Chris and Rikki + E4

Edison Arrives!

2011-06-14T09:45:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been quite awhile since I've added to this blog. A lot has happened over the last 11 or so months, but the biggest thing is what I will start with. We added another boy to the family Lien! Edison Lennon Lien was born on May 27 at 8:28 p.m. He was due June 15, scheduled to arrive on June 9. Apparently, he was just too excited to wait any longer! We came home on May 31 after a quick stay in the pediatrics unit to be treated for jaundice. What a wonderful addition to our family--he is so loved.Edison Lennon Lien
5/27/11 @ 8:28 p.m.
6 lbs. 15 ozs.

19 3/4 inches long

E4!

Brothers

Mommy loves you Edison!

Daddy loves you Edison!

Love this picture of little footprints. Welcome to the world Edison, we all love you so much.

Dinosaurs!

2010-07-14T19:59:00.000-07:00

Elliot has taken after Ethan and fallen in love with dinosaurs. We took them to Walking with Dinosaurs at the Fargodome and were convinced that they would both love it. Chris, Ethan and I all thought it was amazing. Elliot went from mild fear to completely terrified within 10 minutes. We took turns playing in the lobby with him and coming in for brief peeks at any new dinosaurs that had come out. Then Elliot would point to the lobby and say, "I need to go. They gonna bite me!" The next day he wanted to go and see them again, so apparently we didn't scar him for life. -RL

Cousin Time!

2010-07-14T19:48:00.000-07:00

The Es have a new cousin! Danika Jo Roberts was born on February 17 and she is a precious addition to our gaggle of blonde children! The boys had a fun time this summer holding Danika and wrestling cousin Julia....as pictured below. -RL I can't believe I captured this photo above. Mid-wrestle, looking at the camera and smiling?! That's a feat.

Julia looking so adorable.

New baby Danika giving a glimpse of the dimples. Awww......

Elliot LOVED holding Danika, calling her buddy, and saying, "Oh hi, sweetie boy" to her. He's got a way with the ladies.

Look at these kids and try not to buy them a pony. I dare you...try.

24/7

2010-07-14T15:55:00.000-07:00

Ethan and Emma got to be in the church musical "24/7" together this past spring. It was the first church musical for Ethan and the last one for Emma, so it was nice that they were in it together. Emma had the lead, Avery, a radio talk show host. Ethan was in the chorus. It was fun to see them together and I think Ethan thought being in a show with his big sister was pretty cool. -RL

E's Dominate Marathon

2010-07-14T15:49:00.000-07:00

Both Ethan and Elliot ran in the kid's run for the Fargo Marathon. Elliot ran 1/2 mile with Chris and Ethan ran the mile with me. Ethan is really fast and I couldn't keep up with him. -RL

We had Dairy Queen afterward to celebrate their running accomplishment!

They are just too cute.

Down on the Farm

2010-07-14T08:34:00.000-07:00

This summer we bought a CSA share from Bluebird Gardens in Fergus Falls and this is how we feel about it:
We love our produce boxes each Tuesday and everything has tasted so delicious. It's easy to get used to grocery store produce, but you can really taste the difference when you get it directly from the farm. This past Saturday, it was the pea pick event at the farm. We had so much fun walking through the fields picking peas.

Even Elliot was able to help out.

Ethan did a little of this,

And a lot of that. He must have eaten his weight in peas.

The E's on a very large swing in front of the pig pen.

We also visited the chickens, which was Elliot's favorite part. "Can I have one? Those are my chickens."

These fun people came with us! Dave and Bonnie met us at the farm and helped us pick 3 big bags of peas.

After all the peas were picked, we had a picnic lunch in these woods. All in all, it was a great day and we're excited for more harvest events! -RL

Elliot Starts Gymnastics

2010-07-13T19:42:00.000-07:00

Elliot had his first activity this summer when we enrolled him in Tumble Tots gymnastics. He was so hilarious and had a lot of fun. He would basically do the 2 things in a circuit that he liked and then bounce around and do his own thing, which is very Elliot. Watch and enjoy my little tumbler! -RL

Yes He Can! Yes He Can!

2010-07-13T09:46:00.000-07:00

This week marked a huge accomplishment for one little 6 year old. Ethan rode his bike without training wheels! And loved it! Now, this may seem like a small, easy task, but it has been one of the bigger struggles for us. There have been several tantrums, lots of tears, and bouts of screaming ......from Ethan, not us. :) If you are nervous that he is not wearing a helmet and cursing us as irresponsible as you watch, please know that we went out and bought him a helmet right after this and he has worn it ever since. -RL

New Year's Day/Christmas Cleanup

2010-01-04T11:21:00.000-08:00

After New Year's Day ebelskivers (see previous post), we had a Christmas Cleanup Extravaganza. It took close to 2 hours, but we got every scrap of Christmas cleaned up, organized and put away. Ethan then wanted to immediately put up Valentines Day/St. Patrick's decorations, and was a little disappointed to find that we don't have any. -RLBefore

2 Hours and some caffeine later

Happy New Year 2010!

2010-01-03T20:36:00.000-08:00

We may have a new tradition for New Year's Day at the Lien household. New Year's ebelskivers! Santa Claus brought me an ebelskiver pan that I had been eying from Williams Sonoma for some time. My first attempt ended with a strong verdict: Ebelskivers are awesome and delicious and awesomely delicious. Adorable little pockets full of yumminess. I filled some with brown sugar and some with pumpkin butter. I have several other varieties to try that will no doubt end up as posts on this blog. Come on over for some! -RL

New Year's Eve

2010-01-03T20:30:00.001-08:00

We didn't do much for New Year's Eve this year. Our winter break was pretty fun-filled and busy, so we actually looked forward to staying in. We had a big batch of carbonara and Chris watched Lost all night. I fell asleep reading, so we were pretty much party animals. Chris did play outside with Ethan and Elliot for most of the day and part of the night. It was -15 degrees out, but it didn't faze them one bit. -RLThis is the drift in front of our house. It's very tall, there is a tunnel going through it and the kids love to play on it.

Ethan and Chris played football in the snow for about an hour. Ethan was all smiles.

Christmas Vacation Happiness

2009-12-30T12:50:00.000-08:00

Over Christmas break, we had Christmas Eve and Christmas with Chris' parents and Sara. Then we went to Brainerd and had Christmas with Derek, Melissa, Julia and Brian, Kendra and pending baby Roberts. While in Brainerd, we did some sledding at Big Sieve. It was pretty cold, really bumpy, but a good time was had by all. -RLEthan and Chris making the hike back up.

My brother Derek with his little Julia.

Ethan and Dad.

Ethan and Mom.

Elliot had to stay home from the sledding (strep throat), but this is the boys on Christmas morning in their new jammies. Ethan's are Super Mario Galaxy and Elliot's are pirates. I just love this picture. -RL

Emma as Mary

2009-12-30T12:32:00.001-08:00

Emma played Mary in her Christmas program at church. (Yes, Mary had glasses. And she apparently wore Uggs.) She had to sing a solo which was really beautiful. I videoed it so quick and tried to get the best picture I could with the legions of people in front of me blocking my shot. Unfortunately, my best shot was holding my camera sideways, forgetting that I can't rotate it once it's videoed. So, I apologize for the video, but hopefully you can hear her solo. We all thought her voice sounded so pretty and clear, and we were all a bit misty-eyed. -RL

Oh Tannebaum...

2009-12-30T12:26:00.000-08:00

We got our tree up the first week of December after a long debate on real or artificial. We went with the real tree and it was one of our best ones. Ethan was really excited about decorating the house and the tree. Elliot was excited to take down the ornaments, which got to be frustrating for my type A Ethan. -RL

Halloween Part 3: Trick or Treating & Pumpkin Carving

2009-12-29T20:09:00.000-08:00

I loved that Halloween was on a Saturday this year. It gave us time for 2 parties, pumpkin carving and trick or treating and we didn't feel rushed. Halloween just might be my favorite holiday, so it was nice to have a full 2 days of fun. -RL

Elliot started out the day as Batman.

Ethan did this almost all by himself.

My pumpkin.

Chris' pumpkin.

