{Ahh..the little things}

perspective

I sometimes to wonder why it seems like I can never get things caught up.  It seems that I am always behind on everything...laundry, cleaning, dishes, and the list goes on (and on).  I am always running behind.  I get down on myself some days looking around at the messy chaos that is my house.

Today I laugh wondering how anyone with four kids can ever expect anything more than messy chaos.

It is lunch time & Ava has already made enough messes to last a week.  She threw up on herself and the couch.  I stripped the couch, and bathed her, threw laundry in.  Then I put panties one her because we are having an at home day.  I kept asking her if she needed to go, etc. and she sat on the potty quite a few times.  Nothing.  She wanted to watch Elmo (Mo-mo) and I turned it on, and within a few minutes, she had peed on the boys' bed where she was watching tv.  Clean her up, strip/clean the bed, change over the laundry, put new panties on (you know where this is going, right?).  Go get the toilet paper out of the van because for some reason I left it out there after shopping, and I come in to see that she had pooped in her clean undies.  I cleaned her up (again!), put a diaper on her this time, and I  ran down to the laundry that was just starting to wash (thank goodness) and threw in the messy pants.

This is why my house is forever messy.  This is why it seems that I can never get things done.  I am getting things done.  Lots of things.  It just might not be the obvious things.  I am busy taking care of other messes, the ones that can't wait until later  :)

Some days you just have to change your perspective!

who me?

Planning ahead?  Getting things BEFORE I need them?  What is going on here?

Today after an early morning soccer game, I decided to take the kids shopping to get their Halloween costumes.  For the record, I rarely get this accomplished more than a week before trick-or-treat.  My kids change their minds so often that I am afraid to buy them too far ahead.  But this year, Ellie has known for weeks that she wanted to be Gabriellla from High School Musical and that the costume could be found at Walmart.  For once, I knew that this was what she reeeeallllly wanted to be, and thought I'd better take her before the costumes were sold out.  I was surprised by the $20 price tag though, and tried to talk her into everything else.  No such luck.  We went to Walmart, JoAnn Fabrics, Big Lots and back to Walmart before all of my kids were happy. 

However, I am not complaining because my kids all have costumes ( in September even!) and it really was not all that bad a shopping trip.  Kaden is going as a Bengals football player, Ellie as Sharpay (don't even ask...),  Zander will be a skeleton, & Ava is a cat - or as she calls it "baby Jaguar".   I am anxious to see if they are as excited about the costumes this time next month :)

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I started this post yesterday & never finished it.  Now it is bedtime Sunday night, so I'll have to try to catch up tomorrow morning :)

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What?  You mean you do not take silly pictures of your kids (or yourself ) while in Walmart looking at masks?  Someone should have filled me in...

i'm tired

i've not felt much like doing anything (including blogging) the last few days.  I've not even finished the last couple of projects for my class & today is the last day *sniff*

I read a few days back that I was tagged byMeghann, and I find it strange that (once again) I could just re-post nearly all of her quirky things as my own.    Then, I thought I would cheat & use her tag to list a few random things "about me" at the  moment.  I guess I am skipping the whole quirky theme...sorry Meghann, but I am feeling very un-creative today.

1. I am tired.  SO tired.  I've been crashing early each night, yet still feeling like I need a nap each afternoon.  SO incredibly tired. 

2. I am already feeling some stress as October approaches.  The month is already getting PACKED full of things.  All of them good & fun, but seeing a full calendar makes me feel crazed.  Strange that I went & had four kids, huh?

3. I've got dinner in the crock-pot & Zander is convinced that it "smells like vomit" and insists on telling me this over & over as he gags around the house.  Nice.  Yes, I know that pork & sauerkraut does not smell the best, but it tastes delish!

4. Ava is starting to show some signs of being ready to potty train.  UGH.  I have such a great attitude when it comes to potty training, don't you think?  :)

5. Did I mention I am tired?

6. Soccer season is nearing it's end and I could not be happier.  Kaden is on a horrible team who has not won ONE game.  To say he is not enjoying it this year is a HUGE understatement.  He has always been part of a good team, and this year it has been a big change.  We've used it to his advantage (or at least we hope so) teaching him to be a good/fair loser when need be.  Ellie's team is doing pretty well, but she rarely lets herself get near the ball :)  The last few games she has actually made contact though, so she is getting more brave. 

And that picture up there is from on zoo trip last Sunday.  There are some cute ones that I will have to post here one of these days. One of my un-finished projects is another little album, and I am thinking I may change from the cupcake/coffee theme and make a fun zoo album instead.

next project :)

puffy hearts

i had to hand sew mine, so do not look too closely :)

the heart is made from one of my favorites of Ava's old little onsies

 

 

 

i am very sad that the class will be ending soon...

oh no

today I am facing this...

9:30 am soccer game

12:00 soccer game

2:00 Brownie meeting

All while hubby works and I take everyone along. 

Did I mention that our two little ones are hard enough to keep corralled at the soccer field with two parents watching?  UGH...I will not even be able to watch the game, but am not comfortable leaving the older playing kids there alone either (and Ellie would not let me leave her there anyway!)  I am trying to convince her to go to Brownies alone, but it is her first meeting, so she'd like me to stay there too. 

And, there is just enough time between each thing to do NOTHING.  Between the first two games, we'll get lunch, but after the games & before Brownies there will just be enough time to come home, change clothes and leave again.  I have a bag that I will pack with snacks & sippy cups, and the concession stand has treats (read ring pops) that can keep the littles busy for a while too.

Tell me I am going to fine.  Tell me that running all day will work, naps/food on the go will work. 

And PLEASE tell me that when it comes time for me to go out with friends tonight that I will not choose to stay at home out of pure exhaustion :)

project #2

Have I mentioned that I love this class? 

