The Poulsen Five

Green Bay Packers Rule!

2010-12-04T21:02:00.004-07:00

Here is some info on my paternal grandfather, Roger Grove. He played for the Green Bay Packers before it was popular to be a professional sports player. My husband came across an article that mentions him gifting a woman (who managed the hotel where he stayed during the season) a football signed by all the players and coaches. That football was passed down to her son, who has since donated it to the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame. Cool!!

Here's the link of the article:

http://www.packers.com/news-and-events/article-1/Green-Bay-Packers-Hall-Of-Fame-Inc-Announces-Donation-Of-Rare-1934-35-Autographed-Game-Ball/9e8e83de-5aa4-11df-a3b6-528cc843f916

Crazy Hair Day

2010-09-29T15:40:00.007-07:00

This is one of our favorite days of the year! CRAZY HAIR DAY! The kids were up bright & early & we had a blast styling hair. Tomorrow is picture day, & somehow I can't imagine that the excitement that was in the air this morning will also be present tomorrow.....

This is Scottie's skunk-inspired do!

Alfalfa never looked this good!

Yes, this is real. This girl has enough hair for 3 people. The height was achieved with the help of a water bottle. Ingenius, I know....(or maybe a google search helped!)

First Day of School 2010

2010-09-29T15:33:00.002-07:00

Scottie is now in 6th grade

Tyler is in 4th grade

Joelle is in 1st grade

This morning was crazy! The night before was Meet the teacher night & I had stayed up late filling out the myriads of paperwork involved with school, trying not to get overwhelmed by the amount of information my tired brain was struggling to absorb. People who know me, know that I don't do well when I'm sleep deprived. So anyway, in the morning I was rushing around trying to get ready for work & gently rushing the kids, packing lunches while simultaneously trying to keep an upbeat mental attitude so as not to stress the kids out....I kissed them goodbye, watched them scooter off, fought the urge to stay and watch some more 'cause I was already late for work. I cried on my 15 minute commute, pulled myself together, & walked into the office only to realize that I was scheduled an hour later than usual. My awesome coworker had thought to give me more time at home that day! That made me cry more- the thoughtfulness of the gesture as much as the time that I missed with my kids. I could have walked them to school. Sigh.

Life

2010-06-09T15:45:00.002-07:00

I haven't posted since November of 2009...7 months ago!! WHAT?!?! It certainly doesn't feel like it's been that long. I haven't even posted Christmas pictures, or Valentines Day...St. Patrick's Day, Joelle's Birthday, Moving into a new house, My 14th anniversary, or the last day of school.
WOW! I have a lot of catching up to do! The good news- I finally have a working computer. The old one has been on the fritz for months, so the new one should be a fabulous addition to our family.
More to come!

Blogging Layouts

2009-11-11T23:00:00.002-07:00

I HATE WHEN I WORK SUPER HARD ON A LAYOUT...PREVIEW IT A MILLION TIMES...AND IT STILL LOOKS STUPID WHEN I POST. TAKE, FOR INSTANCE THE POST BELOW:

I WORKED & WORKED ON IT...AND STILL...NOT CENTERED- OR NOT JUSTIFIED TO THE RIGHT SIDE...OR WHATEVER! GRRRRRRRR.

NOTICE I WROTE ALL IN CAPS TO RELAY MY FRUSTRATION!

Tyler's Baptism Weekend

2009-11-11T21:58:00.008-07:00

FYI: My sisters & mom have normal sized heads covered by massive amounts of hair, which on the positive front makes us all appear taller than we are; however, we all look like giant-heads when put next to my dad who is #1 a pinhead and #2 hair-follically challenged...

Greg & Tyler ready to take "The Plunge"

The week after school started, I began working full time at an optometrists office. A few days after starting work, my family started arriving from out of town to celebrate Tyler's baptism. For me it was bittersweet for the following reasons:

1. Excitement & trepidation over learning something totally foreign at work.

G'Pa Grove & Tyler

2. Stress over the fact that my house was a disaster.

3. Not enough time to lay in bed chatting with my sisters while listening to

the children play & fight.

4. Elation over seeing my little sister, Gwen, pregnant with her first child.

Belles of the Ball:

Some of the Poulsen Cousins

5. Disbelief that my second child is old enough to be accountable for his actions! Yikes!

Thanks to my wonderful family for putting up with my mood swings brought on by stress and sleep deprivation! I love you guys!

Some of the Grove Cousins...Need I say more?

Creating a Monster

2009-11-11T21:45:00.004-07:00

These angelic looking women, er, um girls... are two peas in a pod. My sister, Joleen, has always loved girliness...make-up, shoes, glitter, and all that jazz. Similarly, Joelle is fashion conscious...and likes all things pink. Joleen is creating a monster in Joelle. Every time they see each other, Joelle asks Joleen about when she is going to give her a makeover. While it's cute now- I can see the writing on the wall (in lipstick.) Joleen might have to be given temporary custody of Joelle during the crazy teenage years. It's only fair, after all- since she has created the problem!

Catch Up Time

2009-11-03T16:21:00.004-07:00

I was told the other day by more than one person that I am a terrible blogger. This is NOT news to me! I have a hard time keeping up with laundry, much less typing out the goings-on of my daily life and that of my kids. But that doesn't mean I'm a quitter...I will keep trying!!! I am imagining the little engine that could....

Soooooo, first and foremost- school started! Wahoo!! Here are the first day of school pics:

Almost time...

