I'm Still Here!

Yes, I realize it has been since January since my last post..... You all I know I totally lag at this so if I have any readers at all I say hello & thanks for not giving up on me.

Did you know that having 3 kids keeps you extremely busy? Yep it's totally true & especially when you have 1 that is into EVERYTHING every 5 seconds! Why do I even bother cleaning? I now know how my mom must have felt with all of us. How she kept sane all these years is beyond me! Oh the joys of having kids!

I am in disbelief that I will have an 11 year old in 5 days. He's getting so old! And as my mom puts it... We only have about 7 more years with this kid before he's out there on his own, NOOOOOOOO!!! Can't be possible! I must say though I am very proud of Gavin. He will be earning his Arrow of Light in May. What a project that has been. I'm glad he has been interested in achieving it. He's a good kid!

Oh! Guess what we have? We inherited a jacuzzi! I love it! My friend gave it to us. It's not brand new (17 yrs old) but it works like new! The kids think it's the best thing since slice bread. I got in it for the first time last night & it was so relaxing. A very fun toy indeed!

The kids are out for spring break. They have been out since last week & have 1 more week to go. When do they learn? Seems like they are out of school more than they are in. They have kept busy. Gavin has been working on his homework & playing in the jacuzzi every chance he can get & playing video games...... Emma is reading & watching "Tangled" & playing with friends. And we have also been to Sea World. So yes, this has been a very busy spring break so far & more to come this coming week with birthdays & play dates. And Landon, well, he's just Landon. He's always into things & thinks he's bigger than what he really is.

This about sums things up for now. Until my next blog which may be sooner or later than you think :)

Secret Revealed....

There is no secret that I am the world's worst blogger! In my defense however, I am a busy woman! Having an 18 month old on the loose is a very tiring job. When I do have free time all I want to do is relax. But I hardly have time to relax & have "me time" cause then the other kiddos get come from school & my attention switches to them & then dinner & so on & so forth. This was not my secret though.

The secret was................... We went to Texas for Christmas! A few of Andrew's family members knew but a few did not. We kept it a secret to surprise his mom & the rest of the siblings that had no clue. It was a 22 hour drive (split up of course) but if you ever want to go insane then this is the trip for you! It was hard with 3 kids & the little one crying most of the way but we made it & it was soooooo fun! The kids had a blast & the brothers loved seeing each other. It was fun to see the new babies (Connor & Cole) So sweet & cute!!! Emma & Gavin both enjoyed taking baths in Nana's bath jacuzzi. Landon enjoyed chasing Che around the house & trying to give him kisses & knocking him down. Andrew enjoyed spending time with his folks & siblings as did I. I also enjoyed just being lazy cause I do it so well :) It was a fun surprise! Next time though I'm flying!!!!

New Year's was quiet around here. The kids went outside early & made noise. I went to bed early but woke up just in time to ring in the new year with Drew. Guess we're getting old to party anymore.

I'm hoping everyone has a great 2011 year! :)

Secrets....

 I have a secret & I will tell when Christmas is over... I'll give you a hint... NO I'm NOT pregnant! And no we are NOT moving.  Here's a hint that might help... It has to do with the Christmas season & family... 

Ta Ta for now & come back after Christmas to find out what my secret is.

Halloween Thoughts.....

Whether you want to hear my thoughts on Halloween or not I'm telling you anyway! I despise Halloween. Why you ask? Well, cause there's no good food that goes with it, it's spooky, & I hate all the candy my kids get. Let me rephrase that... I love the candy & would eat it all but I hate the effect the sugar plays on my kids. I don't like the decorations in fact as Landon was sleeping I undecorated & put up all the fall decorations. I no longer have bats hanging up & webs & ghosts hanging from my light fixtures. I guess overall I just don't feel like Halloween is a happy holiday. I never really did like Halloween as a kid either. I hated all the haunted houses & scary costumes.

