2nd Grade Holiday Project

This year Kastan has a great teacher and she did the cutest thing for the holidays. They are currently learning about measurements. So one of their projects was for each student to write a recipe for a holiday dish. They then combined it to make a holiday recipe book for the parents. Here is Kastan's submission:



Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:
2 eggs
Candy eyes
Colored icing
sugar hearts
6 lb. flour
flavered food coloring

Directions:

Step 1: Take the gingerbread dough out and put the dough on a plate
and roll it around.

Step 2: Take a gingerbread bear shaped dough cutter, then use the
dough cutter and cut the dough.

Step 3: Take 2 lb. of flour and mix it into the bear shaped dough.

Step 4: Put the eggs into the dough.

Step 5: Put the dought into the oven at 25 degrees, then wait 3 hours.

Step 6: Take the dough out and decorate it.

Step 7: Now it's ready to eat!

Now we haven't been brave enough to try this special recipe out but I did think it was the cutest I have ever read. I enjoyed reading the other student's recipes also. There were some real funny ones.

Holiday Hits and Misses

So I know I am really late talking about our holiday but I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. We sure did. Oue holiday was filled with plenty of hits and a couple of misses.

Let's start with breakfast, we do a huge breakfast/brunch. I started this tradition early on because it is the one meal I feel confident in cooking and it is easy to feed a bunch of people. So my breakfast is the place to be for my in-laws. The hit of my breakfast was the French Toast Casserole I tried this year, it was yummy and ennjoyed by all. The miss would have to be the biscuits. I don't think there was anything wrong with them because honestly all I had to do was open the can of Grands and bake. I just think that there was so many other things no one want to fill up on them.

Moving on to presents, the major hit for me was the Wii Fit. I love this thing and have dubbed myself the step aerobics queen. Even Kye the 3 year old got in on playing, he was pretty good at the head butting soccer game. Kye loved his Fisher-Price Smart Cycle, really loved it. As in played for hours on the thing. Kastan hit the jackpot, he loved his Flip Camera and his desk that we set up the old PC for him. Keith looked hot in his shades.

Misses in the gift category would be Kastan's MP3 player and that is only because I can be a technotard and do not know how to get music on it. I thought the trick was an ITunes giftcard, well guess what that is for IPODS not his MP3 player. I am working on this and hope to get things worked out and get some jammie-jams for my little man.

The other miss was the cologne for Keith, it was just not delivered. I paid for 2 day shipping that gauranteed delivery by Christmas. No such luck. FedEx let me down on this one. They decided my address was wrong and didn't bring it to me. I called them, they repeated the address. I informed they in fact had the right address so they said they would deliver on Friday. Friday I get a call from FedEx asking for a good address because mine was wrong. I again let them know they had the correct address, they asked for directions and even laughed about how easy it was. They still did not deliver it Friday, when I called they said.......yup you guessed it, my address was wrong. I thought I was on candid phone. I asked them how this was such an issue because UPS had no problem the week before. We ended up getting it today, only 5 days after it was promised.

I contacted Macy's to ask about a refund on the shipping and their current response is that it doesn't meet the criteria for a refund because I provided a bad address. We are corresponding through email because getting a human on the phone is pretty much impossible. I wrote them back and told them that I did in fact give a correct address, the one that they deliver a bill to every month with no problems. I explained to them that it was not my problem they chose a delivery service with limited direction following ability. I am waiting to hear back from them!

With our few little misses I must say it was a great holiday and I enjoyed the day with my favorite K's!!!

Invisible Glasses

I really need to find where invisible glasses are sold. You know the kind you put them on and no one around you can see you. I know they exist because Keith has a pair. He has to, I mean he comes home from works and he can go to the bonus room and watch tv uninterrupted. The boys never bother him, never ask him anything and never go to him to tattle. It has to be because they just don't see him so they come to me to do all those things.

I will be in the bathroom taking care of business and they will walk passed him sitting on the couch to come bang on the bathroom door and yell through the door to ask for a drink. It really makes me want to stab myself in the eye with a pencil. It just drives me crazy.

