It's Santa Time

So we (my Husband and I) set out a couple of days ago. A mission of Christmas importance.

The Santa Picture....

We gave it no thought. Last year was a breeze right (NOT!!) Why should this be harder??
Well fist off it's amazing how we seem to forget how really difficult things can be.
Seriously, how in such a short period of time do we just up and erase our memories of the bad and frustrating things that we endure as parents??
Because ... we have this granger idea of what we WANT it to be. We hold dear in our minds this intangible "Hallmark Moment"
We just think well... It won't be so bad. We'll do all our preparation, go in the right timing and it will be Great! Right??
Yeah.. well here is where it always goes bad. We think about this as if we are working with solid consistent people. They are little and fly by the seats of their sweet little pants. How can we know what is going to happen??? THEY don't even know!!

So Tuesday night we sailed out of the house at 3:30 figuring the mall will be okay and we'll sail right in and pay good old Saint Nick a visit. We got there... we saw him... it went well, bad.
Neither Johnpaul nor Nathaniel would smile or really even talk to Santa.
They both seemed deflated and zoned out.
And when I sat Christian on his lap you'd swear Santa was on fire. The kid just screamed and screamed! I know this is a pretty normal reaction but he believe it or not he is the very First of mine to cry on Santas lap.

Okay... so we looked at the pictures and you can guess that they sucked. So we thought we'd go away and loosen up the kids a bit.
When we returned... Santa was just leaving for dinner. So.. rather than drag it out, we left. Strike One.

Then comes Wednesday... I made all the calls had all the conversations trying to get the day in affair so this would or could go more smoothly.
We arrived.. everyone is in a great mood!
We join the line.. only a few people ahead of us... Looking good!
It's our turn!
We go up and greet Santa and immediately it's obvious that Christian is NOT having it.
So the photographer and wish woman waves us and suggests the two older do their thing and we will ambush him onto Santas lap. Santa in agreement we go for it!

So it's not perfect.. But it's still super cute!

We survived yet another Family Milestone. We will I'm certain forget the craziness of it and be again all ramped up for a repeat next year. What ever.. we got it done.

Votes, I need em'...

So I belong to a blog ranking site Top Mommy Blogs and I have for now...

 about a year just trying to get this darn blog into the 50's :o)

It's a strange goal of mine but ya know what a gal has to have a dream , right??

This past Monday they did a reset. 

They do this about 4 times a year. I was a little slow on the up take.

Here is where I hit a snag.

See apparently they change the code to instead of special individual voting code they just have everyones votes count for that said blog directly from it's direct page. 

See this was suppose to be easier... 

Yeah.. except for it isn't. 

I have missed out on 5 days of people who have casted votes for me....

Which I am seriously Thankful for 

Oh well right so... here is where you come into play.

Apparently I now have it fixed :o)

And I need YOU to VOTE!! 

I am currently #262.. and that is a super far cry from #50 by a lot.

So there are several ways to get there all of which are a Simple super fast click away. 

Ready Set Vote!

 Here  click this picture-----


Or heck Click here :o) 

Belonging

I want to drink in these days.

Since becoming a Mommy some short 4 years 8 months and some change 

I have been trying savor every single moment of these guys lives.

It's fleeting.

I can feel the days just running through my fingers and I can feel them growing up.

Johnpaul, Nathaniel & Christian  are becoming big... 

Johnpaul will be a kindergardener next year, Nate in preschool 

and Christian is a Toddler!

I look at them and even with them daily I feel like I am missing it. In a blink of an eye they change.

Christmas is coming and they are so excited. JOhnpaul and Nate are talking about Santa. Johnpaul in now reminding him that he needs to be good because Santa knows... I love it.

Heck since having children I like the Holidays again. 

I have to admit before I didn't like them. 

Holidays always seemed so lonely to me. 

Like even though I had family I was still some how alone. 

Now with my four guys I will never be that. I love that I have them, 

I love that they have each other. 

Even though they fight well like brothers, they will link up together to face off even against me! 

That makes me smile (even when it makes me mad) They will always have someone. 

I Love my Guys

A lot Off today

Ya ever have one of those days where as soon as your eyes pop, your in a horrible mood....?

That would be today. True I got no sleep last night, I went to bed with a head ache and fought with a baby all night jockeying for space in bed and him hungry all night. But that is every night....
What made this day any different? As soon as I stepped one foot on the floor my 3 year old in running in MOMMMMMY!!! Waking the baby I spent all night soothing.... Again.. Not different.

All I know is I now am spending these moments while nursing typing away, checking emails.. correcting typos caused by a kicking squirming baby...So sorry if I missed some. Trying to decompress and get a grip on our day.
Today we get to go play with friends and run off some of that energy. I hope my head ache leaves as fast as it came.
Maybe I'll try coffee.... I've got a serious case of the Blahs. 9:02am.....

M. I. A

Man! It's been a while!!! And there is just too much to write in one posting so I'll blaze through it.

