MMM: The one where I decided to make a tree...

So, Makeover My Monday hasn't died.  Don't worry (I know you were).  I just haven't been blogging much.  This Monday, though...the one where I thought it would be a good idea to make a tree...this one needed to be documented.

For two reasons.
1) For the record: I could fit all of my craftiness in my pinky.
2) The end result really has been a blessing for our family.

As for #1- There is sort of a running joke in my family that my brothers and I were probably the only kids to EVER get kicked out of the craft cabin at Church Camp.  You have to know that the "Craft Ladies" at camp were some of the sweetest, most patient, creative ladies ever, and ladies who we dearly loved.  But they had to cringe when they saw a member of the B-family heading to the cabin during free time.  They'd never admit it.  But we knew.  You know the projects that "everyone can do".  We couldn't.  None of the three of us.  Ever.  Well, there was the one flower pot that was stinkin' amazing...and I actually still have sitting in my kitchen window.  But I digress.  The point is, and I think I may have mentioned this once (or a thousand times) before...I am an accountant.  I don't mean just by occupation.  I mean by heart.  I love rules, order, formulas, answers.  Not art.  Unless there is a pattern, or a website, or a formula.  That I can do.  (case in point- to make the batman symbol on the top of my birthday cake...which no one was going to see... I actually printed and cut out a pattern).  SOOOOOO- when I decided that Monday's project should be to make a tree for our Thanksgiving leaves, I should have known we were all in trouble. 

After some cutting and more cutting (and RRL begging me to stop the cutting before I made it worse)...

and then some painting, painting (a trip to the store for more paint) and more painting...

here is our tree.

As for #2- We've been going through the Greater Things Prayer Journal with our kids, and talking about being grateful, and sharing our blessings pretty constantly over the last 40 days.  That fed perfectly into the beginning of November and really wanting to spend some intentional time during the Thanksgiving season talking about all the ways we have been blessed.  I remembered that a couple of years ago, the Tallons posted an AWESOME idea on their blog about doing leaves- one each day per family member- with things they are thankful for.  We adopted the idea this year (thus the necessity of the tree) and it has been an amazing blessing.  I love hearing the things the boys come up with each day- so far we have everything from angels to quesadillas- and I love getting to hear my husband share the things on his heart, too.  It has me looking forward to dinner time in a new way. 

So, although the tree is not cut from a perfect pattern,  and although it is sort of a hybrid tree with several different leaf types and although it is actually a bit bush-like and although Cbug thinks it really needs a door...

it is perfect. 

Completely. 

ABL

Can't wait to show you the finished product after we get all of the leaves up over the next couple of weeks. Maybe I'll post the list or something of what each leaf says. But I wanted to go ahead and post the idea because it has been such a blessing to us and I thought other families might enjoy it, too. Thanks, Tallons, for sharing it with us!!

Our little Copperfield

alternatively titled: Why I can't go back to Kroger

Today I nominate myself for "Mother-of-the-Year". 

You know the days...

The days when it is you against them.  The days when you can't believe YOUR children would act that way.  The days when you can't believe the things that come out of your own mouth in response to their actions.  Please tell me you know those days.  I had several amazing parenting moments today, but the one that steals the show (and this post) was the one where I {temporarily} misplaced my child.

Let me preface this story by saying that when Cbug really wants to hide from you (usually because he is in trouble or doing something he shouldn't), he is AMAZING at disappearing.  I mean, Copperfield-style-disappearing-acts.  Several months ago we were all at home and C went missing IN OUR HOUSE.  RRL, KJ and I searched everywhere.  We bribed, we threatened, we played games, sang songs, ANYTHING we could think of to make him come out.  This was during a season that he was really struggling with his asthma so I was convinced the reason he wasn't answering was because he couldn't breathe.  I was on the verge of calling 911 (seriously, had the phone in my hand) when KJ found him hiding in the back/bottom section of our little closet pantry with a bowl of candy.  Unwrapping them one at a time.  Hiding until he'd had his fill.  SERIOUSLY.

