trick-or-treat!

our large crew of kids

best costume ever!



Our family had a blast trick-or-treating.  We started out at our friends the Morgenstern's for pizza, salad and wine (treats for the adults!) and went all throughout their neighborhood with a bunch of their other friends.   Out of all the children there (13 total) Carter was the only girl!  It was such a idyllic night and on more than a few occasions I had to hold back tears of just complete joy. I have such fantastic kids, such a charming husband and wonderful friends (the Twix and Almond Joy's helped too).  Luckily, another mother was a complete sap too.  The kids managed to score a crazy amount of candy and they were both in bed by 9pm, not too bad for Halloween night!

and the parties continue...

Theo with some classmates

We reuse costumes big time at our house, I am using Carter's Pikachu costume from last year.  It was a HUGE hit with all the 3rd graders especially with this other Pikachu!

Carter's class

haunted house making





trunk or treat

Theo's preschool had a little trunk or treat last night.  The kids got some candy and decorated some cookies.  It was a small little prelude to tonight's fun but walking home Theo asked "so, that was Halloween, right?" and honestly a handful of candy and a decorated cookie was good enough for him!

Spiderman again.

skipping home, oh how I love that Theo's preschool is within walking distance!

pumpkin carving

Besides, the fact that it's Halloween and I can't wait to eat a Twix and a Almond Joy my beautiful pal Deirdre is finally back from an 11 day vacation.  They say absence makes the heart grow fonder and it's so very true  Deirdre and I have coffee together at least two times a week, we always makes extra coffee on a day that we know we can get together. Our friendship is easygoing and fun. Our four year olds love each other. It also is a plus that our older kids are in the same class and she lives up the street from us.  We can talk about anything and before we know it hours have passed.  Welcome back D, coffee is on for tomorrow!

D and I, both of us are in need of some lipstick in this pic!

Her son Ho'okele and my Carter, classmates and silly friends

us with our babes, love love love!

let the Halloween festivities begin!

Halloween party at our favorite hang out

making bats

although, we did go to a pumpkin patch, we wanted just a few more to carve tomorrow.
Albertson's had them for super cheap!

I got one too, I like the odd shaped ones.

 Zombie getting ready for a party!

 Zombie with his wife. I opted not to go to the party but I did jump into this picture,
Jeremy looks smoking hot even as a Zombie : )

Target trap

What is it with Target?  I just got back from Target. I went in to get a bottle of wine and navy tights.  I left with two bottles of wine, navy tights, coffee creamer,  two boxes of Halloween shaped mac and cheese, pumpkin flavored cream cheese, bananas and a nerf gun.  I gave the cashier about five other items that I decided last minute I didn't need.  That place is a money trap, super smart marketing tactics going on there.  I need to be wiser.

if you need a little chuckle check out this site.

Thursday thoughts

The perk of being so productive yesterday (see below post), is that I am still in pajamas today!  Sure, the beds are made, kids are fed and dressed and the big one is off to school (also a perk? Carter's school bus picks up 2 houses down from ours), there is laundry going but after such a busy day yesterday I can take it easy today, the ebb and flow of life, gotta love it!

In other news have I ever mentioned that I have a fanatical reader in the house, besides myself?  Carter is a crazy reader and I mean crazy.  I am so thankful that we live within walking distance of a library.  We take her every few days and she loads up on books.  Grandma DD took the kids yesterday while I was at work and Carter checked out 4 books. She read all 4 in one day, one day people!  One was 157 pages long and the other 3 were anywhere from 80 pages to 100 pages. She was reading all afternoon.  I pray that her reading skills take her far in life, God has blessed her.  Jeremy often jokes that he should have had Carter read some of his boring grad school books!

This weekend we have some pumpkins to carve and Halloween festivities to attend.  It's going to be fun.

Happy Thursday!

exhaustion, the good kind

Before even 9:30 this morning I had already made breakfast for 3 people.  Jeremy had sausage, scrambled eggs and a english muffin. Carter had a banana, english muffin and chocolate milk. Theo had yogurt, cinnamon toast and a granola bar with orange juice (not a fan of chocolate chip granola bars for breakfast but sometimes it happens)  I had coffee and a few quick bites of a yogurt. I made lunch for Carter and Jeremy.  I bleached our bathtub and cleaned the rest of our bathroom (I like to clean before I shower and dress).  I quickly dusted our room and the living room, made 2 beds (Carter makes her own) and threw in a load of laundry.  I made sure Theo was dressed and had an item picked out for sharing day.  I then quickly showered, dried my hair and dressed, I even managed eye makeup! Threw the breakfast dishes in the dish washer. Fluffed couch pillows and straightened the living room, then started the car to warm up.  I dropped Theo off at preschool at 9:30. I then run to Safeway to get milk and carrots (we always run out of those things).  I also decide to go to Nordstrom rack to try on a few dresses as I need a new one for Jeremy's holiday work party in November, 8 dresses later no luck.  I run groceries home, switch laundry over and throw in another load.  Check emails, respond. Fold laundry. Text back a friend.  Email more. Prepare stuff for dinner (I am working today 2-9:30).  Start to grill some chicken and chop some veggies. Stop to write this blog.  It's only 11:30am and I feel like I have done a whole days worth of work. It's no wonder I can't keep my eyes open past 9:30pm.  But, you want to know something?  I love it, I really do!  I love making my family breakfast and lunches.  I love having a super clean house.  I love folding warm clothes.  I love that we own a dishwasher.  I love preparing a good and healthy dinner for my husband and kids to enjoy while I am at work.  I am so thankful that I have this life.  I am blessed to be able (besides a very fun part-time job) to stay at home and raise my children and be there for my hardworking husband.  I wouldn't want it any other way. I even get to do it all over again tomorrow and the day after that.