2009-08-06T09:44:00.002-07:00

I have been counting down the days until school start. If I count today....4 more days! This is not to say that I haven't had a ton of fun with the kids. But there IS such a thing as TOO much off a good thing. We have played a ton, laughed a ton, swam a ton...on the flip side there has also been a ton of fighting, crying, & mess-making. I am feeling pretty much drained from the constant entertaining and refereeing. Ahhhh, 4 more days....

Birdie Heaven

2009-08-02T21:45:00.002-07:00

After we came home from church the kids ran upstairs to check on our pets and found the ledge empty. They ran outside and found the remaining baby bird (the other one disappeared a few days ago) outside. They were so upset!

So like any good dad, Greg dug a shallow grave and we held a small funeral for our little friend. Some of the words of consolation from Scottie to Joelle, who was the saddest, were "Don't worry, Joelle, the birdie went up to the big nest in the sky." She looked up and around and still didn't get it!

Scottie helping with the burial. Morbid creature!

We are also missing the adult birds and the nest looks to be abandoned. The twigs have been scattered all around. We did find another small bird that had been eaten. It was too big to be our other baby, but we're wondering if there is a predator around who is attacking!!

More Birthday Fun

2009-08-02T21:36:00.002-07:00

Cousins came over yesterday to celebrate...

Yes, this is frosting up the nose...in my family growing up we had a tradition that the birthday person would take a little bite out of the cake and then the surrounding people would push his/her face into the cake...hence, frosting up the nose!

Even though he got a bike, his favorite present was this football!

Happy 8th Tyler!!

2009-08-01T19:20:00.002-07:00

Yesterday, Tyler turned 8!! We had a family dinner at Wild Buffalo Wings, where it was every kids (and Dad's) fantasy. 30 TV's broadcasting all kinds of sports, video games brought to your table to play...presents along with good food. Suffice it to say...we didn't converse much....but it was still fun!

WE LOVE YOU, TYLER!!

Our New Pet

2009-07-11T21:59:00.000-07:00

We have inherited a new pet. Actually, 2 pets...actually, 3...Let me explain!

I have been rearranging the loft in the rental house we're in. The other day I kept hearing a cooing sound and realized that there was a nest on the ledge right outside one of the loft windows! Two birds sat there in the heat, snuggling...then I realized that there was an egg they were protecting.

A couple days later another egg appeared. And soon after that both eggs hatched! It has been so fun to see the progression of these little creatures!

Anyhow, here are some pics:

The kids check on the babies every day...poor mama bird is probably looking for a new nest without nosy neighbors!

St.George Trip

2009-07-06T21:57:00.004-07:00

We had so much fun at the lake!

Scottie & Robyn

Tyler, Joelle, & Sydney

Joelle, Uncle Mark, Sydney

Park fun later in the week. Cousins are great!!

Robyn & Scottie battling for possession of the ball in Kickball.
This is the best pet to get. This tortoise eats weeds, is entertaining to watch, doesn't need to be taken for walks...of course it will outlive us all...hmmm
4th of July pancake breakfast at the church in front of G'Pa Poulsen's cool car
Joelle showing off her face painting

Sparklers!!Waiting for the fireworks to begin...

California Trip

2009-06-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

My auntie Joleen is my favorite because she always does my make-up!

Pool fun with cousins: Mateo, Roman, Tyler, friend, Scottie

Tyler

Roman

Model Joelle

Mateo

Grandpa & Grandma Grove

Relaxing after a long, tiring day

Miss Joelle

2009-06-07T22:01:00.002-07:00

As the only female child in the Poulsen family, Joelle has taken on some interesting characteristics. First of all, she hums the Star Wars theme songs everywhere we go. A couple of weeks ago we were at Costco eating a cheap lunch and there she went humming and pseudo-fighting her invisible storm trooper. A man turned around when he heard the song, and did a double take when he realized that it was a small girl kicking some storm trooper butt. I shouldn't say that Star Wars is the only song she sings/hums, she also is quite taken with Indiana Jones.

Earlier today I was watching the Borne Identity and she walked into my room. I quickly paused the movie, and the first question she asked is the same thing she asks anytime I pause a show. Here's a sample of the conversation- which was quite long.

"Is it scary?"

"Yes."

"Are there monsters?"

"No."

"People kicking babies?"

"No."

"Eyeballs popping out of heads and other people eating them?"

"No."

"Is it appropri-ANT?" (appropriate is an often used word in our household)

"No."

"Can I watch with you?"

"No."

"Are there guns?"
"Yes."

"Blood?"

"mmm hmmm."

"Ooooh, you shouldn't watch 'cause you're gonna have light mirrors (night mares)."

I turned the movie off...

Summer Vacation

2009-05-30T12:04:00.003-07:00

Okay, this is for all the stay-at-home moms that work their tails off to entertain, teach, feed, and work for their kids who are on summer vacation! Their first week of freedom was full of blood, sweat, and tears....and I'm not talking about theirs! I love my kids and yet I am struggling to find the balance between letting them veg and teaching them about chores (again! It's a never ending struggle in our family!) I have grand aspirations for them. Yet the work involved (by me) to get them where I think they should be is exhausting!!

