Happy Halloween

 

It was a terribly fun day for the kids and an exhausting day for me. Good thing I can think of a way or two to increase my blood sugar levels for some quick energy... :)

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was a magical time. We went to WA to my parents' house.

 

My brother Jared and his family and my sister Tyrelle and her family were there as well. Our kids were in cousin heaven. No, seriously. Heaven.

 

Speaking of heaven...there's nothing like a park on a crisp morning while you're waiting for the feasting hour.

 

My mom skipping with the three older kids. Yep. Skipping with gramma. Doesn't get better than that.

My dad hanging out with Violet while the others ran wild. She loves being outdoors and especially loves her Poppi!

 

We did shrinky-dinks, built stuff in my dad's workshop, crocheted (I just barely learned how from my talented sister), ate, played games, made jewelry, explored, and stayed up too late. Perfection.

 

The kids (including Violet) were awesome on the 9-hour drive to and from, which was quite amazing to Paul and myself.

 

Definitely a happy Thanksgiving.



Christmas Decor: Let it Be

I've decided that my kids' memories are more important this year than a photo-worthy holiday decor'd house. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that it isn't the easiest thing for me to let their decor be.

 

It's often off-center:

 

 

Or stolen from somewhere else to festivize their own rooms:

 

 

It could be recycled garbage, like this tinfoil ball that Carson's so proud of:

 

 

Or maybe it's a vertical long linked ornament chain:

 

 

Apparently branch tips are prime ornament real estate, and there are loads of droopy branch ends on our tree to prove it:

 

 

And overpopulated sections:

 

 

And highly popular single branches (I think this one branch has 10+ ornaments on it):

 

 

This doubled-up hang job is especially creative:

 

 

Normally I try to correct and change these things so our house "looks" better. Not this year, though. I'm trying to focus on the important stuff. Like this:

 

 

We're crossing our fingers she doesn't learn to crawl until after Christmas. Paul's not betting on it, though.

 

 

 

This self-directed impromptu photo of the kids melts my heart. Carson was holding and playing with Violet when Layla jumped in and put her arm around him (and on Vi's head? You betcha), and Addie ran up and wrapped her little arms around the lot of them, squeezing as best she could.

 

 

Children are a joy. And nothing beats holiday smiles.

Candy Apple F.H.E.

Best. October. Activity. Ever.

I've never done caramel apples before. I guarantee you we'll be doing them again. And again. And again. They're so delicious and fun, from 3-year-olds to 30-somethings.

I love them so much that I'm willing to share the following embarrassing story with you: (ahem) My husband was struggling to get through half of his because of the sugar overload. I polished mine off in a matter of minutes...then shamlelessly eyed the remainder of his. I'd be lying if I said there wasn't longing in my glance.

That proves it. I'm the most feminine and the daintiest eater. Regardless, I heart candy apples and am working on a justification for doing them again and calling it "dinner."

How to dress for a Hallween party...white trash style

The kids were invited to some neighbor friends' Halloween party, costumes encouraged.

Addie as a butterfly in a borrowed costume. The best part: her too-small tights, which resulted in crotch-knee. Didn't slow her down, though.

Layla raided her closet to proudly come up with this, um, costume. Despite my gentle suggestions of more cheerleader-worthy attire, she felt the most cheer squadish in this. Fortunately, some of the other mothers at the party bit their tongues before they asked her why she chose not to dress up for the party...

After several failed attempts at finding the perfect costume (somehow mysteriously morphing from cowboy to policeman), Carson settled on this awesome (read: CHEAP-O) ensemble. His imagination took off when clutching the plastic-wrapped plastic stuff at the store, but his anticipation turned to frustration as nearly everything broke within minutes of opening the box. Fortunately, a quick-thinking mother turned his near tears to laughter as he became, officially, "A Policeman With Faulty Equipment" for Halloween. Best component, hands-down: the creepy tinted glasses.

All together now: