The Past Week

 

Here is what we were up to around here this past week....

 

 

 

~I started doing my weekly grocery shopping at Target (most of it anyway) since I get the discount. I also used Target Cartwheel, and saved a total of $17 on my trip! awesome! I could have saved even more if I had coupons, but my printer is broken. I also got stuck in the section of Holiday goodies and came home with some Chex Mix "muddy buddies" and mmmm they are so delicious!

 

~I got to go see Arnold at lunch one day at work. I picked up some Subway to eat. It is still strange going to lunch with him and not dragging along the kids anymore!

 

~I don't know HOW I did it, but I lost my Toys R Us layaway sheet. I carry it with me and go pay on the bill every so often. Thankfully they were able to pull it up for me (after some trouble) and I was able to make my payment. I am also missing my "rewards" card. WHERE did I put them?!

 

~I broke out my Christmas cds. I now have 2 Trans-Siberian Orchestra cds, a Manheim Steamroller, and Ho Ho Hoey in my van to listen to at all times. It is driving Arnold nuts. He says I need new cds because he has listened to the same songs over and over again. But the kids are just like me and love it.. they even request certain songs now! ;)

 

~I worked Wed. night at Target, till closing. I like weeknights better than weekends because it usually dies down at the registers around 9pm, as people are at home getting ready for bed!

 

~Friday night Arnold went to the Eagles concert w/ some family. So the kids and I packed up and headed to my BFF Joanne's house. We all ate dinner together and then let the kids loose to play together. Joanne and I lounged on the couch and watched cheesy Christmas movies. It was glorious! ;)

 

~Brooke made an 100 on her spelling test! Go Brooke! Caleb made an 87.. he missed two but then got the bonus words right.. go figure! He usually makes 100 on his tests so I don't know what happened this time, but I'm still proud.. little guy works hard!

 

~Speaking of Caleb, he lost his 3rd tooth! It had been wiggling by just a teeny bit FOREVER and it came out while he was eating dinner!

 

~I finished the 1st in the "Windy City Neighbors" series by Neta Jackson. I LOVE her books! This particular book had a slow start but really picked up and the end left me hanging... ugh.. not one of those endings. So now I can't wait to get the next one!

 

~The kids, Arnold and I went out to lunch with Pop (my father in law) at Giovanni's. He called us up last minute and asked if we wanted to go. It was a cold day and we were doing nothing, so it was a nice surprise and fun to get out!

 

~I worked in the baby class at church. I hadn't been able to work one of my regular weeks because I was sick, so they called me in on another Sunday to help out. We had 3 little guys and one girl this week.. not too bad, and none of them cried which was awesome! ;) I also got to play with a little guy that has never been in there before.. I know his parents and I am glad they trusted me to watch him ;)

 

~I finally got Arnold to agree to a Christmas movie with me, and the other night we watched National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation!!!! One of the funniest Christmas movies ever!!! :D It is a tradition, you just HAVE to watch that movie every year! The kids were probably having a hard time sleeping, with me laughing so hard ;) "Clark, is your house on fire?!" "No, those are just the Christmas lights!" Priceless :) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brooke and her friends Emma and Zoey, at their Fall dance.

Sheldon taking a nap on top of the vent, he was trying to stay warm :)

Caleb showing off the spot where his tooth was! Number 3 is gone!

Out to lunch for yummy pizza on Saturday with Pop!

Joanne whipping up some chili for our hotdogs Friday night!

Joanne surprised me with these cute little owl candles! Isn't she the sweetest?? :)

Was taking some pics of Ben and he was hamming it up!

Rachel let me put her hair up! She never lets me! She looks so grown up!



Working Girl!

 

 

Sooo, I have not blogged in a long time! There is a reason, I have been super busy! I got a job at Target. A few months ago Rachel went to school.. and so all 3 kids are in school now, all day. I thought about getting a job somewhere part time, and put in applications at a few places. A few days later I had an email from Target, saying to come in for an interview. So I went in that day, and I knew it was going well, because I ended up talking to 3 different people. And finally, an hour later, they told me I had the job!

