Babies

Oh I forgot to add... what do you say when your husband asks "want me to go to the doctors and see about reversing my V?" ACK!

I am 33, sure I could have another... I have 3, two boys and a girl, I will have a life after my kids grow to 18 / 21, etc... but yet, I could really ENJOY being pregnant again, having a newborn... BUT... do I want another 2 year old, 9 year old, teenager... LOL

What a long week... I feel drained. I am feeling stressed, and yet enjoying life. I am feeling so busy, yet have lots of time to relax with my family. I have changes coming to my job at work, and won't know what changes they are until February. Gotta love working for a company that is owned by an "investment coorporation". Anyways...

So the year 2008 will be here in less than 4 hours. My sil and bil have already experienced it. I wish they were closer. (Sil is in Germany, and bil is in Iraq). My daughter is taking a bubble bath and playing tea party with her new tea set. My boys are playing "Guitar Hero III" and actually NOT fighting. ACK!

I have completed about half of the "diaper cake", for my friends baby shower this weekend. I have 2 rows of 9 rows, quilted on the baby blanket. (I am cheating and using a sewing machine for quilting)

I plan on getting up early tomorrow morning, and heading to Walmart. They should be putting the seasonal clearance to 75% off! Woohoo!!

Two days left!

Just two days before Christmas... and the fun for me really begins. I spent 5 hours at the mall, BY MYSELF last night. A great cup of "seattles best" in my hand, and time to roam... tired legs, but oh so much fun. As I was leaving the mall... literally as I left the exit... the entire mall went black. I still haven't heard what happened. I got in my car and headed home, before the mad dash of traffic hit the street.
Anyways... so today I work from Noon to 4pm, but then I get to come home and BAKE. Tons of baking in the next two days. I love these days. I still have two presents to buy, but I enjoy the hussle of the stores, I just dislike the drivers out there on 82nd! Luckily living so near the mall, I can take quite a few backroads to the mall. Heehee!
I found great gifts for dh, I HOPE he will think so to. Not alot of $$ but things he will enjoy. I will enjoying giving them, atleast. :)
Happy Holiday prep to all!

My friend

A good friend of mine, and I, haven't talked in a few weeks. We both have kids in basketball and various other busy holiday activities, work, etc. have made us play phone message tag.
We got to chat tonight, and come to find out, she has been battling "the big C", she tells me. UGH! What a time of year! As if any time is better, but NOW! She is a single mom, dad is in a different state, a whole family seperately from their son. She has no medical insurance. She has battled antibiotics being ineffective, staph infections, yeast infections, a new latex allergy, ...
I ffel helpless. I can't help her financially. I can be here to talk, and what not... but what do I do to make things easier for her? Housework help is out of the question, she isn't open to people in her home due to clutter, etc. UGH!! I will be keeping her in my thoughts and prayers, but there feels like there should be something else to do. :(

Great-Grandma's visit

My grandma came up for the week last week. I made a turkey and potatoes, along with food from my sisters... and we had a great holiday meal together. The grandkids (great-grandkids) took pics (willing or not) with Great-Grandma and then with Papa and Grandma too. My youngest nephew was in tears at the end. LOL

I turned one of the photos into a cool coloring book page and cartoon style pic. I love those photo editing features in my camera software. :)

Holiday Crafting

I have been crocheting alot lately... Meghan has a new "santa" hat and scarf. I also painted the kids ornaments, BEFORE NewYears this year! LOL I give them a new ornament every year, the first few years were ceramic like these. Then I had more kids, and got lazy. Now they are older and on their own a bit more... and I got painting done again. :)

Jordan had his first basketball game of the season, on the Dec.6th. Within the first two minutes he was at the free-throw line. He missed the first, but made the 2nd, and I got the pic!! Jordan is # 22. They went on to win the game, in a VERY tight scored game from start to finish.

