Kassie's baby shower

There were so many fun moments at Kassie's baby shower, but I loved watching the little ones. There were SO many kids. There were little boys at "war" upstairs, and little girls eating as many Sis. McIntyre homemade cinnamon rolls as we would give them. Here is a sneak peek at the kids in action:

This is one of the Wilson twins...can't quite tell which one though.  :(  Sorry Tricia!  We loved how he kept his little arms straight out like that.  He does that alot, I hear.

Cole Drysdale

He is getting a baby brother or sister in just a matter of months.  

I love those big beautiful eyes.

Kierstin was really enjoying the frosting on the magical cinnamon rolls.  So much so that she had to lay on her stomach and scoop it out with her little fingers over and over. She felt horrible but was so good that day.  I felt terrible for her.

In the middle is Katherine Riding and to the right is Julia Olsen, and Kierstin still enjoying that frosting.

They are all getting so big!  (and so pretty!)

Skye and Alli!  They are so darn funny.  Alli is one of my new best friends.  We hang out at Kaden's baseball games because her sister Launa plays on his team.  She has so much to say and is so very sweet.  Get her with her brother Luke and you won't believe how much you can learn.

Everything was beautiful and the food was fantastic.  Holly made some Orange rolls that were to die for.  I must get that recipe...better yet, I should just call Holly every time I want some.  You think she will make them for me?

Days 3,4 and 5

Ok, so here is the belated update from last week's festivities.  I wanted to take pictures of the kids everyday and also note how the day went and what we prepared for dinner.  It is my own little way of seeing if I can cook more than I do.  I am not a bad cook, in fact, I can hold my own in the kitchen.  I just get so busy with the kids that I actually kind of forget.  Oops.

These are from day 5!  Can you tell how excited they were to be at Friday?!  And notice three things:

1. Kaden's cheesy smile

2. Kyra's outrageous outfit

3. Atticus at the ready to BOLT out the door 

(he has a sense for when the door is about to be opened)

4. (not pictured) I didn't cook this night.  

I believe we went with the "fend for yourself" approach.

Day 3 was tiring, but started out ok.  The afternoon did get crazy when we had to be in so many places.  Church activities took center stage and made for a fun night. We still cooked!!! Dinner: Turkey breast, mac n cheese, green beans and corn on the cob.

So day 4 proved to be the tired, melting as if the world was ending type of day.  Kaden was so tired and we were all just wiped out.  I was getting ready for Kassie's baby shower so I ended up being awake and cooking until the wee hours. Look how cute Kaden and Kyra are here though.  Sweet even.  By Thursday, Kimball was over me taking pictures of him in the morning.

Dinner: We had breakfast for dinner.  That is always fun.

Monday's meal was Lasagna, Caesar salad, and bread.

Tuesday was Chicken alfredo a la Costco.  Easy!

The good news with the meal thing is that everyone ate!!!  We'll see how it goes next week.

Should SO be sleeping, but found this cool application!

Make a Smilebox postcard

Happy Update

Ok.  so it is the end of day two and I feel a little drained, but overall, optimistic.  I am seeing the positive of turning off the tv tonight.  The kids are driving each other a little nuts, but I suppose that is to be expected when you suddenly have to hang out with each other again.  They were; however, enthusiastic about the ideas that we started to talk about to avoid missing the games and such.  I do think that there is going to be a bit of a "mourning period" for Kimball...but he has suggested on his own that he might like to get up earlier three days a week and run around the block a couple of times with Sterling before they get ready for school.  I think that was very mature of him.  He recognizes that he has energy to burn and that might help him feel more relaxed in his day.  I have some friends at church who have five kids who are all either at Marcus or off on missions and their one bit of advice was to get him running.  They both said emphatically that they just have too much going on in their little bodies to not get them going.  I am hoping that he can use that as a tool to feel better in his day, because right now he kind of hates life...what with removing imaginary worlds and digital battles.  We did all dance for awhile after dinner and read a story or two.  We all had wishes and prayers and continued our own little made up story that we have been telling for the past 2 months.  (That is a great story, I have to tell you about that one day.)  And then off to bed...which is where I am headed now because tomorrow is an even busier day than today.  Morning fun, school, the gym, laundry, LAUNDRY, meals and loving discipline, and Scouts, baseball practice and Activity Days all in one night...wheeeeeeeeeeeeeew.  I am tired already.

