All Hallows' Even...

Coley has never been a fan of the pumpkin guts. he would look absolutely pained every time we carved pumpkins... this year was no exception, however he actually did it.....cleaned his whole pumpkin himself. we are making mad progress.and apparently when you are Colten, you can only carve pumpkins shirtless.

Jack has never been scared to get pumpkin guts on him...which is remarkable, because he is my gaggy one.and then there is the big boy. the one that can't handle touching or smelling the guts. isn't he cute?!?

his hands stayed clean, his daddy cleaned his pumpkin out for him.....

he did manage to carve it himself....I'm so proud.
more photos to come after the fun tonight.

Happy Halloween.

36 in 36

1. learn to sew. I've whined about it for years. now I just need to get a machine, and learn....
2. sew a quilt.
3. learn to make really good homemade pizza (dough)....and make it a friday night tradition.
4. family movie/game night. start it up again. complete with a concession stand and tickets. just like in the ville. they're older now, but I know they'll still secretly love it.
5. camp. buy the tents. and go. no more excuses.(ok, money is a good excuse, but we need to save and then go)
6. find an organic farm to buy meat in bulk from...or at least a family farm that farms like my grandpa did...I want to see cows roaming, and chickens out being chickens....
7. buy a big ol' freezer for #6. then I can also double meals and freeze for busy nights.
8. learn to make pancakes. Colin is the breakfast cook....but I want to learn.
9. learn to knit.
10. simplify...purge even more. get down to the bare essentials. no more "stuff" in boxes in the attic and garage...
11. journal every day.
12. take the house designs and ideas floating in my head, and get it on paper.
13. paint...that map I want for the boys room. make it happen. buy an extra canvas, and let Jack join in...
14. grow orchids. purchase some, and learn to make them grow (and thrive) in my house.
15. get a pet. I say pet because the boys (all four) want a dog. I'm leaning toward cat, but they've been patient, so this may be the year... I just have to pull the trigger as Colin would say.
16. exercise. no more excuses. just do it. hate it, and do it.
17. lose 36 lbs. (it should be more, but 36 seems to be the theme, so I'm going with that)
18. pray about our next move. do it right. make sure it's where we want to be for a long time.
19. write more letters. real letters. that go in the mailbox.
20. get the photos in albums. seriously....
21. have baby number four, or don't. no more debating. I'm getting too old.
22. buy the house of our dreams next. (read that as it should be read...not expensive and huge, but on land....with character and potential)
23. read more. for some reason I read voraciously in the summer and then not so much during the rest of the year. why? I don't know.
24. start a word of the week. post it, learn it, use it everyday....work it into my vocabulary...Jack will love it, and I definitely need it.
25. read the bible more.
26. post a scripture of the week. talk about it in the morning. (did this in Solon, loved it)
27. eat better. cleaner. limit meat. cook every night.
28. take a vacation as a family. our five. somewhere. together.
29. steal an overnight away with just Col. (even if it's just a hotel here in town)
30. paint the bedrooms.
31. work on being mindful of my words.
32. work on patience.
33. have people over for dinner more. this might involve meeting friends here...or moving soon.
34. dress up more. quit being such a slob.
35. take a self portrait weekly. and make an effort to be in more photos of our daily. even fat.... hand Jack or Colten the camera, they love it.
36. save. save. save. buy second hand. buy handmade. be conscience of where our money goes.

whew. 36 is a LOT.

Yep, we got the 8 o'clock game again....

what soccer looks like at 8am...

what soccer looks like after three games, over-time, and a shoot-out.
Jared was the first of the five to shoot....thought I was going to vomit.

but he made it...

and can I just tell you how many times I heard "can we get a funnel cake?" this weekend...

360 million times I think.

I really think fried food concession stands at soccer tournaments are brilliant. I mean who doesn't want to run for an hour after consuming a corn dog and fries?....yeah, not mine

and check out my new apron. wearing my loveliness from gab, mike and ev is helping make monday happier indeed.

later I'll post my 36 for 36....aka the 36 things I hope to accomplish in my 36year of life.
(I can now cross off getting a kick-butt apron)

We are off.....

