Cake Decorating

This Veteran's Day was spent fulfilling one of Will's dreams- decorating a cake "the cool way." For his birthday in August, he really wanted to build a cake of his own. We just can't do that in the trailer for several reasons, the least of which would be lack of oven/counter space. Our friend Cori happens to love to decorate cakes "the cool way" too, and offered to have Will come over and have a go at it. It was fun!
Will deciding on a theme for his cake- we had to rule out a four foot high building at the start. He decided on an ocean theme with blue water and sea creatures. Then, it was time to color the fondant. This is where Will left and Kacy stepped in. Will didn't want to get his hands blue. Kacy didn't mind coloring fondant, and she started hers with pink. The fondant Cori makes (herself!) is marshmallow based. (It was already made, so I don't know how to do it myself. She might share the recipe under an oath of silence on my part... I haven't asked her yet. I am curious though, and if Will is going to keep up with his dream of being a train driver and cake decorator, we'll have to learn!)
Will came back for the last part of it. He liked piping the dots on (not pictured- the dots came last!) He was so happy with the cake. Although, in true Will fashion, he said it would've been cooler if it had been a city "this tall!" (Think four feet in height.)
Thanks Cori and family for having us over and sharing a talent! It made our day go by faster, and my kids had a great time. They now (especially Ed, who is fascinated with driving directions) also point out the general direction of your house and ask if you are home when we drive by.

The Highs and Lows of Today

Low: Ed throwing a fit on the way out the door early this morning.

High: Working in Kacy and Will's classrooms.

Low: Finding out Will got a detention yesterday for not listening to his teacher after 3 times of being told to put his toothbrush timer away. He lied, he was sneaky, and he got caught. (I knew he got a detention yesterday when Kacy told me. Will couldn't remember why.) I was not amused.

High: Walking from Kacy's classroom to Will's classroom and seeing a cattle drive on the Hwy. Hundreds of cattle, real cowboys, and lots of mooing right next to the school fence. Cows make me happy- I'm not sure why. (Cheese?) Oh- and get this: Kacy's class is learning about bears. ALL about bears. She came home yesterday with a "bear bracelet." I thought she was being silly, but it turns out they really did make bear bracelets. They have jingle bells on them.

High: Pizza for lunch at our Primary Presidency meeting.

High: Seeing Ryan for the first time since Friday morning. (Yes, he still lives here- he's just been really busy and working afternoons. And if I go anywhere in the mornings, then we don't see each other that day.)

Low: Will having a meltdown about not getting any pizza. It was bad. I needed a time-out.

High: Healthy dinner for me- steamed broccoli, tuna, and melted cheese (Light on the cheese.) It's surprisingly good. No, really. All mixed up together.

Low: It went like this: Me: "Ed, stop jumping." 30 seconds later, "ED! Stop jumping around. Sit down if you are going to watch TV or go in your room and play with toys!" 10 seconds after that, "ED! Stop jum..." and then I go and get an ice pack because he jumped, slipped, and hit the corner of his FACE on the corner of the TV STAND. (Which reminds me, I need to locate my first aid kit and stock up. I think it's out at the house. We had some boo-boos that needed some band-aids. I think it would be funny to go get some Little Mermaid band-aids and put them out at the house.)

High: I'm hoping bedtime is a high. I'm a little tired, and my kids are trying to kill me. Death by insanity. If Ed doesn't get what he wants, he starts saying things like, "It's not my fault. It's not fair!" even if it's out of context. Will has been giving a lot of stubborn attitude to me, being very insistent to try and get his way. My boys are definitely trying to kill me. The girls just want their toenails painted. Here's to a new start tomorrow. If we don't have any meltdowns before 8am, I'll be happy.

Fireplaces

This is a picture of our old living room. (It's not a great picture- sorry.) Ryan remodeled the fireplace. When we first moved in, it was used brick with a black grout. It also was smaller in width and had a faux brick chimney facade that went up the wall. Ryan took it down and built the wall arch thing, re-bricked the fireplace, and made the mantle. It made a big difference in the way the room worked. It made no difference in the way the fireplace worked- it still sucked all the warm air up and out of the chimney. It made for great ambiance, but had no heat value.
This is the fireplace insert we bought. Not the stone facade. The iron part you see, and the whole box part you can't see. It's a Napolean XZ3000. It's EPA certified as being clean and efficient. It can be ducted and heat an entire house. We have gone back and forth about what we are going to do for the rock/brick work, and we decided that we both really liked our old fireplace so much that we are going to duplicate the brick work and arch. We will even put the old shot gun up there. The picture of George Washington will have to be moved to a different spot, as our new ceilings are ten feet high, and our old living room had vaulted ceilings.

We got hung up on some legal technicalities with Title 24 calculations. We wanted to use this fireplace as our main source of heating, and we are putting in evaporative coolers instead of A/C (our climate is perfect for this), and we upped our insulation. All of that has to be recalculated so that the great state of California knows we meet a certain energy usage standard. It passed, but before we could finish the roof completely, we needed to know how many vent jacks we needed. Now that our ideas are stamped with approval (we are going to be a really energy efficient house) we can proceed!

And as for a finish date, we have talked and talked (and talked) about it, and we both want it done as fast as possible, but we also want it done right. We don't want to move and and in 10 years say "I wish we would have done this or this." Will it matter in 20 or 40 years that we stayed in the trailer for an extra few months? It won't. And as tedious and it is to live in the trailer (clothes storage just kills me), I don't want to be in this house for the rest of my life and always think "if only I could have lasted four more months." What's four months compared to 50+years? The next three months should be interesting in house progress. The outside will be finished, and the electrical and plumbing should be done. Then HVAC, insulation, drywall, plaster, flooring, cabinets... the list is really long. It's so long, if I think about it too long it makes my head hurt.

It's going to be a long winer...

It's only 6pm and we've eaten dinner and had ice cream and are looking to bathe the wonderful fun dirt off the kids... and it feels like all of that should have been done a long time ago!

Tapping my fingers until it's bedtime...

