To the Rescue

I am so thankful to have so many wonderful people in my life who support me.  Yesterday was great, but long for all the kids and I (toddler time, no naps, early release, all 4 to the kids museum, basketball practice) Today we were still all a little run down, Gabby has a case of the snot rockets like you wouldn't believe (TMI?).  She stayed home from school.  I mentioned in a text that all kids were whining and the craft we started was not going as planned.  In the door walks my big sissy,  and she brought Christmas stickers and glitter glue- so much more on our level of crafting.  She cuddled her babies, helped with lunch and provided me friendship.  Naps for a few,  and quiet time of a Mickey Mouse Christmas show for others helped us all.  My dear husband got home from an early morning of playing basketball followed by a day at school, yet he jumped right into playing board games with 3 of the 4 kids (did you know I am not a huge fan of board games?!) and he fixed the dinner my mom sent home with me last night (I told the kids it was burgers and fries.... fresh LAMB burgers and celeriac "fries."  All local and fresh from my mom's  weekly box. Oh and she got home from work last night to me and my crew of kids and made us all a yummy dinner!)   Thank you Family for everything you do, it means the world to me! xo

jumble

There has been such a jumble of things happening around here it has been keeping me pretty busy, and entertained.   This little group of cousins on the block is so fun, silly and sweet.  There have been a few crazy moments too! I figured I should post these pictures before they were outdated or forgotten.

EE is just the sweetest thing. We all agree on that, and she gets more snuggles, kisses and tickles than any other baby around.

Mr E likes to keep us all on our toes, and laughing.  

 One rainy Sunday I got busy with some nail polish and Barbies.  Now they are never naked.

Seriously, this girl melts hearts.

Afternoon crazies.  Balloons and music kept them entertained for a bit.

 Miss EE, always trying to fit in a nap.

Cookies with your frosting anyone?  Halloween cookies, more fun to make than eat (I put them away and they never even ate them!)

Happy HALF Birthday Elliot.  3.5 and going strong!

These 2 are my everyday baking assistants.  We smell each ingredient and taste some.  They may still say that garlic went into our very favorite molasses cookies rather than ginger, but they are learning!

Halloween 2012

 Happy Halloween!  The pouring rain limited our trick or treating a bit, however I am fairly sure that both children got more than enough candy.  Elliot will try and eat all of it tomorrow (just like he tried tonight) and Gabby will tell us about each one she was allowed to eat.

 Peter Pan

Merida

 This year we actually got to dress up, as opposed to last year when we had just moved the day prior to Florida and were staying in a hotel.  Two years before that Elliot was just a baby and it was way too hot of weather for him to wear his costume.  So we had big plans for this year. Elliot kept changing his mind on what he wanted to be, for a few weeks he would say Humpty Dumpty.  Now if you have ever looked at those costumes, they are a bit expensive and even more ugly.  He finally settled on Peter Pan, and well we already owned the shirt so all it took were some green leggings.  Yesterday he and I quickly hot glued a hat together complete with a red felt feather we cut out and glued to a stick from our yard. We also made a short little knife for him to fight Hook with.  Gabby has been set on being Merida from the new Disney movie Brave.   I bought the dress months ago, it isn't one of the true Merida dresses but it was so pretty I knew she would love it.  I have developed a phobia of wigs it seems, after the past two experiences with princess (Cinderella's hair would not stay on, Ariel shed her red locks and I found it all over for a year!) wigs I decided not to buy one this year.  The problem is, no one would know who Gabby was supposed to be without the orange wild hair of the newest Princess.  Thankfully Clay had a short day at school today so I took baby EE with me and bought two different kinds of yarn.  An hour before the bus got here I got home and started cutting and gluing yarn to a headband.  It turned out to be my favorite part of the outfit!  Now the kids are tuckered out and asleep in their beds, the house is littered with shoes, wet clothes and dishes from a rushed dinner.  

9.10.11.12

9 years today.  We have been MARRIED for 9 whole years. What an incredible adventure it has been thus far. So full of love.  Looking forward to all the future holds, and enjoying the present!

Apple Days

We eat a lot of apples.  Now that apples are in season and growing all around us, we eat even more apples.  Example, I bought 6 Honeycrisp apples and less than 24 hrs later all but 1 were gone.  Yum.  There really isn't anything tastier than a fresh local and crisp Washington apple.  Awhile back I saw a little flyer about farm tours in Skagit County.  I told my friend about it and we decided it would be a fun time to meet there and do the farms together.
   Good thing we pushed our date to Sunday, because Saturday morning I woke up to a text from my sister asking me if I wanted to do a race with her.  Molly and some of her coworkers have been planning to walk in an all girls 1/2 marathon.  Two of the girls dropped out morning of.  I woke up 15minutes after the text and 15 minutes after that I was out the door, bringing pajama clad kids for Uncle to watch just until Clay got home early morning basketball.  Molly and I arrived in the chilly morning at a local park where women of all ages, sizes, shape, and athletic ability gathered.  The race organizers said there was no timer, and they didn't care if you did the entire course, or just went over the hill for 10 minutes until they could turn the start area into the finish area.  Molly and I walked the trail for 5 miles, turned around and finished OUR walk at 10 miles.  It was a great morning on the trails with my sister, talking, the view, cheering for us and others.
  Sunday we all got ready, loaded into the car and met Krista and her family at one of the farms open for the tour weekend.  There was so much to do, and see and a number of people there with us.  This farm was decorated with loads of fancy gourds and pumpkins.  We did the corn maze, walked among the pumpkins, kids rode in carts and we picked apples.

