The 2013 Christmas Season

 We've had a lot of Christmas fun going on around here.  Kris is still traveling - 11 weeks - ha!  We're on 14 right now with no end in sight.  Just a break for Christmas.  I'm a little sick of everything and everyone, but I'm a mom - oh well!  So here are a few things we do for the Christmas season.
 

 I made sugar cookies for the kids to decorate one night.  They haven't eaten them, but then that's not the point!  They loved it - and actually worked on it for an hour!

We've had quite a bit of snow for December in Kentucky.  3 snow days already.   It's caused a bit of a problem for me getting things done without the kids and moved our St. Nick Night to daytime with only a few here.  But we had fun!  And the kids are loving the snow!  It's nice to be able to send them outside.  Today, Emma and Nick put on their boots to do some snow stomping, since there isn't enough anymore to really play.

 Emma had her holiday performance for dance.  She was beautiful and did a great job.  I can see a lot of improvement since last year.  The second picture is her face paint from her dance party this past Monday.  Another visit with Santa meant new things she asked for!

Ryan and Emma both 'performed' in our Christmas play at our church.  Emma was a shepherd and insisted on having a line - which she said perfectly.  Ryan was Joseph for the 3rd year.  He had no lines, but in contrast to the past years - he sang the songs with everyone else (a first for Ryan in any choir performance) and didn't try to make a little show of something (no grabbing the mike!).

 We had the Christmas Walk in Independence a week ago.  It was bitterly cold and we missed the parade - due to Kris's mistake in timing of dinner.  No worries, we still had fun.  The kids loved the cut outs and getting candy from all the companies on the walk.

 Yesterday, we had the final Cub Scout meeting for the year.  They sang songs, played Frozen Turkey Bowling and made a really long construction paper link chain that they used to jump rope with!  Of course, Santa was there and all my kids enjoyed seeing him again!

 These last 2 pictures are from the Christmas celebration at our gym, Silverlake.  They had a great time petting a camel, destroying a blow up reindeer barn, eating candy and spilling hot chocolate on the floor.  They also got to see some magic tricks and do some spin art, in addition to seeing Santa (this was the 1st time for the year).  Both Ryan and Nick are asking for a big drum set and Emma asked for a hang glider.  Not sure where she will put it or use it!

Merry Christmas to all of our friends and family!

Busy, busy - week 9 of 11

If you haven't heard, we're having a rough week over here.  So be happy I am posting here!  Here are the quick details - car accident, dead computer router, purse left in other car, poop accident.  Oh - and Kris being gone for all of this.  We are now in Week 9 of 11 of the Highlander launch.  It technically launched yesterday, but I haven't heard yet how it was going.  Anyway, we are on our own.  Kris was home for 18 hours on Sunday.  Just enough for to get our Christmas pictures taken and make it through a bad thunderstorm.

The kids and I are managing as well as possible.  On Saturday, we made the gingerbread house and train that we received last Christmas (yes, last year).  They enjoyed playing with the frosting and no one has gotten sick, so that's good!  We're just getting to our events, usually a few minutes late, but getting there.  Having Ryan with a tutor after school is awesome.  No homework worries - except the project we are working on now.

We are coming up to some busy time, not just for us, we realize.  I need the time to plan some stuff out, just don't have that kind of time now!!

Halloween!

 Happy Halloween, everyone!  My little munchkins enjoyed their night.  Even with the rain and wind!  Nick, aka Lightning McQueen, was the first to give up, making it to 2 street of our subdivision.  Emma, aka Snow Fairy, made it 3 plus a small cul-de-sac.  Ryan, aka Iron Man, made it through the whole subdivision.  They raked in a ton of candy, which unfortunately, I have been consuming!  Thankfully, we had talked at least a week before Halloween about us sending half of our candy to my cousin, Aaron, who is serving the Marines and is somewhere in the Middle East at the moment.  The kids really liked the idea of sending it to someone who would give it out to kids who don't get candy very often.  I was very proud of them for that.

Other than that, we are now on week 7 of the 10 week Kris Is Gone Forever travel.  I'm hanging in, but breaking down very quickly.  This past weekend, I got some time alone including a massage and getting my hair done.  This next weekend, I get mommy time at the hotel alone for 1 night and with a friend the second - with some shopping on Sunday!  I'm very much looking forward to it!

It's Only Been Two Weeks!!

 We've had a nice 2 weeks since I last posted.  It's been relatively nice weather - until today!

Three weekends ago, we went to PA.  We were able to go to Kris's 20 year high school reunion.  I hadn't attended any previously and enjoyed myself.   We were also able to go to baby Addison's baptism.  It was wonderful weekend all around.

 Two weekends ago, the kids had Friday and Monday off from school.  Ryan spent the weekend at my parents house going to the apple orchard and hanging out.  We spent the weekend watching football and going to a fall festival at the gym.

 Monday, we spent the day at the zoo with our friends, the McDonalds.  The kids always have fun together and we had to rip them away from the zoo!  They would have stayed all night!  They even got to feed the giraffes.

 These pictures are from a few weeks ago when we went to Kings Island with Toyota.  It was the first time we didn't take my mom along.  I was nervous about not having a 1:1 ratio with the kids.  But we managed to do just fine.  We split up a few times to take Ryan and Emma or Ryan alone on larger rides.  Nick is anxiously awaiting the day he can go on some of the bigger ones.  But I don't think any of them were disappointed with their day.  Well - except Emma's stomach.  She had been running a low grade fever off and on but was good all day.  She managed to wait until we got to Taco Bell after leaving, to throw up every where.

