Squirrels

The other day we were in the car(the whole family)

Ed and I were talking about credit scores

Anya: Do they eat nuts?

Me: What?!?!?!

Anya: Do they eat nuts?

Me: Do what eat nuts?

Anya: Credit squirrels.

Ed and laughed the rest of the way home!!

Look Mal!

Holidays are always exciting for us. We can't make plans until the very last minute because Ed never knows if he will have to work or not.

Therefore, I pack quickly and forget the camera!

Thanksgiving - We spent in CT with Grandpop and Grandma, Allison and Eileen.

Anya was a waterhorse the whole long weekend - she spent all the time she could swimming in the hot tub.

Kevin had a great time playing with all the animals ( 5 dogs and 2 cats) , helping pull down the apple tree and eating CAKE!



Tuesday night Ed's Grandmother passed away and we spent the weekend remebering her and attending her funeral. She lived a wonderful, full life and passed away at home after 94 years. Isabelle Anne Lonegan, thank you for your wondeful legacy.
I have a wonderful picture I will put here when I am on my computer and not Ed's!

So much rain

Playing rice table in the kitchen......... DISCLAIMER:only do this if you don't mind sweeping.
Getting ready for the swine flu pandemic.......... only fun if you happen to have a gas mask

Pretending Annie is a lion............... fun if you have a VERY patient dog
Living art.............fun if you have cooperating little brother

Playing in the play room................ fun if your Mom doesn't care that it looks like this

NOT FUN........................ CLEANING IT UP

Happy Halloween

For the actual day of Halloween the kids had the flu so here are the pre-Halloween festivities.
MOMS club trunk or treat
Vivian the princess, Anya the skunk, Marian the tree, and Kevin the monster.
Pumpkin patch field trip with school
Hailey, Jessica, Julia, Anya, and Aspen
The perfect pumpkin
The giant Pumpkin, in the middle of the patch. I am not sure who most of the kids are.

Turning 5

She wanted a Halloween party so we celebrated 1 month later....................

And oh was it fun!




She wanted ghost"cupcake" cake.
Full of friends, food and crafts. I wish Ed took a picture of the food and crafts. It was great fun.

Bonus for Mom: the whole party cost less than $50.00 (it was a lot of work though, but anyone who knows me knows I will take the time to do things than spend the $$ on them.)


Today at the Dr.
Height: 41.7 inches =25%
Weight: 32.8 lbs. = 3%
Skinny minnie!

Developing my sewing talents

My friend Christy turned my onto pillowcase dresses. This is my first one. I have made a total of 6 now and love them. I can crank out a really nice one in about 1 hr. They make great birthday presents.
It's too long, I still have to shorten it for her to play well in. The rest came out great.

Best Part: Cost of pillowcase-.99 at Goodwill
Saw a cute dress at the Gap in black silk, picked it up to look at it, realized it was a pillowcase dress for grown ups. I think I have a new project for me.

Where have we been?

Doing yard work..............the lazy way of course












Taking down trees....................Up a 12ft ladder









Why does she always do the head to the shoulder thing?

Cleaning out the gutters.............I learned I am very afraid of heights

Apple Picking.........55 lbs. YUM!



Very busy!!!!

recent struggles

I have been going through some struggles lately concerning church. I couple people have complained about the noise level of my kids and I have overheard them. 1 person said it to me, in a very kind way, I am very grateful to this person the most.
A little background, if you do not know my kids they are very energetic and loud, also I go to church alone with 2 children under 5. It really kinda hurt my feelings especially when I overheard someone talking about me to someone else. Last Sunday I didn't go to Sacrament meeting because of how I felt, I kind of thought why bother. But I still wanted my kids to go to Primary and I'm the primary chorister. Today I decided to tough it out again and if they were loud or naughty then that was it. They were pretty good today, I only had to take Kevin out once and I was able to leave Anya with the family sitting across from us so I didn't have to worry about her and just concentrate on him. I have been having a hard time with quiet things for them to do and the church bag gets old quick. I feel like I have to change it every couple of weeks. Any ideas would be much appreciated. I think things are going to be ok and this is going to be a struggle I just have to suck up and deal with.

