176/365: An Unusual Point of View

This is an unusual point of view for my life.  On great days, this is my post supper point of view.  If I get to enjoy this it means that my workout is done.  Supper is over and the kitchen is cleaned.  Homework is done.  Kids are showered and in pajamas, and so am I!  This doesn't happen very often.  Most nights the kids go straight from showers to bed because we've gotten home late or supper has taken longer than expected.  It's very rare that the three of us get to cuddle on the couch and together.  It's so rare, that they'll usually give in and let me watch what I want on TV.  You'll notice that there are only three pairs of feet in this photo.  I think that's because both monkeys are leary of Klucker's cuddability.  That probably comes from the fact that he yells at them when they try to climb into bed in the morning.  It's obvious he doesn't know what he's missing.

166/365: Parenting Joy

Being a parent is the hardest job I have.  That being said, it is also the one that offers the most rewards.  There are few things that make my heart sing like it does when I my kids are excited to see me.  Bella had only been away from me for ten minutes when I snapped this photo.  Klucker had taken her to the restroom and when she saw me on her return walk, she started running for me.  I get this kind of reception almost every day.  Both Boo and Bella seek me out first thing every morning for hugs and cuddles.  Whenever they see me in the evening, they run for me yelling, "Mamasita."  It's a feeling like no other.  I know their teenage years will probably lessen their enthusiasm, so I'm enjoying every minute of this while I can.

(Today's photo assignment: Photograph something in motion.)

163/365: Outdoor Fun

We've been spending a lot of time outside lately.  Boo has decided that it's time to learn to ride his bike without training wheels.  Last year we entered the kids in all the kid races in the area.  They both did great at the Midtown Alley race, but there were very few kids entered.  By the time we got to Gateway Cup, Boo couldn't keep up with the kids who were riding without training wheels.  That, coupled with the fact that I told him he couldn't race anymore with training wheels, may have spurred this interest.  Plus, my deal to him as been that he can get a brand new bike when he can ride on his own.  So every night we come home, he wants to practice.  He's getting better and better.

On the other hand, Bella still has no interest in her bike.  She plays on the swingset or draws on the driveway.  Tonight she followed Daisy dog around the yard.

160/365: Sausage Fest

Cutting up the beef and pork before grinding time.

Bella decides she wants to help Klucker mix the sausage.

Stuffing the casings.

Even Big Klucker worked this year.  This is a rarely seen sight.

Yes Uncle Jeffrey needs to be report to DFS.

Get your mind out of the gutter . . . I'm talking about making summer sausage!  It's a Klucker family tradition that every spring we make summer sausage.  The goal is to do it in late February or early March.  It needs to be early enough that the meat doesn't spoil while it's smoking.  I learned the Delbert Klucker rule early on in my relationship with my Klucker, if you're not there to help, you don't get any of the end product.  That could mean salsa, sauerkraut, sausage, or mulligan.  I usually take the easiest job of the day which is cutting up the meat to be ground.  It's not a friendly environment for vegetarians.  After cutting, it gets ground and then mixed with seasoning.  The mixing is the worst part because your hands freeze.  This year Bella decided to try that job out.  She didn't last very long.  After that the mixutre is stuffed into casings before being tied and hung in the smokehouse.  It's a labor intensive process, but nothing beats Grandpa Klucker's recipe . . . and trust me that his spirit lives on in the process every year.  At least four or five times during the day someone will reference Papa Del, usually in relation to how much Papa Klucker is becoming like him.

159/365: Habits

Last weekend I painted Bella's fingernails for St. Patrick's Day.  It's been an interesting year for holidays in our family.  As the kids learn more about celebrations and holidays, they want to do more and more.  I've always gotten them Valentine's Day outfits, but this year they needed St. Patrick's Day shirts.  And since Bella is my girly girl, always into make up and appearance, I painted her fingers and her toes green.  As you can see, most of her finger nail polish shows the normal wear that you'd expect from a home manicure for a four year old.  It's chipped, pulling away from her cuticles six days post painting.  That is, always except her index finger.  It's almost completely gone there, scraped off due to excessive moisture and teeth.  Yes, my four year old sucks her finger.

