Raising Cubs in a Campground

Thanksgiving was only a few days ago but already seems like a distant memory. ' Tis the season I suppose...We always pack so much into this time of year. Here are the highlights of the day we spent with Brian's family... Sam never used to like wearing hats, but lately has been wearing a safari hat around. He changed to the headdress he made in school for Thanksgiving and wore it some of the day. Julia broke out the cape she wore last Fall when she was Little Red Riding Hood for Halloween. Brian's family has a gem of a property in the heart of a large suburb in the Cities. For as long as his little fingers could stand it, Sam was out riding around the property with cousin Kevin. When the BB guns came out I made Sam come inside. I have enough trouble distracting him from pretending every thing is a gun without him experiencing BB guns. Before it got dark we headed outside to take a family photo. The kids do so good smiling when I use the self timer. It's when I'...

Thanksgiving updates will be coming soon... We've been busy decorating our tree, drinking Egg Nog, and spending time with our family. Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone!

Thanksgiving is a time of gratitude to God, our Creator and Provider, whose guidance and care go before us... and whose love is with us forever. Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the changes, to remember that we, too, grow and change from one season of life to another. Thanksgiving is a time of changing seasons, when leaves turn golden in Autumn's wake and apples are crisp in the first chill breezes of fall. Let us remember the true meaning of Thanksgiving. As we see the beauty of Autumn, let us acknowledge the many blessings which are ours... let us think of our families and friends.. and let us give thanks in our hearts. ~~Author Unknown.~~ May you find many reasons to smile this Thanksgiving and always!

- you've ever neglected to take important baby gear (pacifier and sling) along when you leave the house. - you've let your gas tank get so low that you only have eight miles until the tank is dry. - your two year old has run away at Target. (Only to be found two departments away hiding amongst the towels) - you've told your child that you'd buy a toy so (s)he can show Santa exactly what (s)he wants for Christmas but with the understanding that Mommy would return it to the store later just so you can buy their Christmas present in front of them and avoid having to go back to the store to buy it. - your child sees right through your little game. - you've taken your kids to Target just so they can entertain themselves in the toy aisles. - you've been in those toys aisle long enough to be asked for gift advice by the mom of a one year old and direct another shopper to the location of a specific toy when the sales associate is unable to do it. - you've ever take...

Our entire household is battling colds so I apologize for the lack of snazzy intro to my Not Me post this week. Besides when you hear about the random* dead cat in our front yard you won't remember anything else anyway... Thanks for bearing with me and for visiting this week. I appreciate the human contact since we've been cooped up for so long except for that birthday party I didn't take my kids to despite being sick. Wait, I wouldn't do that. Not me. I kept my on the mend kids home just to be safe. Because I didn't take my kids to that birthday party there's no way I was an hour late. Not me. I read invitations very carefully and make an accurate mental note of the start time. Earlier in the week I did not lose my temper in front of a doctor and her nurse because my kids were misbehaving. I would never punish them for their misbehavior by eating a treat in front of them. I'm more mature than that. PapaBear didn't let the dog out Saturday morn...

With all the anonymity in the world of blogging it came as a surprise when I learned the author of a blog I recently started reading, as a child lived only a few miles from where my husband grew up, rode the very same school bus, and who's parents know my in-laws. These days she lives with her family next to the town my dad grew up in. (Go Truckers!) It's been fun getting to know Esther (Mommy Diaries) these last few weeks. She even gave me a bloggy award today. Thanks Esther! (and because I was once a Cheesehead - Go Packers!) Here are the rules for the award: 1. Put the logo on your blog 2. Link to the person you received your award from 3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs 4. Put links to those blogs on your site 5. Leave messages on the blogs you’ve nominated I'd like to nominate these lovely ladies: Lindsay at Our Lives in a Nutshell - I love opening up blogger and seeing that Lindsay has a new post up. They are always funny, witty, and many times exactly what...

Three years ago I struck up a conversation with a woman at the community center. She had a son the same age as BrotherBear. She also shared that she was pregnant with number two. I had gotten a positive pregnancy test that morning, but since I had resolved that this time PapaBear would be the first to hear the news, I kept that information to myself. I suppose I could have told a total stranger and it wouldn't have made a difference, but I kept the exciting news to myself none the less. We chatted each Tuesday during tot time and I found myself scanning the room when we arrived to find her first. When the weather warmed up we'd talk while our boys splashed in the pool. Her son had these toy animals that I thought were great. I went out and bought my own that same day. Later that summer, the day before her scheduled C-section, I asked for her last name so I could send her a gift. Two months later she brought our family dinner after SisterBear's birth. She gave me h...

