The Magic Of Christmas

It is amazing how just hearing that simple phrase brings a smile to many faces. I really can't believe Christmas is in just 3 days. I think I better start shopping. Brett made it home safely and the kids haven't let him leave their sight since. Time goes by much faster with him here and I just can't manage to get as much done. My cute friends got me "Elf on the Shelf" for my birthday this year. It is such a fun new family tradition. The kids named the Elf, Shaggy. It is fun to see where Shaggy decides to perch himself each morning to start a new day in watching the kids. I hope after all his reporting back to Santa in the North Pole at night will still leave the kids with more than a lump of coal in their stocking. Guess only time will tell. Hopefully I can get on the computer soon again and get caught up on things. A few birthdays, dance recitals, swim meets. You get the idea. I am behind. And, if I miss the chance....Merry Christmas to all!

Family Pics

My good friend and favorite photographer http://heidilynnphotography.blogspot.com took some family photos of us on the rare occasion of us being home together. It was a chilly morning and other than the little one's face being slightly swollen from a bad hit on a table, I think they turned out great. I can't believe how frustrating it is to get 3 kids to smile at the camera at the same time. T-man tried to pull a face in half of them, I really didn't think he would be the comedian of the group, but he sure tries. The little one crashed the minute we got in the car, she was such a stink! She wasn't into smiling very much. But, we did get a few. Thanks Heidi for the pictures, we love them!~

A Few From the Pumpkin Patch

Work has been slow. Meaning: Less sick kids in the Intensive Care Unit. This is a good thing but it makes for a difficult situation. I am losing hours that I need, but saying that makes it sound like I want more kids to be sick, which is no way the case. We expanded our unit, and in preparation for doing so, we hired a few nurses, and then hired a few more. We have been overstaffed for the last couple of months which means I am being put on call about once a month. It is a nice break, and because of that, I got to go to the pumpkin patch with Princess's preschool. If you ever want some comic relief, go on a field trip with a preschool. It is quite entertaining to watch personalities come out and then watch the teacher's try to contain those personalities. Needless to say, there were a few tantrums, a few refusals, and a few flat out ignorance's. Bless the souls of the teachers.

Pumpkin picking was a long process for the kids. The little one knew exactly what she wanted and it took a while to find it. She was intent on picking a small pumpkin, and did just that. She found the two smallest pumpkins (not pictured) she could and then decided one was for her daddy. So sweet. And then we were off.

I failed as a single parent this year and didn't get any pumpkins carved. Good thing my sister-in-law is crafty and made milk carton witches and monsters with them to hold them over.

Evidence found for the Guilty Conviction

If you can't tell what those pictures are of, they are of hair. And lots of it. One Sunday while doing Princess's hair for church I found quite a few long pieces of thick stray hairs and new she had cut it, AGAIN. This time though, there were huge chunks missing up around the side of her face and pieces missing from the back. The problem was, I couldn't figure out how she cut so much since I couldn't find the hair anywhere.

Then, that day, one of her friends mom came up to me and told me her little girl needed to apologize to me and Princess. I couldn't imagine why until she told me when Princess had been over their playing she volunteered for a "trim". Apparently, they were cutting stuff out and her little girl had the idea to ask if anyone wanted a trim and Princess all too readily volunteered.

I then decided that is why her hair had so many pieces out of it. Until....

A few days later I opened up Brett's bedside table and found a towel covered in hair. The truth had been found. And now Princess's hair looks like this:

It really is a cute cut on her. We had to change the way we part her hair, and the shortness adds a lot of volume. It isn't the long flowing princess hair she keeps hoping for. Let's be honest, she just doesn't have the hair for that anyway.

Which Witch....

What would October be without a trip to Gardner Village? I must admit, I only went once this year. I think in years past I was averaging 3 times in October. Quentin and Amber came down with their kids and we headed out for a fun afternoon. The cute live witch was trying to convince Amber that she stole her pumpkin, and actually swallowed it. I couldn't help but think that her stomach did resemble a pumpkin. But hopefully no more worries, she should be having her baby today. The kids had fun getting to see their cousins but it was a very short visit from them!

Spokane Trip

I have completely gotten out of the habit of blogging. What am I talking about, I have gotten out of the habit of being on the computer. Unfortunately that means I am really far behind.

The first week in October the kids and I headed up North to visit the husband in Spokane. I braved the drive with the three kids and I must say, I think it went fairly well. It is about a 10 hour drive. I broke it up on the way there by staying the first night at my parents in Idaho. The only thing that made me think twice about the drive was this:

And not only this on the way there, but on the way back as well! Terrible road and visibility conditions. Made my knuckles a little white.

Brett had school while we were up there so we were left to find some things to do by ourselves. The first day we headed up to the local zoo called "Cat Tails". Just writing this makes me laugh. It was one of the most disappointing zoo trips I have ever been on. I had to drive about half an hour to get there. It was up this gravel road. It was one row of cages on both sides with just a bunch of different "cats". It was fun to see the cougars and tigers but the whole thing took us half an hour and that included us sitting down to eat our lunch. Oh well, at least it got us out of the bachelor pad for a little bit.

