Rain,extension cords, and lights....oh my!

Today was a cold rainy Sunday but, we put up the Christmas lights on our house anyway. I love decorating! I think it is so much fun to start the process of decorating the house for Christmas. It is exciting to see how it will look this year, what things will work, what won't. I am often heartbroken each year by the things that broke over the year or things that have mysteriously disappeared since last year. But, each year I purchase a couple new things that add to our display and sigh, our house just looks so sweet. All we need now is snow to really look good. Snow always completes the look to make it all perfect.The really nice thing about this year is that we were able to put everything up in 50 degree weather!!! The weather has been so nice this Fall. It is due to change soon, maybe even this week but, putting up Christmas lights in 50 degrees was great, even though it was raining a bit.

Christmas is such a magical and miracle part of the year! I love this season but, I think it is often over done, over commercialized and under done about the true meaning of Christmas……..it’s ALL about Jesus people!
Decorating your home is a symbolic of what we, as Christians, need to do all year round
It is nice to drive down my street and see the spirit of Christmas shining bright.

It's Not Just an Hour

Change is not always a good thing.
This whole daylight saving time change thing bites! I don’t like it at all!
The only good thing about "falling back" is the extra hour of sleep I get one day a year. Oh wait a minute, now that I have children, that doesn't happen. So really there are no rewarding qualities about the winter time change.
Since the time change, I feel like it is time for bed as soon as hubby gets home from work. There's no more going outside for a walk after we get home, no more chatting with the neighbors as we unload the car because no one is out working in their yard or hanging out in the dark. There is no going to the park to play for a few minutes after dinner and before bed.
The Winter Daylight Savings is dividing. I wish we didn't have to turn the clocks back in the Fall. I would prefer it to be dark in the morning when I am rushing around getting the kids ready for school, and to have a few extra moments of sunshine to enjoy in the evening when I get home.

Thank You

I am grateful for many things this Thanksgiving...
Especially my own little turkeys, who have brought me so much joy this year.
Since moving to Texas I had to get used to not having the traditional house full of family and friends, moms good cooking, and watching my cousins burn off that dressing with a little afternoon football.
Nope, the past few years have been a bit less eventful.
But, I try my best.
This year was probably the best (Texas) Thankgiving yet.
We had Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday night at a good friend & neighbor's house. She invited all of her friends and families over for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Gwen made mulled wine, I made the green bean casserole, and Melissa brought stuffing. The kids watched Harry Potter and the adults had time to unwind. It was very nice.
Today I spent Thanksgiving at my sisters house. We made everything from scratch. The kitchen was a mess but the food and company were great!
Ethan & Jacob are old enough now to enjoy a game of footbal, and so they did. They played for hours.
We had plenty of leftovers enough to feed us thru the weekend.
It was a wonderful day.

In Thanksgivings past, I used to be thankful that I had great children, a wonderful healthy family, and really good friends.

This Thanksgiving, I want to say thanks to everyone in my life for giving me something to be thankful for =)

Cookie Time

Whether it's a holiday, special occasion, or just a long, boring afternoon and a way to pass the time is needed, baking cookies is a great activity anytime. It is also one of the easiest ways I spend quality time with my children. Baking cookies gives them the chance to get their hands dirty while making something fun, and tasty together and cherish some irreplaceable moments in the kitchen.

The kids are home this week for Thanksgiving break. I try to keep them busy so, today we made cookies. The kids each had friends over and I needed something to keep them all from getting bored. I made gingerbread cookie dough last night so it was ready for rolling and cutting. My kids love to cut the dough into fun shapes, and later cover the cookies in colored frosting or sprinkles.


Baking together has become a tradition in our home. Not only is it a sweet treat, but baking together is always makes fun filled happy memories and simple math lessons for children.
We all had a great time.

Team Jacob

Yes I'm one of those crazy Twilight Moms who is anxiously waiting to see New Moon. I have to admit that when i first started reading Twilight I wasn't hooked, but once I watched the movie, my attention shifted. The first time I watched Twilight I thought the acting was a little akward. But now everytime I watch it, I see something diffrent that I missed the time before.

So I went to see New Moon today with 8 friends today and we all loved it!!! Pre and Post movie, we all were chatting about the movie and movie vs. book. I felt lost being one who has not read it.

I am convinced that I will have to read the books just to understand some of the things that I didn't quite get from the movie.

Just To See You Smile

I’ve been avoiding the orthodontist for months!! I knew that at least one of my children would need them but I thought that time was years ahead. At the kids last dental appointment, we were told that Naty needed an Orthodontic consult. So, my dream that my kids would have perfect teeth was gone.
And I was more nervous about which dentist to choose. To say the least, I am a bit picky. I want the best for my kiddos. After a couple of months of searching, asking around, and pretty much stalking on the internet. I chose one. I am very pleased with him. His friendly staff and beautiful office made both Naty and I very much at ease. One staff member even brought me a freshly brewed Starbucks holiday blend coffee!!!!
Anyway, being here with Naty made me realize how she’s growing up way too fast. When the assistant came out to the waiting room to get Naty for her x-rays, she asked if I wanted to come back with Naty, of course I do. But Naty looked at me and said “mom, you don’t have to, I will be okay.” It took all of me to hold back my tears. I sipped on my hot Starbucks coffee and took my mind of by chatting to another mother in the waiting room. She has a daughter in high school that wears braces and can’t wait to get them off!! I told her how surprised I am that Naty actually WANTS them. I have no idea where the interest in braces is coming from. When I was called into the consult room, I knew the time had come….my daughter needs braces!!!! A huge smile came across Naty’s face as a frown came across mine. Especially when he was describing how her face is going to change :(
Naty had impressions of her teeth taken and spacers put in both upper and lower molars. She will get an expander in two weeks that she will wear for six months. Hopefully that will give her more room for her teeth to spread out! She'll get braces eventually.
Now, I don’t know what makes me more miserable, watching Naty’s beautiful smile change or paying these bills!!!!

