trick or treat?

Trick or treat??

All treats here....what a beautiful evening for trick or treating. We were planning on going out of town for a outdoor fall party, but then decided to stay in town and go door to door. Good thing since by the end of the treating it started to sprinkle.

Isabella could hardly wait to put her wings on, she has the most self control out of anyone in the whole car load tonight. She wouldn't eat any of her candy because she was saving it until we got home. Her teacher from school gave her a project to count her candy and make a tally sheet. Where she gets her self control is beyond me ??

Little sweet Suzanna Monarch, surprisingly enough she left the wings alone. Maybe it was the pumpkin full of candy she was carrying that made her forget the wings.

O.k. Well these 2 were best of friends tonight. They were both in high spirits to get dressed up. It was sweet. I have a little story that has nothing to do with trick or treating...but I think it deserves repeating. On the way home from church Sunday night, Isabella and Jack were arguing and fussing with each other so finally we told them to keep there hands to themselves and they were not allowed to talk until we got home. So it was quiet for about 5 minutes until a noise comes from the backseat, and Isabella and Jack try to stifle laughing out loud. William busts out in laughter, and then says, "Jack I like it when you pooser. Do it again" So he does 4 more times to be exact. Oh brother...that part he takes after his dad. By the time we got home, Isabella is granted the privilege to talk again and is plugging her nose asking us to please open the windows to air the place out. Poor girl. Boys will be boys. Why they think it is cool is beyond me. I did have to laugh at William though.

Hope you had a beautiful fall day!

lovin' fall

Last night Donovan raked a pile of leaves for the kids to jump in.....Everyone loved it with the exception of Suzy when she had to lay in them....not liking the leaves.....

Unless she can throw them.....

She also likes to hold them or eat them.

Jack O' lantern. The others pitures didn't turn out so well because of the darkness. I love this fall weather....Don't you??

happy and you know it

Guess why Suzy is so happy?????

the only way I can get her to sit still is to give her a blankie.......that way I could show you why she is so happy. She got earrings yesterday at the mall. Now she can be just like mama & ella. yes, she cried a little when she got it done. And then she fell asleep 10 minutes later. She is in high spirits today and excited.

Double Deckers

Today was such a great day!! Isabella and Jack had off of school for fall break, so I wanted to plan something they would enjoy and something I would like too. So for me -I love to go to the resale shop....my favorite one is in Portage, MI. So we planned a trip and told them after the resale shop we would go for a ride on the new Double-Decker carousel at the mall. The anticipation of this trip was as much for me as for them. Now normally I do not take all the kids to the resale shop & the mall. It's just too much. Too long for them, to frustrating for me. But since I had been sick the first of the week with strep, I was ready for a field trip. I think psyching yourself up for something like this is the trick. Plan for everything to take 4 times as long. Plan for lots of trips to the bathroom, and plan for a little crying. But this was truly one of the best times I've had out by myself with all of them.

None of us had seen a Double Decker before so this was a lot of fun. Mama and the baby got to ride for free. Oh, and the others- $2 a pop. A little on the expensive side, but well worth it.

After the rides, we went for lunch in the food court and the kids played in the water fountain. William was asking Isabella for money to throw in, & before I knew it she was pulling pennies off the bottom of the fountain and giving them to the boys to throw in. What a girl. All in all what a great day. And only 2 people stopped me and asked, "are all these children yours?" Thankfully one of them added, "They are so well behaved" -Thankfully that woman didn't see one of those well behaved people sticking her entire arm in the water, to fish money out of the fountain.

top 10

Someone might have mentioned that they hadn't "made the blog" Well this post is dedicated to the man I love the most & the top 10 reasons I do.

1. Because he loves me unconditionally.

2. He is my cheerleader. He believe in me when I do not believe in myself.

3. When I am sick, he quietly turns off the baby monitor, turns on the bathroom fan for white noise, and closes the door so I can sleep in. All without me asking him too.

4. He lets me pick out the meal when we share at a restaurant.

5. He is the best dad in the world to our kids.

6. He makes life fun with his crazy and funny one liners.

7. He lets me pick the pimples on his back. Now that is love!

8. He completes me.

9. He rubs my back. (even if he falls asleep while doing rubbing)

10. For the last 9 years he has help me make Christmas cards, even when this is the last thing in the world he wants to do.

