December Thus Far in Pictures

This is what we are up to this weekend! Karina and Luke came to stay for a few days. The girls love to have them over because they are so much fun to play with and Walker LOVES having another boy to play trucks with. They are having a great time. Notice they are all bathed...kuddos to me. It may or may not be because I am a little OCD about them bathing every night, but they don't mind it, so that is why we do it. Crazy? I would agree. Their ages.. 7, 5, 4, 3, 1. Anyone wanna loan us a 6 and 2 year old? That way we could have them all the way down.

Last weekend one of the activities was building our annual gingerbread house. This is the final product. It isn't quite as good as last years, but it will do. We have too keep it up high or Walker will have the whole thing eaten before tomorrow.

Last weekend our neighborhood HOA brought snow and sledding to us. There isn't ever enough snow here in TX to get some sledding on, so they brought in TWO SEMI loads of ice and put it into this GIANT Snow cone maker and sprayed it up on a hill in our 'hood. There are even catered sleds and a coffee/cocoa/cookie bar where you can get what you want made to order. IT was awesome. The only problem...it was like 70 degrees. The kids were SO hot. If it weren't for them being wet, they would have all be sledding in t-shirts and shorts. This is Bailey, one of the girls good friends, I couldn't resist sharing the look of sheer terror. The hill is like 15 feet long. PRETTY FUNNY!


Daddy got in on the action.

Mommy too!!

It took Ella a little while to warm up to the idea, but she eventually caught on.

They even left a mound of snow for the kids to have a snowball fight...it ended up being more of an ice ball fight.

The girls had a great time!


Tarin took a few spills. Notice the grass off to the left...it really was like a 100 ft by 20 foot hill. It looked hillarious from a distance. Only in Texas can you buy your snow from the sledding hill man. Thanks to our great HOA for putting on a great activity.

The best sledding of all was done after the kids left. A friend and I volunteered to help man the hill and make sure nothing crazy went on....we decided to build a few jumps. One of the neighbor boys came with the BEST sled I have ever been on, so natuarally we stole it from him. Livia seriously caught some air and we had a grand time. It was the first time Livia had ever been on a sled, so that was fun to see her become a stunt sledder on the first go round! Anywho...that is it so far. I am sure we will do many more exciting things in the weeks to come...not to mention the 25 hour drive to grandma's house. Should be fun!!

What a Day

So, today turned out to be somewhat eventful. Not that it was full of events, but the few events that happened were somewhat stressful. Walk and I went to Wal-Mart which has been somewhat of a daily occurance as of late. When we got out to the truck I began the get Walker buckled battle. You see, he would much rather just play around in the truck than actually sis in his seat and ride in it. I decided the keys would be a good distraction for him while I buckle him up. It worked and it was a flawless buckling up. I put all the bags in the truck including the diaper bag with my cell phone and wallet. I then closed his door and went to put the cart back. As soon as his door was closed I realized that he had the keys and would probably push the lock button and I would be locked out. Sure enough...that is EXACTLY what happened!! I start knocking on the window telling him to push the buttons and he keeps pushing the lock button over and over again. A few minutes pass by and then a lady asks me if I need help. I ask her if I can borrow her cell phone. I knew Livia was home so I thought I could get her to bring me my spare set of keys from the house. There are very few numbers I have memorized and hers are some of them. She isn't answering her phones....so I call Dan and tell him to start calling Livia because she will recognize his number, right? Still a no-go. All right, I will call Sara...mean time Walker is just playing games in the truck. Pushing buttons all around (thanksfully no the panic button). Sara is getting ready to write down all the info to get my keys to me when the boy pushes the unlock button and the sweet stranger opens my truck door. Truthfully I think she was more relieved than I was. I knew that things would be okay but she was concerned for Walker. It was only about 55 degrees outside, so I wasn't concerned about the heat, but more about the time of him being in his sweater in the car...that was getting warmer. Anywho...all worked out and we got home just in time for naps.

Right after naps I notice this car hanging out by my driveway. I think...oh no, someone is going to want to come see the house...it is a DISASTER!! I haven't shown it since October and that was the last time it was all clean at one time. AAAHH! Sure, enough, they want to see the house. I figure, hey, why not. I had literally two minutes to straighten up. I ran to the bedroom to make sure there wasn't underwear in sight. It was just crazy. As I was telling the lady all about the neighborhood and my house it made me realize how much I don't want to leave this area. I am willing, however, to go where I need to go and do what I need to do...where He wants me He can put me. That is my basic philosophy.

Anywho...now I am done for the day and Dan is on his way home a little early so that makes this craziness a little more manageable!!

Warning: It's a LONG one!

Fall 2008

It is about time I update with some Halloween Pics, etc. We just got home from and INCREDIBLE trip to visit Dan's parents in Hawaii. The photoshow will be coming soon. We had such a great time. None of us wanted to leave, but really, who would?? Anyway, enjoy the photos of the past few months and tomorrow will be updated with our Hawaii pics. It is gonna be a LONG ONE!! So get comfy!

Miraculous

So, today for the first time in history....All currently residing in this house were asleep simultaneously for 1 hour. It was a miracle of all miracles. It would have lasted a lot longer but some DUMB realtor decided she needed to ring the doorbell 4 times just to tell me she might need to bring someone by and would that be okay...HELLO, there is a phone number on the sign for a reason. Total Bug! oh well it was good while it lasted! Walker and Ella did sleep for a while longer....so I guess that was good..

