The Big 7

Today is Chloe's 7th birthday! In keeping with tradition, we made a "bone" treat for her and she got to take a trip to PetCo and picked out her presents that she will no doubt destroy before 8am tomorrow!

An update on Chloe Jo...each year when I write this, I am sure that by the time the next birthday comes around I will be able to write that she is out of the puppy stage. Well...maybe next year:) She is most definitely not out of the puppy stage and could possibly be getting worse! She is spoiled rotten and when she doesn't get her way, she eats things! These last few months it has mostly been crayons, play food, stuffed animals and legos. We left her home last weekend in the care of our neighbors while we went to Des Moines and she has been rotten ever since!

She rides in the car with us most every day. The only days she doesn't are when it's either too hot or too cold. I see a lot of people laughing as we drive by and I think it's because she's always sitting in the front seat looking like a human! She's a super good car rider and never tries to escape when the van doors open up. She's pretty stubborn though...the other day a parent at preschool drop off asked me for a ride because he was having car trouble and he had to sit in the way back of the van because Chloe refused to get out of the front seat! I wasn't about to lift the 70+ pounder either:)

Ever since the big room switch, Chloe is very confused about where to sleep. She used to sleep with Max, then she switched to Mya's room and now she's sleeping on the living room couch. The kids really want her to sleep in their room, but she won't settle down in there. Maybe she'll get in a new routine when the baby comes! Max and Mya can both now let her in and out which is a big help to me these days. Max can feed her but I don't usually let him because then he feeds her whenever he feels like it and her waist line can't handle that:)!

Chris has always been Chloe's biggest fan, but I'm pretty sure it's changing to Max and Mya these days. Once in awhile I get so frustrated with her that I say something like "I'm going to give you away!" and they both melt down in tears! Only time will tell how she adjusts to life as the 6th most important member of this family!

The imagination of a 3 year old...

Mya has been very into imaginative play lately. She would play house, store, restaurant all day long if she could. She loves when we buy things from her and when we order food. If we play house, she is ALWAYS the mom and I'm always the big sister:) She is really good at playing by herself and I often hear her talking to her babies the exact same way I would talk to her and Max.

Yesterday I got to experience just how different my kids are when we were in the car on the way to preschool. Mya started telling a story about her friend Livy (no..not her cousin, but her friend who is oddly similar to her cousin) This alone sets Max off. He keeps telling her that she's talking about her cousin Livy, but Mya insists it's someone different! Anyway...she starts telling me this story about her and shortly after she starts I realize she's re-telling me a book that we read once in awhile about some princesses who are trying to save a friend and escape from the evil queen. The only thing is she is telling me this story as if it really happened to her and her "friend". Max was going crazy. He kept telling her that she was making this story up and that it didn't really happen to her. I kept trying to tell Max to just let her talk and it was okay that she was making it up, etc. I wanted to see how far she would take it! So interesting to see how different their minds work!

Well, the story ended rather abruptly with "Was that a good story mama?" which is how all of Mya's stories end:) It's so fun to get her going with her imagination and to see where it will take her. Here's a picture of Mya on the swing at the park with uncombed hair taken with my new iPhone that I am a tiny bit obsessed with:) It is absolutely gorgeous weather here right now, but I know it won't last long!

Wedding, Waterpark and Pumpkins

This weekend we ventured to Des Moines for my cousin Denny's wedding. I was a little worried that this wedding may not even happen when I heard on Thursday that Melissa's (Denny's now wife) dad had an accident while putting his boat away and it crushed both of his legs. He was unable to be at the wedding, but they skyped the wedding and he even gave an awesome speech over the phone at the reception! As usual, it was great to see my cousins and I left wondering why we don't get together more often!

