Family Whirlwind

I love the holidays...and my body pretty much dreads the holidays...

I'm just being honest...

I LOVE people...I get energized being around people...it's just that after about 5 straight days of people 24/7 (and when I say 24/7 I literally mean 24/7 because my little people like to get up in the night while we are visiting other peoples and I get my fill of people!!!) I'm a little tired...

We had a great visit with my brother...and I WOULD have some lovely pictures to share with you, but I unloaded the pictures onto my brothers computer and then proceeded to play with them...cuz that's what he and I do...we sit and talk about stuff that we think we know a lot about and then share tips and stuff and in the end, we're totally just playing around and acting like we are soooo coool!  We SOOOO need to grow up, but I'm really not in that much of a hurry:)

ANYHOO...I don't have pictures right now...I have to go and REplay with all of them because there was some major head switching going on in order to get all 4 boys and all 3 girls looking in the same direction at the same time...but, I digress...

We had a great visit (didn't I just say that?)  they taught me to play euchre AGAIN...I think I've been taught this game at least 10 times now...I thought I was smarter than that, but it appears that I am wrong...and I also learned that I do NOT have a poker face...NOPE...you pretty much know what I have in my hand...not just because of my face...I just talk...and when you put a late night person around the table with PEOPLE, LATE at night...what else am I GOING to do but talk...

okay, this "story" is going nowhere fast...I think I have a post about that "quirk" of mine...but oh well...

We finally got back home and headed straight over to Italian Stallion's family...for OUR version of Thanksgiving...ITALIAN style...ravioli, noodles, ciabatta bread...just like the Indians did:)

Nana always gets the cousins matching pjs...so I DID get a picture...didn't have to play much because I told them to be crazy...

And then, here's one of my girls (and no, I don't know why Peanut is frowning in the picture above, except for maybe because she rammed her knee into a wooden object while trying to FLY onto Nana's bed and Mommy said, "honey, let's just get a picture:)"...oh so sensitive I know!!

I have a LOT of photo editing to do for CTPhotoMems this week...I will do my best to update, but please forgive me if I get a little bogged and you don't hear from me...rest assured though, I'm getting my people fill and hopefully will lots of stories to share in the weeks to come!! 

Yay...here comes christmas!!!

I'm Thankful For:

* a God who made me just the way that I am because He likes me!
* a husband who is my best friend, who understands me, and who shows me how to love.
* three beautiful little girls who call me Mommy.
* White Chocolate Mochas and just Starbucks in general.
* a really nice house on lots of land so I can grow a garden with my family.
* chocolate covered almonds.
* a teacher for Sweetpea that knows Jesus.
* a business that lets out my need for creativity, while being able to contribute to the family.
* socks without holes.
* cameras and lenses and photoshop and all that cool stuff.
* oh, and computers too.
* friends who listen when I'm depressing and laugh when I'm silly.
* music and dancing.
* a thermostat set at 70 instead of 64 :)
* the beautiful weekends we've had in November.
* a great church family.
* good books to read.
* doctors that listen and will go the extra mile.
* having the courage to stand up for myself in conflict situations.
* silly jokes that my girls play on me and each other.
* a daddy for my girls that they adore and run to each evening as he comes in the door.
* pink post it notes.
* pens that write really smoothly and you don't have to scribble to get them to start.
* when the budget meets up on the last day of the month.
* the color brown just cuz I like to wear it.
* milk...I love milk...lotsa milk!
* fountain drinks...Pepsi especially...
* the little shopping carts at Kroger, even though we don't shop there...cuz now I can use it as an activity when I'm in a bind.
* comments left on my blog and on facebook...I *heart* comments!!!
* healthy children
* playing at the park with the girls and helping them do the monkey bars, except when I have to hold them for long periods of time and they get kinda heavy after awhile...but for the most part, I'm thankful for it!
* when Macie DOESN'T pee on the floor.
* the fact that I can still fit into my jeans and we're almost to christmas!!!
* the fact that because of the above thankfulness, I can eat more pies and cookies at christmas time and not feel overly guilty about it!
* the phone...I like talking too!
* hot showers
* dates with my husband and when he surprises me with thoughtful things.

I feel like I live a charmed life...Thank you God for the wonderful things...help me to be thankful for the things and times when things AREN'T so good either! 

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Croupe Stinks

It stinks...plain and simple...I don't like it...I don't like when my little girls are barking like seals and feeling horrible...I don't like that they have trouble breathing and I'm taking their temperature every 10 minutes...I pretty much hate it!

