Day 9: IWTR

Well, this was a pretty uneventful day. We, more specifically I, was completely lazy today. Well, at least the afternoon was totally lazy, but our morning was filled by baking and helping hands. All the girls decided a little play time in the kitchen with me was in order. And today I was excited to share this time with them--especially since I took on one girl at a time. WOW! That made a huge difference! Each little helper made one cookie/treat with me, except I still owe Peach a shot at the measuring, dumping and stirring experience.

Peach:

You are so excited to make gingerbread people. These are the cookies you want to make for Santa. I think you and I have a "hot" date (get it, "hot" like an oven, HA HA HA!) later this week. I can't wait! And thank you for being such a patient girl!

Brownie:

You enjoyed making mocha brownies with me. You helped me get all of the ingredients organized. You then helped me prepare the bowls, measuring spoons, and the baking dish. You loved to get in there and work with your hands. The brownies turned out divine. So divine in fact, that it slipped my mind to snap a picture of the finished product. Ooops! I guess I was taken aback by how yummy they looked to actually snap a photo.

Bug:

We jumped right in and made Hazelnut Blondies. Yes, they are delicious, and I'm sure your favorite part was licking the spoon I used to scoop out the Nutella. Had you known that was going to be waiting for you at the end of your baking time today, I'm not sure I could have kept your attention on the stirring. The smiles you shared as you happily licked that spoon clean simply made my day!

Boushka:

Yep, even you helped. You sat in your high chair while we made peanut butter rice and oat balls. You ate plenty of rice cereal and threw some on the floor. You also wanted to munch on a few of the treats once we were finished making them.

Baby girl in my belly:

What can I say, we had to try everything to make sure it was acceptable. It was clear that you enjoyed the treats because you would give a few kicks minutes after I sampled the treats.

Day 8:IWTR

The Santa Visit:

Peach:
You were a bit timid and shy to be around the Jolly Old Elf, but you did participate in the festivities. Most important, you ran around with sisters and cousins until you made yourself sick---literally. Apparently, today was your day to get sick :( You've fought it off for some time now, but it finally got you after circling our family for a week. Poor girl!

Brownie:
You jumped right up on Santa's lap. You were not the least bit shy. You enjoyed opening your present the most of all your sisters. You gave him a hug and smiled the whole time.

Bug:

When Santa came to the door, you ran and hid in the

bathroom and let out a scream like I've never heard you make. I jumped up to find where you were because when I heard you, I thought for sure you had just cut off a finger. But NOPE! You were simply terrified of Santa. Needless to say, it took a ton of coaxing to even get you this close.

Boushka:
You were not a fan of the man in red. You cried for 'MAMA' the whole time. You sat on Granny's lap for a minute, but you couldn't even finish opening your gift. You had to get up because you were just too upset. Maybe next year you'll be excited :-)

Baby girl in my belly:

What can I say, you were perfect... you had no idea what was going on. I finally felt rather healthy today, so we enjoyed the food and festivities.

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We were supposed to go and look at Christmas lights tonight, but because of sweet Peach's ill belly we decided to put it off. Tonight, we just stayed in (except I ran to the stores for 2 hours) and ate our pot roast while watching Christmas movies. Yes, it was calm and quiet, but I think we need a night like that--especially followed by a morning where we aren't rushing off anywhere.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a baking day with Grammy, but I don't know if we'll be able to make it. I went out and bought a ton of baking supplies, so I'm hoping they get used tomorrow--hopefully if not tomorrow then someday this week. We just need to get well!!!

The rest of this week is going to be spent making/finishing up a few gifts for friends and family
(more on these later-- I can't share until after the holidays), catching up on laundry (considering all of the puke in the house, I'm actually pretty well caught up), baking in my new oven, watching movies, wrapping, playing games, removing puke germs from the surfaces in my house, and hopefully lots of hot cocoa sipping and Christmas lights looking.

Wishing you all health!

Day 7: IWTR + Some Updates!

