Elves.

It is the happ, happiest time of the year.

Those lyrics were written by someone who had kids.

We are insane busy. 

But happy.

And enjoying our two elves.

Who look adorable in their jammies.

And can frequently be spotted messing with our tree.

Second Snow of the Season

We are at 3.5 inches and it is starting to really come down now. The boys and I decided we must be a part of it. Tucker, who was very unsteady and unsure of the snow last year, loved every minute of it.
Hudson is back out there now "measuring" it all over.

My snow monsters

InstaVacation

So Josh bid on a week at the French Lick Villas as part of a United Way fundraiser earlier this year. We got a nice condo for a very nice price, but were unable to stay there very long due to the lack of vacation days Josh had left to give. Also, the past couple weeks have been super-crazy-busy with work for me as well. So, we packed up the kids on Saturday and ran down for 48 hours of fun.

I do believe we might have been the only tourists in all of Orange County who were not taking their children on one of the very famous Polar Express train rides. I admit I felt pretty crummy walking around the trains Saturday night with all the kids in their pajamas ready for their (expensive) adventure. However, these trips book up MONTHS ahead, and so it was not on our agenda. And, honestly, Hudson and Tucker were clueless they were missing out. They liked looking at the trains. Maybe next year.

Our condo was very basic but it had three cool features for the kids: 1. it was not home 2. it had a tub built for five and 3. it had a sauna.

The hotels are so pretty this time of year. They all had gorgeous Christmas displays with lights and greenery and trees everywhere. We had two nice days of weather too, so we were able to walk around without freezing.

I love patriotic Christmas displays. I don't know why.

 While we were there, Josh thought it would be fun for Hudson to ride some go karts for little kids. He had fun, but they were pretty boring. His Jeep goes around our yard faster.

I guess I thought it would be fun to teach the kids some bad manners. Goodness sakes, I love them so!

Turkey Hands

I just want to remember this Thanksgiving craft. Cutest things ever. Tuckers's hands are on the left; Hudson's are on the right.

Thankful Thursday

It's been busy days around these parts. You think that when you wipe two weeks off your calendar of all major things to do, you will find time to do some of the things that have been sitting on your to do list for forever: clean that one packed closet, check credit reports, file papers, and ... yeah... nothing like that got done. Hudson had surgery and his recooperation was focused on popsicles, boardgames, and cuddle time.

I have penned a recap in my brain which I will blog about because I am very confident that we will be down the surgery road again soon with Mr. T. All the signs are there, but I am happy to wait for awhile before we do that again!

On this lovely Thursday, Thanksgiving 2013, I am so grateful for the things God has given me, the things he has taken away from me, and the path that brought me to this moment. this computer. this house. these people.

I had lunch with a high school friend this week and the conversation naturally went to the "can-you-believe-it-we-are-middle-aged" point. I will honestly admit that considering I had a whole life (singledom, career, property, etc) before I had This Life (marriage, motherhood, business ownership, etc) that sometimes I find myself doing a double take. I will be in the middle of what is a seemingly "normal activity" and somehow be shocked at my presence in it. I have two (okay, three) boys depending on me ...what feels like everything... and I am not always sure how I got here.



But, I am always glad that I did get here.

If I can instill anything in my children it will be to take it all in and be grateful. Life is too short to have regrets, sorrows, and stress.

Wordless Wednesday: Tree Mechanic

Maternal instinct

Ironic that the child who DOES NOT EAT likes to make sure all of his beloved Cars are well fed with their own piles of Goldfish crackers. Love him.

Self portrait: November

A quick week of changes.

Me with my male peeps:

A week later, taking my momma to Wicked. I guess I am the Elphaba to her Glinda.

Wordless Wednesday: Love my neighborhood

Happy Place

 I have a new happy place. A spot that I feel so blessed to have in my life. A great vacation location that I don't have to pay anything for! :)

My brother and sister in law bought a cabin in central Kentucky in the Cave Run Lake area. It is fantastic there. So gorgeous and peaceful. I am so excited to have a place like this to take my boys for the rest of their lives. Anywhere where we can all unplug and get back to nature is awesome!

Plus I get to go on walks with my baby brother, just like old times.

Pumpkin Guts

This is what I do when I stress

We are home from the hospital after Hudson's surgery. And I can't talk about it right now. It was a doozy and if I think about it too much I will go and wake him up just to cuddle him to death. He is comfortably resting on the couch.

Instead I will do what I have always done when stressed, eat. (Nom nom nom. Amen for Halloween candy) And write. I will tell you a story about our Halloween adventures 2013.

Researching our costume.

So, Hudson had told me he wanted to be a Poptart for dress up and I was not sure exactly how I was going to accomplish that. Two pieces of cardboard over his shoulders all decorated would have been just fine and cute, but-- alas-- I am never one to do anything the easy way. I complicated the situation with my dreams of sewing a soft brown fabric into a tart and adding felt embellishments to make the best darn Poptart you had ever seen. Now, I have not used a sewing machine since 8th grade. Just to do the math for you fine folks that still think I am 29, 8th grade was in 1988-89. Um, 24 years ago. (Expletive!) So, when I borrowed a friend's machine, I stupidly lived in the delusion that I would remember how to run one. Since I can not seem to remember my own kids' birthdates, I don't know why I trust myself at all.

Materials.

