Category Archives: Andrew

Disney Fun

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Well, that was quite a long break for me but one that was quite necessary.

You see, we had the holidays, then we went to DISNEY, and then my middle child got the flu.

Yep, even though he received the flu shot in October, he got the flu.

Apparently the flu shot covers three out of four types of the flu.

Well, he got the 4th one sometime while we were at Disney.

Mickey Mouse, roller coasters, and the flu.

Thankfully, he only missed the last day of fun and he felt so bad he didn’t care that he missed going on rides.

Here are just a few shots from our trip:

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Only rained one day

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Animation Class

Fun Fact: I won the teacher’s artwork by answering the following trivia question:

Name one of Mickey Mouse’s nephews... answer at the end

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Yes, we spent $45 on face painting on this trip but it was completely worth it

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Me: Let’s all three of us ride together

Alex & Caroline: No

Me: Please can we all ride together

Alex & Caroline: No

Result: Loser Mom is riding the Dumbo ride all by herself and trying not to look anyone in the eye

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Little girl souvenir haul: one princess nightgown, one cheetah, one princess bank

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Oh, and one princess hat

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And in case you were wondering, Mickey Mouse has two nephews, Morty and Fergie.

Years of reading Disney storybooks finally paid off.

Hope your holidays were wonderful!

Holidaying It Up

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Hope you holidays have been wonderful.

Our break even included lots of snow!

A white Christmas in Texas!

I’m going to take another week off to enjoy with the kids before they head back to school.

Hope you are getting to spend some time enjoying the holidays!

Easy Advent Calendar with a Paper Bag

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***I am reposting this from 2 years ago – the only change I will be making for this years advent calendar will be at the end of this post***and sadly, I have to report that there was no big Powerball win for us last night – here’s to hoping no one won!

Last year the kids and I made a paper bag Christmas tree which they partially decorated using markers. Here’s the way our advent tree works.

On December 1 they receive a paper ornament which states something we will be doing, watching, or making that deals with Christmas.

One of the boys gets to glue it onto our tree. The next day the other one gets to glue it on.

On certain days they receive their ornament before school while other days they receive their ornament after school (it depends if I have my act together or not). Here’s a picture of the finished project.

advent treeHere’s a close up of some of the ornaments. Some days they would receive one ornament while on other days they would receive a bonus one.

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There is a small part of me that cringes when these are glued onto the tree every which way. I do have to tell myself that having symmetry in this craft is not the purpose. But oh how I sometimes try to make suggestions of where the ornament could be placed.

This year I’ve made a tentative list of activities for our family. Some will change based on schedules and weather but it’s a start:

  • Wed Dec 1 – Watch The Grinch
  • Thurs Dec 2 – Make Christmas cards for grandparents
  • Fri Dec 3 – Choose Angels from Angel tree
  • Sat Dec 4- Andrew’s Christmas program
  • Sun Dec 5-Shop for Angels
  • Mon Dec 6 – Have hot chocolate & marshmallows
  • Tues Dec 7 – Watch Frosty’s Winter Wonderland
  • Wed Dec 8 – Turn in Angel gifts & get cookie at mall
  • Thurs Dec 9 – Watch Santa Claus is Coming to Town
  • Fri Dec 10- get tree?
  • Sat Dec 11-Photo with Santa at school
  • Sun Dec 12-make snow globes
  • Mon Dec 13-Assign & Hang Stockings
  • Tues Dec 14-drive around and look at lights
  • Wed Dec 15-?
  • Thurs Dec 16- Andrew’s school Christmas party
  • Fri Dec 17-Alex’s school Christmas party
  • Sat Dec 18-Frisco downtown – Santa parachutes in?
  • Sun Dec 19-wrap some presents
  • Mon Dec 20-Go see Northpark train display?
  • Tues Dec 21-Make Christmas cookies
  • Wed Dec 22-Aunt Amanda, Uncle Ryan, and Gramma & Grampa arrive
  • Thurs Dec 23-Aunt Kelly & Uncle Ben arrive
  • Fri Dec 24-go to ICE! display in Grapevine
  • Sat Dec 25 – Christmas

***Changes this year – Now 3 children will be placing ornaments on the tree *** Our activities each day has changed *** I am using large brown craft paper that I also use to wrap gifts in***

Do you have any unique ways your family celebrates the holidays?

I’ve Got the Power

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By the time you read this I just might be a millionaire.

I mean a gazillionaire!

Yep. You guessed it.

I fell into the Powerball craze.

 

 

 

 

The jackpot is currently at $500 million and it’s going to be MINE, ALL MINE!

Well, except for the part where I give a lot to charity but really most of it’s MINE!

Oh, and maybe my husbands’ too.

When we discussed going to buy a lottery ticket he said, “Sure. Go buy one.”

Which of course meant, “Buy five. It will increase our odds greatly and we will become kazillionaires. There’s a 10 in my wallet.”