I'm kind of excited I get to spend my birthday weekend in Little Rock.
we went last spring and I rather enjoyed it there.
so this weekend will be spent watching lots of soccer (played by a few of my favorite people),
drinking starbucks daily, visiting a pumpkin patch, and possibly going to boo-at-the-zoo......
plus, I don't have to cook all weekend.
pretty fabulous, if you ask me.
it is pretty nice being the only girl....spoiled by four guys.

while we are gone.... the witch will apparently entertain herself with a little game of poker.....

Thursday Ten

1. the "crazy person" Jared referred to in his summary of his day the other day, was actually Edgar Allan Poe. who Jared has now deemed as brilliant and says that his writing reminds him of watching Fringe.2. the first game on Saturday is against the team that crushed Colten's team not once, but twice on Sunday. causing lots of tears. awesome news. should be a great way to start this weekends tourney...3. at fall fun fest last friday (which is why Jack is dressed as a pirate)....we walked into the school and noticed right away.... art by Jack. framed in the hallway. he was so proud. love his creative little soul.4. I miss the changing leaves in Ohio, and my boys bringing home random pieces of nature for the coffee table on their walks home from school.... not the same here where all is still green.5. Colten had a bomb threat drill yesterday. Jared had a lock-down drill. both boys said had they not been drills they'd be dead. apparently they did not go well.

6. Jack told me yesterday that some kids were making fun of his hair at recess. so we were thinking of witty "comebacks" in the car. and Jack decided on "your lack of intelligence vexes me greatly", which is so Jack.....he hears a word his dad says, and then works it into his vocabulary. hence the use of vex. he loves words. the more obscure the better. and just so you don't think I'm a horrible mother, I did suggest he just ignore them....

7. this set of magnets that Gaga sent have been a huge hit...I love seeing what the witch will look like every time one of the boys walks by the fridge. I love that the bat is now wearing shoes. occasionally the hands are not doing the most appropriate things however...

8. I love that when I asked the boys what they want for Christmas Jack and Jared both asked for guitar lessons, before asking for anything else. how refreshing. I was expecting a video game....but that didn't come until much later, and almost as an after thought....following a list of wonderfulness....ranging from guitar lessons, to soccer goals, to jerseys.....awesome.

9. being able to make cookies for the boys when they get home makes me heart happy. (and my tummy....but that's beside the point)10. parent-teacher conferences today.

then the decision that Colin and I have been going back and forth on.

to homeschool or not.

that is the question.....

hopefully soon we will have the answer.

I love Halloween

Halloween is my favorite.
but
I'm not going to lie. I did try to find a clone trooper costume this weekend.
I decided to go the easy route...
but alas. no clone trooper costumes, so back to the original idea.....
when I told Jack I was making his costume he said something along the lines of
"Oh good...you never make our costumes...."
whoa....wait just one second mister....
I made Jango. remember?!?And Chuckie.... including red sneakers with wired shoelaces so they could be noticeably untied...that was also the year of the chicken.
the chicken I saw in Martha Stewart, and just had to make,
because while later on you could purchase the chicken costume...you could not so much purchase a finished chicken costume back in the day.so Coley drew the "my mom made me dress up like a chicken when I was two" straw.
please note how my very serious boy felt about this...hi... how much do you love the kitchen glove feet? love.not convinced Colten loved it all as much.here Colten is finding his happy spot "I am not a chicken, I am not a chicken"....
please note that Jack never wore the chicken costume because when he was one and a half and two, every time I took it out of the closet he'd scream "Nooooo sheecken, noooooo!" because he was scared of it. sweet huh? not so much....

here is his baby self in the pumpkin costume I did not make. but all my boys wore their first Halloween. 7month old Jack...ooooh dear. I love that chunky baby so. and yes, he's totally wearing a light up not age appropriate necklace. I'm sure it was a choking hazard.

here he is scooting around so he can eat the light up necklace. no I'm kidding. he didn't eat it. anyway....costumes.
yes. the hard part for me isn't the concept. like how I want it to look. it's the execution.
I don't actually sew.
that my friends is a major set-back to costume making.
so I have to hand sew it.
I really want to learn to sew. with a sewing machine.

also, please note that me watching Jon and Kate plus 8, and the Duggars 5 million kids and counting show and looking through baby albums.....
all in one day. probably not the best idea..... can anyone say baby lust?!?

