thanksgiving weekend

a big house
family
the muppets
pumpkin donuts
parades
baking smells
turkey
fire in the fireplace
no school
cream cheese and butterscotch pumpkin pie
sunshine
grandparents
christmas lights
snuggling
games
stuffing
football
sisters
mashed potatoes
movies
naps
leftovers
more games
wine
pumpkin cheesecake
hot cider
sparkling cider
christmas music
serving
sharing
blessed
grateful
undeserving
overwhelmed

thankful doesn't even begin to hold enough meaning.

friday morning

Where on earth did the week go and how is can it possibly be Friday already. Seriously.

I've been working my butt off all week getting Christmas gifts done.
I've discovered I'm much better off copying other people's work... when I'm trying to branch off and be creative on my own it takes up a lot of time. I'm slow. Good stuff, but lots of time!
At least it's (mostly) done. Just need to wrap it all up!

I had a few people ask and I had wanted to get a couple of posts together for homemade Christmas gift ideas... before Christmas!
I actually do have them mostly written up, I just have to find pictures/take pictures and get it organized. Maybe this weekend??
I also have more house pictures in the que.
And a post all about Savannah, which I'm trying to make time to finish off and maybe snap a few new pictures of her to go along with it.

My parents and sister arrive tomorrow.
Which means I should probably actually do some laundry and give a little attention to housekeeping around here rather than this blog stuff I'd like to do.

I need a few extra hours in my days and I certainly don't appreciate the speed at which this week has flown by.
Anyone else blink and feel like they missed the whole week??

monday morning

Reeeeaallly rough morning around here.
Oh I'm really struggling with a certain eight year old lately.
And oh do I sometimes envy moms with just boys. Maybe it's just my boy, but compared to my girl... once they hit about the age of three or four?? One hundred and ten times easier.

So it's 7:41 am.
And I'm taking a deep breath and starting over.
I hope my kids can do the same once they walk into their classrooms.

We had a fun weekend with the Swinigans here. I so love that we have friends that make the drive and come spend time with us here. We had a great time just hanging out, catching up, went to the zoo on Saturday and just enjoyed all of each other's company for the couple of days.

After they left midday on Sunday Ryan took off to go work on the 4Runner at his friend's garage and I took the kids out to rent a movie and stop by our local thrift store which was having a 50% off the entire store sale. We collected twelve books (most of which were Little House books for SJ) and eleven mens t-shirts (for a project I'm tackling) all for $11.09. Score!
We came home and turned on the movie(this one; pretty cute by the way), had a mishmash of find whatever you want for dinner, and everyone went to bed nice and early last night.

Apparently even our early bedtimes didn't help our morning though. :/
Welcome to the new week.
I'm trying to compile a list of what I need to get done in the next five days. My parents and sister arrive on Saturday for a week. And then the kids only have a two day school week before Thanksgiving... so looking forward to having everybody home! It seems like this month has been crazy... on the tail end of just starting to feel like the chaos of fall/school starting was just calming down. I can't believe next week is Thanksgiving. And then we'll blink and it'll be Christmas!
This whole life thing really needs to slow the heck down.

happy [birthday] trails

As seems the norm for Sawyer's birthday parties the last few years, I've concluded that the tiny bit of extra chaos in my head associated with having houseguests in town while planning, plotting and executing said birthday parties, leaves my pictorial documenting with some gaps. Never took a picture of this, never took a picture of that, etc. So you get what you get. I tried. And at least the party itself was a success, so there's that!

Sawyer actually wanted a repeat of his Camping Birthday party from last year again this year. And while that would have obviously been the easy way in party planning aspects, I nixed the repeat option. We did however come close in that the only substitute he was totally on board with was twisting the camping theme just a little bit... into a hiking theme!

A friend sent me a link to this party and I'm not embarrassed to say much of my brainstorming was lifted directly from these few inspirational pictures. Gotta love the blog world!!

We have a favorite State Park not too far from our house and with prayers going up for nice, warm weather (in November!) we decided to go ahead and gather a hiking party out there.
There's a great playground there with a huge wooden "ship" to climb in and under and all around, plus swings and a sandpit and lots of room to run and play. [no pictures of the whole playground :( ] And picnic tables perfect for hanging out with a birthday party.
As for the actual Hike part of the party, the trail around Couchville Lake is a beautiful two mile loop, but we opted to do a short 3/4 of a mile to a bridge and back with all the kids.