I obliged and bought the tickets.

Of course, I brought along my two oldest children because this was an important life experience.

Yep, taking them down the dark and dirty road of gambling.

As we were walking into the store, Andrew said, “Let’s buy a mansion if we win.”

(I’m sure he totally meant, let’s buy a house for someone else…yadda …yadda…yaddda)

At that, Alex, my oldest, said, “Andrew, we’re not going to buy a new house. Mom and Dad just refinanced the house and that was a lot of paperwork. They aren’t going to want to do that again. You have to think of something different you want.”

Practical. That will be good when we are BAZILLIONAIRES!

So, if I don’t post tomorrow I’m probably in Tahitit in the celebrity suite at the finest hotel there having a massage (contemplating how I will help the less fortunate, obviously).

Oh. And if you win? I’m totally your best friend, right?

Our Thanksgiving Break

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Thanksgiving is a time of family, food, and fun.

We had all of that.

Plus a whole lot of vomit.

Yes, family, food, fun, and vomit – all parts of our Thanksgiving celebration.

And unlike many of you who only had three days of family time, our family was lucky enough to have 9 days off together.

Yes, nine days of being together (sleeping in the same room allowed for a quick response time)

Nine days of food (aka Gatorade and Saltines).

Nine days of fun (My entire next paycheck is headed to Redbox).

Nine days of being thankful for our washer and dryer (vomit, enough said).

And while I am thankful for that time spent with my family, I am hoping the 12 days of Christmas turns out differently.

Don’t You Just Love…

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When you take your family to the zoo, don’t you just love…

waking up extra early to take the dog for a walk….

packing a bag full of snacks…

driving over an hour to get there…

waiting while the attendants can’t find your preordered tickets…

walking for miles and miles…

convincing a child to sit in the stroller…

arguing with other children that they are too big to sit in the stroller…

repeatedly explaining as to why ice cream was not going to be purchased at 10am…

faking a cheery attitude at the thought of spending more time at the meerkat window…

And finally, don’t you just love when you place your child in their seat after spending all day at the zoo and they tell you their favorite animal today were the geese.

October Gaols Reviewed

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In addition to a busy and eventful October, I started a new part time job. Therefore, all of my October goals were not completed.

Add 1 item to etsy shop – Fail!

Touch Up Paint Downstairs – Check!  Walked around the house one day with a can of paint.

Scrapbook 10 pages – Fail!

Make / Find Containers for Boys’ Room – Check! I found some containers at IKEA which seem to work. Now they have a place to keep pencils, glue sticks, colored pencils, markers, and crayons on their desk.

Complete Making 3 Halloween Costumes – Check! Army Man, Wonder Woman, and Dumbledore were happy with their costumes!.

Host Halloween Party – Check!

Finish Christmas Shopping for 5 people on My List – Fail!

Fix Up Backyard, If Only for A Few Days for the Party – Check! We bought a set of table and chairs for outside, added some flowers, and filled up the holes in the back yard which the dog had dug. It was glorious for four days – that’s until Sophie came back from the kennel and dug all the holes again. Ugh!

 How was your October?

Goggles

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Tonight I officially became my parents.

Yes, I’ve seen bits and pieces of them come out before but tonight was the turning point.

I have become my parents.

They went to countless swim practices, swim meets, and bought us endless amounts of swim caps, swim shampoo, and suits.

And tonight, I was reminded that they bought tons of goggles.

Driving home from swim practice with Andrew I said, “I noticed you kept pushing on your goggles right before you would dive in”

“Yeah, those goggles get loose when I dive in.”

“You should wear your new pair.”

“Well, I can’t find those.”

“The blue pair?”

“Yep.”

“You only wore those one time.”

“Maybe I left them at the pool last time.”

“Those goggles cost SEVENTEEN DOLLARS.”

——-  silence from the back seat ———-

“You wore those one time and already lost them. They cost SEVENTEEN DOLLARS.”

Note: My husband and I have been swimmers our whole lives. Our goggles cost $5.00 a pair.  Seems to me that our eyes adjusted just fine to the five dollar goggles. Guess who else is going to be forced to wear the five dollar goggles no matter how they feel on his eyes.

Once home I went into another room and let my husband oversee the tooth brushing.

A few minutes later my husband walks into the room I’m in and announces, “I’m going to the pool.”

“Why?”

“To go look in the locker room.”

“He lost those goggles days ago. They’re not going to be there.”

“He left his swim suit at the pool.”

—– silence from me ——

And now my parents are laughing.

Front Yard Halloween Sign

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In a previous post I mentioned that I liked this Halloween decoration…

Well, our family made our own using materials we already had.

In the garage we found planks of wood from a pallet (for the place signs) and then a standing piece to secure those smaller signs to.

The boys insisted that the names of the places had to come from somewhere…

Do you know where they came from?