Peanut's got croupe...I hoping that we're at the worst of it now and that it will subside by Thanksgiving...

Of course, she's not all that concerned...you see...Mommy gives her the walkie talkie and she gets confined to the basement with the big TV and her laptop computer and a bunch of books...she gives me the play by play of the TV programs, lets me listen in on her computer lessons and then reads to me or Little Munchkin...

Little Munchkin's favorite saying with regards to the walkie talkie, "what's that say???"

We're doin' our vicks rubs, steam showers, hot chest compresses, etc etc...we've got this down to a T...it's just that I don't LIKE it...but, I guess that just comes with the territory sometimes...I'll try to be thankful that I HAVE that problem in the first place...since we're on our way to THANKSGIVING!!!

Have a great day!

Shout Out to Starbucks

I'm a  talker...Little Munchkin follows in my footsteps with "not a thought goes through her head that doesn't make it's way out of her mouth"...yep, she gets it from me...

I'm not typically nervous to talk...infact, when I get nervous, I talk all the more...it's just how I'm wired I guess...that, and the fact that I like talking to people...and just talking in general...I think my dad used to think that I liked the sound of my own voice...it's not that as much as it's that I get to my conclusions faster if I talk it out loud...

Are you seeing where I'm heading with all this...because I'm doing it again...I'm talking my way to my "story"...

The other day we were at Kroger...the NEW Kroger mind you...the one with the cute little child size grocery carts where the children can push all the groceries and your hands are free to grab whatever you need...provided you are prepared to shove said carts out of the way of stacked wine bottles and end caps...

Inside this Kroger is also a Starbucks...oh sweet heaven...and they give out free samples...LOVE IT!

So, on this particular day it was something cinnamon...normally, I stick with my White Chocolate Mocha...but I went out of my comfort zone and took the free sample...actually, I took two!  AND, they made sweet little hot cocoa samples for my girls...Low and behold, I LOVE the cinnamon thing...and my girls, with hot cocoa down their shirts and whipped cream on their lips, mumbled a quick thankyou as they gobbled down their free coffee cake too...

okay so we left kroger got home, put groceries away...blah blah blah...WOKE UP the next morning...

On our way to BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) Little Munchkin and I stopped to pick up some donut holes for her and a latte for me...At the Starbucks, I pull up and the server was just so nice and chipper in the morning that we got to talking...I told him my WHOLE long story about kroger and how I liked something cinnamon...

ugh, you are completely bored with my story aren't you?  I didn't say it would be entertaining...remember, I just TALK!!!

Okay...so, by the time I was done telling my story and trying to figure out what it was that I had for my 2 free samples...yes, well I think he was about as thrilled to hear my tale as you are at this moment...I pulled around and he stuck out a nice warm Cinnamona Dolche Latte and said, "Ma'am, we'd like to give this one to you on the house...please enjoy"

Yep...WOOHOO to Starbucks for putting up with a talkative mother of 3 and giving me a free latte for the morning...made my day!  Although, I don't think they are encouraging me to NOT talk as much...I mean, seriously...FREE Starbucks...I can think of MILLIONS of stories!!! 

have a great weekend!

Can you guess?

Can anyone guess where Little Munchkin and I went today? 

I'll give you a hint:

Yeah, that doesn't help you at all does it?  I know, but I thought it was sooo cute...I will tell you one thing...if there were leaves to be found, left over from whatever "fall" we have left...Little Munch found them...and scurried through them like a little mouse...back and forth...

Okay, I KNOW you are just DYING to know where we went...here's a better hint:

We went to the ZOO!  I don't know if I've ever gone to the zoo with JUST Little Munchkin...EVER! We had so much fun!

We saw all sorts of animals and fish and birds...We liked the penguins...

Except that one of them POOPED...She made sure they knew how she felt about that!

She rode the little statues...

I made some shameless attempts at humor:...please forgive me...

And, she posed for the camera...cuz she KNOWS her Mommy so well...

And then I handed the camera over to her...look at her using the thirds principle at such a young age!!!

Seriously, I didn't bring my SLR camera to the zoo...I just brought the little cybershot...the one we affectionately refer to as the "Girls' Camera"...they take about a million pictures of pretty much nothing and everything in the course of about 2 minutes...Little Munchkin was in heaven...I COULD show you all her shots, but I'm thinking lots of sidewalk, cockeyed angles of people's behinds...yeah, maybe you don't need to see all that...

Nevertheless, we had a GREAT time today and I thought I'd just share the PhotoJournal of the day!

Have a great one!

Huh?

I've got questions...