This is me whining for a moment.

Ok, good intentions.  GOOD INTENTIONS!!!  I have been trying to come up with ideas of things that the kids could do other than video games and t.v. and upon conversing with Mom the idea of having a Lego building contest was born.  So, here I am, clean house, laundry going, plan for dinner (with all of the necessary ingredients, I might add), and a secret plan to gather all of the kids around the beloved television tonight for a live airing of "America's Got Talent", a show I love to watch with the kids...OH!  And I went to the GYM!?!  as I was saying...I am here feeling pretty accomplished and I pronounce my grand plans upon Kaden and Kyra and the sing with excitement and glee...ok, they were just excited, no singing happened...then King Kimball gets in the car.  He yells at me, spits in my direction in a playful "she won't get mad at me for this" way and then says that he WON'T play the game and he WON'T do anything with the kids.  I can't even tell you how fast my blood began to boil.  It is for this very child that I am trying to come up with things to do.  It is this child that I am aiming to please.  I know that Kaden and Kyra will be happy with nearly any idea that I throw their way...but Kimball has become incredibly hard to please, and that offends me these days.  So, now we are here and Kimball is grouchy and making everyone he encounters angry, in fact, Kyra just came down crying because of him.  What am I to do?!?

ANSWER:

I am to go into my room for a few quiet moments, my clean room, floors vacuumed, bathroom shining, bed made room.  I am to then calmly explain to the little angels that I am going to go build legos and enjoy myself and they can choose to be mad if they want to.  Which is what I did, and they stopped being mad and couldn't resist the mound of legos on the floor in the playroom, where we ended up with 7 little monkeys and a mom.  And now, I will make my well planned dinner.

Day 2: Fashion

Kyra picked this outfit.  She was so excited about it at Justice and HAD to have it, sleeves and all.  She picked this out last night and was sure that everyone would love it.  Kaden, on the other hand, could not care less about his clothes.  He is sure that girls are weird, which is a notion I appreciate.  He is seen here on the phone with Larry before leaving for school.  Kimball is in the shower at the moment so we shall see how his morning unfolds.  Have a great day!!!

Day one

Well, we're back in school and I am tired today.  There have been some great moments and some pretty good meltdowns already, but we are in full swing.  It was a funny feeling seeing Kimball walk away today.  It was kind of like when he started kindergarden and I watched this little boy who didn't seem big enough to handle the terrain ahead of him walk with such confidence and today was no different.  Except that I don't think that he has the same confidence that he had when he was 5.  I am not sure what happens to that strength, or self assurance or maybe it's just blind faith.  I watched him walk into that big school with those big kids and thought he wasn't ready...but I know he is.  I am not sure that I am, but that is a different story.  He is so incredible to me.  I think he knows that, but I really hope that knows that every moment.  He is a little upset with me at the moment as I have taken his one true love.  Video games.  Well, the games and tv have been banned from Sunday to Friday morning, unless it is a holiday that they have off of school.  That was Larry's idea to be truthful, and I was surprised.  I am impressed with his tenacity with this.  Of course, it is surely a heckuva lot easier to stick to your guns when you are not on the front line...but he has said to all of the kids that he means it about the games.  If I could give one small bit of advice to every parent, it would be to keep the video games out as long as possible.  I don't wish that they didn't have them, I just wish they, well, that Kimball didn't NEED it so much.  He feels as if we are taking away a part of his life, and maybe we are.  I just know that there are so many other things I want him to see and experience outside of the walls of this house and the screen that he stares at when he plays his games.  Part of that is my responsibility too.  I have to offer them opportunities and make them available to them.  I have to follow through on adventures and not so involved in too many commitments to actually be able to play with these kids.  They have  more to learn than the schools are focusing on and I am sad to say that we have dropped the ball a little there.  I won't let these children choose the darkness of a playroom to the shine of a beautiful day, or the sound of the ocean or the opportunity to be a part of something bigger.  I know that is all very grand, but the truth is that we get so busy that one day turns into 11 years. or 35.  and what have we learned?  Where have we gone?  Who have we met and how have they affected our lives, or ours theirs?  