Veteran's Day Program

Our school puts on a Veteran's Day program. I missed last year, but was able to go this year. It was neat- the kids all seemed to enjoy it, and the invited Veteran's did too. (My pictures were terrible- I took my zoom lens, and the lighting was terrible. I tried to fix them as best I could- and maybe no more sitting in the back of the gym.)
Kacy and some of the other first graders. They sang two songs about peace. I didn't know the songs, except that the words were set to familiar tunes.
The Kindergarten and second grade classes. They tie-dyed tee shirts. I bet if I had washed Will's shirt first, it would have turned out better. He wanted an all red shirt, and it turned out pink. He loves it.
They sang and signed "God Bless America" and "Oh Beautiful."
At the end the Eighth graders (and I think some third graders?) sang a popular song that I can't remember. (I remember now- "Proud To Be An American") The kids started waving their flags. They passed out little flowers to the Veteran's in attendance.

I had a good time- I sat with some friends from church, and got to watch lots of the kids from our Primary perform.

This Picture Could Have a Few Captions

Like: The time change is rough on Jessie.
or
Look Mom! I put myself to sleep!
or
What was in that sippy cup? The last thing I remember was reading my ABC book...

Awards Assembly

I got a note home from Will's teacher yesterday, and a phone call from Kacy's teacher, each stating that the kids were getting an award at the assembly today. Excellent! Of course I was really excited, because I'm a school nerd. I love school. It makes me happy to be at school. (I wonder why? Seriously, now I'll have to analyze this aspect of my personality.) Here's what they were and what their teachers said about them.
Kacy got Student of the Month, I think. Her teacher said that Kacy could run the classroom all by herself. She's not bossy, but is a big help to substitutes that come in with how the routines are run. She said that Kacy has a large and interesting vocabulary and is interested in words. She and the little girl next to her, J, took the STAR test for the Accelerated Reader program and both of them scored in the 1.7-2.7 grade level. She also said that Kacy is kind to others and helps them with their work. (On the reading thing, I found out Kacy could read for reals on two separate occasions. Two? Yup, I'm a little slow sometimes. One, when we went to the library last month and she picked out a book and knew 75% of the words. Then at church when she got her speaking part for the program, she started reading it to me and knew almost all the words except achieve, attending, and participating. It was a jaw dropping moment. I can't wait until we can read books at the same time! Harry Potter here we come! *in a year or so*)
Will got the Most Improved award. His teacher said that at the beginning of the year he hated coloring and writing and would say things like "I can't" and "It's too hard." But now he loves coloring and is very meticulous in his work. He stays focused on getting all his work done neatly. He also has excellent citizenship, following classroom rules and being kind to others. (I almost cried. I was so worried about his emotional immaturity when he started school. Of course, I almost cried when the cute girl in the stripy sweatshirt got an award for Student of the Month. She can read already. Her parents have been making a word book for her since she was little- way to go parents!) She said she can always count on Will for being trustworthy and honest. On a side note, when I went to his class yesterday, the teacher's aide told me that when it was her birthday last month, that after they sang to her, Will came up to her and told her that the next time he had a birthday and got birthday money, he would give some to her for her present. I am so pleased with Will because he has improved his fine motor skills SO MUCH and has taken an interest in school.

My other two side kicks were well behaved during the event. I am so happy with that- could life possible be getting less stressful because Ed sat/stood/lay down on the floor next to me the whole time without exiting the room, or running around the room? Wow. I'm still astonished. Ed and Jessie LOVE going to the school because Karen in the office always stamps their hands. They love those stamps!

Dirty Kids are my Favorite!

Will is actually pretty clean here. I think that's a little blood on his face. I didn't ask what happened because he was especially "sensitive" today.
Kacy is making sure all parts of her get dirty from the slide. We can't forget the front!
How can you not snuggle with a face like this, crusty snot and all? Her shirt was especially gross. I have no idea what some of the stains even are.
And last but not least, Pig Pen. He rolls in the dirt. And if he can't roll in it, he throws it up in the air like it's raining dirt.

After each bath tonight, the water was so murky that you couldn't see the bottom of the bath tub.

If dirt is an indicator of fun for us mountain folks, my kids had the best day ever!

Clothespins with a 50mm f/1.8

There are times when you want shots like this. I'm sure very creative people could do loads of things with a lens like this. Me? I took this shot of my clothespins to practice with the depth of field aspect of it. I like this lens. I also really like my new zoom lens. This lens is people and low light friendly, so I think it'll be my indoor lens for sure. (I think for sure... I should just make up my mind already!) I'm not a fan of the flash- all my flashy pics is what made me want to learn to use the manual mode on my camera. I now shoot 98% of my pictures in full manual mode (with autofocus!). The other two percent is because I'm in a big hurry.
Same picture done up in PSE. My pal Cori suggested making a print of my hanging laundry and putting it in my laundry room when I get one. Well, I might do just that, and add this to my collection.

Airing Our Dirty Laundry

Not really... it's all cleaned. My dryer broke. I'm pretty sure it's the ignitor thingie. But the dilemma is this: do we order the part and fix it? Do we just wait until the house is done because we were going to get new ones anyway? Does Ryan take the time to fix this dryer, or work on the house? I vote house, so I engineered this clothesline. Poorly. Designing and engineering are not my strong points by any means. The non-stretch line I used... stretched. I think I've got it figured out since this picture was taken last week.

Guess what? I like using a clothes line. Here's why: the pants dry all straight and stiff- no weird wrinkles and no ironing. I can't let the clothes sit in the dryer all day forgotten. Whites are actually white. I like being outside with a purpose- it's almost cheerful. Not to mention the fact that the energy is free. I'm saving money on propane!

There are two drawbacks to a clothesline- stiff socks and board-like towels. Those are a little funky and could use a good fluff cycle. But other than that, I like it!

(Ryan thinks it's so weird that I put it over the flowers. I told him it's because I'm used to having to stack things in order to save space. I actually thought the clothes would drip water onto the flowers... but the clothes are spun dry really well!)

Ed Quote of the Day

Yesterday in church, Bishop Stewart was talking and said "The Garden of Gethsemane" and Ed leans over to me and whispers in an awestruck voice, "Did he just say the green triangle of destiny?"

It's all about the White Balance

Well, it's not ALL about the white balance, but in the shots I took yesterday, they are improved with a post processing white balance thingie. I use Photoshop Elements 7, and with that program I adjusted "levels." That's the only adjustment so far- and mainly because I don't know how to adjust the WB on my camera BEFORE I take a picture. My goal is to learn enough so that I don't need PSE. It'll take awhile. Here are some before and afters.
Before- a little dark, and Ryan said all the pictures looked a little dingy. He's right.
After
Before
After
Before
After
Before
After- on Kacy's I let the program do it automatically. Now that I see them side-by-side, I may go back and do it manually. I'm not sure I like it. Oh well!

