Halloween

Here are a "few " photos to document this Halloween season. We had several opportunities to dress up, and by the last one everyone was a little bit done!



I laughed and laughed at the group photos. We tried and tried to get one of everyone together. TOO funny. And the one where Luke is grabbing Tucker, my how the tables have turned.

Luke was going to be Batman, but when we were in Texas for the weekend, he took a liking to this spiderman costume that our friends had.
Jack was Anakin from Star Wars.

quote of the day

Last night a lady at our church Halloween party ran up to me and said...
"oh, I thought you were Nanny McPhee"-

hmmm...I had a witch hat, and an apron...no warts, no ugly teeth. Just pretty much my normal looking self.

Great- I look like Nanny McPhee.

photos of the kids soon to follow...

why blog?

* I started this post a few weeks ago- but never finished it. I re-read it tonight after posting about why I had not blogged in a while. And I have a question for all of you that read this blog- how do you manage your time, blogging, checking email, internet surfing? How do you carve time out, to do what you want to do, and still get the stuff done that you need to do?
Post a comment or e-mail me-
alisaspear@gmail.com

written on October 9-2007

I read this on Hillary's blog- and I agree so much-

"You will have significant experiences. I hope that you will write them down and keep a record of them, that you will read them from time to time and refresh your memory of those meaningful and significant things. Some may be funny. Some may be significant only to you. Some of them may be sacred and quietly beautiful. Some may build one upon another until they represent a lifetime of special experience." Gordon B. Hinckley, 2006

"To you women of today, who are old or young, may I suggest to you that you write, that you keep journals, that you express your thoughts on paper. Writing is a great discipline. It is a tremendous education effort. It will assist you in various ways, and you will bless the lives of many--now and in the years to come, as you put on paper some of your experiences and some of your musings." --President Gordon B. Hinckley

When I first started to blog- it seemed so sporadic- I didn't think that I had anything to write about, and why should I spend time typing something and have it on the internet? AND who would read it anyway? And would I really want anyone to read it?

I kind of decided that I did not care if anyone read it. And I don't really think that many do. I started to feel this last month that the more I wrote, the more I wanted to write. So did this become a habit? I have felt that the more I write, I am learning about myself. Writing in a published form is a little different than a "journal"- for me. I tend to craft the writing differently. And while I share my feelings, it is a little different. While I am writing, I am able to sort out thoughts. There are some stories that never have, and never will make it into a journal, but for some reason will make it to this blog. Its an interesting thing. Like when my Grandfather died. I do not think that I would have sat down and written that, with photos in a journal. But this blog was accessible, at that moment. I was able to jot it down. Now I am able to go back and re read exactly what I felt right then.
I am also able to re read what are, sometimes, not so significant moments.
But lots of those moments, put together, are what create my life.

why I have not been blogging

I missed last weeks what to eat..
I have not posted any of the funny things that have been going on in my brain, or in my life..
I have not been sitting at my computer as much this last week.
I went on a little weekend getaway with the family, but thats not the only reason.

Our "baby" is not nursing as much.

Its really funny to me. With Savanna and Jack, I would read books. I would read and read while I nursed them. I would let them just snuggle after nursing and I would read. Then there was the year of pumping for Luke, and anyone that knew me during that period knows I did not do much of anything except try and keep up with making the milk, the pumping, and washing parts and feeding him.
Then came Tucker, and a comfy chair at the computer. And instead of reading books, I would read blogs, and he would nurse and then snuggle asleep and cozy while I "read" and "surfed."
And wrote on my blog.
But he cut waaaayyyyy back this last week. And now I need to "schedule"myself time for the computer. I feel kind of like if I am not "multi-tasking" then I can't just sit here and read or write. But I still have this "need" to document things. And this "need" to see what others are doing.
Its all about that balance.
HMMMMMM-

heard today

I laughed, with emotion about something, and Luke said,
"mom are you okay?"
"yes-"
"oh- I thought you were in pain"

finished

ok-I finished.
I am so glad to be finished. Done.
Until the next one.
I get a little obsessive compulsive when I read. I have to finish. It's all I think about. I don't like to draw a book out. I have to carry it around with me where ever I go.
So its good to have those finished.
Until the next one.

concert

Tonight we got to attend a concert for Savanna. She got to dress up in her Halloween costume, and had so much fun. We loved watching her.
It was nice to have this deadline to have the costume finished by. And now all I have left are the finishing touches for Tucker's turkey.