 

Technically, it is a seasonal job, and they watch their new employees for 3 months, and if they do a good job after that, they get hired on from then on. I heard as long as you are on time, don't call out, have good speed at the register, get people to open red cards, and do well on Black Friday, you will stay on. SO here's hoping!

 

It has gone really well so far. I went in for a 4-hour orientation the first day and we went over paperwork, watched movies, went on a tour (which of course I didn't need since I am there ALL the time anyway!) and stuff like that. They went over dress codes and we got our name tags which on mine it said ABIGAIL.. which is my first name but I never go by that! But they were sweet enough to fix it for me, and now it says "Abby." Much better ;)

 

I have worked 2 weeks so far and am on the register. When I interviewed I said I was willing to do sales floor, cashier, stocking, or whatever. I had prayed about it working out how it was supposed to! I am glad I got the cashier job because the stocking job has people coming in around 4 in the morning and I don't think I could have handled that! I have had lots of people help me learn the register, and it is going well. The screen tells you how many sales you have had and your speed. You need to be at 88 percent or higher and I am around 85 percent so I am getting there! The weekends are crazy busy.. one saturday night I had 143 sales total. But at least the time goes by quickly and I don't ever get bored! And everyone I've met so far is so nice! They are easy to talk to and I am making friends there already, I think! :)

 

 

So here are a few of the awesome things about this new job:

 

 

*They worked with me on hours, and never schedule me at the times I have to pick up the kids after school. AND they let me off on Thurs nights so I can keep working at the Pregnancy Care Center.

 

*They are pretty laid back. They let you have water bottles at the register, chew gum, keep your cellphone with you, etc.

 

*They give you free refills on drinks if you buy one while working, at the cafe!

 

* You get a discount! Which you can use on top of Cartwheel and coupons! So I have got some crazy good deals already. And am starting to buy most of my grocery items there, too.

 

*You can cross-train and work in other departments, if you want to. If you think you don't like where you are at, or get bored staying in one place all the tme.

 

*I got my first red card opened! Someone opened one on Saturday while I was working.

 

*They are going to have a nice meal catered in for those working on Black Friday. Something to look forward to on that crazy day, I guess, ha!

 

*My paychecks fall on the weeks Arnold DOESN'T get paid (we both get paid every other week) so that will help us out if things get tight!

 

*They will let spouses/kids use your employee discout also!!

 

*When people come through the line I see all sorts of new items and yummy foods to try. One night after work I left with some monster high footie pjs for Brooke and some white fudge oreos, just because I had seen them earlier that evening ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And a few "not so good" things. But I can live with them, I am thankful for the job!

 

*The weekends are VERY busy. Constantly have people coming through.

 

*They are strict about how fast you are on the register, and they time you.

 

*It is HARD to get people to open red cards! They either have one already or aren't interested.

 

*I have to work Black Friday, and it is an overnight shift! I heard it is going to be insane!

 

*I have to wear red and khaki all the time, which gets boring ;)

 

*While working I see tons of cute things I want to buy... which isn't good when I'm trying to SAVE my paycheck for more important things ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So there is your update on my new job ;) I know you were just dying to hear all that, ha! And for all my local people, come visit me anytime! ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here I am ready to go to work one night! :)

Gift Ideas to get you Started

Since Christmas is NEXT MONTH, I know I'm not the only one trying to think of ideas for gifts? And while it is pretty easy to think of gifts for our kids or our spouses.. sometimes we need ideas for everyone else-- like teachers, classmates, co-workers, friends.. anyone who is special to us and we want to recognize at the holiday. But it's hard to find stuff to make or buy that doesn't cost too crazy much.


I found these-- and some of them I am going to do myself this year. A lot of these can be personalized to suit the person you are gifting.. with their fave. sayings, colors, designs, etc etc. So here are some ideas to get you started!! :)

 

 

 For the man in your life-- how about getting a pack of his favorite beer and adding googly eyes and pom pom noses and pipe cleaners to make "reindeer"? How cute and festive ;)

Maybe for the teen/hard to buy for? Get some candy bars and wrap up with some money and ribbon. Easy, and everyone likes chocolate and money!

