Turning up Our Doing Dial

Has anyone noticed my absence?
I feel blogged out or really my life just has nothing noteworthy to report is probably more like it. :)

I haven't slept in weeks now. Mostly because I have an ever growing project list in my head and if I sleep then the spinning plates will crash.
Write it down you say?! Brilliant. I do that, but the madness doesn't stop. I am sure it is a disease, to bad my husband hasn't caught it. ;)

I told Chad this Spring Break (which now that I have plans will be sure to rain every.bloody.day) and summer we are doing something. I have a list and if you don't get a job you will be put to work here with no pay. ;) Oh, kind of like my full time job. HA!

So my kids had birthdays...darn those things coming around once a year...AND Christmas. The toys.are.out.of.control. Seriously, I want to light a match pack them up and donate them ALL! I mean no one ever wants to play with anything, all they want to do is bother me while I cook dinner and work on our taxes, fight with each other, or better yet watch non-stop tv. {it's mostly educational. give me a break.} ;)

This weekend I took it upon myself to organize the mass chaos. I found shelving in our storage room and went to town. Shh...don't say anything, but momma got rid of some crap...that's what you get when you don't help. :)

Here is the before {round 2--since this is a NEVER ending project!}

I got this toy bin at the consignment sale last year for a steal! {Please note there are 3 THREE!! bins EMPTY!!!--no grandmas this does NOT mean they need more toys. ;) }

Horrible picture, but the closet. More shelving. I wish I could afford cute, fun, stylish shelves, but I can't and this works. I am actually putting this picture IN the closet so my kids {and husband/grandmas} can remember where everything goes. I did not work this hard and sweat to have it all messed up. :) I am so OCD type-A it can be frightening for those living here. I am sorry. :)

I do have a fun rack for the dress up clothes but it isn't hung up yet...ahem Chad. But it is SO MUCH better in there and there is room to play. I am fairly confident I heard a "Hallelujah Chorus" when I was done.

PLAYING!!!!!! They have been instructed for the 1073rd time that when they get out a toy they MUST put it back before getting out a new one...we shall see. I know when they are on their own they will hear my voice "a place for everything and everything in its place," much like I hear my mother's and THEN I will know I have done my job. :)

On another note Stevie The TV died a few weeks ago. It was very sad. We knew it was coming as "he" was sick for a few weeks prior, then one day I had to pull the plug...literally. It was peaceful and I am fairly certain "he" felt no pain.

Yesterday Stevie the III arrived. Now my tv-aholics can once again enjoy their programming.

I have lots of craft projects on my list and this was one of them.
Leighton wanted a bed/cradle for her babies for her birthday. A few months ago I stumbled upon this "diamond in the rough" at Goodwill and she was $4.99. Sold. I knew that a good coat of spray paint would give her new life. Seriously, spray paint is like magic.
{Before}

{After}

No befores, but this is an "ugly" brown jewelry box I had from my childhood. I had been seeing on pinterest these fun new and improved "vintage" jewelry box make-overs. Lo has a ridiculous amount of "jewelry" already, so I breathe new life into this with a few coats of spray paint. 

Hard to tell but it is the same color as the cradle {off/antique white} and then I painted on the Tiffany blue since that doesn't come in spray paint form; distressed it a bit and then finished off the hardware with some metallic spray paint I just so happen to have. Yes, I have my own "spray paint" section in my garage...it's an obsession. 

I have a larger one I am going to do for her too and then may take on my own. My ultimate goal is to have this jewelry box "collage" in her room to store all her junk keepsakes.

Source: blog.stitchawishdesigns.com via Michele on Pinterest

Anyway, that is what has been going on here...exciting right?! I hope to have more home make-over done soon! I am ready to make this place MINE OURS. ;)

Sesame Street Live {2013}

This past weekend we, along with my MIL took the kids to Sesame Street Live!
We are on our 3rd year of going. It started out as a special date day with Leighton after baby brother arrived, and well, now baby brother is a big boy girl and can "go too."

This year we made it to the "play zone." I use the term loosely because there wasn't a lot of playing, more like photo op time. Which was great, but I really was hoping for more Sesame Street fun than photo booths. Oh well, live and learn. It did help kill the time before the show.

A few scenes from the "play zone."
We went with some of our besties. I just love those girls and well, MW has quite the selection of ladies to pick from as they are all on the "pre-approved" dating list.

They did have some of the cast come out and do a few numbers.

 Micah was scared of them and kept making this pouty face. Grandma Rachel to the rescue to hang out by the window. HA! I was hoping this would not be fortuitous of how he would act in the show...

Show time.
This year I got smart and packed our own snacks and water.
This is what MW looked like the ENTIRE show. Sitting in Grandma's lap, munching on goldfish, memorized.

Leighton was thrilled, yet again. She even brought her OWN camera to take pics. She was so proud. Need to download those I suppose. :)

The theme was Elmo makes music. He found Abby's wand and thus made everyone sing all.day.long.