Sticking w/ the Harry Potter theme, Emma as Tonks.

Ethan as Harry Potter.

We wanted Elliot to be Dobby the House Elf, but a flour sack just isn't warm enough for Moorhead trick or treating. He could choose between Batman, Superman and Yoda. In our house, Star Wars always wins.

Annual picture of us at Bobbie and Boppas.

Ethan got cold and wore this hat trick or treating. I thought he looked so cute and I think his adorableness scored him more candy. He came home with an overflowing bucket of goodies. Mission accomplished.

Halloween Part 2: Our Party

2009-12-29T19:47:00.001-08:00

Our Halloween party for adults was a ton of fun. We spent most of our time laughing and playing Rock Band. We were all planning to dress as Harry Potter characters, but I procrastinated too long and was the only non-Potter costume. I vow to have a better costume next year! -RLI was Teen Wolf, but didn't have the time or energy to work on the fur. It was just glued on in one big clump. I did have some sweet tube socks, hightops and awesome dance moves.

This was originally my costume, but it didn't quite work for me. Chris, the trooper that he is, threw it on with a wig and went as Bellatrix LeStrange.

Bonnie and Dave as Mundungus Fletcher and Sirius Black.

In the greatest entrance ever, Duval and Lisa came in as Dolores Umbridge and Argus Filch. Their costumes were amazing and they had several props. We were all in awe and I thought I would never stop laughing. -RL

Halloween Part 1: Kid's Party

2009-12-29T19:29:00.000-08:00

Here are Ethan's friends dressed up for our Kid Halloween Party. Emma also had her friend Lana over, plus her other siblings, India and Jude. I love Halloween and go all out on the food. Here are a few pics of what we made. We also had our standards that are not pictured Mac n Sneeze (green mac and cheese), Yummy Mummies (little hotdogs wrapped in dough), Pizza Snake, chocolate chip cookies in various spooky shapes, green punch with gummy worms. -RL

Apples with teeth

I didn't think the kids would go for the finger cookies, but they loved them.

Ethan looks funny in this picture....I think he's excited his friends are coming over. I was pretty proud of my jack-o-lantern cake until his eyes started dripping down his face.

Random Elliot

2009-12-29T19:14:00.000-08:00

Here are some random photos of Elliot, apropos because Elliot is the most random 2 year old I've ever encountered. He does and says things purely to make people laugh. He is such a clown and I love his totally weird sense of humor. Lately, he's been very into pirates and Peter Pan the musical. He walks around with his pointer finger bent and says he's Captain Hook. Awesome. -RL

Elliot is also into tackling and wrestling.

Elliot listening to Shrek the Musical. He absolutely loves singing and I love listening to him.

Thanksgiving: The Kittleson Edition

2009-12-29T19:06:00.000-08:00

For the first time in my life, I spent Thanksgiving away from the Mallinger side of the family. It was very strange to go elsewhere, but I had a blast with Chris' family. We had great food, lots of laughter, a piano sing-along and an accordian concert, thanks to Mike. What I didn't have was my camera out. I took several funny pictures of Sara that if I put on this blog, she may disown me. I love this picture of Paul and Elliot and am so glad that I snapped it. -RL

Singing!

2009-12-29T19:01:00.000-08:00

Here is Ethan in his robe for his church choir, Joyful Noise. He graduated from the Minims choir and now gets to wear a robe and cross when he sings in church. He also sang with Emma's choir, Celebration Singers, and the FM Youth Symphony at a concert in December. -RL

Emma showing Ethan how it's done.

Football w/ Ethan

2009-12-29T18:51:00.000-08:00

Ethan is a conflicted little man when it comes to pro football. He is loyal completely to the Packers and always wants them to win. But, he also wants the Vikings to win, except when playing the Packers. His Boppa Dale has made him love the Packers, but Chris is a Vikings fan. How he deals with this internal struggle, I'll never know.

When the Vikings lose, Ethan is a bit disappointed, but he shrugs it off. When the Packers lose, it's a full meltdown, on the floor, bawling his little eyes out. Then he calls his Boppa Dale in Florida to report how the game went. I always imagine that my dad has just had a temper tantrum too. -RL

Weekend with Dave and Bonnie

2009-12-29T18:24:00.000-08:00

This goes back to October, but I have to start somewhere since I haven't blogged in 4 months. We went to Minneapolis for my cousin's wedding and stayed with Dave and Bonnie for a few days. It was so much fun to hang out with them and see my family and sister Sara.

Dave had a lot of fun playing games with Ethan and Elliot. You know, normal games that every child plays growing up like "Power of the Mongoose", "Grond" and "Danger Ball", all the classics. These games all consist of a lot of energy from Dave: picking up one kid, spinning him, holding him upside down and then smashing him into something/someone else. They love it. Dave and Ethan also spent a lot of time doing wizard duels Harry Potter-style. I've been unsuccessful posting videos lately, so I hope this one works. All in all, a very fun October trip. -RL

Dave and Bonnie w/ the Boys: Ethan and Elliot really love them.

Soccer Mom

2009-09-26T19:27:00.000-07:00

Ethan had his first soccer game on September 5. He did a really good job and has a lot of hustle. He doesn't enjoy soccer as much as baseball, but he seems to like it.

Ethan's First Day of First Grade!

2009-09-26T19:16:00.000-07:00

Ethan headed off to first grade on September 8. We have 1/2 day kindergarten in Moorhead, so it was his first time being in school all day. He adjusted to it much faster than I did. I am so used to seeing him everyday and now he goes to bed on Sunday and I don't see him again until Wednesday after school. He loves school and is learning a lot, and I'm so proud of him.

Elliot wants/needs to be like Ethan almost always. When Ethan started wearing his backpack to school everyday, Elliot started wearing this everywhere. He threw a huge tantrum when I wouldn't let him sleep in it. -RL

One Last Trip and Meet Bonnie!

2009-09-26T19:00:00.000-07:00

Our final trip was to the cities for a couple of days to see Dave, Bonnie and Auntie Sara. We ate yummy food, played Bananagrams and a new game that was not Kooky Strips, but almost exactly like Kooky Strips. (A large argument ensued regarding Kooky Strips...in the end Dave named this new game, BananaHammock Grams Dos....which was somehow appropriate.) Elliot and I stayed behind one night while everyone went to a Twins game. We went to both the MN Zoo and the Como Zoo and just had an awesome time with great friends.

I feel like when I say Bonnie was with us, I never actually have a picture of her being with us. I'm so sorry Bonnie, but this was the only picture from the weekend of you. If you want me to blow it up and frame it for you, I can do that.

Ethan thoroughly enjoyed the game. He really wanted to catch a Mauer home run, but was happy to have a hot dog. Bonnie was rooting for the Texas Rangers, so that was a bone of contention for Ethan.

Sometimes Chris can't help himself.

Elliot insisted on being with Sara the entire time at the zoo. He had no need for me or anyone else.
Ethan, Dave and Sara walking into the Como Zoo. Bonnie was off studying somewhere like law students are apt to.

All in all, it was an incredible summer. I feel like we really made the most of it. For a family who rarely sees each other during the school year, it was so nice to spend so much time with each other and with the friends and family that we love so much. -RL

More Travels for Us!

2009-09-26T18:45:00.000-07:00

After Ethan's birthday we went on a really fun trip to the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells. We went with Dave and Bonnie for 3 days. We had so much fun. Unfortunately, I did not take 1 picture of any of the fun. I was too busy water sliding for hours at a time and going on the Master Blaster 8 times in a row with Emma.

So, after that trip Chris, Ethan, Elliot and I all went to Bemidji to Chris' aunt Mary Lou and uncle Paul's cabin. It was such a beautiful place and completely renewed my dream to own a lake cabin one day soon. They have 2 cabins on a gorgeous lake and let us stay with them for 2 days. We had so much fun with Mary Lou and Paul, what wonderful, gracious hosts.

Ethan really loved jumping off this landing. Chris had a lot of enthusiasm for it too.

Off the dock was very weedy, but Ethan didn't care a bit. He jumped off this maybe a thousand times.
Bobbie and Boppa came for part of the trip. Ethan got to go fishing for the first time with Boppa. He caught 2 sunfish and then was a little disheartened that they died during hook removal. He had a lot of fun casting with his new SpiderMan fishing pole that they got him for his birthday.

We all know that the true Paul Bunyan lives in Brainerd, but we couldn't leave without a picture with the fake one. Look at this Bunyan, he doesn't even talk or move his arms! -RL

Ethan Turns 6!

2009-09-26T18:39:00.000-07:00

Ethan turned 6 this past August. He had a birthday party with 4 of his friends, Emma, Dave and Bonnie and of course, mom and dad. We went to Buffalo River to swim, then had pizza and cake at our house. It was a really fun day. I feel like Ethan was born a second ago and it is amazing how quickly time passes. I appreciate each day with him and love watching him grow, although sometimes I wish for that little baby Ethan back, just for a day or 2. -RL

Jogging My Memory

2009-09-26T18:14:00.000-07:00

This summer was absolutely crazy, busy and fun. We went on an unprecedented amount of trips. So, needless to say, the blog has been sorely neglected. I am going to try and update what we did this summer, but I can promise that it will not be in order

Chris and I went to Lutsen Resort for our 7 year anniversary. Boppa, Bobbie and Sara watched the boys (thank you!) and we had a blast being on our own for 4 days. We shopped, ate, drank, read, went hiking, went sea kayaking and all around had a great time. It was so beautiful and relaxing.

I look a little preggers in this picture, but I assure you, it's the shirt.

This was our room at the resort. It was so nice, definitely will go back.

This is one of the few pictures of Chris and I together from the trip. There's a lot of just him and just me, but only 2 or 3 of us together. This one was shot with my timer and I thought it might just work. No such luck. -RL

My Prairie Home Companion

2009-07-18T20:10:00.000-07:00

Whew! We made it to De Smet, SD and back! It was a great trip. We saw so many Laura Ingalls Wilder sites and artifacts. We walked through the surveyor's house that she lives in in "By the Shores of Silver Lake", we went to the homestead that Pa claimed. We saw the trees that he planted by the shanty for each of his girls. We went to the Loftus Store from "The Long Winter" and then visited the Ingalls' graves. It was so fascinating and fun. I love a good prairie! -RL

Every road trip should have a stop at a small town cafe. This one did not disappoint. It was tiny, folksy with lots of regulars that all knew each other. I think they were wondering about the strangers in town.

We had a couple of hours to swim in the pool. The Es had lots of fun and Ethan loved
swimming around with Elliot.

This is Ethan at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Pagaent. It was an outdoor play of "The Long Winter". It started after the sun went down, so it was cold on the prairie.

This is the site of the Ingalls' original claim shanty. Pa planted a tree for each girl and they are still standing.

I love these pictures of them in the prairie grass. Can't you picture Elliot falling down like Carrie on the TV show?

This is a replica of the dugout they lived in on Plum Creek. Cost of this house, you ask? $2.78.

Ethan loved washing clothes on the washboard and then putting them through this old timey rinser. He did it like 4 times while we tried to wait patiently.

Elliot roped a steer from his stroller! That's gotta be some kind of toddler roping record.

On the wagon ride! When asked where we were from, Ethan said "Minnesota!" Then the tour guide said, "I hope you're not a Vikings fan." Ethan then replied, "No, I like the Packers!" And the wagon cheered and laughed. Boppa Dale should be proud.
It was hilarious.

We rode the wagon to an old school. There was a teacher there and Ethan answered several questions correctly....much to my surprise. I thought he was shy--where did that trait go?

Then Ethan rode a horse a bit. He was so excited about the horses and wagon rides.

Then this happened. Both Es totally exhausted from the day. Mission accomplished.

Little Man on the Prairie

2009-07-15T09:09:00.000-07:00

If you check back to our book list here, you will see that Ethan has been very interested in Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" series. We started the first one "Little House in the Big Woods" during the flood. It was in a rescue box of books from the Lien household and was Sara's book. I had never read any of these books, although I did get "The Long Winter" from my second grade teacher, Mrs. Larson. I didn't make it past Chapter 2; the book was still dog-earred from 24 years ago.

I didn't expect Ethan to enjoy the first book at all. Proof that you should always give things a try! He loved it and we went on to my book from elementary school. That is the 6th book. Proof that you should always read series books in order! Mary was blind, there was another baby! When, how, why?!

So, after that one, we went back in order and Ethan has loved each book and has now started from the beginning reading them with Chris. We have 3 books left to go. We are also planning a trip this weekend to De Smet, SD to see the Ingalls homestead, some of their homes. I love his fascination with this and will do anything to nurture whatever he's into. -RL

Happy Brother's Day!

2009-07-01T14:04:00.001-07:00

Did you all have a nice Brother's Day? Oh, you let it pass by without celebration? I guess it hasn't caught on....yet.

Backstory: In May, Ethan and I were walking through the grocery store and I was pointing out all the ice cream treats he could buy me for Mother's Day. Then he asked what Chris would want for Father's Day. Then he thought a minute and said, "Mom, when's Brother's Day?" I said there was no such day like that and he decided that there should be and it should be July 1. (Yes, I realize this conflicts with Canada Day, but he's 5, what could I do?)

So, today we had the first annual Brother's Day. The bros dressed alike and played all day, had pizza and popsicles. It was very sweet and I hope it can become a yearly tradition for them. -RL

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

2009-06-23T21:19:00.000-07:00

Look at my littlest son's beautiful, lengthy hair. Isn't it gorgeous? Well, today it was buzzed off. After a few weeks of saying "No way", I finally caved and let Chris take Elliot to get his hair cut. It is not his first cut, but I really loved his long hair and how crazy it was all the time. So, here is my son now. He's still adorable and much less sweaty. -RL

Summer Fun in Brainerd! Part 2: Schmeck's House

2009-06-17T18:07:00.000-07:00

We set up a baby pool, a big kid pool, and a slip n' slide at Grammy & Boppa Dale's. It was very hot and a perfect day for some water fun.

I love these guys. They are so nice to each other and really have fun together. They would rather be together than apart and they don't seem to tire of one another. It's such a cool thing to see them become so close. -RL

Summer Fun Kicks Off In Brainerd! Part 1: The Roger's House

2009-06-17T17:56:00.000-07:00

We just got back from trip to Brainerd/Baxter to see friends Cynthia and Mike and her parents, Susan and Al. And of course, Grammy and Boppa Dale, and uncles Derek & Brian and aunts Kendra & Melissa. It was a great time, the weather was beautiful and we hit the lake quite a bit.

Elliot does this big frog hop thing that is too funny. Here he is mid-hop.

Cynthia and Elliot on her parent's dock on Perch Lake.

Cynthia and Elliot dipping their toes in the hot tub. Elliot dove into the hot tub and Cynthia was his Baywatch-esque lifeguard.

Ethan looking cute.

The boys on the paddle boat.

Ethan's Soccer Camp

2009-06-17T17:50:00.000-07:00

Ethan has been doing Great Britain's Challenger Soccer Camp this week. He's never played soccer before, but seems to like it a lot. He also likes his British coaches and has a lot of fun with them. -RL

Elliot Stellan turns 2!!

2009-06-17T17:28:00.000-07:00

My littlest E turned 2 on May 23rd. We had a small party for the small guy. We had both grandparents and Auntie Sara and friend Julie in attendance. Ethan got to play baseball with both Boppa's so he was very happy and could have played all day.

Baseball with the Boppas.

Bobbie reading with Elliot.

Auntie Sara and Elliot playing with dandelions. Hippies.

Grammy and Elliot. Ethan made sure everyone had a party hat and kept them on.

Boppa Dale and Elliot having an important conversation.

Standard messy cake picture. Priceless.

Field of Dreams

2009-05-16T21:59:00.000-07:00

We signed Ethan up for baseball, even though he was skeptical he wouldn't like it. After buying him a ball, glove, and bat, Chris took him in back for some practice. He does not like learning anything from us and resists any advice we give him. After a few minutes of playing catch, he got the hang of it and really liked it. Then when we got to bat, he was a natural. He hit anything and everything....and me twice when I was pitching. He starts on June 1 and I know he's going to have so much fun. -RL
Grammy and Boppa Dale came to deliver the piano and play a little baseball with the kid.

