snow day

Snow days for me are a bit different for me than most other stay at home moms. Am I even allowed to call myself that anymore since I have daycare kids? anyway, when there's a snow day here, it means the baby stays home with her mommy, but the big girls are here. which makes for a CRAZY day.

So by the time we got to the afternoon yesterday, we were itchin to get outside. The daycare kids didnt' bring thier snow "gear" so we had to improvise with triple layered socks for mittens, old tennis shoes for Laya's boots, slicky pants tucked into socks, mismatched gloves, and rain boots with washcloths for stuffing for Kaylee's boots.

I'm guessing it took about 40 minutes to get all six kids bundled up and ready to go.

When we were finally outside, I grabbed my camera and grabbed a few shots. And right about that time, Jayden starts SCREAMING that he has to go potty. So I very sternly but calmly say "you may NOT go potty in your pants. you may NOT. DO NOT go pee yet. Please wait. Jayden, do NOT go potty yet." meanwhile he's freakin out that he's gonna pee. He can't see anything anyway because of his coat being in the way, so we plow through the piles of laundry on the laundry room floor til we reach the random toilet along the back wall. I've always hated that toilet. except for today. :)

anyway, I"m not sure how the pee made it into the toilet and not the pants, because he was GOING when I pulled all the layers down. but we honestly managed to miss the clothes and the floor. MIRACLE.

except...then...I hike his layers of pants back up and he lost his balance, and landed with his right hand right in the toilet water. So then I had to go get Laya from outside, since I didn't want the big girls "in charge" of her for more than like one minute. So she throws a fit to come inside, but Jayden needed a new glove, and who knows how long that might take.

so finally we all get back outside, head to the back of the house, and play for about 8-10 more minutes before most of them were ready to come in for hot cocoa.

so back we go, into the warmth, which is where they all start to cry. They got a little whiny outside, but inside, it was full blown crying from the cold. part of the thawing process I guess.

So after who-knows-how-many minutes of getting everyone UNDRESSED and dried off, I sat down and thought to myself "wow....that was a lot of work." but at least it got us further into the afternoon, huh?

And here are the results (my fave of each of my kids) of our 10 minutes of play. (Lillian actually stayed out FOREVER with the neighbor kids, and Josiah stayed out quite long too. But the daycare kids and Brielle had had enough.) for more pictures, check out my fb account. :)

my rough-and-tumble four year old

This is what Josiah looked like yesterday:


He's happy here, but wasn't so much when he got that big old thing on his head. I guess he was swinging his legs while balancing on his hands on the bar stool. I remember doing the same type of things when I was little. But for Josiah it ended by the stool tipping, him falling backwards, and the cross bar thing of the stool landing right between his eyes and scraping off the skin.

Once we got the bleeding and crying under control, I couldn't help but laugh to Steve. This just adds the perfect touch to his one chipped front tooth and his other brown front tooth (which doesn't look nearly as brown in the picture...yay!).

I guess he just looks like a boy with his battle wounds. :)

(and this picture was before he sliced his finger open on my rotary cutter later in the day. So he also had a wad of tissue wrapped in a bandaid for most of the evening.)

my six-year-old-sweetie

Lillian has a tender little heart.

she gets that from me. :)

I've started making little baby shoes for the pinkadink as one of my new products for year 3. They're stinkin cute. and stinkin tricky to make. There's lots of layers, and I'm constantly flipping them inside out and right side out and back inside out etc. So one day last week I started a pair while the kids were napping. And since I"m not very fast at them yet, they weren't done by the end of naptime.

So when the big girls got back from school, I told Lillian what I was doing. She's like her auntie Mel and LOVES anything miniature. :) So I show her this baby shoe, but it was like, all cut up and inside out and didn't really look like a shoe to her little brain. Or Kaylee's either. So Kaylee started laughing! really hard!

And my sweet girl says, "KAYLEE!!! Mom! Kaylee's laughing!" And I say, "well, honey, I realize it does actually look a little weird right now, doesn't it? I think it's kind of funny too."

so she started laughing too, and they ran off to play.

But as they leave I hear this conversation:

"What? You tattled on me for laughing and now you're laughing? That doesn't even make SENSE!"

(insert really motherly, halfway whiney voice: "Well, Kaylee, I didn't know my mom thought it was funny. She was working really hard on that and I didn't want to hurt her feelings if she thought it looked nice! It's not okay to laugh at someone until you see that they think it's funny too! I just didn't want to hurt her feelings!"

I about cried on the spot. so sweet.

And then, yesterday, she 'bout made me cry again.