The did loose just the other night, against Canby, but some games just have to be given to the Refs. LOL

I have added to my coke collection. I still have yet to find a holiday set of bottles this year, but I did find these great shaped bottles at Walmart last night. They jumped in my cart, REALLY!

(Notice - I was nice to dh and put his bottle of Pepsi in my cabinet) lol

Kicker Checks! - they came, they got spent. LOL
We are officially done buying for our kids for the holidays. I still have a few family and friends, baby showers, etc. to purchase for this week.
As usual was overspent, but dh and I really enjoy the giving part too. Anyhoo...

Dh turned 32 on Saturday. We got him this really neat puzzle and puzzle roll-up mat. Ok, the mat turns out to be cardboard tubes and a piece of felt to roll on it.
But, dh actually sat down with me and the kiddos last night, and spent an hour + working on the puzzle. It is a 500 piece puzzle... which I thought was going to have bigger pieces. Nope... 1/2" or so. And some are literally diagonal in the puzzle itself, when placed correctly. It will end up being only 13" x 19" too, which is no where near the wall art, I had pictured. LOL

We found high school sweatshirts at Walmart yesterday. They are all the local teams, but one happens to be the same as Jordan's basketball team, and so we got new sweatshirts to wear to his games! His 2nd game is tonight, and my parents just brought my grandma into town. We are hoping she will be up for going to the game. :)

Ok, off to work I must go...

It is SNOWING! The funny thing about it snowing... is that today is my nephew's first birthday party, at Chuck E. Cheese. That in itself is not that odd, but the memory of my oldest sons first birthday party is what makes this different.
His first birthday party was also at the same Chuck E Cheese. We went in the restuarant with a little chill in the air, but no real forecast for snow. We came out after his party (nearly 2 hours later) to inches of snow on the ground.
What a fun reminder of my sons special day, as we celebrate a new memory with my nephew. :)

Such a fun day today. I took Meghan to the World's Largest Christmas Bazaar, along with my mom, sis, and niece. We found yummy chocolate peanut butter fudge for me, and old fashioned candy twist on a stick for the girls too. Meghan got a few holiday T-shirts, earrings, a zipper pull for her new winter coat (in the mail on monday), a bracelet for troops support, and a stuffed animal from Grandma too. The girl really made out!
I bought a few "Home Interiors" candles too.
Lots of fun things to check out, but not much else to purchase, really. We go traditionally, year after year. :)

Then we came home and seperated the family for dinner. Meghan and I went ot Chinese and the boys and Sean went to get burgers. Fun for all!

To finish the evening, Sean and I went to TRU and Target for a little holiday shopping. That is always fun! :)

So, today my online Black Friday items started getting delivered by UPS. I think I like the online experience more than instore. I get to get excited about which items have shown up, for me to wrap. Is that just odd to think this way?? LOL
So I wrapped a bunch of things and then headed to the mall to exchange the shirt that DH bought for DS. He grabbed it from the boys dept... but we had failed to realize they were MEN's sizes. LOL
Get this though... I paid $19.99 for the original shirt (I never spend that, unles DH is with me). I exchanged it, and ended up finding a 60% sale on 3-packs tees. So other then the hassle of the 2nd trip... I got a WAY better deal and got 3 tees for 19.99. Woohoo! DS is going to love his new tees. :)

My first batch of cookies this season! Yum!! The texture is perfect, since I beat the mix in my stand mixer. :)

We all like the doughy center and not completely flattened cookies... and these turned out great.

Meghan is showing off her "advent calendar". I always get each of the kids, chocolate calendars to celebrate the days of December.

Then finally in these pics, is the newest member of our family. We will horribly miss Jordan's hamster that recently passed (tumor in the ear, etc.) But, now we have "------" the nameless dwarf hamster. We had to wait a few days, for the pet store to get new stock... the others they had were too adult and would bite. The other night, Sean, Me, and the younger kiddos went in to check out the animals; as we often do when leaving Target beside the pet store. We found the baby hamsters in stock, and brought one home while Jordan was at Basketball practice. :)

The rest of tonight, after dropping Jordan at practice, I plan to make beaded items for Holiday gifts. We shall see if my plan goes as to planned. LOL

I have accomplised making my first two loaves of bread, with my Kitchenaid mixer. Woohoo! Now, to find a better recipe. LOL
Oh, and buy some NEW yeast... that was part of the denseness issue in my bread. But, it will still get eaten with some butter. YUM!