On a side note, some of the stress I'm feeling is because of the fact that I am most likely moving. On Thursday there was a notice on my garage door that the rental house that we live in is being sold at auction in 2 1/2 weeks. If the house sells I will receive an eviction notice within 3-4 weeks at which point I will have anywhere between 3-30 days to vacate the premises. It's frustrating to realize that the rent we have been paying has not been going towards paying the mortgage. This is all part and parcel of the foreclosure process and I sympathize and understand that a lot of people are underwater on their mortgages. Dealing with banks and all that is a nightmare! What I'm upset about is the fact that there was no communication...a little advanced notice would have been nice.

Ice Cream Social

2009-05-20T22:27:00.002-07:00

Directly following our return from the 4th grade field trip to the museum, I rushed over to the 2nd grade hall where a 50's social was going on.

Mrs. Stimac was a phenomenal teacher! I think that Tyler paid close attention to what she was saying throughout the year because she's so cute...and he is a ladies man. He would often come home and comment on what she was wearing, or the way her hair was done.

I wasn't able to stay much longer than the time it took to take a picture with my soon to be 3rd grader...I had to go pick Joelle up from a friend's house, get home, rest for about 20 minutes, and then go off to work! What a busy, crazy, fun day it was!

Museum of Natural History

2009-05-20T22:07:00.004-07:00

This was a last-minute field trip, but I really looked forward to spending time with Scottie and learning as well.....you know, interest things like:

The size of a blue whale poop

OR:

How uncomfortable the old Mesa jail is:

OR:

How much someone weighs in Mars. (Scottie weighed in at a whopping 27 lbs)

OR:

How cute photographed people look in front of a large dino skeleton:

How to pan for gold...this one might come in handy in this economy!

Crimpy Hair Day

2009-05-20T21:54:00.003-07:00

This is what happens when your cool mom puts countless braids in your massive hair the night before you want to look cute...She's the greatest mom I've ever had!

Pinewood Derby

2009-05-20T21:37:00.003-07:00

Okay, here's the scandal: Pinewood Derby Day was approaching and the Poulsen Clan (really, just Larisa...& Scottie, a little bit) was working hard to finish his fabulous car. Unfortunately, the night before the weigh-in, we (Larisa) discovered that the axles and wheels of the official car kit didn't fit in the correct slot of the actual car we had made. Let me explain, I bought a kit featuring a car body that was already shaped and only had to be sanded, painted, etc. So, suffice it to say, we were in a panic...and by "we" I mean ME! Weigh-in day came all too soon and the block of wood that was supposed to look like the car, well, er, didn't. Anywho, I spent all day fixing it up and making it look like a Wii remote. Scottie had no say in the matter, but was pleased none the less. Phew!

As far as results go, the first race, he won first...and then it went downhill literally and figuratively! The wheels were wobbly and he didn't do terribly, but now we've learned and we'll be ready for next year!!

Joelle's Dance Recital

2009-05-20T21:24:00.003-07:00

Let's start with Tap Dancing!

Now.....On to Ballet...

Russian Ballerinas have nothing on Joelle!

Spectrum Campout

2009-05-20T20:26:00.002-07:00

A few weeks ago, our elementary school hosted a campout. It was so fun and although I didn't sleep great, it was worth it.

Here are a few of the tents...

Tyler and his friend, Afsan...I couldn't get Scottie to stop running around long enough to take a picture!

This is a self portrait around midnight...to prove that I was there while Greg was peacefully and comfortably sleeping in our bed at home. What's wrong with this picture?!?!

Gilbert Golden Scholar

2009-05-20T20:20:00.002-07:00

Scottie is brilliant...yes he is a Golden Scholar. Fancy!

This is his teacher, Mr. Hoyt, who beats him when he doesn't perform well...It's working!

Monday Musings

2009-04-27T21:47:00.000-07:00

By the end of Mondays I am usually beat. Wait, I'm like that at the end of every day, but for sure Mondays are the hardest. They are super busy- mainly because I am catching up from the weekend fun!

Today, I have allowed the words of others to hurt & disillusion me. I hate it when I do that. On top of that, I know it's not healthy to dwell on it, and yet I find myself doing just that. In psychoanalyzing myself I have learned that:

1. I care too much what others think, and while I recognize this, I have a hard time changing what seems to be an innate quirk.
2. I feel guilt too much for the stupidest things.
3. I am a natural peacemaker and have the tendency to not "rock the boat" for fear of upsetting others even to the detriment of my sanity.
4. Soul-searching, while healthy, doesn't do me any good unless I choose to change. Easier said than done.

Okay, my pity party is over. What I really need is a vacation ALONE without anyone to NEED anything from me. I'm tired. Yikes, this is a little darker than normal! Going to bed...

Phoenix Zoo

2009-04-10T21:26:00.005-07:00

I took the kids to the zoo today. It was our first time going but it certainly won't be our last!! I bought a yearly pass and I'm already getting hounded as to when we're going back. We didn't have enough time to see everything and we're dying to see more!

The rhinos were very exciting. Joelle's first comment was, "They have big butts, I mean buns." Yes they do. The other disgustingly cool thing for them was the size of their poop. They couldn't stop commenting on that and the fact that a bird was perched on top of the dung pile.

Joelle liked the gazelles, or as she referred to them, "the reindeers."

Good Looking Kids!

Happy Birthday, Joelle!

2009-04-10T21:05:00.006-07:00

Joelle is now officially five- and she's been telling everyone that she's now in Kindergarten. In fact, she apologized to one of her preschool friends, saying: "I can't go to preschool tomorrow 'cause I'm too old now. I'm in Kindergarten." The other friend started crying...