Candy sleighs. These would be good to do for several people at once. Use a candy cane for the bottom part, layer with candies of your choosing, and wrap with ribbons and a bow.

Candy cane scrub. I bet this smells good. For the ladies in your life. There are so many different variations and colors of this online.. and the actual recipe. I was going to try this last year but never got around to it.

I am actually doing this for the kids' classmates this year. We already have the big packs of chapsticks. Then you just make the card say "Merry KISSmas and CHAPPY New Year!"

get some use out of old containers! These are pringles cans that have been washed out and they are wrapped in pretty scrapbook paper. And then filled with homemade cookies.

Grandparents would love framed picture of the kiddos. They can hold letters up to spell out a word or phrase.. options are limitless. Love, Peace, Grandma, Grandpa... whatever you want.

Personalized ornaments! They have little wooden letters at craft stores. You can paint them and even write on words, names or designs if you want to. Add a hanger and ribbon and you have yourself a cute ornament to hang on the tree!

I'm sure mailmen get overlooked at lot, but they have crazy jobs that are important.. I know I like getting my mail and packages (at least the good stuff ;) Here is an easy idea.. a big bag of M&Ms with a note attached that says "Thanks for driving MILES & MILES to bring us our mail!"

Homeade ornaments would be cute for the kids to make people. They have clear, plain ornaments at craft stores to buy. You can fill with cotton balls and make a snowman like this one. Or feathers, pom poms, sequins, glitter.. even candy. Whatever you like!

Individual packages of popcorn made to look like snowmen and topped with a pair of gloves is a cute idea. Maybe for neighbors or teachers?

Cute idea for friends or any girly girls. A package filled with nail polish, fuzzy socks, and other types of "feet" things. Include a note that says "May your MISTLETOES be merry, cozy, and bright!"

Another candy idea that is easy, just adding a note. Twizzlers with a note that says "TWIZZ the season to be jolly!"

Once again, they have big wooden letters you can buy at the store. You can cut out pretty scrapbook paper and attach it with some modpodge. (not too hard, I tried it last year!) Add some pretty ribbon to hang it and I'm sure any girl would love a cute monogram! :)



Halloween 2013

 

 

We had a crazy busy week celebrating Halloween. Wednesday night we went to another church for their big Candy Carnival. And wouldn't you know? I left my camera at home and wasn't able to get any pictures :( We went with 2 families of good friends and everyone had a great time. The theme was in Disney, and they had games to play, and characters dressed up and you could even get their autographs. Caleb even went up to quite a few princesses for their autographs ;) The girls got their nails painted, the kids got their faces painted, and then we waited forever in line for the kids to get a balloon animal (frog for Brooke, sword for Caleb, and puppy on a leash for Rachel) Since we were some of the first in line there, the kids got passes for free cotton candy or sno cones before we left.

 

On Halloween morning I got up a little earlier than usual and made the kids a special breakfast. The kids all had Halloween parties at school and ended up bringing home tons of candy and treats. After school I had some surprise gifts waiting on them. I had bought a few things here and there at big toy clearances over the summer and saved them. I also got them Halloween cards that I thought were really cute but they didn't seem to really care that much about ;) That afternoon the neighbors knocked on the door and brought the kids even more goodies. I had come down with a cold or something and was feeling awful, but was determined to get out of the house to have fun that night with the kiddos.

 

That evening when Arnold got home we got ready and went out for the evening. Krispy Kreme was giving out free donuts to everyone in costume so we took the kids to get one. Then as it was starting to get dark we went out trick or treating. I love that this year the kids were big enough to go up to the doors on their own, and we could just stay at the ends of the driveways and watch them. We had a talk with them before and they seemed to be really polite the whole time, so I was proud. Rachel even said "Happy Halloween!" to several people :) No one could tell what Rachel was supposed to be. She got a "Raggegy Ann", a "Pippi Longstocking," and a "Goldilocks." Haha... at least she was cute!