Nothing of Significance...

my favorite photo from this weekend.... cracks me up.
(no. I did not let the ball hit him)

I asked Jared how his day was yesterday.
"Fine"
"What did you do?"
"1st period nothing...
2nd period we watched a video...
3rd period I forgot my gym uniform...
4th period nothing of significance...
5th period we watched a video and learned about a crazy person...
6th period I finished my homework...
7th period I did "bell work" and finished the rest of my homework."

excellent. tax dollars hard at work.
I actually laughed really hard as he was telling me this.
and then wrote it on the back of the magazine I was reading.
(we were at Colten's practice)
my favorite line..."nothing of significance".
also, please note that the 2nd video was a video about the upcoming book fair.
thank goodness they explain to the 8th graders in such detail about the book fair. I'm guessing they've never been to one in say all the other years they've been in school...
holy cow.

Overheard this weekend...

Colten "I am definitely naming my son Elvis."

Colten "my favorite color is red."
Jack "scarlett?"
Colten "no, actually I like a shade of blue a lot...that's probably my favorite"
Jack "navy?..."
"royal blue?..."
"carolina?..."
"sky blue?..."
"light blue?..."
"indigo?..."
he comes by it honestly, my favorite color when I was little was turquoise.

Jack (to his dad) "hi maaave-dick"
Colin "what did you call me?"
Jack "mavedick! I'm just reading your shirt"
Colin "that says (Dallas) Mavericks, Jack"

Colten "ummm, I so need to be homeschooled. Dad just taught me more right now then I've learned ALL year"

In case there was any question....

teenage boys do not like posing for homecoming photos.
(even scowling he was still cute)...

Harmonious Homes

I read this on Elizabeth Kartchner's blog this morning and it's stayed with me all day long...

"You may think you don't have talents, but that is a false assumption, for we all have talents and gifts, every one of us. The bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of a canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before—colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter.What you create doesn't have to be perfect. Don't let fear of failure discourage you. Don't let the voice of critics paralyze you—whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside.

As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of beauty and helpfulness, you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you.

I believe that as you create beauty and as you are compassionate to others—God will encircle you in the arms of His love. Discouragement, inadequacy, and weariness will give way to a life of meaning, grace, and fulfillment."

I thought it was lovely, and wanted to share.

There will be Photos later...

I am really hoping one of the two pairs of khakis I just got fit Jared for the big homecoming dance tonight.
I don't understand men's pant sizing. at all.
I can not believe my child is old enough to go to a homecoming dance...

Also, I am really wondering why the soccer tournament decided it was necessary to have games at 8am on both Saturday and Sunday. Also curious how it is that my boys play at 8am both days.
so wrong. 8am. Saturday and Sunday...

Happy Friday.

Not so much Today per se...

I wrote this yesterday,
and then never actually posted it. just completely forgot.
I blame this stupid headache I've had since yesterday afternoon.
so.
yesterday this is what I was thinking:

I took all the boys to the dentist this morning,
in what was a most idiotic brilliant idea.
two and a half hours later,
I was feeling like I accomplished,
carry the one...
nothing.
but we all have whiter brighter smiles.
and.
the new dentist gives free whitening if you go every 6 months.
bonus.
so, new whitening trays were made.
perhaps that was worth the extraordinarily long time spent there.
oh, and I read like four issues of Metropolitan Home.
totally worth it.
yeah.
now there is a Gio Ponti armchair that I truly can't live without,
and pretty much anything from here...
and I'm assuming it is a bad sign when you have to call for prices...
so that's terrific.

in other bits of total randomness.
Jack's class is in charge of the cake walk for the fall festival at school.
I love some cake walking.
and had dreams of making something fabulous from my new book
Hello, Cupcake...
which really is the most labor intensive adorable thing ever.
and who was I kidding really.
the cake walk cake would have been a box mix.
with some cuteness on top.
but in all likelihood, much less cuteness than contained in my book.
however,
a note came home this week....
"please send in Little Debbie snack cakes for the cake walk, as many as you can."
whaaaa?
Little Debbie snack cakes. I have no words for the horror that is.....