Jumping Beans

Who knew beans really did jump?? Yesterday as I was doing some pre-wedding shopping for dresses for the girls...I got a call from Ella's preschool informing me that Ella had a bean jump in her nose. WOW! I thought, I guess there really are Texas Jumping Beans. How amazing. She wouldn't change her story. The bean just went ahead and jumped right in her nose. They had tried to make her blow it out, no success. They thought that a bulb syringe might get it out, so Walker and I headed to the school, bulb syringe and all and before we got there she had gone ahead and cried that silly ol' bean right out of her nose. So, the bean was freed without a visit to the doc, which I am very grateful for! Ms. Robin even saved the bean in a baggie for us. That is one jumping bean that has jumped it's last jump. YIPEE!

So, lesson learned, beware of the Texas Jumping Beans...

Eventually I got it out of her that the bean got put in her nose because she thought it would be funny! That's my Ella!

Long Time Coming

It has been forever since my last post and so much is going on...I guess that is why I haven't posted in so long. I will have to update the Halloween pics at a later date, when I have more time that is. But I thought I would just update a few of the highlights of the past few weeks.

Halloween was a total blast. Tarin went as Super Tarin, Ella was, you guessed it, Jezelle from Enchanted, and Walker was a puppy (we won't tell him it was a Lady costume from lady and the tramp) He just thinks he was a puppy. Al came over as well as our good friend Jen. The kids all ate as much candy as they could stomach for one night and we just hung out outside, the weather was beautiful. Jen and Dan harassed the kids that came by and we all just visited. It was fun!

Tarin was elected her classroom mayor. We found out on a Thursday that she had made it through the primary's. She needed to give a speech on Friday to her classmates so they could decide if they wanted to elect her. So, immediately we called Nana and she came up with a great poem that Tarin immediately memorized and we made some cards that said "Let Tarin the "Star-Burst" into service as your class mayor. We attached a starburst and off she went. She apparantly did a good job because she won. We are proud of her. I think it was a great boost of self confidence for her. Her teacher has been doing a great job teaching them about the elections and everything. They had a classroom vote on Election day for whom they thought should be president. He has been reading a little about each candidate each day from the newspaper. Once they got all the information he gave them, they then formulated their own opinion. Like the rest of the state of TX, McCain won her class over, but that was no forecast of the future, I guess.

Dan is still a traveling fool. It has been crazy, and it will continue to be that way until we figure out what we are going to do. This weekend I am leaving the kids with a friend and going to Tulsa with Dan. We are going to look around and see what we think and what we like. It should be interesting. I am getting really good at the whole sigle parent gig...given, i don't have to go out to a job everyday. Not cooking dinners is kindof nice. The kids are happy with whatever, so I make something for myself at the beginning of the week and then live on it for the rest of the week. It rocks.

I will update more later with pictures and everything.

Necessary Evil

I don't know why, but I decided it was time for flu shots around this house. Our pediatrician was doing a clinic last night so I thought I would get them all done at once. Dan, of course, is out of town, so this was going to be me flying solo. I had mistakenly told the girls that they could get the flu mist because they have gotten it the past few years. They were okay with going for that one reason. So, we got there and the nurse pulls out three shots.
I mentioned that the girls wanted the mist and of course, they were out! OH NO! Ella immediately starts screaming, Tarin is hiding her head in the corner crying and trying not to listend toe Ella's screaming and Walker just cries because his big sisters are. I literally had to lay on top of Ella while the nurse gave her a shot, Tarin is crying hysterically and Walker has no clue what is going on, but is upset because his sisters are. Shot one complete, and Ella didn't even know it had happened. She told Tarin "look Tarin, it didn't even hurt." Tarin wouldn't take her word for it and was still throwing a 7 year old sized tantrum in the corner.

Walker was up next, I pin the boy down, but the nurse didn't realize how strong this one is and his leg got away from her. Walker screams and leaves with two pin pricks, but is done. Unfortunately we couldn't find the binki to calm him down, so he will just have to cry until he is done crying. (The bink was in my pocket the whole time! Arggg!)

Tarin's up next...she is screaming "No, I want the mist, No I want the mist." Trying to leave the room, not listening and crying hysterically. I told her she could choose her leg or her arm. Then she chooses her arm....as soon as the needle is an inch away, she swats at it with her hand and we have to re-do the alcohol cleaning. Finally the nurse said, "sweetie, your arm or your leg?" She agreed to the arm and once she was under control and the shot was over....she says "it didn't really even hurt."

This all happened in a matter of about 6 minutes and I don't know why it stressed me out so much but it did. So, for any of you moms out there wanting to get flu shots for your kiddos, I would reccommend that you get one first (which I should have but didn't know I could) and show them that it doesn't hurt, and then go from there.

IT WAS NUTS and so am I!

Cheetah-Amazing

This has been an exciting week. Some good friends/neighbors of ours gave us three ticekts to the Cheetah Girl's concert last night. Ben and Al were gracious enough to come and watch the Boy so the girls and I could go. It was really a lot of fun! The girls were so excited and it was a great bargaining tool for me for the past week. Here are a few pics of the event!!

'Tis the Season

My kids keep asking me why the Halloween stuff is up in the stores! I keep wondering myself...could it really be October. To be honest, I cannot wait for 2008 to end. It has been a rough year for our little family and I am looking forward to a new year. Not that I am not grateful for all the good things that have happened this year, because I am, I am just ready for a whole new set of things to be grateful for. Does that make sense?

I was in Hobby Lobby a month or so ago and they already had their fall stuff on sale and the Christmas stuff was all out. I guess 'tis the season already. Someone told me that because of the economic situation in our country right now, economist are expecting this to be the worst Christmas season for retailers all around. So, who wants to do homemade stuff this year?? I DO I DO!! Anyone got any ideas? I am the least creative person you will ever meet...just ask my friends.