It is amazing that the kids were able to go trick or treating since the four days previous to
Halloween it was snowing like crazy and we had school cancelled three days in a row!
Saturday morning it was really sunny and everyone around the neighborhood made a huge effort to get the sidewalks clear so the kids could have their fun! It was great and challenging to have the kids home for snow days. There was entirely too much fighting going on. Now I know why when we asked my Dad what he wanted for holiday and birthday gifts he would always say
"Love and Harmony". We hated hearing that answer, and yet it is so true! We did clean up the basement and the garage and the kids were great about helping but we also did our fair share of laying around in pajamas, sledding, watching movies ( Kurt and I watched Miss Potter and I LOVED it) and drinking hot cocoa.
Our Pumpkins looked great after we carved them, yet did not fare well in the snow storm so by Halloween night we had a few "Flat Stanley" pumpkins! Thats what 2 feet of snow will do I guess!
So in case you cannot see from the photos the costumes this year are as follows: 
Emma is completely adorable, and quite a silly, honestly hazardous girl to have around! 
Madeline - Belle winter princess
Savanna - Reniassance Princess
Christian - member of SWAT team
Emma - Snow White (The MOST amazing costume you have ever seen, sewed by her sweet Great Aunt Sue)
Clark - turtle
The snow white dress is such a beautiful and beloved addition to Emma's wardrobe already, she insists on wearing it almost daily for any activity - she "needed" to have her costume on to color in her coloring book!
Emma is completely adorable, and quite a silly, honestly hazardous girl to have around! The other day I was making dinner and she just got up and walked out the front door - I went after her and asked her where she was going (because I have learned that if I do not follow her she ends up two houses down happy as can be playing in their yard. all by herself.) She said "well, I just need some fresh air."
Emma, you are two. Silly. Silly. Ok, three in February, but seriously, fresh air?
Another funny statement: driving the kids to school and she looks over and sees snow on the windshield of a car parked in the parking lot
"Mom, I want to go over there and lick my tongue on that car to eat the snow."
She has a great vocabulary, I am sure that comes with having older siblings, and she expresses herself very clearly, it cracks me up!
Clark has become completely mobile and is enjoying himself all over the house.
I know the lighting is funny in this photo, but I love natural light. And pulling out every tissue in a box is a thrill every child should enjoy at least once, right?
Well here is it 8 days into November already and its moving too quickly for me. I love this time of year, love it right on through New Years Day. And this year I want to savor and enjoy each day and do wonderful things with my children and have great meals and decorate my house and visit friends and..... so many pretty pictures in my mind which will never come to pass. And who ever said it's the thought that counts? NOT TRUE! Two new traditions for us this year, a Gratitude Poster and the Thanksgiving Penny Project, thanks to my sister and her brilliant ideas you can see it at her blog http://hopefulhomemaker.com/wp/2009/11/02/thanksgiving-penny-project/
If I knew how to make that link into a word it would just say 'here' but since I have no idea how to do that there you have it.
The gratitude poster is simply a poster board up in the house for us all to write things we are thankful for and blessings we enjoy every day. So the plan is that the entire poster is completely covered with expressions of thanks by turkey day! This year many of my siblings are coming to stay at my parent's house for the holiday so we get to see them! Very exciting. We get to meet two new cousins, Lexi and Brinley. Huge blessings right there!
ok, well, not that anyone really wants to hear it but maybe it will make me feel better if I do get it out, a few confessions:
a few weeks ago, I paid someone to come help me clean my house (gasp!) I know. I am still in shock myself. All I can say is that is by far the nicest thing I have done for myself in years. The best $70 I have spent in a LONG TIME. I know, that is still a lot of money, but there is no way I could have recovered this place without help. It was wonderful, I was scurrying around putting things away, throwing things out ( you can only do this successfully while the kids are at school and when the garbage collector is coming immediately) doing laundry, straightening toys, putting away clothing that kids have grown out of, and so on. While I was frantically doing all of that work, two very sweet women were scrubbing the house from top to bottom - windows, blinds, baseboards, banisters, all of those things I never get to. It felt truly luxurious to me. I hope I can do that a few times a year to help me start fresh. And since they left I have noticed all of us making greater efforts to keep things looking more tidy, which is super!
