Yep, I'm Slacking....

I'm not sure there is a reason, so let's just pretend I've posted regularly... Things are chugging along, kids are thrilled to have three weeks before break, me not so much. I try to be done with all Christmas stuff by the time the kids get out from school. That way we just brave the crowds to get their presents for their dad and we spend the break baking and hanging out. I would like to say I'm almost done, but I have my dad and Billy and teacher gifts left to do.... Hopefully tomorrow I will drop off the shorties at school and get some amazing shopping done. :)

My sweet 3 year olds finally got to celebrate their birthday last Saturday. They had balloons and cake, what more did you need?? They were adorable and sang "Happy Birthday" along with us... I just cannot believe how quickly they have left babyhood. Keep positive thoughts for us, Simon has his MRI on Friday to see if the cerebral palsy has affected his brain. Billy is taking him, so I will be at home staring at the phone. I actually feel ok about it, he is with the family he is meant to be with, he is my baby and whatever hand we are dealt he will be ok. Better than ok, he will be great. Coming from detox at birth to his severe Torticollis, we'll be just fine. So here is my favorite birthday picture...

I'll try to be a better blogger. I will. I make no promises, especially during the holidays. :)

I Probably Made Too Many Desserts.....

Oh goodness, I think I'm still full from yesterday's feast! It was a great day, I always worry that the food won't work out, guests won't click, blah, blah... No fear, it was great. We were lucky to be able to have 2 soldiers join us from Fort Sam. They have a great program for the young kids that can't get home for the holiday, families can go and sign up to host them for dinner. We started doing it last year and I'm pretty sure we'll keep it going from here on. My dad and our good friends down the street also joined us for the afternoon.

But first, the annual Ryann Turkey Bowl had to be played... This year was slightly different in that Simon and Emi were old enough to "participate". By that I mean totally get in the way, run off with the trophy and have a tantrum in the middle of the field. Awesome....

Quick huddle

Injury on the field, ball to the nose...

You may see a tantrum, I see "planking"... :)

Sorry to report that the game ended in a tie, which means, that I keep the treasured turkey trophy on my dresser for the year. It really adds to my bedroom decor....

Then we ate, had a strange conversation about Twilight movies (my poor dad) and Olivia debated the differences between pie and cobbler... I think she may be in debate in high school, it went on forever...

Dan brought the fried turkey...SO yummy....

Olivia helped with setting the tables...

The kids' table, obviously the shorties didn't last long there....

Olivia got away from all the gross boys as fast as she could... :)

So today I have shopped online (my version of Black Friday), cleaned up whatever was left to do and now I need to get ready for Emi and Simon's birthday party tomorrow. Have a good one!

Thanksgiving Is Inching Closer And Closer....

It's probably not the best time for me to be sitting down at my computer to chat, but I'm tired of laundry and Billy took the shorties out front to "help" with the Christmas lights. (no worries, I make him promise they aren't turned on until Black Friday...) Anyway, lots to catch up on...

I did the Thanksgiving grocery run yesterday with Simon and Emi. I thought the store would be empty and I refuse to step foot in HEB next week. Nope, it was really crowded anyway. Guess other people had the same idea. But it got knocked off the list, shorties got a donut and we came home to a pretty uneventful Friday.

This morning I took Olivia and Emi to get their ears pierced. Olivia's were done years ago, but they got infected and closed. We thought they could do this together and I must say, Miss Emi cried briefly and then grabbed the chocolate I brought and all was well. (yes, I consoled her with food, shoot me...) Olivia was interesting, when we were walking to the car, she said she was dizzy and we had to stand next to the trashcan to wait for her to throw up. I think her excitement and nerves got the best of her, a 7UP seemed to settle her stomach. Olivia picked a pink stone for her earrings and chose purple for Emi. Super cute and Emi keeps telling me that "big sister and Emi have earrings, not Simon." :)

This is the picture that makes me feel like a bad mom....

Kevin and Olivia are going to a basketball camp for 2 days next week so their week won't be just at home all week. Then Wednesday we'll start baking, Miss Olivia has decided that she will head this department, so we shall see how that goes. I usually do it all myself (sides and desserts), so I welcome the help. Our good friends down the block fry the turkey, so I figure I have it pretty good. :) Have a good weekend, the calm before the holiday storm....

Well Checks For The Shorties... They're Still Really Big.... :)

This morning during quite the thunderstorm, I took Simon and Emi to their well check appointment. Three years old, 3 1/2 feet tall and 42 pounds (well, in full disclosure, Miss Emi is an inch taller than Simon). That would be over the 95th percentile. Big babies... Well, Billy says there are no more babies in this house. Please, I have 5 babies, thankyouverymuch.... Anyway, they are healthy and all is well. Flu shots done and of course we stopped at McDonald's for being brave. :)

Olivia and I have been drooling over different dessert recipes for Thanksgiving. My daughter has requested to be in charge of desserts this year. Fingers crossed that my favorite GF cheesecake turns out. We're also going to try Pioneer Woman's macaroni and cheese this year. I fully intend on gaining weight next week...