 

After trick or treating till around 7:30, everyone was hungry, so we headed to dinner. We went to Ihop since they were giving out free scary face pancakes to all the kids for Halloween. After dinner we went home and got everyone ready for bed, complete in Halloween pjs of course ;) We had a LONG day, but it was fun. The next afternoon after school the big kids went to a Halloween dance. Preschoolers aren't allowed to go yet so I picked up Rachel and we hung out together and had some fun on our own :)



 

 

 

 

 

I made these "pumpkins" for the kids on Halloween.

We made these treats for the teachers. Test tubes found at Target, filled with M&Ms and some bows tied on. They were cute, I thought. We like to do little things for the teachers at holidays :)

Brooke made this spiderweb art at school.

Gifts set up for the kids after school. 

Anyone else have Lalaloopsy fans? We had to get this year's Halloween girl. I LOVE how they have one come out for every holiday, and can't wait to see the one for Christmas this year!

Cutest napkins I found at the store and had to have them b/c of Sheldon!

One of the houses the kids went to for candy. It is so done-up every year with lights, decorations, and music. They really get into it!

Out to dinner after trick or treat. I didn't really dress up but I did wear some black and orange for Halloween colors.. that counts, right??

Scary face pancakes the kids got at Ihop.

Wearing their halloween pjs to bed that night.

All the candy they got-- a RIDICULOUS amount!!

Stereotypical Parent

So the other night, we were all in the van after taking the kids to a Halloween carnival. We were sitting in the McDonald's drive-thru line to get something quick to eat since it was so late. There was a kids' dvd playing in our van's dvd player. And Arnold and I were getting hit in the back of the head with balloon animals. It was then I thought "wow.. I really feel like a parent right now!" Sure I was amazed and in love the day my kids were born and handed over to me. But I don't think I truly felt like a parent until I was knee-deep in tantrums, homework, sleepovers, class partys, and so on. Life has become so chaotic. And I have found myself doing SO many things I never thought I would do. I swore I'd never do. But in reality, you end up doing what works for you.. and a lot of the times that may be the "easy" way out but it is to keep your sanity!!

Here are some things that come to mind that I have done since becoming a Mom, that makes me feel like the "stereotypical parent." I know you other parents out there HAVE to agree with me, at least on some of them!!! Be sure to share more if you have them!!


1. I am driving a minivan. With plenty of room for all the family, plus an extra friend (or dog). Complete with family sticker decal on back window. And the backseat is usually filled with jackets, papers from school, coupons, and the odd shoe or hairbow.

2. I sometimes feel the urge to walk into their rooms when they are sleeping. I brush back their hair and watch them for a moment. Man, they are so sweet (and quiet!) while they are sleeping!

3. I have been known to start crying out of nowhere. When daydreaming about the future, or watching a video of when the kids were younger. Time goes by way too quickly! Who are those little babies I see in those pics.. they surely can't be mine!!

4. I do all sorts of cutesy stuff for holidays and special occasions. This morning I got up early and made them pumpkins for breakfast before school. Later they will have some small gifts waiting on them after school. I have plans and traditions for every holiday! I just like to see them smile!

5. I beam with pride everytime someone gives the kids a compliment. "Your daugher is so bright!" "Your Son is so helpful and respectful of adults!" "Your daughter is absolutely gorgeous!" "You have a sweet little family!" Everytime I hear one of these I get a good feeling in my tummy. I get more excited over compliments about them than myself, I think.

6. I make funny voices when reading stories. Higher voice, accents, grumbling, you name it. The kids think it's hilarious. Arnold does it too. I think Caleb nearly loses himself everytime I read him a star wars book and say "Caleb, I am your mommy!" (I make it my own ;)

7. We threaten to throw or give away toys if the kids don't clean their rooms. They scream and protest.. but it usually STILL doesn't speed up the process any. In the past Arnold has taken toys down to the basement, and held them captive until they do better about it.

8. We get SO excited when we get that rare date night. Usually I spend all week thinking about it. I plan everything out. I just can't believe that we are going to get all those un-interrupted hours together. Just us. And then, when the kids are gone, MORE THAN ONCE we have passed out in the bed, early. So much for a date night-- we were too exhausted!!