We don't bring our kids to weddings very often. I take that back. We don't bring our kids to weddings ever:) It just doesn't seem like much fun to us! This time since it was a family wedding and the kids have grown up some, we decided to roll the dice. They actually did great. The reception was at a hotel with a water park so Chris and my brother ended up skipping the wedding and taking the kids swimming instead. They joined us for the reception and it worked out beautifully. The kids danced a lot with the other cousins and had a wonderful time with the photo booth! They were wiped out by 8pm so we headed back and put them to bed. Thank goodness for video monitors because the rest of us were able to go to my parents room and hang out a little bit before going to bed ourselves. Here are a couple of pictures. My camera battery was about to die so most of the pictures turned out blurry unfortunately.

Mya and my nieces in their adorable matching outfits. Can't believe Livy and Mya let Grace be in the middle of them for this picture. Typically you won't see Mya and Olivia separated when they're together:)


Olivia making a funny face while the bride and groom dance their first dance!




Since Max has been begging for weeks to carve a pumpkin, Chris decided he could carve one with them tonight. It was Mya's first year taking part. The last couple of years she wanted no part of it. They had fun digging out the guts and lighting it up before the big rain storm came in!


notice the shirts came off somewhere between the first and second photos:)

not exactly sure what this is supposed to be, but Max picked out the pattern and so Chris went with it...

36 weeks and counting....

Today marks 36 weeks! 3 more to go and the littlest Hoden will be making his/her arrival. Yesterday I had an ultrasound which was really fun. The clinic I go to regularly gives 36 week ultrasounds to check for position and to make sure the fluid levels are correct. I wasn't sure if I would get one because I'm having a scheduled c-section and the position of the baby doesn't really matter, but they said every patient gets one! I've never had an ultrasound this late in a pregnancy so it definitely wasn't alien baby this time. I felt like I was meeting him/her because I saw an up-close shot of the face and he/she even had their eyes open for a brief moment! If the doctor would have said, let's deliver this baby today I would not have objected:) No pictures unfortunately.

Everything looked good and the doctor checked me because I'm going out of town for a wedding this weekend and I wanted to make sure I wasn't dilated. Also my parents are going to California next week to visit my sister so I wanted to give them some peace of mind as well. Not that it still couldn't happen, but she said I was 100% closed so the chances are slim. I asked her to estimate the size and she asked how big my other two babies were. I told her Max was 8-14 and Mya was 7-12 and she said this was more along the lines of the 7-12 baby. We shall see....the morning I delivered Max the doctor came in and told me she didn't think I had a very big baby in there!!

Chris and I are really ready to meet this active baby. Chris read the other night that the movement should start to decrease due to lack of room, but it has done nothing of the sort. We laugh all the time at my stomach and all of the weird positions the baby gets in. Chris's comment every time is the same..."Wow...that can't feel good!" Everyone keep their fingers crossed that there is no flu outbreak in the Dubuque area because then the kids won't be able to come up to the OB floor to see the baby. It will be a long few days for me and them if they can't come for a visit.

That's about all I have to report! Stay tuned....:)

The big room switch

Last Saturday we switched the kids over into one room to make room for #3! It is going remarkably well. They love the bunk beds and so far haven't really figured out that they can talk to each other before going to sleep! Mya still has some of her quirks where she has to hold my hand, get a drink of water, hold my hair, then do the same thing to Chris, but even that whole deal has gotten shorter.

Mya was pretty confused at first. I brought some picture frames of hers into the new room and she said "I have those pictures in my room too!" I tried to explain that these were her frames and that this was her new room, but it didn't sink in for a few days. Max's "no girls allowed" sign had to come off the door and his drawers got all switched around, so those have been the biggest adjustments for him. Our suspicions were confirmed that Mya does have WAY more clothes than Max! The closet is 3/4 hers. I guess it's something Max should start getting used to, because I don't see it changing..:)

They have done pretty well in the night not waking each other up if one of them needs something. Max has had a bad cough the past couple of days so he has ended up sleeping in our room on the floor because the coughing got pretty bad in the night. They also have been getting up a little too early for my liking, but I'm hoping it goes back to normal soon! they have been going to bed earlier because of it getting dark a lot earlier, so I'm okay with getting up a little earlier too.

