A Challenge - 8

So I'm on my third part of my challenge to write a bit more. A 30 day challenge that I found. Today's challenge is number 8, Fears.
Eight is a lot of fears...this post may take me a few days to write...I don't think I have many, but then again I may.


8 Fears...

1. Dark
I'm a grown adult who is very afraid of the dark. Yep I'm admitting it. Though if you know me, this isn't a secret - lol. I blame my older brothers who while watching me as a child - also watched Freddy & Jason. The lights, or a light, is always on...and yep I run up the stairs when exiting the basement.

2. Security
I. Always. Need. To. Feel. Secure. Toss it up to daddy's lil girl, or dating and marrying a guy twice my size, but that's me.

3. Unknown/What if?
I'm a pessimistic by nature. I hate the unknown. The unknown of the future, weather, money, my kids, my family..even tomorrow i think the worst. I am very much a control freak - completely ok with spontaneity as long as I am the planner lol - but I want to know everything will be ok. What if something bad happens?

4. My kids safety
And with that is the safety of my family. Not just their security, but also long term health and happiness. I have a hard time just trusting that to God. I fear for them and the unknown around them. And if you don't have kids in school...older than 4/5th grade...oh just wait. They go from sharing everything to the worst word in the human language...FINE. Everything is just Fine.

5. Death
Not mine. I'm secure in my faith in God. I'm more concerned with others deaths.
When I hit my 20's, all my "Greats" were dying...Great aunts and uncles, Grandparents, etc.
In your 30's you go through a funeral-less life..for the most part. I dread the 40's and 50's, when the strong ones I have looked up to all my life, grow weak. Like the strong women I call my aunts....they have always been there in my life, like pillars. Full of life and joy and strength, one day they will grow weak. Or my uncles who have been holding the backbone of the family - since my grandparents are dead. There will be a switch over..the young will grow tall, pillars of the family. And then there's my parents...what then? Life is a circle...one in and one out. The most important part is what happens along the way.

6. Goal setting
I rarely set goals. Not cuz of the outcome, I don't think I'm afraid of failure...I'm afraid of not knowing how to get there. Do you have a goal - like something outrageous you know nothing about...
Perhaps it's to climb a mountain? Seriously where do you start!? Yep that's the fear - where the heck do I start? lol

7. Height
I. Hate. Rollercoasters. - they go so HIGH. Stomach drops, eyes close, mouth opens anddddddd fall.
Remember that pessimistic thinking, yeah I'm the percent that will fall.

8. Ear-wigs
They Are Nasty. Give me a spider, a bee, a fly, a worm, even a centipede....but I Hate EAR WIGS.
 EWW this is my space...all others get out...

A Challenge - 9

The 9th Challenge - 9 Loves.

I often think it's easier in life to figure what you hate and dislike..then what you Love.
There are some basics...but how do you only pick 9?

1. God. It always amazes me, that me..in my little ranch, in my lil town, in my lil county, in my state, in my country placed in the western hemisphere..He.Knows.Me. Down to the hair on my head, and the pores on my nose. He cares about me. Would have sent His Son, just for me. That amount of Love for me, and unconditional care & love...I'm not worthy of that, but by His Grace I'm saved.

2. And my God, blessed me with my Best Friend. We couldn't stand each other in the beginning...still can't stand his humor. But I fell for him. My husband by far is my whole love. He doesn't complete me, but I'm easily lost without him. When you are that deeply and honestly apart of someone's life that much - they become a part of you.

3. And then God gave me 4 creatures, who do complete me. My Gift, My Joy, My Miracle, My Blessing. - My children are individually each what I call them, but collectively all the names cover what they are to me. I'm not me, without being their Mom.

4. Family. What a great concept, a group of people who will drop anything to be there when you need them - but also are not necessarily apart of your daily life. They are the people you may see for holidays, weekends, or even some yearly. But their love for you doesn't change, you pick back up exactly where you have left off. I claim these as my #4 - only because I've never known differently. I can't imagine NOT having a family around you. The joy of shared memories, shared jokes, even shared heartaches. Never forget that blessing, while some people don't have large or even small families...I have both.

5. Friends. Now, I list them second after family - only because of formality. I've often thought how odd it is, that at weddings and funerals - families play an important part..because, by nature they are family...but it's your friends you are closer too. Your friends don't have the assigned seats at the wedding...they are in the back tables, hootin and hollerin. Or your funeral...do they get to be in the fancy couches up front...nope. I have been to a few family funerals, and I have sat in the "special" seating for family...I often think about the people behind me. Those people were with my grandparent (or other family member) weekly, working on puzzles, eating meals, traveling, laughing etc. Friends, become much more closer to our hearts - then our extended and even sometimes closer family members. But formality has us keep family titled as more important.
When I die, I want in my front row - after my immediate family - my girlfriends. The ones I have spent countless hours laughing with, the ones I have played sardines with, the ones who I have walked around Target with, the ones who I have cried with. They are the family of my heart. These women know me far more then my extended family.

