Hi!

Hi my name is Elissa. Whoever is reading keep on reading. My hobby is draw I can well I think I can draw sponge bob. I THANK YOU for reading.

My hobbies!

Hey, everybody reading the blog this is Kurstin I just want to tell you that dancing really has a lot to do with me. I've done almost every single talent show or Lip Sync there has been ay my school that I was able to do. I went to the big show which is kind of like the championship game in a season of sports. I got second place at my school last year, but this year I didn't place:( So, my other hobby is I love to sing I sing all the time people tell me that I've gotten better than I since when I was little like my friends and my dad (he tells me a lot) I also am very interested In acting I want to become an actress I even tried out for a play and I saw a yes by my name, I left to early and didn't get any part(thats what my mom thinks because Ally was In a play and the same guy is directing it and he has high expectations) So, any way those are some of my hobbies!

Goosed At The Science Fair

...The words of the lucky recipient of Robben's gluteal perusal at Kurstin's science fair this evening. I regret to say I didn't even know who the poor woman was. However, she is lucky that she got out of it with a mere poke in the rear. At Eddie's Bakery today, Robben actually pulled down my pants! :) I was ordering dessert for Amy's baby shower this Saturday (what's up, girl) and Robben was full of energy and walking/crawling all around the bakery. He was playing eyeball games with an old granny (not the young kind) and just being all around rambunctious. He tried to pull himself up on my legs and pulled the FRONT of my sweatpants clear down to my thighs. This was met with embarrassed giggles from Grandma. As far as I know, she was the only witness.

I had the opportunity to look under Robben's bed today...puking incident- had to change the sheets, therefore lifted the mattress. You will never believe how many pacifiers were under there... any guesses? Higher. No. More. FOURTEEN!!! Fourteen pacifiers under the crib. Certainly we can write a children's song about that!

I should have guessed that the day would hold some strange events when it started this way: I walked in to get Robben up and he was sitting there playing with a sopping wet diaper. At first I was perplexed. Where would he find such a thing? Did someone leave one in his bed and he just unwrapped it? Odd. The mystery was solved when I picked him up and found his jammies to be flapping open and his bare bootie exposed. The clever little chap unsnapped his jams and REMOVED his own diaper. Next time a day begins that way, I'll take it as a sign to STAY HOME!

Here are a couple of silly quotes from the past couple of days:
To set the stage, please recall the discussion of our potential acquisition of goats in the post titled "Compromises". We were in the car and saw a yard that had a goat, 2 sheep, and 2 Labrador puppies. Kurstin said, "aaaahhh, I want some sheep, they're so cute." Elissa's response: "Kurstin, goats are basically the same as sheep, just scarier." Wild laughter from all.
Then later at lunch, Todd and I were talking about celebrities who are part of the Scientology religion and Ally piped in, rather disgustedly (I know - not a word, but it paints a picture), "Eeeew, they believe in science?" Todd and I exchanged a glance, we thought it was funny.

Well, that's about it for this time. Science Fair is finally over. As you can read from Kurstin's post today, science fair isn't that hard, 'CAUSE I DO IT ALL!!! She didn't win, but not to worry, she's going to the district science fair. Tyler never placed at Fairmont, but he ended up getting 2nd at regionals. So there's still hope for her. She said she wasn't that disappointed, but I think I know her better than that. She's also going to the Young Authors' Fair tomorrow, but only because her teacher tracked me down tonight to ask me to look for a bright pink permission slip. Kurstin swears she was going to give it to me tonight, and I believe that she believes that. But again, I know her better than that.

Tune in next time for more antics from the Hiester Family. And please, share us with your friends ;) :P :o

The Ultimate Gift

I, Ally the oldest of the sisters, recently was given a wonderful book from my wonderful Grandma Jocelyne called The Ultimate Gift. The Ultimate Gift was written by a christian author named Jim Stovall. Jim Stovall has excelled at many things in his life and he does all these beautiful things even though he himself is blind. He has done a superior job as an athlete, being a national champion and an Olympic weightlifter. He has written lots of other books. Here are a couple of recommendations provided in this book: You Don't Have To Be Blind To See, Success Secrets of Super Achievers, and The Way I See The World. In additon he was honored as the 2000 International Humanitarian of the Year.
In the book The Ultimate Gift a young, greedy, spoiled, man named Jason Stevens, finds out some news about the death of his very wealthy great uncle, Red Stevens. Finding this out his is very eager to find out what part of his great uncle's will he will get to receive. Instead of just receiving the money with open arms, Red gives Jason a series of tasks he must complete before receiving what his great uncle calls The Ultimate Gift. In doing these tasks, Jason soon realizes there is much more to life than money, getting wasted at parties, and lots of other things young men enjoy doing. You can join Jason in a journey of learning, loving, and believing. You like I did, can exoerience this. I love you guys so much and God Bless You! Remember, 2 People Can Do Anyhting, As Long As One Of Them Is God.

