Travel Tips

To keep a toddler busy on a flight, give her a baby wipe and tell her the plane is dirty.


To keep the same toddler busy in the airport, let her climb behind a candy machine. She'll spend quite a while trying to figure out how to get the candy out. Then how to get herself out!

Question and Answer

Question: "Why is it so hard to get places on time?"

Answer: "I have a four year old that would rather dress his penguin than himself."

15 Years Younger

My car is at the dealership having some repairs done while it's still under warranty, so they gave me a rental to drive today. I was going to have to pay to upgrade to an SUV, so I just took what they had: a VW Beetle!

I have to tell you I was a little skeptical at first, but as I started down the freeway I felt at least 15 years younger! Sure, there are two car seats in the back and I was going to buy groceries and a new shower curtain, but hey, I can dream for a minute or two! I'm used to driving a wagon, so imagine my surprise when I looked over my shoulder and actually saw out the back windshield! It kind of freaked me out. You're probably thinking, "Two car seats? Doesn't she have three kids?" Coleman's just out of luck! Actually, after I pick up Spence and Allie from MDO, we'll walk to go get Coleman. Then my Mom will be here later since she's staying with the boys this weekend. And I guess I'll have to go return my sweet little ride. But really, it's fun for a day, but I wouldn't trade a thing, or especially anybody, that fits in my wagon for anything in the world.

Earlier this week a friend and I went to see Brandon Heath. I love him! Our Christian radio station has free concerts at Chick-Fil-As around town, and this one just happened to be in Sugar Land. I had lots to do while the kids were at school, but I'm so glad I made time to go to this!

Play Time With Daddy

The kids enjoyed a crazy play time with Daddy tonight! Allie was on Brian's back too, but neither of the boys could seem to hold her on. So after falling off two or three times, she was done.

While I had the camera out, all three kids were here, and everyone was in a good mood I tried to get a group picture. They all smiled and looked at the camera at the same time. Wow!

Allie's favorite word is, "Cheese!" Well, that along with mine, no, and help.

Rainy Monday

It's a rainy Monday here. I didn't want to drag the kids to the gym in this weather, so I did 3 miles of my workout DVD at home. That was a great way to start my week! Spence and Allie actually cooperated (for the most part) and I got it done without having to hit pause too many times. That's my goal for this week: 3 miles every day!

I've been so bad at keeping up with the blog lately. Every day the boys say something cute and I think I'll write about it, but then I get sidetracked. I'm really bad about getting sidetracked. It's a complete miracle that I ever finish anything!

Today Allie dumped a bowl of Life cereal (no milk, just dry) into Spence's new rain boots. Then she ate it straight out of the boot! He's only worn the boots a few times, so they aren't completely gross. There, I rationalized it enough so it wasn't a disgusting act.

And really, how could anything she does be disgusting? She's just too adorable. As is her brother, who is playing behind the blinds with her.

Brian, Allie, and I will be traveling to Wisconsin this Friday to be with our family for a memorial service. Rita's sister Jeani passed away on January 11th. She was such a sweet, loving woman. Even though I did not get the opportunity to spend much time with her, she made me feel like a part of the family. She would read the blog and comment, she would send the kids things. Even though she never got to meet Allie and only met Spence once. She truly had a love for her family that will never be forgotten. We are so thankful that we get to go and celebrate her life and be with the people that she loved so much, and the people we love so much. It is amazing that even in the midst of grieving, God allows us to have peace. That's what I'm praying for Jeani's family: a peace and comfort that can only come from above and knowing that their loved one is in the presence of Jesus and no longer in pain. I am so blessed to have married into this family.

Today's Excuse...

