Sounds

Noise. Sound. Bass. Tremble. Music is such apart of our lives. The rhythm. The sway of our bodies. The tap of a foot. The laughter and screams of excitement. The tears and calm of a simple melody.

What melodies shape our lives? What rhythms run through our minds? What bands represent me?
I really don't have favorites. Mostly just a top 40 kinda girl. But in their particular genres, I do have favorites.

80's:
Journey, Bon Novi, Madonna, MJ, Debbie Gibson, NKOTB
90's:
Hoodie, Boys to Men, Backstreet Boys, Céline Dion
Today:
Pink, Fun, Pit Bull

And so much more!

Country: Garth Brooks
New Age: Enya
Soundtrack: First Knight, Last of the Mohicans
Polish (yep!): Eddie B
Broadway: Phantom
Christian: DCTALK, TobyMac, Newboys, LaRue, Matthew West..and so much more!

Split/Personalities - Spaces

I admit it, there are two people in me. They fight now and then...but for the most part the same one always wins.
I like pretty, cutesy things: flowers, lace, fabrics, cores, vintage, girly, floral, feminine, etc.
I love, casual, lived in things: neutrals, blues, basic shapes, no patterns.
Guess which side wins? Not the pretty spaces, like this...

 
 
 


I wonder tho, if everyone is like this, having multiple likes vs loves in their surroundings. We have multiple rooms in our home, giving us multiple ways to play with what we like...does your home have a running theme, concept idea? All mine says is I have kids! No, really my home has different personalities, each room has a different style and look....I bet some designer could help me with that!!

Maybe it means I love alot of things. My neutral calm living room, my (future) primitive antique kitchen, my fall bathroom, my (future) royal bedroom. Each room has it's accessory...my living room has it's nautical & lighthouses. My kitchen has a beautiful deep red and sage color accented with a few apples. My bath, I add leaves and grasses from time to time, and well, my bedroom, let's just say the accent is everyone else's stuff and chaos. But it's home, and one day I hope the other personality in me is content with it.

5 Places in the World I want to visit...

There is a running joke in my home. When mom is going to loose it, I start threatening to runaway...to Timbuktu. It's become such a common joke, that whenever the luggage comes out for a trip..my 4 year old starts to get upset, cuz she really thinks I'm leaving!
But in all seriousness, my challenge is to write about 5 places I want to go to, that I've never been too.  So in order...

1. Wyoming
Now it may be odd for some people. It's not some far off secluded beach. But ever since seeing Dances with Wolves, I've been a little obsessed with the country and the plains. There is so much land and beauty in our country that so many of us never see. My parents vacationed there when I was a teen, but couldn't go because of just starting a job...but they brought me dirt home...Wyoming dirt, yep still have it! Also the Bison is my favorite animal..not sure why, so don't ask.

2. Hawaii
Now here's one everyone will understand. The beauty, the food, the people, the music, the water, the land. I'd like to meet one person that DOESN'T want to go there!

3. Mexico
I want to see the ruins, the temples, the history. This is a bucket list spot for both my hubby and I.
Again there is just so much beauty we miss, that surrounds us!!

4. Swiss alps
Ok really any alps lol. But I have 1. always wanted to go over seas to Europe and 2. very much want to go to Switzerland. Even the name sounds so inviting!
Just like Hawaii how do you NOT want to go?

 

 

5. Africa

Come on..giraffes right next to you, elephants at the watering hole, oh my. The glory of one entire continent. The people, the food, the land, the animals...where do I begin when coming up with reasons why to go. I had a teacher in 2nd grade, she went on a safari once, brought back photos and items for us to see.....I've been mesmerized ever since!!



 

 

Now this world is way too big to just have 5 places...so, lets add 5 more.

6. Asia...mostly cuz of the history, beauty, and amazing culture so different from mine.

7. New York...to visit not to love.

8. L.A....again to visit not to love.

9. Peru...ruins, history, beauty.

10. And lastly another bucket list...Alaskan glaciers.

 

 

What about you, got a #1 destination spot?



What's in a Blog?

I started blogging years ago, but you wouldn't know that from my posts. I have great intentions, try to challenge myself, but I continually fall into the 'I got busy' mode. Weeks and even months pass before I check back in. I even follow many blogs, love reading what others do in their spare time.

My blog has changed its name through the years...always adding another 'with___'. But unless we adopt...I'm settling on life with 4.

Through the crazy, chaotic, and yet fun life...my 4 keep me on my toes.