Or that I love Wilna for teaching it?  She is wonderful and inspiring and super creative!

Here is today's project - another mini album, this time I decided to leave it (almost) blank and save it for Ava's 2nd birthday.  Yes, it is coming soon (November) and when I saw this, I thought of her.  I made one for Ellie last winter and we called it "all things 6" so I thought it would be fun to have one for Aves too.  I'll put a few pictures of her and journal a little bit about her at age TWO!

 

 

 

 

 

Most of all the album is simple downloads that Wilna drew/painted herself.  We just get to print & assemble, so easy!

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The rest of my life...

• Zander's cast is OFF  :)  and his hair is cut into a crazy little mo-hawk 
• Stevie (my Dad's wife) is feeling better now.  The MRI showed nothing, and the torn falx she was told would heal itself.  She is not going to see the neuro-surgeon as long as she keeps feeling this good.  Thanks for the prayers & concern - she is SO glad to be feeling better!!
• I took the car seat to the Salvation Army.  I just  decided it was time to let it go, and I did - simple as that (and it really was that simple, surprisingly)
• Ellie learns a new cheer/sing-songy playground rhyme everyday.  Sometimes I smile, thinking back to my elementary school days & other times I want to pull my ears off so that I do not have to listen to "open up the barndoor, kick out the hay"  ONE MORE TIME
• Today I watched the 3-4 yr olds playing on the playground while in the car line for preschool,  and for some reason I sat there trying to figure out which one would be Ava.  It was one of those rare moments when I think ahead of my life as it is now.  It was strange, yet fun to try to imagine her being there, and my car being empty of any other "little kids"
• Ava's pink crocs went MIA while I was gone the other weekend, and I have looked for them EVERYWHERE.  She fights me every. single. day. about putting on her shoes when we need to leave.  She wants her crocs, darn it!   Today, while shopping, I decided to pick her up another pair at Walmart - in a darker pink.  She fought me all the way up to the counter about wearing them, and when I gave in, she fought about the tag being on them *sigh*  Long story short, we get home and a few hours later, I see her wearing. the. missing. crocs.  They were found by Ellie behind the couch where we keep our throw blankets, and YES, I had already looked all through the blankets back there.  Such is (my) life...

finished album :)

  I've finished the first part of my class & I love this little album SO much! 

If you look back on the last post, you will see that I changed the cover some, mostly to change the title from summer '08 to the lake '08 and to add just a few little details.

I chose to use pictures from some of our trips to the lake, and I feel like this captured alot of the FUN of the lake with all of the happy colors, etc. 

I started out taking pictures, but they were pretty dark, and I was not happy with the way they looked.  Then my battery died - no wonder the quality was bad  :)  So, I scanned the rest of thte book & I think the scans give you a better idea of how bright & fun it really is. 

What do you think?

 

 

 

 

 

just like Momma

This makes me HAPPY :)

Ellie working on her page...

 

All finished  :)

 

Isn't it too cute? We put it right into her scrapbook, and I think she was VERY pleased!  I was really enjoying watching her take such time and pick things she really liked to add to it.  Hopefully we will have many more scrap/craft times together over the years.

cupcakes & coffee

  That is the theme of Wilna's class I am taking & our first project is an ADORABLE Starbucks mug mini album.  You may remember that I won a kit from her blog once (the prize may have been from another class?) and it was using a starbucks cup too, but in a much different way. 

Here was that one, I used it make a little family album that slid inside the cup...

This time we are using the cup as the cover, and here is what I have done so far (we are working in small bits each day)...

open (laying face down)

 

a better view (at least more light maybe?)

 

the inside cover (no pages are in in yet)

 

and how it looks closed, but I have already added some doodles too

 

I have been having so much fun taking the time each day for some crafty things!  I am sure that my house is showing the neglect, which means if you are close by NO STOPPING IN  :)  I will meet you at the door this week, LOL!  Seriously though, I am very glad that I joined & am having alot of fun.

Today the kids & I made cupcakes too just for something extra to do, and I chose a lemon mix for a change, and they are sooooo good!  If you have never had a lemon cake or cupcakes - you MUST try them.

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Tomorrow Zander's cast comes off - WOOHOO!  I am so excited & so ready to give this kid a long hot bath :)  His hand is nasty even though I have done my best at wiping it down often.  Imagine not washing your hands for 3 weeks - ewww!  And to think that most people keep them on longer...it is just gross.  He is need of a hair cut (badly) and he has decided that he wants a mo-hawk, but only after his cast comes off, he is such a funny little guy.

Okay, I am off, Ellie wants some Mommy attention, so we are going to do some scrapping together...

creativity

1. I signed up forthe class!  :)    I am SO excited about it, and I see that it is sold out, so I know I am not alone in my excitement!  I have bought most of the supplies, so I am just waiting for things to get started on Monday.  She said that most of the  projects are about an hour long, so I might struggle with finding an hour to get my things finished, but then again, I may just let everything else go & HAVE FUN :)  I am sure that I will post things as I finish them.
2. I scrapped about 4-5 pages the other day, made some cards last week with Mandy & then made more cards this week at MOPS - it has been a creative/fun weeek for me!
3. I made the BEST dessert with some fresh peaches that one of  Harry's clients gave us...  

Peach crisp                                                                                                                                                                               2 1/2 pounds fresh peaches, peeled, pitted
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup soft butter

Preparation:
Butter an 8-inch square baking dish. Preheat oven to 375°

Slice peeled, pitted peaches into the prepared baking dish. Sift together the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon into a medium bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over peaches in baking dish. Bake at 375° for 45 to 50 minutes, until topping is golden brown and peaches are tender. Serve peach crisp warm with cream or whipped topping.