First Day of School...2011



Well the day has finally arrived. I get to spend my days in peace and quiet again. Yes, school has started.  Now all the fighting that is done for my viewing and hearing pleasure will be done after school and on weekends.  Don't get me wrong, I will miss having them around but I think I can get used to it!

  Usually on the first day of school every child wants me to go to their classroom first and gets mad when I finally have to choose one and it wasn't them.  This year, however, everyone ran off to their own classrooms and left me and the youngest in the dust.  So I bought planners for the older two (these things didn't exist when I was in school) and headed to Gabriel's classroom first.  What a sweet boy. I told him I would help him find his desk.....which had his name on it.......which he was literally standing right next to.  I told him "look for the desk that has your name on it". He chose a desk a whole row away with a girl's name on it.....oh no! Did he forget his name over the summer break?  I doubt it.....he heard his name in it's entirety plenty this summer.  Good luck Mrs. W. 

  As for the other two....I took Madison her planner and she barely paid heed to my presence until....when I turned to leave I thought she was gonna ask me to stay for the day.  I knew she wanted a hug and kiss goodbye but that would be totally uncool for a six grader.  As for Emily the eighth grader.....she took the planner hugged her little brother and told me "bye mom".  I know it was code for go away but I read between the lines and distinctly heard "Goodbye Mother. I Love you. Thanks for being the best mom a girl could ask for. I can't wait to see you after school to tell you about my day and, oh yeah, I promise to clean my room and do the dishes after supper."

    My littlest starts his 2nd year of preschool the 29th.  I feel I should make the best of this year with him for next year I will surrender him to the public school system and I will find myself childless 8-3 M-F for the time in 13 years. Weird.  HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL TO KIDS AND PARENTS!

Why I Love Summer Vacation

    My fellow blogger Autumndasey listed her reasons for not liking summer vacation.  While I definitely agree with her on many points there is are still a few reasons to love it.  My first and foremost favorite would be that after I get my hubby off to work I get to have a nice quiet cup of coffee by myself.  During the school year my biggest fight is getting everyone (mostly the oldest) out of bed and ready for school.  Actually they get out of bed easy enough but then they enter a time warp. The next thing I know someone is crying about something forgotten as we rush out the door.  On summer vacation we don't have that problem.  I would have to say that my other favorite thing about summer vacation is watching my kids play....when they are capable of entertaining themselves.  My 2 oldest spend their days fighting or hanging on me telling me how bored they are.  My 2 youngest love to play outside and they seem to enjoy each other's company (so far) and they don't tell me how bored they are on a regular basis and their ideas to cure boredom don't usually involve me having to consider a loan shark. (my girls are full of expensive ideas)  With my boys I just need to keep a watchful eye so they don't destroy the yard, my house, their bikes or each other.  Every summer that we get through that won't create a "remember that summer when I broke.....(insert arm, leg, finger etc... here)" or "remember that summer when I burned ______ down" is considered a great summer by me!  I took a few pics of my little ones playing in the sprinkler on that one day when it was hot.  They had a blast, it was free and no one got hurt....great summer so far!

the Dentist Turned My Son Into An Alien....

Ever since I started the whole dental quest with my children I have been asking myself why I didn't become a dentist.  When the kids ask me what they should be when they grow up I tell them "a dentist".  When people ask me what my children are gonna be when they grow up I tell them....."a dentist". Sometimes I dream that one of my girls will marry a dentist.  I guess for that matter my boys could marry a dentist....girls can be dentists, right?!  In case you are having trouble following, I have a hard time wrapping my brain around how much dental work costs.  I guess I shouldn't complain too much...my children qualified for the Montana Healthy Kids...which is why I was able to take them to the dentist before their teeth fell out! After 2 years of constant dental visits, everyone is cavity free and cleared for 6 months! YEAH! Now, instead of paying for the dentist I need to take out a 2nd mortgage to afford all of the gas it took to get to those appointments!
  ANYWAYS.....my little man Rollie needs light sedation for his visits and Gabriel is a tough little bird and gets away with just laughing gas.  He makes us all laugh and then he falls asleep!  These are a few pics of his last visit...he needed the sunglasses to keep the dust out of his eyes and everything combined made my little man look like an alien!