She had a really great report card. I know she's only in kindergarten, but I think it all starts there, if not before. Her report card was almost completely Os, which is the highest, and stands for outstanding. And having been a teacher, I know that we don't just toss out Os when Ss are really great too. So I was really proud of all her Os, and just the fact that she TRIES really hard. She's lucky that it all comes easy to her, but sometimes that makes kids not even try that hard. So I was proud.

And to celebrate, we were going to go to Arby's and get $1 Jamocha shakes. I had made perougies (sp?) for supper that night, and they weren't a huge hit. Why anyone wouldn't like carbs wrapped in carbs is beyond me. I loved them. But the kids didn't. Lillian choked hers down but the other kids would not. Not even for a shake. So we gave PLENTY of warnings that not eating thier supper meant no shake, even though they DID eat their veggies.

But by the time we got to Arby's Lillian was in TEARS about the fact that her brother and sister couldn't have one. She doesn't really get the whole "teaching a lesson" thing, and she was just DEVASTATED. I betcha she begged us for like 5 minutes straight, coming up will all sorts of ideas for giving them a second chance. We stood firm and said no...every sweet little teary time. It made us really sad too, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

I love that she's so sensitive. so empathetic. so sweet.

the year of the gym and Andrea Hydeen

hello? is this thing on? is anyone still out there? does anyone 'get' the title of the post? bonus points if you do. anyway...

I'll admit that when I read other people's blogs and they say "oh man! sorry I haven't blogged in ages! I've been so busy" I think to myself, 'hm....didn't really notice.' Because that's how life is. We are all quite consumed in our own lives. I realize that probably nobody has noticed my lack of blogging in the last few months, but I have. It's always the first to go when things get crazy, as it should be I guess. But I'm the one who misses it. I miss being in the state of mind where I want to remember things to blog about because otherwise they all pass me by. And suddenly I'm wondering how my kids got so big, and how exactly they've changed so much, and no record really of the fact that my life is flying by.

So now that things have calmed down a LITTLE bit, I want to try write more. And I have the perfect situation to start me out.

ok, well, for starters, remember last year when I wrote about being "fit again in 2010?" Well, I've finally come to terms with the fact that I just really really SUCK at trying to work out at my house, or in my neighborhood, or whatever. That little motto was a COMPLETE FAILURE.

This year I'll turn 30, and I just didn't quite think I'd look like this or feel like this already. So Steve and I took the plunge and got a gym membership. along with all the other people who want to set new years resolutions. it's been CRAZY there.

so anyway, we got in on the very last day of the special, so we had no enrollment fee and saved 90 bucks for each of us. we were pretty pumped about that. And when you join Urban Active, they give you a "consultation" or whatever where they give you these dumb papers to fill out about your habits and your goals and what not. I hate goals. always have. So instead of just giving me a HUGE pat on the back for showing up that night (which was pretty major for a self-proclaimed lazy butt), they decide to make me feel like crap about myself and my body fat content which puts me at "some health risk." thanks. I already knew it was time to do something, which is why I'm HERE.

ok, so then...he gives us this KILLER workout. I did alright actually until he had us do some crazy frog jumping type of move and Steve and I both thought we were going to die. Steve actually thought he was going to puke for real (and I thought he was too. I kept saying, "okay, babe, do you have a plan? you need to have a plan if you're going to puke. do you know where the closest garbage can is? because every time I think I"m going to puke I have to know where the garbage cans are.") He seemed quite uninterested in my concern for having a plan, but thankfully he didn't puke. But boy did we feel ridiculous trying to jump and feeling like we were stapled to the floor. it was S.A.D.

so when we're all hot and about to die, he sits us down to talk about options for trainers. I was totally unprepared for this conversation and he starts talking about spending hundreds of extra dollars a month to meet with a trainer every time we come. I'm going nuts because it's like, 7:57 and our kids are in childcare (which we got for free for ONE NIGHT ONLY while we did this thing, because we didn't add the package when we came in to pay for our memebership. if we HAD, it would have been only ten extra bucks a month, but because of our schedules we thought we'd never be able to workout together anyway, and since they close at 8, I thought I wouldn't be able to get supper done and all that and get there and work out and get the kids picked up all by 8. so we said no to the childcare package.) okay, so finally I say to the guy, "okay, well, it's pretty unrealistic to even think about these packages for us, so we might as well not even discuss it." and he says, "because of....?????" and I say "cost." so he flips the page over to discuss a bunch of other more reasonable packages.