Bella was a binky baby.  She had that thing in her mouth all the time.  We put multiple binkies in her crib so if she lost one in the night, she could immediately find another.  I had back up binkies stashed so we would never be without.  When she was about two and a half, we began to try to break the habit.  I started by poking little holes in the tip of the nipple.  It didn't phase her.  I cut the end off them.  She pulled it out, looked at it, and kept sucking.  Finally, I did what all well-educated, child-centered parents do when trying to break their children of a bad habit, I lied and bribed her.  "The Easter Bunny won't leave you anything in your basket if he sees you still have a binky."  The material girl side of the diva took over and she plunked every binky she could find in the trash. End of story?  Not quite.

Immediately her right index finger went to her mouth and we've been fighting that habit ever since.  She's got little scars built up on the bottom of her finger from her teeth.  In the winter her hands get dried and chapped from being wet.  She actually stopped for a few months, but when Boo went to kindergarten and she was alone at pre-school it started again.  The good news is she only sucks it when she has her woobie in her hands, the bad news is that it's like prying a nut from a squirrel to get woobiy away from her.  My newest plan is to outlaw woobies anywhere in the house except for bedrooms.  That will at least cut down the opportunity.  I don't know where I'll go from there.  With Boo, we taped a glove to his pajamas to stop the thumb sucking and he left it alone.  I can see Bella gnawing at the glove to remove it.

153/365: The Role of Technology in My Life

Today's assignment was to take a photo of the role technology plays in my life.  Wow!  That's a big assignment.  I never set out to be a techy geek, and by my standards, I'm not.  I do however, love my technology. 

I think I first interacted with a computer in junior high.  We had an Apple lab; they weren't Macs just quite yet.  And we learned to "program".  That meant I could write code well enough to make pictures appear on the green and black screen.  In high school I learned how to add motion and sound to those pictures.  It was in college that I got a little more advanced--I learned how to word process.  I spent a lot of time with the boys of Sigma Phi Delta.  I would guess almost every guy in the house had a computer, a mix of Macs and PCs.  I learned to work on both platforms based on who was around and had a free machine.  The guys always told me not be afraid to break it because there was nothing I could do that they couldn't fix.  I took that attitude with me as technology advanced.  I've never been afraid to play around and see what happens. 

I think I've passed that spirit on to my kids, or maybe they've come by it naturally because technology has been since a part of their lives since birth.  Nightly it's a race to see who gets to the iPad first.  Whomever doesn't get the iPad goes for my phone.  Mind you it doesn't matter that Boo has my old desktop set up downstairs . . . it's not as cool as the iPad.  It's seemingly intuitive for them and try and try until they figure it out.  I like that.  I value their sense of exploration and lack of concern for making a mistake.  I think we lose that as we grow older.

147/365: Smile!

This image makes me giggle and all warm and fuzzy inside.  Nothing is more beautiful to a mom than seeing her child smile.  Bella, while a diva and manipulator, is pretty easy to please in many ways.  She is a girl's girl--you can give her clothes, shoes, or make up and she'll shine.  She also love just about anything that sparkles.  Oh!  And did I mention chocolate?  Yes, my little princess would do quite a lot for chocolate.  And she's not particular like her mother; she will eat ANY chocolate you let her have.  Today's treat is half of a trailmix bagel covered in Nutella.

One of my favorite Bella stories involving chocolate happened two Christmas' ago.  In an attempt to get the kids excited about Christmas and to understand when it was coming, I got them Advent calendar from Trader Joe's.  After a few days, Boo could have cared less.  He'd look at the shape of the chocolate and give it to his sister.  (He's picky like me.)  Bella would gladly accept and wolf down both pieces.  Christmas was still a few weeks away when we had our neighborhood party.  Uncle Jeffrey was kind enough to babysit that evening.  It was about 11 when we came home.  The kids were snuggled down for the night and as we stood in the kitchen I noticed the Advent calendars were up on top of the kitchen cabinets.  At bedtime, after Uncle Jeffrey had tucked Bella in and moved to Boo's room, Miss Bella snuck downstairs.  She climbed up on the kitchen stool (she was two at the time) and proceeded to open day after day after day on the calendars, gorging on the chocolate inside.  I think she got about ten pieces down by the time Uncle Jeffrey caught her.