Plugging the 20 pound monstrosity in and pushing the pedal was not complicated. Threading the damn thing so it would actually make a seam was. On the given Saturday I had scheduled for the task, Josh was greatly amused to find me "Suzy Homemaker" with the glorious 1970s Kenmore sewing machine on the kitchen table, two curious little men staring at (and questioning) my every move, and a 2013 iPad set up like a tripod with a YouTube.com video of "how to thread a sewing machine" playing. Goodness it was hilarious. Hudson was NOT in the mood for the 1000 fittings I made him do and I quickly figured out that somehow if I sewed REALLY REALLY fast, I did not care if seams were straight. Only that this whole project was over. I did opt to make teeth marks and look as if his "stawberrie" jelly was oozing out.

Now, everyone thought Tucker should be a Toaster or Milk to compliment his brother and if I had planned accordingly and started this project in ...say June or so... it would have been ok. However, I did not and so Tucker was a pirate. Simply because we had everything for the costume here and he was  freaking cute. Plus, if Tucker was milk or something and trick or treating on his own people would be so confused. I mean who makes their 2 year old a toaster for Halloween?

Halloween was on a Thursday and since the storm of the century was scheduled to arrive between 3-8p.m., the day prior to the candy onslaught our sweet little town cancelled trick or treating. For real? I was very grumpy with this. We were going to David's cabin on Friday-Sunday, so we would miss all the fun!

In the end, I knew that Hudson and Tucker would be just fine with their candy stash when I heard that his class was going to "trick or treat" in the gym during school on Thursday. Parents could come in and set up themed tables to entertain the kiddos. My friend Jill coaxed me into creating a table. I suggested we do something other than a boring old Halloween table, and that is where our circus themed adventure began. People had Mickey themed tables and so on... I decided not to tell Hudson or Tucker I would be at school. Jill got REALLY into the event or at least the face painting and so I joined along.

Now I hear what you are thinking, so let me confirm.

YES, we scared the CRAP out of EVERY single kid. And no, our own children did not recognize us. Happy Halloween! :)

Happy Halloweeeeeen!

From my Poptart and my pirate

Self-portrait: October

Non-talker

There are not many words that accurately describe how you feel when you worry whether your child is  hitting the milestones they should be with their development. I suppose helpless is the most true, but it does little to feel like it surmises how I really feel.

While I assume I will always remember how I am feeling right now, I know that is not true. So, just for transparency for my older self who is reading this one day many moons from now, I will back up just a bit.

I was not concerned when Tucker was not talking in full sentences, with clarity, or even using sign language when he was 18 months. Yes, I remember reading back in older posts of this very blog and seeing the things his older brother had said and done and I was amazed. But I recognize Hudson is probably an exception. Or --at least exceptional --for a little boy. His vocabulary is so broad. Every teacher has said so. And Hudson talks enough for all of us. So, why would Tucker bother trying to get a word in edgewise?

Then we hit his 2 year appointment and there was the milestone chart. I think he was to be saying 18 different words by that point. And I felt that yes, if I counted animal sounds which are substitution for actual names like dog and cat, I could say that he said that many.

But it was already on my heart and my radar to be stressed about whether we had an issue on our hands. I vowed at his 30 month appointment to address it with the doctor. And here we are at 27 months and I have already researched the qualifications for First Steps Speech Therapy, etc. The ENT that we saw with Hudson a couple weeks ago gently suggested that before we pursue any type of therapy we have his hearing checked. And that appointment is today. In about 1 hour. And I have not slept much this week.

{Sigh.}

Earlier today we went with my best buddy Lois to run around and do errands. Lois is 75 and a great joy to all of our lives. In Target, in the art supply/calendar aisle Tucker said, "I lub ewe Lolo!" I about died. Of achievement. Then of jealousy. He strung a whole bunch of words together! I am so happy!

Oh, she really rubbed it in too. He said it again and then again at lunch. So, upon reaching home, I said can you say "I love you Mama"? and he did.

That will get me through the hearing test. And the next milestone made or not made. Stress sugarcoated with achievement. That is pretty much my life lately.

10 things I am doing instead of blogging

10. WORK. Everyone wants pictures this month. So I drive, shoot, edit, order, bank, post office,repeat.

9. DOCTOR. Hudson is definitely having surgery in less than 2 weeks.

8. PLAYING. This guy makes me laugh. He really sucks at Hide and Seek too.

Where am I?!?

7. MEETINGS. I am serving as VP of the CWF women's group, co-pres of my own church group WinGS, and on the church's pulpit search committee.

6. DANCING. Josh and I are taking dancing classes! We are horrible!

5. CUDDLING. Tucker is almost too big for my lap. He gets rocked any time he wants.

4. EXERCISE. I don't do this much as I should, but I have to figure out a way to fit into a nearly strapless bridesmaid dress for my best sister's wedding this winter. Kill me now.

3. TRAVELING. We have taken short trips to see the kids' great grandparents in the past month.

Clabber Girl Museum

2. TEACHING. Turns out, people want me to teach them still. I am offering adult photography classes. The first one filled up in a day. This is exciting!

1. LIFE. I also figure out time to squeeze in grocery shopping, laundry, cooking dinners, church, hanging with my Joshie, and a couple hours of sleep.

The grocery shopping trip ends when I run
out of room and Hudson can no longer feel his feet.

Note how I never mentioned cleaning my house! Oh well!

Pumpkin Patch Commentary

Monkey see. Monkey do.

It is hard to photograph someone who is always talking. This is in between words.

Same scarecrow 5 years running. We miss our friends who usually are in these pictures with us.

Hi, I'm gorgeous. And a stinker.

He came up with this "pose" himself.

Always trying to be bigger.

Well established farmer's blood. He looks right at home in a tractor.

Love his eyes. Just like his daddy's.

The beginning of... how far can I get from you people?

"No, I will not be in a picture with my big brother. I will, however, pout over Here."

Photos by myself, though, are completely acceptable.