Another Pandemic Holiday Season

 Happy Spooky Season! 

We are coming up on another wonderful holiday season that is only going to be filled with SLIGHTLY more togetherness for those that are able to travel or be with people they were not able to be with last year during this time. 

For my family here in my home, we have some fun plans coming up for this season and we cannot wait to do them. This includes celebrating Halloween with a costume walk around the neighborhood (weather permitting), a spooky scavenger hunt with goodie bags and treats to find, some fun cookie decorating and goodie making, a family pumpkin picture painting activity, and of course making decorations and getting the house all spooky! (I still need to purchase some lights but I am working on it). SO we will be super busy the next few weeks getting the house together and preparing for all the fun to come. 

This really is my favorite time of year because I love the colors, scents, and sounds of the season combined in all the different ways you can do so. 

Of course, this year also comes with its own stressors of the kids being back in school (with masks and with the older ones vaccinated), thinking about all the planning that comes with the holidays when we go from one to another within a month of each other. 

There is one major difference this season and year though, I am more prepared than I have been in a long time. I have made lists and done research about things the kids have mentioned wanting and about what I want for Christmas, I have thought about the dishes we will prepare for Thanksgiving, and I have already ordered the rest of the items I need for Halloween apart from the lights that I still have to get. 

So while the holidays and even the regular days are not 100% back to "normal" we have a great start to this year's festivities and I am excited to see how many new memories we make. 

Hope you all have a safe and healthy holiday season. I will check in around Halloween to post some spooky fun content. 

Happy Haunting! 

Summer is Here

Yep, you heard that right moms and dads out there, Summer is HERE! Which of course means....no school!




I am lucky that I can be home with them while they are out. I am lucky there are with me for a good portion of the summer as they are with Dad most of the year because of school.









HOWEVER, surviving the summer with kids wanting attention the ENTIRE day can run even the most even keeled mother ragged.









My children especially could stump a Pinterest mom with the need for entertainment and attention. Again lucky for me I AM a Pinterest mom and have a plethora of ideas the are spaced out over the summer to help us stay sane in the hot weather. Last week we had our first day out together since school let out and it went about as smoothly as I could have hoped it would.

First we had a smooth morning with a shower and yummy breakfasts for the kiddos. Then we hopped the local bus down to our town's library where I signed the kids up for their own library cards, we did a puppet show and then took out some books and movies to enjoy at home. Spencer spent some time talking and laughing with the fish in the aquarium. Out side they posed with and as statues (it was totally cute).






On the way back we had a little bit of money so we stopped at DQ and got some cheese curds and blizzards before making the short walk home. It was a blast and the kids had so much fun.







I love how much they love books and having them thank me for the "awesome snack" was pretty damn great.

In the weeks coming up we have a few more library trips, a fireworks show on the 4th, probably another BBQ or two and several small activities for the days when the weather doesn't want to cooperate with our plans, such as rock painting, puppet show making, forts, and family games to play.

All in all I think summer will go well and I will miss them when they have to go to theirs Dad's again.

Zee's art page 

Spencer's picture of me and a turtle!

 I even have a blast just making art with them. It makes me smile when Spencer draws our family and when Kenzee comes up with ideas that she does all on her own with no guidance. It really shows how creative she is.





This is going to be a great summer with lots of fun memories. I cannot wait for the next day of fun planned.
I am sure you will all be waiting ever so patiently for my next update on how we are making it all work in today's chaotic world and keeping ourselves happy. Until tomorrow! Ciao!

Learning about Others

This past weekend we attended the Seattle Pride Parade! It was the kids first time really being a part of something that important. It went really well too, I expected a lot of questions and confusion. Turns out KIDS ARE NOT JUDGMENTAL like some ADULTS I know! 











They had a lot of fun celebrating LOVE, PEACE, and UNDERSTANDING! They learned that people are ALL very different but no one is better than anyone else, just different. They learned that LOVE is what is important! They enjoyed the colors, the music and the fun people they got to see marching in the parade. 