9. Singing kids' songs when they are not even around. I can be standing washing the dishes and catch myself singing the theme song from Kipper the Dog. I have been laying there trying to fall asleep and catch myself humming the theme to Phineas and Ferb. It never lets up!

10. I will stand in really long lines, just to make the kids happy. I have stood in line for prizes, balloon animals, face painting, inflatables, freebies, toys on sale.. you name it. It's always a line!

11. Worry endlessly if they come home and tell me something like "no one would play with me at school today." Then you start over-analyzing it. "Is my kid ok?" "Are they being a bully?" "Are they no fun to be with?" "Did I not teach them enough manners?!" "Will she be damaged socially?!" You go over and over it in your head-- when in all reality it ends up being something silly like "So and so felt like playing with another friend today instead."

12. Research something online because it is all your kid can talk about lately. Brooke recently started playing "Animal Jam" with her friends in class. She asks to have some computer time every day now so she can go join the little virtual community and see everyone. But she is disappointed because she is not a "member." And apparently being a "member" is sooooo much cooler! So I was reading up on it the other day. Seeing what perks you get as a member. How much does it cost? Is it worth it? Am I going to get her a membership for Christmas now? Umm... yep.







I could go on and on, but it would take days. I hope you guys enjoyed my list and be sure to shoot me a comment about any you can think of in your lives ;)

Failure

So, this is what failure means: "an instance of failing or proving unsuccessful; lack of success."

And that is definitely how I feel right now. Do you ever have that kind of week? Where it seems you can do nothing right? Yeah, I am in the midst of that.. and it's not every Friday yet!

Here are a few examples of why I'm feeling this way...

1. I was backing up and ran smack into my mailbox, and knocked it over. Wouldn't have been so bad except that is not the first time that thing has had to be put back up! AND I'm thinking the neighbors saw me, and I know they already believe I'm not that great of a driver :x

2. I was fussing at the kids, for not paying attention and getting their homework done faster. When in reality, it wasn't that big of an issue, just me being impatient.

3. I made a fairly nice dinner the other night, had everyone sitting down and eating it, and Arnold's plate got cold. To be fair, he WAS home later than usual from work, but I still felt bad. I try to time things out just right, and it doesn't always work.

4. Last night I was playing with Rachel and then was rocking her back and forth, just being silly. Caleb came up to me and said "why do you like her the best?" Oh wow. Have I been making it seem like I have a favorite? Because that is not the case at all! Sure, I react with my kids very differently. They are different genders and have very different personalities. But I didn't know Caleb was feeling left out. Need to work on that. Note to self: learn more about "boy stuff!"

5. Brooke has had to have so much dental work. Even thought we take care of all the kids' teeth the same way, she has been doomed with repeated cavities, fillings, crowns, and even extractions. On top of that, she has dealt with seizures in the past and now ADHD. She is only 7- why is she having to go through all this? It kills me to see her struggle. I don't want her to feel any pain. Part of her dental issues might be from thumb-sucking. She DID suck her thumb for a really long time, come to think of it. Should I have tried to get her to stop? Is it partly my fault her teeth and jaw are messed up? Sheesh. I thought I was actually escaping problems when none of mine would take a pacifier!





Anyway, I could go on, but I won't bore you. So that is what I'm dealing with lately. I just feel so let-down and un-sure of myself. It is hard to keep up with life. It's amazing how one day you can feel top-of-the-world and so confident in yourself, and then the next you feel like you are worth nothing.

But I guess I have to remember that to fail from time to time is human, but you have to rise up and try again. Sometimes again AND again. If you refuse to try, THEN you become a "failure." No one is immunue to failure and heartache, not even Christians. Not even those of us who feel we are "very close" in our walk with God. Sometimes it doesn't feel fair. But I know that God is there to help me get through those times. I looked up and found "let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." That is Hebrews 12:1 in the Bible.

