Playhouse Update

It has been a crazy week! Well, Papa was putting the upper wood on last weekend. While putting the last piece of wood on, the ladder broke. Thankfully he didn't break anything, but he has a nasty bruise covering his hip and leg. We are so happy you are okay Papa!!
We painted today! Dh and I spent a few hours painting while R was watching and playing with Grandma. The little ones were home with a sitter...no painting for them! Kb and Kg came out to visit for a while and to have lunch with us all after the sitter left. We didn't finish prior to naps so dh took the kids home while Grandma and I finished painting. All we have left to paint is the door and some touch ups! What do you think?

Side View...

Front View...

New Yard Decoration

Dh told the kids they can pick out one new yard decoration for Christmas every year. I told him we have a small front yard, what is it going to look like in five years! He smiled and said his dream yard is the Griswalds from Christmas Vacation(do I have that right?)...not sure if that is my dream.

R's pick this year was this reindeer. The kids were so excited to put the lights out and dance around them this weekend!

Handmade Gifts

Okay, I have to blog again on the joy of handmade gifts:) I received a package in the mail today from Wee Pereas...super cute!! I ordered a set of cookies and a gingerbread set from Beth's Etsy shop. Beth also sent super cute Christmas presents for the kids, so sweet! I won't share what until Christmas just incase someone reading this is getting a present too:) I know we are linked to each others blogs so I don't know if anyone takes a peek here! Just had to share that the quality is excellent and everything is soooo fun! I can't wait to fill the kids stockings with the handmade gifts!

Thanksgiving Dinner and Fun

Okay, I don't have any pictures of the food. I guess we were enjoying it to much to stop and photograph it:) Grandma and Papa made a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner for us all...thank you Grandma and Papa! Here are a few pictures of the kids having fun...

Kg and Cousin H sharing the blocks

Kg having fun with pladoh

R, Cousin H and H's Uncle J playing on the floor

Kb and Cousin H playing with the cars and garage

We made the only meal we had to make today...breakfast!

R told us she is a "bigger" girl and can help flip pancakes. Under close supervision we let her do her first pancake flips!

The end result, yummy:)

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! My favorite part of the day is reflecting on what we are thankful for. I am thankful for so many things, here are a few...

Dh-for your optimism
R-for your kindness to others
Kb-for your affection
Kg-for your spirit
Family and Friends-for your support, love and generosity

More Felt Food

I just got some adorable felt food in the mail that I ordered from Jacqui's Market Store! I ordered strawberries and jam drops. They are really well made and just too cute so I had to share:)

Forget Private For Now

To complicated w/login and such so forget it for now! I hope I have things open, can someone comment so I know you were able to view the page? Thanks!

Great Giveaway

Okay, I hate share since I really want to win! I will though since it is a great giveaway from Wee Pereas Etsy Store. Take a look... http://www.thirtyhandmadedays.blogspot.com/

Snow Fun For All

All three kids made it out to play in the snow today! It took a while to get three kids in snowpants, jackets, boots and such. Especially with two who really didn't understand snow pants or winter boots! They had a lot of fun and still tried to play with their 'summer toys'. Note for next time...the slide is very slippery, avoid that!

"Hey, lets keep going"

"Yucky Gloves"

Swinging fun!

R LOVES making snow angels!

What, the sand and water(or stone and mud) table is closed for the winter?

"I stuck, help me"

First Snowfall

R got up this morning and was so excited to look outside and see the snow. Her first words were, "Can I go out and play"! I had to disappoint her and tell her she first had school and speech. When she did get home this afternoon she went outside right away. She had so much fun! I am hoping the snow is here tomorrow so R, Kb and Kg can all go out and play(they were napping while she was out today). She was having so much fun I had to bribe her with hot cocoa to get her inside so dh and I could go to a meeting!

R making a snow angel

R eating snow(yep, we discussed how we only eat white snow:)

Happy Birthday Cousin B

Happy Birthday Cousin B! We had fun at your party:)

Blow Kg:)

Who had a party today? I think our three thought it was for them...until the presents were opened and they realized they weren't toys they would like to play with!

Christmas Cookies

We made Christmas cookies with Grandma today. All three kids had fun rolling the dough and decorating the cookies(eating the decorating sprinkles too)! I have to say that three kids plus decorating sprinkles...What.A.Mess!

The finished product:)

Yum, red and green sugar

R rolling the dough

Grandma and R decorating cookies

Kg taste testing the decorations

R cutting out the cookies

Kb putting the sprinkles back in the jars(He learned very quickly how to take the filters off the top of the jars)

Kg mixing the red and green sprinkles together

First sweeping of Grandma's floor...sorry Grandma

It's Getting Cold Outside

The pictures of our cuties say it all:)

AHHH, it's cold...

My nose is freezing...

Ugh, let me go inside already...

A Little This, A Little That

This is a random rambling...

Papa's Project
We have walls! Now we need to pick a paint color. Dh and I need to paint it next weekend...that is the one part we are in charge of. This is my most responded to topic:) I asked my dad if he was taking orders. He laughed and said they cost to much(ie-he isn't making another one, ever)! The only other playhouse type he will make is if he is asked to help make one for little H(my nephew). H is lucky enough to live with a yard full of trees. Lucky little guy will get an actual tree house one day!