I spent my afternoon with a brownie girl scout troop. They came to the store to make Mosaic photo frames. It was fun! for me and the girls seemed to really enjoy it. :)

Another busy week, with basketball practice for Jordan...

Anyone got a kitchenaid and wanna share a great bread recipe? I am trying to find a good white bread. I will soon start making cookies too.

Shopping, Shoppin', and yet more Shopping!! I enjoy this time of year. Not just for the shopping, but because the shopping brings all my loved ones in my thoughts. As I stroll through isles of things to purchase, and think of someone who would enjoy the things I see. What a great way to spend time... thinking of everyone who we care about. :)

Oh and the deals are fun too. Hee-hee!

We have been really busy at work lately, but I must say that the customers are extremely pleasing so far this year! However, we did catch a shop-lifting attempt today, which is a down side to this season. But, I enjoyed giving the customer who alerted us to the attempt... a coupon for her purchase. Anyhoo...

My posted picture today, is a gift I painted and put together for a painting group swap. I gotta get to the post office on Monday. LOL

http://www.flashfunpages.com/couple.swf

Just a little funny holiday joke.

Christmas entertainment on Christmas website#Workshop#Workshop

Hopefully this link takes you to a fun little website I found. Just some fun little things for kids and parents, during the Santa season.

I took my two younger kids to the stores tonight, to write their Holiday Wish Lists... how expensive the kids wants are becoming. LOL I enjoy this tradition, that the kids and I started a few years ago. We generally start out at a coffee shop, and get cocoa and coffee. Jarod discovered "vanilla steamers" not too long ago, at starbucks... and he enjoys those now. Just a steamed milk with a shot of vanilla flavoring. The "perk me up" coffee shop by my work, now gives employee discount, to the complex of businesses. Woohoo!! It isn't starbucks, but it beats $4-$5 a cup! :) I get a mocha for $2.60!
Anyhoo... Oh... so Jordan (ds is 12) tells me that a boy on the bus got a referral today. Generally this kid is not the trouble maker, but today told the bus driver he would not sit by this other kid. Well... I question why, and Jordan explains further. "He's a "gay wanna-a-be"" Oh my! I guess it is a joking and all in fun, kinda thing, but now the kids don't want to sit by him. UGH! Why does the world have to treat one-another is such ways. How come my son can't go to school, and be a kid???
On the other hand, he is off to his first school dance tomorrow. It is during school hours, and the kids had to earn the right to go, through good behavior, ontime homework, grades, etc. I so badly want to sneek in and take pics, but I know I have to let him grow up. Do I ask him if he wants my camera?? LOL I can't wait to hear how it goes. I hope he won't be the wall flower, but I fear he will just hang out with the guys.
I don't want to rush him, but yet I want things to be easier for him; then they were for me.

Tomorrow I will finish putting up the light display at the store. I was thrilled to finally get to it this morning. I got to sing along with the Holiday carols, that the display beats to in the lights. What a great time of year!! One customer came through the isle and just said "Oh, what a beautiful time of year, we get to celebrate in lights and decor!" She was so right!
I will be putting up my Christmas tree this week too... and hopefully I will get to the lights outside too... while my turkey thaws inside. LOL
Happy Thanksgiving Prep to all!