disclaimer:  I am certainly not an anomaly, I do get frustrated,  my house does get dirty, my refrigerator is often empty, I snap at my husband and kids and I sometimes have a very bad attitude...but all in all I have a fantastic life and I want my day to day errands to reflect the joy I have in being a good momma and a great wife.


a big thank you to my mom, mother in law and friend Deirdre who watch my kids so I can occasionally work, THANK YOU!

pre-k pumpkin patch

Theo's preschool class went pumpkin picking last Wednesday.  We had spectacular weather and great company as Grandma DD (Jeremy's momma) was able to come too!

Theo with some of his class

story time at the farm

"donkey" riding

Theo and Grandma

Theo picks his pumpkin

enjoying lunch

hugs on a tractor

on the cheap

or the thrifty.

picture taken by Theo

striped shirt Old Navy $10.50

short sleeve v-neck blouse Anthropologie on sale $39.99 (bought last year)

belt borrowed from a dress hanging in my closet

skinny jeans Old Navy on sale $9.49 (booyah, scored another pair of skinny's, on the cheap!) I am a big fan of "one can never have too many pairs of jeans" philosophy : )

brown patent (mostly likely fake leather) flats Target $14.99

I am working on getting some sort of decent  fall wardrobe together using mostly old and only a few new items (Old navy long sleeve shirts , especially striped ones, are great for layering with spring/summer tops).  My friend Salwa told me "when in doubt, belt it" which at first made me a bit nervous but she always looks great, so I am belting it!

99% my thoughts exactly.

READ THIS! and start thanking your lucky stars, jumping up and down praising God for all that you have, seriously people, we are one super blessed nation stop being ridiculous.

and he cooks too!



Homemade waffles with a cooked apple-walnut topping, delish!

I love him.

(and the Yankees)

Thursday thoughts...

Extensions anyone?  I miss long hair, why oh why do I chop my hair off every few years? I almost instantly regret it and now I have the tedious task of growing it back out, seriously people, if you love me then don't let me cut my hair!

Does anyone out there in my circle (who actually reads this blog) have a high fructose corn syrup free life?  I am thinking of stepping up my "eating" healthy situation and going completely high fructose corn syrup free.  Thoughts?  We have been trending in this direction the last few years. We started using real maple syrup and I have dwindled the unhealthy treats down, I still occasionally get my kids Gogurts and fruit by the foot (all on sale of course) but I think we can get it out of our lives completely.  It might take a few months to phase stuff out but I have noticed that although I consider myself a health nut (with the occasional many slip-ups) my husband and kids eat not so healthy but I want a family effort to eat better.

I am also on the hunt (again) for some yummy and easy autumn dinner recipes, anyone have some to share?

And last but not least, does anyone else cry on every episode of Parenthood or am I the only sap out there?

Happy Thursday People, have a fabulous day!



Look, who is over at our house?!

Sunrise!

I just love this little girl!

happy cousins

My brother Justin has a business meeting for a few days this week in the Seattle area so he brought one of his kids (he has 3) to hang with my mom and with me for a few days.  We are enjoying Sunrise so much. We last saw her in June at her 2nd birthday and can hardly believe all her new words. My kids are having a blast playing with her and I love all the snuggling she does with me.  I can't wait to have her back tomorrow.

famous

This pretty much knocked my socks off, it's so very true to the core.  Do my kids know that they mean more to me than laundry and the computer?  Does Jeremy get my leftovers at the end of a long day?  Sashes to the merchants said it best "I want to be famous to them".  Thank you God for my precious kids who often forgive and love me even when they don't get the very best of me.

whew!

 Holy moly, we had a busy weekend.  Lots and lots of fun...

We took the kids to the Bellevue Art Museum on Saturday and enjoyed some funky art pieces.  I  then went to a Sounders game that Saturday night with my friend Angie, it was so awesome and Seattle managed to pull off a win right at the end.

Then on Sunday we went with my dearest Seattle friend and neighbor Deirdre and her cutie family to Fox Hollow for a little fall loving and animal petting.  We even managed to get a fantastic family photo that I plan to use for Christmas cards!

a pig is topping Carter's Christmas list for 2011, not a chance but it's fun to dream!



Salmon spotting and rock throwing



Deirdre and I with the kids

The gang having a snack (Carter, Taylor, Ho'okele and Theo)

We then went to Taylor's 4th birthday party in the evening. I forgot my camera but we had a fantastic time celebrating one of our favorite 4 year olds.  What a fulfilling and lovely weekend, here's to a great start to the week!