This the stance and look I get when I offer advice. It's hard not to laugh, but laughter gets an even more severe look.

This was right after the previous picture. He's still trying to look mad, but this was his first catch, so he really wants to smile and be proud of himself.

When you see him in the major leagues, he'll be known for this signature batting face. Tongue out to one side; he does it every time.

Ethan Runs the Marathon! Well, not quite...

2009-05-16T21:54:00.000-07:00

For the 2nd year in a row, Ethan ran the Kid's Run at the Fargo Marathon. He ran the 1/2 mile, but said it wasn't enough, so next year he'll do the full mile run. It was packed and I didn't see him cross the finish line, but he and Chris had a lot of fun. Ethan has really started to love running, so we'll see where this takes him. Chris and I decided that not running the 1/2 marathon this year was a big mistake, so we're hoping to do one this summer. -RL

Project Runway

2009-05-16T21:42:00.000-07:00

My son has a love of fashion. I know it. He wears everyone's shoes. He wears 2 or 3 hats at a time. He loves sunglasses. It is this love of fashion that created a deep cut on his forehead, previously mentioned a few entries down, for he will not take sunglasses off. Here is a portfolio of his spring collection. -RL

Every baby needs gardening garb. Here is a chic looking tan and brown number with sun hat.
Why wear 1 hat, when you can wear 2? These navy bucket hats are smart and sophisticated.

These groovy shades are versatile, fashion-forward and came off a stuffed bear.

An Old-Fashioned Piano Party

2009-05-16T21:38:00.001-07:00

My parents gave Chris and I their piano a few weeks ago. I have been playing it every day and have found it so extremely relaxing. Ethan and Elliot have had a lot of fun with it too as show below in these gems. -RL

Look at that face! That is love.

Where Do I Start?

2009-05-16T21:29:00.000-07:00

I have not blogged in quite awhile, so I'm trying to remember what we've done in the past 2 months. These will most definitely be random and out of order, but I'd like to think the 5 or 6 people that read this will not mind. Most are related, so you're obligated to still like me.

Okay, we had Easter. Here are the E's looking fabulous as ever. Ethan just would not keep that shirt tucked in.

Today....

2009-05-16T21:16:00.000-07:00

Well, an interesting Saturday was had by the Liens today. After an iced mocha and a trip to Target, we were in the yard when Elliot fell on the driveway. I was called into the house by Ethan saying, "Mom, Dad needs you, right now!" I went in and found Elliot gushing blood from his forehead and crying as you would expect an almost 2 year old to be crying....loudly. Chris took him to the walk-in, while I worried and waited. Ethan said that was okay because, his words exactly, "Mothers are the worriers of the family."

Elliot got 2 stitches and a bandage. He also got a teddy bear and Dr. Suess blocks for his trouble. Nice place, the walk-in, it comes with swag. Here is a picture of the little patient after all was done. -RL

Passing the Time....

2009-03-30T08:19:00.000-07:00

We have been house bound for some time now. With a nearly 2 year old and a 5 1/2 year old, it is exhausting trying to find things for them to do. We've been going to the park in freezing cold temps, reading a lot and watching movies.

While Sara was home, she and Ethan did this craft project together. She had evacuated several toy lizards, turtles and frogs from the basement and they put together a habitat for them with a shoe box. This has given Ethan several hours of entertainment. -RL

More Flood Pics....

2009-03-28T10:28:00.000-07:00

The Lien's were evacuated last night and are now staying with us. Chris, Sara and Dennis went back to check on things today. We did hear some good news that the river has now crested at over 40 feet. Cross your fingers that that news is accurate! It is an "up" in a roller coaster of a week. -RL

Here is a bird that was trapped in between plastic used for the dike.

Chris, Sara and Dennis added "bird rescuers" to their resumes today.

4 inches of water in the basement--but could be worse!

Evacuated folks needs to post where they are so they can be found.

A White Wedding at the White House

2009-03-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

This is the White House in Kragnes. Chris and I were married here almost 7 years ago. This is a very sad picture for me to look at. We drive by this on our anniversary every year and I hope it is still there this July 26. -RL

Flood Pics '09 part 1

2009-03-26T14:36:00.000-07:00

This is the mark the flood is supposed to reach. If it goes over this, the dike will be breached.

As of this posting, the neighborhood was going to build up another foot of sandbags on top of this. All that white, is snow and ice built up along the encroaching river. We had over 7 inches of snow yesterday.

Getting closer every hour....

This is a view of the river from my parents' deck. It comes up about 1o feet onto the trunks of the trees.

This is a part of the deck that had to be ripped out to accomodate more sandbags.

A view from the safe side of the barricade. You can see the water right up next to the sandbags.

This is a portion of the vast wall of sandbags protecting my parents' house.

Mud Puddles

2009-03-25T13:37:00.000-07:00

We went to Brainerd last week to see Grammy and Boppa Dale. While Chris looked on wincing, I allowed my boys to jump in the mud puddles and get completely soaked and muddy. I can't believe this picture I got of Elliot. I was just snapping randomly and quickly. So happy I caught this face of Elliot's. It's one of my favorites.

These boys are a great team. They really play well together and look out for one another. When waking up in the morning or after a nap, Elliot immediately starts saying, "Eeetee! Eeetee!" which is Ethan to him. Not mama, dada....nope, he needs his Eeetee. -RL

The 2009 Flood

2009-03-24T22:36:00.000-07:00

We are in the midst of a possibly historic flood here in the FM area. I'm on my 4th day of sandbagging and my arms, wrists and back have never been more sore. These pictures cannot even begin to display what is going on up here, but hopefully, I'll post some more pictures as we near the crest date. This first picture is what it looks like behind Bobbie and Dennis' house. You can see the water behind the hay bales, but that water is only from rain and melting snow. The river has not come through yet. If anyone can come and help, there is plenty of work to be done. It's hard work, but so rewarding to see people come together. We need all the help we can get! -RL

This mud is nasty to walk through. And it's everywhere. It used to be grass before Bobcats, forklifts and many volunteers came through.

Sara came home today to help with the massive effort of protecting Brentwood.

Ethan is not too little to realize the importance of helping others. The sandbags are heavy, but he doesn't quit!

He is rewarded with wheelbarrow rides through the mud. He's a good comic relief for everyone.

This was day 2 of sandbagging. We're behind Bobbie and Dennis' house and had just finished the sandbags you can see behind us.

At this point, we are not so dirty. An hour after this picture was taken, we were mostly covered in mud.

Words and Words and More Words!!

2009-02-26T13:39:00.000-08:00

Here is, as promised below, a very sweet video of my littlest saying some of his words in his adorable voice. -RL

My Elliot

2009-02-21T18:55:00.001-08:00

Just a few random pics of Elliot at 20 months. He's growing up so fast and changing every day. Ethan didn't really say a lot until he was over 2, almost 3 years old. Elliot does not stop talking....ever. I'm going to video all his words this week and put them on here. He says no, yes, more, all done, all gone, mama, dadda, Bobbie, Boppa, brother, Emma, pup, kitty, book, ball, Elmo (over and over and over), Grover, Big Bird, mouse, moose, nose, mouth, ears, eyes, toes, Hi (insert above pronoun here), car, pig, horse, and poop, as in "Mama, I poop." And several more that I'm forgetting, but are so adorable coming out of his perfect little face. Look at this little man, have ya ever seen a more happy-to-know-ya kind of face?! -RL

Extreme closeup of eating!

Aunts & Uncles and the Children They Spoil

2009-02-21T18:50:00.001-08:00

Here is Uncle Derek and Elliot. Derek was bouncing Elliot on his legs and he couldn't get enough of it. You figure out which "he" I mean.

Auntie Melissa looking so cute smiling at Elliot. Why is everyone in this family photogenic except me?!