... for not putting the laundry away:

Coleman's Bible Birthday Party

Coleman's Bible birthday party was this past Saturday and it was a lot of fun! There were 25 kids there. Yes, 25. Yikes! It was great though. We had an obstacle course and several other games, so I divided the kids up into teams: The Lord's Army (Coleman's team), The Solid Rocks (Spence's team), The God Squad, The Miracle Makers, and The Saints. Thanks to Brian, my mom, and a few other parents that helped lead each group, it went pretty smoothly. Here are some pictures:

Since Coleman wanted a Bible theme, I decided to do "fish and loaves." That seemed a little easier than what he originally asked me to do: a cake with Jesus on the cross. The loaves are chocolate cake loaves frosted with chocolate buttercream frosting. The fish are cookies made by my mom (THANK YOU!) which we frosted together.

The fish turned out really cute!

Noah's ark game - We hid 5 pairs of animals in an adjoining room and when the kids found the pairs, they could put them in the ark.

Spence and a friend in the ark

Fruit of the Spirit Toss - Each child tossed the fruits and got points for getting them in the baskets. The winners from each team played for a prize.



Armor of God Race - I didn't get a good picture of this game, but the point was to put on the armor (breastplate, shield, helmet and sword), race down and back, and give the armor to the next teammate. I think they just liked to sword fight.

Rebuild the Temple - The kids had to follow the directions to build a temple. I think this game was a little difficult for them. But kids love blocks, so they had fun!

Pin the Stone on the Giant - Similar to pin the tail on the donkey, but they had to see who could get the stone closest to the center of Goliath's forehead.

The obstacle course had 7 "stories" to go through:

Run through the parted Red Sea...

Then crawl through the fiery furnace...

Make your way under the fish net (miraculous catch of fish)...

Get in the belly of the big fish (just like Jonah)...

Row across the Sea of Galilee...

And finally, climb Mount Sinai to see the 10 Commandments! (I didn't get a picture of the Good Samaritan station.)

Happy birthday Coleman!!!

Hold My Hand

Last night Allie and Spence were playing and she looked up at him and said, "Hand!" I told him she wanted to hold his hand, so he grabbed her hand and they walked around the house smiling and laughing. It was the sweetest thing!





You might have noticed the mark on Allie's face. She was trying to keep up with Spence and a friend and skidded on the sidewalk. It looks pretty bad, but she only cried for a minute and hasn't acted like it hurts. Here she is with her rough and tumble skid mark while playing with a G.I. Joe tank. My precious little tomboy...

Happy Birthday Coleman!

It seems impossible that my baby boy could be six years old today! He is most definitely my favorite six year old in the world. I am so proud of him and love him so much. He is a great son, older brother, and friend. We love you Coleman!

This picture is of Coleman with Cupcake the Frog. His teacher sends a birthday backpack home on each student's birthday with the frog and a birthday journal. You take a picture with the frog, write a note in the journal and tape the picture in, and return it to school. I love the idea!

Pictures Again!

Brian bought me a new card reader so I can upload pictures again finally! There are so many Christmas pictures, that I'm a little overwhelmed. So I've chosen one picture to share that gave me a laugh. I was walking through the kitchen one night and got a kick out of what was lying on the kitchen table.

Guns -n- Roses

This picture was not staged. The boys just happened to leave a gun by my vase of roses. Loved it!

Captive Pictures and Hatching Noodles

My body has been rebelling against structure and routine this week! I have been dragging myself out of bed with just enough time to get Coleman up and ready for school without being late. I have so many pictures from Christmas and the last few weeks on my camera, but the only card reader I can find isn't working to upload the pictures. I only halfway seem to care about this! That's how tired I am!

I've been on strict birthday party prep mode. Coleman's 6th birthday party will be next weekend and the plans are really coming together. He asked to have a Bible-themed party, so we're having lots of fun with it! I'm so proud of my little guy for wanting a party about God and the Bible. I hope it's his best party ever! I know if I can't find the card reader that works for the camera by next weekend, I'll have to go buy a new one so I can share the pictures!

