When I originally started blogging, I did it so that I could feel that I was doing a better job of keeping some sort of journal. I intended to do it at least every week. Well, I do a better job of blog stalking other people's blogs than I do posting on my own. So there goes that idea! I blog as good as I keep a journal. I guess I get distracted rather easily, wanting to keep up on what's going on with those I love. So, I don't really feel it's a waste of time. I am going to try to better at posting something, so I can look back at my blogs and not have the same feelings when I look back at missing pages of my journal. (The first few days of the year there's something; it's the rest of the year the pages are blank!) I also feel that I have to post some photo, which obviously is not the law, just in my mind! So if what I write is boring, maybe that's how my week was. But I will blog on!
This past couple of weeks was normal day to day stuff. We did attend Paul's cousin's wedding and that was fun for him to see some of the family from his side. I am so glad I married my best friend. We cherish the little time we get to spend together. I love him as much if not more that the day I married him!
The big event was that Brynlee, who has been perfectly capable of being potty trained, decided that she wanted to be! All of the time! I just let her decide on her own that diapers are gross, (not to mention, expensive) and that she is a big girl. Yippee! She wants to do what the older kids are doing. She is such a ham and will do anything to make you laugh! She knows what she wants when she wants it and will tell you. She has the most infectious laugh and I just love her so much!
Kylee is still going to dance class, and should be in an acting class for as dramatic as she is! What will I do when she is a teenager? I love her to death though. She is such a great help and is very responsible when it comes right down to it. She is so smart and a lot of fun!. She is preparing a talent for activity days. She loves to be with her friends but also with her siblings who she takes such good care of.
Craig is the sweetest, kindest, most mellow child ever! He is so good to his sisters! Brynlee loves him and Ainslee and he are the best of friends. For Kylee's talent show, I asked if she was going to dance, and Craig sincerely said, "She should sing, she has a great voice". (Which was a very kind thing to say.) He also cracks us up with some of the things he says. We were eating ribs for dinner one night this week and he asked if ribs were made from humans or animals! He is so funny. He brings the trash cans up without being asked and is just so willing to do what is asked, especially if it earns him time on his DS. He'd play 24/7 if allowed. He keeps the balance in our family with 3 girls! I just love his guts out!
Ainslee has been not feeling so well. She has had a fever and this nagging cough for a couple of days. I have a doctor's apppointment scheduled for Wednesday for a routine well check and I will have the doctor check her tonsils. They are really big, and she really struggles sometimes, even when she is feeling well to breathe at night. I don't know if this is a contributing factor, but we'll see. I hate seeing her feel so yucky! I absolutely love and adore her. She is so bright and full of life! So when she's down it makes me so sad! She keeps everyone in order. She always knows whose turn it is for prayer and gives the best prayers. Sometimes I need them the most with her!
I know this post is going on and on, but I want to remember these little tidbits in my kids' lives because they grow up so fast. I love my husband and kids so much! I just don't want to forget!
Needless to say, it wasn't what I had planned. Maybe better luck next year. They are still so cute together!
Happy Birthday to my closest cousin, Wendy! I just wanted to wish her the best day ever because she is one of the most incredible people you could ever know! I am so grateful to have her in my life! I have always looked up to her since I can remember. I have always wanted to be like her growing up. She is like the older sister I never had. She is such a great example to me as a wife and mother, and for SO many other reasons. Not to be all mushy, but she is one of the most beautiful, sweetest, kindest, most caring, and fun people I know. She is truly special to me, and always make you feel special. She is full of life and deserves the happiest birthday ever! Happy birthday, cuz! Love ya bunches!