Auntie Kendra helping Ethan work on his Darth Vader laptop that they bought him for Christmas. I'm glad someone helped him figure it out--I'm still confused. -RL

Cousins

2009-02-21T18:36:00.000-08:00

I took Ethan & Elliot to Brainerd last weekend for some Schmeck family fun. Lots of good food was eaten, late Christmas presents were opened and REALLY late Christmas presents were bought by that adorable little sister who isn't quite on top of things like her siblings and siblings-in-law. Yep, that's me. We went to St. Cloud to watch my niece Naomi play hockey. That girl can skate!! Ethan had fun with his cousin, Devin, who is the same age and also very into Star Wars. -RL

Ethan and Devin happily eating popcorn.

How beautiful is my sister in law Noriko? Here she is with Elliot who loved her immediately.

I love this picture. Cousins Naomi, Ethan and Julia looking as cute as can be.

Reading is Fun....damental!!

2009-01-17T19:01:00.001-08:00

Recently, Ethan has become interested in reading chapter books. Hallelujah!! I've been awaiting the day that he would want to listen to books that I loved as a kid and new books that are fun for me to read too. I love a good dinosaur/Diego/Star Wars book, but bedtime is just so much more fun now! I'm starting this on-going entry, not so much for anyone else, but for me and him to keep track of the books we've read together and the dates we finish them.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (10/09)
The Tale of Despereaux (12/27/09)
Because of Winn Dixie (1/09)
The Mouse and the Motorcycle (1/09)
The Tiger Rising (2/09)
The Underneath (3/26/09)
Choose Your Adventure: Star Wars (3/27/09)
Stuart Little (3/29/09)
Charlotte's Web (4/09)
Trumpet of the Swan (4/09)
I Spent My Summer Vacation Kidnapped by Aliens (5/09)
Little House in the Big Woods (5/09)
The Long Winter (6/09)
Little House on the Prairie (6/20/09)
The Borrowers (6/21/09)
On the Banks of Plum Creek (6/30/09)
By the Shores of Silver Lake (7/13/09)
Little Town on the Prairie (7/09)
These Happy Golden Years (8/09)
The First Four Years (9/7/09)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (10/09)
Fantastic Mr. Fox (12/09)
My Side of the Mountain (2/10)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (3/20/10)
Junie B. Jones and that Meanie Jim's Birthday (3/20/10)
Junie B. Jones and the Stinky Smelly Bus (3/20/10)
Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business (3/20/10)
Junie B., First Grader Boss of Lunch (3/27/10)
Junie B. Jones and the Mushy Gushy Valentine (3/28/10)
Junie B. Jones has a Monster Under her Bed (4/2/10)
Junie B. Jones and the Yucky Blucky Fruitcake (4/2/10)
The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear (current book)

2009: The year of the Schlien...and probably Obama.

2009-01-17T16:32:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year one and all! I haven't got my blog on since way back in '08 so I thought I should represent. 2008 was an amazing year for me in many ways. I got plenty of family time going to Emma's basketball games and choir concerts, reading volumes of books with Ethan, and teaching Elliot the fine art of tickling. All in all, I was able to see a lot of the world with trips to North Carolina, Scotland, Florida and Northeastern Minnesota. Professionally, I started teaching ninth grade which is a treat because I learned that ninth graders still care about learning. Who knew? For 2009 I hope to spend more time travelling with (and without) my children and visiting family and friends around the country. Recently, I discovered Facebook. Apparently, one can be friends with thousands of people just by clicking a button. Nice, huh? Another goal, besides dominating Facebook, is to finish my Masters in Liberal Arts and spend more time biking. In the meantime, though I'll keep shoveling my driveway and pray that God realizes that he's overblessed us with snow. Seriously, enough is enough, Dude! I hope that all is well in your worlds and look forward to reading all of the comments you leave. -C.L.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

2009-01-14T20:55:00.000-08:00

I cannot remember a colder winter than this one. I cannot remember as much snow falling ever. Today was 16 below. I want to go back to Florida so much that I get almost teary eyed about it. Remind me, what about this place was so appealing to our ancestors?

At least we can build tunnels and sled and play outside--well, when it warms up to zero, we can. Plus, I'm going to teach this kid how to skate one of these fine days. I may need an Uncle Derek and a Boppa Dale to supervise, dust off your skates!! -RL

Magic Kingdom by Night

2009-01-07T20:12:00.000-08:00

Isn't this beautiful? In the words of Liz Lemon, "I want to go to there." -RL

I'm Goin' to Disney World

2009-01-02T17:02:00.001-08:00

So, our vacation was great! We left from Minneapolis very early. Ethan took his first flight in stride and Elliot was totally well behaved and didn't annoy any travelers! We stayed with my parents at the Villages, which is a place for retired folk that have rockin' times every night and golf cart around every day. My kind of people!

We went to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios with Ethan and Emma, while my mom watched Elliot. Then we brought Elliot with to Epcot to give Grammy a day off. My brother Derek, his wife Melissa and little Julia went to Hollywood Studios the same day so we got to meet up with them for a bit. Julia was very preoccupied trying to vie for the attention of Handy Manny. Every park day was busy and a lot of walking, but the Es are troopers and we all had so much fun at each park. Here are just a few pics of our vacation.
At each park, there are lines for meeting the characters. Very long lines that take hours of precious park time. Thankfully, meeting all the characters was not on any of our agendas. But, when we saw Sorcerer Mickey standing around with no line, we had to get a picture.

I couldn't resist buying both Es some Mickey ears. I still have mine from when I was 10. I hope they treasure them and the memories of their first Disney World adventure.

This was a big deal for Ethan. An actual speeder that he could sit on. He went on the Star Tours ride twice and it ended up being one of his favorites. He also got to witness Jedi Training and an appearance by Darth Vader. We tried to talk him into doing the Jedi Training, but he resisted in his stubborn Ethan way. Ethan and Emma each got to pick out one souvenir for the trip. Emma picked out a cute Minnie t-shirt and Ethan got a Mickey that is dressed as a Jedi--he named it Mickey Wan Kenobi.

Overall, it was an absolutely fantastic vacation. I got to do awesome things with my awesome family and see my awesome parents too. Now I just have to figure out how to retire at age 30 so I can golf cart around Florida without a care in the world. -RL

I'm Goin' to DisneyWorld: the Elliot Edition

2009-01-02T12:07:00.000-08:00

I had to zoom in on his face, it's so priceless. He was in total bliss.

Here are Elliot's 2 favorite parts of Florida. Top picture is him playing in the fountains of Epcot. So cute. People flocked around to watch him because he was laughing so hard. It was one of my top 5 vacation moments. The next picture is something Elliot did daily and loved--riding around in the golf cart with Boppa Dale and Grammy. He did not like riding with me and Chris for some reason and tried to jettison himself. Very scary. But, with the GParent's, he absolutely loved it. -RL

Disneyworld From Emma's View

2008-12-30T16:27:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody who reads this blog! This is Emma signing in. I would like to talk about some of my favorite rides at Disneyworld. My VERY favorite is Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom. Next comes Toy story Midway Mania at Hollywood Studios. After that comes Splash Mountain at Magic Kingdom. Next is Mission Space at Epcot. Right after that comes Kali River Rapids at Animal Kingdom. Next after that is Mickey's Phillar Magic 3D movie at Magic Kingdom. Next is a show: Indiana Jones Stunt show! It is pretty sweet! We got to see how movies do crazy stunts on TV and in TV shows and Movies. Another show that was really cool was Fantasmic Laser Light Show. It was supposed to be like Fantasia with Mickey except with almost all of the villains and cruel people from most of the movies that Mickey had to face with his Magical Hat and make them go away! One thing to let you know is that if you are going to Disneyworld with a child under 7 or 6 then you might not want to go to Space Mountain. Out of all of the rides I just listed that is the only ride and show that Ethan did not go on. I am sure that if your kid likes crazy fast dark rides in space and reaches the height requirement then they should be fine. Otherwise... GO ENJOY THE RIDES AND SHOWS!!!

A Tale of 2 Cities: One Frozen and One with Palm Trees

2008-12-29T13:58:00.001-08:00

We recently returned from a fabulous Walt Disney World adventure. It was such an awesome time and I will have pictures up here soon. I didn't bring my actual camera because I didn't want it to get damaged on the roller coasters, water rides, Dumbo...etc.. All the Es had so much fun and seeing other kids whine, complain, hit each other and generally act ungrateful made me appreciate mine all the more.