P.S.....yes--he is sound asleep!

I think I see Sun.......Now What?

I woke up this morning in a panic.  My alarm goes off at 5:45am, I hit snooze a few times and then I am up usually no later than 6:15.  Well this morning, I couldn't remember how many times I had hit snooze and with the sun shining brightly in my bedroom I thought for sure that I had overslept!  I was afraid to look at the clock and even more afraid of telling Albert that I overslept.  Well it turns out he was living the same horror because when I got up to turn off my alarm, he jumped out of bed asking what time it was.  He thought for sure that it was at least 8 because of the sunlight.  Oh well, at least he was up early which made my job easier!  We watched the morning weather and turns out we should continue to see the light for the next week or so.....but of course there is chance of showers. (In Montana that is code for ---keep the umbrella handy!)As long as the sun is shining that means my kids will play outside and not be inside fighting on my lap!  I am to the point where I will take what I can get! So here's to Mr. Sun..........keep on shining--- and just to be safe I will keep the sunscreen and umbrella at arm's length and brush up flooding & tornado safety procedures....isn't Montana life great?

P.S......I know a soldier in Afghanistan who said the temp has been getting into the 110's. Makes the rain seem not too bad.......

Hell Explained....(By a college chemistry student)

The following is an actual question given on a University of Arizona chemistry mid term, and an actual answer turned in by a student. The answer by one student was so 'profound' that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well:




Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?

Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant. One student, however, wrote the following:

First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls
are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving, which is unlikely. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell.
With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.
This gives two possibilities:

1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.

2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.

So which is it?

If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, 'It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you,' and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct.......leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting 'Oh my God.'


THIS STUDENT RECEIVED AN A+.

My List Of Firsts.....Revisited

I was reading through some of my old posts and I liked this one. I wanted to rerun it for fun.......the sad part is that nothing in it has changed from when I first posted it. I know that I didn't travel back in time to change anything but I still hit the snooze button this morning, my husband was the first person I talked to this morning and no one has called or texted me yet......I'm not sure but there may be a pattern developing here......



Who was your FIRST pet? The first pet I remember as a kid was a blue tic hound named Freda. She had BIG floppy ears and was always baying at the moon. I remember one time when she tangled with a porcupine and mom had to pull the quills out with a pair of pliers! Wonder what happened to that dog.....

Do you still talk to your FIRST love? no

What was you FIRST job? My first job I got paid for was babysitting but my first real "had to have an interview" job was at the IGA

What was your FIRST car? The first car I had to drive after I got my licence was our HUGE station wagon. Needless to say, I didn't go out driving much.

Who was the FIRST person to text or call you today? No one yet!

Who was your FIRST grade teacher? Miss Loftus

Where did you go on your FIRST ride on an airplane? To California

Who was your FIRST best friend and do you still talk? I would say Aurora....no

Where was your FIRST sleepover? Don't remember

Who was the FIRST person you talked to today? My husband

Whose wedding were you in for the FIRST time? My oldest sister's (does sitting at the guest book count?)

What was the FIRST thing you did this morning? Hit my snooze several times

What was the FIRST concert you ever went to? Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

FIRST set of stitches and how? I think it was when I cut my finger while trying to separate frozen side pork. I ended up getting stitches in my toe the same day I got the stitches in my finger taken out! Good thing I am graceful!

FIRST piercing? My ears when I was 13

FIRST foreign country you've been too? Does North Dakota count?

FIRST movie you remember? STARS WARS (I remember because I held hands with a boy I liked through the whole movie in a room full of kids and tried really hard for no one to see that we were holding hands under a pillow! ;-)

What was your FIRST bike? I got a reconditioned bike that was painted blue and had a new banana seat that looked like denim.....it was AWESOME! My brother taught me how to pop a wheelie on it but after I fell flat on my back it didn't seem quite as fun!

What was your FIRST computer? A Gateway that I ordered over the phone!

Who was your first roommate? I never had a roommate

FIRST kiss? Same boy from the Star Wars movie....different night

Ah......Golf!