Here are the details of the party...














Using a "logger" font, I recreated our own simple version of an invitation, printed out on the kids' construction paper. I used that same font to make up a party banner & water bottle labels and my kids worked with me to create a "hiking journal" of sorts for the kiddos to use while on our trek.




















Savannah and Sawyer drew the pictures for our scavenger hunt list...














and I labeled pages for the kids to draw in their own pictures of things they saw and even added a little hiking themed word search (Sawyer's big on word searches right now!).














These journals and the fun little compasses we ordered were the only "party favors" we had.





Oh and hiking sticks that we had gathered on previous park trips... Sawyer painted them up to decorate for his fellow hikers.













I made a version of these S'more Cupcakes... I used her idea of a graham cracker crust, filled it up with a boxed mix chocolate cake and simply topped it with a jumbo marshmallow. I put them under the broiler to brown and puff the marshmallow... just like a real s'more! They were yummy!!

















































We filled our picnic table with various other camping hiking snacks [again- no picture!]... trail mix, pigs in a blanket, apples and oranges and my favorite "s'mores on a stick"! (large pretzel rods with a chocolate covered marshmallow on the end)




















And of course, must have water for a hike!














Sawyer opted to forego gifts at this party and instead asked his friends to bring a pair of shoes to donate to Shoes4Souls for kids who need shoes on their feet.





We thought that giving shoes tied in rather nicely with our hiking party theme. ;)














We all had a blast. I feel like I say this almost every time, but I think this was the funnest party yet. It was so stinkin' easy to put together, we had absolutely perfect weather, and a fabulous time celebrating with such a gorgeous setting. We saw deer and cranes and even a skunk (yikes!). The kids were so excited and were phenomenal on the hike, taking "field notes" and checking their compasses, and they could have run around the playground together all evening. Sawyer had so much fun... besides us, Ryan's parents, and a friend of Savannah's, we had four families join us for a total of eighteen kids ranging in age from 2 to 14! So much fun. And we were a sight to see, all trekking around the lake together. :)

More pics:































































































































































































Happy Trails!

and more sawyer

It's been a long, long while since I've done any recording, recapping, updating, etc. specifically on the kids. On who they are really right now.
Things they're saying, loving, doing.
It's high time I take some time for that.

I'll start with the little one.
Who's not so little anymore.
Having just had another birthday doesn't help that fact.






(his requested Jello cake on the special occasion)








You guys. He just turned SIX. HOW did that happen?





















Six years already with this kid. It doesn't seem possible...

















Sawyer loves school. I wondered how this whole Starting (full day) Kindergarten would go because he is SO not the "academic" type. He's about as far on the other side of the spectrum as he can get from where his older sister was at this age when it comes to an interest in reading/writing/all things schoolwork and learning related. He doesn't even like coloring or painting.
But he loves school. He loves his kindergarten teacher, he loves all of his "specials" classes (p.e., music, art, spanish, and technology each week), he loves the rules and routines of the school day and he actually loves learning all the stuff he's learning. He's writing and drawing so! much! more! -and on his own time!- and is actually excited about reading now. This is sooo nice, because at home? He's spent the last couple of years fighting me tooth and nail when it came to anything in the "school" realm at all. I don't know if it's maturity, if it's cuz 'all the other kids are doing it' or maybe it's just good for him that he's accountable to and learning from another adult besides his mom all day, but I love that he's loving it now.
He just turned in a giant feather they are donning a school hallway turkey with; it was a homework project and they were supposed to decorate each of their feathers with what they were most thankful for. He was set on making his all about being thankful for his teachers and their "great school". :)




