6. Dance. May seem like an odd thing to add to this list, especially so high on the list. And I have read others list off things they could live without in their lives...take my eyes or my ears..but by golly leave my legs alone. For I can see the stage without being on it, and I can hear the music even tho it's not playing.

7. Music. Up with dance, is my love for a great soundtrack. I keep a running list on my spotify account - the soundtrack of my life. Do you have music that pulls you to a point in your past, kind of like a smell - takes you right there. There are some very distinct songs, that pulls the dancer in my back in time. I love that - I love that I can feel the music, how sad for those you can't.

8. My Hair. Ok I don't say that with complete and udder pride and flaunting'ness...(is that a word? coarse not!) But, I have always loved my hair. Long, short, it doesn't matter - I have the uncanny ability to "clean up well", and my hair helps with that immensely. I can shower and go, yep never add product, or blow dry - dang I barely have to brush it. While I may have friends who go limp, or frizzy -- my perfectly straight dry ends/oil crown hair - fits my style just fine.

9. Well - can't believe I'm saying this - I love the state I live in.
I have endless amounts of snow in the winter, piled high to tunnel through and wet enough to get through every imaginable layer you can put on....and of coarse comes with what feels like endless cold. But the spring brings a smell like no other, new growth, new birth, rain, mud, freshness. And summer has the heat and humidity - but not the crazy heat from down south... And I end finally with the beauty of autumn. Artists and Poets have tried to master the beauty of this time of year. Flocks of people come to see the colors turn. Nothing is quite like it.

There ya go - 9 loves of mine.

A Challenge - 10

The Ten Day Challenge
Saw this idea for a blog challenge. Something short and simple, easy to achieve...just 10 days right!?!

Yikes tho - the first challenge is 10 secrets.
Hmmm - secrets, things no one or very few people know about me.


1 - I hated my name as a kid. Theresa. Who has that name, it's actually quite rare. When I was a kid...Jennifer, Angie, Jessica, Julie those were big and popular...never, ever, ever...did I have another Theresa in my classes - ever. And the nicknames that come from that name - oh that's worse. Like Terry - man I still hate that. I won't even acknowledge the person that calls me that. As a teen I went through a faze of being called Reese...that was I guess ok. When dating my husband, he started writing my name tsa - only cuz 1. he couldn't spell or 2. was just too lazy to learn it.....lol. But, it's stuck. I now am pretty ok with my name - mostly cuz it is so unique.

2 - I can not parallel park. I think the last time I did it was as a teen in my drivers test. But I would rather drive around the city looking for another place, pay someone money to go in their lot, or just not go to that area of town - then parallel park.

3. When I was kid, I thought Princess Diana was the coolest, neatest, person. I had dolls, paper dolls, and a crown and costume and would pretend to be her. I never got into the Disney princess' at all as a child - didn't pay any attention to Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty till I was much older. My fascination was with the real princess...and when she died, a part of me was crushed, that lil girl's dream.

4. I am a shop-a-holic. Not in the sense of  spending a lot of money, just to blow it - (really people do that!!??) - but in the sense that it makes me happy. It calms me, to walk through racks of jewelry, or leather purses..never buying them, but enjoying the space and beauty of the store. BUT - it is hard for me to NOT buy at least one thing. Like it's my job to keep that store out of the RED...it could be the stupidest lil thing. I really notice this during tourist shopping...cuz I will leave, and I just must have something, anything from where I'm visiting. Tourist shops were made for people like me.

5. Speaking of shopping, I adore...dream of...LOVE grocery shopping. A personal grocery shopper would be the best job for me. I adore the organization, the clean rows, the sales, the different companies all vying for my attention. While some people can't stand shopping for their food and necessities - I'm finding ways to make the time go buy slower.

6. My first love was in 6th grade. I had crushes and boyfriends (if you can even call them that...like where do you date, the lunch table?) before CL, but he was the first guy I really liked. The first guy to give my jewelry and gifts....and the first time I had a date - sadly at the Library and, wait for it...my first kiss! He still holds a soft spot in my heart....wonder where he is now, married? kids?

