Long Jump Competition

Winter in Wisconsin

Welcome, Camp Candid Carrie's travelers! I know that it's August and the middle of a hot, humid summer. But what does everyone do in summer? Everyone tries to cool off. And how better to cool off than with some WINTER? Especially a good old Wisconsin Winter.

If you live in Wisconsin, you have to come to terms with snow and ice and below zero temperatures. But I know people who have never seen snow in person, let alone experienced those wonderful -20 temps that freeze your nose shut when you take too deep of a breath outside. Seriously. It freezes tight shut. And the cold makes your eyes water, then freezes the tears to your eyelashes and cheeks. It's great. Going anywhere with your children takes 30 minutes of pre-planning so you can put on snow pants, mittens, hats, scarves, boots, and jackets--in my case, times 3. Your vehicle now has a stash of granola bars, blankets, extra hats and mittens, and hand warmers. You need these things in case you slide off the road, into the ditch and can't get out. Survival mode, people.




Speaking of sliding off the roads, let's talk about driving in the winter. You have 2 primary kinds of drivers--the morons and the meatballs, as I like to call them. The morons are the people who still go Mach 500 and fishtail all over the place. They have no regard for the other people on the roads because they need to get somewhere and aren't going to let 5" of new snow and ice stop them. The meatballs are the people who go 10 mph because of said 5" of snow and ice. They are so overly cautious that they end up causing accidents because people going more than 10 mph can't stop on the ice and snow in time to avoid them. Of course, there are the normal people who drive for the conditions, not too extreme in either way. And yes, if you learn how to drive in Wisconsin, you learn how to properly brake, steer and accelerate on slippery, wintry roads. It is different than driving on bare roads. Trust me.




So why do we put up with these winters, year after year after year? Because it's magical. There is nothing like sitting in your comfy chair or on the couch, cuddled up under a blanket with a good book and some hot chocolate (sometimes with a little peppermint schnapps or Baileys in it...) and watching the snow fall. Or the silence that envelopes everything while it snows or right after. The snow-covered trees and buildings are beautiful and look just like a Courier & Ives painting. And the excitement in the kids' eyes is enough to make it all worthwhile, even if you just got them all bundled up to go out to play and then they say they have to go to the bathroom.





There's also plenty to do outside, as long as you are bundled up warm enough. There are endless trails for snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and snow-shoeing. Resorts are scattered over the hills for down-hill skiing, snow tubing and sledding. And if you aren't near any of those things, there's always a good old snowball fight or constructing a snowman. Snow angels are always fun, but make sure someone can help you get up. Otherwise, you get a hand print and foot prints in the middle of your angel and that's not cool.

I love this picture. Andy picked up the girls and just threw them into the snow!

So if you've never experienced a Wisconsin winter, give yourself a few months and then come on over. It's great, even if it gets irritating and really old after 5 months of cold and snow. And in case you can't make it, I hope these pictures helped to cool you off.

Made in China

My girls have chores to help out around the house. Alayna is responsible for unloading the dishwasher, sweeping the kitchen floor, putting her clothes away, and keeping her room clean. Lilly is in charge of putting the silverware away, helping to keep the shoes in order in the entryway and putting her clothes away, as well as helping me keep her room tidy. All the girls are responsible for keeping their toys, games, and books cleaned up and put away. Yes, even Mikayla gets into it and sings The Clean Up song while carrying one toy at a time to her older sisters.

So where am I going with this? The truth, sadly. Alayna was unloading the dishwasher (the last load to be washed in our old, inefficient, leaky washer, mind you...) and this conversation ensued.

Alayna: Mom, can I ask you something?

Me (checking e-mail while all the daycare kids were napping): Hmmm, sure honey, what's up?

A: Why is everything made in China?

M: What?

A: Why is everything made in China? Almost everything has "Made in China" on the bottom of it. Why don't we make stuff here in the US?

M: Well, because it's cheaper to make things in China, unfortunately. But hopefully more things will start being made in the US again. It will help the country make more money.

A: Yeah, that'd be cool. So China makes like 200 things a year and the US only, like, 50?

M: Yeah, something like that.

Remember, she is only 7, so to her 200 is a heck of a lot. I just didn't have the heart to tell her it was probably more like 200,000 or 200,000,000 things a year. Sometimes, kids say and ask the questions that us adults just won't ask. So next time you're at the store, think like Alayna and ask yourself "Why is everything made in China?" Then look for the Made in America symbol, if you can find one. Sometimes they simply aren't there...

Let Me Just Say One Thing

I HATE skunks. Gross. Smelly. Disgusting. Ick. Ick. Ick.

I have an abnormally sensitive nose. It's a good thing when I can smell things like smoke before anyone else, or sniff out chocolate from a good distance away. It's a not-so-good thing when it comes to horrible smells like those that sometimes come from my family members or things laying on the side of the road.