129/365: How to Devour a Cupcake

Step 1: Eat all the sprinkles.

Step 2:  Lick off all the icing.

Step 3:  Scrape remaing icing off with your teeth.

Step 4:  Shove half the cupcake into your mouth.

Step 5: Shove the other half in your mouth.

My kids were on a cupcake kick the last few weeks that has come to a screeching halt as of tonight.  "Mommy, please don't make any more cupcakes.  We want to pick from the special jar for our treats for a while."  In spite of that, Bella did quite a job devoring hers.

110/365: Rainbow Cupcakes



My assisants



Start with the purple.



Next is blue, then green.

Bella likes the blue batter.

The orange is added.

Today we baked.  The kids have been after me to make cupcakes so today was the day.  And it wasn't just any kind of cupcakes, they wanted "rainbow cupcakes like Nellie's".  Of course I had to oblige.  Boo and Bella lined the muffin pans for me.  (Mom, why are the cupcake wrappers for a birthday?  Because that's all they had at Market Place unless you wanted plain.)  I mixed up the cake batter and divided it into six small glasses.  Then the fun began.  I added food coloring to each of the glasses, blending it well.  Next I divided each glass' content among the muffin tins.  The mix said it would make 24.  It lied; we only got 18.  Each color in then layered in on top of the next.  These go in the oven for the alloted time and voila! rainbow cupcakes.  I used my Pampered Chef decorated to pipe on the icing and Boo and Bella added the sprinkles.  (three for the cupcakes, three for Bella)  Klucker says his mind is tricking him and they taste like Fruity Pebbles.  I think he's a little Fruity Pebbles in the head.



The finished product.





The rainbow on the inside.









98/365: She May Not Sleep, But She Loves to Cuddle

Bella is the most non-sleeping child I have ever met.  She seriously would survive on eight hours of sleep a day if she could.  For a four year old, that's unusual.  And while she hates to sleep, she loves to cuddle.  The first thing she does when she gets up, be it in the morning or from a nap, is come looking for me.  She'll nuzzle her head into my legs if I'm standing, or simply crawl up on me if I'm sitting.  Today I was on the couch so she scrambled right up on top of me.  I lifted the blanket I had and under she went.  If you look closely, she's still not quite awake.  It usually takes her about 10 minutes before she can speak.  And after that, you can't get her to stop.  I have to say, the moments like these are the ones I treasure.  I know as time passes, they'll become few and far between.  I drink them in now while I can.

83/365: Her Daddy Even Made Her Wash the Dishes

After almost a week, Bella got to bake in her Easy Bake oven.  The first creation was a yellow cake with chocolate frosting that she ate all by herself.  Klucker, having not had an Easy Bake as a child, got to help in this process.  They mixed the cake together and he helped her slide it in oven.  They pushed it through to the cooling chamber and made the frosting while it cooled.  Bella then iced it herself and sat down to enjoy.

The best part of this process was Klucker making Bella wash all of her own dishes.  He kept reminding her that he didn't leave dirty dishes out when they made gingerbread.  He'd check her work and made her wash several pieces twice.  And considering Klucker's already looked up Easy Bake recipes on Google, I'm curious as to how many father/daughter baking projects we'll have.

