It's been awhile...

I have not fallen off the face of the Earth.  Quite the opposite.  I've been firmly planted on the ground trying to get things done for the holidays.  My goal was to have the non-glamorous stuff out of the way 2 weeks before Christmas Day.  For the most part, I've accomplished that, but there is little stuff that pops up along the way.  The little detail bits that I always seem to forget year after year.

Once school let's out, I will breathe a bit easier. 

But sharing details about my schedule is a total bore.  So, I will tell you what I'm making all of the teachers, bus drivers, occupational therapists, speech therapists, physical therapists, and teacher assistants for Christmas gifts. 

I insist on handmade when possible, and useful in some way.  You can imagine my difficulty every year in coming up with something.  Honestly, if I could give them all $100 in a card I would.  We love our teachers, etc.  They deserve it without a doubt, but my pockets do not run that deep.  :(

For the men on the list above, we are doing THIS.

Assembly will take place later this week.  If you want to know where any of my supplies came from they came from here and here.  I am making some cute, vintagey red & white labels for the spice containers with clip art from here.

For the ladies on the list, we are making THESE.

They are coming along nicely.  I was able to find fun wooden spools at Hobby Lobby, and I think they make the kits look much better than the cheap plastic ones. 

These gifts are turning out cheaper than I originally budgeted for, but I think since our blood sweat and tears {mostly mine} is going into them, they are more meaningful, even if it's just a little bit.

What do you do for teacher gifts?  Do you give to your mailman, trash men, etc?  If so, what do you give?  In the past, we've given those peeps fast food bucks for a quick lunch.  You'd be amazed at what good service you'll receive when you let them know they are appreciated, too. 

If you have any questions about these projects just let me know...

be blessed & stuff.

just because it makes me smile.

So, just a few things before the big turkey day...

1. I totally forgot to celebrate my 3rd bloggersary.  It was officially on October 12th.  I cannot believe it's been 3 years.  Wow!

2.  A big welcome to all the new followers I've gotten in the last few days.  You have landed in Crazy Town.  I hope you enjoy your stay.

3. Thanksgiving is one of my most favorite times of year.  It's like Christmas, but without the presents.  And, let's face it...the presents just complicate things.

4.  I hope you find blessings in the little things.  They are EVERYWHERE...if you look hard enough!  My advice would be to look with your heart, not your eyes. 

Happy Thanksgiving, and many blessings!

My 2011 Holiday Wishlist

Because sometimes people Big Daddy needs some direction, and PLENTY of time.

Oh, who am I kidding.  We rarely even do the gift thing. 

So, I will be really irrational and make some of these items DREAM wishes.

Go big or go home.

The gifts are more fun when they're for the kids anyway.

But, just in case...

Cath Kidston Gnome Jasmine Jumper

Lensbaby Composer Lens & the Sweet 35 Optic

Hunter Original Tall Wellies in Dark Olive or Green

AlienBees B400 flash unit

Tory Burch Patent Caroline Ballet Flat in Camille Pink

a trip HERE because I heart it, and haven't been in 12 years

{can we add Scotland & Ireland this time?}

Yeah, right.

And, since I have been a good girl this year, and will be receiving every item on this list, thank you in advance, Big Daddy. 

Wink, wink.

That time of year.

Well, it's that time of year.  The time of year that I costantly feel stressed, anxious, spread too thin.

Once New Year's rolls around, I can breathe easy.

It's the holidays and everything that goes along with it {baking, parties, gift buying}, the financial aspect of the holidays and never wanting to spend what we don't have which means getting creative, which means making my head hurt, all of the school obligations, the cold/bad weather starts {which I actually love, but it adds 20 minutes onto the commute anywhere making sure 4 kids are bundled}, and all of the unexpected things that you just don't plan on happening because, let's face it, they always seem to happen in force at this time of year. {This is my finest run-on sentance to date.}

Every year, I vow to slow down, say no, enjoy the time spent with family and friends that we don't get to see that often. But every year, I fail miserably. 

Is there some magic spell I should know?  A part of the equation I'm missing?

The real tragedy is, I have so much to enjoy.  So much to be grateful for.  The obvious: husband, kids, health, home, clothes, food, a general want for nothing.  But there is also the not so obvious: a thriving start up business, a husband who has been sober for 6 1/2 months, people who appreciate my gifts of which I love to share, the realized joy of having a child with special needs, the acceptance of who I am and being comfortable in this skin.