So he's saying stuff that I don't really pay attention to because I'm thinking about having to get the kids, which he KNOWS, and we start thinking about maybe doing one of the short term packages for like 90 bucks where both of us could meet with a trainer once a week for 3 months. We thought it was a good idea since we felt really overwhelmed there and wondered how people even know what to do for their bodies. so then they CALL OUR NAMES on the loudspeaker to come and get our kids. So I run off and leave steve to tie up the loose ends. The only thing I asked is if we could get the childcare package for those three months even though we had declined it like two days before (when we didn't know we were going to get suckered into their scheme), and they said yes, but only at full price, which is 20 bucks a month.

SO...I run out to get the kids and apologize and say something about being stuck with the trainer and the girl won't even acknowledge me. She has my three kids all bundled up in their coats, etc waiting at the front desk with her. So we go sit to wait for steve and Lillian is freaking out. "Mommy! why were you late? Why didn't you come on time? That girl said she hates parents who don't come and get thier kids! You didn't come on time! she was mad at you!" Seriously????? I understand her frustration. I do. I was frustrated too. But to say that in front of my KIDS? that really pissed me off.

So I'm sitting there boiling mad that they won't give us cheap childcare rate for the time span of 3 months when were going to meet with the trainer, when we had NO IDEA that this whole training package would be presented because they made us decide all that before we had even been there to work out or anything. It was all just really weird. And I didn't like the feeling of it. I realize we're only talking about a savings of 30 bucks, but it wasn't as much about the money as it was about the feeling of not understanding everything when we made the decision.

Okay, so Steve finally comes back and we leave and I tell him the story about the childcare girl and he's mad too and we both decide to just try to let this be a positive thing. We were spending money on ourselves to make ourselves better. To be healthier, to feel better. So we'd just forget about the things that bugged us. Except there was one more thing. The guy didn't even set up our first training session, so he said he was going to call steve about it or something (which he never did). But we were going to just be positive.

So later in the week I stopped by the trainers desk to ask aobut our first training session and got it set up for the following night. So we showed up and met with our trainer and had to go over all the info that we recorded during the consultation and give her a little info about ourselves and our measurements, etc.

She was pretty nice. We finally felt like we had ONE person on our team who would know us and care about our progress more than just getting more money out of us. grrr.... So we meet with her for almost an hour, and she made a little plan with us and showed us some of the machines she wanted us to use for cardio this week. We get done, go back downstairs, and sit at the table to schedule our next session.

Ok, so at this point, the things we are totally annoyed about but trying not dwell on are:

1. They sprung the whole training session package on us without giving us time to take the info and think about it. we maybe could have asked, but we were in such a hurry, so we decided to just to try for a short time to get a running start.

2. They wouldn't give us the childcare rate they had offered us TWO days before, when we had no idea what our membership experience would actually look like.

3. the childcare girl saying that stuff in front of my kids.

4. didn't mention it, but it felt like all the employees there were NOT there to help us. We had to work really hard to get anyone to answer our questions, which really sucks when you're in a HUGE place and really overwhelmed.

5. We found out while meeting with our trainer that we didn't actually sign up for a 3 month thing, but for a 12 month thing. So it was the 90 bucks for three months, but that was just the first part of it. It's a year commitment, which is why we were charged WAY more than that (which I was going to inquire about). But since Steve paid for it and signed for it while I was with the kids that night, then we figured we were stuck.

ok, so five things really bugging us. (and that's not even counting all the girls who like, GET READY (as in hair and makeup) to work out, and prance around in their cute little tight workout clothes. puh-leeze.)

And then...the straw that broke THIS camel's back?

Chelsea, our trainer, schedules our next appointment and hands us her business card...with her HALF NAKED self on the front, and her HALF NAKED backside on the backside. oh, and by half naked, I mean, 99% naked. Apparently she does body building contests, etc, and so she has these awful pictures of her in a...bikini???? can you even call it that????? And she GAVE them to us. to my husband! I didn't even know what to do. I got all flustered, and just kept staring at the card. because I couldn't look at HER while feeling so out of control of the situation. Oh gosh, I don't even know what to say.

I realize that whoever is reading this doesnt' have all the emotion attached, so you probably dont' think any of it is a really big deal. But we're cheap and don't often spend money on ourselves regularly like that, so we just had really high expectations I guess, which were NOT met. I love love love going and working out, which is really wierd to hear coming out of my mouth. I think I just like to get out of the house every once in a while. It can be hard feeling "stuck" here all day with so many kids, so just being out and on my own is probably most of it. So I DO love that. But it's going to take a while for me to get over some of this stuff I bet.

but oh well....it's done now. hopefully. I'm trying to have a positive attitude. I know I probably SHOULD go talk to a manager about all of this, but ugh, I feel sick just thinking about it. It's just ONE MORE uncomfortable situation to add to that place, and I feel like there's enough for now. :) I want to feel comfortable there. :)

ok, so....that's the end of the story. for now. and the moral???? don't join a gym. :)

JUST kidding.