Unofficial Party!

Anya turned 5 on Sept. 20th. She wants a Halloween birthday party so we had a little "family party" with some close friends. Here is her cake, pink of course. Then I made bbq drumsticks, rice, and salad. Then we had a campfire in the back yard and the kids got to stay up late and play in the backyard. They have never played out in the dark and they had a great time. I guess it was kind of our goodbye summer party!

Yummm!

As the weather gets cooler our meals get warmer. Homemade chicken noodle soup with homemade whole wheat rolls. DELICIOUS!!!

Like Father like child

Ed was working on the car and the kids wanted to help.

The greatest idea ever!

I saw this in a magazine, I cannot remember which one, I have no idea where I was. I don't get magazines but I wish I could credit them because my kids eat this so fast and LOVE it. I love it too.
Now I know you are thinking what in the world. It was much prettier in the magazine, they used little ice cream cones and a melon baller. Watermelon in an ice cream cone. Less mess, less sugar = totally better!!

Our trip to CT

In a nutshell it was remarkably stressful but overall is was good. Mom is on her way to Utah and we are finally back home. Here are some glimpses. Mal has way better pictures here .
But here are some highlights.Here is what my kids did while I was helping Mom pack the house. They had lots of free time to play that week!


Thanks for being such a fun Aunt and letting my kids play in the pouring rain with you that day Mal! Everyone was soaked to the bone, but had so much fun!
She will be so thrilled I took this picture someday! This is on the way to Sturbridge MA after Mom's wedding. Kevin slept the whole way to Boston so he was wide awake.At Publick house restaurant in Sturbridge. Isn't the kids dessert so cute!

Thanks to everyone who helped me out that week and a half (Kayla- Anya had so much fun) We will see you all again soon!

My little singer

If you know me or my family you know we all love to sing and have pretty decent voices(at least I think so). I thought for sure Anya would be a singer and love music. I was WRONG! She only likes rock, her favorite band is The Beastie Boys. I have found Kevin is my singer and loves music, all kinds. Choo Choo soul, with Genvieve is his favorite right now and he is always singing. The song I hear the most right now is:

The spiderman built his house upon the rock.
The spiderman built his house upon the rock.
The spiderman built his house upon the rock..........

I can't help it, I think it is too cute to correct. I'll let his nursery teachers worry about it.

Farm Fair

Last night we decided to get out of the house and enjoy the County's farm fair. It is held about 15 min. away from our house in a big park. Of course we forgot the camera!
Best part for me: The Prime rib sandwich, no really it was worth the $7.00. Also the library brought in a ventriloquist act. We didn't catch much but what we saw was great!

Best part for Ed: I don't know I liked it all ( typical answer from him)

Best part for Anya: The pony ride. She used her allowance to ride a horse, it is something she has been dying to do for about a year now. I also liked watching the bigger kids race the horses. Oh and cotton candy Mom, that was great it was pink and strawberry and on a stick!

Best part for Kevin: He won't really tell me, he just keeps saying best part. So I will put what I think he enjoyed the most. He really liked watching the hotdog pig races. If you ever get a chance to see them they are so cute. I know I have seen them in CT before. Also the tractors and he used some of his birthday money to ride a pony too. He was also a huge fan of the cotton candy! I also think he loved the farmer for a day kid section. He loved to drive the tractors through the corn and wheat.

I love farm fairs. They are so cute and fun! The animals and the atmosphere is so wonderful. It was a great night out. Bridgewater is still better, way less people but this was pretty comparable.

Sorry for the no pictures. In the rush to get Kevin up from his nap, snacks, diapers, etc. I didn't even think to grab the camera. Fun evening over all!

