Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all of our friends, family, and loved ones. We began the day with the kids opening presents from Santa. Then we went to church for the children's mass. Olivia went with cousin Grant to sit up on the altar to hear Father Mike's sermon. The older kids didn't feel comfortable up there, but Olivia wanted to go. She sat so nicely and grinned at us several times. Hopefully the entire church didn't see her pick her nose a few times and wipe it on her dress.
We were very lazy this afternoon until it was time to go to Grandma and Grandpa's. We checked our stockings there, had a wonderful meal cooked by my mom, and celebrated Erin and Grant's birthday. No baby yet....but any day now!

So I can't take good pictures...

...of my kids when they are all together. You get the general drift: the kids are dressed nicely, it's Christmas, and everyone is giddy with excitement.
We had fun with all the family over here tonight. We had a nice dinner, presents, and only a few tantrums. Tomorrow brings Santa's visit, Erin and Grant's birthday, and of course, Christmas mass to celebrate the birth of baby Jesus. We are hoping that my sister Erin has her baby tomorrow to have a triple miracle. If you don't know, Erin and Grant are both Christmas babies. No kidding!!!!!!!!

Weekend Highlights

We have had a busy but fun weekend! Friday night while Ryan, Thad, and friends went to the Gopher/Sioux game, Kate had a dance recital. It was called the "Not So Nutcracker." Let me tell you it was so sweet. I can't wait to get the DVD so Kate can see for herself how great it was. Kate does not like to have her picture taken so I did the best I could.
Saturday Ryan had his friend birthday party. Wow...10 boys in our house...not for me. Boys are just a different breed. There was way too much fighting, corralling, demanding, etc for this mom's taste. The theme this year was football. It's no stretch from any of the other years! We played games, had a yummy cake from Cold Stone, and opened presents.
Then last night we had my social studies department Christmas party. It was SO fun, other than missing our buddy Kurt. I can't tell you how many times each day I think about him. We had a picture made of him with a caption that isn't meant to be put out for non-adult viewing. But if you know Gigs, you can guess what it said. I stayed out way past my early-Bonnie bedtime (1am) and even stayed up later than Thad. That is a first.
Ryan and Thad are at Ryan's game. I kept the girls home. It is so cold that I just didn't want to freeze their little fingers and toes.
Have a good week!

Eight Years Old

Happy Birthday to my first baby! Ryan is 8 today. Where has the time gone???? He was a mere 5 lbs. 14 oz. when he came out. How tiny! I remember being so in love yet so overwhelmed with being responsible for someone else. What a blessing having him has been.
Some friends of ours happened to offer us four Gopher/Sioux tickets for Friday's big game. Thad, Ryan, Corey, and Parker are going. Kate has her holiday dance recital so we will stay back. Anyway that caused me to switch his birthday present. I ended up getting him a gift card to Scheels so he could choose the jersey he would wear to the game. Thad is a die hard Gophers fan. Ryan has been but is caving to the pressure from the neighbor boys. So he choose....SIOUX! Poor Thad.....

Busy day

Even with lots of snow we had much to do today. Thad and Ryan had hockey practice at 8am. Ryan and Kate had skating too. Olivia and I went to Target to stock up on 'stuff.' At 3:30, Ryan had his first reconciliation. We had been getting ready for awhile for this. He and I went to confession together. Ryan was nervous but did quite well. I did too, and I think the biggest confession for me was I couldn't remember the last time I had gone. After that we trudged through the snow to go out to Mexican Village with our neighbors and then to Cold Stone for some ice cream. Thad had to snowblow our seven and a half inches (and counting) of snow. The kids and I snuggled and watched a video. Now they are sleeping, Thad is watching tv, and I am ready to read!

BOOM

My father just picked up this book for me tonight. I have a deep admiration for Tom Brokaw and pretty much every current/past nightly news reporter. I have only read the introduction and part of chapter 1, but I am thoroughly enjoying it. I love it because I am a history teacher, and so it applies to much of what I teach. Even if I wasn't a history teacher, I would still recommend this book. It is fascinating, enlightening, and entertaining. What more could a person want from a book? Oh yeah, plus it is based on stuff that really happened.

Mr. Hockey

Here is what Ryan looked like today before his debut as a goalie. When you become a "Mite" player, each child takes turns dressing in the full gear. I was disappointed to not be able to see him play because Olivia had been sick, but he was happy to report that he only let in five goals.

