Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Last month I started weight watchers with my mom. I have to say I am awful when it comes to dieting due to my poor knowledge in nutrition and the fact that don't know what to cook, because I have skinny children and a way too skinny husband that can't afford to loose any more weight. I have found with their plans, however that it might just finally be possible for me to to try and do a diet. It is slow going 4 lbs in 4 wks, but it's progress. The best part of the weight watchers plan is that it is a point system so you can eat almost completely normal wit only minor adjustments and then they even give you bonus points every week so I can still do a Cupcake run with all my sisters and lose weight!!!

I may not drop the weight and be America's Next Top Model next month, but slowly seems to be better if it means I can still eat the yummier things in life once in a while.

Canning Mishaps

As October rolled in I realized I had been a bit delinquent in getting all my canning done so my Cory's Mom  graciously came over and helped me get going.

Normally something like this is better left for nap times, but as are limited on time, one morning I had to can while kids were still up, it was a bit of a disaster. Cory's Mom did 95% of the canning for me while I dealt with screaming kids, messes, & baths.

I tired setting out water colors hoping they would entertain themselves with painting; I was cautious of the mess it might make so I stripped them down, I just didn't anticipated my almost 2 yr old eating the paints, hints wear the baths come in.

Moral of the Story: Canning & kids don't mix.
Thanks for doing all my canning for me Mom!

4 Little Skeletons

 

Last year we bought the twins glow-in-the dark pjs and they loved them and so this we thought it would be cute if we put all the kids in glow in the dark pjs. This was easier said than done; Phoebe had a HUGE tantrum  because she said they were Cami's pjs and she didn't want to wear them & I am not sure why the twins took turns crying, but even Sophie got in on the crying. Eventually we showed Phoebe how she glows in the dark and now she LOVES these pjs and request to wear them almost every night.

Wicked Witcheys

For the past year Phoebe has been in love with witches so I couldn't wit until they brought out all the witches at Gardener Village. We went on the first day they were brought out in the middle of September. It was surprisingly empty especially considering it was a Saturday too. We have gone to see the witches every year since we moved ere 5 yrs ago and it never gets old. Phoebe was thrilled there were witches everywhere we looked, but she said she was just too shy to get her picture taken with them.

After a big girl talk with mommy (okay more like bribing with candy incentives for good pics), Phoebs was able to show her face again and even dug deep for a smile or two.

We found one sign while wandering around that I couldn't pass up takeing a pic of Cory next to.

His companies banner!!!  PGAW is his office and the "official" builders/remodelers of Gardener Village. 

After all the pics were done we took the kiddos to Afton's Sweets and let them pick out a little piece of chocolate for a treat. Our total for everyone's candy rang up to 90 cents and it was enough to put some smiles on kiddos faces so it was a win win for us! Thanks witchys, we'll see ya again next year!

We Have GRAPES!

For the first time in 3 years our grape vines and finally been something more than ornamental. We have delicious grapes. Unfortunately, my kiddos don't recognized them and their favorite food and instead just squish them all and stain their clothes with them. We didn't really get enough this year to do anything but eat them, but here's to hoping homemade grape jelly is in our future!

Preschool Update

Phoebe has been in Preschool for 1 month now and she LOVES it! I only wish she would tell me more about her day. Most days she comes home and I ask her did you have fun which always gets an enthusiastic yes then I ask her what did you do and I am nearly always met with an "I dunno"  so hen I have to go fishing for any detail.  Did you read a story?  What craft did you do? What was the letter of the day?  Sometimes I get an answer but most of the time only she will ever know what she did that day. Some days, however, she must have be having so much from or been learning so much she comes home just exhausted.

I also want to throw out a BIG THANKS to all my neighbors helping me out whether they watch Shopie and the twins for 20 mins so I can drop Phoebs off without them falling asleep in the car and ruining their naps for the day, taking the baby monitor so I can pick-up Phoebs without waking everyone up to come with or picking Phoebs up from school for me.  THANKS!!!

A New Home for Phoebe

About 3 wks ago I made a snap chief decision, it's time for a room change. Well actually it was building bad situation that finally had a breaking point. Over the last couple months Phoebe had been a little displaced. It was apparent that Phoebe could not fall asleep with the twins. We would have screaming, fighting and no one would fall asleep until about 10-10:30 every night and since my kids ALWAYS wake up about 6am it make for very cranky kids all the time. To try and improve the situation day at every nap we would lay the twins down in their room and Phoebe would then sleep in Sophie's crib and Sophie would sleep in her bouncer. At night. For bed time we would do the same, but at 10 or so we would then move sleeping Phoebe back to her bed with the twins. This made things better for a couple months, but at the end Phoebe was a little confused on which room was really hers and in he middle of the night she would cry just to go back and sleep on Sophie's floor. It seems that Phoebe was mature enough to leave Sophie a lone in her crib over the last couple of weeks and Sophie now sleep through the night so a decision was made.  Phoebe was was going move into her old room and be roomies with baby Sophie. I did the move all by myself, well I had 3 wee ones "helping" but I wouldn't call that help so much as hinder. Phoebe was SOOO excited for the move and especially to get her old bedding back that she kept telling me how much she liked me and what a nice mommy I was. Cami on the other hand was totally prostrate with grief that Phoebs was moving out. She refused to lay in her room without Phoebe and instead took a nap in the hallway on Phoebe's pillow.

As you can see it is a bit tight in the other room with Sophie and Phoebe together, but Phoebe ABSOLUTELY loves being roomies with baby Sophie and we have had NO bedtime fights since the room switch. Now when Phoebe goes to bed there is no resistance from her and she loves her roomie so much that she constantly yells "Is Sophie asleep yet?" & awaits the arrival of her roomie. With he exception of Cams, who still tries to sneak in to take naps on Phoebs bed, everyone is thrilled with the move.