Valentine Beginnings

It's official...Valentine's Day celebrations started early in the week. With the amount of fructose in our house you would think it was Halloween. However, once your eyes come into focus after your sugar hangover you quickly realize it's the Hallmark holiday of love. All you see is pink, red and white and a lot of jewelry commercials.


The girls did a little cookie decorating this week for their afternoon snack. Jake was trying to get in the action also but no such luck except for a few measly crumbs on the floor. Tonight Kate asked when the "Valentine Guy" (a.k.a. Cupid) was coming and would he be bringing them anything. I quiver just thinking what a big disappointment all of these fesitivities will be when they realize there isn't a Santa Claus who rides around in a sleigh, there isn't a little sparkly fairy delivering money under a pillow collecting germy teeth, or a big furry bunny who delivers hollowed chocolate molds of himself in baskets!


Since the roads were so icy at the beginning of the week the school district didn't take any chances today with the slick roads and called off school. I think too many buses were in the ditch Monday morning to chance it yet again today. So the girls entertained themselves with a lot of crafts, t.v. and snacks today. Lunch time included smoothies which we eat a lot around here and this was just a cool picture...all the layers of the smoothie visable...people pay a lot of money for this kind of art work!

Overheard conversation...

Anna: Kate did you know that firemen have to stay up all night?

Kate: Yes.

Anna: Yeah, they need to stay up in case there is a fire and they have to go put it out and stuff.

After leaving the archery store tonight...

Kate: Mommy my arms are strong enough to have my own bow.

Mommy: You have to be pretty strong to use one.

Anna: That's okay Kate. We have the pink gun.

Puke Target

Why is it every time the girls get the stomach flu they throw up on me?  It happened again tonight.  Standing in line at Culver's to get dinner before AWANA Anna decided to upchuck her after school snack all over me.  I had just ordered our dinner and was leaning over to pay when a gush of warm liquid splattered all over my hair and down the front of my shirt. I stood there for a moment deciding what would be our next best move...get our meal to go!  As I am trying to clean up Kate informed me that Anna threw up the red jell-o and she probably shouldn't eat that again.

Flashback 2007

We can't believe it's been 2 years already that we traveled south to Florida to visit the princesses at their Magic Kingdom.  We returned 2 years ago today back to reality.  Kate was 4 and Anna was just shy of being 3.  It still amazes us how much they remember from that trip.  We had a lot of fun and great week at Disney World.  One of our highlights included breakfast at the castle with Cinderella (wearing our princess dresses of course).

Living Simply = Saving Money

Call it a mid-life crisis, maturity, economic downturn behavior, finally understanding my dad's money philosophies, or the fact that I am obsessed with Dave Ramsey.  I think it is more of the latter and Dave Ramsey has become a household name in the Bartig residence.  So much so that Jeff has purchased a pair of ear plugs (out of his budget of course).  We have always been good investors and have over a 13 year relationship with our financial advisor.  However, we have never really been the best savers or adequately stretched our dollar to it's maximum capabilities (excluding our investments).  Since living simply is a goal of ours buying less and saving more parallels each other.  I have dabbled over the years in coupon clipping, rebate shopping and researching for "the best deal."  However, it has now become one of my hobbies that I find fun, challenging and brain stimulating (we need this for stay-at-home moms).  This new behavior has caused us to take a step back and really assess what is important in life and reorganize our goals and objectives.  Instead of just running out and purchasing something because we think we "need" it we actually think about it for awhile or start a fund so we can pay cash for it without dipping into our general savings.  As Dave says it's really 80% behavior 20% knowledge that sets us apart in the financial world.  We have some hefty goals:  establish a cushy emergency fund for six months of living expenses, pay off river land and mortgage. In addition to saving cash for future vacations, replacement vehicles & furniture and college savings for the girls.  Big goals that would equal a lifetime of freedom!  So, we all need to start somewhere...let the coupon clipping begin!  

Bits and Pieces...and a Little Blood

I was able to spend the afternoon with Kate in her Kindergarten class yesterday.  It is so fun to hang out with her and learn what they are doing at school.  Since Kate doesn't like to give out too many details we wonder what really goes on inside the four walls of Somerset Elementary School. I can attest there is a lot of learning going on and a lot of fun to be had!  Kate's class is just finishing up a unit on bears and we have been told many facts about mammals in general.  For example, their babies are born alive!  Kate also can't wait until Mrs. Olson puts up the post office in their classroom as there will be Valentine's to deliver shortly.  Anna's class already has their post office up and running and we have been working on her Valentine mail to be delivered next week.

