Halloween 2014

In my usual, on the ball, fashion.  I am just now getting around to posting our Halloween pictures!

This year we were missing Rainman because he had to work.  But our wonderful friends still invited us over to a quick pizza dinner and Trick or Treating.  But, first our pumpkins!

Apparently, D-man escaped the individual pumpkin shot this year. You get distracted when you have 6 kids, you know..... Grrrr....

 He is in this one though.....along with my psuedo-kids....the neighbor boys (J-boy and Spider-man/C-boy - isn't his face paint awesome?)

Now, for our costumes....

Yes, I am wearing padding...that is NOT all me!

This one is a total  inside joke because D-man is dressed as his cousin.....this guy.....

Who also occasionally looks like this....

Anyway.....back to my offspring!

Rapunzel from Tangled.

Anna from Frozen.  I will just take a moment to brag on L-girl for a minute.  She made her costume.  She sewed the dress, AND, she hand painted the Scandinavian flower design on the front!  So proud.

I know.  It is not politically correct at all, but I comforted myself with the fact that my sister and I went as "hobos", back in the day, complete with bandana knapsacks tied to a stick....with coffee ground beards....and decided it would be okay.

Elsa from Frozen.  L-girl made this dress, complete with swirling cape for S-girl.

And to complete our Frozen-centric costume theme this year.  V-girl as Olaf!

Here is she being created by Elsa....

 

And a better shot of her cute little carrot nose with Rapunzel.

 

 As usual, the weather for Halloween here in the South, was spectacular.  Not too hot, not too cold.  Just right.  I will share a little bit of our fun town fall celebrations in another post.  But, thought I would get these out there for you before Thanksgiving!  Ha!

Kids These Days....

It is an absolutely beautiful day today in Georgia.  Temps are in the 60s.  I slept with my windows open last night....and they have been open all day today too.

After school, the kids went outside to play. 

They played on the swingset, ran around in the woods, rode their bikes.

I went out after I got a few things done and sat on my porch swing.  Love that thing.

I noticed the kids had the neighbors little pup tent set up between our houses.  The tent was gyrating and moving around.  I envisioned them playing some sort of game of pretend in there and just being silly.

A few minutes into my porch sitting, V-girl starts heading towards home holding her eye and crying.

She came up and snuggled with me on the swing.  From her weeping and wailing, I got that she had been hit in the eye with a stick.

I asked how it had happened.  (You know, the usual 20 questions):

Did you swing it around and get yourself?

No.

Did someone else swing it around and hit you?

No.

Were you sword fighting?

No.

Did you step on one and it came up and hit you?

No.

You get the idea.....anyway, I pieced it together.....when she was getting into or out of the tent....(still couldn't understand her through the tears).....she went too close to the bush and got hit in the eye.

She then went on to say she was just trying to see the iPad.

"The iPad?"  I said.

"What do you mean, iPad?"  (Go ahead an imagine my tone of voice as incredulously as you would like.)

She went on to explain that they were in the tent watching shows on Netflix.

"What?"

So, I shouted to the remaining tent occupiers (2 of my kids and 2 neighbor kids) for confirmation that they were actually in a tent on a beautiful day like today.....watching t.v.  Yup....they were.

I told them to return the iPad to the rightful owners....(the neighbors/neighbor children).....and actually "play" outside.  V-girl dutifully explained that it was all S-girl's idea. 

I then explained to V-girl that you do not, under any circumstance that I can think of, watch t.v. in a tent. 

She said, "We were just trying to camp."

I told her camping does not involve iPads.  Camping is playing games, telling stories, singing songs, and having bonfires and eating camp food.

She exclaimed, "We were going to play games! On the iPad, when the show was over!"


Then I went on to explain that was NOT the kind of games I was talking about.



Can I shake my head and say,  "Kids these days!" without totally sounding like a curmudgeon???

You Going Anywhere?

What does this tell you about my life?

Normally, I get dressed as soon as I get up in the mornings....except for Sundays when I put on my robe over my jammies.  I go have some coffee and start the morning wake up calls for the kids, then I go get myself dressed for church.

This morning, I woke up at my usual time....6:30ish.....but this is New Year's Eve.....and I want to be a big girl and stay up until midnight....so I tried to sleep in.  I made it to about 7:15 before I gave up.

Even though it isn't Sunday, I decided to just grab my robe and head into the kitchen for coffee, letting Rainman sleep in - so he can be the fun one at midnight.