We have some more decorating to do in this room. I bought them coordinating sheets and I have some ideas for the walls. It's on our list of things to do over the next 4 weekends before the baby comes! Here are a couple of pictures of the bed.




This is a picture I had to include. Mya is such a monkey. I catch her climbing all the time and this was the latest. She is trying to unlock the sliding door to let Chloe out. Since she can't reach it, she has climbed up the glass and is opening the door. Since my camera was handy....:)

garden painting

What a gorgeous week so far! This weather has been unbelievable. A little chilly in the morning and 80 by 3:00 and then cool in the evenings! The leaves are so beautiful and I love how my kids point them out during our drives. They definitely make me more aware of why I love this time of year!

Our afternoons have been getting a little long around here lately. We get home from school around noon and it's quite a long wait until 4:00 when the kids get off the bus! Today Max wanted to paint something (besides paper) so I let him and Mya paint the garden boxes. They had a great time and felt really grown-up! There are a few pictures below. You can tell it's almost Christmas time because our paint supplies are limited. We're down to green and pink only! Time for a refill...:)

Our garden has had so many uses this year. The kids played in it a lot in the spring before we planted anything. Then all summer they were able to watch things grow, then picking veggies, and now play again! Max saw something on Curious George about compost and since then has been obsessed with it. He's always wanting to take leftover food out to the garden to make compost and then he wants to knock on neighbor's doors to deliver it. Lately Curious George has given my kids so many ideas which is great. The problem is the show airs at 7am so they're usually wanting to make something elaborate at 7:27 and that's the last thing we have time for at 7:27!






On a different note...one of my most loyal blog readers is in need of some extra prayers right now. Chris's Grandma Bev is in the ICU in Minneapolis with some internal bleeding (among other things.) She is one strong, stubborn Swedish lady so I know she can get through this. We know she would appreciate any extra prayers you have!

Prego pics

We took some family pictures and maternity shots this past week. My talented friend Marie took them. I have a total of about 5 pictures of me pregnant from all three pregnancies so far so these will be really nice to have! 7 weeks to go and the little one will be here! So much to do before then!

Check out the pictures here or click on Marie Fry Photography on my sidebar.

The little things I don't want to forget

I should probably be correcting my kids' speech errors by now, but I just can't seem to do it! They are just so darn cute. Here are the latest three that I love:)

Max thinks his forehead is called his brain. When he gets a bump/scratch/etc. on his forehead he tells me he got it on his brain:)

Mya was riding our friend's John Deere Gator the other day. She slipped up and called it a Gatorade and I just let it go and smiled:)
(sidenote: She is absolutely a horrible driver. I told Chris one day that I really, sincerely hope her driving skills at age 3 are no indication of what her driving skills will be like at age 16)

We drive by the sweet corn stand everyday on our way to school and Mya asks if we can stop to get popcorn:) Max usually corrects her, but I love it when he doesn't. She follows it up with...Mom, I love popcorn! I can do it all by mine-helf! (meaning...she can shuck the corn and then proceeds to eat 2 or 3 cobs all by herself:)


Here's a picture I took the other day after Max ran inside yelling at me to get the camera and take a picture of him and Chloe:) Apparently he thought it was good lighting?? My friend Marie must be rubbing off on him...:)

What Should a 4 Year Old Know?

My friend Tracy posted this article on facebook recently. I admit..when I read the title, I couldn't wait to dive in. I wanted to see how Max stacked up against the average 4 year old and was secretly hoping that he was above where he should be. I try really hard not to compare him to other kids his age, but it's difficult not to want your kid to be the best. I was surprised by what this article said and thought I'd re-post it on my blog so that some of you could read it too and get a different perspective.