It was very fun for me to see them clapping and enjoying it when I expected them to have questions but they seemed to have no problems just accepting the way people were. I think we could all use to take a page out of their book. We should just accept the differences and learn to love everyone the way we want to be loved. 

 We spent the rest of the afternoon with friends having a BBQ and just having fun. It was really just a GREAT day! 


 I can't wait to take them again and maybe next time make sure we are all decked out to show our support for LOVE in all its forms! 

I am a woman who has a family that FULLY SUPPORTS LOVE and PEACE! We believe that you should love whom you love and never for a minute feel like you have to defend your choice! We LOVE YOU! 

From my little family to yours!  

Holiday Weekend Family Fun

Today is Monday and another wonderful week is ahead for the world. The festivities of the weekend still linger on the lawns of those who celebrated with their sparklers and personal fireworks and in my home the only remnants of the weekend are the memories and fun that we had as well as some fun pictures. 
While we did not participate in outside activities due to my recovery, the heat and Spencer being a cranky handful for part of the day we still had a pretty good 4th of July! 

The day started out like any other with the kids ready to greet the day a little sooner than I wish they would on a weekend. (They tend to get up with the sun.) Mckenzee proved just how mature she is getting and just how great it is that she pushes herself to accomplish things with her Scouting because she got up and made scrambled eggs and toast for her and her brothers! I was so surprised and impressed! She was very proud of herself too because as she said "I didn't get ANY shells in my eggs Mama!" A wonderful feat for my 7 year old love! 

Andy's little bit of color

Before

I decided that morning that I would also cut and color my hair. Now to anyone who ever cuts their own hair you know how difficult it can be to cut it straight and good on the back since you can't see it well but after several tries and a few too many inches off it was finally a good looking cut length and I was ready to color it. This is what it looked like before I colored it and finished getting it to an even length. (see picture on the left) Andrew decided he wanted color in his hair too but I didn't want to over do it and I wasn't 100% comfortable with the color I was using going in his hair but being a mom who wants to let the kids try new things I put a little in his hair after I put the majority of it in mine (since I WAS doing my WHOLE head in the color) This is how his turned out. (See ^) Mine ended up being more red than I had anticipated, but I figure I can get the color I really wanted NEXT time (another 6 months or so from now) I do like the way mine looks though so I have no real complaints. (See right -->) 

We wanted to go somewhere or do something with the kids, but with it being so warm and me still not feeling 100% we didn't want to overdo it. Plus we really didn't have much money to go to the places where everyone else seemed to be flocking to. Since we did have a little bit of money to use we decided to take the kids to Shari's for some pie shakes! (They take a piece of their fresh made pies and blend it into some ice cream to make and awesome shake!) They had so many flavors to choose from too, Andrew chose Chocolate Silk, Mckenzee and DJ had Peanut butter chocolate, Spencer had a kids ice cream sundae, and I had their Montana Cherry Pie shake. They were so yummy and a perfect cool down treat to have with the family out and about! 

We finished the night with out cookout of yummy chicken, hot dogs, burgers, potato salad, beans, DJ's special recipe Cole slaw, and chips! It was delicious and we were all very full! We watched Independence Day while the kids played and did their reading for the night. Then the kids then had some Popsicle while we watched the televised fireworks from around the states and they danced with each other to the music. After putting them to bed the neighbors seemed to think it was a good time (10pm) to start setting of some fireworks of their own so DJ took them outside to enjoy them since sleep was out of the question. They went on for quite a while (and the garbage was left out all over the parking lot which I was NOT happy about) but the kids were happy so I was happy! So like a said, all in all a pretty good day! Sunday we just spent hanging out, cleaning up the house while DJ did the grocery shopping, and then had an early turn in night. 

Today we just are recovering from the fun of the weekend and are all a little run down, so after doing the quick chores and some laundry it has mostly been a chill out day. Which I think we all needed as I haven't really had one since leaving the hospital. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend and made some fun memories! From my family to yours! Have a wonderful week! 