Peach:

You are excited to surprise us with the songs you'll be singing tomorrow at your Christmas program. I am excited to see you up there singing your heart out. This is your third year doing the Christmas program and your last. I can't believe it. I'm sure there will be a huge difference between your performance two years ago and your performance tomorrow. You've come out of your shell quite a bit, and I know it'll show tomorrow.

Brownie:

We got to see you sing today. You loved wearing your red dress, shoes, and bow with your white tights as much as you loved the singing. I of course stayed up later than planned last night just to make this bow, but since you and Peach have the same dress, she can wear it tomorrow too. Thank you for sharing what you've been working on!

Bug:

You lasted for about 10-15 minutes "on stage" at your program today. Since we were sitting in the front row, you saw us and cried to come sit with us. Of course, we welcomed you with open arms and you finished the program sitting with us. I'm still proud of you for getting up there and singing what you did. That takes guts for a little girl!

Boushka:

After having a good day yesterday, you woke up pale and feverish with red eyes. I called the doc and it turns out you have a viral stomach bug. The test for strep came back negative, so we are to just treat your symptoms. My poor gal. I swear I'd have you healthy and back to your sassy self if I could, but I have to admit that I've really enjoyed all of the extra cuddles and kisses you've been offering lately. So sweet!

Baby girl in my belly:
Today was another icky stomach day. I don't know if it's pregnancy related or virus related, but I'm DONE dealing with nausea. I HATE it! Hopefully this means that you'll have some immunity to all this junk when you make your entrance to the outside world.

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And now that I'm officially on Winter Break from teaching, I have a few minutes to update the rest of our life.

This week has offered a little more than I thought I could handle. In between holding my sick baby, grading papers, doing the extra loads of "puke" laundry, making and baking holiday teacher gifts, and attending Christmas programs I've been able to find some time to make more bows.

Making bows is my kind of craft. It's rather cheap (especially compared to buying them). Certainly cute. Creativity is welcomed. And my favorite part-- I can crank out a few in just one, short sitting--this is a plus for somebody who has an attention span that leaves a bit to be desired. It also comes in handy for somebody who tends to make four at a time.

See, I can't help it.

I have been known to find a few minutes and sneak away to my craft area just to make bows that match the outfits my girls will be wearing the next day. That's how the above bows came to be.

As I find time (in other words, when I'm not grading papers at night) I find time to applique some shirts as well.

Here is Peach's shirt and bow combo:

And Brownie's:

And Bug's:

And Boushka's:

Here they are in the shirts and bows.

I also have the fabric (with coordinating ribbon) for some of Baby Girl's future onzies (and hair bows). I'm also working on a few gifts for some dear friends/family. Since that's about all of the people who read this blog, you're probably getting something homemade from me this year. Just warning ya!

I just love that I can customize what I want and pay a cheaper price than what I'd find at a boutique. Plus, I just think it's fun!

And the teacher gifts I talked about above--they turned out cute. We made some fudge, white chocolate dipped mint oreos with sprinkles,and chocolate chip pumpkin bread (our fav)--and I didn't get any pictures before I packed them into the book bags the other day. We also found an awesome recipe for homemade potpourri here (an awesome blog, by the way). And I got a picture of it!

Here's how it looks packaged for a gift.

And here's how it looks sitting on your stove.

I just wish you could smell it!

Day 6: IWTR

Peach:

Another Charlie Brown episode was on tonight. Upon discovering this, you ran downstairs to check it out. But since it was already half over by the time you started watching it, you proceeded to ask several questions. Hmmm... I don't know where you got this from?

Brownie:

When I tucked you in and did letters on your back, I just had to giggle when you said the following: "I wite (like) it when you put the dot on my 'i' hard." You say the craziest things that catch me totally off guard. I love it!

Bug:

Your bangs are starting to look a little more like you know. They have taken me some time to get used to, but I'm still trying to get used to the unevenness that is your hair right now! I'm hoping your chop job will start to blend in more soon!

Boushka:

Little gal spent nearly the entire day asleep. I know it is much needed and we were lucky enough that you could do that today. But once you woke up, you were all over the place--nearly back to normal. I'm so happy my girl is back!!