Happy Birthday Buddy

Kevin is 2. Did we do anything for his birthday? NO
We were in CT the week before and Ed's parents were prepared. Allison(aunt) made him cupcakes, which he made a huge mess of.

He got lots of presents from all Grandparents. 2 train sets, and big wheel(he calls it his motorcycle) and a couple construction trucks. What a lucky boy.

The day of his birthday we got 'Donald's for his birthday. Nuggets and apple juice peas!

A little about him now:
Kevin loves motors, airplanes, motorcycles, tractors, backhoes, dozers, monster trucks, trains anything with an engine.
His favorite music is Choo Choo soul. He LOVES to dance and is quite the party animal.
He talks a TON! but only if he knows you, if he doesn't he won't say a word.
He has two speeds full speed ahead and off.
He loves shoes, it doesn't matter what kind. His favorites right now, his addidas sambas, flip flops and tap shoes( really who doesn't love the sound?!)
His favorite food is chicken nuggets and won't touch the real stuff, it's yucky and gross!
He will give and do anything to go outside, he loves to drive the cozy coupe car and dig in the sand and swim.
I am so glad he is 2 and turning into such a big boy. We love you Kevin and your sweet ways!

I only lasted a few months

My friends J and B were in the market for a gas dryer and went and got one. Then they asked if I could house theirs. I have to say I am back to using a dryer again. It has just been so rainy. I still have my drying rack out on the screened in porch, but most of the stuff gets dried in the dryer. Anya is excited to have soft towels again. I have to admit I am excited that my jeans shrink again. Although I have not seen my electric bill yet. I am a little terrified!

Another excuse for not blogging

For those of you who don't know this is our dog Annie. Annie was our first child. We adopted her when I was 6 months pregnant.
At the end of May we were watching my friends dog. He is a really good small dog, but his only vice is he loves to run out the front door. He was doing really well until the boy I was babysitting let them both out. In our side yard down by the driveway we have an old dog kennel. Louie ran right in there. Annie ran over there too, but not into the kennel. I went over to get them, shut the gate on Louie and went to grab Annie when she turned around to play the come chase me game. She ran right into the road into a van. Luckily it was Annie and she stopped. If it were Louie he would have been smooshed to smithereens. Her back paw was run over and she needed stitches for 2 weeks and to wear an Elizabethan Collar. She was not happy. I am pleased to report that she no longer even goes near the door though. An expensive lesson but I have never been so glad she was fine.

Do you see how swollen her paw is? She busted out the pad. She still limps if she runs too much or walks on gravel.

The joys of being a housewife

I have learned that I really do love being a housewife. I enjoy the challenge of stretching our money and keeping a clean house and cooking meals. I found chicken on sale for .49 a lb and apparently someone took a picture of me preparing it to freeze. My huge freezer is almost full. My food storage is quite complete also. Conversation with Anya the other day:
Me: Anya do you want your hot do whole or cut into circles with a toothpick?
Anya: I want it on hot dog bread(roll).
Me: We don't have any
Anya: Yes we do.
Me: No we don't
Anya: Yes we do it's in the basement
Me: No we don't we used up all the hot dog buns
Anya: Mom we have everything in the basement!

I am actually quite proud that she thinks that!

Kevin's 1st fight

Mosquito 1 Kevin 0
It bit his eyebrow!

The joys of a bigger yard

She usually wears skiing goggles too! You can't see it but she is wearing zebra stripped rain boots!

I apologize

I am sorry for not posting in so long. Things have been nuts.
We own the house. We closed on June 1st. We are currently landscaping. It's been a lot of work! Anya's room is painted and now we need to decorate it. Kevin's is next and the downstairs. I can't wait, but I am saving some projects to keep me busy during the winter. I promise I will update with past events, etc. soon. I just wanted you all to know that I am alive, I swear.