Something that you should know about Joelle is that she is soooo fun to watch when she opens presents. Her true enthusiasm and joy for each and every present is infectious.
For example, this morning Tyler gave her some b-day shorts to wear, and Scottie gave her the matching top. This was her reaction.

We had her party at the park near our house. It was very quickly thrown together as we had just gotten back from CA and my sister-in-law, Jilynn had just delivered her baby girl. Jilynn was due on Joelle's birthday, so the plans were kind of up in the air. As it turned out- the kids had an entire park to play with, I didn't have to think of any entertainment for the kids, the clean-up was a breeze...maybe this'll work for other parties as well!!

That evening we went out to dinner to Texas Roadhouse, which she chose because she loves the freedom of being able to throw peanut shells on the ground. When we got back home, she unwrapped her last gift... a snazzy Barbie bike!

This is her showing me how much her muscles had grown, because now she's 5.

More Spring Break

2009-04-10T20:56:00.002-07:00

My Grandma Grove is 97 years old...Joelle always tells her to her face that she's old, to which she replies, "Yes, I am!"

This is my uncle Tom

This is my cousin Mike-I am 3 months older than him and I used to take great pleasure in reminding him that I was older and wiser. Now, for some reason, the older part isn't as great as it used to be!

Redondo Beach, CA

2009-04-10T20:24:00.006-07:00

For Spring Break, I took the kids to CA to visit my sister, Joleen, who lives by the beach, and my parents who don't! This day was kind of overcast and not too hot, but that didn't stop the kiddos from getting right in the water! What a great day!!

From Top: Roman, Scottie, Tyler, Mason, Mateo, Kylie, Joelle

Joelle & cousin Kylie

Scottie & cousin Roman

Scottie & Tyler w/ cousins
Roman, Mason, & Mateo

What are these boys looking at?

Joelle

For those of you who know my dad- you know that this picture epitomizes the person he is. He is a huge jokester- and this pic captures the aftermath of him playing a joke on his sister followed by his hysterical laughter...followed by an uncontrollable coughing fit. I've shown this picture to different family members and they all agree. This is the real Scott Grove.

Wash the Recycle Bins, Please

2009-03-10T15:02:00.003-07:00

What started out as a chore, ended in a fun water fight.

They all took turns with the hose...

At least the bins got clean!!

Hubba Hubba

2009-03-10T14:58:00.004-07:00

This is what happens when 3 girls (who happen to be cousins) get together and do each other's make-up. Hot stuff!

More Dallas Trip

2009-03-04T12:27:00.002-07:00

Sisters...

This is from the movie "Zoolander." The look that my dad was trying for is called "Blue Steel" but the fact that my dad's lips have disappeared over the years makes "Blue Steel" hard to pull off. Sorry Dad.

Self Portraits

2009-03-04T11:21:00.005-07:00

This is a family tradition...or maybe I just like to do this so I call it a tradition. Whatever- this is what happens when I get a camera in hand. I proceed to take a self portrait and then I convince all those around me to do the same. It is hilarious- you should try it sometime!

I can never take one without my arms in it!

Gwen is very good at these...she must practice!

This is obviously my mom's first time

Mom and me

My dad looks a little unsure of what to do- but the people in the back are phenomenal!

Funny Commercial

2009-03-04T11:15:00.003-07:00

This last weekend I took a last minute trip to Dallas to see my little sister, Gwen. She and her husband, Jason live in Germany (they're in the Air Force) and were in the States for about a week. Anyhow, one night while we were playing cards we saw the tail end of this commercial and thought it was so funny! I'm not sure if it was the fact that we were giddy to be together that made it seem silly or if we were just extremely tired. You be the judge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SglXWd_fY3E

The Gift of Fear- Part 2

2009-02-20T20:42:00.001-07:00

This morning I went walking with 2 friends- I learned my lesson and was not about to go by myself. Well, there were some kinks in my plan. First of all, I told my friends to meet me at the park in the parking lot and I still chose to walk there in the dark. Also, I couldn't remember if I told them to meet me at 6:15 or 6:30, so I showed up at 6:15 so I wouldn't miss them. As it turned out only one friend came and I had shown up a little early and she was a little late. In the interim of waiting in the parking lot, Mr. Hoody-Man, AKA evil guy who scared the tar out of me on Mon, showed up again. At this point I'm inclined to think that he is a regular walker in the morning and not a mass murderer, but it is still spooky to be alone in a park with a random guy you don't know. Right at the point that I saw him get on the walking path, but he didn't see me: the lights (that are spread around the entire park) turned off! Sooooooo, I tried to stay as still as possible so as not to alert him to my presence, and felt like a fool hiding out from a man who is probably a regular, nice, trying-to-keep-in-shape grandpa! I am so neurotic!

Scottie's Cool 4th grade report

2009-02-19T22:07:00.000-07:00

Scottie did a report a couple of weeks ago (actually he gives one every two weeks!) where he had to compare and contrast two things. He chose two animals: the pink river dolphin and the giant anteater. I was actually surprised by how many things these two mammals have in common...but I won't bore you with the details. I just thought the pictures were cool! AND he got a 100% on his very well-researched report!

Puerto Penasco, Mexico...AKA Rocky Point

2009-02-19T17:54:00.000-07:00

Greg and I were invited by our friends Tory & Janie to go to Puerto Penasco, Mexico, which is about 4 hours away from here. We left on Thursday night and stayed through President's Day. I have NEVER had a vacation that is SO relaxing!! We played games, took strolls on the beach, took afternoon naps on a hammock, ate authentic mexican food at hole-in-the wall locations....