Max is usually very reasonable and likes to make me happy, but he definitely wants to do things when he is ready. There was a time last year when I was so frustrated with him that he didn't know all of his letters. We would sit down and practice them, but he would put his hands over his ears when he didn't want to listen anymore. Then, one day he came home from preschool and knew all of his letters as well as the sound each one made. I couldn't believe it. I also really want him to learn to ride his bike without training wheels, (mostly because I'm afraid Mya will learn before him) but he has proven that he will do it when he is ready. He will eventually be able to do it and I'll look back and wonder why I wasted one second of his precious childhood worrying about it.

Max recently turned 4 1/2 and is so anxious to grow up. He can't wait to be 5 and go to kindergarten (mostly so he can ride the bus:) When I think about it I get a giant pit in my stomach. I'm so thankful that I have gotten to spend as much time with my kids as I have, but I know that I don't appreciate it enough. This article has definitely helped me to focus a little more on what is really important.

What Should a 4 Year Old Know? (magicalchildhood.wordpress.com)
It’s back to school time and children all over are starting preschool. Many parents are frantically searching the internet to find out if their little ones are “on track” and know everything they should.

I wrote this article about what a four-year-old should know many years ago but it continues to be the most popular page on the Magical Childhood site. I don’t think a week has passed in the past eight or so years when I have not received a letter from a parent, grandparent or teacher about it. Parents and principals especially have said they wish more parents realized these things.

So in honor of the new school year, I’m posting it here…

What should a 4 year old know?


I was on a parenting bulletin board recently and read a post by a mother who was worried that her 4 1/2 year old did not know enough. “What should a 4 year old know?” she asked.

Most of the answers left me not only saddened but pretty soundly annoyed. One mom posted a laundry list of all of the things her son knew. Counting to 100, planets, how to write his first and last name, and on and on. Others chimed in with how much more their children already knew, some who were only 3. A few posted URL’s to lists of what each age should know. The fewest yet said that each child develops at his own pace and not to worry.

It bothered me greatly to see these mothers responding to a worried mom by adding to her concern, with lists of all the things their children could do that hers couldn’t. We are such a competitive culture that even our preschoolers have become trophies and bragging rights. Childhood shouldn’t be a race.

So here, I offer my list of what a 4 year old should know.

1.She should know that she is loved wholly and unconditionally, all of the time.

2.He should know that he is safe and he should know how to keep himself safe in public, with others, and in varied situations. He should know that he can trust his instincts about people and that he never has to do something that doesn’t feel right, no matter who is asking. He should know his personal rights and that his family will back them up.

3.She should know how to laugh, act silly, be goofy and use her imagination. She should know that it is always okay to paint the sky orange and give cats 6 legs.

4.He should know his own interests and be encouraged to follow them. If he could care less about learning his numbers, his parents should realize he’ll learn them accidentally soon enough and let him immerse himself instead in rocket ships, drawing, dinosaurs or playing in the mud.

5.She should know that the world is magical and that so is she. She should know that she’s wonderful, brilliant, creative, compassionate and marvelous. She should know that it’s just as worthy to spend the day outside making daisy chains, mud pies and fairy houses as it is to practice phonics. Scratch that– way more worthy.

But more important, here’s what parents need to know.

1.That every child learns to walk, talk, read and do algebra at his own pace and that it will have no bearing on how well he walks, talks, reads or does algebra.

2.That the single biggest predictor of high academic achievement and high ACT scores is reading to children. Not flash cards, not workbooks, not fancy preschools, not blinking toys or computers, but mom or dad taking the time every day or night (or both!) to sit and read them wonderful books.

3.That being the smartest or most accomplished kid in class has never had any bearing on being the happiest. We are so caught up in trying to give our children “advantages” that we’re giving them lives as multi-tasked and stressful as ours. One of the biggest advantages we can give our children is a simple, carefree childhood.