This picture applies to today too, but for different reasons. The other day I had deadlines to meet, mouths to feed, bills to pay, phone calls to make, trips to preschool....and thankfully I can't remember what else. Today it was about our whole family being sick. PapaBear has been fighting a cold (or two) for almost two weeks. SisterBear's croup was a blip on our radar, but now she and BrotherBear are "only" suffering from colds and deep rattle-y coughs. It was a miracle that I stayed healthy as long as I have considering I've been spit on, sneezed on, and coughed on daily since these germs entered our home. Late last night I succumbed and now have terrible sinus pressure and a sore throat. The timing couldn't have been worse. After years of being untreated I finally got to see a dermatologist for my skin issues today. Did I get to sit and quietly discuss treatment options with the doctor? Not a chance. Both kids were running around the room like wil...

My new blog names and identity may only go back a few days, but we've been a bear family a lot longer than that. Sister Bear (3 weeks) Brother Bear (2 years) Sister Bear (1 year) Brother Bear (4 years) Sister Bear (2 years) They are the best of friends....when they aren't fighting like cubs cats and dogs.

Jenn hit the nail on the head with her comment on my previous post. The beauty of this recipe is that it only dirties the mixer, bread pans, one kettle, and the measuring cups/spoons. Here's the recipe straight out of the More with Less Cookbook: (I'll add my two cents at the end.) Combine in large mixer bowl: 3 cups whole wheat flour 1/2 cup sugar 2 T salt 3 pkg dry yeast Heat in saucepan until very warm (120-130 degrees): 2 cups water 2 cups milk 1/2 cup oil Add to dry ingredients: warmed liquids 2 eggs Blend at low speed until moistened. Beat 3 minutes at medium speed. Stir in by hand. Add 5-6 cups white flour Use enough flour to form a stiff batter. Cover and let rise until double. Stir down and spoon into 2 greased 9x5 inch bread pans. Let rise 20-30 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes. I wouldn't consider this a true whole wheat recipe since there's more white flour than wheat. At the point where you add 5-6 cups white flour, if I have enough wheat ...

During the summer (when these pics were taken) we spent part of Mondays making bread in an effort to eat healthier and save money . I wish I could say I kept up with that tradition, but alas, I've returned to buying bread from the store. (We still make these muffins though.) Without any good way to store the loaves they were getting moldy too fast and I've yet to figure out a way to slice the bread so I can use it for sandwiches. It probably has something to do with the recipe I use, but I don't have a bread board either so I can't use a recipe that requires kneading. Does anyone have a good sandwich friendly no-knead recipe? It was fun while it lasted and I think the kids got a lot out of it. They practiced taking turns. They worked on motor skills when they dumped the ingredients. They learned that you have to work for what you want. They practiced their math skills. They learned to be patient. They learned that things you make yourselves always taste better. If y...

Evelyn at 5 weeks (Evie is the daughter of Brian's childhood friend.)

Now that you're all humming the tune you might as well sing along with Sam's preschool class as they sing at church: If I were a butterfly I'd thank you Lord for giving me wings. (Those kids in the four year old sure sing loud! ) ...If I were an elephant, I'd thank you Lord for waving my trunk... And if I were a crocodile, I'd thank you Lord for my big smile. .. But I just thank you Father for making me ME! Cuz you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile. You gave me Jesus and you made me his child. I just thank you Father for making me ME! I would have taken more pictures to have all the actions for the song, but with these moms in my way the whole time I let the video camera do it for me. Sam did so good listening to Mrs. W, doing all the actions, and singing the words. I couldn't really hear him, but that's ok. When the kids were done singing their songs, (they sang Into My Heart first), the rest of the children in the church came forward for the childr...

For so many reasons this picture is exactly how I feel. Being pulled in 10 different directions will do that to a person. I won't go into the details but I'm feeling down today. To maintain some semblance of sanity I've been playing this song in my head. REFRESH MY HEART Refresh my heart Lord, Renew my love. Pour Your Spirit into my soul. Refresh my heart. You set me apart Lord, To make me new. By Your Spirit lift me up Lord, Refresh my heart. And I will worship You Lord, With all of my heart. And I will follow You Lord, Refresh my heart. ( Words and Music by Geoff Bullock) Tomorrow I will start fresh. Tomorrow my to-do list will be much shorter. Tomorrow I will love on my kids more.