Well... the ads are out. Anyone finding anything? I haven't found alot, that will be "Gotta get it" items. We are still deciding what the big gifts will be for the kids. We are tossing around the ideas of I-pods, Nintendo Ds, PSP, etc. And then again tossing around the idea that our kids have grown to expect something, instead of being grateful for the items. The have stopped doing chores without whining, bitching, and complaining. What happened to the days when my kids thought cleaning was fun, and did it when they got bored. LOL
Here is the link to one of the many online sites, listing the BF ads. :)
Wal-Mart Sale Items - Black Friday @ GottaDeal.com

Oh what a headache! I am so tired of getting allergy headaches!
I have so much to get done today, and no "want" to get any of it done. LOL

I am deciding if Girl Scouts is in my daughter near future. My sil is starting a troop, but I would rather find a group already established. I also would rather find a group that has girls that are my daughters age. Not cousins that are just under or over in age.

I am enjoying the Christmas shopping I have been getting to do. I could browse a store a 100 times, and still go back to catch the next deal. LOL I don't always spend alot, and am all for a good search through a clearance bin! This year however, I am really striving to buy things that will be used, not just liked when opened and then become clutter in the kids rooms. My kids are getting older, so toys aren't the best option to buy anymore. But then I have to decide how much to spend on the electronic items that my boys are wanting. When are they responsible enough, and which item over the other.

I can not wait for my new socks on Friday. Every year, Sean and I go buy new socks at 50% off, during Black Friday at Fred Meyers. We open those that day though, never waiting to give socks as presents. Warm toasty and comfy feet for weeks!!!

Ok, off to take some cold meds... maybe this is more of a cold and not just allergies. Yeah!!!! @@

Today is my birthday. I am 33. Not much different then 32. LOL

I got the kids off to school, and sat down to paint for an hour, before heading to work today. I ran by starbucks on the way to work... and tried a peppermint mocha, instead of my usual white choc. mocha.

Then around 9:30, flowers were delivered! Sean had them delivered, because he is out of town still. What a sweet thing for him to do. (I had even thought last night, "wouldn't he be sweet to send flowers, but that is SO not him" ) Aren't they pretty :)

My in-laws brought me a cake and ice-cream, last night... for the kids and I to share tonight. Sweet of them too.

I have been painting up a storm the past few days. I have 5 of 7 buckets painted, for holiday gifts now. They each have a plant in them. Painting on red buckets wasn't easy to decide what to paint. It was a fun process though.

I also painted a coffee mug for a swap partner, in my painting group.

A day off...

I have today off of work. Nothing odd, just a day off. I am just bummin' around the house. A ton of things I could be doing, but nothin' is gettin' done.
I am ready for Dh to come home from his business trip. Just a few more days in reality. I am tired, bored, and a bit depressed. The kids will be home soon, and the busy that comes with being a mom will bring me back to life. :)
What did I ever do all day, when I didn't have kids, wasn't married, etc. LOL
Ok... off to paint or scrapbook, I gotta get something done today. LOL

These are some of my favorite things...

What a week it has been. Andes Mint Shakes are back at Jack in the Box... Luckily the kids like them, and I have to share. :)
None of these drinks are probally considered GOOD for me, but YUM!!

Oh, and we couldn't leave the other cat and the dog out of the rooster head dressing. :)



Here is the first painted pot I have finished. I don't totally like the design I did, but it works. One present down, 6 buckets to go.

Here are my recent clearance deals. I have been shopping the Halloween clearance at several places... and have a ton of candy too. I also got mini ice cream dishes from Walgreens, clear and black. I plan to use these for candy dishes; when we make cookies on Christmas Eve.

The red potted plants are indoor plants I got for $5 clearance, at Walmart. The plants were potted 2 or 3 to a pot. I just split them, and bought $ store buckets for planters. I am working on painting the buckets, and will give these to family for Christmas gifts.

The cats are wearing a Rooster costume hat, that my ds and I bought for them. They really LIKE it... LOL

So it looks like my last post never posted.

Here are pics of my daughter (cinderella), my son (minus his bloody mask). He got this mask that pumps blood through it. It was cool, but yet gross too. My older son is in the last pic, upper right...cape over his face. He got a kick out of being dracula. The other kids are their cousins, on dh's side.