Nerf Guns Gone Wrong

This is a post by the amazing Wesley, the oldest one in the family. At one of my friend's birthday parties, there were two girls there that were about 3 to 4 years younger than me. Christopher, the birthday boy, had given up his nerf gun and was trying to get back from these girls. he had told them that it didn't work but in reality, it worked and was cocked and loaded. So the girl looks down the barrel of the gun and pulls the trigger.That was the worst thing she could have done. The spring loaded gun launches the dart right on to the girls nose. The look of humiliation while all the other people in the house were rolling on the floor laughing was the funniest thing I have ever seen.

Is Science Fair Really That Hard?

Well, I guess you could say it's not but In some cases it is you tell me. Well, first of all I had to go buy the paper which wasn't hard really hard because Marianne already new the best store to buy the paper. then I had to do all of the research. then after all of the typing and correcting I had to buy the board which wasn't that hard because I just had to go to school to buy the board from Mr. Yeh which is my other teacher. Then we had to take all the paper and layer them.Well, also Marianne had to go back to the scrabook store because we ran out of paper. Then the before the Science Fair I had to paste the stuff on , and do other preperations for the board and Marianne was gone so I had to wait for my dad because he was still at work. So In the end it turned out great , but I don't know if I am going to win because Science Fair is tonight! So wish me luck. Oh, by the way this is Kurstin.

Mega Poop Incident

Hi this is Kurstin Robbens favorite sister because I always change his diaper poopy or not poopy, and trust me when I say poopy it's poopy! One time when he was little I had to change one of his diapers and it was really bad. My dad had went outside and I went to change his diaper and it was poop. It was all good and then my dad came and said are you doing o.k. and of course I said yes thats when the problem started. Right then I had started putting on his new diaper and he started pooping. So I of course started yelling and saying help! help! He won't stop pooping! So my dad came in and was helping me wiping his butt and it sounds easy but it was not he was pooping like he was a chocolate machine. my dad was all like yelling to Robben STOP!STOP! and he wasn't. Then we got calm again and we were putting on his diaper and (by then it was already a big mess) he started pooping again so we had to start wiping frantically. So every thing was fine and well again and he didn't start pooping again. (thank god) I think it was one of those over loads because he was going through those stages were he wasn't pooping and so I guess it was just where he got to un load it all. Well in the end we had three poopy nasty bags and really messy hands which yes, we did wash and had an amazing story about the mega poop incident to tell Marianne when she got back. She laugh really hard!

Ally and Wesley. Two of the craziest most awesome people. You will ever meet.:)

Hey guys! This is Ally the oldest of the sisters. Firstly, I would like to thank the two viewers I had for my first blogging experience. I hope you enjoyed learning about me and my wacky and insane personality. If you've never met me before, I am the most insane, outgoing, craziest person you will ever meet. (Maybe besides my blood bro Wesley) At a birthday party today, my brother Wesley was being insane and acting like a 3 year old that ate a gallon of ice-cream. I looked at him and back at Marianne who was laughing histerically at him and said, "It has to be genetics!" If you only saw me and Wesley being our true crazy selves, you'd automatically think we were twins! :) I love that similarity between my brother and I, besides our looks. I don't think we look alike at all but people say we look alike all the time so, I eventually warmed up to the fact Wesley and I should might as well be twins.
There are other ways we are VERY similar. We wear our personalities so you can only imagine what we look like! Wesley and I practically wear what we feel like wearing without a care what other people think. Wesley's splurge is black socks with a pair of bright colored shoes paired with a pair of shorts and a bright, standout shirt. That is practically me but let me describe the small difference. I usually wear jeans, a pair of Uggs with a hole in the front (See I don't care what people think), usually a bright shirt or days when I am lazy, a normal boring T-Shirt topped with a sweater or a sports hoodie.
But today I tried something a little different and I think I looked FABULOUS! (Not trying to brag or anything because people probably wondered "What the heck is that girl wearing?") But I want to describe to you guys my wonderful outfit! So I wore a pair of jeans and my GREAT-GRANDMA Lidamae's shirt that is three sizes to big for me! But wait....there's more!! Over that purple vintage shirt I wore a lime green belt with a buckle that had different colored beads on it. I wore this belt at the empire waistline. And along with that I wore a brown sweater where the sleeves went down to my elbows and on my huge, wide feet, I wore a pair of sweet Guatemalan sandals that are a size 40! As you can see I am a very confident and awesome individual. I hope you enjoyed learning about me today!! Peace, Love, Happiness all the days of your life! :)

What is Love?

