Seussical 2013

If you walked in my house the only sign of Halloween 2013 is two trick or treat buckets on top of the refrigerator.  Halloween 2013 was another great year...a little colder than we are used too and missing our usual trick or treat neighborhood, but still a great year.  I'll skip the chit chat and just get to what I know you want...

Have you ever seen such cute Dr. Seuss characters?!  I highly doubt it!!

And here are the pics from our Halloween party last weekend.  Another big success, but boy am I glad to be shutting the book on Halloween 2013. 

Until next year!!

Words and NO Pics!

This morning started off like every other Wednesday morning.  I pressed the snooze button three times...I do it every single day without fail and on the last one my phone reads 6:57 and it's time to wipe the sleep from my eyes and turn on the Today Show.  I am a creature of habit...a MOM of habit.  I like to press snooze...I think it makes me feel slightly more connected to the working world.  Being a stay at home mom is a job, but in a different kind of way.

Every morning Thomas is the first one up and after being up for usually an hour prior, argues with me about showering.  He pretty much argues with me about EVERYTHING these days, but for now we will stick to the usual morning arguments. Once we have gone 10 rounds over the showering issue we move on to the issues of what to wear and making his bed.  Honestly people...I am not lying when I say this is what happens EVERY morning.  After those issues are resolved it's breakfast, lunch packing, teeth brushing and our last argument of the morning...when he can leave.  My kid would walk to the bus stop 40 minutes early if I let him...which I do not, so he waits until my phone says 8:10 and he's gone. 

My morning with the girls is slightly less predictable, but usually involves yelling, arguing and whining.  All of which are provided by the one and only Taylor!!  I know the day is coming when Tatum starts to participate in this fun stuff I write about, but thankfully not yet.

Like our mornings, our days are usually pretty predictable.  Run errands, pick up the house, lunch, playing...you know stay at home mom kind of stuff!!  Today has not been much different except today Thomas had a dentist appointment.  I had to sign him out of school for a while and after I came back to the school to drop him off I found myself 100% in awe of the person I am today.

I am a mom of three pretty awesome kids...albeit three independent and crazy kids, but awesome nonetheless.  I often can't believe they are mine.  It's coming up on eight years that I have been a mom.  Seriously?  Eight years?  I can't believe it!  I still sometimes have no clue what I am doing and I think they know it.  I wonder if at some point my kids are going to tell me they hate me and mean it.  I mean it's not uncommon to find my head buried in my hands contemplating wine at 10am.  Good days I'm not contemplating it until 5pm!!  I know a few moms that can relate!!   

I'm not sure where I'm going with all this, but I do know this...for me having kids has changed my wants in life.  I want my kids to be respectful and kind and happy.  I want my kids to want for nothing, but appreciate what that means.  I wonder though...how do you achieve that?  In an odd sort of way we get a redo every morning when we hit the snooze button, but we don't really get a redo with how our kids turn out.  I think I turned out pretty good, but was there ever a time my parents wondered things like this?  Or do you just roll the dice, point them in the right direction and cross your fingers?   I think as long as I am lucky enough to be a stay at home mom I will avoid the rolling the dice and crossing my fingers part.  If they end up in therapy, there's a good chance I'll be there with them. 

More From Our Trip

My super busy week kept me from doing much of anything, but I still wanted to share the rest of the pics from our AZ trip.  Some of our visits may have been shorter than others, but I was happy that the kids got to see most of their friends and so did my hubby and I.

Until next time Arizona!!

iPhone Photo Dump

After our week in AZ I had exactly ONE week to get ready for our Halloween party.  Needless to say it was a busy week full of decorating, food prep, a fall festival, a car in the repair shop and all of our normal everyday stuff.  iPhone Photo Dump this week is a little combo from end of vacation and our first week home!!

From top left:
1.  Thomas, Evan and Taylor...not sure where Landon was??
2.  Tatum checkin' things out!
3.  She absolutely loved this school bus ride at the mall.  Didn't even need to put coins in...she was happy just pretending!
4.  Thomas and my hubby had to pee on the way home and we were nowhere near a gas station...state parks work well too!
5.  We let her out of her car seat while we gassed up...it was a LONG drive home...14 hours in the car!
6.  This picture captures her personality POST vacation...NOT happy!
7.  Hangin' on moms bed watching Mickey Mouse Club.
8.  My new shirt...Taylor thinks it's Seahawks colors...hadn't thought about it, but she's right!
9.  Made myself a little tutu for my clown costume...YUP, I was a clown for our Halloween party!

A Little Walk Down Memory Lane

In preparation for Fridays big reveal I thought I would take you all down memory lane.  Halloween memory lane that is.  Halloween is a big deal around here.  OK fine...it is a big deal for me, mom.  The kids would probably be fine with cheap Target costumes and if I'm being honest...it would probably make my life a whole lot easier.  But instead I dream up their costumes the day after Halloween for the next year and my excitement starts.

This year was no different, but you will have to wait until Friday morning for the big reveal.  For now though I thought I would remind you of Halloween's past!!

2008 gave us a Dragon and a Ladybug!!

2009 started our themed Halloween's and also the seamstress skills of my talented mom!!  Scarecrow and Dorothy!

2010 gave us what might be my favorite year...The Pirate and The Wench!

2011 gave us more cuteness with classic costumes!!  A super scary Vampire and a super cute Witch!!