 There were all of these fun murals around the farm to pose with. 

 4  in the corn

 E was trying to blend in with the corn, yes he ate some. I heard it wasn't very good.

 Spiders all around in the fall.

 Such a cute family picture, oh wait what are G and E doing? Krista took some great ones of us, but this one is my favorite.

 Hand in hand in the apple orchard.

 A bushel and a peck... 

On to the next farm after a quick lunch. This farm was so different than the first.  The 1st was fun, but was in the business of making money.  This family run farm was more about education and letting everyone have a hands on experience.  It was a creamery, and right away they handed you ice cream bars of little cartons of milk.  The kids got to go around on a treasure hunt finding out facts and getting stamps for answering questions. 

 There were newborn calfs the kids got to get up close and personal with.

 Beautiful views that matched the amazing October weather we are having.

 Face painting (G asked the girl for the big heart, in addition to the whiskers) and a "really slow" hay ride.  My kids are used to going fast on the 4wheeler at Grandpa's farm so this was not too thrilling for them.

 Squirtie Gertie to try your hand at milking.  My biggest kid was pretty pleased with his efforts.  He and I both recently milked real cows at the farm.. Me for my very 1st time ever. The kids tried it, twice!

   Beautiful Mt Baker.   

  Our night ended with dinner, than a full evening of everyone but me getting sick.  Last Thursday night E woke up crying and I found throw up all over his bed... and then he got it on the rest of the house.  We seemed mostly fine, but it hit Clay and the kids last night... and cousin C too.  Today we are all trying to recover from the night and hoping that not only are we all done with tummy troubles but that we didn't pass it on to any of our friends we hung out with in the past week.

kicked.

Today kicked my butt.  It wasn't all bad, just a challenging day.  Every day is mostly good, with a few hiccups thrown in for good measure and to keep us all on our toes.  Today started off with spilled milk, literally.  After getting the G and E ready for the day, complete with a breakfast of homemade pumpkin pancakes (I made a big batch last night, easy to pop in the toaster for breakfast.  Packed full of good pumpkin, whole wheat flour, greek yogurt, cinnamon, brown sugar) and local bacon. We were out the door to take G to the bus stop and pick up cousins C and EE.  I was in a bit of a rush, I had plans to get my crew of 3 and I to the 1st Mom group meeting I am starting to attend. As I grabbed the carseat, the fresh bottle of pumped milk fell out which broke the lid and half of it leaked on the floor.  Clean up aisle 4 and we were now off again.... All 3 buckled in and on our way to the meeting, good news I found it by memory after going once last year. E didn't flinch when I left him and C in the kid room (this is a big step for him, my total momma's boy who cries when I try to take him to Sunday school).
   The Mom group was great, after a little fussing and a bottle EE had a quick nap.  I learned a little about the 5 languages of Love, and even told Clay about it - we may even talk more about it. My arms and hands were full of bags, kids, papers, LOVE.   By the time we make it home we are a little late on our normal schedule of lunch, books and nap. C was tired, so tired. E was not listening, refusing to help  or do anything asked of him. E even mentioned he was tired, but wouldn't lay down for a nap. EE was along for the ride, but tired, had wet pants and getting hungry too.  I ate spicy pretzels and fresh blackberry cobbler for lunch (when Clay got home later on he asked if I wanted a salad for lunch. HA.)
    Everyone was tired today. We all are still adjusting to this new schedule of school and childcare.  We all love it (I HOPE!), however it is busy and lots of work.  Baths and showers (G is so independent she totally does it all on her own, and sings the entire time too!) stories and kids asleep before 7:30p.  Tomorrow is early release from school, and we have plans for all of us to go to the farm (more on how country we are becoming later... just to note E went 2x yesterday to help Clay feed the calfs and cows, ride the 4 wheeler and even saw a chicken get its head chopped off.)
   Oh and to let everyone in on the goings on of the first 2 weeks of kindergarten... G LOVES it.  Her penmanship has improved so much. She is friends with everyone, and plays basketball with a boy at recess and also finds time to play princess and super hero.  The first week a shy boy who speaks mostly Russian cried every day.  G came up with her own way to make him smile and not cry. She played chase with him and came up with her own joke; "Whose leg? Oleg. Whose leg? Oleg!"  Apparently Oleg laughed and got over his sadness.  She rides the bus, and knows most of the rules that go along with it now. She doesn't have time to eat all her lunch, and is starved when she gets home almost 5 hours later because there is NO snack. She loves her entire class and all her teachers.
   Also to come, I will post the recipe I have made at least 3 times in the past 2 weeks for zucchini cookies. It involves coconut, and black beans! yum.

Kindergarten!