Christmas Cheer!

Wahoo!  Christmas is HERE!  love this time of year.  This season, i can already tell, the kids are going to be WAY into it.  WAY.  Will wants a Christmas party.  I do Halloween and Birthdays (and maybe New Years but I leave that up to Rob because he's way cooler and plans better adult parties (not those kind-but you get my drift))...I leave the rest of those holidays up to you folks.  Any one want to invite us to one???

We've been under strict decorating mode this past weekend and I have a TON of do it yourself projects to show off.  Now that I'm almost done with them all I can scream from the rooftops RUN TO THE DOLLAR STORE AND SPEND! I kid you not this place has got the secret gems of the holiday season.  At one point, i was sitting on the floor of the store hoarding ornaments from another shopper. it was bad.  I swear to you that there is so much wonderful holiday do it yourself-ness there that a girl could spend some serious buck (and it's only a dollar.)

We decorated gingerbread houses last weekend...before thanksgiving.   you'd think that these things would be easy but they really aren't.  Will picked out the mini gingerbread houses which was almost impossible for my fat little fingers to put together.  I secretly wanted to break out the glue gun but was concerned that I may poison my lovely children and that would be awful.  So, we used icing.  I'm not gonna lie, this is a holiday tradition that I could get rid of.  Maybe replace it with eating yummy cookies?  i don't know.  Nonetheless, we have pictures to prove that it was done just one more year...

if you can't tell, I am very confused here.  slightly angry that rob won't put the houses together, but mostly confused...

you'll notice here that i frosted the entire house-everything.  this did not make will happy as it resulted in no front door or windows, just a house completely covered in snow.  i told him to pretend there was a blizzard.

red dyed house frosting/glue is difficult to get off little girls faces...

and there is the finished product my friends!

oh thanksgiving!

The kick off to the holiday season!  How I love thee....

Let's see...

turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, pumpkin & pecan pie (yes both with possible seconds later tonight), beans, and deviled egss....check!

An afternoon of Wii, followed by a major melt down by one little five year old who was in video game heaven for just a moment this afternoon....check!

A broken toy at nana & papa's (followed by a sweet voice saying "oopsies, oopsies!)....check

A HUGE pile of ads, filtered, sorted and ripped apart....check

An excel spreadsheet outlining tomorrow morning's adventures (not everyone can shop haphazardly)...check

3:15AM alarm clock set....check

Off to the living room for a crafty project and UP!...check.

Love this holiday.  so much to be thankful for this year.  

"But mommy...

you're going to scratch you're eye off." This was Addison's thoughts as I plucked my eyebrows this morning.  Awww...the innocence of youth!

The part about October that I left out

yeah so...october is still long gone and I failed to include some very important pictures in the last, already forgotten about post. Why must I go back you say? this little blog is like a journal for the kids. and at night, when i have terrible mommy guilt for not having 'real' baby books (let along remembering how much either kids weighed at birth), or writing in the cute little journals that I so religously wrote in every day of their lives until they were 6 months old, or the fact that I work full time, or really...when i'm lying in bed...the thought process could go anywhere. but..i digress...as I lay there in bed with mommy guilt i tell myself "at least you have the blog." yes...the blog that is neglected and remains in cyber world for god knows who to read. well..damn it...they need to remember this stuff and some day i'll figure out how to turn it into something real-a book or something.

so...important thing left out from october...the best sport EV-ER. Soccer. I hope will plays soccer for the rest of his child hood years to make up for my complete lack of skill in the sport. it is so much fun to play and watch. I got to be assistant coach this year and every day that I was with 12, 5-7 years old i said 1,000 thank yous to elementary school teachers everywhere. Thank god that is a job that I don't have. but...I was able to manage for 60 minutes twice a week. in fact, i loved it. Unlike T-ball where we would often find Will picking grass or throwing dirt, soccer was fast and fun. And on the very last game...he scored his first goal! Love it!


This is what Addi did at most games...wandered around the field trying to play.


And in other news...my 3 year old, is going on 16.


crossed legs + lip gloss = mandatory attitude. yesterday, we cruised the mall for Christams gifts and stopped at 3 make up counters. I don't wear much make up but she walked away with way too expensive lip gloss!

Dear October-

Where did you go?  And why did you take the first 1/3 of November with you?  We have been so busy that I feel like I should throw in the bag on this month and just prepare like hell for December.  True?  Please let me know.  This mom needs a little help!

So. Um. Yeah.  Where did October go?  I have no idea.  Here’s a recap (likely to be long) of what we did.  I wrote this as a took a stroll through my iPhoto, fondly looking at the memories.  I love having picture memories…even if there are never any words to match!

We took our first trip to the pumpkin patch early this year because we always seem to hit it on the rainy cold, wet days.  Instead this year…we got there on opening day when NO ONE ELSE was there!  Not quite the same feel but at least we’re in shorts!

October also marked the big 3-0 for me.  Who ever said 30 was bad…didn’t have a cool family and friends to celebrate with like me!  We went bowling first

and then Rob threw a BUNCO party for the non-kid crowd.  So much fun.  As all good BUNCO parties do…this one ended with a dance party starring Lyndsey and Rob.

This girl is the most fun to have at BUNCO party-well at any party-but she's especially fun at BUNCO!

The ladies!

Then everyone got sick…well the kids did first…colds, coughs ear aches, and fevers.  We had family pictures right in the middle of it all.  One would think I’d cancel, reschedule…but nope…the show MUST go on! It was cold, and Addison was sick (can you tell?!) but we still got some great shots. 

Then I got sick.  No swine here but a REALLY bad sinus infection that made feel like I could have died.  And then when it was all gone…We went on a bike ride.  Will kicked butt and rode around the entire downtown areas for 2hours-rockin’ the training wheels the whole time.  He is SO close to having those bad boys taken off.  Addison got the best seat in the house, on the back of a bike all snuggled up to Daddy.  She fell asleep quickly. 

The next weekend we went back to the pumpkin patch because we wanted to enjoy it in the rain and mud.  I think the kids liked this version more-more authentic I suppose. 

And with double the pumpkins…we carved our way to Halloween bliss.

Then Addison got her first haircut.  Yes …first one ever.  It was a homemade one which usually turn out horribly, considering I’m the cutter.  But this one was easy-straight across the bottom. Just enough to cut all the stringy ends off.

Our month ended with our neighborhood Halloween party.  So much fun to see the kiddos all dressed up.  This year, rob laid out the poodle outfit as a little ‘nudge, nudge’ and for once I obliged and actually put it on.  A few notes about the poodle outfit…I have had it since 7^th grade.  Since 7^th grade I have worn it probably 15 times.  It has never been washed.  The skirt goes great year after year, with the clothes in my closet.  These are the costumes I love the most.  Rob went as a storm trooper and the kids dressed up as Anakin skywalker and a princess.  Such a fun night with a ton of candy.  Good thing my kids could give or take candy in general otherwise it woud be sugar overload around here!

Here's to a much s.l.o.w.e.r. November...