Campbelle's stories

Campbelle has really gotten into making up stories lately... she dictates them as I write them down. We are going to buy her a special journal tomorrow to keep all her stories in - she's very proud. Some are pretty creative, some are a bit strange....here is a sampling
(these are verbatim from her lips - keep in mind she's 3 1/2 haha)

33 and The Little Boy by Campbelle B
Once upon a time there was a little boy walking through a little forest with his blanket. He then saw lions, tigers and everything else. He had to come up with a plan. He had to put the creatures in their cages and he did it without getting chewed by them. Then he headed home to get some soup. After, he went out to explore some more, but he was too tired. So he got his blanket and curled up and went to bed.

Lady and the Frog by Campbelle B
Once upon a time, there was a green frog that would jump and jump and jump. He got so very tired of jumping he had to go to bed. But then, a pink horse and a girl named Campbelle picked up the lonely frog and flew him to his family in New York City (because the pink horse could fly, of course). The frog was glad to see his family and they played all the games that frogs usually play. Then the pink horse and the girl named Campbelle went back home to save some more lives.

The END!!

Do boys really have to be boys???

I ran up to Christian's room this afternoon to strange, shrieking sounds. He was supposed to be napping,(surely for at least for one more hour) but instead these really strange noises where coming from his room. To my surprise, I opened the door to find him totally stripped naked, diaper and all, all his bed belongs thrown outside his crib and he is hysterically laughing as he seemed to have just figured out that he can make his pee go where he wants it to go. And test it he did... on the floor, his bedding, his stuffed animals....where ever it seemed his pee could reach. All I really could do was shake my head, throw in a load of laundry and look forward with trepidation to many more adventures of boy-hood!

5 Weird Things

If you haven't already noticed, my sister Tammy is a crazy mad blogger. She blogs everyday and is beginning to make me look bad with my sporadic and not as amusing posts as hers. But she tagged me on this awhile ago, so hear it goes.

First off, I have to say, that although Tammy, Gina and I are extremely close sisters, we don't all share the crazy obsession with toilet paper rolls. In fact, many times when at their houses, I'll change the direction their toilet paper unrolls just to mess with their heads. (Not sure what I'm talking about.... read all about their weirdness on their sites).

1. I have a strange habit of always tilting my head to the left when looking at myself in the mirror. No idea why, maybe the angle is better... but instinctively will always look at myself from a slant (anyone dare to analyze that!)

2. My lips are crooked. My top and bottom lips don't line up correctly. It had gone totally unnoticed for most of my life and then was rudely pointed out to me some years ago by someone who is no longer a part of my life!! Yep, crooked lips - that's me.

3. I hate fajitas. The mere word makes me repulsed. It all stems from a story told to me by my high school friend Greg Hieb that involved too much drinking of alcohol and too many fajitas consumed. To this day... can't stomach the thought of them.

4. I can't not relax in my house with dirty dishes in the kitchen. Try as I might, the thought of dishes in the sink, just getting harder and harder to clean makes it impossible to think of anything else.

5. I have a rather morbid, dark side to me where I'm always thinking 'worst case scenarios' and then coming up with my plan of action. For example, let's say Leif goes into the gas station to pay for gas .... I will wonder ...hmmmm what would I do if I saw people enter that gas station and hold the place up at gun point... how do I react? What's my response? These types of scenarios play out in my brain numerous, NUMEROUS times throughout the day! (luckily, I don't know that last time he had to enter a gas station to pay, so I think I've got that one covered!)

So there you know a little bit about my craziness. I have to confess, I came up with these things way too quickly for normal!! Anyone else care to respond?

My View

Sister Tammy has started a 'My View' blog and wants people to post views from their front door.

Mine is not all that exciting.... however, compared to the frozen tundra of the midwest, seeing some green is a pleasing thought in January.

This is the view out our front door. Since we live in a townhome, our front door is actually along the side of our house.

Post your own view... I'm curious!

After After Photo

Now, that's a little more like it.
There are still some really short junks missing on the side, but we'll have to just wait that out.
She does look pretty cute still - and she vows never, ever to do that again.

After Photo

Can you see what is wrong with this picture?


If you guessed that her hair looks 4 inches shorter on one side, you would be right!
No, it's not the latest, hippest look out here in the Pacific Northwest.... it is what happens when things are a little too quiet during her scheduled 'quiet time.'

As you can see, she wasn't all that happy about the results of her make-over either... so we've enlisted the help of professionals that squeezed us in this afternoon.