Ahhhhh, I have to admit, it was hard to come home. No matter how great my days are at home, they are never as relaxing!!

This was the view from the balcony

Ahhhh, the sunset

Low tide, cool coral, fantastic sea shells

Another balcony view

Low tide...

Greg & I....so relaxing!

The Gift of Fear

2009-02-18T08:22:00.000-07:00

The Gift of Fear is a book that was talked about on Oprah a long time ago. The premise is that we all have an animalistic instinct when we are in danger, but we choose to ignore it for many different reasons. For instance: we see a spooky guy in an elevator and don't want to close ourselves into a metal box with him for fear that he'll do us harm, but we tell ourselves that we are not being charitable, nice, we're being judgemental, etc and we step in. Any other animal would back away from the situation, but not us humans. Anyhow, this morning it was on my mind.
I have a goal to arise at 6 am and go walking. Today was the first day of the rest of my life. I put on some warm clothes, my ipod, and off I went to the neighborhood park that I seem to live at with my kids. I started walking around the walking path (I admit, I was a little nervous leaving the house because it was so dark- but I told myself that the sun would come up soon...) and I heard footsteps behind me. They weren't close, but they echoed off of the rock wall that the path was by. I looked back and saw a man with a hooded sweatshirt on covering half of his face. It was too dark to see any features even if his hood hadn't have been on. So I sped up to put some distance between us, and would surreptitiously look back to check on my progress. But every time I snuck a look, he was still the same distance...at least he wasn't any closer. I was getting spooked out, The Gift of Fear was in the back of my mind, and plus the perp was whistling one note over and over every few seconds. Serial killer walking behind me-great.
I decided that it was not enjoyable to exercise when I was afraid, so I started to walk home by cutting through the grass and getting on a different sidewalk that would take me home. I was feeling really good about this decision until I looked up and saw that the murderer was 50 ft in front of me and walking towards me! I skidded to a stop and stood there like a deer caught in the headlights. How did he get in front of me? Where did he cut over? AND...why the heck was he stalking me unless he had some evil plan in his demented brain that somehow involved me?!?!
As I stood frozen, he walked toward me, mumbled "good morning" and walked on. After he had passed me, I tried to still my racing heart, but to no avail, so instead I ran all the way home.
So now, 3 hours later I'm feeling a little foolish, sheepish, chicken-ish...but I'm alive! And after talking to Greg and my neighbor friend, I realize that walking early in the morning when its dark is not a good idea without a partner, or pepper spray...

Entertaining Joelle

2009-02-12T21:55:00.000-07:00

Entertaining Joelle, on the days that she doesn't have school can be hard! Even on the days that she is occupied with preschool, I am finding that I am running out of ideas! Anyhow, we always fall back to one of our favorites...baking.

These cupcakes were made at preschool...then she wanted to keep baking when she came home!

Sooooooooo, we made sugar cookies!

Happy Valentines Day!

2009-02-11T14:28:00.000-07:00

Happy (Early) Valentines Day! Greg and I will be in Mexico on the holiday, so we are celebrating a little early. More to follow!

Super Bowl Sunday

2009-02-11T14:19:00.000-07:00

Cousin Justin

Joelle

Cousin Isabelle

Justin, Lexie, Joelle, Tory, Scottie

Our Super Bowl Party consisted of Greg's brother, Jim, coming over along with his family. Also, Greg's sister, Jilynn, and her family came over as well. The adults were hoping for a Cardinal's victory...but the kids were more interested in the cupcakes!

Happy Birthday Greg!

2009-01-20T21:06:00.000-07:00

Today, Greg turned 36! He went to work as normal, but when he got home the festivities began! We went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner- the rolls are to die for! When we returned home he opened presents and we shared cake and ice cream.

The candles look a little off because they were in a moving box until a few weeks ago...in the garage. You can imagine what happens to candles in the AZ heat! So they were all melted together which

is why they look like a small bonfire!

The kids really enjoyed giving him their homemade cards. Tyler even enlisted some help from his friends who also made cards for Mr. Poulsen. Too Cute!!

2009-01-10T14:12:00.000-07:00

Last night, Scottie's friend, Jesse spent the night. When I went upstairs to check on them, this is how I found them.

Carlsbad Caverns

2009-01-07T21:28:00.000-07:00

Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico is one of the coolest places on earth! My mom and I drove from AZ to San Antonio, TX (15 hour drive!) and stopped on our way to see the caverns. Scottie and Tyler had a great time and we talked a lot about stalagmites and stalactites and I sounded quite smart with all of my knowledge...Joelle, on the other hand, started getting scared when the elevator opened upon a dark cave. She kept asking if bats were gonna get her (courtesy of Scottie telling her to watch out for them!) So, we played a game and pretended that we were visiting a very big fairy house were hundreds of fairies lived. She got over her fear pretty quickly!

Merry Christmas!

2009-01-05T21:41:00.000-07:00

The Sunday before Christmas we woke up with sick kids...and I didn't feel too hot either! So, these are really the Sunday after Christmas, but we were still in the right spirit!

Trampoline Fun

2008-12-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the kids got a trampoline. They jumped on it all day and slept so good last night!

