Halloween

What a great weekend we have had so far. We took the kids to their Halloween carnival at school last night. That is always a fun event. Although I thought I was being smart by cooking us all dinner before we left we ended up splurging and picking up Little Caesars on the way home. We all snuggled in the movie room and watched Sleepy Hollow. I LOVE that my kids LOVE scary movies...it makes movie nights with them so much fun.

We had the usual great time at Tara's this evening. This was the third year in a row we spent Halloween with the DeVries family. They are some of the nicest people I have ever met. We didn't spend very much time trick or treating though...it was freeeezing. Even the kids were tired of being in the cold after a couple of blocks. They still made out pretty well though. I am very surprised that Blake never complained about a belly ache...I think he ate well over half his candy.

Aspen and Holland have always started digging in while they're trick or treating ;)

We are usually the last family to leave Tara's house but I think this year we may have been the first. Marc just wasn't feeling very well and we all just kind of wanted to have a repeat of last night. No pizza though... just candy ;). We stopped at Target on the way home to pick up Iron Man. The kids got a kick out of wearing their costumes in the store.

All in all we had a GREAT Halloween. However, I absolutely hate that I have to bundle them up almost every Halloween. It doesn't make for very good costume pictures. Hmmm...maybe we'll pay a visit t0 good ole Florida next year and see what trick or treating is like in Aunt Becky's neighborhood ;). Oh well...they got lots of use out of their costumes this year and I got LOTS of pictures :)

Doctor De

I reached my goal last night…I think I drank a bottle of champagne all by myself. Thankfully I ate before we came home so I don’t feel too shabby. It was a GREAT time, that’s for sure. I think anytime with Meredith is a good time ;).

Why is it when you go out and have tons of fun the next day just draaaags? It doesn’t help that I have a sick kiddo today. Blake woke up with a fever this morning. He was supposed to play in his first tennis tournament today but I had to cancel…boo :(. I’m starting to feel like Dr. De over here. The sickness just won’t end. Thankfully, Blake’s fever was gone by late this afternoon. I think I can put the fear of him having H1N1 behind me, I assume he would have gotten worse as the day went on rather than better.

Scale has had a miraculous recovery too. I thought for sure he was a goner. Even after he finished his meds he still wasn’t looking so hot. But then one day, he was just better. No more force feeding…he’s full of life and eager to eat :). I have to give Marc all the credit (even though he rarely actually fed him or administered the medicine) because if it weren’t for him taking him back to the vet I don’t think Scale would be around today.

Once I saw that Blake was doing better I brought in their pumpkins to carve. I always forget what a chore it actually is…and I have to do THREE. None of my kids like sticking their hands into the goo and digging out the seeds. After three, my arms were tired and I felt like one big pumpkin mess. Jazz was intrigued though, she kept trying to eat the seeds.

And that doesn’t even include the actual carving. They always want these “fancy” pumpkins where I have to trace a pattern and then carve out the pieces ever so carefully. I let the boys help me a little bit with theirs. It’s a catch 22 though…if I don’t let them help enough they are disappointed BUT if I let them help with the difficult parts and they mess up they are completely devastated and there is no turning back :(. Blake did surprisingly well…I think he’ll be ready carve his by himself next year.

With today being so busy, it wasn’t surprising that Marc and I forgot it was our anniversary…oops. Six years!!! I just happened to see the date on my computer later this evening. I don’t get too wrapped up in that type of stuff…I’m not really an anniversary type of girl. I was even relieved that Marc forgot too…I hate it when he gets me a card and I forget. I just feel that our birthdays (September and November) and Christmas are stressful enough. I also think that we spend enough good quality time together that we don’t have to celebrate a “certain” date. BUT…he BETTER make my birthday special…I AM a birthday type of girl ;).

Cat-Dog

Jazz has quite the personality…she is literally full of it. I have never been around such a feisty little kitty…at least I don’t recall Oreo being so crazy ;) The best comparison I can make for her is a dog. She does that thing that dogs do, where they sit still with their paws spread out, their heads down low, and their butts high in the air…then goes racing around the house only to come back to the same position and start over. I have also seen her chase her own tail a few times.
She probably wouldn’t be so crazy if Oreo would give her the time of day. There was one moment where he started to warm up to her but she attacked him (in a playful way) and he has been an asshole to her ever since. The kids and I enjoy her playful spirit though. I love playing with her upstairs in Aspen’s room…she goes nuts in Aspen’s playhouse. I play peek-a-boo with her through the windows…I have to be fast though, when she gets me it hurts. She also plays chase with Aspen. If Aspen is on her toy box, she’ll leave her alone…but if Aspen gets down, Jasmine will chase her…it’s hilarious.

Jazz isn’t much of a lover though. She goes nonstop until she finally passes out. In fact, we still have to lock her up at night because she will attack your face just for breathing. But once she is exhausted she just plops in her little bed. You can do whatever to her and she doesn’t budge.