Conversation with Kate while waiting for the bus yesterday morning:

Mommy:  Is the bus ride more quiet in the morning or in the afternoon?

Kate:  It's more quiet in the morning and noisy in the afternoon.  All the kids are wound up from the day at school.  I am wound up too.

Conversation this morning discussing her friend Michael's behavior:

Kate:  Mommy, do you remember Michael making that noise yesterday at school?  He was being silly.

Mommy:  Yes, I do, but it's naughty to not listen to the teacher and goof around.

Kate:  Yes.  Mommy, I think God just made Michael that way.

Mommy:  Maybe he did.

Kate:  I bet he acts like that at home too.  He probably doesn't get much sleep.  I know when I don't get much sleep I am whiny.

Mommy:  I agree.

Our household can't be without too much drama either.  Anna always has something in her mouth and we are always telling her to take it out or she will get hurt...it finally happened last night.  She had a plastic wand in her mouth, she tripped, she stabbed her throat.  After a fair amount of blood, tears, drinking water and examination she did a nice number on the roof of her mouth and uvula.  Now today it looks very nasty and drinking warm salt water doesn't seem to appeal to her.  Hopefully with a little bit of Tylenol and lots of water we will detour the doctor's office.

Flash Back Fridays

A new segment for our little family blog...Flash Back Fridays. Life is buzzing by too fast and I am in the 10 step program for recovering perfectionists so beautiful scrapbooks or lovely organized photo albums are still a dream. Yes, it is true for a Type AAA person but I am trying to let go of these character flaws and find photo freedom in the near future. I think this forward thinking could be tied into our family theme of simplify this year. So, that being said I perused our old photos (basically since we bought our digital camera circa November '02) and found some of the girls when they were just little munchkins...it just seemed like yesterday we bought these little bundles of joy home and found ourselves with no manual on what to do when they spit up, cry for an hour straight, don't want to be breastfed (everyone else wasn't having this problem), have severe baby acne or a diaper rash that extends up their back (that didn't really happen...it's just an exaggeration).


These photos were taken around June 2003. I have no idea where Kate learned how to use the phone properly. If this was taken today she would have a laptop sitting on her lap looking up baby blogs. The other photo I took for Jeff's first official Father's Day present. Oh, those were the days when being a father was a lot simpler...now it is getting more complex (and expensive) with chore charts, shopping expenses, disrespect lectures, hair color treatments to cover up all the grey hair, and endless "no, you can't have that..."



Sweet baby Anna Caroline leaving the hospital...I can still see those little dried up hands...I tend to overcook my babies so they are welcomed into this world needing a good rub down of Johnson's Baby Lotion. And we can't forget Miss Morgan being the great furry sister that she was...too bad she couldn't have spent more time with us...7 1/2 years was too short a lifetime for her. She loved sitting by and protecting the girls when they were babies.



Oh yes, we have come a long way...this isn't a flash back this is a nightmare! This is a snap shot of our little basement in our old house. That would be my makeshift craft room in the corner and beyond the rubble there is an ironing table which I am guessing not too many things were being ironed back then (or crafted)...who would want to spend much time down here. I believe this was taken as a before photo or a part of my own self-induced therapy...whatever the case our current basement is not as bad but we need to remember we are in the year of simplify at the Bartig house so anything like this is a mere memory from our past.

Winter Activities

This January has proven to be pretty cold yet I think beautiful too. We had a rare morning last week with fog and after the sun cleared the denseness away there was this most picturesque landscape left over. I couldn't resist taking my camera with me after dropping Anna off at school to capture the beauty that afternoon...it reminded me to slow down and enjoy these small moments...and appreciate living in the Midwest.

When the days are cold outside one of our furry children find respite on the den couch. I couldn't resist kicking him off of there...he looked too comfortable and yes, he is very spoiled.

Despite the cold temps it hasn't kept us off the ski hills completely. If you are going to live in the Midwest you have to embrace your surroundings...the girls have gotten the bug to ski!

Even at mom's residence they get in the winter spirit. Mom doesn't have much of a crafty gene in her so I am not sure where I got mine. Anyhow, the residents enjoyed painting hand carved snowmen from a local carver who came in for their arts and crafts time. Nice job mom, but I am not sure how you can see anything without your missing glasses...