Beauty School drop out

I am looking at going to school in the fall or spring. I completed a semester after high school and never managed to go back to finish. I have had a nagging feeling that I need to go and get it done. We have a really great beauty school a few miles away and I have been looking into it. I am really excited about it, now just to figure out the actual logistics of
1. What do I do with my kids for 3 hrs a day?
2. How do I deal with never seeing my husband?
3. How do I pay for 2 yrs worth of college in 9 months?
4. Can we afford it with the new house payment?

A lot of questions but I just need to sit down and figure them all out. I will update you as I find out the answers.

911

Over the past few months Anya was having trouble with a bully at school. I talked to the Mom and all the teachers and it slowed but didn't stop.
When we went to CT for Easter, Grandpop taught Anya to poke him in the eyes and kick him in the boy parts!

The other day I was eating dinner with the kids and I had a bite of food go down slow. It made me a little nervous and decided that I would talk to Anya about 911. I asked her when it was appropriate to call and she said when I was sick. I clarified sick as I couldn't talk or wake up and told her if there was a stranger in the house that was going to hurt her to call.

She then told me that she didn't need to call 911 for a stranger she could just poke him in the eyes and kick him in the boy parts.
Me: Anya sometimes strangers are grown ups and they are much bigger and stronger than you
Anya: Then I'll stand on a chair or the table
Me: Well Anya you can do that but first call 911 so the police will come
Anya: But we don't need the police, I already took care of it. I am a big sister I can take care of lots of things, even bad guys!



And just so you remember that I have a son too. Kevin is talking up a storm now. His manners are great and he is so good at saying Thank you and Your Welcome. My favorite thing he says right now, trains are not trains, he calls them... All Aboard, in a yelling conductor type voice!

Warm weather means yard sales

I love to tag sale, I have since I was little with my Mom. Now that it is warm, we are out in full force. We found a hammock, hand made in Mexico got it for $9.00. It has been well worth it.
The other day I couldn't find Anya, well I found her..........
asleep in the hammock! So far she has used it more than anyone, she also pretends to be a sloth and hangs from it!

Happy Summer, oh I mean Spring

Heat wave...... We enjoyed every minute!Anya and Kevin in the pool
Annie realized we have fish in there.... recently she has tried to fish them out from inside

Easter at the convalescent center

Every holiday our MOMS club goes to our local convalescent center to visit the elderly and have a little party. Anya always has a blast, here was Easter.

Doing the hokey poky with the E bunny!


Anya posing with the E bunny

Absolutely necessary

I have a part time job watching a friend of mine's kids about 30 hrs a week.
I have been sick of my diaper bag for a long time, but I HAVE to have outside pockets for drink cups.
I finally found the bag! Oh and yellow is my favorite color. Thanks to A ( the lady I babysit for) for her manager's discount!

Dead as in D-E-A-D

On Monday after my 4th load of laundry the antiquated dryer in this house died. I had 2 loads left and they were both sheets. I had a wet load in the dryer(never noticed it didn't start) and a wet one in the washer. I decided to make the best of it at 8:00pm and hand the clothes all over my kitchen chairs. Then I remembered that I had a drying rack in the basement. I pulled that out and dried my clothes. They were almost dry by morning. We don't want to buy a new one until we decide what we are doing with the house. For this week I have been line drying all my laundry! It was cold the beginning of the week so everything took FOREVER to dry. I realized that this might not be so bad. I had Ed hang me some lines in the basement and I am going to get one of those square clothes lines for the backyard(you know the kind outside the projects!!) I don't think I'll need a dryer while it is still semi warm out. I am seeing how long I can go without it. This has posed a problem in my schedule. Monday and Thurs used to be laundry day and now I can only do a load or two a day. I am so glad I found this. Thanks Christy!! We are trying it this week. I have stopped cloth diapering in this house, there is something wrong with the septic, so this will make up for the disposables I have to use in $ and in carbon emissions!

