Disclaimer

As you have noticed, we figured out how to put music on our Blog. This led us to the realization that we may need separate blogs, due to some discrepancies in taste. I must admit, it was an enlightening experience for a plethora of reasons, the most obvious being that we have not updated our taste in music since our early college (aka. single ) days. Furthermore, we have no genre, as is obvious from the random selection - Johny Cash to Veggie Tales?

It was also an informative experience for me just to see that side of Daniel. For a man who cannot carry a tune (this is not Kari being mean here, he's very familiar and open with the fact!) he sure gets excited about music. All types of music. Music that was popular when we were in high school, middle school, and well, quite frankly, music that perhaps should not have been popular at all.

Therefore, my disclaimer is this, Daniel chose most of the music on this blog with Kari editing out some of the more annoying ones. I will admit I threw in four or five of the songs, and mine really had no more rhyme, reason, or taste than Daniel's choices. Quite frankly you will probably not be able to differentiate, which means that we're both really quite "Pop Culture" illiterate. I did put my foot down at his selection of "We Built this City on Rock and Roll" and a couple more choice songs. He's also insisted on "One Hot Mama" for our #1 song, which is sweet and flattering. But just between you and me, I think he's really hoping I'll get the, not so subtle, underlying message every time I check my blog. Wish him luck!

On the Move

This week it has been fun to see all the growth and changes in the girls. Sometimes it seems like things roll along just the same all the time, then all of the sudden you notice that they are growing up. Rylee and Morgan have been so good and helpful lately. We had Monday off of school for Columbus Day (it is actually Native American Day in South Dakota, which, seriously, how P.C. are we going to have to get?), so the girls and I went to the Kirby Science Museum in Sioux Falls, followed by some serious bargain shopping (I realize that is kind of an oxymoron). Amazingly enough, we were gone for almost 12 hours and we had only one minor meltdown by Emily. I think that is nearly miraculous. Furthermore, today Daniel and I were even able to get in a couple hour nap and the big girls took care of both little girls the whole time (I was sure we would be left alone for 15 min max when laying down). I’m feeling optimistic about having a little more freedom, in the next couple of years anyhow.

Some of the kid’s funnies for the week:

Rylee, while sitting talking with dad and sisters stated, “Dad, Mom actually knew something.” It’s sad when this becomes news worth sharing with the family.

Morgan, in response to me saying she could count scripture reading toward the 200 minute Pizza Hut Book it program. “Yea, but I’d rather read something fun. . . errmm . . . more interestinger, like a fun Junie B. Jones book or a book about Egypt or something.” (*Author’s note – if you get past the part that the parents have obviously not taught their children a love for the scriptures, who ever thought to rank a Junie B. Jones book and a book about Egypt in the same category?)

Emily, when walking into the kitchen after I had washed dishes and scrubbed the floors for the first time in – well, you don’t really need to know that part: “Wow, Mom! It’s ashly tleen” which can be translated into “actually clean.” Later that day she was playing with a penny and pretending to pull it out of her ear or her belly button. You know the trick. Well, word to the wise, don’t turn around when a two year old is being a magician. I never realized I had money coming out my . . . .

Taylor is starting to try to get around. If I can figure out how to get a little video attached you can see where she’s at. She also learned to wave this week. It is so sweet, and her big smiles show us how proud she is of herself.

Wet Floor

I know I already posted one today, but I inadvertently came across this picture. This occured one day,or rather one of the many days, that I was feeling particularly unappreciated by my family (as in, “I really don’t get paid enough to do the things that I do around here!”) I came home to find a big puddle of water on our kitchen linoleum and this sign lying in it.

Clever, Morgan! I mean, seriously, all the effort to make a sign to warn people about the spill might as well be appreciated. It’s not like it would have been faster to just clean up the mess, right? You gotta love 'em.

Labors o' Love

I had to share the pictures of my labors over the weekend.

Lets just say 45 jars of applesauce (24 of which were done last week, not over the weekend), 13 jars of apple pie filling, and 14 jars of canned tomatoes, all done solo. (Hand on the forehead, and laborious “woe is me” sigh goes here). I left it all out on the counter for when Daniel got home, sure that he would be awed with my labors of love. Apparently it wasn’t that impressive because I didn’t hear him singing accolades. However, that may be in part due to the fact that by the time he got home you could no longer see the canning jars for the stacks of both clean and dirty dishes, dirty dish towels and, for fear of life, he probably had to watch where he was placing his feet on the area formerly known as our kitchen floor. Emily and Taylor were equally impressed, as you can see by Taylor’s enthusiastically supportive expression.

I think the only one who really appreciated my canning was Rylee because she got an early release day from school so she could (don’t pass this on to the good mothers of the world – or Social Services or the South Dakota Dept. of Education for that matter) take Emily downstairs and watch TV for a few hours so I could get something done uninterrupted. Hey, a woman’s got to do what a woman’s got to do!