Northern Winter Wonderland

Todd often talks about moving back to Wisconsin. The snowstorms, fog, gale force blizzards, ice dams on the roof, and deep freeze temperatures...what's not to like! We spent a few days in Milwaukee after the wedding, and experienced all of the above. In less than two days. We were going to stop in Madison, but couldn't (the Wisconsin DOT "highly discouraged" any and all travel in/near/through/over southwest Wisconsin). As it was, we barely made it to Iowa the next day before another storm hit. Why can't all of this stuff move south - the people in the south are always saying they want to see snow...but, alas, this never seems to happen. We made it to Iowa Monday, Christmas Eve, to spend Christmas with Grandma Irma. Uncle Erin and family made a surprise visit, arriving a few short hours after us (we knew they were coming - they got delayed too!) It was fun to watch Grandma Irma's expression when they walked in the door. And, we got to hang out with Aunt Jenny and her family too. Heads up everyone - the wedding will be June 28, 2008. It was a very fast week - and the kids had fun playing with each other and Grandma. They took trips to the library, played in the snow, and just had fun. We drove back yesterday after being delayed by (you guessed it) more snow. But, we did arrive to rain in Georgia (pretty rare these days, and very welcome!)

We are just going to do nothing for a few days but enjoy the new year. The kids kinda wish there was some snow. We have a very good sledding hill if we ever do get any...

Happy New Year !!!

4 Children and a Wedding

4 children at a wedding ...it's not as bad as it sounds. The kids all behaved for Grandma Mary while mom and dad, part of the wedding party, took part in the wedding and sat at the head table. Mom got all dressed up and was mistaken for "a princess" by Matthew (who had clearly gotten a hold of a beer in the groom's suite before the wedding!) and had the girls asking in stunned disbelief, "What did you do?" Apparently, mom needs to get out more. All the kids behaved very well. After the cocktail hour and dinner, things really got out of hand with Brian pretending to be Vanilla Ice and some crazy wedding guests reenacting scenes from Dirty Dancing (or, it's X-rated counterpart!) There was some late night partying, and apparently some "illness", but it can't be a true success without a mostly hungover wedding party, right? Seriously, it was a really fun wedding and we saw lots of family and friends. Santa even handed out some presents to the kids (who were totally thrilled!)

Congratulations to Brian and Tarra !!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Amanda wrote a little plea for, if she were a turkey, why she shouldn't be eaten for Thanksgiving. Enjoy!

"Hi. My name is Bitter Badder. As you can see, I am very bitter and bad. When I heard that the farmer was picking the turkey for Thanksgiving dinner I had quite a hissy fit. I've got a couple reasons I shouldn't be the one to be chosen.
One, I'm not the fattest in the coop, so why choose me? I would provide less meat and less flavor (except for bitterness) than the fattest turkey would. I'm only the size of a chicken while the biggest is as big as a pig.
Two, I constantly am exercising, causing me to be smaller than the others who just lay around (boring) and eat disgusting chicken feed (yuk). I only eat berries (non-poisonous) and corn (freshly picked) to stay much healthier. Finally, I am an athlete turkey. I have a treadmill in my coop to run on, so, I am quite a fast runner. I can't outrun a bullet, but thanks to very good hearing I can run away before it is even shot.
So, that's all I can say, but don't go telling my secret. As I said, I have good hearing, so don't even try it."



(I wish my hearing were that good!!!)

Happy Birthday Uncle Tom :)

5th Grade Honor Chorus

Amanda participated in the county-wide Honor Chorus concert on Thursday night. It was actually an all-day event that included nearly 400 students from every elementary school in the county. They rehearsed together all day (9am until the performance at 7pm). I heard them practicing in the morning, and they were pretty darn good! The kids will also be performing at the County's 175th birthday party in a few weeks. Amanda had a great time - now, if we could only get her to sing in church...

The playground is here! The playground is here!

Our latest project is almost done. When told his favorite show ("Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!") was on and that lunch was ready, Matthew would not come in. His reply was, "I playing on playground!!!" I think that means it's a hit. He has since gone out in his pajamas and in the nude...

A few more loads of mulch and it should be good to go. Then, on to our next project: Tiling the kitchen backsplash, building a closet, demolishing the downstairs bathroom, or something else we (meaning Kelly) dream up to do.

Happy Halloween!