Baby girl in my belly:

Whenever I sit down at night to grade papers, you wake up. I'm thinking you need to put yourself on a sleep schedule now, so that when you are here in my arms you'll stay on that sleep schedule.

Peach:

Every time somebody mentions presents or gifts, you always chime in and say that there is another, more true, meaning to Christmas. You then continue to explain that Jesus gave us all a gift and that we should be thankful for that. Because of this, mama has a new idea for a Christmas present this year-- and I'm actually snagging it from a friend of mine. I'm going to wrap up a baby Jesus (from a nativity set, or maybe I'll just make several since I don't have enough nativity scenes) for each of you girls and put it under the tree. We'll explain how you are receiving the greatest gift of all. Though I'm sure you'll be explaining this to all the sisters!

Brownie:

I love it when you go around the house singing Frosty the Snowman. Amazingly, you have most of the words correct--though these words are only a snippet of the whole song. It always puts a smile in my heart! You are so cheery and bright to be around--and this singing only brings this out more!

Bug:

You have been doing so well with your meals lately. You've always been in the top 2 for eaters among the kiddos, but you are really surprising me lately. Recently, you've eaten several helpings of tortilla soup, pasta with Gorgonzola cheese, chicken fried steak, sweet potatoes, green beans, salad (plain, with no dressing), and several other foods. I'm quite impressed with your tastes! I'm happy to see that you can appreciate foods other than fried_______, mac 'n cheese, chips, and sweets.

Boushka:

My poor baby, you are still ill. You slept with us again. Lucky for us all, you slept most of the night and it has been 24 hours since you were ill. And lucky for me, you cuddled so sweetly with me throughout the night. I was awakened by your sweet arm going around my neck and patting me on the back several times. And my favorite was when you woke me up by kissing me several times over and over. Ohhh, how mama loves it!

Baby girl in my belly:

Still movin' and still groovin'! So glad we haven't caught the bug that big sis (looks so weird to refer to Boushka as "big sis") suffered/is suffering through. We've had our fair share of the puke bug--I'm praying for freedom from that darn bug for the remainder of the time you reside in my belly!

Day 4:IWTR

Peach:

You truly enjoyed the light show at TBC. You sat on my lap and we watched and listened together to the sounds of the season. Thank you for the memories.

Brownie:

You had fun at Red Lobster with sissies and Grandma. You even brought your "place mat" home so you can work on numbers with Daddy. You also brought home Mac 'n Cheese and fries.

Bug:

I've recently discovered that you have to have a book with you in bed. I knew that you had one most of the time, but tonight you made it clear that you HAD to have one in bed with you!

Boushka:

Poor thing. We discovered "sick" in your bed this morning. You didn't get sick all day until bed time. It was obvious that you didn't feel well, but you went several hours without getting sick. Then all night you were uncomfortable and threw up a few more times and again after breakfast time. You were down most of the day with only a few minutes where you seemed normal. Then, all of a sudden you were happy and the light came back into your eyes. Shortly thereafter, at bed time, you got sick again. Needless to say, you are spending the night in bed with us again tonight. Poor girl :(

Baby girl in my belly:

Contractions--just a few--but they're there.

Day 3: IWTR

Peach:

Mom and Dad took you to see The Nutcracker today. It was a first for all of us. You paid close attention and looked out for people you knew--including your teachers. When asked if you'd like to dance in it next year, your reply was, "I'll have to think about it."

Brownie:
You joined us on the trip to The Nutcracker. The times when you paid attention, you thought it was neat; however, there were several times when your attention was more focused on food and drink. When asked if you'd like to dance in it next year, you replied, "Only if sissy does.

Bug:

One of your favorite things to do when we say goodbye to each other is kiss my belly. It's like it has become routine for you. You give me my kiss and hug and then you bend down to kiss sissy.

Boushka:

One of your favorite things right now is "picnic." Whenever I'm preparing food, you look up at me and say "pitnit?" You are always in the mood for a picnic. We tend to do these quite often during the holidays because we watch a Christmas movie while we feast. Yeah, you caught on fast!

