What a Kid Can Do in 30 Seconds or Less

I was folding clothes in a clean living room when the phone rang.  I went into the kitchen, picked up the phone, said hi to my sister, and meandered back into the living room.  I thought it would be nice to talk and fold at the same time.  This is what I found:

Did you notice the culprit crawling off to the left?

When Desperate for Peace ...

... grab a handful of markers and tell the kids to write on the boxes that seem to be mulitplying around the house.  

This was the way I diffused tantrums, calmed arguments and mopped of buckets of whine.  Still living in Boxland, here.  A month after moving into the new house, there are still boxes lurking in corners and (I swear) breeding downstairs like wet Mogwai.

Here's my free tip to you:  if you have restless children and lots of boxes, grab crayons and markers and tell them to decorate anything that is brown cardboard.  It works. 

Here are a few samples of the drawings:

Thing 1 and Thing 2 drawing on dishpacks

Thing 2

Thing 1

Thing 1 and Thing 2 showing what happens when you color on packing tape

Before Jesse arrived in Minnesota

Thing 3 got into the action

Brain Development Theory

I used to be as sharp as a tack, quick as a snake, and never missed a beat. In fact, if you threw a cliche at me, I could throw it right back atcha.

And then I had four children.

Now, my memory is shot.  I have nervous breakdowns daily, and hardly find it disconcerting that I have done Google searches for straightjackets. In various sizes. 

So that made me think. What is it about having children makes a sane person become certifiably crazy? I think the answer is found in the womb.

Those precious little peanuts start this life with a bang. Cells divide and multiply, organs form, a tiny heart starts beating. And it's in the development that mothers begin to go insane.

Thing 1's artwork ... love it!

It's my theory that developing children not only get their nourishment in utero from their mothers. They also have the remarkable ability to suck one brain cell at a time out of Mommy's head and put it into their own wee little craniums. THAT is where our brains go, fellow moms. In growing our children, our prides, our joys, we lose a little of our own brains in the process.

It's the only answer that explains why I have increasingly become dumb, forgetful, nervous, frustrated and completely crazy. With each child I've lost lobes of my brain.

So maybe by the time my kids are teens and tell me in no uncertain terms that they are smarter than I am, I will know that it is true. But only because I GAVE them a BRAIN.

Yeah, you're welcome, child. Now where are my crayons?

The Many Spellings of Osufsen

A pictorial glimpse into the minds of the movers when writing our last name:

Only one is spelled correctly!

Settling In

The Osufsens are finally getting settled into the new home, but we still have lots of unpacking.  The basement remains the capitol of Boxland, with the garage the next largest city.  Walls have been painted -- and repainted in an instance or two when the color didn't work.  Besides getting all our stuff out of boxes we have projects lined up.  Enough to keep us busy for the next few years.  We like to call it the Five Year Plan.  :)



First day of school at Mesabi East



Jesse has started working with United Taconite, at the plant in Forbes, Minnesota, as a plant coordinator.  In fact, he began work the day after he arrived in Minnesota, so there was no rest for the weary. 




Riley and Savannah are enjoying their new school, but it wasn't exactly a smooth transition for Savannah.  Thankfully, they have great teachers.  Savvy's teacher is fun and imaginative, and Riley's keeps a tight rein on the mouths of the classroom.  A blessing in my book!

Isaac has his first tooth, and is beginning to stand up on his own.  Before long he will be running on these slippery wood floors, and I will most likely be on a first name basis with the nurses in the E.R.  Brooke celebrated her third birthday on September 19th amidst a group of family and friends.  We also had a small housewarming party that day as well in conjunction.

On a side note, I still find it hard to find something witty to blog about.  It seems as though my wit is sucked out of my ears by banshee screams most of the day. 

The Skinny on the Big Fat Move

You'd think that blogging would be easy, since most people think I live on Facebook.  And while I'm wondering if it is possible to officially change my address to Facebook, I think it's time to update again on our REAL change of address.

Coming soon:  Friday we load up the 'Burb and all drive out to Minnesota.  Jesse DID get the job ... hooray!  He will be a Plant Coordinator with United Taconite mines.  Let's just say that God has blessed us in the salary and compensation area, and we won't be taking that much of a financial hit.  We are supposed to close on the house next week, and during that time the kids and I will live in the in-law's basement.  :)  Jesse will fly back out one-way to finish out his time in the Corps, supervise the pack and transport the fish back to MN in the Buick.

After closing, I will start the reno on the new house.  Ripping out floors and praying I find some hardwoods in that 100-year old house.  Repainting the entire house and refinishing cabinets.  Hopefully I will have all in order by September 7.  Jesse begins work on 9 September with U-Tac ... no delays whatsoever!

His new job offers a lot of perqs, but the biggest one is that he will only work 180 days a year.  Twelve hour shifts, yes.  But the days off compensate for that.  Each month he will get a week off ... every month!  In addition to his other days off.  I can't wait to get to spend so much time with my man. 

So today finds me frantically trying to organize everything that will get packed in my absence, and trying to decide what I need for the next three or four weeks without our "stuff".  Bags and bags of stuff to be donated.  Plastic bins flying around the house.  And don't forget kids whining, fighting, and screaming mixed in.  Ever wanted to see Insanity In Motion?  Come on down!

No News is Frustrating News!

So, it's not like we WANT to know where we will be living, if Jesse has a job, where the kids will be going to school, where TMO needs to deliver our household goods.  Why would we need to know that?! 

Frustrated, waiting for United Taconite to say whether Jesse has a job with them or not.  Until then, he has an interview in Charlottesville next week.  Guess that's a back-up plan, but we really just want the simple life in the frigid tundra of northern Minnesota.  Is that so much to ask?