Riding Lessons

Abby and Phantom

If you would have told me that one day I'd be paying someone to give one of my kids horse riding lessons, I would have called you crazy. I spent more time on horses growing up than I did being social with actual humans. I could ride bareback, barefoot, in a pond. All at the same time. I always thought that I'd be able to pass on my knowledge of horses to my young ones without any problems. What I didn't think of was what I am obviously missing - a horse. My  mom has two horses, but neither of them are anywhere near being kid-broke. As I don't have land of my own, I can't have a horse of my own and neither can my kids.

So, Abby has struggled with extra-curricular activities. She doesn't want to participate in anything at school and most definitely doesn't want to play sports. When I asked her what she'd like to try, she said, "nothing." One day I ran across an ad in the local paper for a lady in our town that gives riding lessons at a very reasonable price. When I mentioned it to Abby, she nearly flipped out! She got so excited that I decided that it was something we could do for her. I signed her up and the lady, Miss Janna, is super awesome. She is very sweet, incredibly knowledgeable, and has a really down-to-earth attitude when it comes to riding and horses. Best of all? It's western riding. None of that fancy-schmancy english riding. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's just not my style.

Abby has had six lessons thus far and she's really blossoming. She can name all the riding parts (saddle, stirrups, bridle, etc.) and can lead her horse to the arena and ride on her own. She's ridden two horses - T.J. and Phantom. That girl is really in her element and she is in love. One day, I hope to go riding with her. It will be amazing and I can't wait. So am I ashamed to pay someone to do this? No. Because currently, I don't have the means to do it myself. I am so happy that she has found a new passion and I am blessed to know that we really are a lot alike, Abby and me.

She could groom them all day.

Abby and T.J.

Finally on "The Black". She's always wanted to ride a black horse.

Christmas 2015

Despite the cold weather (which I can't stand), Christmas is easily one of my favorite times of the year. Yes, it's been tough since Dad died. I always have my moment of tears. But having kids makes it hard not to enjoy the season. I get my moments of bah-humbug every year. I generally experience this moment around the shopping time. I love buying gifts for people, but I hate the greedy crowds. Nevertheless, I always seems to bounce back. The kids just get so darn excited that it's hard not to get excited with them.
This year we put up our tree a few days late because of the paint job being executed. Upon decorating, I became aware that my cheap Dollar General tree from my college days was starting to look old. Not to mention that the sheer number of ornaments (mostly handmade from the kids) was starting to overtake the tree. The conclusion? Our tree is too small and we need a bigger one. I've been trying to convince Josh for a few years that we need to get a nice big one and donate our old one to a family who has no tree. He has, thus far, decided it can wait until we (and I quote) "get a bigger house". Ha! I think this year he saw the light.

Anyhow, we had a great Christmas. It was filled with lots of love, good food, presents, and our annual singing of Happy Birthday to Jesus. Funny thing, I actually sort of forgot about that part this year and the kids wouldn't open their presents until we sang it. Great kids! We've started a new tradition (to help mom with her Christmas blues) of having mom over for Christmas morning. I think she really enjoys it. Milo comes to join in the fun. Poor pup was exhausted after it all.

We got to spend time with both Jake and Jeremy with their families at one point or another during the holiday break. The kiddos were so excited to spend time with all their cousins. We missed seeing Aaron and his bride though. Sure hope we get to see them for one Christmas sometime soon.

The kids got pretty much everything they wanted this year, save a few items of course. We had a great Christmas dinner and even had an awesome New Year's eve playing board games with Jeremy and Dianne. Let me tell you that if you haven't played Scategories, you're missing out. I haven't laughed that hard in years. My cheeks were sore! All in all, the holiday break was wonderful and filled with many blessings. Now it's the long, dark haul until spring. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

My three little turkeys in their new jammies.

The crazy kids tearing into Christmas morning gifts.

Abby's new cow girl hat that she wanted.

Mom enjoying the morning. It's our new tradition for her to celebrate with us.

Jetfire...the toy he loved from childhood.

A new fishing pole to go fishing this summer.

A mouse from Grandma.

Proving that I was actually there. I stink at selfies.

The crazy kids wore out Milo.

Evie and Grandma. So sweet. :-)

Merry Christmas, Dad. We miss you.

Quilting Fan

Thirteen years ago, I worked on my very first quilt. The one-year anniversary gift is paper/cloth. I used this as an opportunity to make a quilt for Josh for our first anniversary. I did the whole thing in secret. I only worked on it when he was gone and used mys sister-in-law's machine to quilt it. She had done a few quilts and helped me out. When it was all said and done, I'd bled way too many times (stupid straight pins) and messed up more times than I wanted to admit to. Once it was done, I vowed then and there that I would never again make a quilt. Well...oops. Turns out that I shouldn't have said "never". You know what they say. Never say never.