Sawyer is still all about sports though. His biggest love is baseball (oddly, since that's the sport the rest of us in the house care about the least). Ever since he played baseball last spring (and I guess realized he was so good at it as well) he can't get enough. He's constantly asking someone to go out and pitch to him in the backyard and upon returning inside always recounts for me how he "smoked it" over the fence or "smashed it' or whatever his latest terminology is. We didn't have him play Fall Baseball however, as he's still interested in soccer so he just finished up his soccer season with an Upward team again. And he has said he definitely also wants to play basketball, which he's never "officially" tried before, so he'll do that this winter. And then we'll be back to spring baseball, I'm sure. I'm guessing Sawyer'll be one of those kids who plays a different sport each season... not sure if he'll ever narrow it down to just one he loves. We may have friends handing us down a set of Sawyer-sized golf clubs too (left-handed, which has been hard to come by!) so he's super excited about that. You name it, he'll play it. And well, I might add. ;)














He's a player when it comes to games in general as well. Pool (beware the pint-sized pool shark when you come to our house), card games, dice, board games, it doesn't matter, he's more than up for it. I scored a bunch of classic games at a thrift store awhile back and it renewed his habit... we've been playing Battleship, Pictionary, Rack-O, Triominos, and Life like crazy. Oh and Fargo/Farkle/Ziltch/Whatever you call that dice game in your neck of the woods. Loves that one. He got the game Mousetrap for his birthday and I think we've played it every single day since.














And yes, video games. Of course. They're restricted to weekends only now, and only about an hour then, but he takes full advantage. MarioKart on the Wii is his favorite (or maybe now the new Mario SuperSluggers he just got for his birthday), but he honestly can't get enough of the classics... he and Savannah spend most of their time lately playing old school (we're talking original Nintendo) SuperMarioBrothers, Ms. PacMan, Donkey Kong and Chip 'n Dale's Rescue Rangers. :)




















Maybe Sawyer's just an old soul.
He's still drawn to older kids and things that typically seem older than he should be. In our church small group there are a handful of kids that are kindergarten to third grade aged -including Savannah- who color and play games (tag, hide&seek) inside and out while us grown ups hang out. And on the flipside, there are two handfuls of kids (all boys) that are sixth-ish grade and up... they spend their time during small group zooming around on Ripstiks and playing dodgeball and basketball. Guess which group you'll find Sawyer in? And the crazy thing is, he fits in. They actually play with him, include him and lookout for him and he pretty much holds his own with them. He is thisclose to having the Ripstik conquered.
I swear, someone needs to tell Sawyer he's only half the age he thinks he is.















Let's see... what else about Sawyer lately?
Oh, he's big on his faux-hawk these days.




















I personally hope it's a short lived phase (although it's already lasted throughout most of the summer and fall) because I love his simple "mussed" up quick, usual hair do, but he's all about the faux-hawk for now. He won't let me or Ryan touch his hair, and while he doesn't usually do this for school (he's still half asleep by the time our early bus comes this year), anytime he does actually "do" his hair, for church or other outings, a faux-hawk it is.





































He's definitely a one of a kind kid. So stereotypical boy in all he does and yet so specifically Sawyer...
At his six-year-old check up he was 46.5 inches tall and weighed 46.5 pounds. A perfectly well-rounded kid. ;)
He loves to laugh and is all about getting you to crack up as well.
He's still a snuggler and his affections often bubble over into random hugs at any time.
He signs I love you to me from across the room when I'm helping out in his classroom.
The first thing out of his mouth, same every day, when his dad gets home from work is a big cheery "Hi Dad! Welcome home!"
He loves to bug his sister but she's his best friend.
I think the majority of his elementary school already knows who he is just because he's about the friendliest kid around. I hear a big chorus of 'Bye Sawyer's through the open bus windows when he gets off in the afternoon.
He's not a big complainer and is still one of the most laid back kids I know.














Although he's got a surprisingly strong stubborn steak. That rears it head most often it comes to meals... regularly taking an hour to take the required one bite of everything on his plate with lots of attempted (and rejected) negotiations on his part... only to finally taste whatever it is and eventually declare it just might be his new favorite food.




















He's got a one track mind... when he has something he wants to do or something that he's trying to change your mind about, he will. not. drop. it.
For instance, wanting a puppy.
For the last two years.

I just can't believe he's six already.




















I look at him these days and can scarcely see the little boy he used to be anymore... he's turned into this lean, lanky kid who is trading baseball and Pokemon cards with his friends on the bus and talking about crushing his grandpa in a game of pool and learning to play Chess and wanting to pack his own lunches.