Since I have no funny pictures to share, I'll leave you with these words:

This afternoon I was doing a lot of cooking and Spence really wanted me to play with him. I kept saying, "As soon as I'm done cooking I'll come out and play." He would come back every so often and ask if I was done. Finally, I said, "As soon as these noodles are done. I can't leave the kitchen while they're still cooking." And he said, "Why? They might hatch?"

Walking home from Coleman's school today, Spence saw a house he wanted.
Spence: Look at that pretty house! When can we have it?
Mommy: I don't think it's for sale. Why do you want it?
Spence: 'Cause it has a flag out front and I like flags.
Mommy: Then maybe we should get a flag. That would be a lot easier than buying a new house.

Happy New Year!

We had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! I have lots of pictures, but unfortunately I'm unable to upload them right now. Hopefully soon! We spent Christmas and a few days with my parents, then came home and Rita and Gale arrived to spend some time with us. We are blessed to have the most amazing family!

Our Christmas Card and Letter

I have come into the world as a light, so that no one

who believes in me should stay in darkness. John 12:46

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

to you and your family!

2010 was an exciting year for us. It started with Brian conducting a nationwide job search. He had interviews with companies from New Jersey to California. We had no idea where we would end up! However, in June, Brian began his new position in Houston and we were able to stay. Although his time without employment was stressful and difficult, it was such an amazing time for us as we grew closer to God and learned to trust Him on a deeper level, and grew closer to each other. We will always be thankful for that period of time and remember the lessons we learned.

The kids are growing so fast! Coleman started Kindergarten this year and is doing great! Next month he will turn six and is planning a Bible themed birthday party! One of his favorite activities is going to Kid’s Bible Club at church. He learns verses, hears Bible stories, and plays games. Spence turned four in November. This month he will be in his first Christmas performance at Mother’s Day Out. We’re looking forward to hearing him sing and seeing what kind of show he puts on! He definitely keeps up laughing with his made up words and crazy games. Allie, who is 18 months, is no longer a baby, but a toddler that enjoys getting into everything. It’s so fun to watch her little personality develop! She can be very serious like Coleman, but also goofy like Spence! She loves shoes but hates bows. You can keep up with Allie and her brothers at www.pikkula.com, our family blog.

May you experience all the love, joy, and peace of our Lord and Savior this Christmas and throughout the New Year!

Brian, Amanda, Coleman, Spence, and Allie Pikkula

Make Me Laugh, Please

Spence has been so whiny lately. I think it's a combination of not feeling great and being tired. We're working really hard on not being whiny and using manners like saying "please" and "thank you." Today I started a new method to try and get him to remember his manners. Every time he asks for something and whines or doesn't say "please" I set the timer for 5 minutes. When the timer buzzes he can ask again, this time using his nice voice and manners. We'll see how that works!

Last night was one of those nights I had "had it up to here" and was counting down the minutes until time to meet some friends at Starbucks! It was great to get out of the house for a few hours. I was refreshed for another day! And with a new day comes new funny sayings. Here are a few from today.

We dropped Maestro off at Petco to get a little doggie treatment. We were walking around looking at the animals.
Spence: Look at that clock in the parakeet's cage!
Mommy: That's not a clock. It's a thermometer.
Coleman: I didn't know parakeets could tell time.

Then we came home and I started a Netflix cartoon for the kids.
Mommy: We may have to restart the computer. I think it froze up.
Coleman: (blowing on the screen) There. I blew some hot air on it. It's unfroze!

I love the way they keep me laughing! It really helps balance out all the moments that I want to pull my quickly graying hair out!

Some Christmassy Pictures

Who needs poinsettias when a beautiful hibiscus is blooming right outside your front door?

The kids posed by the tree at Sugar Creek when we went there to play today. Check out the footwear!

Nana made Allie this adorable pillow case dress. She was not in the mood for a picture!

Today Was the First Day of What?