A Poem by Ally

Love does not brag,
Love does not boast,
Love is supposed to be with
Someone you think about most.

Love is patient,
Love is kind,
Love isn't just in the marriage certificate
You and your partner signed.

Love does not run,
Love does not hide,
Love is not something
You keep locked inside.

Love is not proud,
Love always hopes,
Love is something that believes,
Even when you don't.

Love is right here,
Love is right now,
Love is much more
Than you say in a vow.

If a schedule is so great, why didn't my teeth get brushed?

It has come to my attention that there are anonymous fans out there. This pleases me. Its good to know that my blog gets read - and hopefully enjoyed - on a regular basis. This inspires me to write more. There's not a whole lot to report, but I'll give you what I've got.

Who wants to know how the toddler training is going? Robben is doing well, but the process is stressful for me. I'm trying to get him on a schedule, which will make each day smoother and more predictible for both of us, but in the meantime, it just screws me up. I do thrive on a routine personally, but I have to ask myself, "why didn't my teeth get brushed today?" Is it because it wasn't scheduled in? I don't know. When you break the day down, there seems to be so much of it... time I mean. Time to schedule activities for the little man. Not all of his time is supposed to involve me, freeing me up to be able to accomplish more. Great. But figuring all that out is pretty cumbersome. I'm a person that likes things to be settled, so as long as something is "in progress" I'm thinking about it. So all day long I think, "okay, so after the nap I'll have him play in his room for 15 minutes, then maybe he can have a snack..." With all the thinking (obsessing), I failed to accomplish the foundational tasks of dressing myself, applying makeup, etc. I try to live without regrets, but I do have one for today: I regret that I wasn't wearing a bra when my neighbor stopped by and stayed for a half hour. I did manage to get the laundry done (that's where the bra was)... well, that's kind of an overstatement. I got the laundry CLEANED. It's not all folded. So anyway, back to Robben. He is a super smart baby and quick learner. He takes instruction very well. The book said to strive for compliance 60% of the time. Apparently that is the age-appropriate expectation for a 14-month-old. Which means, if I tell Robben to come to me, he will 60% of the time. He is doing great with that. He even initiated several kiss-blowing sessions today, which leads me to believe he doesn't have any major qualms with the new boundaries. I'm sure in a matter of days or weeks we'll be a well-oiled machine.

We revisited Air Bud tonight. We watched Fireproof (as a family, plus Amy, minus Tyler - as usual) and Ally cried at several different parts. Wesley admitted to being on the verge of tears at one point. I asked Amy (his girlfriend) if she's ever seen him cry, and she said no. So I offered to start talking about Air Bud again. Of course the kids all started talking at once. Todd said, "you know Air Bud's gotta be dead by now." They all argue, insisting that he's still alive, if not young and vibrant. They mentioned such movies as "Snow Buddies" and "Space Buddies" which apparently are about the offspring of the infamous Air Bud. Todd said they're not his puppies, they're his great great great grand-puppies, which I thought was hilarious. We got out of the conversation with no tears. Bummer.

Speaking of things I think are hilarioius: Have you heard that song that goes, "I kissed a girl, and I liked it..." It's sung by a girl. Her name is Katy something-or-other. Oh Katy Perry. I came up with that all by myself. Anyway, yesterday Elissa was sweeping around the litter box (her chore) and began dancing about with the broom, ending with quite an elaborate dip and a kiss. I said, "did you seriously just kiss the broom?" She replied, "no, I just pretended to." And then proceeded to sing, "I kissed the broom, and I liked it..." It made me laugh out loud. She's a card.

There's something else I thought was funny. Unfortunately, I'm not the one to communicate it. If my husband were a blogging man, the story would be his to tell. He is alone with the kids on Tuesday and Thursday nights because I take Ally to volleyball practice (we leave at 5 and get home around 9:30!) This arrangement has actually been quite positive for our relationship, as one might imagine. Anyway, last night when I got home, it was just heart-warming to hear his stories of cleaning up baby puke (it actually involved the mop and the washing machine) and being asked to sign multiple papers by multiple children with poor observation skills. Seriously, who would actually think it's a good time to ask to get a paper signed when your dad is mopping up puke? Wouldn't you be concerned about getting drafted? They should've been, cuz that's exactly what happened. I just think it's so funny what they are not aware of... well, it's funny when it's not me :) Wesley actually brought Todd a paper that he needed signed saying that Todd had witnessed Wesley studying for an econ test that not only Todd did not witness him studying for, but in fact he had not studied for! I realize that was a huge run-on sentence with missing and misplaced puncuation, but my husband has already gone to bed and is waiting for me and I don't have time to figure out what the poor sentence needs. I probably could have figured it out in the time it took me to explain myself, though. I'm actually quite good with vocabulary and grammar...if I don't say so myself. In any case, with a sigh and a huff, Wesley went off to "study" for this test to get his stinkin' paper signed and was back before the puke was finished getting cleaned up! I must say we have instilled some pretty solid study habits in that one!

