Still sick!

We are still not really feeling good here. Still sick and I got a headache and runny nose. Still sipping my cocktail. Cassandra said she felt great this morning - good for her! - as they had an activity day planned in School. Isabella seem to be doing better, but Benjamin's nose is still running and he had fever last night. Today no one has fever but everyone, myself included, feels tired, whinny and ......sick.

Enjoying watching the programs from Baby Einstein on On Demand on the TV. Always something there to watch, lots of nursery rhymes, baby animals etc. Perfect when they are too tired to really play anything. Just taking it easy on the sofa and wave along to the music.

I wish that we all would feel better, would be great to go outside this afternoon, the sun is finally out again after days of hiding. But we are waiting until tomorrow, then it will be summer weather again and here we hopefully will be feeling better as well!!

Fieldtrip "Farm 2 U"

This is today's newspaper. We don't have the daily newspaper, but our neighbor Pearl does, and she gave me a call this morning with -"Someone made the front page with picture and name!!" The 3rd Graders went to the Fairgrounds yesterday for a field trip to learn about the farm and farm animals. She had a great time. They had worked at different stations, watched the sheep and other animals and they ate lunch there before walking back to school. They all received T-shirts and little goodie bags with all kind of information in it. She will be so excited when she comes home to find herself on the front page.

This is the full article out of the newspaper online and the photos are from there too.

(Sandra J. Milburn/The Hutchinson News) 

 (Cassandra in the picture in blue shirt to the very right.)

Tom Clayman shears a sheep as third-graders from Graber Elementary School watch Wednesday during the “Farm 2 U” day event in the Prairie Pavilion on the Kansas State Fairgrounds. About 360 third-graders from local Hutchinson schools attended the event, which focused on teaching them about agriculture through the “four F’s”: fiber, fuel, food and pharmaceuticals.

Shear astonishment

Area pupils, some for the first time, receive up-close lesson on agriculture.

By Amy Bickel - The Hutchinson News - abickel@hutchnews.com

Many haven't ridden a tractor, paid much attention to the mammoth grain elevators that shadow the town or even really spent time on a farm.

Moreover, despite a state so heavily dependent on agriculture, most residents are generations removed from the family farm.

Therefore, it wasn't surprising for Reno County Farm Bureau members to see students walk into the Kansas State Fair's Prairie Pavilion with their shirts over their noses, not used to the aroma of a livestock barn. Their comment ranged from not knowing what a grain elevator was to being mesmerized by the products made from agriculture, including dis solvable stitches, makeup, gelatin and shaving cream.

"I didn't know we wore that," a third-grader from Graber Elementary uttered as she watched Tom Clayman shear a sheep, while classmate Cooper Koestel asked in wonderment, "Do they have to do that to the sheep every year?"

About 360 schoolchildren attended the local organization's second "Farm 2 U" day - learning about topics ranging from where pizza derives to what products are made from grains and livestock. They learned about water quality efforts, farm machinery, as well as how grain elevators work.

The day's focus was on the "four F's" of agriculture - fiber, fuel, food and pharmaceuticals. Most didn't realize that it just wasn't food that came from grains and meats.

One class of third-graders voted "no" when asked if shampoo, toothpaste, marshmallows and gelatin in Jell-O contained products from cattle. Area farm couple Norman and Cindy Roth quickly dispelled their beliefs.

All those products are affected by agriculture, Norman Roth said, and more.

A few of the stats the children learned:

* Recycled plastic from pop bottles and other containers go into the polyester clothes students wear, which is often blended with cotton.

* Perspiration from sheep, or lanolin, is used in lotions and other beauty products.

* About 70 loaves of bread are made from a bushel of wheat.

* One semitrailer will hold a thousand bushels of grain; three semis will fill a train car.

There was a time in the early part of the 20th century in which nearly a third of the nation's population lived on farms. Today, less than 2 percent partake in the lifestyle, with the average American at least three generations removed from production agriculture.

This is why Reno County Farm Bureau decided to start bringing the farm to Hutchinson elementary school students, said Chad Basinger, county president.

"Most of these kids don't have an idea about agriculture or its value to the community," he said. "Even their parents are a generation or two removed from agriculture. We want to show them the positive side of agriculture, to tell our story."