I don't think they have ever muttered the words "I'm hungry" to him, they tell me every 30 mins. I really do think he is invisible to them. The exception comes when it is time for fun stuff. Kye pretends to play his toy guitar when Keith is playing Guitar Hero. The other day he took off running upstairs telling me I am going to rock-n-roll with my dad. Then he went upstairs and said "You ready to rock dad".....
Kastan plays all kinds of games with Daddy.

I am the personal servant that has to enforce rules regarding homework, cleaning up and going to bed. I guess I wouldn't want to rock with me either. I could actually deal with that if I had at least one night with the invisible glasses!

Well They're Gone

My family headed back home yesterday. I can't believe how fast the week they were here went. We did a lot of fun stuff and here is the week in pictures, enjoy!

So fun

I forget how much fun it is being with my sisters, they are in town and we have been hanging out, shopping, eating and I am loving it. I miss having them around all the time. I am so happy, I hope everyone gets the chance to hang out with their loved ones some this holiday seasons!

I promise a real blog coming soon!

Holiday Fun

I am sooo enjoying this holiday season, yes I knnow the economy is in the dumps. I haven't won the lottery so I am not out spending crazy money but I am enjoying it in a more grown-up mature way.

First of all my sisters, mom and niece are on their way down here as we speak. That truly makes me so happy, I love hanging out with them. I love the way our kids interact. We shop, eat lunch, watch movies and chit chat, it is the best time!

Now that I am embracing the life of a small town, I appreciate the small town activities. We had the holiday parade today and it was a blast. Kastan was in it for his school and their theme was "sugar plums dancing in our head". Here is a picture of him in his 15 mins of fame

Kye is really at a great age, he notices all the small things and it is refreshing. Reminds me of how happy life should be. Watching the different things go by it would crack me up on what he pointed out and what he was excited about. Here he is waiting for it to start.

Tonight they are having an outdoor viewing of the movie Elf on an inflatable screen and also campfire with holiday singing and smores. As much as I say I am embracing it is too cold to be out there but we walked by as they were setting up and it had the whole holiday vibe about it.

Tomorrow we are having an open house for all the shops on main street. These quaint shops are exactly what you picture when you thing of small town. After that there is the tree lighting and a visit and pictures with Santa.

It just feels like people are so much kinder and loving this time of year, I wished it lasted all year long.

I would of hauled ass

Today started out as any typical day does, me rushig aroud like a chicken with my head cut off trying to get myself and the boys dressed, fed, cleaned and out the door by 7:15.

I do try to pick up some of the disaster I make in the mornings along with remembering to set out something for dinner. I also have to squeeze in last mintue details of school stuff the boys need. I then get a fun filled day at work.

Today on the way home I ask DH if he is going to be able to pick up the kids so that I can start dinner because Kastan has basketball tryouts tonight. He agreed and I went straight home and got dinner in the oven, folded and put away a load of laundry and ran the vacum. I get a call from Keith asking where Kastan is. After I almost passed out from worry I remember it is Monday and once again I forgot he was at bowling. I tell Keith that which he sarcastically says, "I wish you would of told me because then I would of hauled ass". Really? You would have? Well that is nice because I have been hauling ass ALL day. I will continue to haul ass because I still have to go to the bank, feed the kids and get him to basketball practice.

The man is going to drive me crazy, along with those boys of his!!! Even with all that as corney as it sounds I really do love my hectic Mommy/Wife life and I love it because I share it with my K's!!!

They're Back

Let me just start this by saying I think Kye has a shoe fetish. He has always loved, loved shoes. When we are at stores I have to steer away from the shoe area. If he sees them he seriously has to try them on. He will then throw a fit to have a new pair. When we go visit his cousin Taylor he would try her shoes on. He has walked around in my heels. He is just a die hard shoe fan.

The year before last he absolutely had to have a yucky, ugly, gawddy pair of Thomas the Train snow boots. The broke all of my rules, they were character, they had velcro and they were hideous. He loved them though, would wear them all the time. I did convince him they were play boots and he could't wear them out of the house. He still squeezed his feet in them last year. I finally got rid of them this summer.

Guess what we saw tonight at Wal-Mart? Yep those horrendous boots, He was so excited I couldn't say no. He now has a pair that fits him again. He loves them, he has been wearing them since we got home. He posed for some pictures so I am going to share with you the lovely boots!