We got back on the 23rd and returned for a white Christmas. We did a lot of sledding and tunnel building, which was a big switch from swimming outside and wearing shorts. -RL

Thanksgiving....I'm a little behind on the blogging...

2008-12-29T13:55:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving with my family, once again, at my aunt and uncle's ranch. They have lots of horses which provide plenty fun for these kids. Fun?! Without a video game or TV? What?! My cousins, Ashley and Melissa, gave Ethan and Emma some riding lessons and they got the hang of it and, of course, loved every minute of it. Emma is riding Levi and Ethan is riding Jag. -RL

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-15T20:24:00.000-08:00

If you look at our picture from last Halloween, Chris and I look almost exactly the same. Same expression on our faces, differently costumed children...weird. That must be our "we're exhausted, but ready to kick ass trick or treating" face. This year, we had a Dorothy, Obi Wan Kenobi and Yoda. Ethan made sure people knew he was Obi Wan from Star Wars IV, A New Hope. Very important distinction among Star Wars geeks, I guess. Yoda did not make it far on the trick or treating, but Dorothy and Obi Wan made a haul.

We always have a special Halloween lunch on the weekend before. This year was no different. We had Halloweenies (hot dogs, wrapped with crescent rolls to look like mummies), a pizza calzone shaped like a snake, cookies that looked like witches fingers with red almonds for fingernails. Plus our Mac n Sneeze, and witches brew with gummy worms that we have every year. It was another fun-filled Halloween over here at the Schlien household! -RL

Little Men

2008-11-15T20:09:00.000-08:00

This picture of Elliot is not real clear, but it just makes me happy. I was trying to get him to stay put to take a picture and he just kept getting in my face. He just looks cute. His newest words are "turtle", "deer" and "all done."

These are the Es on their last rendezvous to the park before the cold weather struck. We were in Brainerd and went to the park every day, knowing that we would be housebound for the next few months. With the exception of Disney World in December!

Who's Ready for a Change?!

2008-11-03T11:33:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder to vote tomorrow, November 4! If you are like us, you've been waiting for this day for 8 long years. It's no secret who we are voting for, but whoever your choice is, just VOTE! -RL

It's Not Easy Bein' This Handsome...

2008-10-11T16:31:00.000-07:00

I wanted to try and post a video on this blog and it seems that it works! Here are my boys at breakfast. -RL

A Foretaste of Things to Come...

2008-10-11T16:14:00.000-07:00

I am really into Halloween. I love it. We got the boys costumes pretty early this year, as Ethan knew exactly what he wanted to be and Elliot doesn't have a choice yet. If you're a Star Wars nerd than you will appreciate this little gem of an anecdote. After Elliot got this Yoda costume, Ethan wanted to be Degobah Luke and carry his brother "Yoda" around in a backpack...like in the movie. Check back on Halloween to see if Chris and I dress up with these 2! I'd make a pretty mean Jabba the Hutt! -RLCute you are, I think.

Ethan Wan Kenobi

Brothers

2008-09-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

These moments get me every time. We had a little slumber party the weekend before kindergarten started. We put a mattress on the living room floor with blankets and pillows. We watched movies and fell asleep. These 2 were little snugglers and it could not have been cuter. I have the same reaction when they hold hands in the back of the van or on the way to Ethan's school. I know that in a few years, there will be an occasional fight, but for now, I just have to bask in this love they have for each other. -RL

These People Are Fun...

2008-09-18T11:37:00.001-07:00

This last summer was a whirlwind. It was one of the most fun summers I've had in a while because we got to see a lot of friends from far-away places that we don't see that often. Here is my homage to my homies.
Here is Uncle Brian Jars with Ethan and Elliot. They love him and his new rockin' wife, Bonnie (not pictured..sorry!) very much. The Jars' are currently in Argentina, but we were lucky enough to have them living with us for a month.

Below is Tiffany, high school/college/life friend who I love so very much. She's in Chicago, but we got together for some lake time at her parents house in Brainerd. Her son Boston and my Ethan are almost the same age. She also has 2 others, Darika and Dastan. Here is our clan all together.These are friends Cynthia and Chelle. Chelle lives in Montana, but came to town for the Jars' wedding preception. (Pre-wedding celebration.) We all had such a fun time together-from what I can remember!

Here is Cynthia, my oldest friend (7th grade!)that I still keep in touch with. She lives in Boise, and I miss her and love her a lot. My kids love her too and she's very generous and fun with them. By the way, you can check out her blog at cyndiandmike.blogspot.com. Maybe she'll actually update it!

I love all these friends. They are all so funny and crazy and fabulous. It's probably better that we all live so far away. Maybe I appreciate them more. -RL

Kindergarten!

2008-09-11T21:47:00.001-07:00

Ethan started kindergarten last week. Below is his picture with backpack before heading off to school. He has afternoon kindergarten and we walk to school everyday with Elliot in the stroller. Elliot is usually talking and being his wild self all the way to school and back, as is pictured here. He is so funny and his personality is completely opposite of Ethan. He is such a little ham and is always doing funny things to get attention. I love it--it keeps me laughing everyday. Ethan is loving school. His best friend Kyle is in his class and he has made other friends too. I wish all kids were as sweet and good natured as he is, but alas, a girl has punched him in the stomach and called him stupid. I asked him if he would ever act that way and his answer was, and I quote, "Of course not Mom, I know better." I am so proud of these boys. -RL

Might As Well Keep Bloggin'!

2008-09-11T21:41:00.001-07:00

I have not blogged in ages, so I'm trying to remember the summer. One of my highlights was a road trip to North Carolina with Chris and Sara. We had a blast and shed some tears (or buckets of tears in my case) as our BFF got married on a mountaintop. I love a good road trip and this one did not disappoint....except for Chris leaving 2 days into it for a 2 week trip to Scotland. I'll make him blog about that soon. North Carolina was beautiful and Sara and I had a fun trip home with lots of laughing and good talks. -RL

The Garden of Awesome and Its Harvest

2008-09-11T21:18:00.001-07:00

Looky here! My garden yielded some delicious produce and is still going! We still have some tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots to pick before we're through for the summer! I'm pretty amazed with my first-time results. -RL

Turning 5 is Sweet!

2008-08-04T18:44:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official....I have a 5 year old son. And doesn't that sound old? I have a kindergartner! Wasn't I just a kindergartner, like a few weeks ago?! Anyway, Ethan celebrated with swimming at Buffalo River with best friends Owen and Kyle, followed by cupcakes and ice cream at our house. What a nice little man he is becoming.

Rollin' With My Gnomies..

2008-07-02T18:25:00.000-07:00

As you can see, my garden is a raging success! My chives and parsley are just starting to come up and my zucchini may not have made it. But, everything else is looking really good!

Quite a few gnomes have also popped up, lovingly planted by Ethan. My lily plant was so beautiful, but one gust of F-M wind knocked it out of its hole and almost blew it away.

I have had to pick 5 or 6 weeds total. I am so excited that this actually worked! Check back to see my veggie babies grow! -RL

Hi this is Emma Speaking

2008-07-02T14:28:00.000-07:00

Hello people who read this blog! I am Emma, one of the E3's. I have heard of the blog and thought I would tell you people a little about me. I am 10 years old and next year I will be in 5th grade. At my moms house I have a little sister named India. India is going to be 3 on July 25. At my dad's house I have a pet gecko named Lizzie. Her full name is Lizzie Lula La Lizard. (she is French in my opinion.) At my mom's house I have a puppy named Henry. Henry is a schnoodle which is a schnauzer and a poodle. Any way... last year my mom home schooled me and it was just o.k. I didn't think it was amazing and I prefer public school. I love my dad's house. It is so fun and big. It has huge yards and beautiful scenery. Which reminds me that I just got to mow the lawn to day! It was not the best thing in the world. I only did the front yard and half of one side of the back yard! NO FUN!!! My dad and Ethan (another one of the E3's) and I got to go to Wall-E today. My dad loved it, I thought it was o.k. and Ethan liked it. Nice to blog to you!!! Bye-Bye!!

Keep on Truckin' Little Noah!

