Tub buddies

Today, NOT sunny.

Yesterday it was sunny...

Moscow flooding. Ron n Bon's House

Moscow flood... Rob n Bons house

Taking a walk on the trail with my little men

One more for the Grandmas

Karsten Arthur Holloway... Almost 8 months.

For the Grandmas...

Karsten loves you!

Signe's love note to dad... 2

Signe's love note to dad... 1

Failure to launch...

Thought this was an interesting article about how men are failing to be men.

http://www.baylyblog.com/2012/03/the-lost-boys-of-america.html#more

For what it's worth...

Gunnar talks about Grandma n Grandpa's, part 1 second try.

Gunnar talks about Grandma n Grandpa's, part 2.

Lightning from my plane window... Attempt #2 to post.

Bottle rocket races

Signe won!!
They were having special outer space activities this morning, and the kids made "craters" and we watched our solar system inside the planetarium dome, which was very cool. Signe got to see many of the planets and constellations she studied earlier in school. Now we're home and I'm dreaming of a nap. Not likely, I know.

St. Patrick's Day Slime

So I was either feeling brave or foolhardy this morning, but I wanted to be somewhere other than stuck at home the last day of Spring Break while it dumped slushy buckets of rain outside. So I took all 4 kids to Pullman's Discovery Center. We survived and even had fun, although there was a few dicey moments with Zane (he's always the wild card). Here S and G mixed blue and yellow to make green.

I am NOT happy and I am NOT going to sleep

It was a long night last night with not much sleep for Mommy. Perfectly timed, of course, to when Daddy is out if town.

Snuggling with Karsten to keep warm

Mr. Intensity wants to win

Signe probably came in last...

They had a "race" on their "steeds"

My big kid and 3 little kids...

playing at the park. After weeks of being housebound with mostly dreary snowy weather and bouts of stomach bugs and fever misery, it was wonderful to "get out". Nick took the day off and we drove to Lewiston, spending most of our time at Home Depot and Costco. We ended up at the park and enjoyed the brisk 45 degree weather, which still beats the snow we left on the ground in Moscow this morning. Nice family time before Nick flies to Philadelphia tomorrow for a quick 2-day trip.

Signe in a blue dress

Lookout world!

The kids new fort.

Zane actually started snoring up there.

Guess who fell asleep on my shoulders at the hardware store?

7 months old and we're off! Kind of.

Karsten can barely sit up without toppling over, but that isn't slowing him down. He loves to pull up and is making rudimentary attempts at cruising, even though his lack of coordination has lead to some spectacular crashes. But I have to say, after a good sobfest he scoots over to the same site and tries again. And he is gradually learning how to fall down more gracefully. He also hasn't figured out the traditional crawling method, but he gets around pretty well with a belly motion that looks like he's swimming the butterfly around the floor.

Hiding your sin... in church?

"When people come to our church 'for the liturgy' I think I will begin asking how frequently they use porn, yell at their wife, or tell lies."  Pastor Toby Sumpter


I've heard myself and others say, "I go to X church for the good preaching.  I go to Y church for the great worship band.  I go to Z church for the beautiful service."  If you aren't going to church to see sin uncovered & slain and know Christ & worship God, then why go?  


"If we do not know God, then we will eventually find ourselves bowing down to pictures or statues that one of us made."  Pastor Doug Wilson.  Those pictures or statues could be porn or even a wonderful "worship service".  Both can hide and be sin.  And God will eventually destroy and dismantle those things, be it your porn habit or your happy, self-centered worship service. 

Sad Signe with a busted chin.

How Zane eats pizza. Weird.

Our brave girl Signe

Signe went to a pool party at University of Idaho for a classmate's birthday. Hit the side of the pool. Cried only a little. Looks like stitches for love-nut.

Well, that was fun

Karsten seemed quite pleased with himself before the official cleanup began.

...cuz I would love a long hot bath

Karsten apparently didn't think much of his breakfast. Since I was holding him by my shoulder his expert aim was also directed down the inside of my shirt. Notice his right arm. Nicely done, son.

Do they still make Calgon?

I found this in baby's room this morning. It looks like the dog was looking for a chew toy, but I know Tikki gave up such antics years ago. Z has been getting up ridiculously early with the sunrise. This morning instead of waking up his siblings or me (maybe their annoyance is finally registering with him), he apparently wandered the house. I meant to file these old tax forms away, but he got there first. Somehow he didn't wake up baby. Later I found pen marks all over our brand new window sills. Not major, it gets better...

What a week

So, apparently the nasty cough all the kids had recently is RSV, which can hit the under-2 crowd especially hard. Bon and Rob have been in the hospital with Jerome (16 months) since Monday. He has had a fever and congestion that makes it hard to breathe. All three are exhausted, especially Bonnie who holds him pretty much the entire time. He needs to get his oxygen levels up to a certain level while sleeping (when his breathing is extra labored) before they can go home. I just talked to my sister, and while Jerome's fever has receded they still don't know when he can be released.

That means we've kept a close eye on Karsten. He is a fountain of snot and threw up a large dinner of sweet potatoes all over my boots last night, but maintains a crooked grin through it all. Until I wipe his nose. He hates that.

On a lighter note, the older Sentz kids are staying at different houses and we've had Ransom for a couple days. As usual the cousins are in playing paradise. But after preschool yesterday Gunnar threw up twice and was a blob the rest of the day. This morning he ate a big breakfast, but retreated to his bed and bibi afterwards. Zane, however, was in heaven having Ransom all to himself. No competing for attention or annoying the older boys by inserting himself in the middle of their projects. He excitedly ran down the hall yelling "Let's go, Ransom!! Let's play!!".

They were doing great until Gunnar decided to rouse himself and join the land of the living too. Z was so upset to see his brother up that he screamed and hurled a bag of blocks at his head. I had to work hard to not let him see me laughing while I disciplined him. G and R are actually pretty tolerant of him, but this morning I am trying to help Zane understand that they won't let him join in if he keeps screaming at perceived toy-stealing, or knocks down their block towers. Hard lessons indeed for a 2-year-old.

This is a picture of one of their moments of peaceful collaboration this morning.