Olivia

Olivia got the stomach flu during the night. She is quite perky as of now....and I got her reading her favorite story...

My color is....

I am copying my friend Jenay's recent post to see what color I am. According to Spacefem.com, I am "lightskyblue."

Your dominant hues are cyan and blue. You like people and enjoy making friends. You're conservative and like to make sure things make sense before you step into them, especially in relationships. You are curious but respected for your opinions by people who you sometimes wouldn't even suspect.
Your saturation level is lower than average - You don't stress out over things and don't understand people who do. Finishing projects may sometimes be a challenge, but you schedule time as you see fit and the important things all happen in the end, even if not everyone sees your grand master plan.
Your outlook on life is bright. You see good things in situations where others may not be able to, and it frustrates you to see them get down on everything.

Happy Birthday Thad!

Happy Birthday to my best friend, my partner in crime, and the father of our three wonderful kids. You are a such a blessing in my life!
Bonnie

Here we go...

Tis the season for many activities, parties, events, and not enough time/money to do it all. So far our agenda has:
1. A dance recital
2. A social studies department xmas party (this is NOT one to miss)
3. A detective xmas party
4. L.B.'s annual xmas party
5. Ryan's birthday (born 12.5)
6. My nephew Grant's birthday (born 12.25)
7. My sister's birthday (born 12.25)
8. The impending birth of a new niece or nephew (due right around xmas)
I know I am forgetting things too.

Meet Ruth

Meet Grandpa and Grandma's new baby bulldog! The kids, Grandma Jeanne, and I drove to Bemidji bright and early this morning to collect the little bundle. Miss Ruthie is only seven and a half weeks old. The trip was fun, especially since the kids didn't know where we were going or why.
Kate is especially happy, because she has been asking Grandpa for a bulldog puppy for months now. If she isn't holding Ruth, she is snuggling with her, petting her, or just keeping her wrapped up in a blanket.
This has been a happy ending to a lousy October & early November. Between my broken ear drum, death of two people who were too young to pass, and some other stuff, we need a happy ending!

Sleep tight

This is how we found Olivia tonight after she was asleep. She was tucked in & covered up....

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from our Police Officer, Tiger, and Devilette!

Sad news

Update: this is a picture of Giggy (on the left) and Chad Olson (another teacher). They brought a box of pink cigars, roses, and balloons. Some of his comments about me:
1. Stafford retains more water than the Devil's Lake basin when she's pregnant.
2. Give Stafford a baby to hold, and she has a baby nine months later.
3. You look like a human speed bump.
4. I am going to call social services since O.G. isn't enrolled in violin lessons yet.
5. Next year Olivia Grace gets a pony.
6. I just feel bad for Thad.....for having to put up with you
Don't worry, the banter between us went both ways. There is a facebook group about him already. 600 kids and counting have signed up to be a part of it.

My colleague & possibly a former teacher to you or a spouse, Kurt Gigstad, passed away this morning. It was not expected. For those of you who remember him (AJ do you remember always talking to him by our locker?) he was the funniest guy. He was also the most caring guy I know. He visited me just two hours after Olivia was born. He brought her a gift when she turned two. We were so thrilled to watch him become a grandpa in February. I could go on and on about the Gigster, but the theme is the same: He genuinely cared for others, and in turn, we all loved him. Our department will never be the same.
Please go to the Wright Funeral Home website and leave any kind thoughts or memories to share with his family.

Things I have learned

1. That I am a total wuss when it comes to pain in my ear. I was shedding tears yesterday at the ENT. Maybe it is because I thought that the doctor was just going to look in my ear. Instead he did a surgical procedure to put together my broken ear drum. It was very scary, painful, and did I say scary!?!?!?
2. If you have a damaged ear canal on top of a broken ear drum, it is very, very painful. Enough said.
3. Hydrocodone is very helpful!
4. Homeade cards from your kids makes any dreary day brighter.
5. When you call a colleague to tell her you can't come back to work but instead a student answers the phone, you will look like an idiot because you can't stop crying.
**EM vacation has come at the right time!

What?

Last night the girls and I were playing beauty shop while Thad and Ryan were at hockey. All of the sudden Olivia put a qtip in my ear so far that I was in severe pain. I jumped up and was running around freaking out. Then I felt blood coming out. I called ask a nurse, and she told me to go right to the ER. By now Olivia is crying, Kate is scared, and I am freaking out.
To make a long story short, I likely have a perforated ear drum. The ER doctor couldn't tell for sure because there is so much blood in there. He said flushing it out would have put me through the roof with pain, so I get to go to the ENT on Monday. Currently, I can't hear out of my left ear, it's ringing like crazy, and at times it's very painful.
This is one for the scrapbooks!