Last night was the first night of women's golf for 2011.  (it was supposed to be last week but Mother Nature's Aunt Flo must have been visiting because she was very uncooperative)
   Anyways,  we all had a blast.  I only had one beer but them other girls, they had a lot.  I did manage to spill a little in my mouth even though I think I spilled more in my cart. I kept forgetting where I set it and I would drive off and spill it. Autumn always make me drive but I after last night she may actually rethink her position on the subject. She almost learned the hard way that you never tell the driver that she may have lost something off the cart and not expect her to turn around and look.....whether she has the pedal to metal or not she will turn around and look! Oh and there were bushes and bridges and perhaps a few skid marks!  To top the evening off I told my golf mates that I was going to win the door prize....I was close. The girl sitting next to me did. (It was Autumn...hahaha) Anyways, here are a few pics of one of the fabulous pieces that was in her prize bag! She felt that the first didn't capture the true her so we took 2 more to get all the angles! She's a beauty and I am proud to call her my sister! Here's to many more fun Wednesday nights!



Dear Time...Please Slow Down!

Six years and 6 hours ago, I gave birth to my 3rd child, Gabriel William Albert Myrstol. (It really does roll easily off the tongue when he is in trouble!) He was by far my biggest child to exit my body but I love him, nonetheless!  (people always compare it to a watermelon coming out of a keyhole but I don't ever recall a watermelon having arms and legs! Life would definitely be dull around here without his unique vocabulary and joker sense of humor!  I can't believe that it has already been 6 years but I definitely look forward to the many more ahead!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY GABRIEL! WE LOVE YOU! 

Call Me Crazy......

Ever since we moved into the new house with the gigantic back yard the kids have been hounding me for a new pet.....more like a new puppy.  We have tried several puppies over the years and it never failed....they never stayed little!  I admit that I almost caved and got a dog a couple of months ago....I was even going to (gasp) pay money for one.  I am one of those people that end up with a pet because they touched my heart...not to make someone else money. Although I would be willing to pay money to adopt a pet from a shelter....I am not completely made of stone. (although I think my kids would disagree with that)
   ANYWAYS, we saw a flyer this past Saturday advertising free kittens.  After a beautiful display of begging and a long list of pros with no cons by my oldest daughter, I discussed it with Al (discussed...informed, its all the same right?) and let her make the call.  After careful consideration I suggested to (told) Al that we should get 2 instead of 1 because they are siblings and they can keep each other company.  I know that if someone came and took my kids at 3 months old I would hope that they went out in pairs!  After a trip to the store for a cat box, cat litter and retrieval of said kittens, we now have 2 new members of the family.  They are still cute and fun at this point, although I doubt our other cat Blackie would agree......at least she only hisses and doesn't do that banshee growl she does when dogs are around...I think that must mean she likes them....or least that she doesn't intend to eat then for breakfast......

The black and white cutie would be Moonpie and the adorable all black one is Shadow....☺

New Summer Haircuts

One of the first things I like to do after school lets out for summer is give my little boys their 1st haircut of the summer. As they get older they show more enthusiasm each year but complain about their heads getting cold when it is still snowing in June! (the weather sure has been weird lately!)  Gabriel told me that he wanted a mohawk this time. I was fine with that because I usually just shave them bald and figured if it turned out too bad I could just shave away the mistake. Well it didn't turn out too bad but Rollie told me that he didn't want a mohawk and he would be mad if I gave him one. I agreed I wouldn't but once in the chair he decided that he wanted one like big brother!  About 15 minutes after the hair cutting was over, Rollie came in crying because, in Gabriel's words....."I was going to fast on my bike and Rollie was going to slow and I ran over him with my bike!"  His bike, which is actually Rollie's, is a big wheel trike and he ran over his forehead with the big front wheel! I said it before and I will say it again.....boys are dangerous!!!! I hope you enjoy the mohawk pictures and the last one is to show what happens when your head gets in the way of a big wheel!

Where Is The Time Going?????