Who Doesn't Love A Little Change?

As you can see, things look a little different around here. It was sunny today, so I thought it was time to brighten the blog. I'm not sure if I'm in love with it, but hey, I can always change it again. And I probably will. That's the beauty of this blog... it's MINE!

Another change you may have noticed (if not, you have observation problems) is that I finally put pictures up!!! Yippee!!! Tina convinced the computer to let me have my way. There are only a couple right now, as I have spent all night looking for the new background. I'll try to get more going in the next couple of days...in my spare time :)

There are going to be some changes around my house, too. I am currently reading the book "Toddlerwise", by the authors of "Babywise". I swear by Babywise and recommend it to anyone who owns a newborn or is thinking of getting one. So now I'm into Toddlerwise, because my little Robben is barreling into toddlerhodd full force, head-over-heels. It offers some interesting views and has caused me to see things that I was missing before. Like for instance, one of the reasons a toddler screams when he doesn't get his way is because he is used to having freedom. As parents, we sometimes don't realize the necessary boundaries until they are being crossed, which creates confusion and frustration all around. So it suggests some healthy ways to set boundaries and limit freedom until the child is old enough and mature enough to handle it. And of course mixed in with those boundaries are limitless lessons about self-control, working together, cooperating, following rules, etc... I'm kind of excited about implementing some strategies, but I also know that change is not always easy to handle, so the next couple of days may be trying.

And speaking of reading, I just finished the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers, a christian author. OH MY GOODNESS!!! Those books were soooooo good! I highly recommend them to anyone who enjoys reading, and especially if you enjoy christian fiction and/or have ears to hear. These books have opened my eyes to how life was in the first century, and the struggles of those early christians, mainly to keep the word alive and spreading. They fought and died so that we would have the opportunity to learn about Jesus. Reading about what people went through makes me feel ashamed of myself and the church at large for what cowards we are when it comes to standing up for what we believe in. I, for instance, feel sweaty and shakey now just writing this. I worry that someone will take me wrong or think something of me that I find to be undesirable. But you know what? It really shouldn't matter. We scoff at Peter denying Jesus 3 times on the night he was arrested, and all the others deserting him as well, yet here I am afraid to say I believe. They walked with him for 3 years, knew him intimately, saw first-hand his miracles, and still they fled when the heat came. And I am no different. I've seen and felt the changes in me and in my life, but I'm too scared to talk about it. I'm afraid I will be judged by those around me, when my true concern should be about the Ultimate Judge. Talk about being put through the fire: I am a mother to 5 kids that were not my own from the start. I know that this is not something I can do on my own. I need God every day of my life just to handle the QUANTITY! ... Sorry, I guess I kinda went off. Anyway, I thought the books were really good :)

Your Questions Answered

I want to thank my loyal followers... all 4 of you. But most importantly, I want to let Amy and Anne know how much their comments mean to me. I can't tell you how nice it is to get a response from you two on just about every blog I post. I love reading your feedback. Plus, having my thoughts and words acknowleged is such a refreshing experience... unlike my daily life at home :)

Both of my little responders have asked a few questions, so I'll take the time here to answer:

Amy asked if Wesley was okay after his spill out of bed. The answer is yes. He came out with a long bruise across his rib cage/chest, and he is able to laugh about now with the rest of us.

Amy asked when I am going to put pictures up. Well, my new friend Tina (Papa Tim's ladyfriend) knows all about computers. THANK GOD!! This family has lived in the dark ages for long enough... we finally have someone to guide us into the light! She is going to make it so my computer will allow me to post pictures. Don't ask me how. I think it involves wine and whispered sweet nothings. She's coming over tomorrow, so hopefully very soon! Stay patient, dear one :)

Amy asked if all of Robben's booms and spills happened in one day. Yep. Every day!