2008-07-01T19:57:00.001-07:00

This is Noah, my new nephew born on June 1 at just 24 weeks. I have never seen a baby this small before; he just made it to 2 lbs. It was really shocking to see such a small little guy, but he is really strong and really adorable. Please keep this tiny boy in your prayers. -RL

Happy Birthday Dear Reeder....

2008-07-01T19:32:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I got to travel with the Kittleson ladies to Reeder, North Dakota for their centennial celebration. It was too fun. We had martini time at the Mirror Lake Lodge, watched the nation's longest parade, drank cans of beer at Lutzy's, and laughed constantly. Bonnie Hammer drove us through the prairie, over barbed wire and up some seriously steep hills. We climbed rocks and explored caves.

It was a trip I will never forget. A fabulous time with some rockin' ladies. I'm so glad I tagged along!I love this picture. This was the last night we were there. I think the sky looks like a painting. What a gorgeous view in the middle of nowhere.

Look What I Didn't Kill!

2008-06-19T12:27:00.000-07:00

My lily plant is growing! It's been 2 days and it's alive! -RL

Top 10 Countdown

2008-06-17T20:01:00.000-07:00

Since Ethan was born it has been one of our missions for him to like good music. I get that kids like Polly Wolly Doodle and This Old Man and that, but I didn't want to have a child that wanted to listen to that every time we got into the car.

So, we have programmed Ethan to like stuff that we like. And we've found some kiddie-type music that all of us can listen to.

Ethan's Top 10 CD's in order of how I'm remembering them:

1. White Album: Beatles--Ethan loves most of these songs. He can live without Wild Honey Pie and Happiness is a Warm Gun. The cutest thing was when he thought "Dear Prudence" was about a deer.

2. All Together Now: Beatles Kids Album--kids and adults singing Beatles songs.

3. Here Come the 123's: They Might Be Giants--the song about the number 7 is a favorite, this is the best kids album ever!

4. Snacktime: Barenaked Ladies--this one is really good too. So cute and funny. Plus it has a song about Ninjas.

5. Little Shop of Horrors: Movie Soundtrack--Ethan loves this. He was big into this one last month which coincided with his first dentist appointment. He was understandably a little freaked out to go.

6. Juno Soundtrack: Various Artists--he loves this a lot. He reminds me when the swear words are coming up so I can turn it down. ("F*& Bush and f&*% this war" is a "turn it down Mom" lyric. But if he were to swear, that's not the worst thing he could say, is it?)

7. The Muppet Show Soundtrack: Various Muppets--I love Muppets. I wrote in a previous blog that when I was little I wished they were real. Ethan loves them now too. Nothing better than hearing your 4 year old belt out a wicked rendition of Rainbow Connection.

8. Sesame Street Soundtrack: Various Muppets--see above. I frickin' love Muppets! This one is a little more controlled in the car. You can't listen to this over and over again like the others on the list. But, again Muppets are wonderful and "Monster is the Mirror" is hilarious. And a little Elmo never hurt anyone.

9. Seussical the Musical: Various Whos, Horton the Elephant and others--Ethan loves elephants, he names every stuffed/figurine elephant Horton and he loves these songs.

10. The Star Wars Trilogy Soundtrack: Various instruments, such as trombones--Ethan especially likes the Ewok movement.

Green Thumb

2008-06-17T15:57:00.000-07:00

I am not good with the plants. I normally kill everything. These flowers above are beautiful and thriving. My mom planted them. Surprisingly enough, I can maintain these because they take little to no work.

Well, the thought of having a garden is totally appealing to me, but also pretty daunting. I'm not sure I have my mom's green thumb. But, some of my favorite things to do as a kid were to plant seeds, pull carrots, dig potatoes, and snap peas and green beans. I want all the E's to have that same experience. So, Mama Schmeck in her infinite wisdom bought me a gardening book and introduced me to a way of gardening that even I shouldn't screw up.
This is called Square Foot Gardening. You build these little boxes and set the grid and plant something in each square. It's above-ground, and you fill it in with the perfect blend of compost, peat moss and vermiculite. It was totally easy. In the next couple of months, this little bitty garden should yield: 1 tomato plant, 4 green bean plants, 4 pea plants, 1 zucchini plant, 2 cucumber plants, 16 carrots, 1 parsley plant, 2 chive plants, and 1 cilantro plant. Plus, I had 7 squares left over for flowers. Check back for my itty bitty garden's progress!

Why Not Minot?

2008-06-09T20:04:00.000-07:00

We all went to Minot a couple of weeks ago for a wedding. Now, don't let your jealousy keep you from reading on. I had never been to Minot before, but it was actually a pretty fun place to go. Who knew?! We went to the zoo, stayed at a waterpark, ordered pizza and watched Harry Potter. All in all, it was a nice trip. Minot is something like a billion miles away on a 2-lane highway with little to no scenery. But, who says a vacation shouldn't be earned on the way?!

Always the comedians, Ethan and Emma have to act out a scene in every picture.
Elliot cooperates for the camera, but it won't be long before I can't get a normal picture of him either. Corrupted by siblings!

Happy Birthday Elliot!

2008-06-09T19:58:00.000-07:00

Our lil' Elliot turned 1 on May 23rd, with little fanfare. We were out of town for a wedding, so he had a wedding cupcake and some post-wedding swimming at our waterpark hotel. I can't believe he is already 1 year old. -RL

Run Liens Run!!

2008-05-17T18:34:00.000-07:00

Woo-hoo!! We came, we saw, we conquered! The 1/2 marathon was so much fun; I am still on the endorphin high of finishing it! Really and truly, it was such an amazing experience. People lined the streets and cheered us on all day.

It was my personal goal to: A. Finish and B. Not get last place. For those of you who don't know this, I did complete a triathalon at the age of 18. I got 12th place of 13 people. So, even finishing 2nd to last would have been fine by me! Well, I have come to find out, I came in more than 500th to last....not bad!

Chris, Sara and I ran together for the first 8 or so miles. Then those 2 pulled ahead (showoffs) and I finished about 5 minutes after them. I, of course, cried when I finished because I was just so happy to be done and there were so many wonderful people along the way. A amputee woman running, a man pushing his brother in a bed-like wheelchair because he suffered a stroke, but wanted to be a part of the marathon, a very elderly man who finished the full marathon in 8 or so hours coming in after everyone else had been long done. It was just one incredible display of strength and endurance after the other. I loved it.

Ethan got to accomplish his own "kids marathon". We ran 1/2 a mile together. I'm not pointing at that random stranger and laughing at him. In fact, I am pointing out Chris and Emma who were cheering him on. I was so proud. The wind knocked him over at one point and he kept going. Running the whole time.

Now he saw them! This is almost the finish line. The last marathoner (must have been 90+ years old) came in just before the kids race. Everyone cheered loudly and gave him a standing ovation.

Here's all of us with our medals. Elliot will be running soon enough and hopefully, we can get Emma back into it. (She fought us on it for months....we let her have her way and sit out....she regretted it today and talked of running next year....you really should listen to your dad and stepmom sometimes.) All in all, it was such a great day. I encourage any of you reading this to try this at least once....it is an indescribable experience. -RL

Bravery...

2008-05-13T13:02:00.000-07:00

It took Ethan 4 sessions to build up the courage, but he finally did it! He climbed onto the "big bar" at gymnastics and dropped into the pit. Elliot looked on, unimpressed, but I was very proud.

Tubby Time!

2008-05-13T12:44:00.000-07:00

If you are looking at the picture above and not oohing and ahhing, then you are a robot. That picture is damn cute. Until...... the bucket face-smashing starts. Not as cute, but very funny. He looks like he's being sucked back into the Matrix. But then......
there's my cute little punk again. Clean as a whistle, with the wildest hair I've seen on a child.

Inspiration from Afar

2008-05-11T20:03:00.000-07:00

I recently found a blog that is inspiring and heartbreaking. If you go to this site, have tissues and a loved one nearby and ready....you will need both. This guy, Matt, has a newborn daughter that he is raising on his own. His wife passed away shortly after giving birth. I love reading his blog, even though it makes me sob as if I know them. I wish I did. He amazes me.

http://www.mattlogelin.com/

He has beautiful pictures on his blog and Flickr site, which inspired me to buy myself a Mother's Day present of a new camera and take pictures of everything and anything. I started today on Mother's Day. Keep in mind that I am not a photographer, but I tried to find beauty in ordinary things today and this is what I found. Well, 3 of the 109 things I found and took pictures of. -RL

barn

windmill

clothespins

Mama Mia!