 

2012 we added some cuteness to the pair with our little Tatum!!  We strayed a bit from a group theme...Taylor was Little Bo Peep and Tatum was her sheep!! Thomas was a soldier!!

I promise you this year will not disappoint.  I will give NO hints!!  You only have to wait 5 days!!

Never Too Old

Vacations always go by WAY too fast!!  Fall break was no different, but we made the most of every minute.  It will be a while before the whole family is back in AZ again, so we tried to fit in as much as possible.

Our last day was spent at the local pumpkin patch and although we skipped the actual pumpkins, we did manage to see and do everything else.  And not just the kids got in on the fun...mommy and Aunt Kiki joined in too.

It's a toss up who had more fun, but if you were going to guess from the pictures I am betting you'd put money on me.

Mid-Way iPhone Photo Dump

Just a quick photo dump from some of our trip so far.  I can't believe we will be heading back home on Friday.  Vacations always go way to quickly.

Still on the agenda though...Postino, a movie, meeting some of the kids' friends for an after school snack, Seahawks game for everyone but Tatum and I and visiting a few more friends.  No time to be wasted.

From top left:
1.  Taylor had a little school function before we headed out of town.  I got to see some of her work so far this year!
2.  About to drive through the Eisenhower tunnel.
3.  Too bad it was 9am in the morning when we saw a Taco Time...I was very tempted.
4.  We saw quite a few deer, even had to stop so a family could cross the street.
5.  You can't read it, but that sign says "Moore's Gulch"...almost to Phoenix.
6.  So good to see the friends we have missed so much!
7.  It wouldn't be a night without a little meltdown from Tatum.
8.  It took Tatum a little while, but she finally warmed back up to Lin-z.
9.  Went over to Aunt Kiki's house for a little while!
10.  Nana and Tatum
11.  Lucy playing hide and seek under her bed.  Never a dull moment with these dogs.
12.  How hilarious are they?  Just staring at us under the fence.
13.  Bought a little ribbon!  Because I totally need ribbon!
14.  No nap during the day...so she naps in the car.
15.  Tatum and Alexa!!
16.  These four have been friends for 5 years!!  Never a dull moment!

Will share more after our trip is over!!

A-Z Just Because

A...Another month come and gone, I can't believe it is October already.

B...Boredom brings on posts like this in case you were wondering!!

C...Christmas is 83 days away!!  Have you started shopping???

D...Did you know that although I can't stand the rain...I LOVE the smell of it?  Is that weird?

E...Eventually I am going to have to break down and buy WINTER clothes because I am pretty sure nothing I own is SNOW worthy.

F...Fantasy Football is consuming me! 

G...Going to Arizona next week!

H...Halloween is 28 days away!!  Do you have your costume???

I...I am really craving Chinese food right now, which would be fine if it wasn't 9 o'clock and I hadn't already eaten.  UGH!!

J...Just spent an hour looking at old blog posts.  I seriously couldn't care less if anyone ever opened this blog again, I love have a hard copy just for myself.

K...Kenny Chesney...Anything But Mine...currently playing on Pandora.

L...Loving that Fall brings back all of my favorite shows, but I am currently watching DVRing TOO many shows.  I really need to edit my choices or I will never be productive.

M...My favorite day of the week is Sunday!

N..."NO!" Tatum's favorite word these days!

O...On the agenda tomorrow...NOTHING!!  Woohoo!!

P...Party...as in I need to get my butt in gear and plan one...specifically a Halloween Party!

Q...Quiet house comes only after bedtime!

R...Reunited...The song that will be playing when I get to see my friends a week from Saturday!

S...Seriously hoping the Broncos lose this weekend!! 

T...Tom comes home on Sunday...YAY!!!!!

U...Umbrellas in the kids' backpacks Friday...for rain??  Or maybe Snow!!!

V...Vacuuming is so much fun when you have a DYSON!!  OK, not that much fun, but not the worst thing I could be doing.

W...What makes you happy?  My list is long, but at the top...my kids' laughs!

X...I got nothing!

Y...Yesterday my mother-in-law got a new heart and every time I think about it I am taken back by how truly amazing that is!

AND

Z...Zach Brown Band...the Pandora station I listen to every single morning!

iPhone Photo Dump

I realized something the other day...I have become a very lazy picture taker.  I used to be the mom that had her "good" camera with her AT ALL TIMES!!  As many of you know...I have been known to whip it out whenever the mood strikes including places like the grocery store.  More and more though...I have become lazy, relying solely on my iPhone.   Well...that's going to change.  I am going to pull out the big purse and start carrying my good camera with me again. 

For now though, here is another iPhone Photo Dump!!

 
From top left:
1.  Sisters...they are growing up TOO FAST!
2.  Taylor went on a field trip and this was all the stuff she picked and brought home!
3.  You can't tell, but she is screaming because I put her on time-out while we were on a walk.  
4.  Did my Halloween decorating and all of the decorations make me so happy!
5.  Bought ourselves a little present this weekend!!  I now LOVE to vacuum.
6.  Tatum isn't a huge fan of the stroller anymore.
7.  Both of the kids received MVP medals on Sunday...Thomas didn't stick around long enough to take a pic.
8.  Cleaned out Tatum's clothes....lots of stuff that no longer fits.
9.  Thankfully...I saved clothes from Taylor and her closet is full again!

Happy Wednesday!!!