7. Speaking of Library - leads me to my next secret. I adore books. I love reading, learning, researching just for the joy of learning. I have had a lot of jobs in my life, my favorite was with B&N..thoroughly enjoyed my time there. The endless amounts of books, binding, pages, stories - all waiting for someone to pick it up, open it and be taken away.
I could easily have been one of those students, who never.ever stop going to school..learning different things, different topic, different careers - just for the joy of learning. Yes, that is also why I went to the library often as a tween/teen - I would carry out piles of books - all kinds, just to learn and read and learn more. (also felt like i was pretty smart, carrying all those books)

8. Dance. I wish, if I could go back and tell my younger self one thing...it would be to never stop dancing. I walked away from it in highschool...and only now starting to get back into it. But each of us has that thing, that has been apart of who we are since we were kids...maybe it's a memory, a talent, a habit...mine is dance. Not the being on stage part...I could careless about that - I miss the smells, the way my toes hurt, the wooden bar under my hand, the ability to move across the floor...i miss the music.

9. I grew up a "latch-key kid". Hated it as a child. Carried my house key on a piece of red yarn, hanging from my neck, under my shirt. But before that I was always having to go to a sitter, a girl scout meeting, a girls club activity, a rec dept class, or any other activity I could be placed into. I had to be there just to be "babysat" during those hours I couldn't be alone by myself. I look back at it now, and realize it's made me who I am. Perhaps I'm crafty, becuz of my endless rec craft activities, or the time I learned macrame from the neighbor lady. Perhaps I enjoy camping now, from going to so many girl scout meetings, and camps. I think of all the things I was able to do as a child....swim, ice skating lessons, german classes, french classes, spanish classes, soccer....and my children, because they don't "need" a sitter...can be home to play - - yet are bored. As a child I just wanted to play, so many times.

10. My last secret is about a person. A person I wish was still alive, I wish my children could know her. My Grandmother...she was my world, each summer growing up - being a latch key kid...I needed someone during the summer to care for me. So each June, I headed to the farm - each Labor Day I headed back. But she remained. She was a strong womanly/motherly figure for me growing up. I learned much from her...the basics of home-making,  the blessing of hard work, but also grace. She grew up on the farm, never needing to want, but also never wanting to want. I live in an age, where I'm trying hard to make my home cute, pretty, homey, welcoming...how pinteresty is my kitchen?...my bathroom? What handy techniques can I research for this kind of chore, or this cleaning item. All she had were basics.
She never spent hours complaining of the home, motherhood, chores, decor, hobbies,life...she just did it. I wish I could have her back, for my daughters. So that they learn the grace of a lady - even tho that lady may be standing in the kitchen doing her dishes by hand, wearing her house coat. They could learn the secret to the perfect pie crust (lard), and the wonderful taste of watermelon pickles, and they could see a woman who is sun beaten, tanned face, wrinkled with crows feet and laugh lines...but yet she is beautiful. Today's grandmother, tho may try to be "grandmotherly" - can't be like those from days past. They had a different style of life, a harder life. Our parents, are a different generation...it's amazing what you can learn from the "Greatest Generation" if you just stopped to learn. I once had a conversation with her, one of the last summers I spent with her, about what she had always wanted to do in her life but couldn't. Like going to another country, flying in an airplane to Hawaii for instance, or Africa to see the wild animals...like what was on her Bucket list? Her reply, to drive to the grocery store. She never learned to drive.

Write It Down

They say to write it down, that it can become possible..achievable..doable.
But really it's none of those, if you never "read" what you wrote down...if it's off on some pile, among-st everything else, taking up your life.

Well, I'm going to set a goal - small goal, simple..step by step. Writing it down, making myself walk past, read it and check it off..maybe just maybe I can accomplish that lil itty bitty step.

So when making a goal - why do some achieve it, and others don't? Priority.
And if the goal is to have better priorities...man you're in trouble.

 When you wake up in the morning, what's your first move..what's your priority..what's your goal?
Don't like what you are doing - change that one lil step, your #1...then possibly you can take out what bite out of the entire goal.

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19:14

A Night Out

Have you seen this movie? It might just be the best movie -in a long time- that I have seen. Not only is it clean, and I mean clean in the language and sex dept...not in the "kitchen is clean" sense, but it is such a joy to watch. 
With your living room being filled with laughter, screeching, hollering, and yes even that silent laughter, where you're laughing so hard your crying laughing.

Moms, get your butt out there and rent, nah just buy this movie!!
Can't "escape" your house for a "night out" then call all the moms together like I did - and have a Mom's Night In.

You'll thank yourself, your friends will thank you...yes even your husband will, because for one night you will have so much joy and laughter in your soul....no amount of mess could make ya mad!!