I'm not sure why my brain never likes to shut off...nor why it keeps thinking of odd things in the middle of circumstances where I should be concentrating...I thought I"d just write them all out today...not sure if I'll get any answers to them..but, this is just the way it is...

*(obvious starts) why does my brain never turn off?

*how can it still be gorgeous outside in the middle of November? (I'm not complaining)

*why does my tummy still jiggle after enough jillian michaels to kill me? (I know the answer to this one...it's really due to those extra food groups: Starbucks group and Chocolate group)

*why does Starbucks have to put sooo many calories in their coffee?

* why do my little girls insist on using the MOST whiney voice they can conjure up on any given morning?

*why do I allow that to manipulate me and give them whatever they want to MAKE THE MADNESS STOP? (I am suddenly realizing why these two go together..hmmm)

*did I change the laundry over last night?

*where do all the socks go?  seriously...WHERE DO THEY GO?  I've purchased about 4 packs of socks in the past month...why can the girls STILL not find one little match on the morning they need to be out at the bus stop in like 2 seconds?

*how did little Macie, our  adopted dog, get to be so...let's say..."chunkie"?  and to continue that thought, Is Sara going to hate me for "beefing" up her little pup?

*do I purchase a new camera, a new lens, new clothes for myself, keep saving it all or just invest in a bunch of starbucks cards to satisfy my never ending hunger for White Chocolate Mochas?

*Will I ever get a porch or a pool or an outside pizza oven or win the lottery or look like I"m 18 again? ( I think these are all dreams, come to think of it...oh well)

*Am I that selfish to think that I NEED the above mentioned?  nope, I know I don't NEED them...they are completely and utterly WANTS...and if it came down to it, I wouldn't dip into savings for that stuff anyway...BUT, IF i won the lottery...well, now that's another thing...

*Why don't I play the lottery?

*Why does Little Munchkin always ask for a "dombaw"...that would be GUMBALL for those that don't speak 2 year old gibberish...every morning at around 9am when she KNOWS the answer is going to be NO!?

*why is there a letter 's' in the word lisp?

*why isn't 11 said onety one?

*why are my feet always cold?

*where are MY socks?

Okay...enough...I think I've tortured you enough with my witless humor and crazy brain thoughts..please try to enjoy the rest of your Monday and I try to unsuccessfully shut off my brain for alittle while!

A Birthday Celebration

Okay..I know that I've been posting these pictures on all different venues...so if you 'know' me other places, this may just be a review...but I've got to say that this was the first time that I felt like I could actually capture Sweetpea's entire celebration...

A couple posts ago I mentioned that I practically threw together this birthday party and invited people about...oh, 2-3 days in advance...it's wonder anyone showed up..but, Maggie has some loyal and sweet friends...

My wonderful Italian Stallion took care of so many details, including making sure that Little Munchkin was down for the count during the entire party...(I know that may seem mean to some, but really, trying to make sure a house full of 8 year olds are doing okay while also keeping an eye on a strong willed 2 year old...well, it just doesn't mix so well)

Anyway, I was able to keep things running AND get some good shots...most of them are posted on my facebook site, but I thought I'd share a few here for you as well...

What is a Veteran?

It was Veteran's Day on Wednesday of this week.  The girls talked a lot about it at school and when they came home, they had much to discuss regarding the military...it went a little like this:

Mommy:  "So girls, what did you do in school today?"

Sweetpea: "We learned about veterans and stuff"

Daddy: "Great, what were you learning about?"

Peanut: "Well...do we know a veteran?"

Daddy: "Well, Mommy's aunt is a veteran."

Sweetpea: "Wow!!  Did she fight in a war"

Mommy: 'No, honey I don't think she fought in a war, but she helped people and had to learn about how to be in the military."

Sweetpea: "So, what did she do?  Like wash clothes and stuff?"

Not sure what their ideas are concerning the military but obviously it's a hard job, because it is being equated with washing clothes...hmmmm.

What kind of mother am I???

Okay seriously...

My daughter's birthday was LAST week...a whole 7 days ago...yep...we've been "talking" about a party for ages...I mean, it's her first year back to school...she's got a classroom of little girls whom she adores (and may I interject here that I have unbelievably blessed with how her teacher runs that classroom and models behavior because I was fearing "catiness" and tears and we've had NONE so far!)

Yep...Mommy was supposed to make these cute little invitations and plan a big ole party and celebrate the fact that she is turning 8...