Baby girl in my belly:

You seem to be doing fine--kicking often and usually low and in the middle. Just like you like it!

Day 2: IWTR

Wouldn't you know that after I sent all of my grades in to work yesterday, I swore off the computer in order to spend some time with my family. We had a fun day together and I stuck with the "no computer" thing. Then, as I was planning out the day today, I realized I hadn't written a post for Day 2 I want to remember. Luckily, my short-term memory is doing well and I can sit here and jot down a few thoughts about my girls from yesterday.

Peach:

You came home from school excited because you saw your name scheduled on the helper list. They call it VIP when you are helper and you get to wear a little VIP ribbon. You love being the helper, and you even save all of your VIP ribbons!

Brownie:

You are doing well with writing your name. We worked on one of your Christmas bags and you wrote your name. I helped you with 2 letters, and the rest you wrote all on your own!

Bug:

I found more of your artwork. As I was tucking you girls in for naps today, I discovered some blue lines (in Sharpie pen) on the toy vanity set in the big girls' room. It was determined that the marks were made by none other than you, my artist. Yes, you know the rules, but you don't believe in following them-- at least not this particular rule!

Boushka:

While we were at Target with Grammy today, you spotted Christmas dresses. You were so excited for all the pretty clothes--you oh'd and ah'd over everything. Your eyes were big as you pointed to all of the dresses. Looks like we may have another fashionista to raise. Brownie, you're in charge of fashionista Jr.!

Baby girl in my belly:

I sat down to eat dinner last night when all of a sudden it felt like a huge muscle tightening took over. It stretched from one side to the other around my abdomen and never ceased for 10 minutes. It was painful and I started to get worried because it wouldn't go away. I tried changing positions, breathing techniques, anything I could think of--- then all of a sudden it just melted away. During this time it seemed like you were moving differently as well. This still boggles my mind (even after 5 pregnancies), and I'm just glad it hasn't come back.

Day 1: I want to remember

I've known for quite some time now that my long term memory just isnt' right. No, I've not had anything diagnosed (psychologically or phsyiologically) professionally, but I live the reality of this daily. I just don't have memories.

I find it hard to remember much of anything beyond 5-10 years ago. My childhood memories are few and far between. While this is a problem and I really dislike this fact about myself, I can't really do anything to change (at least nothing I'm aware of) it. I can, however, be proactive in tracking memories.

In fact, when I first became a mom, I decided to keep track of the day to day things we did as mama and baby. I know these seem mundane to people, but I always look back on the olden days with the fondest of memories--at least, what memories I have. Since turning form colleg girl to mama, I have kept a daily and monthly journal for each girl. I quit taking daily notes when they turn one, however, I continue to write about once a month in each girls' journal.

In the daily notes I comment on their first everything. First snow. First time their toes touched the grass. First tooth. First smile. First doc's appointment. You get the picture. I also note other small things about our daily routine.

In the monthly journal, I try to describe their personality, their likes and dislikes, who their friends are, and any great accomplishments or milestones. I also try to pass along any wisdom I feel is important. This might range from what kind of people to hang out with to how to put on make up. Of course, having four kids makes this quite the task.

And yes, I actually keep a pregnancy journal too, so I'm currently writing in five journals. Luckily though, the pregnancy journal has prompts so I don't have to think too much yet!

Anyway, I've decided that I want to jot down one memory per child, per day. I'm going to try to do this everyday for one month. I'm hoping the end result will be me continuing with this journal of sorts. Also, I figure the girls will have a permanent record in addition to the paper variety (I'm terrified of a fire or tornado destroying the pages I've put hours upon hours pouring my thoughts and heart into, so this will be a back up)!

