Out With the Old, In With the New

9 Significant Bagley Family Records From 2009

1. Brik is allergic to dogs.
2. We enjoyed an increase in visits from my parents.
3. Completed our bathroom remodels.
4. Jarom and I attained regular free bimonthly therapeutic massages!
5. We entered the realm of cloth diapering.
6. Discovered Brik’s inborn ability to water ski.
7. I was called to serve as Primary President.
8. Our household transitioned from eating factory farmed meat in moderation to eating wild game/pastured meat sparingly.
9. Accomplished my first year of blogging.

10 Things I am Looking Forward to in 2010

1. Growing a garden that produces like gang busters.
2. Replacing the carpet with wood flooring.
3. A 7 day cruise alone with a hunky guy.
4. Roxwell’s first steps.
5. Brik starting kindergarten
6. Reaping the rewards of cloth diapering by easily potty training Roxwell and having 0 children in diapers.
7. Starting up more cooking classes.
8. Katie moving to Arizona.
9. Enjoying a backyard complete with grass, a play set and swimming pool.
10. Dancing on Dancing with the Stars

Merry Christmas To Me

Me likes me a nice slow, quiet Christmas. No chaos, no rushing around, not a lot of show. My dad used to have this thing with opening gifts, he would draw it out as long as possible. I can appreciate that now. It is the event for the night, so we revel in it.

This year we had a dinner at our house with Errol, Elaine, Reachel, Andrew, Coco, Leisel, Sterling and our family. Simple potluck with salad, roasted vegetables, ham, baked potatoes and apple crisp. The kids did a cute story telling of The First Christmas, we sang songs and enjoyed the gifts. I thought this year was modest. Jarom and I are planning a cruise this year for my 30th birthday, so our goal was to apply for passports by Christmas and call that our gift to each other; check. Roxwell got all regifted items from storage. I gifted Layne and Brik with their own stuff they had lost months prior because of bad behavior...How did we end up with so much stuff!? I was astonished with the pile that towered beside me as we finished. It was a great time and I am grateful to feel abundance and love through my friends and family.

Layne wasn't sure what to expect from Santa. We never got out to have the kids sit on Santa's lap and ask him for anything. Everyone who asked Layne what he wanted received the answer "a trumpet." Layne also is very aware from all the songs that Santa brings toys to good boys and not bad ones...uhhh. He knew he may not qualify. My favorite was when we were delivering Christmas gifts to friends and one asked "Are you on Santa's good list or bad list?" Layne replies "I'm on his kinda good list, but my brother (pointing to Brik) is on the REALLY good list."

Brik was also asking for a trumpet and sometimes would decide he wanted a new battery for his power wheels. He was pretty sure that Santa would not be leaving any gifts for Roxwell because he wakes mom up in the morning (big no no in our house.)

Christmas Day I got up and fed Roxwell. Brik was up with me, his room faces the living room where all of Santa's loot was laid, unwrapped. He never even noticed, it all blended in with the piles he remembered from the night before and all he was thinking about was the new toys he knew and had dreamed about through the night. Once Layne was up we lead them in and checked out the new stuff. We spent the morning finding batteries, playing games and planting my indoor starter plants.

For lunch we went to Grandma and Grandpa Bagley's. The kids got to sit at the adult table since our numbers were so few. Layne asked why there were little rugs on the table (place mats). He is really funny when he is not throwing a fit. Earlier that day, he walked by Jarom as Jarom was pointing at something. Layne said "Oh, I though you were going to give me a high five. That's disappointing." We laughed and he retracted "Actually, that doesn't make any sense, since you laughed." We assured him it did make sense and I was kinda sad that he is becoming so perceptive. Soon he is going to grow out of using his childish verbage that is so endearing.

I did miss my family, but it was so nice to stay put and not be thrown around from place to place. Travel is not my thing. I like to be home, I like to be warm, I like to relax. So this year -- Merry Christmas to me.

Rewind

We need to rewind and cover Brik’s birthday before we do Christmas as he is a pretty special little guy. He always wears a big smile and his excitement is contagious. Brik has been talking about “when my birthday comes up,’ since Layne’s birthday in September. For a while he though he got to choose what age he would be turning and he chose 5. He eventually came to terms with a year of being four, but is still looking forward to the golden age of five years old.