The next day we went to the Riverfront which is where the waterfalls are by downtown Spokane. We loved it! The waterfalls were a lot lower than Brett and I's first trip but the kids thought they were pretty cool. There are a ton of different trails we went on and fun little parks throughout. There was a Carousel that we rode on as well. We stayed forever.

The next day we went swimming up in Hayden, Idaho at a park called Triple Play. It was a fun indoor swimming area with three fun slides. I was disappointed when they limited the little one to this tiny play area, but we managed to let the bigger kids have fun. The water was less than warm and we found ourselves in the hot tub quite a bit of the time.

We had fun hanging out and meeting some of his classmates, visiting the school and just seeing what dad does from day to day. His apartment is a decent size but we didn't have much to do there. Luckily, I took the Wii and it kept us all more than entertained. We did manage a hike right up the hill from his place and got to see a train go by within feet of us.

Spokane Trip, Part 2

The drive home was brutal. I needed gas and decided to go an extra 20 miles to a city that said it had gas. Well, when I got off the exit it routed me the other direction for about 10 miles. I was starting to sweat it and told the kids they were going to have to get out and push. They all started crying, "We don't want to push". Luckily, the gas station showed up in time and I put the most gas I have ever put in my gas tank. I was so worried because it was 32 degrees outside and snowing. I learned my lesson. We must have worn the kids out, because this what they all looked like for a good portion of the ride home:


This was an enlightening trip. I was glad I went. I decided there isn't a whole lot to do in Spokane and I felt like we did it all in the few days we were there. I guess if we move up there next year I am going to have to learn to be a lot more creative. The weather was less than pleasant so I am sure that put a slight damper on things as well. The kids had fun and we were all glad to get to spend more than 2 days together. Hooray!

Princess for Real

This little girl just doesn't mess around. She really is convinced she is a princess. To prove my point:

Last week my parents were in town and my mother was trying to coax P to catch up with the rest of us:

Gma: P run up there with the rest of them.

P: Graaandmaa, Princesses DON'T run, they walk like this!

She then very precisely and slowly put one foot in front of the other with her hands grasped in front of her, her head held high and her shoulders back. Just like a princess would.

Then, this week while Amanda was helping me with the kids one morning, she was reading them "Skippyjon Jones". P wanted to know about this cat.

P: Why is Skippyjon Jones a cat pretending to be a dog?

Amanda: Haven't you ever pretended to be something that you aren't, like a princess?

P: Well, yes, but I really am a Princess!

The New Crush

P: Mom, I want to give T a picture tomorrow.

Mom: I think you have a new crush on T.

P: Mom, how do you know, yes, I DO! I need a new dress to wear to church tomorrow so T will notice me.

Mom: Excuse me, you need a what? You are only FOUR! You should not be thinking that way.

P: Maybe I will wear my new polka dot dress. T will think it is so cute.

Next day,

Mom: Did T like your dress today at church.

P: Yes, mom. He said he thought my polka dots were cute!

I can't believe that my four year old already knows how to work the system. It SCARES me.

Oh, and School Started

School for the kidlets officially started. I guess you can say I am somewhat relieved. I love having a long summer break, but by the end, I find it harder and harder to entertain the kids. I can't believe how excited little T-man was to get back to school but what can I say, this kid loves to learn. He truly eats it up. He hasn't complained much about having to go a full day and is even at times excited about his homework.

We also sent little Miss off to preschool. This has been such a blessing for me because now on the nights that I work, I can actually get a nap in while she is at school with my baby. It helps so much to get a little sleep before work. She loves school as well but more than anything she loves a chance to play with all of her little girlfriends.

Unfortunately, with the start of all this other school stuff, Brett also started school, in Washington. The morning he left, I thought about throwing myself in front of the moving van and telling him he couldn't go, but instead curled myself into a little ball with the kids all around me and covered my head with a pillow. I have come to grips with the fact this a decision we made and as hard as it may be at times, I am going to make the most of it. We are on week #4 and he has already come home twice. I can and will handle this. By the time it is time for him to come home, I am waiting with open arms, droopy eyelids and 3 very eager kids to see their daddy. Then for some reason, I have some sort of exhaustive collapse where I am in a stupor the rest of the weekend catching up on some zzzz's, among other things. Brett is working hard, studying, reading, watching football. I am sure he is bored to come home to an empty apartment every night, but luckily he has just a little homework to keep him busy. Oh, and talking to us on the webcam. I am sure it must be agonizing for him to watch the kids wrestle and fight over the mouse because they can't wait to send dad one more wink....

The work thing is going ok. I must admit it isn't as horrible as I thought it might be. It is bearable. I do feel bad leaving the kids and at times have to pry my crying, sobbing two year old away from her death grip she has on me. But I must say I think the kids are faring well. And as for me, let's just say I am hanging on, strong.

Cherry Hill

This summer we went camping at Cherry Hill with my family. It was so much fun and a great way to hang out with so many kids! We went to Lagoon, Cherry Hill and then the Hill Air Force Museum. There are a ton of pictures, this isn't even all of them. I am only a few months late, but finally....I can start to get caught up.