So when he disappeared today at the grocery store, I knew we were in trouble.  I looked around a little, checked by the toystory 3 movie display, down the cereal isle, called and called his name.  Nothing.  Trying to stay calm, I went to the customer service desk and asked for some help.  The manager came out of his office (awesome) and went over the loud speaker asking everyone to look for a 2yearold blond boy, green jacket, brown pants.  It was one of those moments when you can feel everyone stop what they are doing, swivel towards you and STARE at mom-of-the-year.  best feeling in the world.  A few seconds later, a very nice man from the bakery, came walking my way carrying my son...and the toystory3 cupcake with red icing that he had managed to steal.  He'd been hiding, trying to get the cupcake open.  The nice man, who I thanked profusely, handed Cbug to me and I could smell him.  Apparently he'd also been, um...taking care of some business.  I didn't know whether to cry, laugh, discipline, hug, or just dig a hole and crawl in it...in the end I did a little bit of all of the above.

So, yeah, its been one of those days.  Obviously it wasn't entirely Cbug's fault that he did a little disappearing act.  I let him out of the cart, I was busy reviewing my list, and it was actually KJ who noticed first that Cbug had walked away.  Someday he'll hate me for this post.  But in the mean-time I just thought you might need to know the amazingness that occasionally enters my world of parenting. 

Just in case, you know...you happen to have one of those days, too.

ABL

Buzz and Woody...to the rescue!

KJ and Cbug's costume choices for their costume parade at school this fall were pretty simple- they would be Buzz and Woody, of course.  The tricky party was who would be each.  On any given day, one or the other is the current favorite- it changes faster than I can keep track, but of course almost always they both want the same one.  I, being the amazing mother that I am, anticipted this possible problem, so I made them decide who would be which character the night before school- Brilliant.  In theory.  They both chose- no problems at all.  KJ wanted Woody.  Cbug wanted Buzz.  Super easy.  Or so they lead me to believe- should have known better.  The next morning KJ pitched a WHOPPER of a fit.  I mean a real DOOZY.  Because Cbug had on the Buzz costume.  We went round the circle and back or him wearing Woody or nothing- totally his choice and we just left him alone with it.  Then, approximately 2 minutes before he would have been late for school, he suddenly completely changed his whole demeaner, requested a different hat than the one that actually came with the Woody costume and that fixed everything.  Four-Year-Olds.  Sheesh.

Cbug's precious class of three-year-olds on the left and KJ's amazing class of pre-Kers on the right.  Such fun!

We went to the stockyards that night for a failed attempt at some trick-or-treating.  But at least the kids looked cute.  Note that for this event, Buzz and Woody swaped costumes.  No problem.  Again.  Sheesh.

To stick with the TS3 motif, we added a little cheerleader from the toddler room at the Sunnyside Daycare.  Herself an adorable mence, who often wreaks havock on her brothers toys- this was not a difficult costume for Lou to pull off. 

Oh how I love them!  Tantrums, mischeif, costumes and all.

ABL

Just what I've always wanted...

The birthday party of THEIR MY dreams.

When KJ found out it was going to be my birthday, he was over-the-top excited.  The kid LOVES birthday parties, has been planning his May27th birthday since approximately May28th of last year, and loves celebrating with his friends.  When Ricky asked KJ what he thought we should do for "Mommy's Birthday" he had big plans...Batman plans.  Batman cake, Batman coloring pages, you know...a Batman theme.  Don't get me wrong, it wasn't that he wanted Batman because he was trying to "steal" the party.  It was just that in his sweet little four-year-old brain a Batman party was the very best thing he could think to give me.  I loved it.  So thats exactly how we celebrated. 

Step One- Batman pictures for presents.

 

The kids loved picking out pictures online to print and then coloring them.  And I loved how much they enjoyed it! 

Next the real fun began.  Can you believe how excited these two were about baking a cake?

We learned a few things along the way.  I definitely helped A LOT, but let the boys help measure and add ingredients...

   ... and mix it all together.

Then all that is left, is to lick the beaters and watch it bake!

