Happy Thanksgiving!!!

So I went to be last night at 9:30 with hopes to get a decent nights sleep...apparently my children did not get that memo. Mini C got up at 1:30. Got him back to sleep. Then Monkey got up at 5:30. No luck getting him back to sleep. So I am pretty tired still. Will that stop me from making the food, laughing, smiling, having a good time?? Nope - not a chance. This is my holiday - actually I am pretty sure it's my favorite holiday. Yes, it is probably because I am in charge of almost* everything & all the credit (or all the blame) goes to me.

I have been doing Thanksgiving at our home for what will be 6 years today. It has always been Husband & I & which ever boy(s) were born (This year is Mini C's first!!!), BF, Brother & Prits - with the addition of SIL last year. Every year we have been blessed to be able to invite those that have no place (they want) to spend this wonderful holiday. This year I am most excited about our guests** - Uncle & Auntie Viking, CK & Funny Boy. Got a call yesterday as I was preping - as much as I could - from DD. The one year I forgot to verbally check to see if he was going to make it - he calls and says he is going to be in town at noon and wants to know what time we are eating. We now have a head count of 13 at the table (Mini C makes 14 but he is in the high chair) am I worried I will have enough food? Yeah right!!! Please - I could feed at least 5 more!

So as I am up so flippin early - I will go take a shower - get dressed - put on my make up - have a bite to eat and get crackin on the day. Because if I don't do it, who will? So I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving - be grateful fo rthose around you, the food you get to eat & that we we assurance in knowing that our Lord & Savior died so that we may live! Blessings to you!



*BF is bringing the mashed potatoes & yams (along with wine!) Auntie Viking is bringing Chocolate pie & glorified rice.
**I am so glad that they could join us this year!! They are by far my favorite of the people that have joined us for this holiday. Although I don't know if I would label them guests - I would hope that they were beyond that title!! Love you guys!

How big??

So yesterday I got Silly Pants' preschool pictures back. I don't know quite how to describe how I felt. I don't think he looks like he is in preschool - heck I don't even think he looks like my little boy. He looks like a little man - as though he has grown over night and is no longer the little boy that needs mommy to help him with everything.

I look at this picture and realize that this is his last year of preschool - he will be going to the BIG school next year. For the record that scares the heck out of me - I am trying to figure out which school we will put him in...this is a decision that has been weighing heavily on me. I want him to have the best start he can - we had wanted to do private schooling but as we already have 3 boys and most likely will have one more it is not feasible - so I am looking into the schools around here. Thankfully from everything I am reading Burnsville schools are very good and have a high record of achievement...but some how that does not easy my mind. But that is a decision Husband and I will have to make before March.

Regardless of what we decide - he will in fact only get bigger & more independent. As much as that terrifies me - I know that if we do our job the best we can and he becomes a self sufficient little guy that's a good thing....but why is it happening so fast....

Winter...

I truly am looking forward to winter. I love the snow, the cold, (not so much the wind chill - just that wonderful cold), taking the boys ice skating (although I am told we are building our own rink), going sledding, building snow forts, having snow ball fights, quality family time by the moon light and this year Silly Pants will be trying skiing.

The last two years we have had the most fun after dinner when its dark, the moon is up, the sky is clear and the moonlight is hitting the snow beautifully - almost as if it is daytime, we can see everything and the glow off the snow is so breath taking! We go out all bundled up and dig, shovel, push, form, mound, throw, toss, sculpt, create, bury, roll & have a wonderful time!

We will build snow men - most likely the whole family this year! I will have to remind the boys to keep their hats, mittens, scarves & coats on. Husband will have to save one - if not both - from a face first in the snow, some how it won't bother them - they will just brush off the snow and eat it. There will be snow angels to make and pictures to take. We (husband & I) will stay out until our bottoms start feeling numb and then have to convince the boys that it is time to go in and that we will be back out another night. The thing that will get them moving the fastest is hot chocolate - with a LOT of marshmallows. We will go in - trudging snow with us - peeling off the snow boots, mittens, hats, scarves, jackets, & snow pants - have to catch a sneaky sock that managed to stay in a boot - and grab our hot chocolate. (Mommy always remembers to put on the kettle with hot water before we go out - then it is ready when we return) The boys will take a handful of marshmallows - only a few will make it to the cup. They will huddle around it as if it were their own personal fire to warm by. Depending on how long they convince us to stay out we may throw a board game on the table (my guess this years game of choice will be Sequence for Kids) That will be our night - and with all hopes we will have many nights like that this year....

This to me is the best season - it allows for memories that can never be had in any other season. Yes, to some the weather is too cold, the snow is a nuisance & the days are too short. For me the cold allows for bundling & cuddling, the snow gives way to an endless imagination, with so many creative thoughts & although the days are short, the moon and it's light is given a beautiful canvas in which to paint amazing pictures.

To me this is probably the number one reason I love Minnesota. This year I plan on taking an obscene amount of pictures - if only to capture that one that will define the season for us this year...

Monkey's birthday...

So yes, I am a bit late on this...but life is crazy with 3 boys and a husband!! ( I guess that would be 4 boys then right???)

Monkey is 3...really? How can that be?? I remember when he was born - I remember how little he was (well little compared to now) - I remember how much Silly Pants adored him.

We had his birthday dinner on his birthday - like always. We had my crispy chicken and mashed potatoes...yummy!!

