The Ozmerican Life

So am I a total dork that I forgot to post anything about Christmas...and am I a bigger dork to do it now...in February?

I don't care...I'm going with it.

This is the first year we've gotten our kids presents. Last year we spent a night in a hotel with a little waterpark. I'm all about memories...and Nathan's a gift guy. So we did one present each this year and we'll see what happens next year. I just think our kids have so much already, I'd rather create the memories. But I'm not going to lie. It is fun to see their faces beam when the rip open the paper.

Keria got some necklaces and play-doh. One of which she promptly ripped apart and the beads went flying all over the kitchen floor. Pretty sure I swept up another one just last week!


Jentzen got the Rex from toy story. He loves dinosaurs.
Ava got Spin Sorry. She loves games so I made sure to pick out one that I wanted to play too :)
Quaid got a Superman dress up. He loves dressing up and flying around the house.
Me, I got a Ipod shuffle....very unexpectedly. We agreed not to get eachother anything. But Nathan being the gift guy he is couldn't resist. I'm pretty sure he thought he owed me for being the best wife ever. I do not like technology, I don't like to figure out how things work, I don't like being confused. I had a Shuffle years ago and it broke and I've wanted another one ever since. How thoughtful, right? And I even know how to work it. Turn on. Push play. LOVE IT!
After our little family opening we headed to my Parent's house for the big Pahl family gathering...all 26 of us. Bob wasn't in town yet. But he did send a classic Bob present...He got my neice Jacqueline the entire US quarter collection....but that's not it. He wrapped each quarter individually, with 2000 layers of paper. It brings me back to when I was little he brought in this huge garbage bag. I pulled off the bag, to find another bag, and then another bag, and then a bog, and another box...etc....all of which were taped up with duct tape. It took me what felt like hours to open it and inside was a brick. Yes, that's right, a brick. Just some old thing he found in my dad's shed. He had been joking for weeks that's what he had gotten me as I was begging him to give me a clue to what he really got me. I'm glad to see he hasn't lost it.
Keira got a ball from Nancy and Jose. One of those squishy, squirmy things. She LOVED it!! She wouldn't put it down the entire night.
And then there were the pillow pets. All the little ones got them. For sure their hightlight of Christmas.
Oh, and there's Keira with her ball....again.
Quaid and his favorite....LEGOS!!!
Ava got a play kitchen to go in the toy room, and of course, what's a kitchen without some food. And Keira with her ball yet again.
She also got a crayon maker. My vacuum is going to protest me soon if I keep sucking up broken crayons. This just may stop that from happening.
Who needs presents when there's bubble wrap.
My other sisters (I was busy that day, I didn't try to ditch on purpose :) made a photo book for my parents. It was very cool. We all got a copy. It's great to have pictuers of the extended family all in one spot. I know it's something that will be cherished by everyone.
And last but not least...all the grandkids...together in one place! And Keira with her ball one last time.

Buck Hill Tubing!

This was our first time as a family and pretty sure Emma's first time tubing also, seeing how she hasn't seen snow since she was 7. We rounded up some friends and headed to the hill. It was pretty fun. Would have been way more fun if they would let you chain up and fly down 10 in a row like a bunch of lunatics. Pppfffff to safety!

My beautiful friend Sarah joined us.


And Sam was there much to Quaid's delight. Jacq and Kayla came also...somewhere...
Surprised by this picture? I'm not.

Quaid looks mad...he's not. Ava looks like she can't breathe...she can.
And there's no better way to end an evening than Perkins breakfast at 10pm!
And oh yeah, Ava like's taking pictures of people's feet. Guess who's sock says Billabong? It's really becoming a problem.
Yet, one more totally unrelated picture...but who can resist an Aussie, wearing a MN Vikings shirt, pretending to be a turtle....not me.

That we had to go the Mall of America...more affectionately known as the MOA.

How often do you locals go? I try to never go there...unless I really have to. Like if I have to go to a store there that's not anywhere else. Most often....the Apple Store....with Nathan....because he crashed his Mac again...