Anne wants to know the origin of Robben's new word. One day, Robben's teacher, Christine, and I decided to teach him the hard "c" sound and tried with the word "car". We were outside in the field and he was watching the occasional car drive by. Unfortunately, a lot of his words start out backwards. So he put the hard "c" at the end, saying "ock". The sad misfortune came about when we corrected him, teaching him to put the "c" first. He has yet to remove it from the end :) He's doing better. We congratulate him every time he says anything close to "ca...". Now "cock" not only represents car, but also truck, walk and duck... and probably some others that I can't think of at the moment.

Anne also wants to know why Todd wants a bull and not something more practical like a horse, some chickens or some goats. Todd has a passion for bulls, an unhealthy one by some standards. He is fascinated with them. We actually pull over when we see a pen of bucking bulls. How he can tell, I don't know. I know more about computers than bulls :) But one of his dreams is to own a bull as a pet one day. I tell him that as long as we have children that fit underneath a bull, we won't have a bull. Now, as far as the other animals go, don't think they haven't been considered. Kurstin is desperate for a horse, but we know even less about horses than bulls or computers. We are notorious for animal neglect, and I am unwilling to subject a creature as respectable as a horse to the Hiester family. If I knew how to take care of one, or had someone willing to do it for me, I'd certainly consider it. Chickens I find to be stinky, and more importantly, I don't want to find mine dead in the road in front of my house. As for goats, we actually have a neighbor who has offered us 7 pygmy goats, but we have to figure out how to pen them in. Todd got all excited (yippee! another set of animals to neglect!) and went out to build a fence, but then realized how much it would cost. He has put it on the back burner for now, but I did run into the neighbor at Costco last weekend and she said her husband may be willing to give us the pen, too. Of course, my first question was "why do they want to get rid of the goats?" Not to worry, it's just that they're moving into town and therefore will no longer have lodging for the animals. So the poor things might have to come live with us. If you want to know how bad we are with our animals, ask our ducks, Quack and Waddle...they're out in the rain right now, but miraculously, they're not getting wet. Hmm.

Anne asked what kind of lizard we're getting. It's called an Argus Monitor. I'll see if I can figure out how to put a link up so you can see the monstrosity- I mean the precious little guy. When it comes to live here (OUTSIDE) I'll take some pictures to post.

And Amy asked what I got for Valentine's Day. I got a new Cricut - a scrapbooking machine thing that I can't live without, and my old one died a couple of weeks ago... I think Robben had something to do with it. And I'm not the only one who can't live without it. It was imperative that I get it NOW, because science fair is next week. I also got a thing-a-ma-jig that makes my iPod play through the car stereo.

And though no one asked (it was probably an improper question), my candle toe is purple.

Two words that should never be placed back to back in any sentence...ever!

See, I thought we were going to get through a whole other day without anything funny happening. Wrong. Again, Todd and I were out all day running errands (with Robben) and didn't even think about dinner, so we brought home Taco Bell. As Todd was clearing the kitchen island to put dinner out, he knocked over a big candle holder and the candle rolled off onto my toe. I screamed in pain. It hurt really bad. Kurstin came and rubbed it for me as I cried. So halfway through dinner, a man came to deliver some wood for one of Todd's jobs, and I walked into the living room to meet him and kicked a piece of wood with the owie toe. I winced and hopped around, and of course had to explain to the guy what had already happened so I didn't look quite as much like a sissy. A few minutes later, Todd was sitting at the desk writing a check for the wood, I was sitting on the couch and the kids were all playing around us. Robben was cruising around the coffee table and stepped on the toe. I cried out, "OW! He just stepped on my candle toe!" Then I realized how that sounded and I wasn't sure if anyone else caught it and I didn't want the discomfort of not knowing, so I said, "Ha! I just said candle toe!" Then Todd, Wesley, the delivery guy and I all burst into uncontrollable laughter... luckily the girls didn't get it.

If you don't get it, say it out loud, you will. Todd's still laughing about it.

Compromises

That's what marriage is about, after all. There are several things my husband wants that issue a resounding "NOOOOOO!!" from my lips. There is one such passion that I am finally giving in on. He's been begging (in a very under-the-radar way) for a lizard for the past four years. I always tell him, no, no, no. You see, he's not talking about a cute little lizard that sits daintily on a branch looking around at it's many admirers while they all coo lovingly at him. No. He's talking pre-historic, should be extinct by all natural laws, weighs more than any of us and could eat a cat, LIZARD!! Well, I've finally given in. Since tomorrow is Valentine's Day, he's gettin' the stinkin' lizard. I do have two stipulations, though. One, it has to live outside. And two, it can't eat anything live. I'm sorry, but I do have some standards/values that cannot be compromised. And he has agreed to these conditions (though I will be getting them in writing, with a signature). I know to any normal human being, this may seem like quite a compromise on my part... in fact, what am I getting out of it? I'll tell you: he also wants a bull!!!