So tomorrow is Halloween. This is the first year that I don't have a costume to finish sewing, the night before. Well... Jordan still hasn't decided if he is dressing up. Now that he is in middle school, he can wear something (with-in the dress code). He will probally wear a baseball or basketball jersey though.

What a week, I feel like I am barely breathing already. Sean is out of town & Jordan has 4 nights of basketball practice. Of course, the practice are closed to parents and are just long enough that I go home and return to pick him up... but get nothing done in-between.

Last night Jarod, Meghan, and I went to Big Lots, to waste the nearly two hours of time. Tonight... I will probally drop him at practice and race back here to try and scrapbook a bit. Oh and a load of laundry swapped over. (I never really realized how much Laundry Sean gets swapped for me) I get it in the washer and normally swap a load here and there, but he does most of the swapping in the early morning; before he leaves for work. Drying the clothes just in time for us to wake to warm things.

I normally take the kids Trick-R-Treating, just me and the kiddos. But, this year, it feels wierd to not know Sean is at home. :(

I plan to take them to the mini strip mall of neighborhood stores at 3pm... then pick Jordan up from school... then off to our normal big houses by the golf course to get a good stash. Yep... this mom is willing to travel, walk, trek, trick & treat the night away. We start in near daytime, just as the sun starts to set... and we go until the kids don't want to go anymore. I love watching them race to and from each house! Memories of my dad taking us (trying not to think of the year I peed my pants, because we had gone so far from home. LOL)(oh, and that was back when costume where made of Plastic!) Bugs Bunny I was!!

Meghan will be Cinderella for the 2nd year this year. Jarod is the Grim Reeper... bloody mask and knife, and a handheld sound effect machine too. Yeah a bit of two or three costume characters, but great fun for a 9 year old boy. :)

I keep thinking of the poor toddlers he will be scaring, but then again, it is kinda fun to be a little scared on Halloween. :)

It's been another day of work for me. Then coming home to clean the house for a showing. And yet a 2nd showing still to go this evening too. But... as the kids were bored (after cleaning "ALL DAY LONG") we got out the water balloons. They popped a bucket full in 10 seconds flat. So, I decided to go to Target and get a yard sprinkler. Jarod just won't go in Meghan's "Mermaid" sprinkler, is it "Boring!". LOL Hopefully this will keep him from asking me "why can't we put up the pool" and my having to answer "Because buyers don't want to see a pool OR a dead circle in the yard." :)

One Stroke Painting and Baseball

What a whirlwind of a day. Last night we went to a little league baseball game. We watched the team our boys went to state with, last year. After a big decision to take out kids to another league and make them ineligible to play in All-stars this year. Our boys enjoyed playing ball this year. It has been great to get to relax and not have nightly practice for allstars, etc.
Tomorrow night we will go watch this team again, but they will play against the team our boys played with this year. This game will take one of the teams out of the district tournament for this year. What a game to watch. A ton of emotions. Oh, I forgot to mention for those that don't know, we left the Mt Hood league, due to major conflicts with the board. They do many things they just shouldn't do, if they had the boys and families in mind, over winning. :(
Oh well... can't heal the world.
Here is a photo of what I was up to this evening. This is my third painting with HD (High Definition) One Stroke Painting. I am enjoying it, while I practice my new talents. One of my life time goals was to learn to paint. :)

I finally decided to create a blog. Today we had a showing of the house. Keep your fingers crossed, we hear good news. Soon, we will be deciding if we will leave our house on the market, or take it off and stay in Oregon. If only the banks would finance more loans. But, what is meant to be, will happen, I know.

Meet our new kitten princess "Daisy". She is now 10 weeks.

This week begins Summer Camp at Michaels. 4 one hour sessions, each day for two weeks. Fun to teach, but alot of prep and energy too.

I think the rest of today will be a mix of painting something and maybe a scrapbook layout or two. I think I will head of and get the kiddos involved too. Thanks for droppin' in.