Happy Halloween!

The hula girls and the Army guys. Yes, this is the BEST group picture I have. And, YES, Ed is trying to ride his pumpkin like a horse. And YES, Ed laughed the evil belly laugh (think, "HAA HAA HAA HAA HAA") for the entire first 10 minutes of the Trunk or Treat.
Eating hot dogs and chips.
I think Ed skipped the hot dogs and just had some cupcakes.
Jessie in her hula skirt- so cute! She loves to do everything Kacy does. She wants to be a part of everything. She didn't get much candy because she was a little scared of the costumes. But she loved picking out a laie (spelling!) to wear, and loved her grass skirt.

After 20 minutes, Ed, who is still not sick (not), claimed "Hey Mom! I have lots of candy. We can go now!"

I love the trunk or treat because I can let my kids "go" without me, and not worry too much about where they are. We have a small group that does it, so it's very manageable for the age of my kids. I don't like the trunk or treat because I'm a total dud when it comes to decorating my car. I keep thinking, "When we have a house and I have a place to store things, I'll start collecting holiday stuff." Because I am going to have an awesome attic walk-in storage place. But part of me says I'm a lazy fuddy-duddy. This year I set up a ball toss- the kids had to throw a ball into one of the glowing pumpkins before they got candy. They seemed to enjoy it.

Now, it's time to sugar detox and get ready for Christmas! (Really? Am I ever ready for Christmas? Do I ever really sugar detox? I must ponder my life's purpose in these areas. That may just be the sugar talking. Yup. I'm delirious. Tomorrow's gonna be rough.)

Photo Shoot- Unedited Pics-There's Lots!

My composition is just a teeny bit off. A little cropping might do the trick.
The kids were given feelings to show. Kacy shouted out "Scared!" and this is what we got.

"Surprised!"
I think Kacy said "Chicken!" I had to explain to her that was not an emotion, but rather, an animal. She said, "I know. I just wanted to see what he'd do."



This reminds me of a teen magazine or something. Her idea.



Itchy nose. She was not exactly keen on having her picture taken.

See? Will took her sippy cup away for about 2 seconds.


Cheese! And, "I'm not sick Mom!"
Cropping is in order.
Blurry. Too bad- this could've been a keeper.

"Ed! Where are you going?"

It was fun to play with my kids and camera. When someone gets me an X-Large Diet Pepsi and a bag full of Milky Way bars, I'll attempt a group shot. This week I'll play with editing some of them to see if I can crop my way to the perfect picture, or fix the exposure a little. (Don't worry Grandmas, now that I have a good one of all four, I'll be ordering some. The ones on here are low resolution, which means they'll most likely be blurry if you order prints.)

A quick story about Kacy and being scared.

I was reading on Facebook about a friend who is having a Harry Potter marathon with her kids today because it's Halloween. I can't wait to do that, but I'll have to wait a long time. My kids get scared really easily, especially Kacy. It reminded me of an incident...

Last month, the younger kids got to watch "Finding Nemo" at school if they were "Zero Heroes" (a non-detention earner). Kacy ended up crying and being stressed out and scared at the beginning and was sent to the office so she didn't have to watch it. She said she was hanging out with the office ladies, and then noticed that some books were messy, so she cleaned up. Apparently, she organized all their books in the front area, and they gave her a new pencil and eraser. (This, from the girl who is saving money for a three ring binder with sheet protectors and tab dividers. Between her and Jessie, my home should be running smoothly in no time! Jessie likes to clean, Kacy likes organized paperwork... the boys may need a tent outside.)

Will watched the same movie and he said it was cool. Go figure.

Preschool News

Last Thursday I received a phone call (on my cell phone while driving home from Bakersfield!) from the principal at the kids' school. She received a letter stating that we made the cut for a grant for the preschool! It's unofficially official- the grant committee recommended the project and 99% of the time those are the projects awarded. This is so great, and exciting, and "wow, there is a lot of work to be done." Now our little community will have a full day (if needed) preschool/daycare, with bus transportation available (on a regular school schedule). It is not district specific (the bus rides would be). AND, it won't be limited to low income families. There will be a sliding scale fee for those who don't qualify for state assistance. Without getting too technical about the financials, it'll be great! I'm going to start plugging away at the licensing requirements now so we aren't rushed later. When she called me, I was SO happy because I had just picked Ed up from PreK, and everytime I do that, I think about how much the kids in our area could use something like this. I'm not an advocate of taking kids away from their parents for a full day (for whatever reason), but having the option of sending your 4 (and maybe 3) year olds to school for mornings, or a school day, or a full day for working parents. And, it'll be high quality- because... well because it will be.

Sick Kids!

Will was officially sick from Thursday night until present. Well, he feels better, and is medicated, has no fever, but still sounds like he might hack up a lung. We'll see how that goes.

Kacy has had a cough for over a week. She doesn't have a fever, and the doctor said her cough is triggered by post nasal drip. Gross.

Jessie got sick Sunday night. She's on antibiotics. Her fever is now mild- she and Will have bronchitis.

Ed is so ornery, I didn't think he'd get anything. He spent the better part of yesterday jumping (literally) all over the furniture. Today he woke up with a fever and nasty lungs. I can hear him when he breathes, and I wish he'd just clear his throat. Except that he can't. For today, I'm looking forward to a quiet Ed.

Ryan is sick. I wonder if he'll go to the doctor- men in general tend not to take care of themselves that way. They don't want to take the time, they don't like to admit they are sick, or they hate the doctor. Pick a reason, any reason. The question is, how to get him to go so he doesn't drag it out (especially if it's what the kids have). No reason to give it to me...

Me- I'm relatively healthy! Crossing fingers and hoping for the best- bronchitis is my arch nemesis as it activates my mostly dormant asthma and almost always requires a trip to the doctor and a breathing treatment, which makes me high. I hate breathing treatments.

I have a great Urgent Care Center I love in Bakersfield. It's called Sendas NW Urgent Care. I have emailed them asking them to consider opening a facility up here where I live. Our health care options up here are ridiculous. Two Clinica Sierra Vistas (with a "we can see you in two weeks" when you are sick today...) and an ER that if it doesn't kill you will charge you a fortune before sending you to Bakersfield. And really, it's an ER, and I hate it when people with the flu go to an ER. Up here it's our only option... but generally, ER's should be reserved for emergencies. Not that I'd take my emergencies up here. I'd drive like a mad woman to Bakersfield or Ridgecrest first.