This morning, I woke up at 1:30 am with a raging headache and about ready to vomit. Why? Oh you guessed it. A skunk apparently either visited us during the night and got upset, or was hit on the road right near our house. The entire house just reeks and I'm about sick. We ran around frantically closing windows and checking for rooms that stink. The smell is stuck inside, but it's outside, too. So I chugged some Tylenol and am spraying Febreze everywhere. Please wish us luck, I really need it.

*I've posted a few times, so be sure to check below!

The Playground

We live in the boonies and the closest big retail store we have is Wal-Mart. Actually, there are 2 of them about the same distance -35 miles away - in opposite directions. Sometimes we go to one, sometimes we go to the other. When we go to the one, the girls always ask to go to The Playground that's only a few blocks away. It's actually how they distinguish between the Wal-Marts. "The one with the The Playground or the other one?" The Playground is a park that is a lot of fun and very cool, even for adults. It's a huge wooden structure that's built something like a castle with tunnels, slides, ramps, climbing columns, etc. It is pretty neat.

So imagine our surprise when we went there for the first time this summer and found it gone! Replaced! The girls were so upset, until they got a good look at what took it's place. The new one is just as cool as the old one, if only because it's almost completely different. The only bad thing that I found? All of the slides are very steep. Like so steep that Mikayla couldn't do them by herself and Lilly was even a little scared on them. But all in all, we approve and we'll be back.

Today is Candid Carrie's Friday Foto Finish Fiesta!

The Olympics

I have something to confess...I'm a HUGE fan of the Olympics. I love watching all the different sports and how so many countries are represented and can come together, hopefully putting aside their differences, for these 16 days or however long it is.

My favorite event in the Summer Olympics is Equestrian, of course. There is nothing like watching a gorgeous horse at the absolute peak of physical and mental condition, working through difficult dressage routine or jumping insanely high fences. It's just amazing. Unfortunately, these events aren't as widely appreciated as most, so I need to find them on obscure channels at odd times. But that's fine by me. I make do.

I also love to watch the gymnastics, swimming, diving, track and field...I'll watch any and/or all of it. I really don't care what the event is that's on at the time. And I'm as equally unprejudiced during the Winter Olympics, too. There's just something about the games in general that I really enjoy. I know it's not for everyone, but for me...it is.

Rainy Day Fun

When we get a lot of rain pretty quickly, we get this puddle under an oak tree in the front yard. The girls love to throw on their rubber boots and splash, stomp and play in the water. Even though it was still raining lightly, the girls couldn't wait to get out and play. And it was a nice day, so why not?

Red vs White vs Green

I know there are some of you that read and don't actually know us. If that's the case, I'll fill you in on something about us--we live in the country and we LOVE it. Andy grew up on a farm, I grew up around farms, and we are very much country people at heart.

So you know how there are always the on-going "fights" between people over Pepsi or Coke; Ford, Dodge or Chevy; pretty much any brand of something vs another. Well, in the country, and especially in the farming world, the fight is over colors...of tractors. Here's a conversation I overheard the other day while driving down the road.


Lilly: Alayna! Look at those really big tractors!

Alayna: Those are International tractors, because they're red. If they were white, they'd be Case and if they were green, they'd be John Deere. We don't like John Deere. Daddy won't let us.


Yup, that's right. In our world, the only tractors worth having are the non-green ones. And the kids know it from birth. It's like learning your body parts and your letters and numbers. You learn what tractor color is acceptable.

**A few of you have asked why Andy doesn't like John Deere. And to be honest, I have no idea. I don't know if it stems from experience or if it's one of those things that's just been handed down, like a preference to Ford over Chevy, etc. I'll have to ask him and get back to you all...

It's Baaaack!

Oh, did I have a jolt of excitement when I turned on the tv last night before bed! No, not that kind...the kind that comes only from what you unexpectedly see on the screen. That's right--FOOTBALL! I had totally forgotten that preseason games were on the go, so when I turned on NBC last night, I almost lost it.

See, I love me some football. I don't really care who's playing, I'll still watch and cheer for my favorite of the two. Of course, my favorite team Of. All. Time. is the Green Bay Packers. And I'm anxiously awaiting the start of the regular season so we can all finally see what Aaron Rodgers can do for us. I don't even want to get started on the whole Favre saga.

And so it begins. Starting in just a few short weeks, know that on any given Sunday for the next several months, I will be watching football. I can't wait.

Toddler Temper Tantrum

This is what it looks like at our house sometimes. Not often, but it still happens. And it can happen at any time, for any reason. No more cereal--take cover. Can't play with her older sister's book--plug your ears. She wants the blue baby blanket, not the orange one--run and hide. Yep, we're in those glorious few months were she gets frustrated over just about anything. Why? Because she can't express herself the way she wants to. But don't get me wrong, she still expresses herself. I've probably been cursed out more in baby-ese than I care to count. I just don't know what she's saying, and that gets her even more angry. (Most of the time she's in a great mood, but sometimes....)

It's Friday Photo Finish Fiesta time at Candid Carrie's blog! Click on the link to share your own pictures or browse through others' posts!