*crickets*

*more silence*

Umm..yeah, so I called a few parents today and asked if their daughters might be available THIS Saturday as we are going to "celebrate" Sweetpea's birthday in the afternoon...CALLED THEM...ON THE PHONE...and...okay, I"m shamefully admitting this...I even EMAILED a couple because I didn't have their phone numbers...

Uh, HELLO...it's WEDNESDAY...

no invitations, no fancy paper, no theme...I did get some party plates from Target...does that count?

I've GOT to get my behind in motion with this thing...what kind of mother does this to her overzealous birthday girl?  Obviously a crazy, procrastinating one who rather likes lounging on the couch sneaking halloween candy while watching movies with her husband in the evening on the new TV that he secretly went out and bought bought last Saturday for the well being of our children's squinting eyes...(don't get me started!)

So...that's where we are right now...I think I'll be a bit busy Saturday morning...I've pushed all my photo sessions to Sunday afternoon so that I can actually have a semi clean house for the madhouse of little girls that will overtake our dwelling place party. 

Wish me luck!

Sometimes all you need is a hair cut

The last time I had my hair cut was December of 2008...

Needless to say:  It's been awhile.

The thing is, I don't really have a "style" to my hair...it basically just hangs there so that I'm not bald...I put it in a ponytail most of the time and if that's not happenin' you better believe that my sunglasses are being used as a headband...even in the dead of winter!

However, as I'm in the "growing it long" stage, I failed to realize that without care, it basically stops growing and just breaks off...that's where I am...

I haven't gone back to get my hair cut because I spent a LOT of money on my hair cut in Dec. and I didn't like it...they "styled" it and I looked like a 35 year old mother of 3 trying to be 25 and fancy free! and I felt ridiculous..so I just said, forget it...I 'll just "Let it grow out"...

I have now realized that without that "care", my "hair" can take on the look of a disheveled and apathetic woman...and that's not really how I want to portray myself to anyone, especially my own girls...and so, I went to get my hair cut today...finally! 

I went to our quaint little town to a family owned place...I even got lost, called them and the owner stood out on the street and waved me down until she was able to find me a parking spot on the street in front of the hair studio...talk about service!

And then, *Tina* welcomes me and proceeds to pamper me and my head of hair...we got to chatting and discovered that we shared a common bond in Jesus and well...it was just the most pleasant appointment I think I've ever had...I can't even tell you what I thought about my hair when I walked out because I didn't even look at it...I just had the most relaxing time and such incredible conversation!

I don't have pictures of my hair, because it really didn't change much, it was just a trim to get the breakage off...but, that 60 minutes of conversation and pampering has led me to believe once again in hair cuts!  I will be back again!  It won't go untamed for that long this time around...Now, if I could just get up enough gumption to stop biting my nails...I'd be on my way to some "stylish" living!

"This might be about one of the funnest days ever..."

Those were the words out of Peanut's mouth today...

Yep, out of the mouth of babes comes pure joy and contentment over simplicity!  Today was nothing really special (other than it was almost 70 degrees on a Monday in NOVEMBER) but other than that, it was just a regular Monday...

We started off going to the park...that was the original plan (park, library, costco, home)...but on the way we noticed that the new Kroger had opened...and well, I'm all about new places...so we just took a little detour and made our way in...

Let me just say that any store that has mini shopping carts for little kiddos has my vote.  Not that actually frequent Kroger, but all the same, I will THINK of it more often...particularly when my children are throwing temper tantrums in the middle of the aisles at Meijer perhaps??

Anyway, Peanut and Little Munchkin each got their own cart and I basically just let them "peruse" the toy aisles and put "stuff" in it for fun...I suppose this is NOT the most "adult" thing to do...considering I had NO plans to take all the items back into their proper places being that we WEREN'T actually going to purchase any of the "cargo" either...but, oh well...they were all fresh-faced new employees who were eager and willing to help a poor, worn-out mother trying to "make it" through her grocery shopping experience.  (although, all I bought was conditioner...so I guess I can't really use "shopping" as an excuse in this case...but as I said, oh well) 

Well, once our "shopping" was done, we finally made it over to the park...I left my camera at home and just played with the girls on the slides, the swings, the monkey bars...I will say that somewhere along the line, my body quit "liking" playgrounds...swings pretty much make me sick, slides are just way too fast and staticky for my taste and monkey bars?  yeah, I was never very good on those anyway...such a party pooper I know!!!  But, I sucked it up today and played hard.  We stuck it out for about an hour and then headed to our next destination...

