November 24, 2014

This is what happens....


This is what happens when you take your child to their one-year old check-up with the pediatrician, in the middle of a snow storm I might add, and as you pull them out of the car seat while the freezing wind is whipping at you and snow is pouring from the heavens, you realize that in the fifteen minutes it took you to dive there, they had done a swell job of soaking all their clothes with a super-whopping-colossal-mega-blow-out.


And you didn't bring extra clothes.

Hoping their poop-saturated clothes won't instantly freeze upon cold air contact, you race into the building while trying not to hug them too close, or slip in the quickly accumulating snow, while coercing a stubborn toddler into walking on their own though they are insisting upon being carried.


On the bright side, at least he wasn't wearing his coat in the car!


He didn't seem to mind his minimalistic outfit.




And this is what happens when you give your toddler a bowl of cereal.

Like... every day.


Caption this photo!

On the bright side, the floor get mopped... a lot!

November 10, 2014

Happiness is a Journey


"Beware of Destination Addiction... a preoccupation with the idea that happiness is in the next place, the next job and with the next partner. Until you give up the idea that happiness is somewhere else, it will never be where you are." ~Robert Holden


Somewhere along the line I seem to have forgotten how to look at and enjoy the little things, those mere moments that are here and gone in the blink of an eye.

I never wanted to be that frustrated mom. The one who was always overwhelmed, upset, grouchy, and boring.

I am in no way implying that it's not okay to feel that way sometimes. I'm sure we all do.

I just didn't want that to be my state of mind, my life, or the way my children remembered me.



Joseph teaching Savannah how to play chess.




I'm not so sure she's getting it. 


I needed to change my attitude.

Easier said then done.

As I've reflected on this change in myself, there are many things I could attribute to it.

But one of the biggest things is simply that I allowed myself to become lazy.

It's true.

It is easy to know what we should be doing, it's another to actually do them.

Over the last year I began to feel justified somehow in skipping out on the work that needed to be done so I could do something easier or more fun instead.

I am not saying that we need to wear ourselves down or never take time off to relax.

Heaven knows I'm all about a night out, a good book, a fun movie, and a giant bag of chocolate.

But there is a big difference between taking a break and a breather, and simply not doing.

(This is the section where I droned on and on about this topic in great detail, then I deleted it all. You're welcome.)

Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it's a day you've had everything to do and you've done it.” ― Margaret Thatcher


As I have made a bit more effort to just... do and be, the atmosphere in our home has shifted a bit.

But this time for the better.

Possibly in part because I am feeling better about me.


Claira making her first peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She wouldn't let me help.




Jelly everywhere people.  Seriously, E.V.E.R.Y.W.H.E.R.E. But she was so proud. 


We woke up this morning to snow.

Jackson was fascinated by it.

Even though we were dealing with the craziness of the morning and trying to get Alayna and Jacob ready for school, I took him out into it and he was down-right enthralled.

I may despise the icky white stuff, but he was loving it!

After a while I took him back into the house where he instantly demanded to be taken back out again.

It was only then I remembered to try and capture the moment.

I told Savannah to grab the camera and snap a few shots of Jackson despite the fact that I had serious bed head and bad slept in make-up going on.

I may have missed out on the original smiles, but not his fascination.




I want to be like Jackson when I grow up and find joy in all the little things.

"Happiness is not a destination, it is a journey."


November 4, 2014

Halloween is OVER! *insert awkward happy dance*



November 1st is my favorite day of the year.

The End.


I'm kidding!

Kind of.



I finally threw away last year's candy on Halloween night.

True story.

There was quite a bit of it left too.

I'm not sure if I should feel proud or ashamed.


I tried to look up last year's Halloween post because I was curious about what I has written. To my mortification I discovered that while I had edited all the photos and started writing the post, I never actually finished it, and therefore never published it.

Horrified, I looked up my post from 2012 only to realize that Joseph, Jacob, and Alayna have been wearing the same costumes for the last three years! Well, I guess Jacob was Batman last year, but still!

Before you start throwing your rotting Jack-o-lanterns at me, I will have you know that I offered to find different costumes for them.

No one wanted a different one.

I was even about to take Joseph over to a friend's house, who graciously offered to let us borrow one of their many extras, to pick out a different costume.

He didn't want to.

He sorta loves his ninja outfit.

Kind of.

Just a little.

In an "no one is allowed to touch it" sort of way.

But he barely fit into it this year.

Next year's not going to work out so well




Since Savannah didn't want to wear the costume I had found for her last year, we pulled out a prom dress that a friend had given to her and just made stuff up.

'Cause that's how I roll.


Alayna was a witch... again.


I had borrowed a Tinker Bell costume from my neighbor for Claira. 

At fist she was excited and wore it around the house.

But when it came down to it, she didn't want to wear it. So we just made stuff up for her too.


I think part of the reason the boys love these costumes so much are the swords.

Best/worst investment I ever made.

Seriously, I can't tell you how many hours of fun and buckets of tears have stemmed from sword duels fought though out the year.

Jacob was Batman at school. But for trick-or-treating, he wanted to carry his sword.



Since I didn't have anything for Jackson, my neighbor let me borrow a costume.

There was a super adorable Peter Pan outfit that I almost went with.

But as soon as I saw the superman, I was hooked.


So much nostalgia.


He will always be Superman so me.



Our day went pretty much like any other year.

Trick-or-Treating over by Daddy's workplace, come home and dump the contents from the full buckets into plastic sacks, scarf down a quick dinner, then head out again for the neighborhood Trunk-or-Treat.

That's why I have to take pictures beforehand.

It's far too difficult to get them during that raging dash of collecting as much bounty as possible by sugar-crazed little people.

So I tried to get plenty before we left.




Claira soooooooooooooo did not appreciate Jackson confiscating her crown.

Needless to say, after the fire-breathing dragon known as a toddler was unleashed, pictures were over.

The kids had a grand time.



I tell myself not to eat all the good candy out of the kid's Halloween bags.

Myself is not listening.
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