We celebrated our first Georgia Halloween with lots of running and way too much candy. Matthew RAN to every house. He RAN back to me after a few houses and screamed, "Candy! I got candy! I go get more!" After an hour, it was pretty much the same, only I had to carry him between houses. And, instead of "trick-or-treat" he was saying, "Hey, penguin here!" The girls all had fun too, although Julia insisted on wearing the 4T bunny costume that we've had for about 5 years...it was still cute :) Bobbie Ann joined us for the trip, and then we met up with other friends. It was a fun time, but everyone was tired after going up and down all our neighborhood hills. They are steep...

(Ohh, you'll notice that Matthew was Tiggr at school, and a penguin for trick-or-treating - he needed the school costume to be bathroom friendly...)

Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween :)

New Pictures!

We have new pics of the kids. There's another of Matthew I'll post later. He was the trickiest of the bunch (as usual). The kids voted to have them done with a sepia tone.

Our latest disaster...errr, project

So, the kids would like a swingset. So, we have a yard that's not level. Did you know that clay is like granite when you haven't had rain in months? Did you know you could bend a pick-axe in clay? I didn't know that clay could spark! See, we're learning so much about our new home!

Here are some shots of our .... dig? project? disaster? It's really still mostly excavation right now. I would also like to add that digging with a 50lb puppy around is not easy...especially when said critter decides to take a nap in the exact spot where you are digging or tries to climb on your back when you sit anywhere. Then, he goes and digs a hole somewhere that you really don't need one at all but that you will invariably trip in when you are (for example) carrying a really heavy tool or say a sharp hatchet. Hard to believe, isn't it? (Note: I meant the part about the dog- the tripping part is easily believable for anyone who knows me!)

We will have more pictures to follow. Hopefully, it will look like the box and we won't have kids landing in trees or over the fence...

Soccer Ends

I know we didn't write much about the soccer season. There are reasons for it, but no need to go into detail. The girls had fun. Julia has decided to try softball - Allison wants to play football. As in American tackle football. She didn't care that she might be the only girl doing it. She really wants to play. Seriously. But, she does still want to play soccer too...

So, here are a few pics from the end of year pizza party. We look forward to a potentially very interesting spring season.

Aquarium fun

A few weeks ago, we went to the Tennessee Aquarium. We took a scenic drive through drought-stricken north Georgia (new motto: "Shower only if you REALLY have to, okay y'all?!?"), saw the only place with green grass growing (the dried out bed of Lake Alatoona), and took approximately 187 pictures of fish in tanks. Amanda was our photographer. She managed to run down the battery in a record 24 minutes. You do the math on that to see how many pictures she took each minute. I have a few of her more interesting shots posted here. It's a great aquarium - and we have a membership to it. Allison wanted to go again the next day...

The boy....again

Another thing we never thought we'd have to say to the boy:

" Matthew, you are not allowed to collect lab specimens in the kitchen!"

PARADES and SOCCER GAMES

Well, it's almost fall. The high today was (I think) below 80 degrees!!! That's downright pleasant for Georgia (we almost needed jackets for about 5 minutes!)

We started the weekend with the annual East Cobber Parade. Julia's brownie troop marched in it. Allison is in a newly forming troop and Amanda also just got into a Junior girl scout troop. They are all excited to be getting involved in this. SO, this means that they will all be calling you to buy girls scout cookies. Or, this is what we'll be sending everyone for every gift in the coming year. Amanda was able to hold the sign for the troop, so she was in the parade too.

Allison and the Skyrockets played to a win again. Allison didn't score this game, but she did have a role in setting up a few and (as always) was all over the field stealing the ball from the other team. You know she's having fun by the big smile on her face!!!

Julia's Pink Panther's had only 4 kids show up to play. This is a problem because you need at least 5. Luckily, little Skyrocket sisters Anna and Allison of Pink Panthers Gracyn and Julia were able to play defense and the game was played. Another Panther showed up about half-time, and the girls played the 10-player "Barracudas" to a 3-3 tie. The Barracudas rotated their players constantly, so for them to just barely tie our girls (who had virtually no breaks) was pretty impressive.

More soccer games are on Thursday, Friday, AND Saturday. It'll be a busy week!!! Have a good one :)

The boy...

The boy was extra goofy this weekend. Here are a few shots that speak for themselves...

(Yes, he climbed on the counter naked...again. The bowl is stategically placed.)

Also, as if to punctuate his boy-ness, here's a quote I heard Todd make today regarding Matthew and his partner in crime (Bucky):

"Hey you, quit putting dirt in the dog's mouth!"

SOCCER! SOCCER! SOCCER!