Thanks to G'Pa Poulsen for setting it up with Greg!
OH!! And I got a fancy schmancy camera (thank you to Greg, parents, and in-laws!!) which is why I have pictures to go along with the blog!

2:18 AM

2008-12-21T02:16:00.000-07:00

Karma is at it's best tonight. Earlier, my sister-in-law, Jilynn, came over with her family. She was telling me how she was up last night for a couple of hours surfing the net because she couldn't sleep and I teased her about it. I couldn't understand why she didn't just go back to bed! Well, here I am, 2:18 AM...sleepless in Arizona. If I apologize to Jilynn for my lack of sensitivity will my guilt be washed away and will I then sleep like a baby? Sorry Jilynn!!

Part of my problem was that I went to bed at 9:30- I was so exhausted. Greg came in after midnight and proceeded to brush something off the sheets on his side of the bed. The motion and noise of this woke me up and when I asked him what he was doing, he told me that there was sand in the bed. (Joelle took a nap on his side after playing at the park...with sand) As I started drifting back off, he then proceeded to tell me that Joelle had thrown up from coughing and he had also been dealing with that. So, I started listening for any coughs coming from the upstairs area, and sure enough I heard them. I started bargaining with myself that if she coughed one more time, I was going to get up and make her some warm honey, lemon juice, oil home remedy...then I kept putting off the bargain, and would make a new one that if she coughed 2 more times before I counted to 20...you get the idea.

Soooo, now here I am 2:25 AM, home remedy given to Joelle, and she is still coughing...I'm worried that she's gonna throw up and I would rather not be woken up to deal with that, so it seems easier to stay awake. And besides, my mind won't shut off (did I buy so and so a Christmas present? Should I call the family that is coming over to dine with us Sun. night and tell them I have a vomity child? Where did I hide Greg's present? Does Lysol really disinfect doorknobs?)... and to top it all off I have a toothache.

Family Picture

2008-11-30T20:54:00.000-07:00

For Thanksgiving we went over to Greg's brother house and his wife, Mark & Maylene. His sister and family also came and his parents...we had such fun playing with the cousins! AND the food was delicious!
The next Saturday the whole clan came over to our house for steak and potatoes. More fun!

Afterwards we went down the street to the park and took some snapshots. With our camera broken, Maylene took the shots. Thanks Maylene!

PS That's the main reason I haven't blogged in a while. No camera makes blogging boring!

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-30T20:46:00.000-07:00

Scottie was a punk with cool black hair, Tyler was Superman with cool black hair, and Joelle was the Queen of Hearts with cool black hair!

You Tube

2008-09-30T23:20:00.000-07:00

We've all probably heard about youtube.com...well, I couldn't sleep tonight and was surfing the web. And came across this clip from the American Idol Finale. I couldn't stop laughing at this spoof! Tell me what you think!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRwrbJu13Gs

Oh, and I think Gladys Knight is AMAZING. I wish I had the knack for singing so soulful...

Reef Sandals & Vitamins

2008-09-26T14:56:00.000-07:00

For any of you that have Reef Sandals, you'll know they are ultra comfortable, very durable, and make you look like a cool surfer chick. Okay, maybe not that last thing, but the other two statements are true. I have had my Reef's for 3 years now and have worn them almost everyday and LOVE them. They conform to my foot shape and yada, yada, yada. Well, this morning Joelle and I went to Costco and on our way in, I stubbed my shoe on an invisible bump on the asphalt and the Reef sandal (that hugs my right foot lovingly, day in and day out) bit the dust. Let's have a moment of silence for my loss....

Has anybody ever tried to walk with one broken flip flop? Do not try this at home. So there I was taking a normal step with my left foot and shuffling my right foot behind....I looked like I had no control over my right leg and was dragging it lifelessly behind me. I only needed to get one thing- vitamins. People kept looking at me and then the vitamins in my hands seemed to get equally odd looks. It was as if people were saying, "those vitamins are not going to cure your lifeless leg." I finally took the sandal off and walked half-barefoot through the store carrying my dead sandal in one hand and a box of vitamins in the other. People seemed to look at me and sum up in their heads the situation at hand.

So, you see, my life is not perfect at all. I fall victim to the whims of fate just like everyone else.

Perfection is OVERRATED!!

2008-09-26T14:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, I have a request for all you bloggers and scrapbookers out there. It is this: Don't forget to write/scrapbook about the crappy things going on in your lives. It seems often that I read a blog and feel depressed over how happy and hunky dory that person's life seems to be. So, in my quest to not let anybody feel depressed over my perfect family, I'll let you in on some of our imperfections!!

The Bully is Bullied...

2008-09-22T19:44:00.000-07:00

Scottie came home from school today completely dejected, wondering aloud when we were going to move back to California. WHAT?!? On Friday, he was telling me how much he loves Arizona, and today he changes his tune. Is this a sullen pre-teen thing? Are raging hormones overtaking his body and he is feeling anger for no particular reason? No, no, he is being bullied at school by the Alpha Male 5th and 6th graders.
It was bound to happen. What goes around comes around. He is learning the Golden Rule: "Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you." He treats Tyler just like these older boys are treating him. And while I can't say that to him at the moment, since he is just too upset to actually hear anything- I, instead am venting my frustration by blogging!
This is the straw that broke the camels back. I had a great, productive day...only to feel totally irritated tonight instead of feeling proud of my accomplishments. This disappointment I feel is a tool of the adversary, who would have us feel down about ourselves, so that we start to despair. GRRRRRRRRR...Satan is good at what he does.
In the spirit of gratitude, I am grateful that it is almost my bedtime. I am soooo looking forward to going to bed.