So, I did just that.....and remembered why I usually get dressed right away.....my jammies/nightgown is not comfortable unless I am laying down.  My legs stick together and things get all bunched up weird.  So, I stuck it out in the living room as long as I could.  Then I decided to sneak into my room and grab some clothes and get dressed. 

Rainman was awake, but still laying in bed.  I grabbed my stuff, went into the bathroom, got dressed and came out to face the day.

He greeted me with the question, "You going anywhere?"

I said, "No."

He said, "Oh, because you are kind of dressed up."

Care to know what I am wearing? 

What constitutes "dressed up" at my house???

Brown yoga pants and a brown polo shirt....with no bra.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is what I have become!  Ha!

Have a Happy New Year.....we are doing our usual, make homemade pizzas, work on puzzles, a few board games and fake wine at New Year's.....and I will be decked out in my ever so fancy yoga pants and polo shirt....(although at some point I will actually need to put on a bra....because my chest is to the point where it is actually uncomfortable if I don't give it some support).....but, you get the idea!

Only a Little Embarrassing...

I guess I am like a lot of bloggers out there.  I share a lot of the great things my kids do, pictures of my house when it is clean, or, the great homeschool products that are out there.

I don't share a lot about the real aspects of our life.

I did share about how I really DON'T do it all here.

I did share about our sock problem  here.

I did share about the cockroach in my coffee here.

I am about to add another real tale to the list.

Yesterday, was Thanksgiving.  For the first time ever, we celebrated with friends.  Rainman works most Thanksgivings, so we have either gone to family (when we lived in Minnesota) and he joined us there after work, or I have hosted and we scheduled our meal around whatever shift he was working.  Sometimes, we even celebrated on a totally different day.

But, this year, my wonderful friend, Sherri, asked what we were doing for Thanksgiving because she was in the mood for a crowd.  Just inviting my family over constitutes a crowd!  The kids thought going over to Sherri's house was a great idea.  They have a really big T.V. and a fun, little, teeny, tiny dog.

So, we decided that I would make a few side dishes and she would handle the turkey.  Great plan!  So we prepped and made things the night before and then I whipped up a few of them Thanksgiving morning.

(I had a picture of A-girl cutting onions in her sparkly Hollywood sunglasses but Blogger is telling me I have hit my 1 GB limit and need to buy storage space.....I have no idea what they are talking about...so, for now...no picture of A-girl.  If anyone has tips on how to fix this issue - without actually buying anything, I am all ears!)


After I got my final side dish in the oven, I announced that I was going to take a shower.  I took a good long shower, put extra conditioner in my hair, washed and moisturized my face, put a little make up on.  I looked pretty good.  Got my comfy (elastic wasted) but, sort of stylish pants on.  My hair, if I leave it alone has a nice wave/curl to it, so I decided to let it be and try to wear it down.

But, I know myself well enough that once I started moving around or working in the kitchen, I would want to be able to pull it back out of the way.  Nobody wants a long curly hair...even if it is pretty...in any of their Thanksgiving feast.

So, I grabbed my Lilla Rose hair clip that I am totally in love with.




Problem was that I had no pockets in my comfy pants.  And V-girl wanted me to help her get dressed.  I knew if I set the hair clip down I would forget to grab it again.  Especially because V-girl is quite picky about clothing. 

She is a bit of a Goldilocks in that her underwear have to feel "just right"...and then, the pants can't pull on the underwear too much....the pants can't make the underwear move around too much....and, the shirts she wants to wear are almost always stained, so there is a bit of bargaining over which clean shirt she likes enough to wear.  So, helping her get dressed takes a while.  Plus, there are 5 other kids around that have questions, stories that need to be told, need help putting belts through the loops, or opinions on what to wear.

Suffice it to say, if I had put the Lilla Rose clip down, it wouldn't have made it to Thanksgiving with me.  And, remember my hair was wet and conditioned and wavy and pretty....I didn't want to put it in my hair and ruin in.

So, I tucked it in my cleavage.  I would just keep it there and then, when I got downstairs, I would put it in my purse.  So, V-girl/Goldolocks finally arrived at a pair of underwear that fit her just right.  I had been able to coerce everyone into bringing an extra pair of play clothes.  Then someone yelled that the oven timer had gone off.  So, I went downstairs pulled the casserole out of the oven.  Yelled at the kids to grab their stuff.

Asked A-girl to double check the list I had made the day before so I made sure that I grabbed everything I had promised to bring, including crafts and games for everyone.  By the way, I stole a bunch of game ideas from my sister's Twelve Days of Christmas posts. They were a huge hit!!!