Forgive me, but I have just spent the better part of twenty minutes trying to explain the goodness of our role as parents in making these decisions to Kimball.  He was still upset when I left the room.  I am a "pick your battle" kind of person, but this is a battle I believe that I really have to stand firm on.  I know he doesn't get that now...hopefully one day he will.  Hopefully we all will, I suppose.

MY FAVORITE!!! Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

MyHeritage: Celebrity Collage - Family name history - Family photo sharing

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

too funny!!!

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

Reality Check

In my blog surfing moments I often stumble into exciting and fun new places where I get to really learn from other mom's who enjoy this same internet world.  In the past week; however, I found a post about a well loved blogger referred to as nienie who was recently involved in a horrific airplane accident that has left her, as well as her husband, in critical condition in a burn unit near their home.  They, like me, have four young children and their families have really rallied around them.  There are a number of people looking to help them with donations and I have added a link to a site that is accepting donations in their name.  If you have the ability and feel the connection that I have felt, please consider donating to this family.

You could also take a look at this lovely post on one of my favorite sites.  She has linked lots of auctions and ideas for helping out this family.  Check her site here:  Design Mom: Nie Nie Day

I know that there are many in need.  For some reason, I have felt compelled by this family that I many never know.  But those babies need their mom and dad back home.

For updates on the situation, check in here:   cjanerun.com

Baseball

It is hard to believe, isn't it?  Yes, we are there again and this time Kaden is with a different team.  He is now playing with the Royals.  It was a sad day when we found out that Kaden wasn't playing with the Indians anymore...sad and maddening at the same time.  But, we have moved on and he is on a great little team with really great coaches.  I have been impressed with them so far.  On the other hand, we are playing kid pitch now AND we play for a full 90 minutes.  Holy cow.  It's like watching paint dry. or water boil. or kid pitch in 100 degree weather.  But.  happy faces prevail.
We won tonight and play again in the morning.   Yes, again.  You might be wondering what the rest of my crew was doing while Kaden played baseball.  If you weren't.  you should've been.  Here is what Kyra had Kierstin doing while Kimball was babysitting for the 90 minutes of kid pitch baseball.  Enjoy:

Oh! One more thing!!!

I cut Kyra's hair.  I know, it was long and all of that but well holy toledo the upkeep and whining and wincing that came with it.  School is starting and we need things to be a little easier, and actually, it's really cute and curls so much better now.  She's feeling a little sassy with her new look, so that is fun too.  (now, I will try to sleep!)

I tried

I looked at lots of fluff and glamour for a new layout design and I have concluded that it's just not me.  I want to be like everybody else with your three column designs and frilly bows and lofty colors that change like lipstick colors...I am just not that girl anymore.  I tried pink and brown and toile and all sorts of silly cutestblogontheblock layouts and this plain, simple, straight forward, what you see is what you get layout is all that really fit me.

So, I surrender to my own simplicity and find myself trying to stay awake as Kierstin is now laying on my bed watching her new fav movie...Piglet's Big Movie.  Can it get any better than that, I ask you???  

Why yes, it can...Monday morning when the kids go to school!  (glorious singing fills the room as if from the heavens)

Kierstin is NOT SLEEPING!

So, it's Thursday the 21st, Larry's birthday and he is in Chicago.  I am just about ready to call it a day and I hear Kierstin calling me from her bed where she is supposed to be sleeping.  (clearly not)  So...I go in to find her bed stripped and her room smells just poisonous.  And now, she is all clean and full of energy to spare.  So, I am blog stalking and I see Amber has made some lovely changes and I am now seeking some remodeling of my own.  My look may change a few times before I get to bed, but we'll see how it turns out.  

Look at this fun!

So, yes, I am a year older and I have started back at the gym and GO NASTIA!  But look at our newest arrival!!!  You know you want to sleep in there!

Need suggestions

Ok.  I should be sleeping.  I need my...NEEEEEEEED my beauty sleep.  Turning, oh wait...it's after midnight...it's officially August 14th, 2008 and I am now 35.  

Moment of silence, followed by loud cheering and singing, please.

Ok.  Back to the task at hand.  I need some ideas of something fun to do with the kiddos for my birthday.  I mean, I know we could all gather and find some cool place to go eat, but that lacks originality.  Ooooo...what about a drive-in?  Hmmm, need your thoughts.  Remember, Dallas area, kids from 2 to almost 12, me, maybe sisters and kiddos if they want to party like its, well, 2008.  And...um, let's not get too crazy on the budget.  What would you do here in the area for your birthday under such circumstances?  