Happy Friday

2008-09-12T13:31:00.000-07:00

Sooo...Joelle is sleeping, the internet is FINALLY hooked up at the house, and the last service technician should be here sometime today. I feel strangely content to browse the internet...it's amazing the amount of stuff I couldn't look up because I wasn't connected to the NET!! The things we take for granted.
I went to check my email and saw that the weather in Stockton is 80 degrees. It is supposed to be 101 here, but it doesn't feel like it, because it is kind of cloudy. I thought I was going to hate the heat, but so far it hasn't bothered me. I don't go to the park at 2 pm, that's for sure! I'm sure next summer, when I am here during the hottest months and my kids are out of school, I will struggle to find indoor things to do during the immense heat. But for now, we're all good.
The kids started school on Monday and although they were nervous, by the end of the school day, they were beaming. They LOVE it! They have each made friends and look forward to walking to and from school. Scottie told me he feels free when he can walk without me. Hmmm, I'm not sure if that should worry me or not.
Joelle is dying to go to preschool, but I haven't found one as yet. Now that I am connected to the outside world, I may just be able to accomplish that task!

Our Arizona Move

2008-09-07T09:22:00.000-07:00

Okay...so like thieves in the night, we left. Friday, August 29th, Greg suggested that we all leave together as a family. Let me back up. He was planning on leaving on Tuesday the 2nd of September, to come and acclimate himself a little, and start his new job the following Monday. So on the Friday before he was gonna leave, he suggests that we all leave together as a family. I started to balk and complain, but deep down, I knew that it was the right thing to do. A U-haul truck was available for Labor Day, and even though our house wasn't rented and we needed the income from that to be able to rent a house ourselves, we felt it was right that we move together regardless of the outcome. We had faith that everything would work out. As it happens, Labor Day, we loaded up with help from our church friends (thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!) And Tuesday, we were at the house finishing the last minute stuff that doesn't take minutes, but hours, when a couple came by to look at the house. They were moving from Phoenix to Stockton, they asked if we were LDS and where the nearest church building was, they said they would take the house. They followed through by going directly to the property management place and paid all of their fees...and the rest is history.

I feel the need to express my gratitude. We feel like we have been guided by the Lord each and every step of the way. And while moving is stressful, there has always been an underlying feeling of peace and contentment in the knowledge that we are doing the right thing and going where the Lord wants us to go.

Now the work of getting our house in order begins!!

The Fence

2008-07-31T15:16:00.000-07:00

Greg has been home this week and has been working on staining the fence, since in the five years we've lived here, has never been done. He had to clean it first by spraying the boards down with some chemical and rinsing it off, wait for it to dry, then stain it. Easy, right?

Riiiiiight (said in a unbelieving sarcastic way). The cleaning took two days and my arms and his are both sore. The drying took a day, and today he started staining, but won't be able to finish. Maybe tomorrow!

I have figured out (because I'm a smarty pants) that a home improvement project never is as quick and easy as the Do-It-Yourself Network on TV makes it seem. I always double the amount of time I think it's going to take, then times that number by 3,000 hours and then I'm usually close in my estimation.

This is the before...notice the crusty white hard water stains from the sprinkler

This is during...notice the red tones of the cleaned wood on the right hand side. Can anyone say "sore hamstrings?"

Ahhhh, father- son bonding

Happy Birthday, Tyler

2008-07-31T11:31:00.000-07:00

Tyler turns seven today! We are celebrating by having a pancake breakfast before school, then, while b-day boy is occupied learning stuff, I will rush to the store and buy treats to surprise him with in class.

Tonight, we have back-to-school night, so we'll go out to dinner at the restaurant of his choice (which is always an adventure) & won't do much else, but tomorrow the fun starts. Sleep over, pizza, movies, presents, cake, brownies, ice cream....PARTY at the POULSEN"S!!

The waiting game is over

2008-07-31T11:27:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been a waiting game for us. Greg found out a couple of weeks ago that his job was in jeopardy due to the failing economy. He has been job hunting elsewhere and has been hired by a company named Corbins Electric in Phoenix, AZ!! We are relocating our family within the next few weeks and are looking forward to a fresh start in a place where I just might melt in the parking lot on my way to the grocery store. On the bright side, maybe I'll sweat these last 10 pounds I'm trying to lose...

This is a pic of Greg getting the "You're Hired!" call. He is in his grubby clothes because he's staining our fence (more on that in the next post) and he's sitting in the back of the car because he doesn't get cell reception in our house so the garage becomes his office!

Some interesting tidbits about Phoenix:

People living there are called Phoenicians...this sounds like an alien life form.

It is the 5th largest city in the US
The street systems are laid out in a traditional grid (oh no, I need to learn my easts and wests.)

The highest temperature ever recorded was only 122 degrees.

The highest low temperature in a 24 hour period was 92 degrees.

6. They don't have daylight savings time....

I do want to publicly thank all of those who toiled on their knees and asked the Lord to bless us...it worked! We have felt closer to the spirit and have felt the windows of Heaven opened up to our family.

Just eating bon bons...

2008-07-30T22:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, I hate caulking. Removing the old stuff is the hardest thing in the world next to childbirth. It doesn't matter if you have a fancy tool that promises to remove it all in a blink of an eye. It takes good old fashioned elbow grease, and let me tell you, my forearms are totally sore! On a good note, I have finished the toilets and they look mighty clean. No more PPD (post-penile drip...courtesy of boys using the throne) stains around the base. And I'm working on my shower...which might just take me a year to finish.

First Day of School!!!

2008-07-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

Yeah!! That's right, this morning I sent Scottie and Tyler off to school with tears in my eyes...of gratitude! Just Kidding! I actually have mixed feelings about the school year. The end of summer means I have to turn into the taskmaster in order for everything to get done. Summer is so lax that I will miss that, but I know the kiddos are ready to go back. They woke up early this morning and were dressed and ready to go by 7:15...school starts at 8:20. Joelle, of course had to get dressed and Greg, Joelle, and I all took the boys. We walked them to the playground, hung out for a while and when it was time to kiss and say goodbye, a certain little female was quite miffed that she didn't get to stay. She is so ready for school!

My life is backwards

2008-07-27T20:37:00.000-07:00

First of all, I have had major issues with my camera and the ability to download/upload pictures. That being said, I am browsing all these photos that I have never shared with my family (sorry G'ma Poulsen!!) and will be posting them in random order which goes against every perfectionist inclination that I have. Here goes...

Summer Vacation

2008-07-27T19:55:00.000-07:00

School starts tomorrow, so today is officially the last day of summer vacation. Out of the 8 weeks of break, we (the kids and I) have been out of town for 5 1/2 weeks of them. Saturday night we returned from Phoenix where we were visiting Greg's siblings. It was so fun to see everyone in their own element and of course, to spend time with them. I thought the weather would melt me, but was pleasantly surprised at the fact that the heat didn't bother me. I guess Stockton weather at 3 pm is about the same as Phoenix, or at least feels the same. Here, in my world, I don't go out of the house at that time of day and it's the same in AZ.

After we unpacked the car we loaded the kids back in and went back-to-school shopping. Let me say this: I now understand why my mom would take us one at a time, the week before school started. Scottie and Tyler are not a problem to have together in a store. The problem comes in a smaller package...namely, Joelle. She thinks that she is entitled to everything the boys get even though she's not starting Kindergarten until next year. YIKES! Suffice it to say, she weaseled some paint into the shopping cart. Well, that's not entirely accurate, she bugged so much that I finally agreed to get her whatever she was waving in front of my face, since it was about the 30th thing she had asked me to buy!!

Before our AZ trip, the kiddos and I went down to visit my parents in Moreno Valley. The kids loved being there and playing with their cousins, Roman and Mateo. Grandma Grove convinced Joelle that she should call her "Norma" so now that's what Joelle calls her. Shameful. Grandpa had a lot of fun with his grandkids as he acts just like them!

Christmas 2007

2008-05-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

For Christmas, we went down south to Moreno Valley to spend the holidays with my parents. A few days before we left, we found out that there had been a fire at their house and that it wasn't habitable. Soooo, we drove down and found a cabin in the mountains to celebrate Christmas. The most important thing was that everyone was safe and we could be together as a family!
We also had a chance to go to Disneyland with my cousin and her children. Mary Poppins was true to her character and was brisk, but kind!

Crazy Hair Day

2007-12-19T21:41:00.000-07:00

December 2007
Mr Faith, principal of Manlio Silva Elementary School has officially declared a Crazy Hair Day. Joelle, not to be left out wanted her hair done too, and I tried to convince her to wait until we returned from dropping the boys off at school so that I would have plenty of time to devote solely to her hair. She wouldn't budge on her position, so pajamas and all, we took the boys to school since the time we would have spent getting her dressed was spent on her fancy hair. I did a pretty good job on all of them, if I do say so myself!

The Children's Museum

2007-12-17T21:57:00.000-07:00

Future law enforcement officers...well, whatever they do let them choose the right side of the law!

Yes, I do take my kids to do fun things.

Looth Tooth

2007-11-10T22:19:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, my mom used to yank my tooth out when she was inspecting how loose it was. I never trusted her around a loose tooth! Tyler, has more faith than I did, in fact he wanted me to pull it out. But given my past phobias about losing teeth, I just couldn't do it! Scottie had no qualms trying, but inevitably it was Tyler who pulled his own tooth out.

Halloween is Officially Over!

2007-11-06T15:08:00.001-07:00

Although we had great fun, I am soooooo glad that Halloween is over. It turned out to be a stressful week...well, actually the two weeks leading up to it were crazy! That being said, Scottie was Bobba Fett (a Star Wars character that most people don't know about), Tyler was Venom (Spiderman, except instead of being blue and red, he was black), and Joelle was a princess (no translation needed.) Greg took the kids trick-or-treating and I stayed home to hand out candy. It was very quiet at home and not too many kids rang our doorbell, so I just watched a movie! Very relaxing!

I have given in to Peer Pressure

2007-09-24T09:07:00.000-07:00

It's official...I am a blogger. My friends Michelle and Janie come over and talk about their blogs and I sit there pretending to know what they're talking about. You know, I smile and nod a lot! Well now I know! So HA! I have no idea what I am supposed to write and my camera is on the fritz (so no cute pictures until I figure out what to do about my loser camera), but I am still uncharacteristically excited about cataloging the "Days of our Lives."
Today, I am going to do laundry, take Joelle to preschool, do laundry, clean the house, do laundry, pick up Scottie and Tyler from school, and do laundry. Hope your day is as great as mine will be!