Thursday, November 28, 2013

Gooble Gooble Gooble

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year we are doing our "dinner" much different than any other year. I am cooking, as I did last year, however we are eating at 11 am! Yes, our dinner is really brunch time. My mom and my aunt both have to work at 2pm. My family is very accustomed to eating early, we usually eat between 1-3pm. When my Dad was alive, we would switch our "dinner" time to when he was done with work (either eating at 3:30 pm or 1:00pm) My family is very go with the flow. I grew up with a Dad who was almost never there for holidays he always worked shift work. So this year when we had to change up things so that we could spend time with my family before they all head to work in retail, it was no big deal. I volunteered to have "dinner" here. Then on Saturday, my mom will cook our huge Thanksgiving feast and my entire family will be there.

I did not do thankful posts every Thursday this year. I am thankful for everything that I have written about in the past:
*Gary - He is awesome. The person who makes me feel protected. Loves me through the good and bad!
*My kids - They are fabulous. They are a great mix of super sweet and crazy. I laugh everyday because of them!
*My family - I love them! Always count on them to help when I am in need, especially for a babysitter! heh
*My friends - Ones that I can text my complaints to, share my joy with and have fun! 
*Our jobs - We both have our bad days, stressful days and long days but we have secure jobs. It puts food on the table, pays the bills and provides us with our home.

I am looking forward to spending 3 days with family and friends!



Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Making a List and Checking it Twice!

Christmas is less than a month away. My kids have been telling us for weeks about their wishes from Santa.

Dominic -
(although he gave up believing in the S word years ago, still makes a list! and he is AWESOME at not spilling the beans to the little guys)
* New BMX bike
* Jordan Flight 45 shoes
* Under Armor clothes
* Rainbow loom and bands
* Beats Headphones

Logan -
* TMNT Liar and guys
* Skylander game (although he has no clue what it really is!)
* Play dough stuff
* Imaginext Bat Cave

Charlie -
* Dolls
* Barbies
* Play dough stuff
* Dress up clothes, jewelry and shoes
* Coloring books and crayons

Hopefully they are well behaved from now until the big day because Santa does NOT want to bring coal for their stockings!  We have other items that we want to get for the kids. And a few things that we feel will help our own sanity, ha!

What are the top toys on your child's list?

Monday, November 25, 2013

How you doin?

I hope that everyone read that in their best Joey (from Friends) voice!

Life in our house has been a bit nutty lately. We have been super busy with friends, getting ready for the holiday season to start and preparing to cook on Turkey day.

Here is a bit of what has been happening:
* I went to see Catching Fire with friends and brought Dom along. It was SO good but I am a bit bummed at the ending. A little to abrupt for me. I enjoyed spending time with just Dom before our dinner out and movie. I also enjoyed my time away from the little ones who are ALWAYS touching me.
* The kids are done with daycare for the year. Gary and I have taken off a ton of days from now until the new year that there is no reason to send them. (plus it saves us money and helps keep them from getting ill)
* I am making Thanksgiving lunch this year. My Mom and a few other family members have to be at work at 2pm, so we are eating at 11 am. Then we will be dropping off our kids with Gaga (G's Mom) and their aunts/uncles so we may go shopping that night. This is the first time that Gary has gone shopping with me. We will meet up with some family and friends and it will be quality time well spent! 
* Our Christmas lists are made (of the things to buy) and I just started shopping a couple weeks ago. I am WAY behind where I normally am during this time of the year. I am a shop all year round girl for birthdays and Christmas, but this year I just didn't by ahead much. 90% of my shopping will be done on Black Friday this year. I usually do get most of it done then anyway, but this year it will be almost it all.
* I ordered our Christmas cards already so at least I am on the ball with that.
* I ordered all of my kids Christmas clothes and bought their Christmas Eve Pjs. (I LOVE that tradition)
* I have been pinning all the things! I am trying to figure out how to decorate our mantel this year, the top of the tv cabinet and maybe changing up our outside decorations this year. 
* With me not working 40 or 40+ hours a week the past couple weeks, my house has stayed so clean! Gary and I have been busting our butts during the week so that we only have to spot clean and put away laundry on the weekend. It is working.
* Logan had his first sleep over at a friends this past weekend. Dom stayed over as well to make sure he did not get home sick. Logan has stayed over his cousins house but never at a friends. He had the best time!
* My best friend is coming home this week and I finally get to meet her sweet daughter. I cannot wait to snuggle on that beautiful baby girl.
* Dom had his worst report card ever and he had forgotten to hand in homework (and by worse, I mean, it was all B's and 1 A) The report card was not bad by any means, however, if he would have handed in ALL of his homework, he would have gotten straight A's. I recognized this as a sign that his ADHD meds were no longer strong enough for him. We went to the Drs and he is now on a new medication. I am hoping that within a few weeks, he will be back to getting everything done and not forgetting things.
* We think that Logan had a flash back nightmare about falling down the steps. He will no longer walk down our steps, he must be carried. He tells us that he is afraid he will roll off the side of them (there is not a wall the whole way down). This is exactly what happened to him when he was 15 months old. I guess I am not the only one with PTSD about this accident.
* I designed and made Charlie 3 hair bow and headband holders. I may need to make more because she has SO many clips. I also want to make a shabby headband holder too.

That is how things are going around here. I am hoping to get more blogging in during my time off the next few weeks! Hope everyone enjoys Thanksgiving with their loved ones. I will be cooking and shopping and enjoying every minute of it all.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

What's in a name?

Charlie has the best names for people. I love listening to her talk.

Dominic is Gom-ah-lick
Logan is Yo-gahn
Chris (a neighbor boy) Chris-ah-mis (although she rarely calls him this anymore, makes me sad)
Stef is Mom (she knows her name is Stef but continues to call her Mom)

She can say her own name in full. Charlie Swea-erra or she also calls herself Char-lite.

As the kids get older, I realize how little time there is left to hear their sweet voices say things so incorrectly. I will miss it when it is all gone!

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Throw Back Thursday - Epic Bed Heads

Logan at about 20 months old

Charlie at about 7 months old

Friday, November 1, 2013

Trick or Treat, Smell my Feet!

It was a very rainy, windy Halloween in Pa last night. The kids were too excited to skip trick or treat, so we dressed them up warm. Grabbed a few umbrellas....and headed out in our neighborhood!

We only went to 8 houses in our street and were out for under 45 minutes. BUT it was enough for the kids. They got a lot of candy for very few houses!

On all Hallow's Eve, my family carves pumpkins, bakes pumpkin seeds and watches It's a Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown! It is our family tradition. I loves me some traditions!




We have changed our tradition for Halloween in the recent years since we moved into our new house. We used to go to my FIL's and trick or treat in his neighborhood since we lived so close. Now, we trick or treat in our neighborhood. It is way too much for us to get ready, drive to his house, trick or treat and turn around to come home. Good thing too because our kids passed out so fast last night, before 8 pm!


Aren't they the cutest things?! Biased, I know.



Charlie was Little Red Riding Hood. Just look at this smile....


Logan went as a vampire. However, he would not let me do his hair or put make up on. (that is for girls, he says) He looked even cuter without the fuss!


Dominic went as a minecraft creeper. He could only wear the face for half the time, it is made of cardboard and was getting way too wet.



This picture kills me dead. He is going to have girls swooning all over him someday!



We had a great Halloween! Hope your family did as well.