Next year I'll have to plan better for Valentine's Day.

Can I Make Something Out Of Nothing?

I think so... Yesterday, nothing really out of the ordinary happened. Nobody did or said anything of particular interest. But I think I can find a way to make the day seem interesting. That, to me, is the beauty of writing. It forces me to open my eyes and take in all the little mundane things happening around me, so that I have material for my 4 FANS!!! I wouldn't want to disappoint. So here goes...

The day started much like any other Thursday: I went to my bible study. There was one major difference, though. One that may be recorded in the Historical Records of Women's Bible Studies... I was early! I'm typically at least 15 minutes late, but lately it's been more like 45 minutes late. Crazy, I know. I used to be a stickler about being prompt, but I think the time-warp mind frame comes with the last name Hiester. Anyway, yesterday I showed up about 5 minutes early, to the shock and amazement of all. When the other ladies arrived after me, they probably wondered if there was a Daylight Savings time change they had missed. Anyway, there are only 4 of us (+Robben & Anne) and I think we quite enjoy each other. We all have plenty of stories to tell about our kids and spend most of our time together laughing. Every week, Kate (who hosts) makes us muffins - the small kind that you pop 20 of before you realize the irreversible damage you've done. I always think that I wouldn't recognize her house without the wonderful aromas wafting from the kitchen. I always show up STARVING, which is totally selfish and inconsiderate, because I've never contributed to the breakfast treats myself. This week has been a doozy for her, as she has family coming from out of town, wedding plans to help finish, 4 flower girl dresses to alter, and a 10 year anniversary/renewal of vows to prepare for ALL THIS WEEK. Needless to say, there was no wonderful aroma wafting through the house. Not to worry, I just casually grabbed a cup of coffee to trick my tummy and stave off the hunger. All was well (I rummaged through Robben's snacks and snuck a couple goldfish) until there was a lull in the conversation and my stomach issued the deepest, longest, loudest growl I think I've ever experienced in my life! I was mortified that my little secret was out. We all laughed as Kate offered me a bagel with cream cheese. I turned it down, but only out of politeness! I'm so sorry, Kate!

After bible study I went to lunch with Robben, as usual, and then to run some errands, as usual. Poor baby. Anytime I go in to town, we end up driving around ALL day. So by the time we were ready to check out at Target, he was DONE! It was his naptime and he was just plain sick of shopping. He'd been screaming, not like crying, but just expressing himself VERY LOUDLY. So I have to wait in this long line to check out, which is very un-Target-like. Well, a lady comes out to open another register and I see my chance. However, I also see a lady coming from the opposite direction as me, only her cart was full to the breaking point. She seemed to be moving in slow motion as I literally ran, pushing my baby carriage, handbasket swinging precariously from my arm, to get to the register before her. You're going to think I'm making this up, just for something to say, but it's true: I actually RAN OVER the achilles heel of a man waiting rather patiently in his own line. I apologized profusely and he assured me I merely clipped him. He heard the baby and must have understood my haste. And I did beat the lady, who apparently was only walking by in the first place.

And the final point of notable interest for the day (yesteday) is that Robben boomed his poor baby face several times. We are finally using the coffee table for it's intended purpose: as a coffee table. Robben has never had to deal with such an object in the middle of his former play area, so naturally, we started the experience off with a boom. He was walking towards the table and reached for it to lean on and he missed and fell forward, booming his little baby cheek on the edge. He cried pretty hard and now has a purple line-shaped bruise on his precious cheek. But that was only the first incident, and the lesser of the two. After I left to take Ally to volleyball practice Robben fell again. He was sitting on Daddy's lap and throwing a minor fit about something (this is new). His little tantrums are pretty harmless and involve him throwing his head back. So Daddy was going to let him slide off his lap, like he normally does, but this time, after the throwing back of the head, there was a throwing forward and he slammed face first onto the hardwood floor. He seemed to catch himself with his hands, but his face still hit, resulting in his first-ever bloody nose. I'm glad I missed it. He cried one of those hold-your-breath-for-a-long-time-before-the-screaming-ensues cries. Elissa ran off to her room and cried and Kurstin said over and over, "Daddy, I don't like this." Being the big strong man that he is, Robben hasn't even mentioned the incident to me... he's completely over it (so don't cry for him, Grandma :))

Are All Dog Movies Really That Sad?