Me according to my kids

Here is how well my kids know me
My commentary is in green

1. What is something your mom always says to you?
Anya: Secrets
Kevin: Time out
K - Ouch

2. What makes you mom happy?
Anya: Cooking
Kevin: Smiles
He didn't say smile he just did, pretty accurate I say

3. What makes your mom sad?
Anya: That I don't clean up my toys
Kevin:Crying
so true

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
Anya: Tickles
Kevin: Tickle Tickle
We do a lot of tickling

5. What was your mom like as a child?
Anya: Your baby toys
Kevin: little
My 20 mo old is more accurate than my 4.5 yr old!

6. How old is your mom?
Anya: 38 Are you 38? I don't know how old you are?!
Kevin: 9


7. How tall is your mom?
Anya: 38 lbs
Kevin: 10
I think we need to work on numbers

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Anya: Cook
Kevin: Eating
This is what I do with them!

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Anya: Cook something else
Kevin: here
What Kevin meant, is I am always here!

10. I your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Anya: Making cookies
Kevin: Papers
????

11. What is your mom really good at?
Anya: Cooking
Kevin: Crap
From the mouth of babes!

12. What is your mom not very good at?
Anya: Making yucky meals
Kevin: No

13. What does your mom do for a job?
Anya: Wash the dishes, that's my job to
Kevin: Stop

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
Anya: Chinese
Kevin: Food
Both perfectly accurate!

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
Anya: Cooking great great great food
Kevin: Diapers
Are you seeing a trend in Anya's answers?

16. If your mom was a cartoon character, who would she be?
Anya:Cars
Kevin: You

17. What do you and your mom do together?
Anya: Cook
Kevin: Do together
I don't think he quite understood the question


18. How are you and your mom the same.
Anya: We wear Hannah Montana slippers Me: I don't have Hannah Montana slippers Anya: Then buy a bigger size!
Kevin: Same

19. How are you and your mom different?
Anya: We have different slippers
Kevin: Steps
A- see 18 K-???

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Anya: You put me to bed
Kevin: Love you
Sweet!

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
Anya: Get married
Kevin : Papa

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Anya: Chinese or a restaurant called P. F. Chang's.
Kevin: Nice
I don't think she realizes they are the same thing

What I have learned: I need to get out of the kitchen and stop sending Kevin to time out 2x a week!

The long awaited pictures

Welcome to my messy new house!



What you see when you walk in the front door.
The Living room- need to be painted and the border to come down. We don't have formal furniture yet so it looks like a dorm in this room!


Family room, needs to be painted and un"American"ized.

Kitchen - this is my favorite room in the house. Has a great view of the backyard through the bay window! We bought new appliances but it needs a counter and cabinet uplift. It's a little 70's country.
Sun porch - there is a horrible glare but this room is great for semi-warm but wet and yucky days, or when I just don't want to pooper scoop. The kids can play back here and still feel a little like they are outside. A deck connects to this room. It is right off the family room.


Playroom - used to be a formal dining room(see the end of the ugly chandelier?) Right now this is my favorite room, it is the most done and it's right off the kitchen, I don't have to worry about the kids at all! It needs wallpaper taken down and to be painted the colors in the rug!

Upstairs
Anya's room- also needs to be unAmericanized! We are going to paint it a variation of pinks. I would have cleaned it first but I had a baby napping in the pack-n-play in the corner! Anya has a bookshelf in her closet with her dresser and beanbag chair to make a quiet corner. She also has all her "too small" dolls in her room. Those are the only toys upstairs!!!

Kevin's room - this room is the closest to being done. His crib is there in the corner and that is Grandma's bed. He has little cars and trucks on his chair rail. His dresser and Anya's both fit in their closets so they have the whole rest of the room. Kevin does have a bookshelf in his room though.

Master bedroom - no one will see this until I have unpacked it, everything is still in piles. It reminds me of my room when I was a child, which you can ask my Mom or sisters, it was a health hazard!

That is the house in a nutshell! When'if we close in May I'll update pictures as it really becomes mine!