The Mergenthaler Family

The first thing Ricky said to me when we walked in the door after school was, "Hey! Why does the house look so clean?" I said, "Hey! Why do you sound so surprised?" But, guess what? The house wasn't any more clean than it usually is (or isn't) when the kids get home from school. I guess he was just happy to be home.

Like the Sunday Funnies from last month, these are probably only funny to me, but I need to preserve them somewhere, so that I don't forget. Funny #1 Somebody left our basement slider open one evening. The lights were also left on, so we had quite a congregation of bugs in the basement by the time I discovered the mistake. One of the bugs was a HUGE moth. Ricky and Makayla ran upstairs to tell me about The Moth Giant (which I already knew about). Andrew, laying in his little wagon said matter-of- factly , "Oh, I don't like moths. They say MOTH at me." Funny #2 Makayla was following me all over the place one afternoon. I finally said, " Makayla , would you please stop following me so closely? I need a little space, you know." Ricky then blurted out, "Yea, Makayla . That's called tailgating and it's rude!" Funny #3 Emily would probably be embarrassed about me sharing these next two stories because she was very angry both times. This is jus...

Rick found this very important message in the Iowa City Press Citizen and he thought it expedient that our parents see it ASAP! Imagine a Spica cast on the little boy with his Grandpa in the picture. Are you feeling guilty at all? Do you have even a glimmer of a thought of moving to the great state of Iowa? . . . We didn't think so, but it was worth a try and good for a laugh. Really, you shouldn't feel guilty at all because we are the ones who moved way out here. We miss you and we love you. I guess it is just a dream that you could actually be our neighbors . . . but, if you're interested, we prefer an agent at Coldwell Banker to Skogman Realty. The grand kids send their love!

WARNING: The following pictures may frighten you. If you are afraid to see a very-rained-on-no-make-up-me, don't look. If you have small children nearby, you may want to wait until another time to view the post. Pictures like these can make a baby cry. OK, on with the story. I had a little adventure walking the kids to school today. I walk the kids every day until it is just too cold to bear. Last year, Andrew and I stopped walking them to school around Thanksgiving. This year, I think we will make it a little longer because Andrew now understands about bundling up and how important it is to keep his mittens on. Walking to school is much more convenient for us than driving because of how the parking lot is set up. It is hard to explain the mess that place can be, but just know it takes me about 1/3 of the time to walk to and from school when the school lines are backed up. The lines are at their worst on rainy and very cold days--rainy days like today are an exact example...

So you broke your femur, huh? Now you're in a Spica cast. You can't walk. You can't sit up completely or even really lay completely on your back. There is a bar connecting your two legs, so you can't even wear pants, for goodness sake! Well, don't throw up your hands in despair because I, Andrew Mergenthaler , have some tips for you! Really, surviving containment in a Spica cast for four weeks isn't as bad as it sounds. Actually, it's kind of like being a baby again. Remember tummy time? Well, it is very important. My mom makes sure to rotate my positions every few hours to avoid bed sores. I don't mind it too much. Being on my stomach also makes it easier for Mom to change my diaper. Who wants to sit there with stinky pants? Oh, I mean a stinky diaper because, like I said, I can't wear pants. Another tip--minimize trips in the car as much as possible. Because you can't sit up or fit in your car seat, getting in and out of the car is a BIG pa...

Just the other day I was thinking, "I haven't written much on our blog lately . . . Oh well, I guess there just really isn't much to report. I'll wait until I get back from visiting my parents in Utah for my birthday to share how the trip went." Well, unfortunately, no birthday trip to Utah for me or the kids. But, I suppose I have news to share--bad news, but news nonetheless. On Monday morning, I was rushing around getting the kids ready for school. It was picture day, so I wanted to make sure the girls had the help with their hair that they wanted and that every body's outfits were decent enough for pictures. At about 7:30 a.m., with about 1/2 hour to go before I had to get the kids to school, I was downstairs making lunches when I heard a loud thump. Ricky and the girls were supposed to be upstairs showering and getting dressed for school. I knew Ricky and Andrew were messing around in Ricky's room instead of getting ready for the day. I planned to ru...

Rick stayed home with the kids Monday morning while I went to get the $1.99 summer clothes at the mall. We had our ultrasound today. I am just on my way to school to eat lunch with the kids and to tell them if they are going to have a new brother or sister. When I get back, I'll tell you which clothes I will be taking back to the store. Clue: Andrew knows which outfits are staying. OK, I just spent 2 hours at the school to catch three little students' lunch breaks. Did you figure out if we are having a boy or girl? Let's just say, " Boy , do I have a LOT of little girl clothes to take back to the store." All of us were taken by surprise on this one. We thought this little papoose was a girl, but we are glad to welcome another handsome baby boy into our home. We can't wait to meet him! Just two minor problems: 1. Our last 2 boys were born in May in Seattle, so that means all our boy clothes are in the opposite seasons and Iowa winters and summers require very...