I guess by including this haircutting interest of hers (although its always been pretend play up until today) in our Christmas letter this year foreshadowed this particular event. I really should be more careful of what I write.

Winter Olympian 2022!!

Snowy Day

Winter Wonderland....again

Wow.. I think we've gotten more snow in Seattle area this year than in the Dakotas.... its kinda nice to get any type of weather other than rain ... and I'll gladly take cold and sunny at this point. The kids love to play in the snow - we spent about 2 hours outside this morning sledding and testing out the new skis from Farmor and Farfar. The kids both did pretty good on skis, but Christian was especially quick to figure it out. With temps to stay in the 20s for the next several days, I think we'll have a few more chances to have fun in the snow.

Starbucks run

Really.... a snow day wouldn't be complete without a walk to your local Starbucks to warm up!

Bird Feeder

Campbelle made a little bird feeder ball in school the other day and we hung it outside our dining room window. It has been a huge hit, as the kids wait by the window for some birds to eat. In the picture you can see a small bird grabbing a bite.

Just playing

Breakfast Casserole

I've served this breakfast casserole on a few different occasions and always to good reviews. Jeff Keyes asked for the recipe after our New Years brunch with their family, so here it is. Enjoy!

1 pkg regular flavor Jimmy Dean Pork sausage: cooked, crumbled and drained
10 eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups milk
2 tsp mustard
8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
6 cups cubed bread
salt and pepper
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tomato chopped
1/2 cup green onion
1/2 cup red pepper
(these last few ingredients are all optional and can be used to suit any tastes)

Preheat oven to 325F. In large mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, mustard and salt. Distribute half the bread evenly in a buttered 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with half the pepper, half cheese, half sausage and half of the optional veggies. Repeat layering again. Pour egg mixture evenly over the casserole. Bake uncovered for 55-65 minutes, or until eggs are set. (ten with foil if the top begins to brown too quickly.) This can be made the night before and is actually better when it is.

Dress Up

It appears that Christian has taken the same liking to playing dress up that Campbelle has had. At least they have no problem sharing clothes!!??!

Luluemon Manifesto

We've just recently purchased some stuff at a store called Lululemon Athletics and read their manifesto. I thought it was pretty cool, and if you are like me and have a new years resolution to get fit - some of these will probably speak to you.

* Drink FRESH water and as much water as you can. Water flushes unwanted toxins and keeps your brain sharp.
* Observe a plant before and after watering and relate the benefits to your body and brain.
* Coke, Pepsi and all other pops will be known as the cigarettes of the future. Colas are NOT a substitute for water. Colas are just another cheap drug made to look great by advertising.
* Be yoga. Breathing has you live in the moment and stretching releases toxins from your muscles.
* Do yoga so you can remain active in physical sports as you age.
* Listen, listen, listen, and then ask strategic questions.
* SWEAT once a day to regenerate your skin.
* Compliments from the heart elevate another person’s spirit and will often result in an encouraging word for someone else ... a domino effect.
# Your outlook on life is a direct reflection of how much you like yourself.
# Life is full of setbacks. Success is determined by how you handle setbacks.
# Write down your short and long term GOALS four times a year. 2 personal, 2 business and one health goal. A university found only 3 percent of the students had written goals. 20 years later, the same 3 percent were wealthier than the other 97% combined.
# You ALWAYS have choice and the conscious brain can only hold one thought at a time. Choose a positive thought.
# Communication is COMPLICATED. Each person is raised in a different family with a different definition of each word.
# Love.
# Jealousy works the opposite way you want it to.
# Nature wants us to be mediocre because we have a greater chance to survive and reproduce. Mediocre is as close to the bottom as it is to the top. Be creative. Do one thing a day that scares you.
# Take various vitamins. You never know what small mineral can eliminate the bottleneck to everlasting health.
# Dance, sing, floss and travel.
# Do not use cleaning chemicals on your kitchen counters. Try vinegar and lemon. Someone will inevitably make a sandwich on your counter.
# Just like you did not know what an orgasm was before you had one, nature does not let you know how great children are until you have them. Children are the orgasm of life.
# Friends are more important than money. Don’t trust that an old age pension will be sufficient.
# Live near the ocean and inhale the pure salt air that flows over the water. Vancouver will do nicely. Stress is related to 99% of all illnesses.
# One hour of aerobic exercise will release endorphins to regenerate cells and offset stress.
# A daily hit of athletic induced endorphins will give you the power to make better decisions and help you be at peace with yourself.
# Wake up and realize you are surrounded by amazing friends.
# Do it now. The world is changing AT SUCH A RAPID rate that waiting to implement changes will leave you two steps behind. DO IT NOW, DO IT NOW!