4.That our children deserve to be surrounded by books, nature, art supplies and the freedom to explore them. Most of us could get rid of 90% of our children’s toys and they wouldn’t be missed, but some things are important– building toys like legos and blocks, creative toys like all types of art materials (good stuff), musical instruments (real ones and multicultural ones), dress up clothes and books, books, books. (Incidentally, much of this can be picked up quite cheaply at thrift shops.) They need to have the freedom to explore with these things too– to play with scoops of dried beans in the high chair (supervised, of course), to knead bread and make messes, to use paint and play dough and glitter at the kitchen table while we make supper even though it gets everywhere, to have a spot in the yard where it’s absolutely fine to dig up all the grass and make a mud pit.

5.That our children need more of us. We have become so good at saying that we need to take care of ourselves that some of us have used it as an excuse to have the rest of the world take care of our kids. Yes, we all need undisturbed baths, time with friends, sanity breaks and an occasional life outside of parenthood. But we live in a time when parenting magazines recommend trying to commit to 10 minutes a day with each child and scheduling one Saturday a month as family day. That’s not okay! Our children don’t need Nintendos, computers, after school activities, ballet lessons, play groups and soccer practice nearly as much as they need US. They need fathers who sit and listen to their days, mothers who join in and make crafts with them, parents who take the time to read them stories and act like idiots with them. They need us to take walks with them and not mind the .1 MPH pace of a toddler on a spring night. They deserve to help us make supper even though it takes twice as long and makes it twice as much work. They deserve to know that they’re a priority for us and that we truly love to be with them.

And now back to those 4 year old skills lists…..

I know it’s human nature to want to know how our children compare to others and to want to make sure we’re doing all we can for them. Here is a list of what children are typically taught or should know by the end of each year of school, starting with preschool.

Since we homeschool, I occasionally print out the lists and check to see if there’s anything glaringly absent in what my kids know. So far there hasn’t been, but I get ideas sometimes for subjects to think up games about or books to check out from the library. Whether you homeschool or not, the lists can be useful to see what kids typically learn each year and can be reassuring that they really are doing fine.

If there are areas where it seems your child is lacking, realize that it’s not an indication of failure for either you or your child. You just haven’t happened to cover that. Kids will learn whatever they’re exposed to, and the idea that they all need to know these 15 things at this precise age is rather silly. Still, if you want him to have those subjects covered then just work it into life and play with the subject and he’ll naturally pick it up. Count to 60 when you’re mixing a cake and he’ll pick up his numbers. Get fun books from the library about space or the alphabet. Experiment with everything from backyard snow to celery stalks in food coloring. It’ll all happen naturally, with much more fun and much less pressure.

My favorite advice about preschoolers is on this site though.

What does a 4 year old need?

Much less than we realize, and much more.

Mya's first day!

Today was Mya's first day of preschool! She has been looking forward to it for weeks now and it has been especially tough for her to watch Max go everyday and not be able to join him! Chris brought her into bed with me this morning and the first thing she told me was how she was going to be a good girl at school and listen to Mrs. Julie and Mrs. Laura. She also said she would tell them if she needed to go potty! You can tell what we had been talking about for a few weeks now!

The drop off went really well. She hung her backpack on the correct hook and then went and sat down on her individual carpet. I had to go over and say good-bye to her and tell her I'd be back to get her in a little bit. As soon as I turned around, I got out of the room as fast as I could! I couldn't believe how well it went. When I picked her up, the teachers both said she did great. The only thing she said she did was play babies and learn to go potty and wash her hands! She also told Max and I on the car ride home that she didn't knock anyone down at school. Whew! I was worried about that one...:)





I've scheduled all of my appointments during my 5 free hours off each week, so today was the first one! I scheduled my C-section today. My favorite doctor is on call on the day that works best for us! Provided I don't go early, the baby will be born on Friday November 11th. (11-11-11!) Something tells me Chris won't forget this one's birthday:)