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....

An Advent Season 2012 ~ pt.1

Now with 4 in our home - I'm wanting to start some new traditions...having pinterest is helpful too!
Every year we have done some sort of Advent calender - our fav has been putting lil pounches on our Christmas tree, with treats and candy that the children take turn finding.

This year I wanted to do more of an activity, something fun as a family each day. This can be as simple as card making or as elaborate as snow painting. So I have come up with 25, yes 25 random fun things to do as a family. Most of these we do every year, but this time I can be a bit organized and not try to do everything all at once, and missing out on others - and in the long run not feeling guilty about not doing that special activity!

And to add to the "opening" of a window, I have decided to put together 25 Christmas books that I wrapped and randomly numbered. In each book, is the day's activity. We open up our books in the morning, allowing mom to plan out the day's activity and before bed we read the book together. I wrapped them all up, so no one can peek!!

Now, this was not an easy feat! Who has money to shop for new books, at Christmas ~ especially after all the gift shopping is done! Well, there is this great concept in our society - goodwill & resale shops...I didn't pay over 1.00 for any of the books!!
Now, over the next few years the books will change I'm sure, keeping the ones we really like.

So in my future "pt.2" post I will list all the titles of the books, and our activities that we do...since I didn't keep a list, we'll all just have to wait till they are opened! :)

baking yumminess!

I love baking, give me any excuse to spend a day in my kitchen, rolling dough, scooping cookies, crushing crackers - making the kitchen warm, cozy, and smelling wonderful!

Today I'm baking up a storm for a group coming to our youth group - I'm signed only for 1 batch of cookies and a batch of brownies....but that's no fun!!

So, my plan - cuz it's fall and you have to include apples!! - are these yummy cookies:
Apple Cookies!
and because everyone loves a good chocolate cookie:
Chocolate Cookie.

And my brownies - well, one pan just isn't enough, nor is just a box of mix...so, after owning many jelly-roll pans, gonna try Texas Sheet Cake!
Texas Sheet Cake


I will post pics at another time -- off to pull my first batch out of the oven!!

inexpensive yumminess

so this one, isn't mine - i can't claim it.
but OH it's good:)

i have 6 people in my family now...and our grocery bill hasn't gone up much - I refuse!
and pinterest...what did we ever do without pinterest - oh, i know..have recipe books, recipe books with pictures - which is the only kind i like!

this awesome inexpensive yumminess, is from pinterest!
These are mini chicken pot pies - now, i don't have any pics...cuz our family of 6 ate them all!

but, feel free to head over to the blog, that i found - again a new "friend" of mine...and try them,
you'll like it!!
Mini Chicken Pot Pies - The Country Cook

now, I only used 3 chicken breasts - yep 3...and it made 24 biscuits!!!
and to have even more fun - my veggies were broccoli, peas, and corn - yellow & green for the PACK!

Missing!

do you ever just stand in your laundry room, overtaken by the huge amount of fabric, and just stand in awe. where do these clothes come from - there's no way all this can fit in their drawers! if it's all in here what are they possibly wearing right at this second?!
in this day and age my children need nothing - nothing at all when it comes to clothes. i'm over taken by the latest sales at stores, pulled in by the great deals at resale shops - for what reason!?! to add MORE to this pile!
i remember having a few of everything - not more then around 3/4 of any one thing - my children, they can go 2 weeks + without me having to do laundry...and that's just whites/jeans...course then i'm literally doing laundry for days straight.
yesterday i read an article about how to keep the home "sane" ... her first suggestion is to not put off to the weekend, laundry; that if you do a load a day, you will be caught up.
...let's just say she obviously doesn't live here - here where on average i do 3-4 loads a day, not including bedding.
my son is a jean and tshirt kinda guy - he has tons...ok, not tons but well over 20 tshirts. oh and pjs the boy could live in pj bottoms every night of the week and weekend. so i asked him yesterday as i handed him 2 stacks of just pj bottoms...if he has room for these - he laughed and said nope, his drawer is already full.
WHOA - hold up. he has 2 stacks - about 10 pj bottoms, that i just handed him, and his drawer is still full in his room. and that's JUST THE BOY. - we won't even go into the very full girls room - a room with 1 closet fitting 3 girls.
if i took all the hours of my week of when i'm doing laundry - it's a job! i'm gone from my life, in my basement - lost in a sea of fabric - lost, Missing, to the world.

one things for sure - i'm not buying a piece of clothing for any of my children till after christmas...3 months, i could do it right? probably, i should carry a pic of my laundry room with me every time i leave the house, to remind me where i'm lost ever day.