Daily Scene

On the way to school this morning, this was the conversation...

Me: Hey, guys. I'm going to the store this morning. Any requests?

Owen: (without skipping a beat) A squirt gun that you don't have to "cock".

Me: No toys! I'm going to the grocery store!

Owen: OK, then how about LOADS of candy-enough to make it until Halloween?

Me: Right. So, nothing then?

Owen and Emerson: (in unison) No.

The Birds and The Bees...Sort Of

With all of the babies coming out of this house, there is inevitably a lot of talk about everything from birth, to breastfeeding, to developmental milestones.

When I was pregnant with Alayna, Owen asked THE question. The "where do babies come from" question. So, I made it as simple as possible: God gives daddy a special seed and he puts that seed into mommy and a baby grows.

What did Owen hear me say? "God gives daddy a special MACHINE." Now, that in itself has brought about many humorous conversations. I can't wait for the day that he tells his friends where babies come from.

When I said that there is talk about birth in our house? Maybe you misunderstood me. Emerson knows just about everything about birth. She knows about vaginal birth, cesarian birth, pushing, bleeding and placentas. And she is five.

Here is our conversation this morning on the way to school:

Em: Mom, how old do you have to be to have babies?
Me: Well, you have to be at least in your twenties, and you have to be married.
Em: I only want one baby.
Me: No brothers or sisters?
Em: OK, I'll have two babies-a boy and a girl. But I don't want them to come out of my belly. I want to push them out.
Me: That sounds like a good plan. That's what I did.
Em: I don't want my belly cut open like Aunt Melissa.
Me: They had to cut Melissa open because Adyson was turned the wrong way and she couldn't push her out.
Em: And I don't want twins.
Me: Well, you probably won't have twins, but you never know...God decides how many babies you'll have.
Em: What about the special machine dads have?!
Me: Well, dads help, too.
Em: Who will be the dad?
Me: Whoever you have as your husband will be the dad.
Em: If I have a boyfriend do I have to keep him?
Me: No, that's the good thing about boyfriends. You get to go out to dinner and to the movies and meet their families and decide whether you really like them or not. If you don't like them you can find a new boyfriend and if you do like them you can marry them.
Em: Do I get to wear a white dress?
Me: Of course!
Em: Well, I don't want to just wear it when I get married. I want to wear it to other weddings and out to dinner, too.

The Un-Post

Have you been wondering where I've been? Well, join the club. I never thought that having the kids back in school would be so much work for me! I'm working out all of the kinks, though. Bear with me, the thoughts they are a-swirling and I'll be back soon!

Daily Scene

Emerson: I want a bunny.

Owen: Oh, great. I know you're gonna get a mama bunny and it's gonna lay eggs ALL over the house. And we'll have to sell them all.

14 Months

Alayna turned 14 months old last week. Now that I have four children, I often find myself thinking back on when the older kids were the same age as the baby is now. My kids could never deny being brothers and sisters. I see so many glimpses of Greyson that are identical to Owen at that age, and the similarities between Emerson and Alayna continue to shock me, especially now that Alayna is getting some long-awaited hair! But there are also very distinct differences between them, too. Owen's got the big forehead, Emerson had masses of dark hair and big eyes, Greyson's got that goofy grin, and Alayna's rocking the floppy ears. What can I say? Those Culver ears happen to the best of us!

So here's a little walk down memory lane, with a few pics of each of my kids when they were 14 months old...

Owen:




Emerson:




Greyson:




Alayna:

Beauty Queen

On Sunday, at the lake, the water was too cold for much swimming, but the sun was shining and the sand was warm. Emerson was in a rare mood and my brother-in-law had a new camera. The two of them put on their own little modeling show; he clicked, she changed her pose. I have no idea where she learned to do that, but she was GOOD at it! The results, in my opinion, are stunning.

Goodbye Summer

Today is the last day of summer for me. We're at the cabin and it's Labor Day Weekend. It has been a cool weekend, making the transition from summer to fall easier than usual. This is the weekend we head up north to swim, fish, ski, tube and sunbathe one last time before school starts. Usually it is so hot that we dread taking the dock out of the water and putting the boat back on the trailer. But today we dread doing those things for another reason: it is COLD. The men braved the elements and got the jobs done, though. Today is the high point of the weekend, with peeks of sunshine and a temperature of 60 degrees. The past two days we've seen colder temperatures, dark clouds, rain, and WIND. The kids don't mind, though. They still put on their suits and head down to the beach, if only to lay in the sand to keep warm.

I'm sure you're thinking, "What is there to do at a cabin on the lake when the weather is no good?" Well, let me see... There are indoor fires instead of outdoor ones, there are towers of play dough instead of sand castles, and there are puzzles and books instead of boat rides and playing catch. And there is always fun. AND LIQUOR. It's always five o'clock somewhere, right?

So while it's sad to see summer go, autumn brings with it new scenery and adventures. Trips to the orchard, hunting for pumpkins, Friday night football, hot apple cider, crackling fires in the fireplace, changing leaves, scarecrows and Halloween costumes.

And it's not the end of our travels to "The Great White North", as my dad calls this place. We fully intend on spending many more weekends here this year, just like the last one, and enjoying all that winter has to offer: snowmobiling, sledding, ice fishing, and snowball fights.

We're putting away our bathing suits and trading them for snowsuits. And although the winters here can be long, it just makes the spring that much better when it finally comes around.