The week before and the week after the big day we had gone out to eat and both times Layne told our server when Brik’s birthday is/was and they brought him a dessert, so he got in some extra celebrating. On the day of his birthday, Brik was so excited to do a Krispy Kreme run in the morning to get doughnuts for breakfast. Apon awakening, Jarom was able to take a 15 minute break from work that we utilized to open presents. Once the presents were unveiled there was no parting him from his new toys. Layne was distraught when he learned I was abiding by Brik’s wishes to play instead of go. All day of offering a trip to get doughnuts and he never wanted to until bedtime.

Usually Layne is able to talk Brik into doing what ever he wants, like the day before when he talked Brik into a lemon cake for his birthday dinner dessert instead of cinnamon pizza, which Brik had originally chosen. It went like this… “Brik, cinnamon pizza is not even cake, you have to have cake for your birthday. Mom, Brik wants to have lemon cake for his birthday instead.” I asked Brik again what he wanted and he said cinnamon pizza. Now Layne is whining, “Brik, you are a mean brother. I don’t want cinnamon pizza for birthday cake you have to choose something else.” Brik says no and an all out fit breaks loose with stomping and crying. Quickly Brik says in a submissive voice “Okay Layne we can have lemon cake for my birthday.” Sad isn’t it?

So the lemon cake was delicious, I made it with sprouted flour, the filling was lemon curd made with honey and the frosting was powdered rapadura and kefir cream cheese. A recipe for the books! Brik wanted his name and the number 4 on it and Papa had sent licorice so we used that for the letters. I am not a good cake decorator and it is hard to make a pretty frosting with natural sugar and no food coloring, but I sure felt good about my family eating it.

I love that the day felt special even though we stayed home all day with no parties or friends, just the family, a few toys and a lemon cake.

A Christmas Story

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

Where does the time go?  December has been full of great memories.  Mom came again for another quick, but very productive visit.  I learned that having her here to prepare for Christmas is just as good as having her here for Christmas.  Decorating the tree has never been more enjoyable, that’s for sure.  Brik was our typical kid decorator that only saw one branch fit for ornaments.

We also got in a good shopping spree at Macy’s.  I have not been much of a shopper in the past two years and tried hard to make up for it.  She even squeezed in a patience-trying gingerbread train project with the kids between a pedicure and a nice dinner out.  All that in two days with three kids; what a feat!

Our long loved Canon point and shoot has laid to rest.  Our first replacement was terrible (Nikon CoolPix).  So we went straight back to Canon and have a lovely orange camera that we are very happy with.  These two pictures were taken at the same time from the two different cameras.  We messed with the settings and could never get the Nikkon to take good pictures.  They were blurry with the kids and had bad color with the food.

Adventures in Self Feeding

Eating broccoli is just stinking cute!

2 raspberries + 1 baby = a really big mess!

Check me out, I'm a rockstar!

U want some?

Spoon optional.

After meal clean up.

Gobble, Gobble

Jarom is thankful for job security.

Layne is thankful for as much freedom as he can scrounge up.

Brik is thankful for a Mom that lets him talk her ear off.

Roxwell is thankful that his brothers are in bed so he can finally play with their trains.

I am thankful it is orange season.

Wrap It Up Already

Here is the rest of the pictures from our photo shoot. Roxwell was uncooperative as all he wanted was to be put down so that he could eat the rocks, in a few pictures that is what he is chewing on. When he was sitting on that rusty ladder I was freaking out that he was going to fall, but he didn't. Layne and Brik were great with posing for about 15 minutes, that is when all their best pictures were. The farmer whose farm we were trespassing on came to kick us out when we had barley started, but Jarom talked him into letting us finish and we promised to never come there again. Brik loved holding his acorn squash that he had selected at the market the day before, while Layne oogled over the lollipop that came and went with the photographer. A big thanks to Ashley and Marcus who gave of their time and talents, we love how they turned out.

Pics of Briks

Kiddo Portraits

Pic-a-Portrait

Just Eat It

A Closet Full With Nothing to Wear

Jarom had two shirts that were worthy of family pictures and neither went in the slightest with what I wanted to wear to match our living room. Ashley appeased me by taking a few of just me and the boys before the wardrobe change.

Quite the Character

Got some professional pictures taken by Betty Photography. They are great fun. I'll share a bit at a time as I don't seem to have the attention span needed to deal with blogger lately.

I Like the Way You Move

Two Week Rush

We only have to celebrate Roxwell’s birthday for about 15 minutes each year since he was born just before midnight (who keeps track of the exact time by the third) on the eve of October 22. It is fun to have a little dream just for him though.