I love Christmas morning when it doesn't come too early. This year was, thankfully, one of those mornings. I had a hard time sleeping, so about 4 am, after Santa delivered presents, I got up and made 7 layer dip, and few other things in preparation for our Christmas feast. I think I was just too excited for the kids to get up and open their presents that I was wide awake. So I decided to read to try to settle down. So about 5:30 I went back to bed. The kids were so great not to wake up until about 8am. Years past they have been up much earlier. In our house, Santa usually brings 3 gifts, since that was what the wisemen brought Jesus, 3 gifts. Well, Santa left 1 gift for each of the kids, except Brynlee. After they finished opening all of their gifts from mom and dad, and others I asked Craig if he liked his gift (he got an airhog zero gravity remote control car, which by the way is super cool) that Santa brought him. He said very sweetly yes, but he really wanted a DS. Kylee replied that we should be thankful for what we received and that Christmas is not about getting gifts. She got a piano keyboard, and Ainslee the Sharpay barbie that she REALLY wanted. Brynlee got a bike, a baby, and a horse. The ONLY thing Craig asked for and REALLY, REALLY wanted was a DS. Well, Santa knew this, so he thought he would make it a little more fun. We were cleaning up the wrapping paper, and I asked who threw the piece of paper that I saw in the tree. Ainslee reached for it and realized it was a note from Santa. Santa thanked them for the yummy cookies and milk, the carrots for the reindeer, and told the older three that since they had been good this year, he and the elves hid a little extra something for them. He left them a little clue and Kylee, Craig, and Ainslee found their other two Santa gifts. Surprise! A DS for each of them and 2 games. Go figure! Santa's the man! They were SOOO excited! 
Once those were discovered, my house was quiet as a mouse! I think Santa knew that those needed to be opened last, or they would have never opened their other gifts, or at least Craig might not have. He didn't even touch his stash until about 8pm. It was a struggle just to get him to look up from his DS. 
Santa also brought a guitar hero for all and Brynlee rocked it!
Lisa, Bill, and James came up to spend some time with us and we just played (some of us played nonstop)and ate ALL day. A very merry day. The annual stash photos:
So, I was at the point where I was close to being ready for Christmas. We finished the Nutcracker on Wednesday and that was enough craziness in itself. So I figured that I would finish what I needed to finish on Thursday while the kids were in school. My last chance to get things finished WITHOUT children. Friday would be out, not only because it is a short day, but the last day before Christmas break (the parties, programs, etc.) So back to Thursday, actually Wednesday night. It had been snowing through the evening. The last performance ends and backstage all the girls are squealing because they are all getting texted that school is cancelled for Thursday because of the snow. (No, not because we have just a few inches, but our buses aren't equipped to drive in the snow) We leave the venue and snow everywhere! It's 10:00 at night and we see people out building snowmen and having snowball fights. We get home and there was a message from Craig's teacher confirming what we had heard. Crazy! No school, because of snow! The kids were so excited! So, when it snows, what do you do? You make snow angels,
have a snowball fight,
and build a snowhorse! 
At least my children did. Yes, they have been in snow before. Kylee tried to show Craig how to get the snow into ball form for a snowman, but he was content with his mound of snow that eventually was mountable! I have to admit, waking up to snow was fun! I am just glad it's not everyday. The kids, they loved it! But maybe next time we'll be more prepared! 
We live in hoodies and might have a pair of mittens! Snow boots? What are those? We didn't stay out too long. In fact, after about 30 minutes in the snow Craig was nowhere to be found. Well, we did find him, taking a nice hot bath! Silly boy! 
This year I wanted the kids to be the characters from Monsters, Inc. Mainly, because I thought Brynlee would make the perfect Boo. Well, after looking everywhere online and watching items on ebay, I determined that I wouldn't be able to get a Sully costume or a Boo costume for under $100. And that is for a pre-owned one! Well, then I considered making Boo's costume, but Sully, I just didn't think it would be as cute. So after all this hunting for my 4 little monster's costumes, we had to go to plan B. At this point, I thought my dream of a theme was dead. Well, after much negotiation and a little bit of a bribe with Craig, all my kids agreed to be pirates. Halloween came and went, and I didn't have to sew! My little pirates hunted for candy and all is well!