So, now I'll take a deep breath & be thankful that my kids are safe after all the festivities that went on this weekend & be grateful that they don't have cavities yet! And I will be grateful that there are 365 days left till next Halloween.

With all that said, hope everyone has a happy November month & that your kids don't get cavities.

YUM!

Look what I made today. They are so yummy!! I got the recipe off of another blog when I was stalking the other day. (ya, I stalk blogs, so what?!) If it's not private I'm reading it! Anyway, these cookies are really good so I thought I'd share the recipe. :)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Preheat oven to 350

Bake 15-20 min.

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup canned pumpkin (or 1 cup of pumpkin puree)

3 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

2 cups chocolate chips

In a mixer, beat butter until smooth. Beat in white & brown sugar, adding a little at a time until mixture is fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Mix in vanilla & pumpkin. In a separate bowl, sift flour,baking soda, & spices. Slowly beat flour mixture in pumpkin batter. Stir in chocolate chips.

Scoop on well greased or parchment paper covered cookie sheet . Bake until cookies are brown around edges. (15-20 min.) Let rest 2 min. before removing & place on cooling rack.

We also went to Carlsbad downtown today. We met up with mom, dad, Kristen, & her family. There were lots of activities going on & some merchants were handing out candy. The kids dressed up minus Gavin (could it be he's finally growing up & totally too cool for Halloween?) My guess is a no cause he still wanted the candy. After that we went back to mom's for yummy potato cheese soup & homemade rolls & of course dessert. Has it ever been known to be at mom's house for dinner & not have dessert?! It has been a fun filled day had by all! I'm tired & headed for bed. Night All!!!!

Emma, my little mermaid, & Landon, my monkey.

Update Update Update....

Well you all know I lag & I've probably lost all of my 2 readers but per request of a friend she has asked me to update so here I am & thanks Michelle for kicking my butt in gear :)

So you might wonder what the heck I've been up to lately... I am on the PTA board this year & it's been fun so far. I'm in charge of the assemblies & any after school parties & refilling the teachers soda machine. Not just anyone can have the soda machine job! Oh ya, that's a huge responsibility. That's not what keeps me really busy though.

My kids keep me the busiest. Landon is 15 months & so much fun. It's cute to watch him recognize certain objects, such as, the yellow school bus that he waves to everyday & the trash truck & he loves dogs & throwing balls down the stairs. He tires me out & when he naps I am in heaven cause I can catch my breath for round 2. Emma is doing well in school. I think she could do better if she didn't talk so much but oddly enough in between all that talking she's finishing her work just hope she's understanding it. Gavin is so big. I can't believe my first born is almost as tall as I am. He's totally digging his teacher this year. She's all about Science & he loves it. Next week he's going on a field trip to the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) He'll get an education of diamond grading & learn about gemology research. I am a chaperon so I get to go with. I'm so excited. I love diamonds! Gavin keeps me busy with his homework. Did you all know that 4th grade math is like high school math! UNBELIEVABLE! It's like I'm in 9th grade all over again & it's sad when Gavin says to me "Mom it's ok, you don't need to help me, I understand it, besides it's too hard for you." Yep, I suck at math! I'm glad Andrew is smart enough to understand it.

So, that about wraps it. I don't like blogging cause I feel like I don't have anything worthy to say... I'm not creative as most people I know but it's funny cause after I blog I feel good about it.. Go figure. I'll have to blog & tell you all about the field trip. (I hope they pass out free diamonds) LOL!!! (LOL= laugh out loud) (that's for my mom)

Until next time! ADIOS!!!

I Love Japanese Candy!

My friend Emily rocks! I love you Em & thanks for the treats. Send more candy. It was gone in 2.5 seconds. Gavin says to send a case of it. I love my necklace, purse, & card. Emma has claimed the tooth box for when she loses her first tooth & all the rest to come. I can officially say that I have genuine gifts from Japan. I will treasure them forever. Love you Em. Can't wait to see you again! P.S. Love the magnets too! :) I love surprises & this certainly was a happy, wonderful surprise!