So, my next project is to talk to the owners of the Urgent Care and convince them there is a market up here. It sure would be nice...

Ed, a Finger Trap, + more

We like to eat at Taco Bell. We like to get drinks with our meal. We almost always eat in the car. Without fail, Ed drinks his drink, takes out his straw, and then yells, "Ow, ow, ow, Mom! I'm stuck! It hurts!" The problem is that he sticks his finger in the straw hole. Once it's in, it's difficult to take out without getting little cuts. Try it. It hurts.
On Sunday we all took naps, and he was the first one awake. He came into our room, and Ryan mumbled to him, "Go back to bed." I got up anyway and came downstairs. Ed came up to me and says, "Mom? I have a wittle, wittle, small pwobwem."
"What is it?" (I was cracking up!)
"Well, I have to go potty, but Dad said to go to bed!"

He also does this weird thing where he sniffs a couple of times and says, "Hey, Mom! I smell something! I smell...*sniff*... HOT DOGS!" Regardless of where we are or what it really smells like, he smells hot dogs.

So you had a bad day...

Jessie had a short nap yesterday, and therefore had a rough afternoon.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

We had parent-teacher conferences this Wednesday. I had to take all the kids with me, as Ryan was working. Last year, that was a disaster. This year went much better, in part because I went in the middle of the session, and in part because the principal sat with the kids for a little while. Ed was very active, but at least he stayed in the cafeteria. Afterwards I let them play on the play ground. You have not lived until you have seen Ed play tether ball by himself. I'm still laughing. Here are the results of the conference:
Kacy's teachers started the conversation by saying that the only reason they come to work is so there is an adult in the classroom. They said she is very helpful, knows what she needs to know, and says interesting things. (This could go two ways...) Like, "My Dad used to be a cowboy. But he had to quit when he married Mom." Both Ms. O and Mrs. C (from Kindergarten) wanted to know why he had to quit. (For the record, he quit before we got married and was getting out of it when we were dating because being a cowboy doesn't exactly pay well. Unless you happen to own a ranch. Which he didn't.) Her progress report had the following comments: "Kacy is making excellent progress in all academic areas. She is like a sponge...absorbing everything we talk about. Kacy likes to help other and likes to be a leader. She is well behaved and is excited about learning something new everyday. Keep up the good work!"
Today Will is sick, and I think it kind of shows in this picture. His eyes look tired. Anyway, Will's teacher was very thorough and went through all his tests with me. He missed one on his math test, and exceeded expectations for the reading/writing test. I told her I was thrilled (yes, THRILLED!) that he comes home and asks for a pencil and paper to write with because he has never been interested. His comments on his progress report says, "Will is a joy to have in class. He is very sensitive and I have to make sure that he always gets his chance to voice his answer or he gets his feelings hurt. he is very patient waiting for me to call on him and always lets me know with his eyes when i have forgotten to offer him a turn. I can really appreciate this about him because he keeps me on my toes to make sure that everyone is recognized and that their opinion and input is important. Thank you, Will!" In other words, his eyes fill with tears. And doesn't she sound like THE Kindergarten teacher? She's good. She's the picture of Kindergarten, except she doesn't wear wooden holiday earrings or jumpers.
The report from preschool and myself concerning Ed is the following: Improvement at preschool! Three weeks in a row of him going without a fit. He LIKES it now. Two weeks of him falling asleep on his cot during nap time. This is great news! He kind of has had attachment issues with me- for as tough as he is, he loves his mom and wants to be with her always! So this experience has been great so far. Too bad it's in Bako and 70+miles away. He was horrible on Sunday at church, but has been pretty good. When he's not a butthead, he's SO FUNNY! Yesterday morning he was taking off his pajama shirt and got it stuck around his head. He says, "Uh, Mom? A little help here." In the car he asked me if we could do a "power."
"A power?"
"Ya! Like dad does!"
He was talking about a power slide. That a fun thing that Ryan knows how to do involving the parking brake and throwing the back end of the car all willy-nilly. The kids LOVE it.
Jessie is just a good kid. She gave me a hard time in church on Sunday, too. I will never bring mini marshmallows to church again. She has a new found love of cheese. Almost an obsession. She likes to go grocery shopping, and loves to give the kids hugs when they get off the bus. Yesterday she scolded Ed, pointing her finger and saying, " N0-no, Eh." She also does this this lip thing looks like her aunt Kendra. She likes to cuddle with me, and is her dad's biggest fan.

As for the parents- we are hanging in there, doing the best we know how. Ryan is busy with too many projects. A few of those should pass soon, though. We are now giving no date to have the house done. It'll be done when it gets done... we go between two train of thoughts, and variants on those trains. One, is to get the house done fast and move in. The other, is get the house done right, even if it takes a few more months. You can get right and fast together, but it costs more money than we have. Because we'd have to hire people. People are expensive. So, we plug along. And we try to enjoy the process. Some days are definitely more enjoyable than others. But the overall feeling is good, and that's what important. Life is good, and when the house is done, it'll be worth the wait. (Because we are NOT moving into it until it is all the way finished. It's too hard to work on a house when you live in it.)

Camera Stuff

Ryan looks like a mad scientist! Today he got a call from cousin David about a "good deal on Craigslist" for some camera stuff. It mentioned a medium format camera. Ryan and Jimmy are interested in these types of cameras, so Ryan goes and checks it out. He offers the guy $200 dollars for a Mamiya medium format camera, an enlarger, some cases, a tripod dolly and what looks to be this camera. He gets it home, looks it all over, and then does some research on the Internet. The tripod dolly alone is worth $250.00. This large format camera (hey non-camera people- it doesn't take any batteries, and the film is like 4inches by 5inches. Crazy! And you basically have to know how to develop it yourself... good thing Ryan knows!) came with the lens... the lens is worth $3500.00. Not that we'll part with it... Ryan has always mentioned he'd like to have this style of camera. He's using a towel for the hood- he needs a sweet velvet cape thing to make it all cool. It also needs a tripod designed for some weight.

In other camera news, I finally bought myself some lenses. Two- a 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 with a macro feature, and a 50mm f/1.8. I am happy with the purchase and can't wait to practice taking (and printing!) some pictures. It's a hobby I'd like to get better at. I'm no pro, by any means, and the lenses I bought are not pro level. They were fairly inexpensive as far as lenses go, which is good! We'll see what I can do. So, watch out- if I am around you, I will be wearing my camera and practicing on you. Brush your teeth, get the eye crusties out, and smile!