So I hope I am not the only who experiences these kinds of days (weeks??!) I'm sure I'm not. Thanks for letting me ramble. And for anyone else going through a tough week, remember that you always have someone on your side.

Weekend Recap!

 

 

Friday morning I went out to do a little shopping. I went to the mall, to Bath and Body works, to get more wallflowers (Japanese cherry blossom of course!) and while I was there I found some other things because they were having SUCH good sales! I got Rachel a few things in Sears, AND I had some rewards dollars that I didn't even know about, so I got money off my order. I made a stop into Gymboree because they had 40% off their already clearanced items. I picked up the kids a few shirts, the girls a few accessories, and the CUTEST baby outfit with matching hat and blanket. At checkout, the lady asked me if I wanted a giftbox for the outfit. I told her no, that it was for Brooke's lifelike baby she is getting for Christmas! LOL! I have lost my mind? Nah, it was cheap AND so cute!

 

Arnold called me later on and surprised me with saying he was getting off work early. So we met up and had lunch together. We might have even been bad and had some chocolate mousse cake! YUM! That afternoon when the kids came home, I decided to give them little prizes from my "stash" because they had all made A's on their spelling tests and gotten 2 weeks worth of "smileys." So now Caleb has a new little Kreo set, Brooke has the Aladdin figurine set, and Rachel has a Mrs. Potato head (haha.) They were happy-- I love doing little surprises for the kids--- my mom always did stuff like that for me growing up!

 

Saturday morning we went to Brooke's very last football game of the season. It was a special game too, because they had homecoming!! I was very excited that the weather was nice-- no rain, and actually not too cold! The dads and grandpas of the girls escorted them out on the field, and they got a sash and a crown. Instead of picking a "queen" like they did before, they gave each girl a title. Brooke got "listening ear." And RIGHT after that she said "hey dad, what did they say I won?!" Not kidding! Ha! I was thinking "yeah right!" ;) It was the sweetest thing EVER watching them, and I took 55 pictures while there. Had to make sure I captured all the good moments! Both sets of her grandparents were there.. they ALL made it out to see her.. even if her Pop Pop had to take a few conference calls at the game before it started (that's a good Grandpa right there! ;)

 

Saturday evening they had a big festival in the town that I went to highschool at. We dressed up the kids in their costumes and got them ready. Brooke begged me to wear makeup, so I let her wear a little. All the kids looked so cute! They did several trunk or treats and it took forever to get through the line. By the time we were done we were hungry, so we went across the street to Blue Moon Tavern and had dinner. We saw at least 3 or 4 other families in there that we knew, that had the same idea! :) We all had a good time, except Caleb kept complaining that his mask was either too tight or itchy, and I had to keep readjusting the girls' wigs!

 

Sunday afternoon we took the kids to ANOTHER fall festival. Put on by our church (well another campus.) It was HUGE. They had the biggest inflatables you'd ever seen. We went on a hayride, let the kids jump in the inflatables (only 2 because the lines were so long!) and went to the trunk or treat. One of the trunks was actually decorated with camo and the guy was dressed up like Willie from Duck Dynasty! (my fave of all of them ;) When we finished up, we decided to stop by the inlaw's house real quick since they live right down the road. We gave them copies of Brooke's cheerleading pictures that had just come back that weekend. And they had little Halloween treats for the kids, too. The kids have SO much candy now it is insane, and it's not even actual Hallowen day yet!!!

 



 

 

 

 

Here are a few pics from the weekend...

 

 

 

 

The costume I picked out for Sheldon to wear! I hope he will keep it on! ;)

Brooke and I at the game

Waiting in line

Here comes brooke with daddy! She is smiling so big!

Getting her tiara. 

With our sweet girl!

All dressed up. Hulk, Lalaloopsy, and Clawdeen Wolf from Monster High

At the halloween festival Sat night

Eating at the Tavern. Brooke looks SO grown up here!

Arnold tried on Caleb's stuff! He didn't drive home like this.. don't worry!

I went super curly! ha!

On the hayride Sunday afternoon.

Going through the trunk or treat

Aww isn't he adorable?! ;)