But don't join mine. :)

Christmas letter 2010

okay, so if you're on "our list" (which basically means you're related to us or you sent US a Christmas card) you'll be getting a "hard copy" of the letter, with a different picture. :) but if our relationship is strictly 'blog-reader/writer" then this is your chance to get caught up on our year!

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It’s the week of (well, now I guess AFTER) Christmas. I’ve LOVED getting the mail every day. Anyone who saw me rip open the cards would have no idea that I most likely already know everything that the letter says, thanks to facebook. :) But I think it’s important for me to recap the year, even if most of you already know our story of 2010. It’s been a year with lots of uncertainty, lots of trusting God, and lots of not being disappointed. :)

We took our very first “real” family vacation (went somewhere far away and didn’t stay with family) this year in March. Our friends Pete, Sarah, and Emily Connell are living in southern CA and wanted to make a trip out there before Brielle needed a plane ticket. :) It was a short and sweet trip, packed full with parks, pizza, the beach, IKEA (a first for me!), Disneyland, and catching up while the kids slept. The kids are wondering when we’re going to see Emily again, and unfortunately, I think future playdates with Emily will have to be in Orange City. It was a really fun trip that we all wish was an annual event.

After recouping from our vacation, we had Steve's sister’s wedding in April. Steve, Lillian, Josiah, and I were all in the wedding, and it was certainly a cause for celebration. We love our new brother and uncle, and it was a great time celebrating with family.

It was even more special than we realized at the time, actually, because it was our last chance to spend time with Steve’s grandpa (who the kids call Papa HoHo) as he went to be with the Lord soon after the wedding. God’s timing truly is right. We’re so thankful for the chance to see him at the wedding, and even for the little details like the kids getting to know some of that side of the family before they were thrown into the emotion of the funeral, etc. It’s our family’s first major loss since my mom, so it was interesting to hear the kids talk about death, and the questions they had, and even the peace they had about it, knowing that their loved ones are in heaven, waiting for us to join. It hit them harder than I expected, though, and they often mention Papa HoHo and how much they miss him, as we all do.

We had no idea what was in store for us financially this spring because the sweet little boy I was watching was moving away. :( But sure enough, God provided two families who needed daycare, and once again our needs were met. This past summer I had my three plus three extras every day, and as soon as school started, I had a baby join us, but the big girls went to kindergarten. So most of the day I have 5 kids, til the big girls come home, and then the baby leaves. If you ever call between the hours of 8 and 6 and I don’t answer…now you know why.

The fall was a crazy time in the Hydeen household. We found out during the summer that Steve’s contract for work was going to be canceled at the end of August. He worked so hard and so long at that property, and was often very stressed out. So while we were of course concerned at the loss of the contract, we knew there was something better in store, we just had to wait on God to show us what it was. We seem to have lots of practice waiting for God’s plan, so we had a lot of peace about it, and sure enough, it paid off once again. Steve got the word last week that on January 16^th he’ll be the manager of valet operations at the downtown HILTON. We’re excited for him to be out of the stress of the hospital environment, and moving into something he always loved (remember his bellhop days?). Please pray for our family though as the transition will be hard for all of us. I’m expecting lots of long days and weeks without seeing much of my BFF while he gets things rolling at the hotel. We praise God once again for providing for our every need.

Lillian’s big news for the year was starting kindergarten! We were so sure that she was ready. She’s such a smart girl, with great social skills, and was almost six. She had preschool every day last year, and we were just SURE it’d be an easy transition. And we were WRONG. Thank GOODNESS my big sister was here to help me through that first week, because I’m pretty sure I needed just as much TLC as she did that week. Eventually things got better, like we knew they would, but OH MY….my heart was not prepared for that. She’s doing great now, reading up a storm, and her teacher says she’s a delight in the classroom. We’re so proud of her.