If you want to ruin my day...

Make me go jeans shopping.

I think I'd rather have a fingernail pulled off.

Six more pairs tried on.

Zero bought.

It would help if there was some standard sizing going on. I have a 4 size range. That's not right.

And, to make it worse, I can't decide if I should go run 10 miles or have ice-cream. And lots of it.

Today...

• is a Phineas and Ferb marathon on Disney XD leading up to the Phineas and Ferb Music Countdown... Ed and I are enjoying it! As I took out the trash, Ed informed me that he was going to build a time machine.
  
• I went on iTunes to listen to some music. For movie night we watched "Meet the Robinsons" and I like the song that Frankie the frog sings. I was listening to some Jamie Cullum, and then discovered Michael Buble (because of the Chris Isaak hour on TV), and then rekindled my love of Barenaked Ladies and Bowling For Soup. I didn't download anything new because I'm undecided... except for George Strait's new album Twang.
• I went through some hand-me-down clothes for Kacy from my friend Michelle- Kacy is going to be so excited to see the girl clothes. I'm excited because she is totally set for winter and spring... and there were enough shirts to save until summer, too!
  
• I watched Jessie chew up a banana and spit it on the ground. I was not amused, but she was.
  
• The kids are getting out of school early because the water well exploded or something this weekend. All the kids are on the middle school campus with a minimum day. I'm excited because they can come home and take a nap with everyone else. They are always so tired on Mondays. I wonder how the day went for the teachers. Out of their classrooms, none of their usual supplies... I'm sure the kids had a blast. Good thing the school is so small... with one Kindergarten class, I'm not too worried about Will getting lost. Just a little worried.
  
• The day is only half over! I wonder what the rest of the day will be like. I do know it will include naps for everyone. If it was ten degrees cooler, it would include soup! (It's 72 right now.)
  

Blehck!

I am feeling the blahs. I have a plan to fix it, but it involves a tractor, and since I don't have the guts to just go out and fire up our John Deere all by myself, I will have to convince Ryan that he absolutely NEEDS to fix my track.

Jessie has been equal parts wonderful and awful. She has been screaming at me and wanting me to hold her. I'm sure it's because of her nasty nose. But when she's not yelling at me, she is happy! She looks gross right now. Still in her jammies, hair sticking up (and to her face), and snot running out of her nose. But, it's lazy Friday! She may stay that way. I could wipe her nose, but she prefers I leave her alone. It'll stop running once it all congeals inside her nostril.

We had another earthquake last night. It was mild, but still shook the trailer. The good thing about the trailer is that it is made to go down the road- but still. I worry that if we had a big one, we might be injured by all the crap in the cupboards flying out. It is safe to say we are outgrowing this humble abode... we have lots more in the trailer now than when we first started. (Two additional children not counted!) There have been two that I have felt in less than a week. Last night's was funny- I was so tired, and was in bed, and I'm pretty sure I was almost asleep. The trailer was shaking in a direction it never does- almost diagonally. I thought, "That's weird. Another earthquake." And then I fell asleep.

Yesterday Ed and I fought over whether he could take a water gun to preschool. You can guess who had which position. Then, when we get there, he insists that I stay in the car and he takes himself in. On a positive note, Ed went in without any problems, and Jessie left without any problems. Yay! Improvement! So glad... maybe by January he'll be even better- like sitting down for his crafts and group work!

After we dropped him off, Jessie and I went shopping. I tried on 9 pairs of jeans. I bought zero pairs. They were all a disaster, except for one pair. But that one pair wasn't the style I was looking for. I currently own one pair of jeans, having finally wore my others out. I own jeans for at least five years, and I wear them all for seasons, at least three to four times a week. I get my money's worth, especially when they are free!!!! (I love hand-me-downs!) I'm not sure if it was the naivete on my part concerning my size, or if I just chose the wrong style for my body. For example, I pick up a pair of "misses" jeans that had a waist. Not high-waisted, just not "low-rise." Mid rise? Guess what? I was reminded once again that I DO NOT HAVE A WAIST. And, not only do I not have a waist, I now have hips! Blaming that one on my kids. A pair of Jr. Levi's fit alright... but they were a little tight on my knees. I don't have fat knees. But, I have claustrophobic knees. I'm a weirdo.

I hate shopping.

Except at the Goodwill, where they organize their shirts BY COLOR! That is so awesome! I wish every store did that.

Let's Add Sleep Deprivation to the Mix, Just for Kicks

Saturday night we had horrible wind. It rocked the trailer all night long. That started my lack of sleep... the kids didn't help either. Kacy has wet the bed twice in less than a week (she also came home Friday with different clothes on because she waited too long to use the bathroom...). On Friday night, Ed wet the bed, and then Jessie's diaper leaked all over the top bunk. I washed all the sheets and blankets on Saturday, and then Kacy pees on the bed that night. Ed wakes up to use the bathroom. He still needs help with the process, so that means I get up, too. Sunday night was no better, as I suffered from crazy sugar induced dreams (and a headache), as did my children. Well, not Will. He sleeps through everything. But everyone else had problems. Last night was no different- Kacy had a bad dream, Ed had to use the bathroom, then Kacy had to use the bathroom.

ANYWAY, the last three nights have been ridiculous, and I'm blaming THAT as the reason I salted dinner twice by mistake. Yuck. I salted plain white rice because I thought I forgot to salt the poached chicken that went into the enchiladas. I didn't. One or the other needs a little salt. But both? I think I dehydrated the whole family with tonight's dinner. Very disappointing.

Here's hoping for a solid 7 or 8 hours. Every woman with a kid knows that short naps strung through the night do not constitute a full night's rest.

In other news, I struck up a deal with my friend Dani. She's going to watch my kids for two and a half-ish hours while I volunteer at the kids' school. In return, I'm going to bring her family dinner for that day. I got to go today and it was great! I love to see the kids in their rooms with their friends. Most of Kacy's class remembered me and came to talk to me. Will's teacher is giving me an assignment to make a digital book. Fun! I like to help because I like to spy on my kids and see how they interact with their peers, and because I figure that an hour of me doing the mundane chores is an hour the teacher can be doing some planning. Or relaxing. A relaxed teacher is a nice teacher.

PS- Jessie started saying "Yeths" today. That's awesome, and so cute! She sometimes says it very clearly, like "yes", and sometimes she sounds like Cindy Brady with "yeth."