When Alex was about to go into his big-boy bed, I decided that I would try my hand at another quilt. The reason for this was his horrible problems with polyester. It caused really bad eczema and itching so I wanted him to have something cotton to cover up with. After it was done, I decided that I kind of enjoyed it. Then I went on to make my third quilt for miss Abby, a fourth quilt for my niece Greta, and just recently finished my fifth quilt for miss Evie. My grandma (mom's side) is a huge quilter. Turns out that she's passed this love on to me. Who knew? It's very relaxing and rewarding at the same time. I'll be starting my sixth quilt in January for my mom. It will be my very first t-shirt quilt of all my dad's old shirts. I hope it turns out good. I'm excited to start it. After that, I plan on starting new quilts for each kid. They've sort of outgrown the themes that they have on their beds and Abby's is showing significant wear and tear. Onward I go!

Thanksgiving 2015

 

 Long gone are the days when massive Thanksgiving dinners with many, many family members are there to enjoy the bounties of food. It seems like the older I get, the less time I spend with my extended family. Part of it is Alex's food allergies. When huge numbers of people are responsible for all the different foods that are served, it's impossible to guarantee food safety for him. Actually, it's impossible to feed the kid in those situations unless I bring all of his food from home...that I had to make myself. So making all the food myself is...well...easier. Part of it is also that my dad somehow made things much more enjoyable when it comes to family. When he passed away, going to see his side of the family (which was our place to go for Thanksgiving), seems almost empty. Sure, I still love my family. But this little Thanksgiving at home with just us and my mom was perfect for us. This is the second time I've made the whole dinner and it turned out lovely and quite tasty. Oh, and as for the beautiful house you see in the background? It is in the process of being upgraded. Lots and lots of mudding, sanding, and painting. Oh...and the entire house was turned upside down in the process. It was kind of crazy, but my mom helped me out and now I have a beautifully painted house. It was a nice Thanksgiving with good food.

Breaking the wishbone.

Abby's Big Day

So, first Alex has his big moment in the spotlight with a poster contest, then Abby goes on to win a contest of her own as well. It's crazy! What are the odds of two kids from the same family winning pretty big contests in the same year? Apparently, art is running strong in the family. I am pretty proud of miss Abby. She entered a coloring contest for the town Christmas festival. It was kind of crazy, but as much work and detail she put into it, I was kind of thinking she had a good chance to win. The winner receives a $25 cash prize, a plaque with their name on it, title of junior Mayor for the day, and to ride in the parade with the mayor and Santa Claus.

When I went to pick her up from school the day of the judging, she nonchalantly walked up to me and said, "I won the coloring contest, mommy." There was no excitement in her voice...just stated as though common knowledge. At first I thought she was joking, but then found out quickly that she was, indeed, the winner. Woo-hoo! Go Abby! She was nervous because she had to have the whole elementary watch her accept the certificate from the Mayor that day.

When the parade time came, she was a little nervous, but otherwise excited. It was funny, because when she sat down in the convertible, she practically disappeared because she's so small. I told her that she had to throw some chocolate to me when she drove past. She promised she would and threw some right at me...several times. After the parade, she stood up on stage with the mayor and the 5th grader who won the essay contest, and then accepted her award. It was a pretty awesome experience for a seven-year-old and we were super proud of her. What a day and what an honor!

Watching for sissy in the parade with her b-day present.

Abby with the Mayor

Evie's 3rd Birthday

I have a three-year-old! (again). This is the third and final time I will ever have a three-year-old birthday party. It's bitter-sweet, really. Evie has become quite the little girl. She's officially in the full-potty training swing and has really starting making progress. I've told her she can't go to school until she's a big girl and big girls use the potty. I think it might be working. It's her first birthday in underwear! I can see the diapers fading into the past, now.

We went extremely low-key this birthday. We had a very busy day planned because of the town Christmas event and Abby's ride in the big parade (but that's for another post). This year's cake choice was tough. Evie kept changing her mind. One minute it was "another Olaf cake" and the next minute it was simply "a pink cake". Finally, she decided on a lady bug cake. I think she really liked it.

It was just us, my mom (Grandma), and Aunt Mandy and her gang. Evie got some nice gifts and she enjoyed a house full of balloons. Then we went and watched the parade, caught some candy, and went out to eat at McDonalds. As for what Evie is up to these days, she's quite a pistol! She loves to play games during the days when the kids are at school and really enjoys being with them when they get home. We spend our days doing a lot of pretend play, walking to the post office/library, and going out to lunch on Thursday shopping days. She has a lot of spunk and can keep up with her siblings like crazy. She's super sweet, telling me how much she loves me more times than I can count in a day. I get kisses and hugs constantly and she always wants to help me with whatever she can. Having her with me during the day is wonderful. Sometimes I feel a bit stretched, but when she gives me that hug and kiss while saying, "I love you, mommy," all that stress just melts away.