Josiah turned four this year, and is becoming such a big boy. He’s still the lover-extraordinaire that he always has been, but it’s fun to see him grow into a “person.” He LOVES trucks. Loves them. He amazes us all at his ability to distinguish between an F150 and a one ton dually, but he seems to have it down. :) He’s starting to learn to read as well, since his big sister is constantly sounding out words all day every day. It’s crazy because he’s always been so laid back, and a bit slower in his development because of that. And now suddenly he cares about reading, when he JUST learned all the letters! It’s so fun to see the kids’ different personalities, and to really just love them for who they are. He’s following in Daddy’s footsteps too, and becoming quite the comedian (he thinks so anyway). :)

Brielle is just a hoot. We of course think (almost) everything she does is so cute, since she’s more than likely our last baby. She recently started talking (like, real words and conversations, etc) like crazy, and while we often have no idea what she’s saying, it’s fun to have her be a vocal member of our family. She has a different personality than both of the other kids, and most days we’re still trying to figure her out. The only thing we know for sure is that she is by FAR the biggest stinker we’ve ever had. She loves babies, and right now is obsessed with “baby Griffin” and “baby Jesus.” She can really hold her own with her big brother and sister, and can often be seen doing EVERYTHING the big kids do, and even things they would NEVER do. She recently moved out of her baby crib and now shares a bunk bed with her big sister, and thinks that’s pretty cool. We’re still working on the potty training thing. She has LOTS of interest, and would sit on the pot all day long if her mama had a bit more patience. :) She actually peed ONCE now, so that’s progress. I know when it clicks, it’ll be a piece of cake, so we’ll just wait til the click. :)

We’re so thankful to God for our jobs and our kids, but also for our hobbies, which are becoming more and more a part of who we are. It’s so wonderful to have a way to express ourselves in a way that’s so different from our everyday roles. Steve is still performing regularly with 88improv, and has had the opportunity to do some creative stuff for work too, which has been fun. The pinkadink has kept me ridiculously busy this fall. I only did a few craft shows which turned out to be very successful, and didn’t take up every single Saturday like I did last fall. I love love love the sewing and creating part of it, but I will admit that I’m glad to be DONE for the Christmas season and take things at my own pace again. And maybe even just sit on my butt and watch tv for a night. :)

Every year at this time I just get so emotional thinking about God’s love for me. I am so blessed. I got a new brother in law and 2 sweet nephews this year, took a road trip with my sisters and our kids crammed into my van all the way to Ohio to visit Ang and her family, celebrated 7 years of wedded bliss :) and probably lots of other great things that aren’t coming to mind right now. And as wonderful as all those things are, they pale in comparison to the blessing of knowing that God sent his son for ME. Because he loves ME. May this Christmas (and now new year I guess…) be filled with reminders of God’s love for you, that came most beautifully in the form of a baby.

Merry Christmas.

dyslexia in my ears or something...

wow...so I've clearly been busy and neglecting the blog, but I just have to share this story:

On Wed night we were on our way to Kids Club at church, and I hear Lillian ask from way in the back seat of the van, "Mom? How can you tell if God is a boy or a girl?"

and I think oh gosh...another doozie of a question from Miss Lillian. and this setting, me driving on 680, her in the back seat, is not exactly the type of setting I imagine us having conversations about God in. But anyway, she asked.

"well, honey, that's kind of a hard question. We don't really know if God is a boy or a girl because he's not a human. We often think of him as a man because he calls himself our Father, but blah blah blah blah blah..."

"I thought you said something one time about how you can tell by how they go to the bathroom."

"um...well...that only works for humans. God isn't a human so he doesn't have private parts like humans do, and blah blah blah some more."

"ah....MOM? I'm talking about DOGS."

"WHAT? OH! yeah, boy dogs lift their legs to pee and girl dogs put thier bottoms by the ground."

and done. easy question. :)

a love of reading

Yesterday, which was NOVEMBER 2nd, by the way, we went to the PARK! I never thought we'd be at the park, with no coats, in November. marvelous.

Well, Laya had climbed up the steps to the slide, and then didn't want to go down, so Kaylee climbed up to get her but nailed her head on the tower thing at the top of the slide. So I hiked up the playground equipment to give Kaylee a little lovin...

and HOLY MOLY.

I could not believe all the terrible things I found written on the walls of the "princess tower," of all places. Those little punks better hope I don't catch them in the act of their "artistry." Bad words, phone numbers, anatomy drawings, the works. I just sat there for a bit til the girls asked me what I was doing.

I said I was reading all the disgusting things that big kids wrote in the slide.

Of course now that they know there are bad things up there, they want to know. "what does it say Mommy?" "What did the big kids write, Miss Andrea?" So I said, "well, I'm not going to say, because it's really not appropriate to say those words."

So Lillian climbs up the slide, and reads for herself: "sssssss........uuuuuuuuuu.......ck."

{GASP} "Mommy! I found a terrible word! The worst one! SUCK!" (oh, my sweet innocent child...) :)

"yep, but it's not appropriate, so let's not say that out loud. That's probably not a good place to practice your reading." (and please don't read what comes after that and ask me what it means.)

"But Mommy! I can't help it! My brain just READS!"