So here goes the first entry--

Peach:

When you came home yesterday from school, you told me that you were the only kid in class who didn't make a donation to the "stocking" (the stocking is going to needy families). I felt horrible as you told me with all sadness how different that made you feel. I can remember feeling like the only one and so when you asked me to write a note to your teacher explaining why we didn't donate--well, I obliged. I told her and you we donate to different charities and can't afford to donate to every single one, so we choose some each year. You approved of my note and I sent you to school this morning with it in your book bag. When I went to pick you up today, Mrs. L said that there were actually only 4 (of 12) kids in class who donated. That it was no big deal. That you didn't mention anything in class about the devastation you felt upon being the only one. She wrote me a nice response back, and we both were reminded that you can be quite the drama queen (when you want to be). But I wouldn't change you :)

Brownie:

When I was tucking you in tonight, I laid my head on your belly and closed my eyes. You told me I could sleep there. You are too cute! Oh, and of course your favorite part of the day was "daddy toming home."

Bug:

Most importantly, lately you have answered that your favorite part of the day is me. HA! You happily colored your Christmas bag (number 2) in the dining room this afternoon. You were seated by our bay window with only the late day's sun and a small lit Christmas tree for light. This calmed you down when you found out that your older two sisters snuck off with Grammy to Target while you were sleeping.

Boushka:

After days of not having "Miytey" (Mickey) on the computer, I turned it on for you today. You immediately started dancing crazily to "Get up offa that tail." You open your eyes wide, open your mouth, and shake your head while moving your hips. You are such a site to see and it always makes me smile! You also started asking to have letters drawn on your back (like sissies) and for "bantet" (blanket) and sleepy times. So sweet!

Baby girl in my belly:

You are groovin' around much better than you did last week (when I was this close to going to the doctor just to hear a heartbeat). Since this weekend, I have also started alternating between left hip pain and center-lower back pain. Yes, this comes about after I've been on my feet for a few hours. But I know you're worth it!!!

Christmas Card 2010

Check out our family's Christmas card for 2010!

Most Wonderful Year Christmas 5x7 folded card

Shop Shutterfly for elegant custom Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

I loved how it turned out. Once I could narrow down the pictures to my absolute favorites, the card designing process was a breeze!

Luckily, I didn't have to narrow down to too many pictures. Shutterfly offers several designs that can accommodate several photographs. Thankfully, there was still room left over for text for us to send some holiday cheer.

I'm so lucky to receive these for free plus S&H. What a huge blessing this is to our bank account. When we set our Christmas 2010 budget, we had an extras category set aside for things such as:
~supplies for baking holiday treats (treats we take to parties, dinners, and give as gifts)

~donations

~wrapping supplies

and of course...

~CHRISTMAS CARDS!!

I can say that without the **FREE** cards, there would probably be no Christmas Cards this year; it simply would have put us significantly over our budget.

So, thank you Shutterfly for this wonderful, early Christmas present that we can share with our friends and family!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, part of (okay most of) our

Black Friday is spent Christmas Tree hunting. Our family has been visiting the same farm, about 20 or so miles away, for the past three years. It's a cute little place tucked back off the main highway, but still pretty accessible. Thank goodness!

They are the friendliest of people-- from the gentleman who greets you and asks you what size of tree you're looking for, to the sweet ladies inside this building (what I call the hospitality shack) who work behind the counter selling hot cocoa, popcorn, candy, and pop.

But more on the hot cocoa in a minute!

After you confirm the tree size you are on a hunt for, you load up your family for a hay rack ride. A kind, young fellow takes you out into trees and drops you off with a saw. This year we also got a little label with the business phone number on it so you can just call them when you find your tree (that way they can haul it back in case your arms/hands are full of little ones). They will come find you, cut it down (or you can cut it down yourself), load it and haul it to the front of the lot.

But first you need to get that tree.

Dad has a saw in one hand and a baby Boushka in the other. Off we go to hunt for our perfect tree. It looks as if Peach and Brownie are looking a little close to the ground!

After trudging through the tall grass that surrounds the trees and making up a story about a grasshopper, we found our tree. Daddy hung the saw around the top marking our tree.

We called the office to tell them about our find; then we hung around waiting on our kind, young fellow with the trailer to come assist us.