77/365: Things Are Back to Normal

Yesterday's photo was of my children sitting together, arms around each other, looking so loving.  Today shows what like is typically like in my house.  We had our Christmas with my family this morning.  We had a nice breakfast, followed by the kids opening presents.  Now you have to know, we are strong believers that Christmas presents should be toys.  (That's because Christmas and birthdays are the only time my kids get toys.)  So Grandma Jean got Boo a new DS game and Bella got a pack of Barbie clothes.  Uncle Mike got Bella the Easy Bake and Boo a Nerf machine gun.  Well what fun is Nerf machine gun if you can't shoot your sister?  I have to hand it to the princess though, she's a strategic thinker.  She quickly surveyed her surroundings and took cover using the packing from her Barbie clothes. 

69/365: It's Hard Work Being a Diva

Every picture I took today was of Bella.  She was full of life and energy.  She was up in the middle of the night and was waiting for me, dressed, when I came home from my run.  She danced and twirled through the living room, watching her reflection in the television.  She and Boo went to a train show with Grandma and Papa.  She struggled keeping her head up through dinner. 

When we have movie night, I always make the kids get their jammies on and brush teeth so that when the movie is over, they go straight to bed.  Bella didn't make it that far.  She crashed 15 minutes into Up.  I decided to take her up to room and she got indignant. 

"Why does Boo get to watch TV and I have to go to bed?" 

I got her in bed, covered and the radio on.  We didn't hear a thing out of her after that . . . and that's unusual.

68/365: If You Fall We're Taking You to SLU

I came home just in time for dinner tonight.  First, Bella stole my Santa hat.  You would have thought I'd brought home a new pair of Jimmy Choo's the way she zeroed in on it.  Don't you think it goes well with the lovely pink and orange outfit she has on?  And no, thankfully she did not wear that to school.  Bella believes life is her own show, complete with several daily costume changes. 

She next decided she needed something out of the "kid cabinet."  Instead of using her words and telling me what she wanted she wanted to show me.  She dragged the stool over to cabinet and climbed on up.  She rooted through the cabinet until she found what she wanted.  Is it any wonder that things get misplaced around this house?

When the kids climb up on stuff or take crazy risks we always threatened, "If you get hurt, you're going to SLU."  They don't quite get what that means yet, but they realize the context and that they don't want to go there.  This catch phrase comes from the first year Klucker and I were married.  He wasn't feeling well and came running down the stairs proclaiming he needed to go to the hospital because he had vomited blood.  I replied by asking what he meant and saying let me get your insurance card.  That was met with "you don't love me.  You don't care that I could die."  And he stormed out of the house.  I went upstairs, found his insurance card, and met him at SLU.  An urban hospital is a strata of society which I hope never to have to encounter again.  My purse was searched as I went through the metal detector.  I found Klucker waiting, as well as multiple extended families.  Klucker went to triage and I was allowed to go with him there.  It was then I found out that his "vomiting blood" was actually a small tinge caused by vomiting and breaking a small blood vessel.  It's a good thing he wasn't dying but was in a hospital because I was ready to kill him at that point and it only got better. 

When he finally got to see a doctor, I wasn't allowed to go back because we didn't have the same last name so we couldn't be married!   Mind you the indigenous families with play cousins and the like went back en masse.  In the end, the ER doc took very good care of Klucker, giving him a very thorough exam, including checking his prostate.  Gotta love karma!

46/365: Pounding the Dough

Watching this scene unfold brought back great memories. We had Thanksgiving Dinner at my in-laws' home. My mother-in-law brought up the dough for the rolls and got Bella a stool. She had a great time pounding it down and later pulling pieces off and putting it in the pan.

My mom was not and is not a cook. She made meals for us when we were kids, but it always seemed like such a chore for her. And consequently, the food tasted like it was a chore for her. I learned to cook and bake from three very special women: Maama, Granny Fauerbach, and Aunt Lou. All three loved to cook and included me in the work in the kitchen. I spent a lot of time on a stool, mixing batters, rolling dough, and drying dishes. I learned lots of tricks and tips that can't be learned by reading cookbooks. More than that, I developed a love of cooking. I hope my kids develop that same fondness.

35/365: Sometimes Mommy is a Pushover

Mommy guilt is a powerful tool. If our country's leaders could harness the power or learn how to manipulate mommy guilt, they could eliminate the deficit and guarantee world peace.