Entourage

See this hottie? My main squeeze Jeremy Piven just won an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy. Now that I have Netflix, I have become addicted to the television show Entourage. I am halfway caught up through season 3. I think in two weeks the second half is available.

Anyway entire cast is awesome. I have a few new crushes because of that show: Adrian Grenier...Jeremy Piven...the other boys aren't necessarily my type, but I definitely think they are all awesome.

God he is HOT!

In my inbox....

...was this very sweet email from Ryan today.

I LOVE YOU MOM AND DAD.

Kids...

My friend AJ blogged today about how her oldest daughter is just like her. I can't decide if any of my kids are truly like me. I see parts of myself in each of them, but it's another story really feeling like they are just like you. Let me run through my kiddies:
Ryan: defiant, sassy, loves to test his limits at home, very well behaved at school, argumentative, soft hearted even though he doesn't want people to know it, kind to all types of kids, a perfectionist at school, enjoys being active, curious about the world around him, a very sensitive kid but I think only a few lucky people have seen that side of him.
Kate: genuinely kindhearted, sensitive, whiny, shy, friendly all the time, nervous for new situations, affectionate, quick witted, doesn't like to be overexerted AT ALL, a follower, loves to ask why, a drama queen.
Olivia (so far): funny, smily, becoming defiant, only does what she wants, stubborn, cuddly, sassy, loves to talk back, enjoys being active.
Honestly I think that our kids are a combination of us both. Thad claims that our kids' negative attributes come from me. The good ones come from him.
What do you think?

Adjusting...

Being back at work & now having two kids in school has been an adjustment. I can't believe how exhausted I have been. When summer vacation began I remember thinking how tiring it was to run my kids around all day. Now that I am back at work, I find myself thinking the same thing--only opposite of the summer issues.
Is it the weather? Maybe it's because there are so many things to be done in the evening. I haven't even mentioned activities yet. The older I get, the more I realize that I am not a fan of change. It always takes awhile for me to grab my bearings and get used to it all.
So for now I will keep plugging away waiting for my mind and body to 'click' with this schedule.
**Note** for the majority of you mothers who work a fulltime job year round...bless you!

Back to School

The kids began school today. Ryan is a second grader & Kate is now in Kindergarten. Not be left out of the limelight, Olivia had to be in the picture with her brother and sister.

Here are some comments from the kids over the last two days:

Kate: "Daddy, I am kind of nervous for Kindergarten. I am a little shy you know."

Ryan: "Are they going to tell Kate where to get off the bus? She doesn't pay attention like I do. I don't want her to be scared."

Kate: "I hate school."

Ryan: "Second grade is way easier than first grade."

Olivia: "Shut up Ryan"

Back from Vegas

Our trip to Vegas went by much too quickly. We had an absolute blast with Wes & Jenny. We laughed too many times...except when we kept losing money while they kept winning. We ate, drank a bit, went sightseeing, laid at the pool, and saw a Cirque De Soleil show. This was one vacation when I just didn't feel ready to come home. I guess I needed it more than I thought!
We are planning to do this again soon if at all possible!

Pictures by Ria...

Too much time...

...has passed since I blogged last. I just get too busy with other things. Life is hectic, and I love it that way.

Here are a few pics from July: Olivia in gymnastics, Ryan finishing golf, and Kate on the 4th. Her gymnastics didn't turn out, but she is in it and loves it.

Olivia has a great recovery from surgery, Ryan has wrapped up baseball & golf, and Kate is getting excited for Kindergarten. I can't tell you what else we have done, because life is too crazy to totally remember it all.

Here is to a better blogging month of August!

Happy Birthday Dad

Happy Birthday Wayne!!!!!!!! We love you more than: Frogs, toads, hockey sticks, sunshine, and rainbows!

And now...

...Kate has a fever! And, last night when I was cuddling with Kate, Ryan crept in to take a picture with his disposable camera. The flash scared the daylights out of me so I jumped. Kate's head belted me right below the eye. I am developing my first ever shiner!
So far I am absolutely loving July.