Soccer has officially started. Both Julia and Allison had their first games in the smoldering heat of Georgia (a cooler 93 degrees than the last few weeks - and that's the temp, not the heat index). So, Todd took them to the games. Allison and her fellow "Skyrockets" took to the field and dismissed their opponents ("Some orange team") by a score of 3-0. Allison also scored her first Georgia goal and was again the "go get that ball" girl for the team. Next up was Julia and "The Pink Panthers". Although down a player (one girl broke her ankle the first practice!), the girls played hard and had a great game despite losing 2-1.

Soccer action resumes next weekend ... and hopefully the temps will drop. Please, keep dropping (most of the games are between 11-3pm - it's like being on the surface of the sun!!!)

I couldn't resist putting on a picture of Bucky and Matthew napping last night...Matthew just walked over and plopped down next to Bucky on his cushions! What a pair!

Things you don't expect to see walking in the door...

After an average day of running around, I returned home. I'd been gone a little longer than usual (just over 3 hours) and knew I had to get Bucky outside ASAP upon arrival. So, I pulled in the garage, jumped out the car as fast as I could, and unlocked the door. As I opened the door, I noticed that Bucky wasn't being his usual excited self. Then, as I looked down, I thought I was hallucinating....

A LITTLE SHIH TSU DOG WAS IN OUR HOUSE...AND BUCKY, LAST WE CHECKED, IS A SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER CHOCOLATE LAB!!!

There was a little puppy dog in my house, panting away and looking cute as could be! I just exclaimed, "Who the h!*$ are you???" I checked the doors, nobody else is home (is this a practical joke?) I was really thrown! Imagine walking into your house (whether or not you have a dog/cat/etc.) and having one just be there to happily greet you. Although a pleasant experience (say, compared to an unexpected greeting by a pit bull), it was sort of odd...

As it turns out, Bimini is our neighbor's dog. He'd looked familiar, and after a few minutes I remembered where I'd seen him before. The owners were pretty surprised and we all had a good laugh. He normally doesn't leave his yard much at all (but, according to his owners, he's got doggy Alzheimers). What we think happened is that he must have been wandering around in the morning, saw our garage door open (which it usually isn't), and wandered in. When I was loading up the car with children and stuff, he must have slipped in the house. He most likley slept next to Bucky (who was probably totally confused about the whole thing!)

ANOTHER new baby cousin!

Two new cousins in only 4 months!!! The kids are so excited!!! Our newest addition (and a great relief to Matthew, Zach and Ryan) is a boy. Michael Howard came into the world a healthy 7lbs 2 oz and is much loved by big sister Lexi (as you can see from the picture!)

We're looking forward to meeting you in a few months Michael ....

Why it is not a good idea to kickbox your sister near the brick fireplace

by Matthew Linskey



Kickboxing - it's a fun sport, right? Allison and I were pretend kickboxing. We would pretend kick each other and pretend fall down. Or, when we got tired, just sat on the floor and kicked each other. So, I did my super sitting "hi-yah!" kick and leaned back for full effect...and all of a sudden my head kind of hurts - I guess I hit the fireplace? So, I rubbed it. Then, I looked down at my hands, and there was all this sticky red stuff everywhere. It was icky, and the color didn't go with my swimming suit so I tried rubbing it off. But, then it was running down my back and was coating my hair. It was gross! It was all over the place! Allison and Julia were screaming and calling for help. Julia kept saying, "Mom! Matthew's bleeding. Mom! Matthew's bleeding! Ohh my gosh, there's blood! Help! It's everywhere!" and Allison kept asking, "Is he going to die? Is he dying?" I didn't think I looked THAT bad with the red stuff on me! Mom and dad figured out that I was only upset about the red stuff (which I guess is called "blood") and figured out that I had a scalp laceration (fancy term for "cut on the head that bleeds like a firehose especially when you touch it ...or not touch it"). So, mom changed me out of my swimming suit (and she made me mad and said we weren't going swimming!) She didn't even let me wear a shirt! So, she puts me in the car half naked and drives to some place with a doctor. They poked at me then said I needed "stitches". While I was waiting for whatever those are, the nurse came back with some pink stuff to make me feel "relaxed". But, no way was I going to be drinking that stuff! I felt fine! So, I spit it everywhere. Then, the nurses and doctor came in with fishing stuff - I was excited because I like fishing! Then, with no warning, mom put me on my belly and lays on my legs and holds my right arm, and another nurse held my left arm and shoulders down, and another nurse held my head still. They put paper blankets over my head, and gave me shots in my head. Then, there was blood all over again. They tugged a few times on my head, and then they said I was all better. Then, mom gave me M&Ms. I got 3 stitches. I liked the M&Ms a lot more.