Actually, we just turned everything fun that we did that week into a birthday celebration; like Layne’s fieldtrip to Superstition Farm, I bet you wish you spent your first birthday with the entire kindergarten! Or our dinner out to the swanky Scottsdale restaurant Arcadia Farms…too bad I forgot the camera on both of these occasions (and Layne’s fist day of school, and the science center and a dozen other important events).

So I redeemed myself slightly by taking home one of Arcadia Farm’s “baby cakes,” fitting, eh? Now all you mommies listen up because we discovered something that is going to change the universe. First we put the kids to bed, then we poked a candle in the cake, sang happy birthday, took pictures all in peace. We let the baby dive in with his hands while we civilized adults used forks and only occasionally picked piece off his face and shirt. Then it was off to bed for baby. Did you get that!? No kids, just baby. No tummy ache, just sleep. Peace. It was the best 3 day after birthday party EVER!

We leave the real spoiling up to my parents. Dad was here the week before Roxwell’s birthday and brought him this cute Hawkeye (the kids call it “hockey”) outfit with football that he has really taken a liking to. Here I think he was posing as a football player might.

Dad further dove in to the spoiling category when he bought all three boys Christmas bikes complete with new helmets lights, horns, bike locks and knee pads. Unfortunately Roxwell has tipped over a few times on his and now cries every time we put him on it so we are in the process of finding him an alternative Christmas gift. Dad’s visit was fun, be sure to ask him how he did in cribbage though.

Mom brought a lovely gift that Layne and Brik monopolized for the first couple days. She also bought us a generous amount of home décor which the kids and Jarom graciously accepted as their Christmas presents. I am so looking forward to Christmas; it is going to be so simple! Even Jarom’s family is taking about cutting back on their usually over-the-top gifting.

Since Jarom is a Halloween-pooper, Mom made the most of his costume and played Raggedy Andy to my Raggedy Ann. The boys costumes turned out really cute. Brik lived the face paint and was worried about it all night. Layne did really good dealing with the irritating eye patch – that he ended up just wearing on his head and uncomfortable earring – that found comfort inside his ear. Roxwell was not too fond of the big dragon hood that weighed down his head.

Growth Chart

No doctors. No percentile charts. No child to child comparison. Just good old healthy growth.

The Iowan Shopper

Dad wanted to "get back at" the kids for surprising him on his birthday in August. He arranged a surprise meet at the corner grocery store. They were pretty surprised to run into an Iowan shopper at Bashas.

I was so happy that Dad was able to bring us some more deer AND happy that we found freezer space for all of it! Thanks Dad, you're the best.

The kids got lots of fun stuff too; a Genetic's choice calendar (that the each have hung in their rooms), a framed picture of Papa (that they are taking turns displaying in their room's), a very educational book about pig farming (that we read at bedtime the past two nights) and University of Iowa Children's Hospital sweatshirts that are really quite nice (thanks Monica.) This is very typical for dad to unload company memorabilia for Christmas, birthdays and visits.

We haven't gotten to play cribbage yet, but next week--it's on!

Vegetable Treat

To increase excitement for vegetables the kids get to have whipped cream on them.

Great idea, right?
When my dad was annoyed with our table manners as kids he would ask "don't they teach you how to eat at school?" When my kids are playing with their food I say "Papa would freak if he saw you doing that." Tonight there were noodles swinging and Brik said "Papa is freaking out."

Go Away, Big Green Monster!

So they are not big, or green, but I do want them to go away. They are tormenting me, I hate to itch! Now they have gone too far. They are attacking the littlest Bagley and I am furious. Not just a bite here and there, 20 at one time, he looks diseased.

Roxwell is having a terrible reaction to mosquito bites. They get huge and inflamed, then bulge with a fluid-filled blister and finally a large open sore that heals to a lovely scar. Every day I am redressing his bandages to keep out infection. I have to keep him in pants day and night, otherwise he goes nuts with the itching and rips the Band-Aids to shreds. Poor guy, the itching, the sweating, the “ouch” of pulling 5 Band-Aids of in one sitting…
At least he is getting some teething out of the way through his misery. One top tooth is through and the other is close. They are big, this makes me happy, let’s dwell on the happy.