Marc and I got the pleasure of meeting Casey’s new girlfriend last night. We both adore her…she’s perfect for him (we hope anyways ;). We had dinner with them at Zazios along with Mike and Trish. After dinner, the six of us walked over to Monaco Bay and went through the haunted house attraction on the second floor. I thought they did a really good job with all the decorating but I didn’t get that scared. Going with Casey was a blast…he was an ass to some of the workers (just laughing at them and trying to scare “them”) and it was hilarious.

Marc, Mike, Trish, and I attempted to go to the Forest Haunt on KL but it closed at 10PM. I decided to just call it a night. I know tonight is going to be a late one…we are going to a birthday party at Meredith and Jay’s. I plan on getting nice and intoxicated ;).

P is for Pumpkin Patch

We are having such a beautiful fall…I hope the weather holds out for another “warm” Halloween. We took the kids up to Gene’s Pumpkin Patch after school today. The kids have such a great time picking out their perfect pumpkins. Decision making is another example of how different my boys are. Nicholas usually picks the first one he sees and Blake could possibly spend an entire hour, if not more, looking for that “perfect” pumpkin. Everyone finally found theirs and we were on our way.

Blake has found the perfect one :)

The kids wanted mini pumpkins too. Aspen was determined to pick hers up...she had no luck, but it was fun watching her try

Aspen and Nicholas were very interested in the bugs on the pumpkins. Nicholas can be soooo patient with his little sister.

Blake was a fine subject for me today...he actually wanted his picture taken.
I was also able to get the kids back out to Gull Meadow Farms this week. With weather like this, why not? Besides, Blake really wanted to go apple picking again so we could makes his first grade teacher’s (Mrs. Lycon) apple pie. I burned the first batch…that’s two pans down :(. I haven’t had much luck with sugar this year…I’ve burned sugared carrots AND apples. Trying to get the black tar off of the pans is a real joy let me tell you. Nicholas looked high and low for the perfect apples.During my second attempt at the apples, I stayed in the kitchen and kept my eye on them. Blake’s mini pies were delicious. All of my kids LOVE being in the kitchen…maybe a little too much. Sometimes it’s overwhelming trying to make them all fell equal AND happy while also trying to follow a recipe. As much as it is good quality time I also have to embrace lots of, “They poured more than me…I didn’t get to do that…why do I have to go last?”

Trick or FEET

We just got back from a WONDERFUL weekend at Great Wolf Lodge. Tara and her family came up with us…it was probably one of the best visits I have had with another family. Aspen and Holland adore each other and even the boys played really well with her…the four of them just got along so well. I think Aspen also adopted Brixton…she wanted to hold and feed him at every opportunity. I think that it helps that Marc and Tim seem to be a lot alike. It always helps when everyone from both families enjoys the company of the other.

Funny thing though, we spent very little time at the water park…BUT there was never a dull moment, we just spent time doing other things. We took the kids into the craft shop to color their own trick or treating bags. They were not cute so our kids ended up painting magnets and coloring a shirt with Marc. We probably spent a good two hours or so in there doing crafts. After that the kids got to wear their Halloween costumes and go trick or treating in the halls. The trick or treating part was actually kinda lame but the kids enjoyed it…GWL DID do a great job decorating for Halloween.

Aspen LOVED the glue.

Aspen got her first pedicure during our visit. She took Holland to Scoops for her birthday (Holland’s birthday is during the week of Thanksgiving and we are never home during that week to celebrate with her). The girls were so cute and had such a great time. I’d have to say what I enjoyed most about those two girls playing together was how “individual” they remained. They didn’t copy each other at all. They each picked what THEY wanted and never settled for what the other one picked. Tara and Holland surprised Aspen with a little bag of goodies that she was very thankful for. In it was a toe ring among other cute things and she was so excited to, "have one like me now." They looked adorable in the "sundae" chair.

Aspen's pretty toes.

Aspen picked EVERYTHING chocolate.
We have very few friends where our whole family meshes together so nicely. Being around Tara and her family was really easy for our family and I hope they felt the same way. I look forward to doing many more things with them…after all GREAT friends equal GREAT company.

Roller Coaster

I have been up since 3 AM (it's now 7AM) pondering life. Anyone who's married knows that it's not necessary to visit Cedar Point for the thrill ride of your life. The Millennium Force has NOTHING on the roller coaster of love.

I am writing this blog because Marc and I are obviously in one of our "low peaks" of marriage. He said (yes, I woke him up at 5AM to "talk") that there should be a class offered in high school about parenting. A class to prepare you. I honestly think the parenting part is easy. It just kind of comes naturally. I think a class needs to be offered, better yet...REQUIRED, that prepares everyone for marriage.