Anyway, I had lots of stuff to bring....successfully got it all balanced and positioned just right in the van and were able to get it all there without anything spilling along the way.  I only had to turn around about a block from our house to come back and make sure that I had remembered to turn off the oven (I did...but didn't have any actual memory of doing so). We left our house around 10:30 a.m.

Once we got to Sherri's house, the kids played, Sherri and I cooked and visited.  We had dinner.  We cleaned up dinner.  Sherri and her sister decided that they were going to Black Friday shop on Thanksgiving night.  Walmart opened at 8:00, so they decided they had better leave around 7:00 or so.  A-girl and L-girl wanted to go with on their very first Black Friday adventure.  Sherri and her sister had room, but it was 6:45 when this decision was made.  So, there was a mad rush of getting ready and off they went.

I did not go shopping.  Number one, I don't like to shop.  Number two, I don't really have much money.  Number three, I went to a Black Friday sale once when I was about 13 or 14 with my friend, Natalie.  It was a nightmare.  We went to Dayton's in downtown Minneapolis....and I think Target.  I am not sure.  I have blocked most of it out. 

Anyway, I wished them well, said I would handle putting the leftovers away and off they went.

By this time, Rainman had arrived from work and had eaten his dinner, while the rest of us had leftovers, and joined the guys for the football games downstairs on the big T.V.  So, I cleaned up the kitchen until he came up, after the game, to see if I was ready to head home.

We got the four kids that were left and headed home.  A-man had really wanted to go Black Friday shopping too and was quite disappointed that there wasn't room for him.  He also had no shopping money, so even if they had room, it would have been pointless.

D-man, S-girl and V-girl rode home with Rainman (there is always a lot of fighting over who gets to ride in the car....apparently when all you know is a big extended, high top, conversion van....a car ride is very exciting!)  A-man and I were all alone in the van.  We had a nice visit about life and Christmas.  He came up with a plan on the way home.  He announced that since his sisters got to go Black Friday shopping, that we should get to watch a Christmas movie without them.  I am pretty funny about us watching the hokey Christmas movies together this time of year.  But, I agreed that sounded like a good plan.

So, we got home, the kids got their jammies on, got a snack.  I checked e-mail and Facebook.  We finally settled in to watch the movie about 10:00.  (By the way, if you are looking for an extra hokey Christmas movie, tune in to 2006s Christmas Do-Over with Jay Mohr and Daphne Zuniga.)

I sat down and put my feet up and started watching the movie.  I had a little itch in my chest area, so I reached into the front of my shirt to scratch it.  I know.....real lady like, huh?

But, wait!  What's this?  What is in my bra?

Yes, it was my Lilla Rose hair clip that I had placed there.....just about 12 hours prior.

Seriously.

How sad is that?

I mean, yes, I have a bosom. 

But, I had no idea I could really hide things there undetected by me, or anyone else, for that length of time!

Seriously.


It is kind of sad, isn't it?

Funny.  But.....sad.

Halloween 2012

My kids were just as cute as usual this year!

Our little turtle.

Our little poodle.

Our little biker (who has been in a few fights).

Our little witch.

Our little 1950's girl.

Our little replacement ref.

A hippy.  (By the way, how sad is it that only 2 or 3 of my kids even knew what a hippy was?  Made me feel very old!)

By the way....take a closer look at A-girls dress.

This was my mother's senior prom dress in 1955.  (Sorry mom....now people will know your age!)

A-girl and I agreed that it is gorgeous and we would both wear it now for real and not just for a costume.  I have always wished I could dress like the 50's housewives I see on T.V.

And, to finish....here is another shot of D-man and his "stache"....

A-Man is Ummmm....Entertaining.....

Today's post will be a bit of random stuff all related to A-man and  his special ways of keeping our family entertained.


He has kept his teeth in his head a lot longer than I thought he would.....if you know what I mean?  Actually, his top teeth have been quite stubborn and we were a bit worried they would never fall out.


Once he got one of them loosened.....he was sort of trying not to lose it....since it succeeded in getting him lots of attention.  Most especially the squealing, "gross!" from his sisters and various other females of his acquaintance.

Can't you just see the glee in his face!

He tried this old trick....

...but then chickened out.


It finally gave up after a good, looooong fight.....and fell out.....while he was drinking a glass of water.

Then, A-man carefully carried his tooth upstairs and put it on his dresser so he would be ready to put it under his pillow for the Tooth Fairy later that night.

Here is a copy of the letter he left her.

He cracks me up.  He was soooooo careful walking it upstairs.....oh, well.

This is the way this boy does school.  Not for the whole day....but at least a few times a day I will glance over and see this!