COSTCO...my girls love this place...particularly because Mommy knows all the Photo Lab people which happens to be next to all the big screen TVs which also HAPPEN to be playing all their favorite movies...today was Bolt, Ice Age and Madagascar..they were in heaven...I picked up the photos and dug in my purse for 62 cents b/c I promised them a lemonade sprite before we left...I can't believe how they shared that thing allllllll the way to the car...one sip for Peanut, one sip for Little Munchkin, one sip for Peanut...back and forth...just suckin' up that High Fructose Corn Syrup, I know...but, you should have seen their little smiles...

Then, we landed into another detour...I saw this store: SugarDaddys.  I saw it advertised a long time ago on Food Network...They basically specialize in brownies and blondies...they're all cut into huge circles and they are delicious!!  We stopped in for a sample and just to check it out.  After a mouth watering double chocolate supreme brownie sample, we got back into our car and headed home...we skipped the library and planned our own "storytime ala Peanut and Mommy for Little Munchkin"...which is another blog post altogether, but it was a blast!!!  complete with wheels on the bus and shakin' up our milkshake!

And that's when Peanut said, "This might be about one of the funnest days ever Mom"...I guess it doesn't take a lot to make a day "fun" for her, but I am slightly suspicious that it had less to do about the places we went and more about the fact that Mommy was completely carefree and off the beaten path for awhile...I need to keep that in mind for often I think:)

Hope you have/had a great Monday!

Just a recap

Yep...just wanted to give you the "Low down" on the Birthday Girl's day!...it's been A DAY!

Peanut, Little Munchkin and I made and frosted cute little pumpkin bread muffins with LOADS of chocolate chips for the kiddos in Sweetpea's class...after a phone call from my brother and shoes falling off of Little Munchkin and hearing, "I do it Mommy, my self" a gazillion times...I didn't think we'd actually make it to her school at all...

Thankfully, the school secretary came to my rescue and got us down to the classroom before Sweetpea could officially freak out because her mother didn't show up for her birthday surprise!  Mommy photographer whipped out the ole camera and got lots of pics of her handin' out the goodies..

and of Little Munchkin diving in the MOMENT it was set before her!

Daddy and Popi showed up with a pizza party lunch...exclusively for our little family on an extra cafeteria table!  Then of course, Daddy had to make the rounds because you see, he is Mr. Popular, bein' the soccer coach and all...he's got a little following is all I've got to say!

Once we made it home, we took some time to play outdoors, because goodness, fall is NOT going to stick around much longer and we've got to get out in that sun and fresh air while we can...(plus it totally wears Little Munchkin out and at this point I NEEDED her to take a good  long nap!...

We met Daddy at Red Robin for dinner because that's just a standard thing we do around here for birthdays...they sing to you, you get a balloon and icecream...I mean, what MORE could you possibly want?  (and I do secretly love the bottomless steak fries...oh my goodness, grease in a basket and I'm in heaven!!)

AWANA topped off the evening and then to bed...she was awake still at 9:50pm...she wanted to tell me, "Mommy, in 5 minutes, I will officially be 8 years old!"...she's punctual if anything, let me tell you!

She's EIGHT

The days are getting away from me...they are going by so fast...life is full and fun and exciting and then comes the laundry to dash my spirits, but I'm up again with tickle fights and homemade cookies...

My firstborn is 8 today.

How is this possible? 

I know, duh, she was born 8 years ago...ummm, the earth keeps spinning...come on...

yes, yes I know this...but seriously, HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?  I didn't even have a digital camera back then and so I don't have an image to share with you....unless I go digging through the piles photos in  my basement to show you my sweet little one after her birth...I'll share a few from around age 4 and up though...the "through the years" photos...

She's my sweet firstborn...my first baby!  I'm thankful for so many things about her:

*her sensitive spirit...the way she is remorseful immediately after she recognizes that she's possibly hurt someone's feelings or disappointed Mom or Dad

*the way she cares for her younger sisters, how she plays with them, even to the point of listening to the SAME Miss Pattycake songs over and over and over again, just to spend time with Little Munchkin!

*her compassionate heart...how she LOVES us, her siblings, her family and her friends...the heart she puts into her notes to us, her pictures she hangs, the little things she says purposefully to "make our day"

*her desire to do right, even though it scares her, the thought of being alone...she WILL stand strong, even through her tears.

*her hugs and sweet voice when she wants to let me know that she loves me

* her "bright ideas" that usually mean a lot of work for Mom, but in the end, it turns out to be quite fun!

*her laugh and how she tries to make everyone feel like they are a part of what's going on

Thank you Lord for such a sweet little girl...thank you for entrusting her to us! 

Happy Birthday Sweetpea!!!