So, I have to ask myself, what gives? 

I am alone in this struggle?

I find it so hard to be in the moment from Halloween to Christmas.  And there are so many fantastic moments to find yourself in during these months. 

What do you do to slow down, enjoy, relax?

PLEASE TELL ME! 

Please?

You could potentially save me from certain doom. 

Here's to the littles {and not so little anymore} that make us moms.

Without them our name wouldn't be 'Mom'.  Hope every momma had a fantastic day yesterday!


**all photos by yours truly**

for the love...

via pinterest

via thirty-something drama queen

I know it's an overly commercialized holiday, but I think it's sweet.

Not so much the candlelight, fine wine, & roses angle

{unnecessary pressure on a relationship},

but for the crafts, the colors, the sweet little things you can do for the loves in your life.

You should let them know everyday how you feel,

but on this day you can do a little something extra.

A note, a cut-out heart, a homemade cookie, a bear hug.

It's even more fun when you do something anonymous.

I hope you enjoy this day as much as we do.

I mean who needs roses when you have your very own ROSIE?

She happily obliged me on a lunch date to Panera,

or as we say in the Lou, St.Louis Bread Co.

{After all, it originated right here.}

Happy Valentines Day!

Motherhood snapshot: a day in the life of Grebe.

6:30/6:45 - Wake-up.
6:45:37 - Make a cup or gallon of coffee.
7:00 - Fight with Pete to get up, get dressed, or eat breakfast. Or all three.  He's not a morning person.  At all.
7:15 - Everyone is dressed and settled, unless Betsy is having a melt-down from Big Jake or I hollering at Pete to get up, get dressed, or eat breakfast.
7:30 - Big Jake off to work.
7:30/8:00 - Kids watch an episode of  'The Suite Life' while I finish getting ready for the day, and make beds upstairs, or sometimes I blog.
8:00 - The troops brush teeth, get on shoes, go out to the bus stop, which, luckily, is at the end of the driveway.
8:05/8:15 - Referee the boys during the wait. This can include, but is not limited to; making sure the kickball game is played fairly, keeping them from swinging sticks at each other, or backpacks, or throwing rocks across the street into the neighbors yard.
8:15 - Boys are on bus and off to school.
8:20 - Betsy is on bus and off to school.
8:20:17 - Rosie starts whining that she wants to go to the grocery store.  This can mean Target, Hobby Lobby, Costco, the actual grocery store, breakfast with Aunt Jill, cousin Kate, and Grandpa Sarge, doctor's office, post office, or, basically, anywhere that is not home.
8:30 - Feed Chopper his special diabetic food, wait for him to finish, give him a shot of insulin, let him out to pee for the 438th time that morning, wait for a neighbor to bring him back because he escapes from the yard every other day.
8:45 - Shove some sort of nutrition into my gob, or skip the food and blog if I haven't already.  It depends.
9:00 - Out the door.
9:00/10:30 - This time is usually for errands, the park, breakfast dates, playdates or more errands.  I TRY to do Target on Tuesday or Wednesday, and the grocery store on Thursday.
10:30/11:00 - Put stuff away from said errands.  Maybe fold a basket of laundry.  Do a light pick up around the house.
11:30 - Make another humongo cup of coffee.
11:45 - Betsy gets home.
12:00 - Make lunch.
12:20 - Clean-up lunch.
12:21 - Start warning the girls of their approaching nap time.
12:22 - Go downstairs and clean-up the boys junk, make their beds.  Bring up another basket of laundry.
12:35/1:00 - Fold laundry, make the girls chocolate milk, put them in bed.
1:00/3:00 - This time is for laundry, cleaning, crafting, sewing, gardening, baking.  SOMETIMES a little cat nap myself.  It really depends.  Mostly cleaning.
3:00/3:40 - Girls start waking up, if they haven't already.  Geesh!  I try to get dinner started or finished, like, if I'm making homemade soup, lasagna, a crockpot meal, or something like that.
3:45 - Boys are home, and in full effect.
3:50 - After school snacks, lemonade, homework.
4:30 - If it's nice the boys will go outside with their friends and ride bikes up in the cul-de-sac.  We have a TON of kids in the neighborhood.  If dinner is pretty well started, I'll take the girls out, too.
5:30/5:45 - Big Jake is home, and we sit down to eat.  On Wednesdays & Thursdays, we have a quick grab and go dinner; grilled cheese/soup, semi-homemade pizza, baked ravioli, because Jake has football and baseball practice, and Pete has Accelerated Reading Club.
6:00/6:30 - Big Jake cleans-up dinner {thank you, honey}, and I give the girls their bath.  On Mondays at 6:30 the boys have religion class at our church until 8:00.  Otherwise, they may read or watch a show on Disney.
7:00 - Boys start showers.  They are on a rotating schedule as to who gets in the shower first.  If I were them, I'd go first every night to get it over with and to get all the hot water I want.  When will they learn?
7:30/8:00 - Big Jake goes through their bags, and signs off on homework.  {Again, thank you, my dear.}
8:00 - Betsy goes to bed.
8:30/9:00 - Boys and Rosie go to bed.  Once they are in bed, I go for a run. 
9:30/10:00 - Big Jake watches TV, might fold some laundry because it never ends around here {much appreciated}, catches up on email or Facebook.  I come back from the torture of running {which, by the way, I ran 3.4 in 31 minutes Tuesday night, thank you, very much}, drink some water, get in the shower, and, then, do a combination of the following; talk and laugh with Jake about our days, catch up on DVR, laundry, Facebook, reading my favorite blogs, emails, bills/checkbook, calendar/schedule, or sometimes, but rarely, go straight to bed.
11:00 - Almost always in bed by this time, but we usually talk some more. 
11:30 - Sleeping and dreaming of having someone to do it for me all over again the next day. 