 

Well, that, and the icing and a Batman logo, of course.

 and then, Voila... Batman cake!

Next step to the perfect party... making Kool-Aid.  Funny story here, about how this got included in KJ's my perfect party.  He's been talking for a couple of weeks about "red stuff to drink" then last week saw the little kool-aid individual serving packets I sometimes add to my waterbottles in the pantry.  When he discovered them he exclaimed, "MOM, this is it...kids at school bring this red drink in their lunches".  At that moment I had a combination of amusement and guilt.  I can't BELIEVE I've never made kool-aid for the poor kid.  What 4-year-old has never had kool-aid? So of course, red kool-aid (despite every ounce of me that wanted to avoid it) had to be part of the perfect party.

 

It was just the kids and me until RRL came home for lunch (thanks, Babe), and (obviously) not something I put a lot of preparation into ahead of time, but seriously it was perfect.  I'll never forget it!  Well, maybe I'll forget the part where Cbug stained his shirt red, the boys licked the beaters and put them back in the bowl, KJ arguing about how to make the cake, Cbug nearly chopping his fingers off with the mixer, digging eggshell out of the mix, Cbug unpeeling crayons while making my picture, and the part where I got to clean up the mess after it was all over.  But other than that....  Perfect.

In case you were wondering-  As if anything could top a Batman party for your 30(something)th birthday, I did also get to have an amazing night out planned by my super sweet husband where there were no children, no messes to clean up, and a dinner that I didn't have to prepare.  That was pretty perfect, too!

ABL



These three "punkins" are spoken for...

 

I mean, really... 

Have you seen three more adorable pumpkins in any patch YOU have visited this fall?

So thankful they are mine!

ABL

(and also thankful to have such a fun tradition with Cindi and Cass...whose patience in capturing my children in pictures truly amazes me.  Sure love you two!)

School visit to the Zoo/Petshop

KJ's teacher this year is so creative.  I love hearing the ways she teaches the kids different concepts.  One of my favorite activities of the fall was a family field trip to the zoo.  It was a great way to meet some of the kids in KJ's class as well as their parents and siblings.  Ms. A was so kind to include Cbug and other younger siblings just like they were members of the class, too. 

 

We didn't just "visit" the zoo, though.  Ms A had the fun idea of turning it into a "pet store" where the kids each got $10 play money and could decide which animals they would buy.  Some animals were $2 or $3, some as much as $7 or $8 so you really had to decide which you wanted, count out your money and consequently learn a little about "budgeting".  This accountant momma, of course, LOVED the idea.   And apparently the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.  My sweet oldest child decided the second he saw the "catalog" that he wanted to buy penguins...and he held all of his money until the end of the day when we finally got to the penguins and "bought" 5.  While other kids had money burning holes in their pockets ad jumped at the chance to buy a lion, elephant, or white tiger, KJ quietly just said "No, thank you, I'm waiting for the penguins"...for THREE HOURS.  Even though the penguins were only $2, so he could have "afforded" something else, too, he had decided how he wanted to spend his money and could not be deterred.  It made my heart swell :) 

 KJ with his ticket, our kids with KJ's teacher and KJ the map reader.

The boys from the class learning about an animal they could purchase and then taking a break to examine a matchbox car.

The amazing Mrs A- teaching the kids about the animals at the zoo, giving KJ his money, and telling us about "Polly"

Cbug loving the turtles in the new MOLA and KJ explaining why it was so important to WAIT for penguins.

 

And Lou doing what she does best...helping herself to some snacks.  Gotta love that girl!

What a great day!!

ABL

Three good reasons why I haven't been blogging...

Three wonderfully adorable, sometimes disobedient, positively crazy-fun-loving,  destructor style mess-making, hands-full-of-blessings, often ornery and argumentative, make you giggle until your mouth hurts, head-over-heels for their siblings, team of mischeif-making, blonde-headed reasons.

Hopefully someday I'll tell you about some of the adventures these three have been up to.  Until then this picture of their adorable craziness pretty well sums it up.

ABL