Halloween Party

So this year we are going to our first adult's only costume party for Halloween. I am so excited and can not wait. I already got a lame fairy kind of hodge podge get up to wear at work but now I want Keith and I to do a couples thing. I am now brainstorming but would love some ideas!

My boys have picked out their costumes already. Kye want's to be a robot and saw a Transformer costume and called it a robot. He really wanted it and it only cost $12.00.................sold! Kastan my gory little boy picked this black robe wearing skull face that has a pump to pump fake blood. Really I am totally missing out on the cute little princesses and Tinkerbells.

Money Suckers

I would like to preface this with I wasn't always a cheapskate. I have turned into one with motherhood. My kids are killing the wallet. I am not talking about food, clothes, daycare or shelter expenses. I am talking about all these extra's that kids do these days.

Because I work fulltime at the crappiest place in the world I have to put Kye in fulltime daycare and Kastan goes to before and after school care. This is a pocket book killer but on top of that they offer a bunch of additional classes the kids can go to. Of course the first class is free so that they can tell you how much they love it and how good it would be for them to go and even how all the other kids in the class are doing it.

Well great lady that will be an excellent time for you to have one on one time with Kye! I am sure he will love that also.

Not only that the parties they want treats for, the fund raisers and even the pumpkin patch that came to them. Do you know how hard it is to come up with $6.00 on a Monday morning? I paid with 5 one dollar bills and 4 quaters for Kye to pick out the littlest pumpkin in the world.

Kastan has joined this bowling group that he goes to on Mondays. I was able to remember to give him a check for it. They take them directly from school and then you just pick them up at the bowling alley. What a sweet deal except the first day I forgot about it and realized 10 mins before I had to get him where he was. Whew, made it in time but I did feel like I should be awarded the bad Mommy award because I forgot my son.

I did get him in time though and asked him how he was and he said good but next time can I have 5 bucks, they have the best fries and I was starving. So yes I was that mom that sent her son with no moola. I felt like crap, I forgot him and also forgot he eats. There is always next week for improvement.

I am sure the little money sucker will not let me forget next week!

Gone Fishing

So being the only girl in the house has benefits. One of them I exercised today. Keith was taking the boys fishing, something I will never have the desire to do. I got a free pass because fishing is a male bonding time in our family. Ha Ha I had the whole day to do whatever I want, with out kids, where ever I wanted. Guess what I choose to do.............. no I didn't shop.............no I didn't go to lunch ..... no I didn't watch a movie.............of course I didn't clean the house, I chose out of everything to take a NAP!! Seriously, what does this say about my life? I have to admit it was so nice and peaceful to just lay in silence and close my eyes without worrying about anyone else being asleep or not. Lovely, lovely I say!!!


I also wanted to add a couple of picture of Keith since I forgot to on this post So Here is my Pooh Bear

One Crazy Ride

My marriage has truly been one crazy ride, we have had so many ups and downs, good times and bad. My husband has seen me at my best and still loved me through my worst. Instead of making this a sappy lovey spill that no one is ever really impressed with I am going to keep it short and just list the ten things about Keith so you can know him better ad how he fits into stories I tell.

1. He love movies, all kinds but his least favorite is chick flicks

2. He loves to play video games

3. He likes to look good and takes a long time to get ready, I am talking girl long

4. He prefers to drive and really hate to ride as a passenger

5. He is very funny and likes to make jokes

6. He has a hard time rememberin names and often calls people by the wrong name

7. He thinks girls should not fart.............ever

8. He is great in bed

9. He loves rollercoasters and amusement parks

10. He is a great dancer

So there you have it just a little about my wonderful husband!