So at dinner tonight, we were talking about movies/books that disturb us. This came about because Ally had mentioned watching the beginning of "Walk The Line" when the boy falls on the saw. Kurstin plugged her ears and looked horrified, knowing that the image had already made it into her head and there was nothing to be done to remedy the situation. She said she hated stuff like that and cited another example from the book "Where The Red Fern Grows". Ally was confused at first, as she was thinking of "Old Yeller". She then made the loaded statement: "All dog movies are sad." I said, "No they're not. Beethoven's not sad. Air Bud is not sad." Wrong thing to say!!! Apparently, Air Bud is sad. Incredibly so. Wesley's face turned all red and he started telling me about how the guy didn't want Air Bud and he told him to "GO!" and when the dog kept following him he threw a basketball and the dog ran after it and the guy turned and got on a boat and left the dog behind. He was quite distraught as he rattled off this monologue of his, and to my utter shock, TEARS actually began to form in his eyes!!! He was laughing about the situation, but he was also crying at the memory of the poor doggie being rejected. As he continued talking about it, Ally begged him to stop before the tears starting forming in her own eyes! Next time they say all dog movies are sad, I'll just accept it and keep my own opions to myself, lest we have a breakdown on our hands!

Unorthodox Utterances of an Urologist

How many times can you honestly say you've left a doctor's office in hysterics? Happy ones, that is. Today we had a follow-up appointment for Robben's peepee. Good thing he can't read, yet. He had a surgery last week by an Urologist, who happens to be an "artist". Which means that Robben now has a masterpiece in his pants! Well, today we went to this follow-up and ended up in the waiting room for probably about 45 minutes. Being an active one-year-old, Robben was doing lots of crawling, walking, talking and yelling during this extended wait. Of course, it was his new word that he's yelling repeatedly for all to hear: "COCK! COCK! COCK!" What better place than a peepee doctor's office!?! So when the doctor finally sees us, there's not much to do but remove the diaper and have a little look-see. Dr. Ambati, an older Indian fellow with a kind smile and thick accent, shakes Robben's hand and says, "Congratulations my friend, you have a perfectly straight penis." Then he turns to me and says, "Now you will have no complaints from your daughter-in-law." I'm laughing now, but things take a turn for the funnier. Todd says, "Now maybe you can fix mine." (don't even ask) The doctor says, "Oh, you want me to make it bigger?" Todd says, "Not me!" and grabs my shoulder to imply I've made such a request! Then Dr. Ambati responds with, "It is every man's dream to be able to throw it over his shoulder!!!" Then he asks me, as though innocent, why my face has turned all red. Todd and I both left in stitches -and not the kind Robben's peepee had.

Tidbits

Hah!!! 3 Followers! It's almost time to have the T-Shirts made!!!

If you recall, I mentioned that Ally is unafraid to ask the "blonde" questions. Well, a common trait among the children of our family, save Tyler, is to respond to any question with the first answer that comes to their mind. Then we all, including the person who spoke, get a good laugh at the randomness (I know that's not a word) of explanations in their minds. So here's the latest: The other night we had hamburgers for dinner and Kurstin's was slightly pink inside (don't worry, it was cooked - probably about medium). So we were discussing the various temperatures of cooked meat (yes, we talk about these sorts of things in our family) and Wesley wonders aloud why red meat is called "rare". Ally quickly responds with, "Probably because meat is usually brown so it is "rare" to find meat that is red." Silence... Crickets chirping... wild laughter.

Another lesson I learned yesterday: The toilet should be flushed EVERY TIME. Naturally, I do flush after every use, however, others in the family don't find it to be necessary. Yesterday, Robben wanted to unroll the toilet paper, which I have allowed once as an exploratory activity. Well, I certainly don't want this to become a habit, so yesterday I told him "no, no." Which he respected and took like a big boy. But being the resourceful baby that he is, he reached into the toilet to retrieve the toilet paper that was floating there. Thank God Mommy is always near, because anything in Robben's hands ends up in Robben's mouth! I choose to believe that that piece of toilet paper was not used in the traditional way!

Last night Todd and I went to a Jewel concert. She is so awesome!!! It was up at Table Mountain, so it was a small venue and it was ACOUSTIC!!! There is no better way to hear her, other than sitting down over coffee somewhere, just the two of us, but how could that ever happen??? This was my fourth time seeing her, and I think she gets better every time. I'll tell you this, her albums don't do her justice. I don't think I've ever heard a more beautiful or diverse voice. She can do SO MUCH with what she has. And on top of it all, she's a good person. I just love her... and I just found out she's going to be on Dancing With The Stars, as is her husband, Ty Murray. I normally don't watch that show, but I'll watch as long as she's on.