That led to the next weekend, where we all got sick at some point.  Ryan came home early from school on Friday (thanks to my friend Andrea who went to pick him up).  He threw up immediately upon getting home, followed by Nick - although I think it was a sympathy puke!  They Ryan puked on Nick's head - thankfully only water!  I came down with it the next day - oh did I mention Kris was travelling on a Saturday this day??  He did get it anyway after he got home.  And Emma ended up sick again on Monday.  Lovely.  We were thankful that we had nothing but a birthday party going on.  And could hang out all weekend!

Life is Crazy, I'll try to be less

So here's what's been going on.  Summer.  Yes, that's it.  We have been busy enjoying our summer.  I would post pictures, but well, I don't have enough time to catch you up that much.  Just understand, we've had a summer.  It went way too fast.  We enjoyed our ice cream trips (paid for by the kids piggy bank coin rolls), trips to the zoo, a vacation to Muskegon, trips to MI and PA, playing out side, watching tv, dancing, and their favorite - going to the pool.  We babysat friends of ours on Fridays, which made for some very loud but entertaining days.  And then....  We started school again!

Ryan started 3rd grade and Emma started Kindergarten in August.  Nick followed a few weeks later by starting 3 year old preschool.  They are all enjoying their time so far.  Ryan is, as usual, struggling with the workload and getting the motivation to do his homework.  And Emma, as usual, is excelling.  We already had her going to a 1st grade class for reading, but after her MAP scores, they decided to keep her there for math too.  Not sure what's going to happen with that, but she is enjoying it.  And I'm glad for one kid that is motivated to do her homework.  Nick is really enjoying himself also!

Other news, Ryan got a new bike for his birthday and passed his bike down to Emma.  Our neighbors got their son a new bike and passed his old one down to Nick.  So now, we have 3 bike riders.

We went to Kings Island a few weeks ago.  I will post pictures, but they had fun.

Other pics below - on the couch - what my kids would prefer to do, every minute of the day.
The last picture is from Shade Gap Picnic.  I believe it includes all the little ones that are able to walk (so minus Trinity and Addison).  And we were happy to find out that Kris's sister Kelli is expecting another baby in March.

That's the update.  I'll try to update again soon, with some more detailed info!

Tappy Tappy

Introducing - our little tapperoo.  Emma has her first official dance recital at the beginning of June.  She has a Christmas show, but this was bigger.  She loved it and did 'great'.  As great as a 5 year old in a class with other 4 and 5 year olds can.  She did look pretty cute in her costume though.  We were very proud of her and glad that she had fun.  She is up for taking dance again next year (to my delight).  She especially enjoyed taking the ferry back across the river and getting to pick where we ate dinner - and the fact that Nana came to see her dance!  This year's theme was TV shows.  So all the songs were linked to a show, not necessarily their theme song but some were.  Her's was Cool Rider for American Chopper.  They all looked so cute in there fur covered jackets (that made them all itch!).

Emma and the beloved Ms. Dee!

Summer Fun - but Still Spring

 The kids got of school before Memorial Day this year.  So we had a lot of 'summer' fun before summer officially began.  Here are a few things - trip to the zoo, 1st time at the gym's waterpark and some sprinkler fun.  This is brief - because what is there really to say.  They are having a blast and loving summer.  I'm loving 3 kids that can walk and not having to drag a stroller anywhere.  Hopefully, by the end of the summer I will also be able to leave the diapers at home!  Happy Summer!

Memorial Day Weekend

 We made our usual trek to PA for the Memorial Day weekend.  Thankfully, all the kids were out of school before the weekend, so we were able to spend more time there than last year.  Unfortunately, I had accompany them!  In the past, I have used this weekend to clean out the house before summer - tossing toys, cleaning carpets - stuff I can't do when the kids are around.  But this year, Kris went out the weekend before to get some more work done on the farmhouse renovations, which left me to bring all the kids with me (and entertain them).

 So the entertaining began with a trip to the grocery store (my first alone there) and bowling alley.  They all had fun and were so excited for ice cream afterwards.

We joined Kris's mom on Friday night to visit the Three Springs Carnival.  But unfortunately, it was too darn cold and we froze our butts off (totally not prepared for that cold).  The kids rode 2 rides and played a few games.  But we had to cut it short.

 Saturday, we worked more on the farm house.  The kids - thankfully - have learned how to entertain themselves at the farm.  So I cleaned the new toy room (formally Kelli's room).  Sunday we cleaned out the back porch and made a great dent in the clean out process.  I even got a few things from the attic thrown out - more will come over July 4th.

We went back to the Carnival on Saturday night.  Getting wristbands to ride all night.  All 3 kids even rode the ride that goes upside down!  Even Kris didn't ride that one!

 We listened and danced to some great music, even with cranky Nick throwing some temper tantrums over not getting his way.  Twice people found him thinking he was lost, yet I knew where he was.  The funny part was when they went to take him to the 'authorities' - the authority was always Kris's Uncle Harold!

All 3 kids made it through church services both on Sunday and Memorial Day.  Although not without a few problems.

 Tuesday we headed home (needed to make it home in time for Ryan's last Cub Scout meeting).  Thankfully for me, Kris took all the kids in the van leaving me alone in the car.  He even let me off the hook of stopping with them.  I enjoyed a peaceful few hours before getting back into all the craziness that is my family!