For instance, for Norman Roth, who runs a 400-head cow/calf operation in Reno County, there is no opening of presents on Christmas Day until the family cares for the cattle herd. He noted a snowstorm this winter covered what equals three football-field lengths of feed bunks - all of which he and his family cleaned out - all in an effort to give his livestock a quality food supply.

A lot of information was given in eight 15-minute sessions. However, it was enough to keep the attention of 360 third-graders.

Graber third-grader Hunter Austin sat wide-eyed as Clayman sheared the sheep, noting to his teacher, Jesse Ediger, that "I bet (the wool) is hot."

"I bet it feels good to get the coat cut off," Ediger answered back.

She was glad to see Farm Bureau members taking the time to educate her students again this year, she said.

"I just love it," she said. "There's so much activity and hands-on information for them."

Experiencing farm life isn't part of their everyday lives, she added.

"They are very curious about the farm," Ediger said. "And, they got the opportunity to meet real-life farmers."

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Chris was working on his birthday (what else?) and didn't come home until around 11 pm, way past everyone's bed time, but at least I got a quick photo of him and his little ones just before I had to take Cassie to school in the morning. Benjamin is already watching "Jake and the Neverland pirates" on TV. The babies always have some snuggle time with daddy on the sofa while I run around getting Cassie ready for school (mostly meaning doing her hair, breakfast, snack = fruit and granola bar and a water bottle and sometimes her lunch box)

Cassie took a long time picking the card. As you can tell, my husband has his own little nicknames for his three babies....

Severe Weather in the USA

BREAKING NEWS:

Sitting here today watching the news with mixed feelings. Feeling such a relief that we are safe and that our area was spared with this craziness, but feeling such sorrow for the poor people that lived through it and has lost family and near and dear ones, homes - everything.... This year it seems to be worse than ever, and strangely enough, it seems to hit the south and the east coast time after time, which normally isn't the worst areas. We here in Kansas live in the tornado alley, but we have been very lucky so far this season.

Now it has happened again, deadly tornadoes have raked across Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia, leaving more than 190 dead and the number is still rising. A massive thunderstorm front spawned 137 tornadoes mangled sections of Tuscaloosa, Birmingham and Huntsville, Alabama yesterday. April is now one of the most violent weather months in the region in decades.

The mayor of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, called the damage to his city "catastrophic". I was watching the news last night and everything in Alabama was red - red - red = severe thunderstorm/tornado warning. Linnea - my blog friend in Birmingham, Alabama - I hope you and your dear ones are safe and sound out there!! I will check your blog for updates in anticipation to hear that you are OK! I'm thinking of you!

*** Update Thursday afternoon - I've received news from Linnea, and she and her husband is safe! Thank goodness!

Photos from FOX 5 viewers of damage following a tornado in Birmingham, Ala. on Wednesday, April 27, 2011.
pics from google 

Here is a video and information from the weather channel about just Birmingham, Alabama.

Later today the tornadoes are coming to North - and South Carolina again and of course my thoughts are with our friends living over there at Camp Lejeune, Jacksonville. They were hit so bad just two weeks ago, and I wrote about it here. I hope that this time the tornadoes will spare the area and touch down in the middle of nowhere. Stay safe and sound!!

Morning cocktail!

Sitting here sipping on my first cocktail of the day. No, it's not as glamorous as it sounds, I'm sick and I just made a super cocktail with hot lemon/honey tea + one tablespoon of honey + a piece of raw ginger + 2 menthol cough drops in it. Sitting here sipping on it and breathing in the steam it sure helps to clean out the sinuses and hopefully it will help my big swollen throat aswell.

pictures from here

Cassandra started last week with a stuffy nose, and has continued now into this week. I first thought that she was showing signs of allergies again, as she has had problems with that when she was younger and she needed allergy medicine when we lived in NC. Then Isabella started on Sunday/Monday and last night Benjamin and myself joined her in her misery. The night was not a good one - nothing more needed to say about that. If the cold hasn't cleared up by the end of the week, I will have to take the kids to visit our doctor, they all might suffer from allergies. It's pretty bad here now, the pollen is everywhere! Most trees are blooming, so there is a lot going on in the air.