Is it me or does time seem to be moving faster and faster with each passing year?  I attended my favorite 2nd middle child's kindergarten graduation today and I could swear that he forcing his way out of my body yesterday! The day after he arrived I am pretty sure that his little brother was putting his finishing touches on ruining my body as he exited the "momma vessel", and yet he will be graduating from preschool at this time next year. Which, by my calculations of the speeding up of time, should be some time next week. Wow...if that's the case then I better get my Christmas shopping done! Oh wait.....i think the world is supposed to end December 21, 2012 so I am good!
   Anyways, 3 cheers for my little boy who is growing up! CONGRATULATIONS to Gabriel William Albert Myrstol.....we love you little man!

A Few Creations.....

I figured since I was on a roll, why not a one more post?  2 nephews and a niece graduated from high school this past weekend and I was elected to make the graduation cake.  I figured I would post a pic of it. Then I decided that I would post 2 more more pics of some past creations.  The red and white cake was for my niece Sara's wedding this past April and the blue and white one was for my niece Jessica's wedding last October.  I hope you enjoy!

I Often Wondered If I Was Related To Someone Famous.....

   As it turns out I have a daughter named Sacagawea. Last Friday my daughter's 5th grade class had their annual wax museum.  They get to pick a famous person from history, make a background, write a report and don a costume depicting their chosen figure.  A few years before my oldest daughter chose Ronald Reagan. (I think the reason was that she got to wear a cowboy hat which makes her think of horses....I know its a weird link but I think her brain may be part horse!)  It is fun to see all of the creative costumes that all of the kids come up with, not to mention the interesting reports. My mom went along this year.  When she read Madison's report she asked me if she had any help writing it.  Ok! Fine! I will admit it....she asked me to type it up for her and when I did I couldn't help but "revise" a little. I had a hard time with her saying 5 different times that Sacagawea was 16 when she was pregnant just so she could stretch out the report!......There. I confessed....why don't you shine a light in my eyes!)  Anyways, she got a gob of extra points for the project and I have to say that I am really proud of her for taking on the task and completing it all (mostly on her own....Good Job Madison!

P.S.....for anyone reading this who believes that I spelled Sacagawea wrong, I believed I did too but I am writing it how Madison did and she swears that she found it spelled that way in her research.  If she is willing to swear it, then it is my duty as a mother to believe her.......right?!

3 Months Is A Looonngggg Time...

I say 3 months and you say "but she has been gone for a year?!".  It's true. I have dropped out of the blog scene for roughly a year but I am really wanting to get back into the swing of things, so here goes.
      I say 3 months because that is how much {precious} time I have gotten to spend with my wonderfully pleasant husband of 12 1/2 years.  Wow...when I say that many years out loud, 3 months doesn't seem so bad!  On January 23rd, 2011, I had a dream that my husband had fallen off a ladder at work and met a very undesirable outcome. (for those of you who are wondering....he died. I know, I know its horrible. I know.)
ANYWAYS, on January 25th, 2011 my sister called me (she works with my husband) to tell me that my husband had fallen off some scaffold at work. "He is breathing and alive but complaining of back pain. Don't panic, he's fine she says." My first thought was "My dream came true! I am a horrible wife!"  After securing my kids at Munga and JJ's (that is code for Grandma and Grandpa but that is another story) I pointed my car west towards Bozeman having no idea that this would be the first trip of MANY.  Luckily Mother Nature was kind to me and held the snow off.  I made it there in record time and yet was completely calm.  I found my husband's boss, my sister and my stepson in the waiting room. (They were hard to miss with the piles of dirt and sawdust they left everywhere.)  After they brought me up to speed, I went back to see my man.
   Long story short, we spent 2 days in the hospital, took a lot of good drugs, made A LOT of trips to Bozeman to see 2 doctors...one for the pelvis and one for the wrist (which irritated me because they worked in the same office but we never could see them both in one trip--no, we had to go at least 2 or 3 times a week in the beginning!) learned how to get around and up and down stairs with a walker and then modified crutches. He was finally cleared to go back to work just over 3 months after the accident and is back on the job as we speak. (Thank God!....I mean, I love you honey!)  I do want to say that he was a pretty good patient and he tells me that I was a pretty good nurse. He just says that because he was thankful that I never made him sleep with a pillow over his face.....
   Through it all we learned that we still love each other after almost 13 years (i am not sure that the kids would say the same....Al is kind of an instigator--no, it's true) that we can get through anything together and thank God for Workman's Comp and AFLAC!