(he he he...sorry honey, I had to!)

It is actually fun to go with a foreigner. It kind of makes you step back and realize how pretty cool it is....

Like a restaurant full of aquariums, animals hanging off the ceiling through a jungle canopy.

A store that sells a burger and fries....FOR YOUR DOG! Seriously!

Let's not forget one of those stores that as soon as you step inside you know that you're seriously out of place, as a conservative mom type wouldn't be caught dead in any article of clothing sold in that store. A store that is also small enough that you can't really walk in without being completely noticed by the store clerk who sort of looks at you strangely and trys not to be awkward while your foreigner friend insists that you take a picture sitting on a couch shaped like a big set of lips.
Gotta have a picture with something local. And while you're posing for the picture state for the record, "I don't even know who the Vikings are or what sport they play!"
Oh yeah, there's a roller coaster and many other amusement rides INSIDE the mall. If you're a local...isn't really that big of a deal because you've seen it 100 times and it just makes sense being winter takes up 2/3 of the year. Unfortunately it's seriously over priced and plays on parents desperation's during mid January to get their kids out of the house to let off some steam. But let's all think back to the first time we saw it.....It is indeed pretty cool.
And last but not least...the most hugest, giganticest flag of the U S of A.
Do you think Perkins tops this off?

Okay, I think I have recovered from the incident 2 days ago (read previous post if you're confused...or don't and just stay confused...it works for me). I'm now walking normally through the house (shudder).

We went bowling when Emma was here. I LOVE bowling. I mean really LOVE it. I'd go every week if I could. We ditched Keira and took along my neice Jacqueline, and nephew Sam.

Just a fore-warning...Most of the pictures were taken by this handsome lad:


And this cheeky, sneaky girl:
Jentzen was stellar at bowling. He just told the ball where to go and VIOLA!
In case you're wondering...they must not bowl in Australia...the "E", that stand for Emma. Those little dashes all in a row...they stand for zero, as in gutter ball. Emma claims that "Jentzen was helping her." Sure he was.
This is Sam...at least the top half of him.
And this is a blurry Quaid post-bowl. But the true sight in this picture is the guy in the background. Look at that form! Perfection. I hope to be like him someday.
Emma, with all 8 layers she wore that day. Including her jacket, which seemed to be needed indoors, where it's heated, where it's "warm." Does anyone see Jentzen helping her? I think not.
Ava giving the ball a good chuck down the alley. If you release a ball say 2 1/2 feet off the ground...it makes a big bang...and the pros down the lane all turn and stare.


And here's Jacq...loading up Jentzen. She's a beautiful, helpful girl. Oh how I love her so. And she's taller than me. She's 11. It's okay, don't worry, I've accepted it.

From Ava after she snapped off this award winning picture..."Oops, I missed her head!"

Guess Who??


There we go...that's a bit better.
Ava got the biggest kick out of taking a picture of her feet. She laughed...and laughed...and laughed. Oh to be that easily entertained!
This...well this...is just the ball ramp.
And this is the ball ramp....with Jentzen. Oops...Ava has a problem with the head thing.
There we go!! How's that for an action shot!
Hhhmmmmm....things must have not gone so well on this trip down the lane.
And to wrap it up...
Oooohhhhhhh isn't that the cutest!!!

Tuesday...it all started out so well. I actually remembered to turn my alarm on this morning so I got in my morning workout, did some cleaning and laundry before my nest full of little ones awoke.

We had breakfast, started school and finished school for the day in a timely manner. Then Keira shot into my office like a bullet.

"Care Me! Care Me! Care me!"

"Did Quaid scare you again? Oh, you're alright..." Off she went.

Quaid is into being a monster lately and thrives off the reaction that he gets from Keira. Lucky little sister, isn't she!

Did I mention that we got a new pet awhile back?

We did. It's a Leopard Gecko. Nathan got it from a friend of ours, who needed to get rid of it and surprised me with it one day. What a guy! What a friend!