End of the Year Update

So Christmas has come and gone and the remnants of the wonderful presents and festivities still dot the floors in the house as the kids run wild and play with all their new toys. It is crazy how hours, weeks and months of planning can be torn open and done in just an hour or two. 

The memories though, of their eyes as they see what "Santa" brought them and the laughter of sharing the day with them is so perfect that the shortness of the day is kind of sad. I wish it were longer just so we could make the fun last!  We had an awesome breakfast on Christmas that I actually put together the night before. It was a baked french toast and it was super delicious. (If you would like the recipe leave me a comment and I will post it) The kids and DJ really enjoyed it (we may tweak it a little the next time though because the syrup on the bottom became a little too candy like). We had it with bacon, sausage, orange juice and ice cold milk! Best way to start the day with the kids! They gobbled it up and there was barely any left. We then moved on to opening the gifts from Santa, the family back in CT, and us! Everyone got some fantastic gifts and I could not be more happy with what I got! Not ONLY did he get me the foot soaking bath I wanted, but he played to my artistic addiction and got me all the art supplies I could want and a gift card to get even more! I mean seriously am I not blessed or what?!

Now it is just a few days until the start of the new year! We have a wonderful ham dinner planned for New Year's Day and for the Eve maybe pizza or chinese or some finger/snack like foods as we play games and watch movies and wait for the midnight countdown. I am really looking forward to it! 

One of my resolutions this coming year is to be more crafty and DIY more. I am going to start that by making my own smile jar! Every time something makes me smile I am going to write it down and place it in the jar, then on days when I am really upset or need a reason to smile I will take it out and remember to smile more (which is another resolution) and at the end of 2015 I am going to share my smile jar with my family! So they can hear about all the reasons they gave me to smile throughout the year! 

I am hoping I can keep up with this blog a little bit more too as I hate when months have passed between my posts. I know I do not have a lot of readers but it would be nice to have a few. 

Hope you all ring in the year with fun, laughter, and family! HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

#MamaHolidayFun 

Just a Family Update

Comfy Movie Watching with Mama

We are about half way through the month and there have been no HUGE events but just some fun. I have spent some fun time with the kids. We've watched some good movies that Mckenzee LOVED! First we watched Matilda, Mckenzee loved the part where Matilda makes things fly around her house and the music play. She thinks the scene at the school where they get back at the Trunchbull is the best part too.

Hocus Pocus

Now since it is October and Halloween movies are all over the television, we also sat down after dinner one night and watched Hocus Pocus! Mckenzee loved that movie too! She gets so invested in them sometimes that if you watch her face then you know if the movie is happy or sad. When Binx gets run over the first time she reacts almost the same as the little girl in the movie. She covers her mouth and looks so distraught! It made me laugh when she did it but being her first time watching it and understanding it I was kinda proud of her as well! I think it is possible that we will watch Twitches once it records followed by Twitches 2. Tonight's movie might be The Nightmare Before Christmas, it is one of my favorites and the kids like it too so I am excited to watch it. I am hoping to get some Mini Pumpkin Pies made tonight (thank you www.bettycrocker.com) and we will enjoy them during movie time after dinner (which is Tuna Helper) tonight.

On Saturday I tried sushi for the first time. IT WAS AWESOME!! I had a California Roll which was much better than I expected. I think I just may occasionally get some from the sushi bar at work. When I had my cart set up next to it on Saturday it was fascinating to watch them make it and I was amazed by how many CHILDREN like sushi around here! Back in CT you would be lucky if ANYONE ate sushi. Out here in WA it seems MOST people like some kind of sushi. The hot foods near where I set up in the store also has THE BEST vegetable egg rolls I have ever had!
On Sunday we had game day here at home. Once I got out of work we got into game mode and made some yummy nachos, put on some game gear, and settled in to watch the Seahawks versus the Cowboys. My nachos were SUPER yummy and Mckenzee looked so cute wearing Andy's Seahawks Jersey that he got for Christmas last year! She had her friend Maddie over to play with as well and went from playing with her friend and Spencer and then watching the game. Maddie is a big Seahawks fan and Mckenzee is like her daddy all about the Cowboys so it was funny watching them go back and forth during the game! I love that Mckenzee has made such good friends with Maddie. Especially since she only lives right across the hall. We ended the night letting her sleepover and playing a game of Heads Up with them (fun game!!!) After the kids went to bed DJ and I watched The Replacements (because it was Football Sunday) and then we watched the Season 5 Premiere of THE WALKING DEAD!!! It was so so good and I cannot wait for the next episode!