Normally my kids take showers every other night, and always on Sunday evening. They took baths as babies and toddlers until Boo started noticing anatomy. We then switched them to showers because it was the quicker option to get them both clean and out of the tub. Ah, but they haven't forgotten the bath filled with warm sudsy water, toys and everything else. I tried to pull Bella in the shower with me after my race but she wasn't having it. She said she wanted a bath instead, and just like that, I got out the bubbles and started running the water. She didn't beg or cry or whine, just asked. With the amount of training I do, and other commitments I have, I'm sometimes away from home more than I'd like. I'm assuming that's why I gave in so readily. I filled the tub and plopped her in. She took her bath while I was in the shower. Klucker had to drag her out when the water got cold. Boo was up next and decided to make himself into Santa with all the bubbles. Despite my attempts to keep them separate at bath or shower time, every time I turned around they were both in the bathroom together. We're still working on that privacy concept.

34/365: The Dinnertime Struggle

Both of my kids have fall birthdays, so I've taken both of them to the pediatrician for their yearly check ups with the last two months. We go through all the standard developmental questions and always come to "Is he/she a good eater?" I never know how to answer that question. This year for both of them I replied, "When he/she wants to be." I'm about as accurate as a meteorologist when trying to predict how my kids will eat. Tonight we had a dinner that I thought both of them would devour. Boo did, and asked for more. Bella on the other hand, picked and picked at her food. Her daddy fed her, I fed her. I try not to force the kids to eat, but I knew she had only had a container of yogurt and a pbj all day. And what really kills me is tomorrow I could put something out that I would swear she won't eat and she'll devour it. The wonders of parenting never cease.

8/365: Dance Like Nobody's Watching

"Dance like nobody's watching; love like you've never been hurt. Sing like nobody's listening; live like it's heaven on earth."

Aren't those words to live by? I have to wonder when I stopped dancing like nobody was watching. As a parent, I love to watch my kids explore, learn and discover. It's so incredible to watch the world unfold through their eyes. But I also worry about the beauty of childhood wearing off. Right now, for both of them, life is an adventure a minute. They are eager and enthusiastic. They're not afraid to try new things or to laugh at themselves. And when we play together, I can do those things as well.

I don't want to see the jadedness of cynicism of life kick in for them. I dread the day a friend betrays them or someone breaks their heart. I know, sooner than I'd like, a furry purry kiss or cuddle won't solve the all the problems in the world for them. And that breaks my heart. Being a parent is the best part of my life, yet the very hardest. I second guess decisions and I worry. I dream of how my babies will be when they grow up and I hate watching it happen because it means the frivolity of childhood is slowly slipping away.

I Really Wonder Where She Gets It: 4/365

Meet Princess Bella. She truly tries to run our house and our lives. She is a girlie girl. If it's shiny, sparkly, or pink, it belongs to her. Right now she's in a stage that she doesn't want to wear pants because "they touch her feet." Of course, that same philosophy does not apply to knee socks. I had to stop her from going to school dressed in a white wife-beater, denim mini skirt, and pink and black knee socks yesterday. I didn't think I'd have to fight those battles for another nine years or so.

Bella is modeling the new pajamas she got from Aunt Teri yesterday. Our family has lots of stair step kids so we pass hand-me-downs around a lot. Her jewelry is compliments of Aunt Steph (she recently was elevated from Miss Steph). We had to wrap the evening up by painting toe nails with purple glitter polish. Bella cracks me up with this stuff because I can't ever remember being a girlie-girl. Even now that I wear dress to work almost every day, there is nothing frilly about them. She is definitely the child that let me know we are born with our personality in tact. There was no formation of hers. She came out on her own time frame, with her mind made up. While this is going to cause me lots of stress and headaches in years to come, I wouldn't have it any other way. Because while she will test her limits and push me to my wits' end, I also know she won't be pushed around and swayed by others. She will be the leader, the one taking charge.