I look at what I've just written, and I think how most people would think it's monotonous, mundane, boring.  Maybe it is, but I'm so thankful this is my life.  No drama, no surprises.  For the most part anyway.  It's all mine, and I am blessed.

I, also, decided to make myself some steel-cuts with fresh strawberries after reading this.  I REALLY need to start eating a good breakfast, and get the metabolism working in overdrive.

Hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day weekend!  You deserve it if you day is anything like mine.

See you all Monday.

P.S. I'm not a blogger who uses MckLinky, but was thinking about doing a monthly recipe swap with it.  I feel like I make the same stuff for dinner, over, and over, and over.  Don't you?  Any takers?  Comment or email me.

Easter Photo Essay

Can you see the 80+ eggs we hid?

What's that you said?

No?

That's because we are that good!

BUT...

these kids are better!

They found them all in approximately 11.67 minutes.

Then,

they got to enjoy the fruits of their labors.

Kate...

this one is for you.

Especially, for you.

While all the other kiddos were riding or scooting...

Uncle Brent took Bets for a ride.

A highly assisted and supervised ride.

Thanks, Uncle Brent.

Did I ever tell you my folks are Senior BMX champs?

Well, that's because they aren't.

But, they look like they are.

Don't they?

They have mad skillz.

There were pretty cookies.

And, then...

there were crabby kids.

This about sums up the final hour or so we were at my Ma & Pop's.

Yes, that's a corn cob.

{She held it & gnawed on it all afternoon.}

And, yes, she is throwing a

too-much-sugar-no-nap-going-for-ten-hours-straight-don't-take-my-cob

FIT!

Time to go!

Hope you all had an equally enjoyable Easter!

P.S.

Sadly, I forgot my camera when we went to Jake's parents' house

for brunch after church.

But, we had a great time there, too.

I highly recommend Miss Paula Deen's Baked French Toast

with praline topping.

I {heart} butter.

Happy Easter!

image Martha Stewart

And this is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.

1 John 2:25

Yadda, Yadda.

Spray painting madness.

I've decided the frames that we're hanging

along the basement staircase needed

lightening up.

A fresh coat of glossy white paint oughta do it.

I have some other 'surprise' projects being painted, too.

This is a favorite spot of mine in our home.

It's a strip of happiness in the hallway

dedicated to the kids artwork.

It, too, needs an update.

Yummy new fabric.

 I'm liking this one from here.

Next, is the BIG clock.

I {heart} my BIG clock.

But, when I saw this...

from here (photo),

well, I knew what needed to be done.

More fabric, more spray paint.

Oh, and Tammy is my real life friend,

so you should show her some love.