R the 'Puppy Trainer'. R was helping Papa with the dogs today. She likes to think of herself as the Assistant Puppy Trainer(ie she wears a whistle and tells the dogs what to do a second after Papa says the command). She loves "her dogs" as she calls them. We don't want to crush her and tell her they are actually Grandma & Papa's and Uncle D and Auntie L's dogs:)

Christmas Decorations
I decided there was no time like today to start decorating for Christmas. For me, this is odd...I NEVER start prior to Thansgiving. I feel like Thanksgiving must come first, then Christmas decorations. I decided this years ago because I thought I would get tired of looking at all the decorations before Christmas even arrived if they were up to early. Well, this year I was sick of looking at pumpkins and figured snowman were a good, early, change! R was playing while I took totes out of the storage room. At one point she walked over and said, "Oh my Mommy, that is a lot of stuff. You didn't say you were taking out so much stuff. I just don't know". Is she channeling dh? He wasn't here to see what I was doing and would have made the same comment:)

Cabin Fever
The kids have it. We are just starting the cold weather and the kids are already stir crazy. I don't know if we(meaning I) can survive the winter.

Hmm, What Else?
Not much else happening here! We did make Christmas cookies today, that is a post of its own! I will post later w/pictures...

Papa's Project

During the summer we took a trip to the local zoo. They had these cute playhouses that you could purchase tickets and get a chance to win. R fell in love with a purple house that had a front porch. She purchased a ticket and hoped she would win...she didn't. Papa knew how much she wanted a playhouse and offered to build one for the kids as a Christmas present. R was so thrilled at this idea that she wanted to, and did, give Papa a playhouse plan for his birthday:) Honestly, I had no idea how much work this would be. Papa is going above and beyond what we ever expected in a playhouse. So far he has walls, a roof, a floor, and windows ready to go in. The windows are a nice tan color, the same as our house has. We decided we would paint the playhouse the same color as our house so it is a minature version! Now, do we go so far as to put stone on the front of the playhouse to match our house...to much?!? Oh, I can't forget R's favorite part...Papa made sure it has a front porch like the house she picked out at the zoo:))) Thank you Papa!!Papa and the kids in the house under construction

Papa and R(Kg in front)

Kg riding the tractor at Grandma and Papa's

R on the rocking horse and Grandma and Papa's

Kb on the large rocking horse and Grandma and Papa's

The Potty Trainer

Kg has become fascinated with R's underwear and the potty. She pitched a fit when R picked out Strawberry Shortcake underwear at the store Saturday and we didn't let her pick any out. Today, she took R's underwear out of the dryer and put them on over her clothes. Again, pitching a huge fit when I told her she couldn't wear them to the bank. We decided it was time to take the little potty out of the basement. R, of course, wanted to use the cute musical potty. After my insisting that she is not allowed she decided on a new role..."The Potty Trainer" as she named herself. She has decided that it is her job to potty train her brother and sister. I'm totally up for that:)...just kidding
Our bathroom is way to small for this many people!

Go Pack Go

Uncle J, Auntie M, Dh and I went to the Packer Game today...and they WON!!!! It was a GREAT game and we had so much fun! Here are a few pictures...

The guys tailgaiting...

Mommy, 'St. Vince' and Auntie M at Lambeau Field...

All of us at Lambeau Field...

Girls Night

We had a much needed 'Girls Night' out on Friday. We painted pottery, went for dinner and had a few drinks. Thanks for a fun night out ladies!!

Painting Pottery...

After Dinner...

Library Visit

First let me say, STUPID CAMERA!!! Okay, now that I have that said, I can go on. We went to the local library today. R went to get her library card! We told her she could go get it when she could write her name on her own to sign her card. This is hard for R to do, her fine motor skills are a bit delayed and she has struggled with writing for the past year. Well, she did it:)))))
This was also an important visit for Kb and Kg, it was their first visit to the library outside their stroller! Three kids in a room full of temping books to take off the shelves was to much for this mom to handle. Now that they are getting older, it is something I wanted to try...


R looking at her new card:) My camera was fuzzy...why??



R holding her card up proud:)


Kb and Kg playing at the library. I took a few more, they are really fuzzy though:(

Kids vs Scooba

My family gave me the greatest birthday present this year...a Scooba! My hubbie likes to point out that I asked for this...he would never give me something to clean the house if I didn't ask for it:) He isn't one to complain about how clean/dirty the house is, ever!
R is watching the Scooba wall...making sure it works:)

Kb and Kg still aren't sure of this thing moving along the floor on its own:)

Inside Fun

After a weekend of cold, icky weather dh and I realized it is going to be a LONG winter. Our kids are not 'inside kids'. I mean, they don't know how to or like to stay indoors. They prefer to get outdoors right after breakfast and would stay out until the sun goes down if we let them. This happens from spring until fall. So, winter is really hard on them. More time indoors and less room to run. With a weekend indoors we realized they needed something to get their energy out. A discussion on the RFC site gave me the idea of a small ball pit or bounce house to put downstairs. I suggested this as a Christmas present for the kids. Dh said, "forget Christmas, we need it now"...I was sick with the flu yesterday so he had three wound up kids alone for the afternoon/evening. We found this one at Target and it is perfect! It is roomy enough for three kids, small enough to fit in our already cramped basement and serves the purpose great! Our three little monkeys having a blast:)

A very sad Kb was given the first time out with the new ball pit. He pulled Kg's hair for no reason(not okay ever, but hey...at least have a reason!)