cheers*

we are projects and more projects here. we are legos, and story books, and mommy time outs. we are figuring out our shiny new computer - that actually has MORE memory than a basic cell phone, and listening to the wind howl, and cup after cup of hot coffee. we are excited for snow and for cozy fires and mittens and hangin' with friends....

mostly we are enjoying a break from the hustle...

whatcha up to? wanna come hang??

xo, A

princess T

i know i keep telling you the child is a princess  - but honestly...

we went out for dinner with the folks tonight to a slammin' indian restaurant.  she burned her finger on the plate...and 1. was so tough that she didn't make a scene.  and 2. so freakin princess-ishly cute, that Pa offered up his ice water for her to stick her hand in while she ate.  it is ri-dic-u-lous i tell yah.  he was still drinking it.

amazing.

peace y'all.  any big plans for the week?  we are hopefully spending alot of time at the gym....and playing with pals...mine, and theirs.

xo, A

love*

a special thanks to all who have been lovin' on these beans....

we love you all so much....

christmas and hanukah were wonderful here...the kids had a wonderful week....there were new traditions coupled with some tried and true...there was lots of fabulous advice followed...it was nice.  different, but nice.  if it makes any sense at all, even with these three kidlets in tow, it still seemed quiet.

i wouldn't change a thing - for now.  here was perfect.  

but. there is more than just our little world, and i think....

i think in years to come, my hope is that there can be resolution where there needs to be, compromise where there should be, and lovins in all the right ways...as family IS important to me, to us...to all of us...ALL of our family.

hope your holidays were wonderful...

xo, 

the crew.

merry x-mas y'all....

hope your day is full of perfect in everyway.

xo, A

snowishly fabulous*

my list today...

*snow

*the beans all warm in their snowsuited adorableness

*brunching this morning as a fam.

*mexican hanukah parties at the homefront 

*sledding...seriously - when was the last time you did it?  it is amazing

*snow day fridays

*cozy fires and hot beverages - lots o' hot beverages

*a computer that works

*just hangin' and being okay with that - no, better than okay.

*freshly baked chocolate chip cookies

*pj's all day days...

*the possibility of another snow day....

*laughing out loud and feeling like a kid again....

*glasses of red wine with dinner and debriefing about a wonderful weekend...

these are the things that i am thankful for today...and every day...but especially today.

xo. A

*holiday wishes

i know i know. i am still here. it really is ridiculous. like i JUST. CANNOT. POST. why??? well, no reason really - just lots of stuff goin' round in my head, and am not so effective at formulating the ideas into sentences right know. lame, i know. but things are good, really good. and that is really all you need to know. there has been lots of fabulous, mixed in with a small amount of nonsense, that we are just not going to let get in the way of life...

the children are over the moon about the upcoming holidays, we do a nightly calender check, and frankly, i really am not sure what M is more excited about x-mas, hannukah, or not having to go to school for "lots of days all together." i am totally enamored with watching their little minds work....how they put things together...make sense of this crazy world. last night before bed, i made the statement to hubs, "geez, this house looks like it BLEW up. " and T whispered to M, (T whisper is LOUD.) "houses do not BLOW up, why does mommy always say that? "

for the first time ever, it looks like after a great deal of soul searching on hubs part, that we will be staying home for the holidays. so wondering what some of your most beloved traditions are on christmas morn....as i grew up celebrating hannukah, and while we have some ideas to build on, just wondering what you all do....

we have made our gingerbread cookies, trips to santa's house - i totally have his addy, if you need it...it is really amazing, the cards have been sent, and the little perfect potted tree is decorated...now we are just waiting for the snow. i bought loads of candy canes to decorate the gingerbread house with, and we decided to do cookies instead...so, now we are all filled up on peppermint loveliness....(t who had never had one before, helped herself, and after about 5 minutes licking at it, she came into the kitchen to find me and said, "i get it - after we lick all the stripes off we throw them out right ma!?!?" )

anyhow, as you can see, i'm scattered. but this too shall pass. happiest wishes your way....and do tell....

*leapfrog

hey y'all...

happy saturday. and i mean it for real....

the antibiotics kicked in and i am finally on the mend...which rocks. i am still tired, but feel TONS better. Thanks all for the sweet calls and messages...*nins, that about made my chaotic morning...

more or less all is well here....we are getting back to norms, and that is just exactly what needs to happen.

i have lots to do....from holiday making, to shopping, to STARTING my cards....yikes. but we will get there, just taking it slow, one step at a time...

as for the kidlets, they are great. flu shots were okay....(read; T jumped up and down and begged to go first, followed by more jumping and cheering over the nurses band-aid choice...benji took it like a man and sneered a bit at the nurse, and M hid behind the chair - kicked, screamed and had to be held down by the nurse, bry and i. really something. really.)

then this a.m., ready for your riddle of the day...M informed me after his shower...(which we normally do at night because it is COLD here, but i was EXHAUSTED last night after my first day back at work) that he needs to now shower in the morning before school. when i pushed for an explanation, he said one of the big kids on his bus told him that because he didn't, he smelled like a skunk. GREAT. aren't kids AWESOME!!! yes, i am shouting....so, while i wanted to tell my very clean child to use some choice words...i didn't, but man, it is ALWAYS something. so mama's how do you direct your kids when these things happen....because it was insignificant teasing, no harm done, he was only a little upset, but it's how they respond to the teasing, that can set the tone for the rest of elementary school....and until T is there to defend him, well....you get it....

just curious...how have you, and how do you, deal with these things?? i teach in an elementary school. so i know how i deal with it, but would love your imput...


so, at anyrate, we are gonna hang low this weekend....pick up, maybe run a few errands, maybe not....

what's your plan?

xo, A

in and out of sorts....

hey folks.

happy december-ish....i guess. gonna rant, and that is not to say that i am not ETERNALLY grateful for all that i have, and my shiny, happy, wonderful over here BUT not today....here goes.

i am sorry for lack of updates and turkey day wishes...but there has been sickies over here, and wow....when the mama ain't healthy, well....life at the home front here takes on a life of it's own.

i have been on a downhill slope for 2 weeks even thansgiving was tough, and finally saw my physician yesterday, long story that involves a ruptured eardrum, misdiagnosis, and a very sweet yet utterly incompetent doc at the walk in clinic, who was FULL of ill advise. anyhow, turns out i have walking pneumonia....and well, it sucks.

SO, i am on a whole slew of new antibiotics, which hopefully will redirect me onto the healing path....

at any rate....i will say, the only thing worse than a ruptured eardrum, is a ruptured eardrum with three children screaming about ANYTHING at all.

and the hubs has been amazing as usual, picking up the slack as needed, putting children to bed, and doing all that is needed. but i decided last night when the "chicken parm," came out with breadcrumbs on top of the sauce and cheddar and dill cheese on top of that, that is was time to get back to biz here, and get healthy, so i can take over my side of things again...frankly because it is taco night, and jeez, who knows what will happen here.

anywho....hope your all having a FAR more splendid december than i....

be back hopefully with lots of joy and holiday nonsense to share in just a FEW short days when these antibiotics start kicking my ass.

okay, must go convince children to put on shoes and get all ready to go get their flu shots, and explain to M that he cannot "break the walls and steal the shotter." poor benji has no idea, and just puts on his shoes and smiles cause he likes to leave the house. (we'll show him.) and well, T, she says with a flip shrug of the shoulder, "i'm brave....let's go now."
should be a freakin' blast.