 

(I assume this is his "thinking" pose....since I am pretty sure that you cannot write with your hands holding your weight because your feet are hooked on the back of the chair!)

 



Or this....plain old standing.....

Apparently actually sitting in chairs to waaaay too boring for this guy.  Can  I just say I am glad we homeschool?  He would be in such trouble in public school!



And here is a recent example of one of his school projects.  He was asked to draw a picture of Noah and the ark...and some pairs of animals.

Let me explain a bit to you. The guys with the long necks are giraffes.  Next to and above them are the monkeys...one of which is holding on to Noah.  Along the bottom, we have turtles, and lions.  There are bumblebees just above the turtles.  Now above the bees you have things that look like 9s, Ps, Ds, and Bs.....lower case.....these are next to and around the birds in the sky.

Here.....look again, so you don't have to keep scrolling up.

Know what they are?  Those are.....Hummingbirds......get it?

Now, this next item....I didn't even notice right away.  See the little guy floating in the water on the left....right about where it says Teacher Check?  Any guesses?

That, my friends, is a unicorn....that was late....and, missed the boat.

And to finish up....remember our beloved Scruble Cube?

Well, someone left it on the floor....then someone else tripped over it....and it exploded...all over the place.

Thanks to A-man.....the Scruble Cube was able to share some last words.....

I am sorry....but, I think you have just got to love this kid, don't you???

Socks and Sandals

I know.

You aren't supposed to wear them together.

I know that.

But, my toes were cold this morning.

And, I just needed to run to the store to get a gallon of milk for breakfast....before the kids got up.

So, I did it.

They aren't even my socks.  They're Rainmans Chicago Bears socks.

 

I was feeling pretty okay about it on my rush in and out of the store.....pretty sure that nobody would pay any attention to me and notice my feet.....until I saw someone else in socks and sandals.....walking in front of me.....

 

 

It was a man. 

 

He had pajama pants on.

 

He was at the store in need of only one item too.

 

It was 8:00 a.m.

 

He was heading to the checkout with....a bottle of wine.

 

 

(I didn't even know you could buy liquor that early in the morning.)

 

 

So, um, I am thinking that maybe next time, I will let my feet be cold when I am out procuring supplies for my babies.

 

I don't really want to be bundled into the same group of people as that guy.  Do I?

Hair and Dress Up

I have been working on seemingly endless projects around here.  (I will update you soon....although I have forgotten to take some of my before pictures....which doesn't make it nearly as exciting as it actually is when you see the difference between the two!) When I am not forcing the kids to be my assistants....they have been filling their time by playing dress up and fixing each other's hair....and giving themselves tattoos.

A lady can never have enough bags.....can she?

A little closer....

Some hair dos for you....

Photo bomb courtesy of L-girl

(Half French braid....half fish tail braid)

Our friend, E-girl fixed V-girl's hair for her.

All she needs is a little bone to be Pebbles.

A-man decided he wanted to be a football player....so he took some scotch tape and added crayon lines....

Then S-girl decided she needed to be in on the fun too....and NOT as a cheerleader.

You can't really see hers....but she copied A-man.

And, finally.....a sign of things to come???

Although he said he didn't want people to see that it said, "I heart VBS".  We pretended that it actually said, "I heart Mom".

Mmmmm.......Hold Still!!!

This is why my children are so pale. 

We no longer go to the beach! 

Is This Horrible?

I saw this posted on Facebook by a friend of mine.  I read it. 

Laughed out loud. 

D-man heard me laughing and came over to see what I was laughing about.  I said something about how funny it was.  He read it over my shoulder and said, "Well, yeah....but it has a lot of bad words."

So, I said, "What bad words?".... then proceeded to start reading it outloud......which then made him repeat over and over...."Mom!  Stop!  It sounds horrible when you say it."

Rainman and I don't curse.....really.....ever.  I rarely even think them in my head.


So, my question for you....is this horrible?  Should I have not let my 14 year old son see it?  Hear me say it?  Am I a bad mom?  (maybe you shouldn't answer that last one)



Sorry, I still think it is really funny.

Web Camera Surprises....

Recently I was organizing my pictures on the computer, and stumbled on a little surprise....that showcases what my little darlings do on the computer when I am otherwise occupied....

Take web camera still shots of themselves....

D-man looking serious.

A-girl looking a little too grown up with her cute little freckles!

 L-girl being her usual crazy self!

 Little sisters trying to be just like big sis.

Surprisingly, A-man did not have any web cam pictures....so here is one of him taken with the regular camera....so he doesn't feel left out!

Faces only a mother could love, huh?