Yes, of course I asked the girls to pose in front of our new tree. They happily obliged; they were quite proud and excited to get this baby home and decorated.

Since the mood was light and happy, I snapped a few extra shots (with Christmas card pictures in mind)!

And then the kids needed some entertainment. Peach found loose grass and started throwing it.

And as sisters will do, Brownie joined in the fun.

And of course little Bouska thinks she's just as big as her sissies---so she makes her attempt as well.

But this little Bug stayed in Daddy's arms. That's a common site to see in our family. You can almost always find this little princess in her daddy's arms.

Within a matter of minutes, our grass-throwing came to an end and we hitched a ride back to the front (our tree joined us on the ride)!

Again, the mood was so light and everyone was sooooo happy, I took advantage by snapping several photos. These are my girls riding back with hot cocoa on their brains!

Once we were dropped off, our tree was measured,shaken of loose needles, and netted. The gentlemen loaded our tree onto our van as we made our way into the hospitality shack.

And of course you can bet that there were four hot cocoas, one sprite, one bag of Doritos, one bag of M&M's, one popcorn, several free candy canes and Christmas themed drawing pads. A certain little gal was quite smitten with her hot cocoa.

These three were entertained with the snacks and drawing pads.


We also took a walk around the place to peek at ornaments before sitting down for a family photo. With 6 of us to photograph, I'm giving some props to the guy (who works at the farm and offered to take the picture without me even asking) who took this shot. Daddy isn't looking, but at least the kids are!

We came home and decorated our tree while Mary Poppins served as background noise. It was fun to find our old ornaments and tell the girls what they represented. They each got to hang their first Christmas ornament along with several others.

There will be another post featuring our decorated tree soon.

Thanksgiving Traditions

With such a young family--we've only been doing this family thing for five years-- we are still in the process of figuring out the things that stick and things that just don't work for us anymore than one year. Here are some tried and true (T&T) and some other traditions that may or may not make it (new):

~ Going to the Christmas tree farm and decorating our Christmas tree on Black Friday (T&T)

~ The girls all make a Cherry Pie with daddy on Thanksgiving Eve while watching a family-friendly movie. We then eat the left over crust that's been baked and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar (T&T)

~ Hot cocoa... it always starts making its way into our tummies this time of year (T&T)

~ Designing a 'Thankful' collage as a family (new)

~ Watching Christmas Vacation the night of Black Friday (T&T)

~ Perusing the Thanksgiving ads with my mom, husband, sister, daughters (whoever is sitting with me at that moment) the evening of Thanksgiving. (T&T)

~ We each pick out an ornament every year (usually on Thanksgiving Eve)-- we try to make these ornaments symbolize a stage or interest for the year, but sometimes they are just pretty/cute/fitting (T&T)

~ If my sister's not in town, then I may or may not hit the stores on Black Friday---I usually end up heading out **late** according to other shoppers but I consider it **early** to be shopping at 7 am (T&T)

~ Or course we celebrate the day with a feast... or several feasts. We always go to my husband's Aunt's house and also to my momma's house. Both offer up the great, traditional Thanksgiving fare: Turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, some kind of corn dish, green bean casserole, rolls, salads (fruit and lettuce varieties), several appetizers that vary from year to year, tons of pies, some fudge, pudding, and brownies (at least this year there were brownies because I brought them)!

And speaking of Thanksgiving fare, I'm headed out to my momma's house right now to settle in for our feast and a little KU/MU football. Bring on the good eats and a Jayhawk win (Hey, I can wish, right?)!

A Little Catch Up!

Sometimes, it seems life is just one big catch up game. That being said, there are so many things (okay, mostly just pictures) I've wanted to share in the last few weeks, but I simply haven't had the time.

I can blame it on several things--but it's mostly been due to this sick blogger and all of her grading. Both have been quite time consuming, honestly. I've been fighting a nasty chest cold for two weeks, and I also had the stomach bug for two of those days. Really, coughing and stomach stuff---just shouldn't go together!