Book List

My sister Tammy tagged me on this list a while ago - I was in Norway and not keeping up on my blog, but couldn't wait to do this mem when I got home. I've had a long awhile to think about my books... here it goes. (Anyone else, feel free to answer these same book questions)

Books that changed my life:
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. My dear friend Kelly Bates gave me this book stating that everyone should read this book in their lifetime… and I would agree. It is basically a little fable about following your dreams and listening to your heart.

Books that I reread:
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I read this book first in 8^th grade and can not even count how many times I’ve reread it (I used it in my English classes that I taught as well). No matter the time period, this speaks to all times and all generations. It was just recently voted my librarians across the country as the best novel of the 20^th century. Harper Lee… where did you go?

One book I would have with me on a stranded island:
I would hope to have a big fat book with me on a stranded island. I love reading, but I’m not a fast reader by any means, so hopefully I’d have something that would last me until I was rescued. I would want a book called Kristian Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset, which is a Norwegian epic tale that follows a very passionate and willful woman in Viking Norway. It comes in at 1298 pages… and my mother in law has given me the book in Norwegian – so perhaps I would want that one with me as well… and I could flip back and forth between the two versions…. reading to learn Norwegian would keep me occupied for a while.

One book that makes me cry:
I’ve been known to cry at a book or two…. Leif has become very used to seeing me in bed, almost sobbing, I just hold up the book and he shakes his head and walks out… so here is my most recent tear jerker:
My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult
Maybe it hit me harder because I’m a parent… or because I’m a sister… or maybe just because I have a heart. But the story examines what it means to be good at those things – a parent, a sister, a person. Is it morally correct to do whatever it takes to save a child’s life, even if that means infringing upon the rights of another? I couldn’t stop putting my self and my kids into the situation… and I seriously could hardly stop crying the last few chapters.

One book that I wish I wrote:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling. I love her rags to riches story… to think she was writing that first book while her and her child were staying in a homeless shelter and now look at her success. But on top of that, how amazing to know that you’ve influenced so many children to pick up a book and read. She has totally opened the world of books to millions! Incredible.

One book that I wish I’d never read:
Ok, this is a harsh one… and I generally have a rule of 100…. I give a book 100 pages and if I’m not fully ‘entertained’ it’s gone. So I never finish a book I don’t like. I’ve read some really peculiar books (mostly in my Literature classes in college) that I would never recommend – so I’m changing the topic. Don’t bother reading:
Ulysses by James Joyce (I know, a classic) but dear god, what is going on?!?! I’m not crazy about reading such demanding novels, even if it is “the most important contribution made to fictional literature in the 20^th century.” YIKES
Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne – strange and endlessly complex. DOUBLE YIKES!!

One book I’m reading now:
I’m just finishing up The March by Geraldine Brooks. It is a story from the point of view of the absent father in Louisa May Alcott’s book Little Women. I love that classic, so it’s been interested to think of his side. Set during the Civil War, it’s a good book filled with the ache of love and marriage and with the power of war upon the mind and heart of an unforgettable man. It won the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction – which I try to read the winner of that award each year.

One book I’m planning to read:
I have so, so many. If only I was a faster reader. These are my next two books in my cue:
The Empress – by Shan Sa. A historical novel of one of China’s most controversial historical figures: its first and only female emperor, Empress Wu, who emerged in the Tang Dynasty and ushered in a golden age.
The Boleyn Inheritance – by Philippa Gregory. Philippa Gregory is a master at historical fiction and I’ve read most of what she’s written. This one is a follow up book to The Other Boleyn Girl and returns to Henry VIII’s court (after Anne is executed)and is narrated by the three remaining women vying to be the next Queen.
I love historical novels… can you tell

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! We celebrated the New Years with our good friends the Hardwicks. It was a fun night. Pat treated us to some excellant martinis and we did raclette for our food.

Sydney made it to midnight, while all the other kids crashed by around 9:00. Way to go girl!








She was toasting in the New Year (with milk of course) as chipper and wide awake as ever, in fact she was more awake then Leif! (ha ha , long and not so funny story!!)

We hope 2007 brings all of you peace and joy!

Scooter Crazy

The kids have been testing out their new scooters over the weekend. They are really quite good at it. Christian likes to go especially fast.