23

lets pretend that's a cheesecake.
ok.
it actually is a cheesecake.
something lovingly called a no-bake cheesecake.
who knew?!
after the cheesecake fiasco on Jared's birthday...
I decided that this one needed to be edible.
and it's going to look somewhat more attractive with some fresh strawberries....
I think...

actually truth be told,
I'm not a huge cheesecake fan.
with the exception of the crack called cheesecake that is the Cheesecake Factory.
but
Alex was a huge fan of cheesecake.
I think I can safely say it was her very favorite.
Jared is quick to remind me that Aunt Alex made some terrific cheesecakes.
snickers bar....
caramel and fudge....
oreo.....
needless to say it thrills me beyond belief that Jared shares his Aunt's love of cheesecake.
they were close.

I wish she'd been able to teach me her mad-cheesecake-making-skillz.
we talked about that in September,
one of the last conversations I had with her.
around Jared's birthday.
yet another cheesecake made by me, gone horribly wrong.
she promised to get better, and to come help me make cheesecake for Jared's next birthday.
it's funny how you remember those last few conversations.
the good ones.
we talked about cheesecake.
and baby names. (she loved names almost as much as me)
blogging and etsy.
etsy...she would have made a killing selling her jewelry there.

anyway.
so it's not a pretty cheesecake.
or probably a very tasty cheesecake.
but today is Alex's birthday.
she would have been 23 today.
so after dinner we will be having a little treat,
to celebrate Alex's day.
to honor her life.

if there is one thing I try to do,
it is to make sure my kids know they can talk about Alex without upsetting me.
without worrying about making me sad.
I want them to be able to remember,
and laugh,
and talk.
and know that it makes me happy to remember.
that I like hearing their memories,
and I know they like hearing mine.
I don't want them to be afraid.
so it is,
and will be
cheesecake
on October 14th.
for Alex.
so that they remember.
because I won't forget.

done. done. and done.

Sunday 10/12:
Doughnut eating.
I took 8 photos yesterday.
all of which were us. eating. doughnuts.

of course the day included more than just doughnuts...
I think I was just done taking pictures of it all.

soccer wins. and a hat trick for jack.
"I scored goal #5, 7 and 9" -Jack.
proving that even if the soccer association says not to keep score.
the kids will do it anyway. (and with more accuracy than the adults.)

I'm really glad I did this week in the life project.
but I'm also really happy it's done.
I'm definitely going to be more vigilant about writing in a journal.
but I like to see my life through my eyes sometimes, and not through a viewfinder.

photos now need to be printed.
so I can start the next phase of this project.
the album.
I'm guessing that will take more than a week....

The Saturday post that proves Colin exists

Saturday 10/11
suggestion.
even if you only have 2 coupons for $1 off power-ade,
don't just get 2 bottles of it,
go ahead and get that 3rd bottle.
it doesn't matter how many vitamin waters are in the fridge
this will happen.learn from my mistake...
not sure what I was thinking.

Colten took over the camera for Jack's game. lots of good shots. he has a great eye.
there may have been a discussion in the truck about buffalo wings. Colten may have thought they were buffalo.

is this fish that I'm eating or is it chicken? yeah....
"Jared you are suppose to wear black socks with your uniform, not white."
"I only have 2 pairs of black socks."
right, ok....I'm not sure what that means exactly.Colin was mowing the lawn.
Colin tripped and fell off the curb.
I still have no idea how that happened to his shorts.
(he didn't hurt himself...it's ok to laugh)

when I planned this weeks menu, it wasn't quite so hot out. Top Design and The Hills (pathetic, I know)...

61 photos.
the end.

"My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next. " -Colin's favorite line from Gladiator