Here are a few things that happened today that deserve to be remembered (at least for me).

I was talking on the phone with a friend tonight as Abby was finishing up her dinner. She's generally messy and I have learned not to flip out about that, but tonight, she got extra messy. She had applesauce for dinner, as I glanced over at her and caught her rubbing appplesauce up and down her arms as if she were rubbing lotion on her skin. Before I got to her, she had moved to her face. So messy, but oh so cute:)

Every night we say prayers. We say the "Now I Lay Me" prayer and then the Lord's Prayer right after. At the end, we always tag on a few extra prayers for the day. Abby has never said anything during this time, but right as I was about to wrap up the prayer, she said, "My turn, my turn!" They I heard this little voice say, "I wuv Duh Duh (Jenna) and Mama and Da Da and Gamma and Papa. And I wuv Sheshus (Jesus)."

So, so precious.

I Can't Do It

Nate and I are in agreement that we are done adding to our family. We don't feel the need to try for a boy or 8 kids (which everyone always asks me since Nate is the oldest of 8 kids). I am happy with that decision and have been for some time.

My problem is the baby clothes. I have a desire to bless women who cannot afford clothes on their own with the large amount of baby clothes that we have accumulated in the last four years. There is this wonderful charity called, Hope, that collects items for people in need. Another perk is that they pick up your stuff from the curb every few months. I have never put anything out, but this month I am ready! I have a few bags of toys and old clothes of ours that I am ready to part with, and they are ready to go in our garage. I have a note on my calendar to put the clothes out next Wednesday. But I can't seem to bring myself to part with the the numerous large bins of baby clothes that occupy a large space in our garage.

I set a deadline for myself that I would at least go through 0-6 months for this pickup and get rid of most of those. But I can't do it. I stood in my garage tonight, looking at the bins of baby clothes and couldn't even open them to go through them.

I guess giving away the baby clothes is the final acceptance that I am not a mommy of babies anymore and that part of my life is over. And that makes me kind of sad. There's also another part to this. I JUST KNOW that the second I give my clothes away, God will start laughing and give me another little girl. You never know with God, and I'm not looking to give him a reason to laugh at me right now.

So, I can't do it. I'll keep working on it though. . . I've got four days!

Nightmare At The Mall Play Place

Next to those "kid friendly" grocery carts that have a two-seater car on the front with two steering wheels (which is impossible to navigate through the aisles without toppling over a display of Ragu spaghetti sauce), I LOATHE the little play areas that have become popular in malls. You know the ones. The ones with bright green turtles to climb on and cars to drive. The ones with squishy floors where many parents think it's free time for them and an anything goes time for their children?

I took the girls to the mall today to just walk around, have a girls' day out that included the Disney store, dinner, and an ice cream treat. I can never remember the best place to park, as to avoid the play area, and this time, right after we walked into the mall, there it was. Right in front of the Macy's where we came out of from the parking lot. I had obviously parked in the wrong spot. The girls wanted to play so badly, so I let them.

We had an awful experience during our play time and I vow never to go there again. (Let's hope I can remember where to park so I can avoid it all together). So here are my issues with the play areas in malls, based on today's experience.

Issue #1: The germs that must be crawling in that place. I'm pretty sure we'll have a cold or the stomach flu next week.

Issue #2: Big kids that run around like crazy people, knocking little kids down, and the parents that allow that.

Issue #3: Parents not watching their kids.

Issue #4: A little girl who pinched Abby and then pushed her off the bright green turtle. The parent saw this happen did nothing to stop it, didn't apologize to Abby or me, as she fell face first onto the ground crying.

Issue #5: Parents who stand directly behind me and give me dirty looks after I fall into them because their stroller is touching my heels as I am trying to take off Abby's shoes. Why stand that close to me?

Issue #6: Parents who let their little boy run around the play area in only a shirt and a diaper. And a full diaper at that. Seriously . . .gross.

Issue #7: Kids who don't let other kids play in the giant shoe (I think it was a shoe) that had more than enough space for 6 kids and the parents who won't let any other kids in either.

After Issue #4 happened, I scooped up my kids and left muttering under my breath that the play area was the worst place ever. I really wanted to give the mother of the little girl who pushed Abby off the turtle a piece of my mind, but I am trying to avoid drama these days and just kept on walking.

Although the play place was a nightmare today, we had a fun girls' day out:)

A Bit Of Our Day

In case you were all worried . . . we found Blossom! She was all wrapped up in a blanket that was on the couch, and even though I checked it once, I must not have checked well enough. So a crisis was averted, although I was getting pretty nervous and frustrated for a while there.

Today Jenna had her first dance class for the summer at the studio that I'm going to sign her up for in the fall. This particular studio offers a program through the local parks department, so I thought we'd try it out before I committed an entire year's worth of money to them. Jenna's never been in an official dance class before, except for an awful class of 2 year olds through the parks department a few years ago which was so disorganized it was ridiculous. So I vowed that the next dance experience would be with a good studio. So here we are.

We walk in today and Jenna immediately clams up, which shouldn't be a surprise to me, but I was caught off guard. Kind of like when she wouldn't walk down the aisle when she was a flower girl for Josh and Annie's wedding. Really . . . I know that is takes her a while to warm up and that she doesn't just jump into things, but I always seem to forget that. For the first ten minutes, she refused to stand in the circle with the kids, and stood there all shy and nervous. I was so upset that she wouldn't participate. I was thinking about how excited she was for this and how disappointed I would be if she were the kid that stood in the corner each week. (Kind of like swimming lessons when she just stood on the steps for a good 16 weeks.) I stayed in the room with her for a few minutes, but as soon as I left, she was fine. She was having such a great time, and it made me so happy to see her enjoy herself. Especially after we'd spent time and money on the shoes and outfit:)

Wish me luck on the swimming lessons though. We're starting those up again in the fall:) I only pray that she'll get off the steps this time:)

Blossom is on vacation . . .again.