Let Them Have Pie

My kids picked out pies for their teachers to share with their families over Thanksgiving break. We were originally going to buy one 9 inch pie for theier entire family to enjoy but, I could not decide what kind to get. Just then, my kids stubled across these (adorable) individual pies. What a great idea to send the teachers a variety to choose from. They turned out pretty cute!

Hello There...neighbor

You know how it usually happens. The moving van pulls up across the street. You peer through the slats of the window blinds. You don't want them to see you checking out the new neighbors. Who are they? In goes the fancy furniture...as I wonder, will we be friends and share dinners? In goes a child-size bike...and I wonder how many kids they have?
New neighbors are always fascinating.
I hope they forgive me for disrupting their moving process to run over and meet them but, the worry of who our new neighbors would be, was still pondering. I have had my share of BAD neighbors and could not handle another but, what a relief that a lovely family has moved in.
And the kids.....three girls!!!! YAY!
How wonderful for my girls to have new friends on the street.

Super(mom)stitions

So, it's Friday the 13th and it feels like any other day.
I laugh at the belief that Friday the 13th brings bad luck. In fact, I open umbrellas indoors, walk under ladders, and occasionally I break a mirror. See, I'm not superstitious at all!
But then I got to thinking(which usually spells trouble)and realized that if I'm brutally honest with myself, I do have some superstitions of my own.
The bed has to be made before I get in it or I won’t be able to sleep. Makes sense, right?

My kids clothes have to be put away neatly or we will run late. That’s a given. I must change the toilet paper roll or before it gets completely empty or the next person (????) will not be able to change it. And my VERY favorite.....if you ignore the problem, it will NOT go away.
Happy Friday the 13th everyone =)

Weight a Minute!

I think I found the problem.......

I have been using my treadmill as a temporary hanging closet. It works really well. I can hang my entire weeks wardrobe on it and it is right there conviently located in my bedroom.

Getting in shape has always come with difficulty for me and this is not helping. So, I decided to put my clothes in my actual closet and say goodbye to this wonderful apparatus. It's a good thing too because, I am starting to feel the jiggley effects of this wonderful idea.

Not in My Shoes

Me and my girls watched the movie, Freaky Friday, the other day. They totally understood the concept of the movie, switching lives with someone else so, we have been pretending to switch places with each other. This can be a little dangerous. It really puts me in my place when they imitate me...am I really that mean???? It is pretty funny though and it is all in FUN.
Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to switch places with someone and have them live my life just for a day. I guess it's like walking a mile in someone else's shoes, it's good practice that I need to consider more often.
So today, that is MY goal: to think about how OTHERS might be feeling and why they do the things they do.
This could get interesting!!!!!

I want candy!

What is it about this time of year that turns us all into sugar giving and sugar seeking maniacs? We have enjoyed 3 different Halloween parties, and have left each party with 3 kids each carrying a huge sack of various bite sized (and sometimes full sized) bits of candy. We celebrated a birthday or two with more sugar, and have essentially stuffed ourselves silly with various sweet concoctions.
I’m not only worried about broad health issues. I’m also trying to preserve my sanity. My efforts to limit my kids to only a few pieces of candy per day have put us in a war of their constant pleading and begging and my constant frustration and surrender. When I let them have their way and eat what they want, big surprise, they are cranky, tired, and generally little hellions. Am I the only one who sees food as a direct influence on behavior?
Have you heard about the Switch Witch? The Switch Witch is a great way to deal with all of that Halloween Candy.
The story goes like this: a child gets to eat all the candy they want up through Halloween night. On Halloween night, before the child goes to bed, s/he lays out all their candy for the Switch Witch. The Switch Witch comes when they are asleep and takes the candy and switches it for a toy. Cavity-creating candy is gone and desirable new toy is there instead!
A few of my friends told me about it last year and said that their kids LOVED the idea of the Switch Witch and eagerly put out all the candy. Apparently, none of them even mentioned the candy again as they were so happy to have a new toy. It is a brilliant idea, and I plan to do it next year.
Now I just have to figure out what to do with the hidden bite sized candy sitting in the top of my closet. Right now it is contributing to my personal adult obesity. Anyone want to switch witch me and leave me a new toy in exchange?

Fall Back

Many people get excited about the Fall time change, because it means gaining an extra hour of sleep. I used to feel the same way. But now, I actually dread the fact that we have to turn the clocks back an hour, because though we may get adjusted to it pretty quickly as adults – children are a different story!
I try to keep a tight ship when it comes to staying on schedule. We have a regular daily routine from the time we get up in the morning to the time we go to bed at night. All the kids (ages 10,8, and 5) go to bed at the same time – by 8:30pm. They also wake up at the same time everyday – by 7:00am. And as most of you moms know, children oftentimes have this internal clock inside of them that tells them when to get up. It doesn’t matter what time they go to bed either. They usually always get up at the same time.
So, this morning, instead of getting up at the usual 7:00am in the morning, everyone, including me, was up at 5:00am in the morning.
Today I am just plain tired.
By 7am the sun came shining through my bedroom windows forcing me out of bed. I like to sleep in on the weekends but today the stinkin' time change ruined everything!!!!