Simply Healthier, Revsited

So, my long neglected "Simply Healthier" blog is going to start back up again. It's mostly for selfish reasons- like it's Candy Corn season and a weather change, which for me means overindulgence and processed foods. I'm not sure why. But I don't want to gain five pounds over the next three months (or more...) so I'm going back to the blog. And, because I've heard several of my homies (Homies... is that a real word anymore?) say they'd like to lose five pounds, or fifty... maybe we could be in a group. If anything, it could be the "I don't need to lose weight but I refuse to gain weight" group.
I will be high lighting my FAVORITE podcast (you don't need an iPod to listen) and then a change a week, as in "change one habit a week and pretty soon you'll be living a healthy lifestlye." I'm anti-diet. Which might be why I've been in reasonable shape most of my life. but as I get older... it gets harder. And after having four kids in five years... it's gotten tough! But I'm not giving up.
Simply Healthier

What the Roof Looks Like

I'm SURE I could have taken a better picture. You know, like one that had better lighting, or at least didn't showcase our ugly trailer. But hey! That ugly trailer has a very cool history and only needs to be sandblasted and painted. Then, it would look like a million bucks. Or ten thousand, at least. Ryan took this trailer from a pental hitch monster and redesigned and welded it into the best goose neck trailer EVER. For us, at least.

Anyhow, our metal roof. Out metal roof is Energy Star rated. We didn't know that. It makes a huge difference in the temperature of our house, even as it is with no insulation. You can go into the attic and touch the underside of the roof, and where there is no metal roofing on the backside, it's hot to the touch. Where there is roofing, it is just warm. The back isn't all the way finished yet because the roof jacks (venting system) needs to be put in, and before that goes in, the water heaters need to put in. And before those go in, the mechanical rooms need working on... so many details.

Another Ed quote (He's full of it!)

As we are driving home from Bakersfield today, I say to Ed, " I'm so happy with you, Ed! You went to preschool without crying or throwing a fit! That's so good!"
He replies, "Don't be happy, Mom. Preschool is just stupid."
"What? It's stupid?" I had that "What the heck?!?" look on my face. Especially since he appeared to have had a great time.
"Ya, and you know the kids? They are stupid, too. The whole thing is stupid."


Being the best mom in the whole wide world (NOT!) I laughed, but so he couldn't hear me. Then I proceeded to lecture about how it's okay not to like something, but you shouldn't use the word "stupid." Even if it is.

Rat Butt, and some other randon stuff

Ed is obsessed today with "rat butt." He told me he wanted to eat some for lunch. I questioned him, asking "You want to eat 'wrapper" for lunch?" (That's what is kinda of sounded like, and I was hoping for the best.)
"NOOOoooo. Rat butt."
"Rat-butt?"
"Yup!" And then he laughed hysterically and started dancing around singing "rat butt."

I have no idea where this came from. Probably his own twisted invention. But, I'm blaming cousin Jimmy! ;)

Right now Ed is eating popcorn, kernals and all. He wants to watch "Meet the Robinsons." I made him wait until Kacy and Will got home from school. He said he didn't want them coming home. He likes it when they are gone.

I asked Kacy how it was today with her substitute teacher. She told me that her sub didn't excuse the kids one by one to go line up for lunch, but rather row by row. I said, "Well, she's not your teacher and she will do some things her own way."
Kacy says, "That what SHE said!"
"You told the substitute that she was doing things wrong?!?"
Kacy was silent for a minute. Then she said, "Well, she was."

Will didn't want to wear a sweatshirt to school this morning, even though it was 48* ad windy. He cried. Then he went outside to walk to the bus stop and he said he needed a hooded sweatshirt because his head was cold. He cried again. He is so full of tears when he is tired!

Jessie is the first kid of mine that will repeat me when I say, "Can you say _____?" If it's a hard word, she just nods her head. Like the word "dinosaur." But other than that, she'll repeat! The rest of the kids would NEVER do that. They talked when they wanted to. The older kids think it's funny to try and get her to say words... it wouldn't surprise me if rat butt was tried out.

Turkey Vulture Festival

Today the kids and I went to the Turkey Vulture Festival. It was a great time. Here are some of the many turkey vultures we saw. The kids were very good today. A combination of factors helped, I'm sure: it was morning, they were well fed, it was outdoors, and it was a novelty. Whatever else it was, it was great!
There were many booths set up, some were vendors, others were free information the the Forest Service, the Rescue the Condors people, and others. There was a lady who came and had crafts and stories for kids. She was my favorite! The kids made these caterpillars. Even Ed and Will... ah! Will was SO GOOD. He was the boy who refused to do any craft of any type at playgroup.
From left to right: Jessie's (and mine!), Ed's (he picked the eyes), Kacy's, and Will's. I love how the eyes and antennae are all different.
The fur quiz- you got to touch the furs, read the riddle, and then lift a page up to see what animal it was! It was great. Having very tactile kids, they loved this.

Almost the perfect group shot of my kids, except someone from the group is missing...
There were a few turtles hanging around, and a big one was in this circle. The kids loved watching it. They also enjoyed looking at the snakes, too. There were a few musical acts there. Very festival-ly - guitars, Native flute playing, a bow bass, and singing around the campfire type of stuff. We recognized a Merle Haggard song.

All in all, it was a fun outing. Ryan couldn't go because he's on a campout with the YM.

Here Comes Santa Claus!

I'm already thinking about Christmas. I know what I want to do for nearly everyone on my list. That is 90% of the Christmas battle for me. I'm going for handmade this year.

Anyone know how I can make my own DSLR camera lens?

I am going to break my rule for my little family though. I'm thinking ceiling fans for the kids, and toilets for us. Light switches for stocking stuffers. Actually, I might start on room decorations to hang up in their new rooms. I think that means I have to firm up my design ideas. Yikes.

If anyone up here is interested in my ideas for my mostly handmade gifts, ask me. I can't share because I have certain individuals who read this blog who will be receiving said items. And if you have any brilliant, EASY, and fairly thrifty handmade gift ideas please share! We could work on them together.

In Honor of School Picture Day

He thought he looked cool.

Better...

She posed herself, and the pink cheetah print and fuzzy hair aside, she looks great! She said "Oh! You can even see my earring!"

She was having fun throwing straw in the air.