Cassandra luckily "only" has a stuffy and runny nose, but no headache/swollen throat etc so she is in school. So for her I do think that it's more allergies than cold symptoms. I'm just not used to have my kids sick in any way. We are very lucky with that so far "knock on wood REALLY hard" but the twins have only had one cold in December and that was it since they were born. The weather has been acting crazy here lately, so maybe this is what comes from that. We have had summer weather and now the last couple of days had cold/rainy days with low temperatures. The changing weather sure makes me suffer with headaches anyway and I hope that this will pass soon, I feel like I've been dragged under the bus - for at least a couple of states....

Now I just put them down for their morning nap, I hope that they can sleep for a while, because I will try to do the same!

Happy Birthday Alskling!

April 26, 2011

For my wonderful husband on your birthday

No matter what changes we go through,

no matter what life might bring our way,

no matter how much times goes by,

I will love you always and forever!

Happy Birthday! 

PKA

First Easter in the USA

Before leaving Easter behind us, I just had to post some of my favorite pictures of our first Easter here in the US, 2007. My god, they bring back so many memories. We were living in our first little house, still waiting to move into our  new house. Cassandra was so little, she had just turned 5 years old. Time flies!!!

And this is our last Easter of a family of 3!! Last Easter we were still waiting for Benjamin and Isabella to "hatch"...

The Easter Bunny was in the house!

When we came home from the Egg Hunt, Chris realized that he had to go and get vanilla ice cream for the dessert and Cassandra went with him. I had to go upstairs and change the twins, and while I was doing that I left the doors open just in case someone happened to "hop" by, and he did!!! The Easter Bunny was in the house!!! Cassandra and Chris just came back when I got downstairs and we all saw what he had brought. Cassandra was so excited and started to run around looking for the eggs. Benjamin and Isabella didn't know what to think about all the commotion, but they were very happy to find their plates with goodies and presents!

Cassandra

Isabella

Benjamin

Benjamin's shirt says : "I believe in the Easter Bunny" and Isabella's shirt says "One of a kind"

The Easter Bunny had hopped through the backyard dropping eggs here and there, and we all went looking for them. The twins thought this was very exciting! I can only see them next year running around looking with Cassandra on their own....how fun that will be to watch!

After the hunt in our backyard, it was more than time for the twins to take a nap. We took it easy here at home before it was time to start with dinner. Cassandra watched some TV and almost took a nap as well. She was very pleased with what the Easter Bunny brought her, and what Mommy & Daddy put in the basket as well. We are going to take her to see the movie "Hop" when we can. Hopefully next weekend we can fit in some special Cassandra time! I have to check with our neighbor if she maybe could babysit the twins while we go. Normally one of us would go and the other stay at home with the babies but it would be so much more special if we could go all three of us!

Happy with her Easter presents!

 Miss Curious! Whats in the egg???

When the babies woke up Chris started to prepare the dinner, the Lamb roast, and I did the dessert. Fed the twins their dinner earlier, as they eat around 5pm and we ate about an hour later. They liked sitting with us looking at the big table with all the things. Dinner was delicious, even if I'm not a totally fan of lamb, I must say that Chris did a great job "hiding" that lamb taste! For dessert we had a whole cake of Strawberry shortcake with vanilla ice cream!  Benjamin and Isabella enjoyed some ice cream and strawberries as well!

After that, they were ready for a quick shower, pajama and oatmeal and then bed!! It took them, especially Isabella who has developed a cold, longer than normal to fall asleep, and the following night they were up a lot. They had had an exciting day filled with new things and lots of new toys to play with. Benjamin just loves his new monkey - he didn't let it go at all, dragging it along when he crawled all night. They both loved playing with the empty plastic eggs, even if they kept opening them to see if I maybe would have forgotten to take the chocolate out....

Dinner and Dessert

After getting the twins to bed, me and Cassandra had some of our snuggle/reading time before it was time for her to go to bed as well. Chris and myself crashed on the sofa and watched some TV before my busy night with the twins started. Here in the US there is no "Easter Monday" so today it's a normal school- and work day for Cassandra and Chris. But having a look into our fridge, I think that we will have to pretend that it's Easter for at least today and tomorrow...:)