So I'm off to starting another challenge, trying...30days didn't work..perhaps I should challenge just for 7 days!!

What's in a name?

People call me a lot of things...and some names I don't even know about. But I have three nicknames I will answer to, besides my actual name, what my hubby calls me, or what my kids call me. These names were given to me by special people in my life, at special times in my life.

T.T. My family nickname..so the story goes I couldn't pronounce my own name when I was learning to talk...and I called myself TeeTaa...and there you go, even 30 some odd years later, my extended family still can call me that.

Wildabeast. Yep, the animal, and also the incorrect way of spelling it I think. In my moody years...well at least the years I became moody..ie: entering puberty...I would charge at people, friends, etc. And my friends loving nicknamed me this.

Tsa. My favorite. My wonderful hubby just couldn't remember how my name was spelled when we would write notes to each other during our dating years in school. And one day he started the note with Tsa...it kinda stuck, and really he's the only one aloud to use it.

So what's in a name? A lot about the person, the personality, and the friendships shared.
Now if you call me Terry..warning, I won't answer.

My day....detailed

My day starts with me getting up in the morning around 6:30, and laying there till the alarm goes off at 6:45. I yell for my two older ones to get up by 6:50. I head to the living room and watch a bit of Goodmorning America.
Go through backpacks, agree on snack choices, sock choices, and hair/outfit choices...and out the door to school.
I head back home to chill for the day with my lil pumpkins. Breakfast for them, tea or coffee for me and we start our day.
Each day is different, today was a mix of catching up on my challenges and laundry .. The never ending chore in my life with 4.
Lunch is usually whatever is left in my fridge for the week of leftovers. My lil'st has a wonderful nap in the afternoon, and my 4 year old has the afternoon to be enchanted by her latest movie craze....today is Lemonade Mouth, which is nice cuz I like the movie also.
Soon we are off to pickup the older siblings, and head back, to work on homework, cleaning stations..greatest thing I ever thought of..and plan the dinner.
5pm is when I actually start dinner, and hopefull eating by 6:15.
After dinner is reading, some tv time, showers or baths..and then bedtime by 8.
Let's just say this is my fav time of day...most pple crash in the evening. Tho true, I love having adult time with my hubby..chillin, watching our shows, talking adult talk..no crying, whining, sippycups,  etc.

Oh the fun day of a SAHM!

To like or dislike...

My second challenge was to wrote about things I like and dislike. Thinking I should start with the harder of the two choices....like.
That shouldn't be harder right? Well it is really..we often complain about everything we dislike around us, and rarely take the time to stop and smell the roses, so to speak..being thankful for the things we like. Now I am not going to list obvious things that come with life..spouse, children, etc
10 things I like...
Snickers, it really is the best candy bar
Pepsi, no soda is like it
Whoppers, one word..yum
Iris flowers, so unique and different
Journey, their music pulls me through decades, back to my childhood
French horn music, simple, bellowy greatness
Sleeping Beauty, my fav Disney gal
Fire & Ice roses, most beautiful roses
Books, I could get lost in B&N
Earrings, can not go out without them
Extra credit::: My Hair

Hmmmm now for 10 dislikes
Lying, biggest DISLIKE
Dishes, worst chore ever
Insecurity, all aspects; within myself or physically
Sour crout, like what the hec!!
Clutter, you'd have never thought, living with me
My feet, years of wear = pain
The Cold, nuff said
Lazy people, or better said lazy and don't care
Fear, I hate fearing the unknown
CORDS

Kay, kids that's it..my like and dislike list;)
Onto day 3...

30days, 1month, one crazy lazy mom

May Day..a day of festivities, spring sunshine, love in the air..and in my home challenges.

This is also my birth month...this year  I'm turning 36..yikes! But to celebrate all that May is, I'm going to do a few challenges. What you say, again!?!
I know, I know...eventually, one day, perhaps this is the month....I will meet a challenge, and finish it!!!

Challenges for the month..
- Daily writing on my blog.
- Cleaning
- Photos of the kids..yep will be uploading them.
- Getting a dream I've had for years...up and running.
- Abs and workout


Yikes! That's a lot for an A.D.D. person, who can barely finish any "project" I have for myself.
Saw a post the other day...I'm OCD & ADD...I'm crazy organized but can't focus long enough to do it more than one day at a time, or even more than one hour!!

So, there's my first day challenge to write a bit about myself...I'm very organized and driven but...most of the times I get so bored and forgetful..that something else takes over my time.

Now, onto cleaning, perhaps sweat some, and take a pic or two....oooo what's that shiny thing?