So that is pretty much all we have been up to, like I said nothing special just some family fun!

#MamaLife

Inspection Day and the Fantastic Birthday

Wednesday was "Inspection Day" in our complex so we had to make sure we had the house in order for when they came in to check things out. I have never lived in a place that required inspections so I went on a cleaning spree staying up until 12:30 am to make sure as much of the house was clean as could possibly be. That left just some vacuuming and touch up work for the day of the inspection and I was able to have the place completely awesome for when they came in to check it out! I was even able to keep "Hurricane Spencer" under order so that I didn't have to worry about him pulling out every toy he owns! The plus of the whole day was that when they came it was still early and I was able to get Spencer down for his nap after they left! As they were on their way out the door at the end of inspection we were complimented on how well we kept the place and they thanked us for being so clean! Yay, honestly even today it not too bad in our house, the floor could use a vacuum and the dishes weren't done because we took the day off and had a lazy Sunday for once, but tomorrow is Monday and I will have it all "spic and span" by the time lunch rolls around. 


Friday was little McKenzee's 7th Birthday party which of course meant I had to make sure the house was clean, the cake was made and all the presents were ready BEFORE she got home from school!  

I was able to get the "Pin the Carrot on Olaf" game drawn up and cut out, the cake baked and kitchen picked up, the floors vacuumed and presents all set before I had to get McKenzee from school.

Once we were home I had her pick up her room and then her friends were knocking on the door asking if she could go out and play and since it was her birthday I wasn't going to say no so she went out with an adamant "You BETTER be home by 5:30 for dinner!" While she was gone I was able to finish decorating her cake, (which had a huge break in it from sticking to the pan) and I made Olaf cupcakes too! 

 



Needless to say she was actually a few minutes early for fear of getting in trouble for being late. After quickly scarfing down some hot dogs and macaroni and cheese (since I was looking for a fast dinner), we were able to pick up real quick and I was able to finish up the Olaf noses JUST before her friends were knocking on the door for the party!

 Before I knew it my house was overrun with little girls wanting to put on McKenzee's princess dresses and singing along to Frozen on the TV. Luckily is wasn't too long before DJ was coming through the door to help me wrangle in the giggles and the hopping around of them as they had some fun playing and singing! 

Some family showed up and McKenzee's friends from before we moved here, and we sat down to open some presents before a few of the kids had to leave. Then some cake and ice cream to hop them all up before playing the "Pin the Carrot on Olaf" game. By the time that was done the kids wanted a little more ice cream and then we were left with about 3 little girls since the others had to get home. DJ took the ones that were left outside on the deck with Spencer and played a round of "Frozen Trivia" before it was time to call it a night. As we said goodbye to the last little girl, whose Mama stayed and chatted with us a bit before heading across the hall to her apartment. I am really starting to like our neighbor across the hall, she is funny, polite, and has a hand mixer! (That is funny because every time I go to make a cake I forget that I do NOT have a hand mixer or any kind of mixer for that matter) 

 All in all it was a great night for McKenzee and her friends and a long and exhaustive day for me in which I had to see my little girl get bigger again...oh sad Mama sigh. I love her so much but I wish that my kids would just stay little longer! 

I hope you all are following along and enjoying my funny days! More to come later this week! Including some new recipes that were tried and LOVED by my family! 

#Inspection #Birthday #SuperMama