Anyway, I finished up one class last Thursday and I am starting a new one tomorrow. So much for the break I was so desperately wanting, but at least I can have a little Christmas fun money. I do get a break for the holidays, so it won't be totally time consuming around the important family times!

Speaking of important family times, we have celebrated two birthdays!

Nope, not hers. But she certainly enjoyed the cupcakes!

Brownie turned 4 and Bug turned 3. Here they are in their costumes as Super girl and Minnie Mouse. We celebrated with a costume party, friends and family and of course some chocolate cupcakes.

And here's my other two cuties in their Ariel and dinosaur costumes. Peach bragged about not having to buy a wig because her hair was already red. And as far as our dinosaur, we actually got accustomed to calling her dinosaur that week and she actually listened and responded. She also liked to ROAR!!!! any chance she got!

The next day was Halloween. So we endured day 5 of wearing costumes (we attended several functions for Halloween this week)--knowing it would be the last day. Of course, these costumes retired into our dress up collection.

And here we are enjoying the brisk evening of Halloween. We posed for a few shots and then headed over to a friends house for fellowship, food and fun! This has become a tradition for us. Of course the kids loved every bit of the candy they collected that night. I'm glad my kids are little enough that they get plenty of thrill by walking just one cul-de-sac.

Once the time changed, the leaves on our big tree in the back yard finally changed as well! Here is our favorite tree. It's the biggest one we have and it shields us a bit from our neighbors--unfortunately, we lose that shield once the leaves fall.

This tree turns a fiery orange; and, then within a few days the leaves are all but gone! I hate to see them go :-(

But that's why we get out there and play, run, jump, dig, and pile about in the leaves that fall to the ground. This is one of my favorite times to just sit back and watch the girls.

I don't pay attention to how dirty they get.



There is no fighting.


But there are giggles---and plenty of them!

That's as far as I'll catch you up for now. This brings us to just 10 or so days ago. I'll have to add more soon though, because this will be a week full of some nice memories to record.

Too Cool.... The only words!

This promotion from shutterfly is just Too Cool! Shutterfly has so many opportunities for you to create all types of gifts, cards and even home decor on just about any budget. If you have some family and friends who'd love some personalized gifts (especially with your kiddos' picture on it), go check out their calendars. Those are always a hit!

I first heard about this awesome deal from a blog I read My Crazy Life with Four Boys. She shares an amazing story about customer service and that is what made me investigate further. What she did is something that I could totally see myself doing after spending a fun-filled day with my many hooligans! Thankfully, Shutterfly was incredibly understanding and nice.

Speaking of my many hooligans, Shutterfly offers several options for larger families. I love their options for including several photos on your holiday card. You can customize your search for what kind of card you wish to create--for instance, I click the 3+ photos link (because I obviously need more than three photos for my brood). I also choose to have a folded card. That way we can include a little message with our photos.

Here is the card I'm thinking we'll choose to share this year. I cannot wait to get my pictures loaded and get to work on this bad boy! I love that it offers a larger slot for a group shot of my girls, and it has four smaller places for me to include an individual shot of my four girls!

Here's to a happy holiday week. And with Thanksgiving just around the corner, remember to get your cards ready to go. I know that's what I'll be doing!!

Random Recap and the Weekend (with a little tea party thrown in)

WHEW! Now I can breathe!

This has been about the busiest week I've had in quite a while... or quite possibly ever.

We've been to preschool everyday, the dentist (no cavities),2 parent/teacher conferences (and one was skipped by mistake which I feel absolutely horrible about, ugh!), basketball class, a Halloween party, microwave browsing (because our is DONE), Trick or Treating at a local school with a parent's group, dance class, an Arbonne party (which I'm discovering I love), birthday party shopping (at several stores), a birthday party, and a mom's night out--not to mention the birthday dinner party we threw for Bug on her birthday and the pumpkin playdate we had with a couple of the girls' friends (that was a blast)! Oh, and a family lunch date at one of our fav local places that serves poblano white cheese queso (so healthy for you), Kobe Beef Burgers, and sandwiches like the C.A.B. and the Mangino! YUM!