Brotherly Love

When I got pregnant with Kastan I really didn't know what I was in store for. I was blessed with a beautiful baby boy that was the most laid back, loving boy. Even though he was a dream child I was miserable the first 3 months. We lived in Hawaii away from any family and were truely on our own with this precious little boy. The precious little boy did not sleep more than two hour spurts but I was determined to be the best mom ever so I struggled through it. I refused to show weakness to anyone, after all the stories you ever hear are these wonderful tales of instant bonding and undying love a mother has. I felt like I missed the boat on that one. I mean I did think he was the cutest baby ever but other than that he was so much work, not to mention the wear and tear on my body. I felt guilty for thinking it but I did dream of my before baby life, the one where I could sleep when ever I wanted. I remember the first night in the hospital I looked down at Kastan and said you are going to have to be a good baby because I am not a very good Mommy. We all made it through those horrible first 3 months and he has lived up to every word of my first night request! He is such a smart, caring and compassionate little boy, our family was complete. I didn't want another baby, didn't think I could handle another espically the newborn stage. I did get pregnant again with a surprise when my husband got back from overseas. I just didn't know what to feel, I mean it wasn't something we planned or even struggled for. I felt so guilty for Kastan, he was the center of our world, we did everything for just him. I was scared for myself and those dreadful beginnings. I knew there was no turning back but I didn't know how to handle it. When we told Kastan we were having another baby he didn't want it and it just made me want to scoop him up in my arms and keep his world all the same. Then Kye came into our world, he was my firecracker from the start. Kastan came to the hospital to meet Kye and he walked in and said that is my brother and the pride I saw in his face I knew everything was going to be alright in our family. Their bond was instant, Kastan was a great big brother from day one. He sacrificed having Mommy and Daddy all to himself without ever complaining. He loved to jump in and help with anything that he could. They are each others buddies. Listening to their conversations just melts my heart, watching them take care of each other reassures me I did the right thing. Knowing that they will always have each other comforts me. Don't get me wrong Kastan does big brother him sometimes like this morning when he told him to drink the soapy bath water but that is made up for when Kye crawls on the couch and out of the blue gives Kastan a kiss. Their relationship is natural and has completed our family!

80 Years Young

Today we went to have a birthday Party for Keith's Granny. She turned 80, that is a lot of life. The world was such a different place when she was growing up, I just think about how much technology she has had to adjust to. She is such a sharp little lady and still lives by herself. Today Keith played a game of rummy with her and she beat him. She loves to play rummy, do crossword puzzles and play bingo, that must be the key to keeping your mind on track or something, it seems all old people enjoys those activities. I can't imagine it is for the excitement. She did say the funniest thing as we were all sitting there with a little bit of a lull. She says "I am sorry but I am trying to stay up it is just they switched my medicine and I am high as a kite". I couldn't help but giggle.

My Big Boy

I was just watching Kastan play his PSP. I am so amazed that this is my little boy. He is so smart, polite, caring and well mannered. I am very lucky to have such a good kid. He is really into video games and the computer. I get emails from various kids websites saying that your son Kastan has signed up for a membership to their clubs. It cracks me up that he has my email address memorized and knows how to enter the info in order to sign up. He is just a whiz on the keyboard, his little fingers just flies as he plays the games. The other day he asked how are websites made and I told him he would have to read about it. I told him to go to Google and enter "making kids websites", he did and is now working on a website for hisself. When he gets it done I will post the link.

Irony

In trying to keep up with my blogging everyday I was reflecting on different people in my life I could blog about and my BIL came to mind. It is actually kind of a fun wierd ironic story. We were stationed together in the Army and went on a deployment to Bosnia together. Both of us were single during that time so the flight home from the deployment neither one of us had family waiting for us, just a bus ride to the barracks. I remember deboarding the plane next to him and both of us being so freaking happy to be back in the US but still feeling lonely. We looked at each other and I said this is sad and he replied it is, we all got shit faced that night. The first time my sister saw him I was checking my mail and he went by, she asked who he was because she thought he was cute. They started dating and I got jealous, not because I wanted him, get that perverted shit out of your mind right ow but jealous because I could tell my sister was falling in love. I felt like I was losing my best friend, I didn't think she could love him and be my friend. In the begining he was a little insecure about it also so we put her right in the middle, each grabbed an arm and pulled as hard as we could. This lasted about a year, I don't know how she survived it. S-L-O-W-L-Y I started maturing and realized I had a sister no matter what. Then guess what happened...... I gained a brother! In fact it was a win win situation for me once I let it happened. He really is a great guy, he provides a great life for my sister, he loves her deeply and he is a great father. His professioal accomplishments are out of this world and that kind of sucks becuase his parents won't recognize anything he has accomplished. He is currently doing his second tour of duty in Iraq as a US Marshall and I am so proud of him. So just be aware of people in your life because in the long run they could become family!