• Since I last posted about my oldest 1st field trip we've had Halloween! It was FUN!!
• Christian has gotten HUGE! Is full on walking, running, jumping and dancing!
• Johnpaul is getting so smart at school and is really taking on his role of Biggest Brother. He's a huge help.
• Nathaniel just turned 3! Got his stats back from his check up he's 95th % both hight and weight!
• Oh and he jammed paper up his nose, it took me two nurses and the doctor trying to get it out. No dice he served it to us! She said he is the strongest kids she has ever seen LOL!!
• I've gotten back into my size 8 Jeans!! Woo Hoo!!! Still working on my goal.... I'll settle for another 10 pounds at this rate.
• My Campaign to Clean the house has flopped. I'll get back to it. Really I will.
• Thanksgiving has gone down, it was YUMMY!
• Christmas is coming and I'm not ready
• Oh and I found a mouse too!!! A dead one.

I think that pretty much brings me up to speed.

It's been a whirl wind of crazy. I miss my blog... I love my blog and have been neglecting it. Lame lame lame.

But I'm back... Yay! Just in time for the big Christmas Holiday!

Any big plans??

Our First School Field Trip

Yesterday We went on Johnpauls very first school field trip. Which in my career as Mom made it mine also. John stayed home and went along. It was a fun idea to get out and do something new all together. As we set out on our trip we were late. Now you know how that flavors it?? (If your someone who minds being late)

I felt frantic till honestly John and I started noticing the directions on the net said 35 min and we seemed to be further and further out here. Now 45 min down the way and what seemed a whole lot longer. The tension breaker happened when John said "Holy Crap! Are we in Oregon yet??!" Seriously! I thought we'd never get there.
But we did.

Here are a few pictures from the day.

Brotherly Love

Christian Rode his 1st Horse

The Guys Rode their 1st Horse too!

Johnpaul 

Nathaniel

Johnpaul with his BF Christopher

Christian picked a pumpkin

Moooooo!

After that we went out to Lunch at Dave's Famous BBQ Yummy!!!

Good Day.

I Feel like hiding

I have come to the conclusion that I am more stressed, disorganized, pressured, worried, wound up, tense, heart ached and worn out than I have ever been in my life these days.

The trials of my life is getting to me. It is... I am completely saturated with the woes of my Mother combined with the normal wear and tear of my little Family, friends, acquaintances and it is leaving torn at the seams. I have nothing left for myself.... It is effecting the way I handle things in my day to day life. How I am with my kids. They deserve a whole Mommy not this cheap impostor they are getting right now. They are happy though they get what they need want .. so life is good. They do deserve the real thing though.

But....

What do you do when you need to re set recharge or what ever.. and can't?? It's not like I can leave to have a quiet walk by myself just to let my brain get off of pause. It's just not possible. Every corner of my life right now is a reminder of the chaotic mess it's become. Every where I turn I'm reminded that I need to resort well... EVERYTHING.

So now what? Do I should I close all the windows and lock all the doors?? Julie can't come out and play today... she's not feeling Well....?
I fear just another brick on my wobbly foundation will bring the whole thing down around me.
Ever feel like this?? What to do ... what to do??




Please Click and Vote!!!
 

Wow!!! One Lovely Blog Award!

A HUGE Thank You to Miss Kimberly of In the Outhouse for this awesome award. 

Please check out her Fantastic blog!!!

I am very happy to accept this award and pass it on to well deserving bloggers of my choice!

Rules:

1. Accept the award. Post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.
2. Pay it forward to 15 other bloggers that you have newly discovered.
3. Contact those blog owners and let them know that they've been chosen.

The blogs I have chosen............
Gladly done! In no particular order ..... Please check out these awesome blogs!!

• Twice Blessed
• and baby makes three
• Life's Greatest Blessing
• Boobies, Babies and a Blog
• Momma Zen
•  Confessions of a Wannabe SuperMom
• As the Forest{r} Grows
• Becoming Sarah
• Baby Blackbird
• 3 Under 3
• Mommie Cooks
• It Keeps Getting Better
• This Lovely Life
• Smashed Peas and Carrots
• Finally Mom

 

Please Click and Vote!!!
 

The Cherry On Top Award!

Ooooooo Lookie lookie! I love sweet awards especially left by Sweet People! What a cool honor. One I plan on paying forward. So to who??

All you have to do for the Cherry on Top award is:

1. Answer the question "If I had the chance to go back and change one thing in my life, would I, and what would it be?
2.  Pick up to 6 people and give them this award.  
3.  Thank the person who gave the award.

So the Awards go to (Drum roll please...)

• Mother Hubbard
• my accountable me
• Just By Living
• Bug N Roo's Mom
• Growing Up Mommies
• Teaka's Truths

And my Q&A is...

If I had the chance to go back and change one thing in my life, would I?  And, what would it be?

To answer this... Yes. I would change a lot of things but I have to choose one. It would most defiantly be that I would try a WHOLE lot harder at school. Mainly at High School. See my high school Shorecrest High in the school district of Shoreline WA was one of the very first if not the first to get a computer lab. I had opportunity to go and learn computers but 'chose' not to simply based on this dumb belief... Get this... I thought that computers were only a FAD. That they would fade. So there fore I didn't need to take classes. Here I had the chance to learn right away and maybe be a head of the game. Well understand a whole lot more and no... I felt there was no need. I was just too cool for school. Not. Oh well. So now most elementary kids can navigate through the computer world a whole lot easier than I but I chalk it up to I was Generation X and they are the Computer Generation right.... Or should I just keep telling my self that? ;o)

Please Click and Vote!!!