I think I may sincerely be addicted to www.landsend.com
I have found the greatest bargains on overstocks for my kids to be geared up and warm in the snow and soft pajamas, nightgowns, shoes, you name it. I'm hooked! I LOVE great quality products at fabulous prices. But for now I NEED to stop looking there. OK. that feels better.
I have learned that you should ALWAYS have your children in for an allergy check BEFORE you take said children to pick out a kitten for a birthday gift. Let me assure you, waiting until you are about to bring the kitten home and THEN having Savanna have a huge allergy attack, waiting a few days to get into an allergist, only to find out that she has the highest allergy possible to all furry creatures, is the worst possible way to do it. why do I do these things to myself? well the real confession is that I am secretly THRILLED that I am now justified in never having a pet. Isn't that terrible? The kids are crushed, and inside I'm doing back flips of joy!
ok. . I'm sure that is enough. But so much happens every day and if I don't write it down here, where? like the primary program in church today - SO sweet, I am so proud of Madeline, Savanna and Christian for having their parts memorized and learning all of those new songs with such sweet words. It made me weep. Especially "and when I am a mom or dad, so glad, I'll help my family remember God gave us families to help us become what he wants us to be. This is how he shares his love, for the family is of God."
if you have not heard this song, you must.
http://broadcast.lds.org/primary/Primary_04_TheFamilyIsOfGod_.mp3
Can I just tell you that I loved this post? It's the every day things that really make the difference.
ReplyDeleteAnd, um, .......I have someone come clean my house every week. How's that for a confession? I love it, though, and it's my sanity in an otherwise chaotic phase of life. Now you can feel much, much, much better about your one time shot, right?
I also love this post. I had to make a list of all of the things I wanted to comment on so that I didn't forget.
ReplyDelete1. Your kids are adorable. I love the Halloween and pumpkin pictures. I wish we could have seen them all in their costumes.
2. I am jealous that you paid someone to clean your house. I agree that it's money well spent.
3. I read an article in the Ensign once about parenting and how most of what kids remember are the good memories and the reason why we do a lot of stuff as parents (like camping, it's so much work but kids love it and it's fun once your there)is to help our kids form good memories. I think it's the same about the holidays. You don't need to have a perfect house and so much beautiful stuff, it's the small things that I know you are doing that they will remember and impliment into their own families when they are grown.
4. I too love Lands End. I love that you can always get free shipping and return stuff to Sears if you don't want it. I look there first when I need something.
5. I also love the new primary song. That is really what each day is about and I hope that each day my kids are learning good stuff to use when they are parents.
Okay, I'm done now. Sorry for the long comment but as I said before, I love this post.
I too loved this post! Em, your kids are SO CUTE! I love kid-o's in Halloween costumes. And that song totally brought tears to my eyes during our ward's primary program. Being a new mom has made me soft :) I love you guys. It's great to hear that things are sailing on!
ReplyDeleteSuch fun halloween pictures! That snow is crazy! It is so great to hear about al the things that are going on with you guys!!!
ReplyDeleteLOVE the Halloween pics. Emma with lolipop is my all time favorite! I guess we really are out of it here in NC. I have never heard the primary song you wrote about and we just had our program a few weeks ago. :) Love ya Em!
ReplyDeleteso cute! we cannot wait to see you guys soon. Clark looks huge! And I don't think those are bad confessions at all :)
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how different clark is looking!!!!! And Emma reminds me of Sav...she must be about the same age as Savanna was when we were there. I remember Savanna doing some crazy things:) And whenever you want to confess something really dirty...let me know;) I have a live-in helper, remember?! Guilt, honey. But clean houses are a good way to live;) And sane mothers are a good things as well. AND we are helping the economy! Thanks for all your sweet comments on my blog. I never know how to answer them...on my blog, your blog, etc...but I read them and appreciate them!!!! Love you!
ReplyDeleteHAhahahaha....love it! Girl...last December I too had someone help me clean my house and it was magnificent!!! Really! I felt like anyone could come over and they could walk anywhere in my house and I wouldn't be making excuses about how we "live here"! Good for you! Yes, money well spent without a doubt!!!
ReplyDeleteI have been glad to hear from you!!! Did you hear our life changing news? I am pregnang...7 yrs later!! So funny! We are more than a little excited!