I love you Donovan you are the BEST!

cards

my cousin steve and suzanna playing this little piggy.

Maybe it's just me but when I was growing up my parents had friends and family over alot. For meals, for snacks, and playing games. And we went over to our aunt and uncles alot to play games. The adults would play cards and the kids would rip around and play in the basement. Is it just me or is everyone our age (30's) just too busy? I'm am just as guilty of not having company as the next 30ish married with kids. We need to do it more. One place I get this reminiscent of my growing up years is when we go to my aunt and uncles. It's very rare that we will go there and not break out a deck of cards. The kids play and watch movies and there is nothing more relaxing and fun for our family.

It's pretty fun to get fired up and try to beat my uncle and sets and runs. I love when he gets a good hand he starts to whistle, and sing little made up songs. What a blast. These pictures were taken last Friday night after we went out to supper for my aunt's birthday. Then came back to their place to play cards and eat popcorn. I was hesitant to go since we didn't finish dinner until 8 p.m. and thinking we have a little distance to drive and should get the kids to bed. But Donovan was feeling wild and crazy & said we should just go and have fun....it's the weekend. So we did, and the kids were fine even though we were there until past 10. So there is our wild and crazy Friday night. What fun!

Take a deep breath......

O.k. well this morning is not going as planned really. I'm having to take deep breaths and count to 10 every 10 minutes. You see son #1 is having issues with tying his shoes. This needs to be done to go to school. This needs to be done before the bus comes in 45 minutes. While I love Jack dearly, this boy wears on my nerves. We have been working on this skill for over 2 months and he can do it, but needs LOTS of cheer leading and lots of confetti. Sometimes the other kids who also call me mama need things too. SO this leaves me pulled in a few directions. Currently Jack is in his bed trying to collect self control and the others playing happily in their rooms. PRAY FOR ME.

Please can we move onto happier memories? Like Saturday for instance. We went to an open house for my aunt and uncle who celebrated their 60th Anniversary, & had a very nice time. ON the way home we stopped at a Pumpkin/Mum Farm. WOW!! Do I love fall. All the colors on the trees right now, and mix it in with the kids getting to pick out their own pumpkin and you got me. Happy. AS. PIE. Pumpkin pie that is. And hmmmm I wonder where Jack gets his obsession with food. Oh dear, time got away from me. Need to run and get Jack's shoes on. Urgh!!!

Well here I am starting a blog, I can't believe it. I started reading blogs while pregnant with our youngest. I was hooked and loved the idea of journaling and pictures all in one little package. Those first couple months of being pregnant and not really motivated to do much else besides sit, surf the web, and cook that little bun. Then seeing all the creative things you can do from cousins and friends got my wheels turning. I keep thinking when something funny happens with the kids, or they have this extraordinary day....I think to myself... that would make a great post. So here I am. I titled my blog "livin' the dream" because truly I always did want to do just what I am now doing, being a mama and homemaker. But the reality of it all hits me from time to time. How can you feel like you are on top of the parenting game one day and the next day want to return the monkeys to the zoo? I have to admit sometimes it's not all it's cracked up to be. Some days are just plain exhausting. So this is my outlet time to myself and time to reflect and sound off.

On with the blog....

Well anyways.....My first title will go to son #1! Jack started kindergarten this fall and LOVES it!! I'm so proud of his outgoing personality. And very nervous at the very same time. Unlike his older sister this guy is not afraid to say what is on his mind. You see that really scares this mama. He has a little built up frustration sometimes and I see how he takes it out on son #2. So what on earth will he do to the boys at school when they take his crayon? Well so far so good. His teacher tells me "Jack makes us laugh" Hmmmm...really WHAT is he saying? No. really.exactly. word. for. word.

jack and Mrs. Irick

I've been volunteering in the classroom every other week and this gives me a little taste of what the teacher is laughing about. For instance the teacher was reading a book about feelings, and when she asked the students what they do when they are upset....Jack raises his hand. "When I get upset I eat" says Jack. Way to go boy. Way to take after your mama. O.K. and this past Friday I went along on a Jack's 1st field trip to the Apple Orchard and while sitting down for our sack lunch another mom asks Jack, "what are you eating there Jack?" Jack replies: "Cream cheese and pretzels, I could eat cream cheese all day long" Seriously, Jack and I enjoy eating a little to much. This guy cracks me up.