Seeing this is the 9th week I think I can skip the intro. You know the drill by now right? Click here to visit MckMama's blog and read hundreds of other Not Me posts. I am not typing some of my Not Me Monday's on Sunday. I am not avoiding my work by doing so. My work isn't doing itself. Oh how I wish it would! I have not gotten myself in over my head this week with two book deadlines, an Usborne book party to close, and my boss's family photo shoot to proof...all before Tuesday. Tuesday is not PapaBear's birthday. I did not completely redo my entire blog identity and layout in one day. I did not drag my kids outside at naptime to take pictures of them wearing the bear costumes for my new look. I didn't shoot 70 pictures in 10 minutes so they could get to bed. I did not take my kids outside to play Pooh Sticks even though I knew the pond would be frozen and the sticks wouldn't float. My kids aren't sick. My husband isn't sick. I do not wish I'd...

We knew something was wrong with our heat when we left for dinner this evening, but we didn't think it warranted a call to the furnace guy. We figured our employers had spent enough money on us this week with a furnace repair, a furnace tune up, and a brand new dishwasher since our old one conked out). Unfortunately they'll be getting another bill for tomorrow. The pilot light is out on the boiler. There are wires coming out of all four sides with no clear way to remove a panel even if we did know how to safely light a pilot light. Earlier in the day we noticed that the thermostat wasn't budging from 62 degrees even though the temps were changing depending on what I turned the dial to. That sort of issue can wait until Monday. No heat with lows in the 20's and highs in the 30's can't wait. First thing in the morning we'll be giving the furnace guy a wake up call. At least we caught the problem before we went to bed. I put extra blankets on the kids ...

...lives the Bear Family. In an effort to keep more of our personal information personal I have come up with new blog names for our family. I will still use Sam and Julia's names from time to time since I love their names too much not too. I will be tweaking the layout in the days to come. If you can't see something let me know ok? We're walking out the door to meet Brian's family now and I wanted to get my blog public again before we leave. Have a great weekend everyone! Carrie MamaBear Brian PapaBear Sam BrotherBear Julia SisterBear (this might take some getting used too)

Some of you may not know that this isn't my original blog. My first blog had my last name in the address so I created a new one in January of this year. I don't regret protecting my family from creepy people out there, but I do miss being able to link to old posts. There were over 500 of them. I spent a few minutes this morning going through the posts from November and December. So much has changed since then! I don't expect anyone to have the time or the interest in reading about what we were doing a year ago, but here's the link to November and December nonetheless. It makes me want get cracking on making my blog into a book. I know I'm not the greatest writer out there, but years from now my kids won't care when they can look at a narrative of their childhoods. Consider this a plug for making your own blog. You won't regret it! I'm talking to you Tina, Heather, Naomi, Rhonda, Gary and Laura!

I'm not the only one embracing babywearing* during International Babywearing Week. In the last two weeks Julia's dolls and stuffed animals have benefited from her emerging mothering instincts. She pats them on the bottom, covers them with blankets (hankies), and sways back and forth. She also cooks them meals in the play kitchen. It was just about this age that Sam's love of trucks, trains, construction vehicles etc. took off. It is so sweet to see where their interests develop. When I was a child I was always playing "House". Either with my sisters, my cabbage patch kids, my My Little Ponies, or with my LittlePeople. How fun it will be to do it all over again with my daughter. * There are companies that sell toy slings, but a simple dishcloth does the trick at our house.

That's all that separates my 2 year old from my 4 year old. One and a half pounds. Sam (with shoes on): 38 pounds. Julia (without shoes on): 36.5 pounds. No wonder my arms feel like jelly after carrying them at the same time!

Julia's latest word isn't really a word at all, but the slang word I apparently use quite a bit. This morning on the way home from dropping Sam off at school... "Julia, would you like to watch Winnie the Pooh when we get home?" "YEP!" Winnie the Pooh it is then.

Steph over at Adventures in Babywearing has been sharing sweet and heartfelt posts about her life as the mother of 4. I found her blog when I was a new babywearer two years ago. I didn't wear Sam, but I'm making up for lost time with Julia. I put her in my Kangaroo Korner sling the day she got home from the hospital. (This photo was taken at the Minnesota State Fair) (I started this slide show a year ago with photos from my other computer and never got around to finishing it.) Now at two, she asks to get in the sling. She takes naps in there when we're out in about. MckMama can vouch for me on this one as I arrived to visit her after Stellan's birth with Julia zonked out in the sling. Without a doubt my sling is the most important piece of baby gear I've ever had. I love the feeling of having my baby so close. She loves feeling safe and secure. From 8 pounds, 14 ounces to 36.5 pounds this has been the perfect sling for me. I'm all for trying new things...