Again, MW with the staring. He is my tv watcher. Must be a boy thing. HA! When Lo was his age, she watched shows and tv, but usually got bored 6 minutes in and would be off playing something else. Not Micah, he will watch tv all.day.long. if you would let him. So he did really well at the show! 

I tried to get Micah's pic with Elmo...wasn't having it. He isn't always my obedient child, like his sissy. 

2013

Pics from the last 2 years, crazy how much she has grown up!! In 2011 she and MW are the same age!! NUTS! Has it really been that long?!?!

It was a fun date day. I am so glad we have had the opportunity to take them. We may just have to go back one more time... 

Yo Ho Mateys Away {Birthday Edition}

This past weekend we celebrated the kids' birthdays with none other than a Jake and the Never Land Pirates Party. Are you surprised? Didn't think so.

It was a duel party.
1. Because I can and it makes momma's life easier. 2. Because they are exactly 1 month apart and 3. Because the level of obsession they both possess for Jake and the NLP may require counseling at some point.

{The Invite}

Also this is the FIRST ever real, we are inviting friends par-tay. It was a Y pool party, fitting right?!

{The cake}
Made by yours truly. :) Remember guys jealousy is un-becoming, I can't help my mad cake skills. ::insert sarcasm:: At least my 4 year old daughter thought it rocked and that is all that matters.

Leighton is making some weird face and MW absolutely.always.refuses.family. pics when GPs are around. It is beyond maddening, but my motto is "go with the flow" I am NOT going to force a cranky, naughty, screaming child to take a picture and ruin it for the "good" child. So there you have it no birthday boy with his cake.

{The party}
We had the room for 30 minutes before swim time. I personally didn't think it was enough time to eat cake and hang out, but I guess all the kids cared about anyway was swimming.

{Candles}
The Y provided the other much nicer cake, but since they didn't do Jake I had to.

{Pool Time}
Here's a neat little story from the day.
So our Y's boiler has gone down probably 3x in the last month. With the 3rd time being Par-TAY day.
I get a call at 12 {after I had finished icing their fantabulous Jake cake} telling me this fantastic bit of news. In their defense they were helpful and came up with some suggestions, just none that would be workable for a bunch of 4 and unders.
We were a bit upset. Finally they decided they WOULD re-open the pool and told us it just may be cold. Oh, okay no biggie, said nobody ever. Chad wanted to post-pone. I didn't. I figured we could end up in this same boat in 2 weeks, I said we will just go and make the best of it. I prayed all afternoon that somehow, someway God would fix that boiler and/or keep the water warm. HE did. The water was way warmer than I imagined it would be and the kids didn't seem to mind at all...as Lo and Avery had to be drug from the water to go home 1.5 hours later. HA!

My dad actually took all of the pool pictures. I was really impressed on what he took and how he orchestrated a bunch of good photo ops. Thanks dad! I really appreciate it!!

My friends seriously have some of the cutest kids I know!
Ezra and MW are like 2 peas in a pod. Ezra is just so cute! and squishy!

My favorite red headed boy. I can't believe how much I love that hair now, but it is starting to blonde up.

Trying out a new editing action...Auntie Meg is the best. She jumped right in there with the kids. This momma just stood on the sidelines. I am a wuss.

He may not have wanted a cake picture, but he wouldn't leave my side for long at the pool, so we grabbed this "family" pool pic. Lo didn't want to be bothered with picture taking.

After awhile we did wrangle her into a picture, but this is the best we got. I actually love it, it is us.

I am 4!

Tired love bear. MW had been battling croup all week. I asked our doc and he said as long as he was fever free for 24 hours he could go. He was, but he is still worn out by it.

When these cute little girls got cold they would go and sit by the sauna door to "warm up!"

I am telling cute cute and CUTE kids!

One of the prettiest little girls I know.

My besties, from HS. Here we are 12 years and 2 kids each later and at times it is like no time has passed at all! I love these girls!!

Party goers.

Leighton found the rock wall and proceeded to climb it.

After the pool party we headed home with the GPs to eat pizza and open gifts.
What's that Lo? You got WAY too many gifts and don't need another thing for the rest of your life?!
Oh, except money for your college fund?! Sounds like a great idea. Glad you thought of it. :)

Seriously?! We have great friends and family, but this may have been overkill.

Oh course they received the rest of the Jake and the NLP stuff on the market as predicted. Should have bought stock in that. Dang it. MW LOVING this sword!! Loving. PS isn't his puffer vest adorbs?!?!

My neighbor seriously put craftiness to shame with the stuff she comes up with. This was to die for. Photo shoot here we come!

This car mat is a huge hit around here, takes up an entire living room, but it has provided tons of entertainment around here!

My cute little pirate.

It was a great party. We were definitely blessed by family and friends. I am so glad I had the joint party and will probably continue to do so until it just doesn't work anymore. Scratch that I may not always have a "real" party for the kids every year, sometimes less is more and simple is peaceful. But this was definitely fun and I am so glad we did it! 

Happy 2nd Birthday Buddy! AND Happy 4th Birthday  my sweet girl. We love you both so much and proud of the two little people you are turning into!

Love Mommy and Daddy