By vacation, I mean that she is missing. I know she is in this house, but I cannot find her for the life of me.

Blossom is Jenna's little bear that is like a member of our family. She is her security, her friend, and her sleeping buddy. She's had her since she was very little.

Last time Blossom went on vacation, I'm pretty sure we lost her in our grocery store. We never found her and I ended up having to order a new one online. We told Jenna that Blossom was on vacation, and that worked for the week or so I needed to find a new one and have it delivered to the house. I can't do that this time. Blossom is a form of a Beanie Baby and is retired. It would be VERY hard to find one.

I saw Blossom today. Jenna had her this afternoon when she was tired and cuddled up to me on the couch. I've looked everywhere!

I've looked:
in the desk drawer (where Jenna has been known to stuff her)
in the refrigerator
in the freezer
in the pantry
in every laundry basket
in the bathtub
under every bed
in every bed
in every drawer
in the play kitchen
in the trashcans
in the garage
in the car
in the desk
in the toy bins
under the couch
behind the chair
outside
everywhere

So, hopefully, we won't be going to bed without our Blossom. We'll see though. I hope she isn't on vacation for long . . . I'm exhausted from looking for her and not looking forward to trying to get Jenna to sleep tonight:)

To Nate

I love my husband, and I love that God gave me the family that He did. Nate is a wonderful daddy, and I am the luckiest girl in the world to have him by my side in this adventure called parenting. Here are a few things that I love about Nate.

I love that he is always willing to play princess dress up.
I love that he actually sounds like the real Elmo when he makes our giant Elmo doll come to life.
I love that he is ready, willing, and able to change diapers, give baths, or get the girls ready at any given time.
I love that he sings the "La Dee Da Dee" part of a song from Cinderella to the girls as he pretends to waltz them around the kitchen like prince charming.
I love that he often turns into a tiger and chases the girls around the house.
I love that he wore a tiara during the entire performance of "Princesses on Ice."
I love that he takes the girls on dates to Blockbuster and King Egg Roll.
I love that he is ours.

Happy Father's Day!

Things I've learned lately.

1. Windex kills ants INSTANTLY. It's actually kind of fun to watch when they are trying to invade your kitchen.

2. Signing Jenna up for swimming lessons only results in her sitting on the steps for two full sessions, that would be 16 weeks, of lessons. Putting up the 8 foot pool in the backyard results in her doing all the things her swimming teacher tried to get her to do--with no fear. Sheesh!

3. Actually trying to stick to a budget is really, really hard.

4. Abby likes to play with the camera (when she can reach it) and likes to play hide and seek with the memory card. This particulaly made me furious in the five minutes before preschool graduation when I realized we had no camera.

5. There are some crazy, way too academic preschools around here. I checked into a few and the local Montessori school expected Jenna to be able to read. She's 4. They also said that at their school, by the end of Kindergarten, kids are able to identify parts of speech. What? That sounds a little developmentally off to me!!

I've finally accepted that I have smell issues.

I think, that I am THAT person. That person who is super-sensitive to smells. Especially candles, potpourri, and lotion--but the big one is cologne/perfume for me.

I have tried to deny my issue for quite some time now, but I've been running a series of tests on myself for the past few weeks, and I finally have to come to the realization that I am THAT person.

It all started when Nate went out and bought himself some nice cologne. Polo cologne to be exact. I really don't know what it's called, other than Polo in a nice green bottle. At first, I thought he was squirting too much (which I still think, but that is another issue). Every morning, he would get ready for work and I would dread him coming anywhere near me because the awful smell of his cologne seemed to envelope him like Pigpen's stench and linger in the house for hours giving me nasty headaches. I asked him to only put on one spray instead of two or three. But after a while, I couldn't stand it anymore, so I hid the bottle of cologne. Now, I should have just thrown it away, but I figured I'd get in really big trouble for that one, so I simply hid it. I told him I hid it, and he spent the next few months looking for it. No more yucky Polo cologne smell anymore and I was in heaven.

Then he found it. And started wearing it again. After I complained enough, he agreed to stop wearing it. Then . . . when we were in Houston, and he fell in love with Tommy Bahama cologne. I liked the smell too! Convinced that my headaches came from the nasty Polo cologne, I was so excited that my troubles seemed to be going away.

Well, the problem wasn't the cologne-it was me. The Tommy Bahama cologne does the same thing to me and it puts me in a difficult position.

When I ride in the car with Nate, I roll the window down. When I get in his car, my eyes sting from the faint smell of the cologne. I will often get a headache after hugging him before he leaves for work because the cologne gets to me. Last week, I put some of my perfume on, which I rarely wear, and I got a headache . . . so I for sure know that I have smell issues.

I can't ask Nate to quit wearing his cologne because he loves it, but I hate whining every day about the smell bothering me. I try to tell him that he wears too much, but he says that he doesn't. I think I just finally have to accept that the issue is not him, but it is me and my smell issues. If anyone has any good cologne suggestions that don't incite headaches, they are welcome!