I, personally, have never spent restless nights pondering about my children (I am sure those days are sure to come when they enter their teenage years). On the other hand, I have spent MANY of nights (we've been together for almost nine years...sheesh) questioning my relationship. Pros and cons...needs and desires...likes and dislikes...happy/unhappy...the list could go on and on.

No, there needs to be something required for people to watch or listen to before they say "I DO". I'm not saying that I regret my decision by any means, BUT I sure would have liked to have been prepared for how selfless one must be in order to have a successful marriage. I mean, I am a VERY selfish individual. Being a good mom comes naturally to me, but being a "good" wife...now that takes effort. You can't just decide you don't want to be a mom anymore, walk away, and start over with new kids. BUT, too easily can you just decide you don't want to be married anymore, meet someone new, and start all over.

What people don't stop to think about is that EVERY relationship has its battles. The positives you experience in your current relationship may not be present in your next relationship. Are you willing to lose the things that DO make you happy??? I'm NOT.

Lost in the Snow

What a day…it was definitely one of those days that I had to remind myself that tomorrow is a new day. I still haven’t adjusted OR accepted the fact that attitudes can change at the flip of a switch with a family of five. I seriously NEVER know what to expect. The day ended on a good note though…sometimes that is all that really matters.

Let’s start with Aspen…oh my. I don’t know what happened exactly but she took a turn for the worst this afternoon. Ugh…to keep myself from going crazy (and in order to keep my hands to myself) I decided to put her in the car an hour early to pick up the boys. My hopes were that she would just exhaust herself and fall asleep on the drive. Thankfully she did…she was asleep by the time I reached I-94.

Although I was a little bored as I sat in the parking lot for 45 minute, I literally welcomed the peace and quiet. Unfortunately it gave me even more time to think about first grade. I am all emotional about Nicholas for some reason. I LOVE his teacher and everything, but first grade for him appears to definitely be different then first grade was for Blake. Blake’s first grade teacher left the school and Nicholas’s Kindergarten teacher took her place. It’s not one “big” thing that is bothering me, but just these little things. As some of you already know…I DON’T DO change very well.

Naturally, his teacher is going to have some adjusting to do of her own. She is used to a kindergarten curriculum and her largest class size was fourteen students. Now she has twenty students. One of my biggest concerns is the fact that Blake had two full-time teachers in his room last year with nineteen students. Nicholas has only one with twenty :(. There is another “helper” there during some parts of the day, but that only makes me feel like the school throws who ever has time in their day in there. I know I am basically whining, but I just want to feel like Nicholas is getting the same opportunities and education that Blake got in first grade. Oh well, we have conferences tomorrow so I will be able to voice my concerns.

I was not very eager to wake Aspen up once school was dismissed. Usually I would have left her in the car while I went in to get the boys, but I had promised the boys this morning that I would take them to the book fair after school. Thankfully, Aspen was in much better spirits when I carried her in and she saw all the books…it could have been a disaster. It’s such a pleasure watching them “shop” and try to narrow their decisions…they each got to pick two.

My favorite part of the book fair is the ride home. I LOVE hearing my boys read aloud to each other in the back. I was thrown back a bit though when Nicholas informed me that Blake was crying (of course I thought the worst…Nicholas had probably punched his brother or something). Apparently, Blake was very upset after he read the back of one of the books he chose. It was a book about a kitten that gets Lost in the Snow. The paragraph phrased something about the kitten being cold and lost…will she be able to find a home. It just tore my little boy up inside…he was so worried about that little kitten. Like his mommy, he is VERY compassionate about animals…maybe there is still yet to be a vet in the family :).

We got to top our evening off with a visit from Shannon and her boys. We don’t get together nearly enough. It’s a shame because the boys get along so well together. Nicholas and Landon are like two peas in a pod. After she left we had a stress free evening. The boys do not have school tomorrow or Friday so I got to skip the stress of the bedtime routine…that is my LEAST favorite part of EVERY school night.

Zoo Boo

I was so happy to see the kids today. I felt so refreshed after the nice quiet weekend. I wish I had gotten more accomplished, but oh well...those weekends are hard to come by.

We met up with Garnett at the Binderpark Zoo. Blake really wanted to do the Zoo Boo this year. Unfortunately, I think it get lamer each year and possibly more expensive. The fact that adults have to pay full price is really dumb. I would rather NOT have my own trick or treat bag. Marc and Garnett made use of theirs though ;).

The kids enjoyed it though. One of the reasons we went was so the kids could wear their costumes today. However, it was so nippy out I didn't bother changing them. Jackets were required (by me), therefore their costumes would have been covered anyways. I think I am gonna try to skip out on the Zoo Boo next year.

I think Marc enjoyed the treat walk as much as the kids ;)

We all enjoyed a ride on the Zoo Express.

Blake told us jokes along the way.

Blake and Aspen enjoyed a "spooky" story.

They ALL still like the carosel.