And although I miss my baby, he's a perfect six-year-old.
Only problem is, I'm just not totally okay with that six-year-old part of it yet. :/

sawyer at six

It seems I skipped a year, but here's our (trying to be)yearly birthday boy interview.
I can't seem to find his two year old video, but three year old answers here, four year old here.
Oh, and I bet you can't figure out what his latest obsession is...

Here's what our boy has to say at SIX:

When I get home, the first thing I like to do is... trade Pokemon cards.

Some words that describe me would be... he likes to trade Pokemon cards. Or he's funny.

The best thing about being a kid is... getting more Pokemon cards.

The best thing about being Six Years Old is... being old.

The very best dinner would be... macaroni and cheese. and sausage and crackers.

Some of my favorite songs are... This Is The Day That The Lord Has Made and Jesus Loves Me.

When I grow up I want to be... a police officer
Why? because if someone breaks the law I need to arrest them

One thing I like about having a sister is... taking care of her

One thing I don't like about having a sister is... that she hits me sometimes

My dad is... great.
What does he look like? good.

My mom is... funny and great.
What does she look like? huggish.

When I am a dad I will... take care of my kids.

*********
And SJ wanted me to do her too. Since I only half the time get around to these anywhere near their birthdays and I don't think I even got a seven-year-old one done for her...
Here's Savannah at 8.5:

When I get home, the first thing I like to do is... watch tv

Some words that describe me would be... funny, artist, loves to swim, loves school

The best thing about being a kid is... being active

The best thing about being Eight Years Old is... being in third grade

The very best dinner would be... macaroni and cheese with birthday cake on the side

Some of my favorite songs are... Silent Night, 12 Days of Christmas and anything from Fundamental Elements

When I grow up I want to be... a hairdresser/artist
Why? because my friend Jea and I are planning it; I'm a good artist so we'll do hair together and I'll hang my art in the salon

One thing I like about having a brother is... having someone who likes to swim with me

One thing I don't like about having a brother is... he gets annoying

My dad is... a fan of the Ducks
What does he look like? brownish-blackish hair, brown eyes and always wears Ducks shirts

My mom is... great and nice
What does she look like? brown hair, blue eyes, and wears earrings

When I am a mom I will... be kind

second verse, same as the first

Happy Halloween!












I feel like I'm repeating the same thing year after year around here... quick slap up the kids' Halloween stuff while we're busy with family here visiting and a birthday to cover tomorrow followed by the actual birthday party later this week. Exactly the same, every year. :)

So as per the norm, here are a few quick pics of the kids' Halloween adventures.
Sidenote: Halloween is when I find myself missing our old neighborhood the most. Halloween is not a holiday that ranks very high on my list, but our previous neighborhood converted me. The good old fashioned fun spirit of being creative and dressing up and making the night all about fun for the kids and the whole community enjoying each other out on a (usually) beautiful fall evening with not only candy but surprise treats and firebowls and fun kiddie haunted houses and donuts and hot cider and cold beers and friends passing by and neighbors mingling in the streets and kids just having so much fun... it was the best.
It's just [so far] not the same here. :/

Anyway. We of course won't let that stop us from having fun. And we did see a few people (kids from school) that we knew out and about. And Savannah went to a schoolmate's Halloween party and had a blast. Didn't hurt that she brought home a trophy for Best Costume!
Her plan for Halloween was to be a paper doll and she was super excited about that one. However, she was concerned about her (posterboard) costume getting ruined at a party full of third and fourth graders with games and food. So she last minute thought up (herself) an alternate costume; a granny. I slipped out and grabbed her a dollar pair of glasses and a pair of knee high panty hose from the Dollar Tree and we tossed a little baby powder in her hair and she was ready to go!




























































Then for actual Halloween, she was the Paper Doll she had set her heart on....




















And everyone loved her costume.
Even Ryan...





















And of course, we can't leave out Savannah's faithful sidekick; Frankenstein...






Handsomest
Frankenstein
I've ever seen. ;)













And that concludes our yearly speed version of a Halloween Holiday recap in the midst of houseguests and birthday prep. Oh, and NaBloPoMo too! haha!!












Hope your Halloween was Happy!