Finally,

I've been dying to get my sew back on.

Selfishly,

I'll be starting with something for myself.

The project is this skirt...

from here (photo and tutorial).

Bonus:

it has pockets!

That's right!

Pockets.

Then,

some bed sheet curtains,

and lots of applique for the kids.

All are in my sewing future.

I'm going to try a new twist on the boys 'neck tie shirt'.

Just in time for their new Easter duds.

It'll be tough,

but they'll be even cuter than last year.

Oh, and how could I forget baking.

Toffee Crack...

from here (photo and recipe).

There will be lots of that in my life

in the weeks to come.

I don't think it's included in the P90X program,

but if you're not flexible in life

you're setting yourself up for failure.

Right?

P.S.

Check out my handy-work (the cake and cake balls) here.

a season for change.

***Warning:  this is going to be a ramble.  I have not organized my thoughts on this one AT ALL.  These kinds of posts always seem to get me into trouble, but it's my blog, so deal.

I come from a VERY large extended family on both sides.  My mom's side is significantly larger than my dad's, but both are pretty big.  My dad comes from a family of 5 (his middle brother, my uncle, is deceased), and my mom comes from a family of 8.  What makes both families unique, is that, aside from the occasional college student, we all live in the area.  Isn't that weird/cool/sad/good all at the same time?

Needless to say, it has caused mass chaos at holiday time throughout the years.  Gotta go here, gotta be there kind of stuff.  Fast forward to 2009.  It's hard.  Really hard. 

Here's the deal...
I really enjoy being with my family.  ALL of them.  But things in my own world are changing.  I'm not the 18-year-old girl dragging her boyfriend (yes, he became my husband) around to only 2 events.  I'm a wife & mother to 4 children.  Christmas is about a lot of things, but namely, it's about sharing the magic of the birth of the King with children, and everything else that goes along with that.  And, now that I have my own kids, that one sentence has a whole new meaning for me. 

Let me say again, I love my extended family.  We all get along, and laugh, and joke, and play games, and, generally, enjoy each other when we are all together.  But, when is enough, enough? 

That sounded harsh.  And, I really, really don't mean it to. 

What I'm trying to say, and failing at miserably, is that as time goes on, can things always remain the same.  Can we all cram into someone's house, shoulder to shoulder, with new girlfriends, husbands, babies, etc., and still get the same thing out of it that we did 15 years ago?

On my mom' side we have resorted to renting a hall, or splitting up into our smaller groups to do holidays, birthdays, and the like.  I feel like, at this point, we just get together for the sake of getting together. A HAVE to, not a WANT to.  And, I really do still want to see them, and spend time with them around the holidays, but it's getting to be so much.  Church, Chirstmas Eve festivities, then Christmas morning with just us, then Jake's side, then my side.  Ugh!

I want to claim one of the two days as our own.    No distractions.  Just us.  Any which way I look at it, it's the Christmas Eve gathering that needs to get axed.  It makes me sad, but at the same time, I'm not sure that I still get the same charge out of that party that I used to.  I still enjoy it, but it's not the same.

That's sounds awful.  And, sometimes change is hard to stomach, but it's necessary.  Unavoidable.

I hope I didn't make any of my familial readers sad or mad.  Sometimes, I think that I say out loud what many of you are thinking.  There are pros and cons to zipping it shut AND being more upfront.  Is there a right or a wrong?  I'm not sure.  Confronting it head on has always worked better for me.   

Does anyone else feel the same?  Please tell me I'm not alone...

Please.

Ugh.

Lately, I am feeling like there isn't enough of me to go around. 

The walls are closing in. 

It always seems to happen during the holidays.

Every year I try to set things up so that this doesn't happen.

And every year, I seem to fail.

I say no to doing too much at school, no to buying/making too many gifts for too many people,

no to baking too many cookies, no to sending too many cards.

I try my best to simplify.

So, what gives?

Why is it the same every year?

It's getting better...

but certainly not simple.

I've even contemplated staying in ALL day on Christmas Eve,

with just our little family. 

Why is it that the one time of year when we should all slow down and breathe

is the one time during the year that we seem to go into hyperdrive?

I would, seriously, hybernate for a week during Christmastime.

Just the 6 of us.

If only.

A girl can dream.

Is that totally selfish?

Thoughts...