Disney Dinners..

So many dinners - so lil time to upload pics and ideas!!

I decided to do two dinners a week, themed around a classic Disney cartoon movie. If at some point I run out of movies..I will then movie on to the Disney non classic, (Chicken Little, etc) and then on to non cartoon.

So we started with Emperor's New Groove...that was a fun night. But the creative juices have been swirling more and more each week....so, here are the others we have done....

Monster's Inc.

Monster Burgers ~ basically making the burger into a monster face
Hairy frys - a platter of frys, with 2 lil cups of ketchup for the eyes
Sully drink - blue milk, I painted with Hershey syrup lil eyes inside the cup before adding milk.
Mike W. Salad - I took a honeydoo melon - cut it in half and added a cup of yogurt in the middle to make hi eye ball.
Big Monster - I made a big cookie with a monster face!









Mulan




We had Chinese with chopsticks!!
and of coarse ended the meal with fortune cookies!










Aladdin

I found this wonderful recipe on Pinterest, Cranberry Pork Medallions, that became our main dish.
I called it - Sultans Medallions.
Also had:
Fruit rollups Carpets
Blue tortilla chips to represent the Genie
Castle turrets - whipped mashed potatoes
Jaffar - Red velvet cupcakes with chocolate frosting and red cinn eyes




Toy Story 2

Now this might have been my favorite dinner, so many characters to work with! My oldest daughter and I just had a blast in our local grocery store, coming up with ideas...enjoy!

 Little Green Men - kiwis with white choc chip eyes!
Pizza Planet Pizzas - we made pizzas in muffin tins, so cute sooo easy!!
Mr. Potatoe Heads - cute lil potato smiley faces.
Jessy's hair - I found the red licorice that you can pull apart.
Buzz's Lazers - the kids made kabobs with strawberries.

Upcoming Dinners: Little Mermaid & Fantasia!!

Preparing for The Happiest Place on Earth!!

Yep, you read right, Disney..greatest and happiest place on earth. We plan on taking the kids there, and not taking but 'driving'.. yikes...in the nest few months.

And I want to make it a big deal! So been coming up with some wonderful ideas..countdown puzzle, crafts, tshirt making, and tonight we start our movie nights.
Tonight's movie is Emperor's New Groove

We have a themed dinner while we watch the movie. I plan to do this each Monday & Friday night till we go!
Here's our fun menu:

Kronk's Stew
Squirrel Biscuits
Eesma's Fingers - carrots/peppers/veggies
Emperor's Wine - red juice!
Groovy Cookies

It's funny how adding a fun name to a normal dinner, somehow makes it exciting, our next movie
Monster's Inc.

Advent Pt 2 - Read a Book, Create a Memory

So I promised I would write out the list of books, I happened to pick up at the local resale shop - we added some from our own collection, and got a few new ones for Christmas.
In our family we only had 3 specific dates, that had specific titles....
the 12th of Dec was Elf on a Shelf...and the children opened the box that night...and Mr. Elf, became part of our family for 12 days, creating mischief and chaos and fun....but more on him later.
We have a beautiful Twas the Night Before book, that I saved for of coarse the night before:) and then we read all together our book The Very First Christmas, before we opened our gifts.

Here's our list...


Silent night
Snowy day
Baboushka
Millions of Snowflakes
Winter Fun
Snowy Winter Day
The Mice Before Christmas
Roseblossoms first Christmas
Curious George's Snowy Day
Nutcracker Ballet
Rudolph
The Nutcracker
The Snow Bear
The Snowy Day
A Magical Crhistmas
An Angel came to Nazereth
The Very First Christmas
Elf on the Shelf
How the Grinch stole Christmas
The Mitten
The Hat
Christmas Tree
Snowmen at night
Little Polar Bear
Santa Claus
Xmas
The Night Before Christmas

Each book had a note inside that we would do that day. Each child took turns throughout the month to open the book before we leave for school, and when we came home we focused on the activity, and before bed read the book.

Our activities were not at all time consuming or cost much...I came up with a list of 24 things we normally do during the holiday season;

cookie making, movie watching, sibling shopping, mom/dad shopping, light decorating, cookie decorating...I added some RAK's for the the children to do also...

Leave Christmas candy canes around town, purchase items for food pantry with their allowance, neighborhood door drops...the ideas could be endless!

It was really fun this year to do this, to start this tradition. Our children have to read so many books/hours a week so having these books, wrapped under the tree helps make the reading even that much better!

Till another time....