Then we had a small birthday party on the Saturday following his birthday. Now unfortunately I did not get the pictures I would have loved to - I was busy running around and well just simply didn't remember. But here are a few - the ones I really like...




BF & Monkey getting ready to cut the cake!

Monkey stuffing his face with frosting!! ---->

Monkey strategically placing frosting prints on the door

CK eating cake! Ummm....good!!

Foxy & Princess eating cake - hey look at that smile on Foxy's face...what's she looking at?!---->

So here we see Brother, SIL & Auntie Viking. This is one of the rare times we will get a picture of Brother smiling!! Take a good look!!

So unfortunately I didn't get as many as I would have liked but I got a few. Either way Monkey turned 3 - will be going to preschool next year and he has gone a full week with no accidents!! What does this all mean??? well he is getting big and growing up (some would comment and say it means I think I need another baby...to easy your mind...no not yet!)

Escape Artist!

So as you all know I have three boys. Silly Pants & Monkey give me a run for my money on a good day. They are what Foxy calls "Active Alert" I find that to be gentle but heck I will take it! With Mini C he is rather relaxed, mellow and goes with the flow. Always smiling and laughing and loving the people he knows. So I was thinking " Oh a boy who is going to be laid back and just kick back where I put him." Maybe not!

Yesterday I needed to get a few things done the all three boys just kept getting in the way so I figured I would put them in their room and put the gate up to "lock" them in. Well there is a base board going up the stairs so I had to place the gate a bit higher up so it would hit the wall... There was a gap on the bottom, nothing big enought to actually get under but more than I would have liked.

So I am getting things done and look up into their room. I see Mini C's hand - but it's in a funny position - one that I can't figure out - I mean with him in the room I should nto be able to see his hand that way....

Here you go - take a look - see what the little stinker did -

And here he is after - so proud of what he did - he got his mommy back!! All I could do is laugh and smile and realize that now that I have three moving boys!

As you can see the little guy was pretty smart...so much so that he did it twice!! What a smart boy...must get it from his mommy!

All I can think and say is that I am going to have to start keeping a better eye on him.

Bath time~~~

So we have been without a bath since around February - now that does not mean that our boys are that horribly dirty (well they could be but it wouldn't be from lack of water) They have been showering daily with either Husband or Myself....let me just say - not so great!! But we did what we had to in order to have clean, happy boys.

Last week I finally finished hooking up the plumbing part of the tub (I had been putting it off because I was scared that I would mess up the copper part of it) Being that the tub and faucet works I obviously didn't - GO ME!!!

The minute I got the water flowing last week the boys were pulling their clothes off asking to jump it. Needless to say I have the cleanest kids ever!!

Tonight after dinner it was bath time - wash hair, play, splash, be kids!! Happy Mama & Drummer Boy had gotten Monkey a pretend shaving kit for his birthday (which I will blog about tomorrow...one at a time people I only have so much time on my hands!!) So here is a blurb of how it went!

Here Silly Pants is using a bath crayon to make music - got to love it!

Monkey shaving and apparently shaving Silly Pants' back!

As you can see the boys fully enjoyed the bath and the shaving kit Monkey got for his birthday !

Got Tat??

Well I do! My birthday present - one that I will NEVER be able to forget! I went tonight with BF and we both got one. What do you think? I love it - I am so happy about it.

So you want to know how it went? It was funny...although I don't know if the true humor will come through via typing...but what the heck!
So BF and I met at Arch Angel at 6pm. This is also where Brother got his tattoo on the back of his neck a few years back.*** So we go in to look again and verify that we know what we want - I mean it is forever!! BF is looking at this one - let me describe....it literally looks like a stick cross - nothing but two little lines...why did she like this one??? Because it would be fast and she figured it wouldn't hurt much....can we say Wimp??? I didn't hear it !

So I finally convince her to pick another one - one with a little personality but nothing crazy - Viper says he can do it but will alter it to be a bit more perfect - Wonderful!

She gets in the chair and looked so hilarious! I could see how nervous and afraid she was - especially after he got the needle ready...he started, she jumped, he told her not to do it again or her tattoo would be rather funny looking...she got used to it and made it through. A wonderful tattoo may I say....I will ....well if you looked at the link...we have the same one....some will make fun of it, but ultimately I love that cross and I got it to symbolize my faith in Christ and if she has the same one then so be it ! We both wanted to have a visible symbol and just so happens that we liked the same one - yes I will admit she got it first but who cares!

My turn - I get in the chair and no I didn't jump, I sat there - be it that is was a very different feeling and well if I found a tattoo I liked I would go through it again but if I may describe the feeling....it was what I would imagine acupuncture would feel like... I will admit part way through he did have to tell me to stop looking at BF because when I would move my upper body my leg would move slightly...so there I was facing Viper...

I got into my truck at 7pm after completing my tattoo and until tomorrow at 7pm I am fasting, I am fasting for Christ and as a symbol of my faith. So only water for the next 24 hours. I don't think that it will be much of a problem as I am fully aware of the extra insulation I carry on a daily basis.

Oh just to add - Both Silly Pants and Monkey were up when I got home and well they were both quite intrigued with the tattoo - Monkey kept asking my where my stamp was!

***Editorial correction - It was SIL who has corrected me on where we found out about Arch Angel she has stated that e following - "my mom, my aunt, my cousin, my other cousin, me, you, your mother" I would like to thank SIL for that correction!