It could be worse... this could be a full body shot. He's wearing pink boots. And he's usually so photogenic. He's dirty, got a scraped up face and two swollen eyebrows. Yesterday he fell on his face on some wood at playgroup, and today he tripped on some diapers that someone drug out and hit his OTHER eyebrow on the wooden bed frame. But you can't really tell because of his out of control hair.

(If you are my family members reading this, I am going to actually print some of these. I need to redo the boys, but let me know if you want hard copies! I am not ordering school pictures this year. I found Kacy's from last year, untouched, uncut, and a bit expensive. So, Costco it is!)

Lazy with My Camera!

I have no new pictures. Funny how once you have a blog you feel obligated to photograph every event. I have come to terms with that obligation and kicked it lovingly out the window.

A few happenings:

• Last week Will finished all his homework on Monday. For the entire week. Because it was fun. This might never happen again, hence the documentation.
• Ed went to pre-K again, as is the Thursday custom. This time I was ready for it, and I stayed longer with him, while he kicked and screamed in my lap. As soon as the opening stuff was finished, his teacher, Miss Chrystal, said "Ed, do you want to sit up here by me?" and Ed was off and sitting next to his cute teacher and ready for me to leave. I'm beginning to think he doesn't like kids. Just a hunch. Based on observations... he's a little caveman and I'm working on him, okay?
• I got my hair cut and then I colored it too! Carrianne cut it for me, and I will forever go to her as long as she'll have me, because the girl can cut layers into my hair without it being chunky. It's a serious talent that the last four hair people I went to didn't have. I do better than they did, and that's not very encouraging. She did great. I love it. It's short, for me~ shoulder length with layers. It looks a lot more healthy. My hair has changed so much, and I can only attribute it to having babies. My hair is LOTS less curly than it used to be. I''ll post pictures to prove it. But then that would mean dredging up the "ugly" years... I'll get over it. As for the color I mentioned, I used a semi-permanent brown to "warm it up" a little, and to cover a few gray hairs I have. It's a little darker than I anticipated, but not horrible. It'll fade a little after a few shampoo sessions. I wanted a color no one would outright notice, just a subtle "Did she get a tan? Or change her lip gloss?" Which only applies on Sundays, because I usually wear chapstick. But still. Now my hair matches my sisters' for sure!
  
• My Thursdays in Bakersfield aren't working out the way I had hoped. I have a list of people I need to see, and only have time to see one a week. I'll work on this. I do like being able to grocery shop in the big city to save on my food budget. And oh, I can't wait to have a house with an oven! And counter space. Here's the realization I had not too long ago. Some have suggested I get a roaster oven. They can fit a 9x13 pan in there. But then it hit me: in order to assemble ingredients into said pan, requires some prep space. So, after the pan in sitting on my counter, I have zero inches left on which to work... hence the handy dandy one pot meals and microwave goodness we currently dine on. My kids are still growing, and they are neither over or under-weight. But I do miss me some homemade cookies. And brownies. And to be able to pull a pre-assembled casserole out of the freezer and put it into an oven... heck, to be able to put food on a table! That's living high on the hog right there, and if you can do that, you are high class!
• Ryan is plugging away on the roof-still. It's almost done! The roofing, that is. Lazy with my camera, and no pictures of it! I should do that though...
• Jessie is in a big girl bed now! We took down the crib and put it in storage. I've talked to others who have a hard time with this step in their lives, but for me, it feels just right! She is now sharing a bunk with Ed. So far, so good... Ryan asked me if I was ready to train her to sleep in a bed, and I replied, "I'm still training Ed!" Because I kinda, sorta am. He's a doozy, that one. He just loves his momma. A lot. So, he's a caveman with momma-lovin' issues? Sounds worse than it is. (But sometimes it's spot on!)
• Thanks to my diligent study of all things Harry Potter, I get along swimmingly with our English neighbors. They even asked me, "You understand our accents?" and I do. They said most people get glassy eyed when they talk to them. So, when the sister who was visiting looked at my landscaping wagon and called it a "bonnie pram" I knew "spot-on" what she was talking about.
• Last one- a certain sister-in-law, who shall rename nameless (JOCELYN) made and brought over some peanut butter fudge yesterday. In my world, combining peanut butter with fudgy qualities is just PERFECT. It was heavy on the PB. L-O-V-E-D it. I'll take a vat of that and a good book and be in heaven!
  

The Truth About Ed

Ed just gave me a hug and said, "Mom, I love you." (How sweet!)
I reply, "I love you, too Ed. I just want you to be a good boy."
Still hugging me, he says "Alright Mom. Maybe later."
"Later?"
"Ya, I'll be good later."

The Day is Just Not Complete...

...until you see Ryan kick a chicken across the yard. Here's why:

Yesterday went like this for me-

1. While getting ready for church, Ed finger painted on the wall with peanut butter.
2. While getting ready to walk out the door, I find that Jessie has found a green marker. Her teeth are green, she has green marks ALL OVER her face and into her ear. She keeps pointing to her ear to let me know it needs to be cleaned. Meanwhile, the other kids are waiting in the car. This makes us 10 minutes later than I needed to be...
3. Get to church and set up chairs and activity, and start the Cub Committee Meeting. That seemed to go fine, except I felt like we were rushed the whole time and my brain wasn't quite where it should be.
   
4. Go to the chapel and sit down, and try to keep Ed quiet. Sit there until it's time for me to speak. The Bushlings sat behind me, and Marcie and Kenny took care of the kids while I spoke. When I got back to the bench, all the kids except the babies were with Kenny- we let it stay that way and Marcie and I enjoyed the rest of the meeting! A picture would have been good!
5. Go to Primary and do the sharing time. Whew!
6. Go to grandma and grandpa Bunting's house. Watch crazy next door neighbor come out with a flyswatter towards Ed, who was tossing apples on the ground to the horses. Crazy lady looked like she was going to hit Ed with the flyswatter. For reals. Instead, she hits her dog with it after he started nipping the horses heels. She maintains that eating too many apples will make her horses sick. She doesn't tell the horses this, of course, as they eat at least half the apples off the trees themselves.
7. Hear Jessie crying/screaming and turn around to see Ryan drop kicking a rooster across the yard. He had fine soccer form... he turned around and got another one. Jessie had followed the guys out back and two roosters started attacking her. She was on the ground screaming... she suffered a pecked finger and a slight bloody nose. And, she probably developed a healthy respect for fowl. I bet we have "chicken" for dinner next week!
   