Hey, at least we've thrown in some fun with all the crazy! And tomorrow will be spent prepping for the big birthday bash for my middle two girls. That of course includes a list of chores, cupcake baking, treat bag making, and treat making.

More random, stream of consciousness writing follows...

I stubbed my baby toe really hard at playgroup and about 10 mins later (while still barefoot) my daughter walked right on that toe! Ouch that hurt. It also hurts to lose sleep--which the Copelands have been doing plenty of lately. It doesn't help that my husband and I both "teach" online at night (which keeps us awake later than we'd prefer), but after a couple hours of slumber, our brand new three-year-old loves to perfect her highest octave scream. This has been going on for weeks and it's only getting worse. We've punished her, we've lectured, we've given in, we've created a reward system, we've moved her to a crib in another room, and now we've totally moved her bed into what will soon be the nursery. Last night it got so bad that I moved to our basement couch (which puts a floor between me and the screaming). I swear I was up every 10-30 minutes from 3 am to 7:30 am because of pregnancy associated pain. That was after being up since 1:43 (yes, I look at the clock the minute I wake up). And even then I'd only been asleep just over an hour. Guess I won't be getting much sleep between now and when the baby comes--HA! Who am I kidding? I'm guessing I won't see sleep for several years to come. There are still many nightmares, vomiting, and thunderstorms in my future. Speaking of weather, we are supposed to get our first freeze tonight. When I came home from the Arbonne party tonight, my husband had turned on the furnace. I'm glad because I was getting quite chilled. And thank God we now have a furnace that does not let out Carbon Monoxide. Although that would be the perfect excuse as to why our Bug is acting the way she is lately. Somebody suggested it was because of an allergy. But we've been down that road with another kiddo and one rude doctor. So I'll need to find a new one if we pursue that avenue. I can't help but see the piles of laundry situated on the love seat next to me. They are clean. They are folded. They are organized into 7 piles (one per family member and one for towels/blankets that go in our hall closet). Did you know that was the one thing I asked to have done when I came home tonight? Yep, but that's okay. I came home to a quiet house which meant I could finish my grading for the night. Yep, I forgot to include that on my list for the week. I graded 32 papers between Monday night and tonight. That number is really nice to work with. It is much more reasonable than the usual 60+ papers I have to grade. And tomorrow's list is still growing. I just remembered some bean bags I need to make. Brownie has been obsessing about them ever since I made some cow print ones for a game we played at Peach's birthday. Hers will be made with various Halloween fabric. I think four should suffice! Saturday will be a long day with party prep and the actual party. I'm hoping to catch a (in house)date night with the Daddy in the house. We'll see if we have the energy to keep our eyes open during a movie. And of course we'll wake up to kids who are ready to trick or treat at 7am. We have an Ariel, Supergirl, Minnie Mouse, and dinosaur this year.



Our baby was supposed to be Elmo (who she hearts), but she absolutely refused the costume--which I found out after I bought the red sweater and pants to wear underneath the costume. Oh well, now we're ready for Christmas and Valentine's Day.

I've been sporting a belly for a while now.

Someone suggested I paint a face on it and have my own Jack o' lantern costume. I'm guessing that might be one goose-bumpy lookin' pumpkin judging by the weather we've had lately!

I'm actually going as a tea-partier this year. I have a red, blue and white hat with the elephant on it, tea bags to hang from it, a Palin ribbon and I plan on creating an anti-Obama sign with at least one misspelled word. I was looking at some actual signs from real "rallies" or whatever they like to call their gatherings--and let me say that I will not be creating one of the offensive signs. One of the worst being, "There's a reason it's not called the Black House." And I forget which third-grade level word was misspelled. I could also go as Christine O'donnel a witch, but I'm wanting to be more original--hence the tea party costume. And for the kiddo costume party we're hosting, I will forgo the sign all together. Promise! My hands will be much too full with realy partying!

Happy Halloween to you all (in case I don't see you until sometime after Sunday)!