So, I guess none of this would have happened if I hadn't been kickboxing. I think it was the fireplace's fault. Or, Allison. Or, Julia. Or, Amanda. Amanda wasn't downstairs, but it could still partly be her fault too. I guess stitches aren't all bad, but now I can't go swimming again for a few days. Maybe I can kickbox with a helmet on...

Our New Addition

We welcomed the 5th Linskey to the clan last night. (No, again, don't worry it's not a human addition!) We are now the proud owners of a little Chocolate Lab puppy (born May 9th) named "Bucky". He is quite a little cutey (mainly becuase he hasn't destroyed too much yet). I'm sure there will be many more pictures and stories of destruction to come ...

Thanks to Donnie Schuessler and family for making this all possible :)

(Donnie picked up Bucky from the breeder, housebroke him, crate trained him, took excellent care of him, and then drove 12 hours to meet Todd in North Carolina to deliver him. He also promptly called at 8pm to find out how his little boy was doing in his new home. We will have to plan a reunion at some point I think!)

P.S. Happy Birthday Grandma Mary :)

"How to Get a Cat Scanned"

by Matthew Linskey, age 3

Memorial Day 2007. My day started out like most others. But, today we went to Home Depot. I like going there because there's lots of neat stuff and I try to climb or grab it all. But, today I learned that sometimes Home Depot is dangerous! So, we were all done playing and getting ready to go home, and I was sitting with dad while mom waited for the store man to bring out one more thing. We were sitting on a display picnic table. I decided all by myself to see if I could do a back half-half-gainer off the seat. Dad said the sound my head made hitting the concrete was like the not-so-gentle smacking of a flip-flop on the ground. So, I wasn't too happy about lousing up my back half-half gainer AND my head really hurt (which was annoying). Mom and Dad got all serious and they decided that mom would take me somewhere to look at my head. I think we broke the sound barrier a few times trying to find a clinic, and we maybe cut off a few people who mom said were "bad drivers" (but, mom used other words to describe them that I can't pronounce yet). We found one, but they said to take me to the big children's hospital (Scottish Rite). So, we got to the hospital "ER", and they had something called a valet there. Apparently, this is where you drive up and give your keys to the valet and he just drives off with your car. I want to be a valet someday, it looked fun. Anyway, we went inside and they asked mom what happened. She left out the whole part of about my back-half-half gainer and just told them I fell on my head. Right when they were asking questions, I must have had some sort of stomach problem because I just sort of threw up all over. I threw up on me, mom, the desk, in the garbage can, and I think I hit a few nurses and a plant. Mom said it was like the exorcist, but I never met that guy. For some reason, everyone really freaked out then (I guess it smelled pretty bad?) and all of a sudden they were stabbing me in the arm with a mini sword that they called an "IV". I didn't think a little vomit called for that kind of retribution!!! Lots of doctors and nurses came in and out. One nice nurse brought some new clothes for me and mom so we didn't smell quite so bad. The doctors all told me I was going to get a cat scanned. I thought that sounded pretty fun, but I didn't know where they had the cat. We went to a room with a big machine in it, but there was no cat. They had a Mickey Mouse doll that was on the moving table that they put into the big machine, but he wasn't having much fun with it because he was laying really still when everyone knows he should have been standing up like I was trying to do. The lady said that they needed to sedate me, and one of the doctors came in and stuck another sword in my IV. I kicked him a few times, but it didn't make him stop. He was at least twice my size - it wasn't fair. The next thing I know, I'm in the ER room again. I don't remember how I got there. AND, Mickey was gone. I wasn't too happy. After a little while, the doctor came in again and said I had something called a "skull fracture with some bleeding". The doctor said it was really small and not displaced (whatever that means!) I guess if you're going to get a skull fracture, mine is the good kind to get. So, they said I had to sleep over. I got to sleep in a bed that went up and down as many times as you pressed the button. I did that a lot. They had to bring me a new bed too because the plug on mine broke (but they said it wasn't my fault-really!) I got to watch tv, drink Sprite, and eat Jello. I had little wires all over me that kept going off all night (but, I managed to sleep through all of that!) The brain doctor came in to see me this morning and said I could go home. I asked if I could take the bed, but they said no. He said I wasn't allowed to fall on my head for at least two weeks. That's not fair because I do that almost every day. I still didn't get to see the cat scanned, but maybe I'll see that a different time.

NOTE: Matthew's doing fine - there was even some debate as to whether or not the it was a fracture or a small crack in a growth plate - the treatment is the same either way. He's back to terrorizing his sisters already.