The weekend

I went to the cities with my friend Elli for our dear friend Melissa's baby shower. Some people go away regularly. I do not. I am not good at leaving my family. I always feel guilty, worry about everyone, etc. However, I had a wonderful time catching up with my old high school and Gamma Phi friends. It was the most theraputic 24 hours I could ask for.
It is amazing to watch my dear friends becoming mothers. I had Ryan when I was 23...very, very young. I am thrilled to be entering this next phase of friendship. Elli and I walked Melissa through all the things she will need to have on hand when the baby comes home.
It's surreal to be talking about this stuff with girls I remember sleeping over with, going to crazy parties, crying over boyfriends, riding bikes because we were WAY to young to drive, meeting boys at movie theaters, crying over more boys, riding with Melissa when she first got her license (and almost getting hit!)& enjoying the AM radio in her car, when Melissa, Elli, and Thad lived together, living with Elli, encouraging each other to dump the various losers we all went out with......oh I could go on and on.
It has been an amazing ride so far, but the best is clearly yet to come!
Did you really think you would read a post that didn't have to do with someone sick in this house??? Please...So when I called Thad this morning he said Liv had a fever. Okay fine, I can deal with that. When I was almost home, he said she had thrown up. Uh..not good. I could tell she was miserable and she sounded funny. She is to have surgery Friday so we brought her in. She has a nasty case of tonscilitis. She has a high fever, huge tonsils with white crap on them, and sores all over her throat. It is a virus. The doctor doesn't think she will be well enough by Friday for surgery so please keep your fingers crossed. Apparently it's a virus that lasts up to a week. He said that if she seems better by Wed, call her pediatrician and have him check her out. If she isn't better by then, she should be seen again. So the waiting game begins....gotta love all this stuff!

One down & one to go

Olivia's mole surgery went very well yesterday. In fact, she doesn't know that she has stiches. She keeps showing people her knee as the location of her owie. I am kicking myself for not having my camera. She was a hit with the nurses...and you should have seen her once her sedative kicked in! She almost fell over. It was funny. In all seriousness though, she was a champ, and not one tear was shed!
Now we have to clear up her ear infection, get rid of her sinusitis, and get those darn tonsils and adnoids out!
If things aren't crazy enough, Ryan had a tooth pulled today. Thank goodness for summer vacation!

We're back!

We returned from our trip late Tuesday night. We had a fabulous time--no complaints other than Olivia having a terrible cold and Kate's eczema flaring up due to the chlorine. I learned a few things about my kids. Ryan--aka Mr. Stud--does not like roller coasters, dark rides, or pretty much anything he can't see before he rides it. Kate--aka--Ms. Shy girl--loves the thrill rides. Go figure!

I have to admit...now I have 'the blahs.' I love to have a trip to plan, research, and obsess over. Now that I don't, I feel a bit lost. I know I am not providing any good details of our trip. I am not good at that. I do, however, have about 250 pictures that I took.....

This morning I brought Olivia in to the ENT. She is having her tonsils and adenoids removed on July 6. I am scared for her, but I am grateful that it can be done while I am home during the summer. This means Thad and I can't go to Dallas for Premier Designs Rally, but family comes first. The poor girl is also having a mole removed down near her pelvis on Monday and has to be put under for that. Keep her in your prayers please!

Happy Birthday Kate!

Happy Birthday to my sweet Kate. June 4, 2002, seems like yesterday. I still remember the shock I felt seeing that she was a baby girl!

As Grandpa Wayne says, "I love you more than frogs!" We will put pictures up after her family frog party.

Ryan's last day and Kate's birthday party

Ryan

Ryan woke up this morning with the need to be defiant. I would say by 11:30am he had lost most privileges. There were about five timeouts AND no friends for the day. Who does this torture you ask? Namely: ME! Thad was gone all day working on a case, it was rainy and cold, and I got to hang out with the naughty child. I now understand why my parents didn't 'ground' me. They always said, "Why punish ourselves?" I get it. But if you knew how ourwardly defiant and disrespectful Ryan can be you would be pulling your hair out too. I am not even willing to write any more as I can feel my blood pressure rising!
Kate had Lucy over this afternoon and evening. She introduced her to "High School Musical" (the movie). The next thing I know, I have to little girls downstairs in my clothes taking about who is Gabrielle and Sharpay (from the movie). I also heard Kate say that she is now popular! Yikes. All of a sudden, Ryan shows up in Thad's clothes and he is Troy (the stud of the movie).

Other things that happened this week:


*Thad and I had our ninth anniversary. Notice I didn't say celebrate? Maybe we will do that next year!


*My mom turned 64!


*Ryan started baseball