Nantucket Weekend GIVEAWAY!!!!

Nantucket Weekend GIVEAWAY!!!!

Oh so pretty!  You know that my littlest bird would be lovely in this...with a bow in her hair of course.

Look what we did today!!!

Fun with the girls!

Ok, so we picked flowers from my little yard and made three little bouquets for our table.  
 

We sang and sang and sang and sang and sang and....

We painted with watercolors and had such a fun mess.  The girls were so funny!

And then, we simply had to make a tent after a yummy dinner of chocolate chip pancakes.  They read books to each other and had a little lamp and a little fan to keep cool.  Even the boys were jealous.  They are actually asleep under there right this minute, but I don't think I can stand the idea of how uncomfortable they must be so I will move them to the couches for the night.

Oh, more painting and much more singing.  The singing part is just too fun.  They have been giving us impromptu concerts.  Haylee even tried to talk Kaden into singing the "boy part" of her duet with them.  He promptly declined.

Enough about me I guess

Well, you must not have cared about my "Mom uniform" rant as no one had anything to say...not even a "hey, shut up...I like my Mom uniform...don't knock it".  I expected even a little joke about the comparisons to such dream girls as Lisa Marie and Meryl...but nada, nothing, complete silence.  So... I will give you more what you want.

Bubbles!  In one little bottle of soapy bubbles and a battery operated Dora the Explorer toy you can find true joy for about 16 minutes...if you're 2, maybe 5 or 6 if you are a little older, as you will see below.

And then Kaden and Kyra started to get a little bored:

Oh, and by the way...school starts in 18 days and I am not at all prepared...ready, but not prepared.  I better get on that.  Oh, and very exciting news:  The summer Olympics Opening Ceremony is THIS FRIDAY!  You all better be watching because I bet it will be amazing! 

How Do I Look?

              Once upon a time, I think we may have actually looked a little bit alike.

Here's a question that should have been asked a LONG time ago.  SO.  If someone asked you who might play you in a movie about your life, or a sitcom or science fiction...or tragedy, as the case may be...who would you choose?  I ask this because I have had a strange and unnerving realization today.  I have been browsing through various photographs, from more than 15 years and in them are some of myself, some are accidental photos. you know the ones where you happen to be in the background, and some are intentionally of me.  I have one main question:  Why have you all allowed me to wear nearly the exact same things for all of these years?!?

Exhibit A:

Oh, there's plenty more where that came from.  What can you tell from these time lapsed photographs?  I mean, other than my hair has changed as much as my weight has???  Bear in mind that these pictures are all from very different years, so you can't think that I just happened to be going through a black shirt/ tan pants or jeans phase.  I have been in that phase for YEARS!!!  

Now, back to the question of who will play you in your movie.  Here are my picks:

  

(Lisa Marie gets the role if it's a musical, which I know you all love musicals!)

So, here is my point.  Well, one of them.  If you are like me, and perhaps you are more sane than I am...you have this idea of yourself, this persona that you believe that you put out into the world.  I have, for better or worse, believed that I was more like these women above than what I see myself slumping into becoming.  I walked through Walmart today and saw something that I related to, and it made me laugh in that I'm frightened so I'll giggle way...the Mom uniform.  Holy crap!  I am actually constantly wearing and seeking to purchase what can only be described as the common Mom uniform: solid t-shirt, tan or black pants/ shorts/ skirt/ capris, and sandals or flip flops...even if it's cold outside.  Now, most of you don't know this about me, but I once had a little bit of style.  Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled about this role I have and the kids and the house and the stuff that comes with it...but I don't believe that I need to be a walking advertisement for my job.  I mean, do nurses wear scrubs ALL THE TIME?  Do servers wear aprons everywhere they go?  NO!  

I need to get my groove back.  I know it means working out and eating right and taking care of myself and doing fun Heather things like reading a great book and taking classes and even auditioning for a play, or at least thinking about it.  I know that I have to crawl out of my little sloopadooper spot and get back out there...otherwise I may find my role played by this person:

  in a black shirt, of course.