Honestly, yesterday was one for the books. This book. Today I'm going to live a calm life, trying to figure out why an external hard drive is not working, and folding some laundry. The weather is cool (I have a sweatshirt on! I love it!) and cousin David installed Photoshop Elements of my new netbook for me yesterday. The netbook doesn't have a disc drive, so I couldn't do it myself. The external hardrive I have is Ryan's, and he says he doesn't use it. It's making a clicking noise and not being recognized by my computers. (Yes, I have two- my new one, and the reason for my new one- my old trusty laptop that is dying. I want to get all the info off of it before it dies completely!) So, some computer stuff, laundry, and I may even make some veggie soup! Sounds like a great day!

This is my MAD face... and more!

Kacy's mad face... she's practicing for when she has kids that don't listen.

What a cute little stinker! I took him and Jessie to the park before our Primary meeting and made them run around, play on the swings, and hike. I thought maybe it would settle him down and he wouldn't feel the need to leave the (large) room we meet in. It didn't work, so in my book, it was almost a waste of time because it just made my day longer. He is really photogenic, I don't think I have a bad picture of this kid. (Well, I have "my fault" bad pics because of my photographic learning curve...) Not my genes at all! And, I'm not as upset about his behavior right now as I was earlier in the week- but I'd still like some proactive strategies to help me cope with his activity and the fact that people don't really enjoy being around him because he's constantly jumping or running or poking. It doesn't bother him, but it totally bothers me.
Will went to the ENT yesterday (the same one that took my tonsils out when I was seven, and the one that has worked on Karen since she was an infant) and my biggest surprise was that the Dr. didn't seem that old! I was little when I saw him, but still, that was *gulp* 25 years ago. The result of Will's hearing? He falls within normal ranges, but with low frequencies he is at the bottom of the range. He suggested having his hearing tested yearly for a few years to monitor the situation. But no treatments are necessary! Will said, "See? I told you I can hear perfect!" The Dr. office was so cool, in an old fashioned way. Will asked me if there were ghosts in the building. The examination room we were in had five (5!) doors in it, and there were lots of little hallways and cubbies everywhere. It was complete with the hanging skeleton that I remember from when I was little. I did not like being put in a teeny tiny (not that tiny) sound proof booth with Will for the audiologists exam... the door closed, it was insanely quiet, and I had to focus on the little air vent. I kept thinking I could rip out the weather stripping on the the bottom of the door so I could let air in. (I'm not at all claustrophobic, can you tell?)

Jessie went to the Dr. yesterday as well. This is the look she kept giving the nurse. She is 18 months now, and she is 33 1/2 inches and weighs 25 pounds, 12 ounces, which puts her in the 75% for both. She is my petite one! All the others were 100%+, with the lowest being 95% for weight on one of them. I like to think of Jessie as my "normal" sized kid. I'm relieved to know they don't stay giants forever; they just seem to grow really fast for a few years. She got two shots, and knew they were coming. She went shopping with me and we went to Taco Bell... she was happy after that! She says all the family names, plus cat, dog, here it is, over there, shoe, and hat, with a lot of pointing and nodding her head "yes."

Me? I went to Bakersfield twice in one day. It wasn't horrible, but never again.

Ryan? Almost has the roof done. Pictures soon. I have three REALLY important things to do before Sunday, so I'm sure I'll be blogging soon. Because I procrastinate.

Looking Bad in Public

These are Jessie's feet. In shoes too small. Because I can find cute brown shoe A and cute brown shoe B, but not the twins to either A or B. And although you can't see it in this picture, there are chocolate stains on her shirt, and she has no shorts on. She's already doomed to repeat my fashion faux-pas.

Today we went to Bakersfield. Again. Unplanned... my family decided to throw my grandma a little birthday party at the last minute. Ryan needed some stuff from Lowe's so he can work on the roof tomorrow anyway, so off we went. I had planned on staying home all day; the kids and I went on a hike this morning, and I had been cleaning. I was (still am!) wearing shorts that ought to be retired and an unfitted tee-shirt one size too big. My frizzy hair is in a bun, with fly-aways from the wind up here. I should have blessed the public by putting a hat on, but I didn't. Ed was dirty from rolling (literally...) in the dirt from our hike. We drive down to Bako, and made out stop at Lowe's. Jessie pees rivers and lakes when she pees, so really I'm thinking "What's the point of diapers anyway?" as I pull her out of her car seat to find it, and her, soaking wet. We walk into the store and head straight for the bathrooms where I change her five pound diaper and put her wet shorts in my purse. She is now pantless- just like the last time we were there. We get our supplies (Ed was a disaster) and start to head out when I hear this "Karrie Sorensen!" (Me: Oh NO!) and look up to see a guy I went to high school with. I haven't seen him since graduation, and he is now a county supervisor. I'm not one who wants to impress anyone, but dang, I wish we had not looked like white trash. Dirty kids, nasty hair... and I live in a trailer in the mountains. I can honestly say I wasn't mortified, or even embarrassed. It was more of a "I should look in the mirror more often", and a "Make-up doesn't hurt" and a "He probably thinks 'That poor woman can't keep up with all those kids- they are so dirty!"... all I know is this: When I run into someone I haven't seen for 14 years, I'd like to not stink like yesterday's laundry and maybe have my hair combed. (But I'm thinking that's how he recognized me- I was never stylish in high school, and sported the frizzy bun more often than not. Just being true to my roots, that's all!) After I got in the car I called Amy to tell her about it, and she has a story just the same. And Jocelyn does too... WHY IS THAT? Why are you guaranteed to run into someone from high school when you look like you've been sleeping in your clothes for a week?

Photographing Children is a Talent... That I Don't Have

Ah... cute, no? Will, Jessie, Kacy, Gracie, and Sara-Jane. So, I think to myself, "Hey, I know! Let's get all the kids together and try this!" That was dumb.
Jessie is poking Charlotte, who doesn't seem to mind. Jack was crying and covering his face... no one really knows why. SJ and Emma and looking elsewhere, and honestly, the circle is so big, I can't get the right angle... a ladder might be required. Alyssa looks cute, Ed is not paying attention, Will still has his elbows up even though there were three adults telling everyone to put their hands down (in varying degrees of niceness). Then there is Benjamin, Gracie, and Kacy... not too shabby, but it's frustrating that this was the best one. By far. Maybe next time I'll line them up in a line, heads stacked on top of each other, kinda zig-zag. Oh well, what can you do? At least no one was picking their (or someone else's) nose.