2008-05-11T19:47:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas out there in the blogosphere! It was a great day with the 2 little guys shown above. How lucky am I to be their mom?!

We went to the Lien farm in Rothsay and then Chris and I ran 4 miles in preparation for the upcoming marathon. It was quite a bit easier and more fun than our 12.5 mile trek last Sunday. I found the meaning of "hitting the wall." I also found that there is no shame in stopping for a Snickers bar at mile 11. -RL

Why I never blog pt. 1

2008-05-08T19:20:00.000-07:00

I realized the other day, that I haven't blogged in several weeks. It's my sworn duty as a driver on the information superhighway to blog every so often so that the world is aprised of my every thought and whim. Here is today's whim. This is the second time I've tried to blog this topic. Five minutes ago my Dell screwed something up (Rikki says it might have been my fault, but why play the blame game?) and I'm re-typing this. My first post was so much wittier. Here's what I remember:

I'm going to use the word blog in everyday speech from now on. Tomorrow I'll say "Yesterday. I blogged." Yeah.

See how witty that is? Anyway, my goal is to blog more than sporadically for the rest of my life until every thought I have magically appears on the interweb without me even having to type it. I will tie a string around my finger so as not to forget to use blog it up ad nauseum henceforth. If you have any problems with my newfound attitude let's argue via the comment area. I'm in the mood for some verbal fencing. Peace out. -C.L.

P.S. My favorite 70's song is "Slow Ride" by Bloghat. "Take it easy!"

13.1 Miles

2008-03-28T15:38:00.000-07:00

The Fargo Marathon is on May 17! Chris and I are planning to run the 1/2 marathon. If you can come and cheer us on, please do! If you want to run with us, please do! If you want to send us positive vibes from home, please do! -RL

My Two Suns

2008-03-28T15:18:00.000-07:00

These 2 little guys light up the world for me. I am so sick of winter--truly, truly sick of it. This is the first year that I've believed in seasonal depression disorder. Winter, snow and cold seem like they are never going away. If these 2 small people were not such wonderful bits of sunshine everyday, it would be easy to stay in bed all day during the winter and hibernate. I want to get out and run on trails instead of the treadmill......go to the park.....go for bike rides.....see Elliot crawl on the grass instead of carpet.....watch Ethan ride his bike instead of being cooped up inside....wear flip flops.....open the windows.....eat outside on the deck.....drink iced tea on my porch. At least I have these Es with me each day, I hope their pictures and smiles brighten your day too! -RL

Supertots!

2008-03-28T15:10:00.000-07:00

It was parents day at Supertots again and Ethan discovered during this session that he loves to swing on the rope. It was all he would do during their free time in the pit. Notice the Star Wars shirt? Yes, this obsession has taken over his life. He dreams he's Luke Skywalker at night. -RL

Easter Buddies, Easter Bunny

2008-03-28T14:51:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a lovely Easter! We had fun dressing up the kids in their Sunday best! The minute we walked in the house from church, everyone changed into sweatpants and t-shirts for the rest of the day. I guess we're not "Sunday best" kind of people. The Easter bunny brought several Star Wars related toys for Ethan, so we haven't seen him since. He received a light saber from Grammy that will most likely result in massive injuries to someone in this house. -RL

Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails....

2008-02-09T19:32:00.000-08:00

At 5 months pregnancy, we found out we were having another boy, our little Elliot. When you have 1 boy and are pregnant with another, the most common reaction from people is: "Oh, were you hoping for a girl?" Add the look of pity and you've got the picture. The truth is, I feel really lucky to have 2 boys. As a child, I was pretty tom-boyish. I have never been a girly-girl, so if I had a daughter like that, I would not know what to do with her. Having a daughter would scare the bejeebus about of me. (Aside: Emma is a great part-time daughter, but the dynamics are definately different than an actual mother/daughter relationship.)

Ethan is into so many things that I am genuinely interested in, mainly dinosaurs, animals and his newest obsession Star Wars. I love reading about all of these things to him. I love digging in the dirt, playing in the snow, laughing about the word "poop", explaining why Luke can't marry Leia. You can do all of this with a daughter, I know, but there is something so fun about the wild antics of boys. Buying light sabers is cool too. May the force be with you all! -RL

Times They are A-Changin'

2008-02-09T19:24:00.000-08:00

Elliot learned to crawl in early December at 6.5 months. I thought I had at least 1 more month before I had to chase after him! He learned to climb the stairs one day while I was getting a bowl of cereal and came to find him halfway up with a mischievous smirk on his snerk--not unlike the one in the above picture. He is growing up too fast.

"Bits and Pieces"

2008-02-04T14:47:00.000-08:00

This Friday at 4 pm, Moorhead High School's one-act play "Bits and Pieces" will be performed at the O'Shaughnessy Theatre on the campus of the college of St. Catherine's in St. Paul as a part of the Minnesota State High School League One-act play festival. This is the fourth time in five years I have brought a group down to perform at this and the vibe is definitely pro-cities schools. If any of you live in the cities and happen to enjoy the occasional performance of quality high school theatre, Moorhead (and I) could use your love and support. It would be nice for the kids to look out in the audience and recognize faces, or even be told before hand that foreign, but friendly, faces will be gazing back. I am highly fortunate to be able to work with such committed and talented young performers. To those of you who can swing it, I'd be eternally grateful. If you can't come, but you'd like to, please send us your positive thoughts. If you need any details, please feel free to post and I'll get back to you before Friday. Thanks!--C.L.

The Next Ten Minutes

2008-01-11T19:06:00.000-08:00

Last night Rikki and I went to a local production of Jason Robert Brown's heartbreaking ode to heartbreak called "The Last Five Years". For those of you unfamiliar, it's the story of a couple who goes through the ups and downs, including and marriage and divorce, of a five year relationship. The two person show features music and lyrics that run the gamut between extreme moments of happiness at the first meeting to the moment they realize it's too late to save their relationship. Even though it was a local production, it reminded me of the fragility of love and how lucky I am to be with someone so special. Through the tears, I was able to recognize the beauty within my partnership with my bitchin' babe. Anyway, if any of you get a chance to see this, you should definitely do it. At least check out the soundtrack featuring Norbert Leo Butz (the original Fiyero--Yay Wicked!) and Sherri Rene Scott. It might make you cry, but you'll listen to it over and over again. I hope all are well in the New Year and we'll talk soon. C.L.

Naughty or Nice?

2007-12-29T22:26:00.000-08:00

These are our 3 E's at Christmas. I just love this picture of them.

Conceited Foodie in Da House

2007-12-29T22:19:00.000-08:00

"If it's good enough for Elliot, it's good enough for me!"

"Watch Daddy, Elliot. Down the hatch!"

"Ugh! You like this? Man, your pallette is really unrefined."

Parents Day at Gymnastics

2007-12-29T22:11:00.000-08:00

Ethan loves gymnastics. And he's really good at it. Here's my little man doing his Tada.
Here he is walking across the big beam all by himself.

He's the Reason for the Season!

2007-12-22T19:08:00.000-08:00

Today Ethan and Chris went sledding and had outdoor snow fun for hours and hours. They came in with this funny story.

Ethan says, "Dad, this snowball looks like Jesus. No, actually it looks like Mary. Dad, I'm going to throw this Mary snowball at you."

Merry Christmas everyone! -RL

Give Thanks for Horses!

2007-12-06T14:17:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving was spent at my Aunt Krista's wonderful house. It is especially wonderful for our children because they have over 75 horses! My cousins Ashley and Melissa are so incredibly nice and patient while the kids ride. It's so fun to see Emma and Ethan's faces when they pet, brush and ride the horses.

Ethan and Ashley on Levi.

Emma on Levi. She learned to make him go forward, backward and stop. She was a quick learner, but sorry Em, no horses will be under the Christmas tree!