They say it was the first day of winter today. I'm not buying it though. Coleman wore a Santa shirt and shorts. Spence didn't even go that far. He had on short sleeves and shorts! We took a picnic to a park and I broke a sweat while pushing the kids on the swing. When we returned home I had to turn on the air conditioner. And later while playing out in the backyard, I kept swatting at mosquitoes. This is all just so wrong. I wish I had bought those Christmas tank tops I threatened to buy last year! I hope some of you are experiencing better Christmas weather than we are!

My Excuse for Late Christmas Cards!

Wow! This week flew by! Coleman is now out of school for Christmas vacation, Spence performed in his first ever Christmas program, and I still have not mailed out my Christmas cards! I spent one hour and six minutes on the phone with Wal-Mart customer service yesterday trying to get my order straightened out. I placed the order Tuesday and the pictures were supposed to arrive between Wednesday and Friday. They did not. I would have just canceled the order, but I had already printed out the cards with our Christmas letter, and I needed those 5x7 photos to go on the front. Luckily, I spoke with a very nice representative who was eventually able to get it all taken care of. You rock Allen! So our cards are now all ready to go and will be heading out Monday!

Yesterday was Brian's birthday! The kids drew some pictures that we put in a desk organizer/frame and I made a "dad" picture board for him to hang in his office. I had a cute little song planned for the boys to sing, but when trying to rehearse it we didn't get very far. Coleman was in some kind of mood that I thought was only reserved for teenagers, and Spence was feeling bad. Maybe, just maybe, I can get them excited about learning and performing it soon! Daddy and Spence chose to have dinner at Double Dave's. That may or may not have been the third time I had eaten there in a week. I will neither admit nor deny it.

Today is our 12th anniversary! Brian had to run some errands yesterday and came home with a bouquet of roses for me. So sweet! The lady at the floral department asked him who the flowers were for and he said, "My wife. Tomorrow is our 12th anniversary." She replied, "Wow! 12 years! You don't hear that very often!" What a sad statement!

This week I'm looking forward to spending some time with the kids, visiting my parents, then getting ready for Rita and Gale's visit right after Christmas! Have a wonderful week!

Experimenting With Similes

Spence is starting to use similes to help describe things. I don't think he quite gets it, but that makes for some funny statements! As we were walking into Double Dave's Friday night, he said, "I'm as hungry as somebody!" And this morning as he was waiting for his oatmeal to cool off he remarked, "It's as hot as a lion's teeth!" Brian said that when they were getting in the car this weekend, Spence told him, "I'm as cold as a polar bear!" Brian tried to explain that polar bears weren't cold because they had lots of fur to keep them warm. So Spence adjusted his statement and said, "I'm as cold as a polar bear with no fur!" Yay! He's starting to get it! But then he told me he wanted a drink with no fur. Oh well. He sure is funny!

If You Would Like...

...a decent Christmas card from us, please say a prayer! Tomorrow's task: get a picture of the kids that looks a little better than this!

Oatmeal for the Chocolate Man

This morning Spence was eating his oatmeal and told me, "This is gooder than I thought! When I sleep and have a dream of eating oatmeal, it tastes good. This is gooder than in my dream. So it's gooder than I thought!" It's nice to know that I make better oatmeal than he can dream up! And now for a career update: Spence has decided that he will be a chocolate man. The chocolate man directs people to the chocolate store up ahead. Sounds like a good choice to me, especially if he gets discounts on chocolate from the chocolate store! Coleman decided a while ago that he will be a missionary when he grows up. This was a pretty big upgrade from prairie dog shooter! I love these boys...

...and this little sweetheart!

After breakfast I found Spence sitting in the sun trying to make a batman shadow.

Using his imagination

Breaking the cute-o-meter

Classic Spence silliness

Then we headed to our MOPS Christmas party. Spence had so much fun running around with his friends. One of the activities was to decorate cookies. Spence put more sprinkles than the frosting could support, but decided he didn't want to eat the cookie once it was made. (Guess I'll have to eat it.) And Allie didn't want a cookie, just frosting on her finger to dip into the sprinkles!

Listening to the Christmas story

Sprinkle-icous


Spence and two of his friends