My Men

Tomorrow while I am working a looonnnngggg busy day tomorrow at the job I hate the K's will be chillin out together. My husband is off tomorrow so he is keeping the boys home from daycare and just hanging out. The boys are so excited which brings up a question to me. Why are Dad's so much cooler than Mom's to kids? A day with Mom has to be packed with a three ring circus, trip to the beach, movies and popcorn that is carefully explained to them the day prior so they can build up the enthusiasm. Dad on the other hand can just say wanna hang out and the boys jump for joy. I don't get it, don't they know I am the coolest????

Kyeism

Yesterday Kye and I had the funniest conversation, it went like this:

Kye: Mommy I got to go to doctors

Me: Why?

Kye: I got a heart in my belly.


He then proceeded to lift his shirt and suck his stomach in and out to prove he had a heart beating in his belly. He is so cute and funny I just wantto eat him up!

As a mother to boys

Never in a million years would I think I would be doing and saying some of things I have since becoming the mother of boys. I have been asked some crazy questions like "Mommy why does my worm (worm being his penis, thanks Grandma) just keep getting bigger and bigger" "Mommy how did you get such big muscles?" The muscle questions was directed at my vuluputious breast so it could of almost been a compliment in a sense cause hey let's face it there was a time when they were barely noticeable by anyone! Being the mother to boys I realized men/boys can pee on their head, don't know that I would ever really want to but having the option would be kinda cool! Today though I did something that is far different then those silly things as a mother to boys.......I caught Jelly Fish. Might not sound like a big deal but I am a big chicken about anything involving any animals. I mean I am afraid of most dogs, petrified of snakes and any other animals. To help you better understand I will share a story with you. One time I was driving with the boys and there was a turtle in the road. I decide to stop and Kastan asks if we can take it home and let it lose in the water at our house. Well we get out and I tell him to put it in this box. Well that was a disaster because he was scared and I couldn't do it and just to leave I had to get in the passengers side and crawl over because I didn't even want to walk beside the turtle. You would of thought it was a ninja turtle! So after hearing that imagine my pride as I caught 4 jelly fish in a bucket. I am from the midwest so I didn't realize all the hassle they can cause but they can sting you. People around her just get them out of the water, bury them in the sand and go on about their way. Today I was the cool mom getting them out so the boys could examine them and bury them!!!

Mandatory Fun

So how does an exciting well planned adventure turn into a stressed out Momma pulling her hair out and screaming we are having fun whether you like it or not. I will help you understand. Yesterday I took my boys and my 8 year old neice to the Air and Space Center. It was about an hour drive in which Kye asked me 3261 times if he could ride a space rocket, the older two disagreed on everything they talked about. I hit a drive through on the way there because I knew things would be way overpriced. That was a mess in itself just trying to get them to eat their food and not re-upholster the car in fries and nuggets. Well we finally make it there and the older two would run up to the exhibts and just push every possible button. They didn't read what was going on but would ask me every question about what was going on. I had to tell them to read afterall I had no clue myself, at times they think I am a walking enclypedia (huh kids look I can't even spell enclypedia) and should have all the answers. Then Kastan decides he is afraid of everything, they had a lot of cool exhibts that involved entering a little movie showing and my sweet boy that asks to watch movies like I am legend was afraid of movies at the Air and Space Center, I mean really. Then Kye, my little fire cracker, I believe he was channeling his inner camel because he asked for something to drink every 30 steps. I think he was trying to store water for a trip across the desert and expected him to leave with a hump in the middle of his back. So by the 6000th drink, the pleading to just go to the gift shop and dragging my 7 year old in a plane to watch a movie in which I directed him to go ask some of the 3 year olds for reassurance if he was that scared I think I almost lost my mind! I had to explain we were there to have fun and there were not going to be an exceptions, everyone was gonna have fun. I did get some good pictures so of course I will share them with you guys!!