Not a lot going on right now. I am trying to figure out Christmas presents, and waiting for Simon and Emi's MRIs the week after Thanksgiving. Billy is totally swamped at work, he's been having to work on weekends. My dad got back from New York yesterday after visiting his family and seems fresh and the break did him a world of good. It cannot be easy to sit with my mom everyday for 4 hours. She is not the person she used to be, her memory is quickly fading and his devotion to her is unwavering.

My big kids are almost home, I better get moving. Have a good one!

Grab Some No-Doze, Our Family Pictures Came In....

I am SO excited! I rarely like myself in pictures, and I can say I quite like these! I'll try not to post a ton, but I can't help but show some of my beautiful family!!!

I Just Can't Believe Thanksgiving Is Two Short Weeks Away....

It just can't be. I'm going to have to get myself together and make a menu. Every year we do the same basics, but Olivia and I like to add a new pie and sometimes try a new veggie recipe. Our good friends are going to do the deep fried turkey, so I am just sides and dessert. Sounds like a great deal for me, especially so I can make it all gluten free. We're sponsoring 2 soldiers that can't make it home for the holiday, then my dad will join us, and the family with the fried turkey. :) Full table, but really it's a good group of good people that aren't looking to zing each other or look for flaws. No need to elaborate, just that I now spend my holidays with people I like and that like me. Isn't that the way it should be?

Everything else around here is moving along. Aaron is still struggling in school and some of his OCD tendencies are coming up. Poor kid is frustrated and down, but he is the only one that can dig him out of this hole. My heart aches for him... And at the same time, I am tired of going through 6th grade again....

Emi and Simon are inching closer to turning 3. Simon has actually started a wish list. It felt awfully early for that. Lucky for me, the "big truck" he has demanded was one of the first things I had already bought. :) I'm looking forward to their well-check appointment so I can talk to my pediatrician about their huge size (now wearing a 5T) and about Simon's diagnosis. So next week will be busy, not the best time for appointments right before the holidays.

My dad is headed back to New York tomorrow for a family wedding. He hasn't seen his family since I lived in Connecticut. He is the baby of the family at 78, and I thought it was really important for him to see everyone. He's worried about leaving my mom, but I really pushed for him to go. He will regret not seeing them before someone passes. His brother is quite ill with emphysema and his oldest sister had a stroke a few weeks ago. It's bittersweet to go, but I am looking forward to the pictures and stories when he gets back...

Ok, I better go talk to my hubby now that the kids are either asleep or in bed. We celebrated our 14 anniversary yesterday, I am blessed!

The Day Has Come... My Son Is Going To The Middle School Dance....

I could throw up. He is SO psyched. Sigh... How is it possible that the little 5 pound alien-looking bundle I brought home is headed to a school dance? The positives? The 6th graders are separated from the older kids and their dance is 5:30-7:00. LOVE that.... And I'm glad that he's acting exactly like he should be at this age. But I don't want him to grow up... Although he is quite funny at this age... :) His brother will not be going, his refusal to get on the ball with school work is keeping him home, trapped like a rat. His choice....

I got the proofs back from the photographer yesterday! LOVE them! The only problem is I can't decide which ones to print. :) It's a great position to be in, I know. I was even surprised to see pictures of me that I liked! I rarely like any picture I am in (this is why I always take the pics!), but I was pleasantly surprised to find a few that I really liked. So I am in love with this photographer! I will post some pics when I get the disc. There are some individual pics of the kids that are really gorgeous....

Ummm... What else? I've gained some weight from Halloween, boo... I swear I just can't have candy that I like in the house, self control is nil. I need to get moving, do a DVD or something soon. Too lazy for the scale to change in the right direction....

Have a great weekend, nothing going on here, except for Billy working....

Eeek, I'm So Behind, Let's Do A Quick Halloween Wrap Up!

So sorry for being MIA for a few days, I have no excuse except life was in the way... We did our family pictures on Saturday, I'm really hoping we got some good ones. Every time I looked at Simon he wasn't smiling. Brooding more like it.... Sigh....

We carved pumpkins on Sunday, well the big kids did, my shorties just, "decorate" them... :)

Monday was a little bittersweet, the boys, at 11, decided to hang at the house and pass out candy in gross masks. I made them promise not to scare anyone little. When we were heading back home I saw Kevin leaping out of one of the bushes. They said they had a lot of fun, but that they want to go trick or treating next year... And they got to eat Simon and Emi's candy... Olivia's homemade "Diva Angel" costume was interesting. At least now I know how to make a tutu skirt. (thank you, You Tube!) I don't think she was that enthusiastic about the end result and I feel bad. So let me get to the pics, Emi was Super Girl and Simon was Batman. They loved it, they totally got trick-or-treating after 3-4 houses and Emi would yell, "C'mon everybody!" as we headed to the next house. Sooo cute!!!

Finally my gang is all together...