Grease Monkeys

Layne got this Power Wheels truck two years ago for his birthday from my mom. I would say he averages 10 hours a week in it. Driving has become one of his most time consuming hobbies. He has worn holes in the tires and is on his second battery. He has been asking for a real car that runs on gas for almost a year, but for now he blows off steam in his electric vehicle.

Layne has convinced Brik that he is completely incapable of driving. Brik gets all nervous when we ask him to park it or even drive it across the yard. He pushes the pedal in 2 second intervals to make sure he is never going too fast or about to hit something. He is a great passenger and always makes sure to buckle up with the Velcro seat belt. Some days they just pull out in the middle of the yard, crank the radio on the Spanish station, fill the cup holders with their Diego sippy cups, flip down the tailgate and chill.

Saturday while I was running around to meetings, Jarom got some yard work done and the boys gave the truck a tune up. Layne was enthralled with the jack and Brik was tickled to be assistant mechanic.


It won't be long before this little guy is squeezing in beside his brothers. Already perfecting the sounds and actions of cars, Roxwell has proven to have a boy's heart. Notice the gurgling from the back of his throat. This sound is reserved for playing with cars.

And those are misquito bites all over his arm, he was completely attacked!

Herbivore

Roxwell is nearly 11 months, still working on the crawling thing, but he rolls all over. Still a happy boy, content, sleeps 11 hours a night and puts up with Layne's rough handling. He still loves his baby swing as the motor can barley sway his 21 pounds. Only two teeth have made their way into his gummy grin.

Although he is my third boy which is old hat by now, he has a few quirks that are totally original to himself. Roxwell has a very developed palate and much prefers whole food over pureed. Often times he will refuse his own food if you are eating real food in front of him. I am most amazed at his ability to enjoy leafy vegetables and strong flavors from herbs, spices and garlic! How I love to see bits of myself in my child, finally.

Remembering Bugles

The boy's raspberry eating strategy reminded me of when my brother and I used to put Bugles on our fingers. We were limited to man-made finger foods because we lived in Podunk, where raspberries didn't even exist in real life. I mean, Bugles are clearly better in every way; they last for months without going bad, they don't stain your clothes, they don't have to be washed before eaten and they are cheaper. Remind of why we even eat raspberries at all.

I got these big, honking, delicious raspberries at our favorite produce market where prices are amazing. At the typical grocery store they will go on sale for $2.50 for a 6 oz. package, a warehouse store will have them for $9.99 for 6-6 oz. containers. These were 50 cents per 6 oz. container. I am recording these exciting facts for posterity...I wonder what raspberries went for in 1985.

When did nutrition get thrown out the window? I am looking forward to the day when the snacks and refreshments dished out at school, church, meetings, parties, ect. are a little less Bugle-ish (goldfish, Graham crackers, cookies, "fruit snacks, Little Debbie's, wheat thins, Gatorade...) and a lot more like plain old, God-made raspberries.

Looks Older Than 6

It seems like Layne has been 6 for awhile, but technically he just turned yesterday. He is so dang tall! He had a fun day.

Since he was born at 9:19, we used it as an excuse to not start 'the birthday until after breakfast. This saved us from getting up extra early and having candy for breakfast. We had planned on going to the pool, but the weather was too rainy.

Layne started out by opening presents, his favorite being the one Brik chose...a truck with a trailer and jet ski ($10 no batteries!) Next, we took him to Toys R Us so he could spend his birthday coupon and money. He bought some cars and a gum ball. We stopped by Cold Stone where he chose banana pudding and sweet cream ice cream with a pound cake mix-in.

On our way home from the toy store we were stopped at a light and a bird flew into our window. A few seconds later the electric window went down, after trying to put it back up we realized there was no bird and the window just gave out. Lucky for Layne because while his brothers took naps and I made birthday cake, Layne and Dad got to go to the car dealership. Sulking about the $300 bill, Jarom let Layne climb in and out, push all the buttons, check out the trunk, under the hood and the driver seat of the shiniest cars (Shiny cars are Layne's favorite.)

We ate cake before dinner and let the kids run around in the fountain after eating at Liberty Market. He loved his day, it was so simple. Happy Birthday giant six year-old.

How Sweet it is to be Loved By You

Layne's first baby sign was "food", Briks first sign was "more", Roxwell's is "I love you." This kid is so sweet. He throws out the sign when he sees us in the morning, smiles when we sign it to him and he will sign it right back. So now you know when this munchkin is gazing your way with his arm in your direction and his fingers all funky -- that just means he is sweet on you too.