My Blog Essay By: Ally Hiester

Hello people reading the Hiester Blog. I am the oldest of the sisters and my name is Ally. I love the color yellow and I don't think my mom mentioned it, but I have OCD. OCD stands for Obsessive Cullen Disorder. The name Cullen comes from the best book, besides the Bible, called Twilight. I am a huge lover of that book series. I recommend it to all. Any age, just read it. Also, I love watching American Idol and I love listening to the Jonas Brothers (who doesn't?). Me and my friend Paige also love to make friendship bracelets. You should grab a bud and make some, too.

I loved chatting with you guys and I hope you enjoy reading about me. Just remember me, a girl whose name is Ally, a 14-year-old girl who obsesses over Twilight, the Jonas Brothers and American Idol. Have a good day. Peace, love and happiness.

Fan Club

Wow! This is just amazing! I barely put this thing together and already I have a FOLLOWER!!! I'm so honored. I think it's time to start the fan club... Amy, would you like to be the president? You sorta have to since you're my only follower. I can only imagine what will happen when I figure out how to add pictures... oooh, how my followers will multiply! I can already feel the power!

How do I do this?

All right. I've been trying to get this blog going for several days now, so I figured I should just write something on the off chance that someone happens upon our spot. Of course, I'm new to all of this. I don't even know what the heck "blog" means. I'll tell you why I'm doing this. I have a friend (hey Anne!) who thoroughly enjoys my emails and newsletters. She always tells me how hilarious I am and that I should share me with the world... ah, who doesn't enjoy a little flattery? But I must admit: I really do enjoy writing about my family, especially when I can make someone laugh! There are days, such as this one, that finding something nice to say about my kids is a must, lest someone's life be in danger.

So Anne but the bug in my ear - she's also to be credited with our title, as she says she loves our "antics". I won't even talk about the book deal she's hoping for... So at first I thought, nah, I haven't time for such ventures. But then I thought about our warm-hearted-but-not-really-that-mature 17-year-old son, Wesley, who talks in his sleep NIGHTLY!; Our brainiac-turned-Edward-Cullen 14-year-old son, Tyler, who's not only brilliant, funny and loyal, but HOT to boot; Our Twilight-obsessed, star athlete, future pro volleyball player/global missionary 14-year-old daughter, Ally, who isn't afraid to ask the "blonde" questions; Our strong-willed, control-freak, "I-wasn't-being-bossy-I-was-just-warning-them-because-someone-was-going-to-get-hurt"-otherwise known as the TYPE A - 11-year-old daughter, Kurstin, who can't tell a story without EVERY MINUTE DETAIL, but none of the important ones; Our thoughtful, sweet, caring, never-wanting-to-hurt-anyone's-feelings 8-year-old daughter, Elissa, who isn't quite so thoughtful, sweet, caring or mindful of feelings when paired with her older sister (the type A); and of course, the oh-so-cute, adored-by-all, best baby in the world (no contest), our 14-month-old son, Robben, who daily amazes us all with his new tricks and words, such as "cock".

All that being said, it was my dear husband Todd who finally convinced me this had to be done... not with his words, but his actions. It was a cold and rainy night. He'd had a long day at work (installing a beautiful custom hardwood floor in a large home that was being remodeled. The owners were not living there at the time, so there was no power. Because of the weather and time of year, it got dark very early, so they pulled the work truck almost INTO the house and shined the high beams in for light). So on his way home, there was a light misting rain, and his truck, a '54 classic, has no windshield wipers (bad fuse). We live way out in the country where there are no street lights, so this was a particularly precarious situation. He drove about 20 miles per hour to the nearest gas station to buy a squeegee... you can feel it coming can't you? The man proceeded the rest of the way home driving with his window down and actually SQUEEGEE-ING the rain from his windshield!!! The 15 minute journey took upwards of an hour! We won't even talk about the cold dinner he came home to.

I didn't see how such incidents could occur and go unnoticed by the world at large. So here we are. The final nail was driven into this coffin that night when Wesley, ever the thirsty child (he seriously is parched at the mere mention of "work"), tried getting out of the top bunk to get a drink and toppled head-over-heels, gashing his ribs on Tyler's bed before crashing onto the stone floor. Hearing the commotion, Todd went to see if something was amiss, only to find that the door was blocked by a heavy object - that would be Wesley. He wasn't sure what was going on, as these episodes usually happen while he's sleeping... the aches and bruises served as a bitter reminder in the morning.

So how could two such incidents take place in such rapid succession if not to provide a sign for me that it is high time we start a blog?!?!