Don't you love when the kids get a hold of your camera...it's always a surprise what you'll find while downloading pictures. This was the very green scissors that was used by Keira to cut her own hair this morning (don't worry...it's not noticeable). At just 2 years old...how talented...she's destined for greatness, I know.
And turns out we have a red pencil too. Exhilarating isn't it?
Anyway, this Gecko, affectionately named Buddy, is one lucky guy. If you'll notice in the background...he's got an ocean view. How many desert animals can say that?
Oops....sorry...kids again.

So anyway at first we gave Buddy live crickets to eat. They somehow ended up in a box on my kitchen counter. Live crickets right next to the dinner prep area....yummm.....how appetizing.

On a trip to the once faithful Petland brought about a different delicacy for our little guy. They were all out of "good" crickets. What exactly made one live cricket better than another, I'm not real sure but nonetheless, Nathan took advice from the self proclaimed animal expert and brought home these:
Eeeewwwww, Grrroooosssss, Yuuuuucccckkkkk! Worms...Meal Worms to be exact. What a fitting name for the little grubs. I do not like worms! I do not like them Sam I Am, I do not like them on a boat, I do not like them in my coat. I do not like them in the grass, I do not like them near my.....oops...that's not going to work. I do not like them out the door, I do not like them on the floor! Which just so happens brings us back to...

"Care Me! Care Me!" from my dear little Keira.

Which was shortly followed by, "Mom!! Buddy's worms are all over the floor!!!!"

Pardon me for no picture of this, I was in a smidge of a panic. But you could imagine. Squrimy, Squiggly worms all over the floor in a pile with that sawdust stuff they keep them in. Yep, that would scare me too!! So just before I was ready to scream, yell, and jump up on top of the kitchen table...I calmed myself. Come, on...pull yourself together. You are the most senior in this house...BE AN EXAMPLE!!! So I gathered myself and responded in the following way...

"Oh, Gross!!! Yuck!! I hate worms!!! Someone do something!!!"

I looked up and had 8 little eyes staring at me sort of strangely. At that very moment I actually considered if I could just leave them there until Nathan got home. Ummmm...no, that wouldn't work. But the fact that I even considered that should give you a bit of insight as to my mental state.

"Quaid! You pick them up!!!"

"Well I guess I've picked up other worms before..." he said fairly calmly.

He reached down grabbed one, and threw it in the container...and then another...and then ran away screaming...."They're slimy, YUCK! I'm NOT DOING IT!!!"

(He just may have picked up a teensy bit of grossed outness from one of the adults in the house....maybe.)

Great! Now what?!?!

"Mom, they're getting away!!"

Sure enough worms don't tend to just hang out and enjoy the scenery in one spot. They were starting to spread. So I thought about grabbing a set of tongs to clip them up....but flash forward to half mushed worms squirming around.

Plan B. Spoons. Two Spoons. I scooped them all up, had to fish one out from underneath the table even. But I got them safely back into their container.

So I thought....forward on 2 more hours.

"Mom!! There's a Buddy worm on the floor!!!"

Sure enough. An escapee. Quaid handled the spoons and took care of the little Squirmy McWormy.
At the current moment, I may or may not be prancing around the house on my tiptoes, avoiding the kitchen like the plague.

And I may or may not have hog tied Keira's hands!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKtNj6_SraA&feature=player_embedded (link added for Facebook)

We were visited by Emma Allen this past week. She stayed with us for 10 glorious days. In her opinion...glorious if you're say a...polar bear...or an Eskimo. It was a bit of a climate change for her :)

She is the daughter of Nathan's Pastor from back in Oz land. We loved having her. She is the sweetest young lady who loved on the kids, cleaned my house, made her bed, and shouted (translation: paid for) us some family fun. We had some great talks and quality time...she has blessed me a lot with her sweet spirit, big heart and her maturity beyond her years.

Emma wanted to make the blog so I figured she should make it in a big way. We visited the Children's Museum and Keira, who was her best bud the whole week, followed her lead at one of the exhibits. Sorry for the random girl...seriously.

There will be more to come of our Adventures with Emma.