Don't get me wrong, she had some whopper sized temper tantrums still, but that's okay. They really are getting fewer and far between. She knows all her colors and shapes, can say her ABC's and count two twenty (and above most days), and is starting to write her name. What a smart girl she is. So Happy 3rd birthday Evie! We love you so, so much!

Her actual birthday was midweek and she had super waffles for dinner. (all sugar)

Her balloon throne. Look how big she is!

She loves her big brother and big sister.

Grandma got the winner gift this year! Rainbow unicorn!

She loves Aunt Mandy.

Halloween 2015

Boy do I love Halloween! One of my favorite things to do is decorate the house all spooky and dress up as something that is not me. And I've passed on this love to my kids. They've loved dressing up as things since tiny little tots. This year, I opted for what my kids call "Nanastein". I got the idea from one of the kids' favorite shows, "Home Improvement". The main character dresses up as...well...basically it's Frankenstein's mother-in-law. Alex wanted to go as a New York Jets football player. Abby was a mermaid. And of course, Evie wanted to be a fairy princess. Josh, as it seems to be the norm, had to work and doesn't like dressing up. My mom went trick-or-treating with us and brought Milo to tag along on the lengthy trek around the neighborhood.We also did our annual pumpkin carving. Four of them!

We were blessed with a very clear and warm(ish) night. Jackets were plenty and I even remembered to bring hats and gloves just in case it got chilly. They came in handy as the night wore on. Back in the day, my dad would stay at the house and hand out candy. With all my effort in decorating, I can't just leave without offering some candy to wayward trick-or-treaters. So I left my bowls out on a hay bale with some creepy music playing. It was cleaned out by the time we got home.

The kids made out like bandits! Their buckets were overflowing with goodies. We found a great area last year that nearly every house hands out goodies. And the decorations are awesome as well. Once we walk the area, I take the kids back and let them free-roam the van while we drive around our own area where the lights are much fewer and far between. They jump out and run to the houses and jump back in the van. Actually, I think they love this most because I don't make them buckle up. (Shhhh! Don't tell.) It was a fantastic night and we all had a blast. I already have plans in the works for next year's costume. Happy Halloween!

Big Winner

Alex won a major prize! Him and Abby wanted to participate in a contest that they heard about at the state fair for the state's Department of Transportation. They were to design a poster promoting the Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day in a hopes to stop distracted driving (AKA - cell phones and the like). They were each in their own age division and one day I came home to a big surprise waiting for me on the answering machine. Alex won his age division in the south central region of our state. Awesome! He won a new bike, bike helmet, giant poster of his drawing, and an assembly that would present it to him at school. And guess what I found out a day later? Abby was runner up in her division! My kids have some mad art skills, apparently. So proud of both of them. I wish I had copies of both of their designs, but the odds of winning this were so small that I didn't think to take a picture of them. Bad mama! Oh well. Live and learn. I'm still one proud mom! Sadly, he can't ride the bike due to his injured foot. The office said, "He didn't injure it from biking, did he?" Ha!

Alex's 9th Birthday

My oldest kiddo just turned nine years old today! That means, that he is officially at his half-way point until college years. What the heck?! I was trying the other day to picture nine years ago. If I close my eyes and concentrate, I can picture it clearly. He was a big baby boy, and super sweet and innocent. Fast forward a year and he's toddling around the house getting ready for his baby sister to come along. Time started flying the second he was born. Now he's nine and probably just a few years from outgrowing me. He's only got about 10 inches to go! Heck, we already have the same foot size.

For his birthday this year, he wanted a New York Jets football cake. Once again, I was happy to oblige. Not the hardest cake I've ever made but he was super excited about it. He wanted to have a bunch of kids over, but he was happy to just have a couple of friends. We had a fun time with some of the cousins and then had cake, ice cream (soy for the bday boy) and, of course, presents. I'd love to say that he gets harder to shop for the older he gets, but that would not be true. He has so many interests and obsessions that it's nearly impossible to get him something he doesn't love. He finished his monster collection with The Bride of Frankenstein and The Phantom of the Opera and got a nice castle to play with them in. He also got a couple of those neat hover toys that take some crazy practice to fly. All in all, it was a fun day.

As for Alex now, he's a fun one. He's a heavy reader, staying up way past his bedtime regularly just to get a few more pages in. He's bright kid with a big imagination and great art skills (hereditary?) that he uses often. He will play every sport possible and is excelling at them these days, making more and more goals/scores. He's got a big heart and it breaks easily. He's all boy, but I've seen him break at the slightest things. Which, naturally, hurts my own heart. When he gets in trouble (not as often as I feel like it is), then he is very good at punishing himself before I even get the chance. He's a great kid and I'm so proud and blessed to be his mom. It's been an amazing nine years and I love watching this kid grow up. Happy Birthday, Alex! We love you so, so much!