Tuck wants to be like Dad

what made Tucker happy this weekend-
I love how he is pointing here-

Favorite Things

ok- I needed to post something happy-

the last 2 smell so much alike- ahhhhh

ahhhh

Oh goodness. Boy has this been a long weekend. I have all 4 asleep and I can breathe. It was all I could do to make it through the whole bedtime routine. Jay was gone at a meeting. I got Tucker down to sleep while Luke read to me. Then it was time to give everyone their individual attention. I felt like I was holding myself to the bed, and saying over and over in my mind, be patient, listen to what they are saying. Be patient.
I feel less than patient right now. I am glad that its the end of the day. I am thankful that my visiting teachers brought over dinner. I told them I really did not need it. ( we were supposed to go over to her house as a family for dinner, but we canceled because of the sick kiddos) But I was so glad when they showed up with dinner. AHHHHHH I am so glad its night.
I can breathe.

sick kids

Not much reading this weekend, 2 of the 4 kids are sick.
Thankful that they are not more sick than they are.
Just gunky noses and coughs. No fevers.
I am thinking about balance. And how to create more of it. And how to handle life when its out of balance. Choices...choices...choices.
Today Tucker gave his first real hug. And it was to Luke! So cute.

2 down- 1 to go

ok-I have to take a break.
I finished the 2nd one this morning. It is proving to be a little more difficult to read with everyone home, than I originally thought.
Maybe I can start the 3rd one later tonight or sometime tomorrow.
Its so fun to get lost in a good book, and even better, when there is still another one to read after your finished.

what to eat wednesday - sweet cream cheese dip

EDITED:
KIM SAID SHE FOUND THIS DIP HERE.



During my reading marathon, there was a knock on the door. It was Kim, with a little treat.
It was perfect timing. Sweet cream cheese dip, paired with apples & chocolate animal cookies.

8- ounce package cream cheese
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Beat in a mixer, scraping sides down.

Hoe-down day- a farmers wife I be

Today was "hoe-down day" for Luke in pre-k.
He was supposed to dress up as a farmer. Yesterday as we were driving around, I asked him about dressing up, and if Tucker and I should wear our overalls also. He immediately said no. That I needed to wear a farmers skirt, because I needed to be the farmers wife.
Well I tried again later as we picked up the kids from school. He again said no, that I needed to wear a farmers skirt, because I needed to be the farmers wife. Savanna tried telling him that all the farmers skirts were in the dirty laundry.

He did not buy it.

So I called my mom. She had been out thrifting, checking out costume supplies. I told her what I needed. She said she did not think she could find anything, but she would see what she could do. I got a call a little while later. She sounded excited. She found a skirt. It was perfect. A little small but perfect. I tore it straight up the back and hemmed up the sides. It already had a big tie, just like an apron. And immediatley I became the farmers wife.

It did not matter that none of the other momma's were dressed for Hoe down day.
It did not matter that I looked as big as the barn that the farmer's wife would be tending to.
It did matter that Luke said-"oh momma you look beautiful" & "I am so glad you got to come to school with me today, it was so fun."
Yes, Luke, it was fun.

I am hooked

I have resisted. I did not want to read them. But last night I picked up my borrowed copy of Kim's.
I started reading. I was trying not to like it. I was trying to find some fault with it. I did not want to get "caught up" like everybody else.
OOOOPS- I finished the first one this afternoon. I stopped by Kim's before I finished to borrow the next 2.
And now I am on to the 2nd one.
Good thing its fall break here. Good thing that we are having left overs for dinner.

Blog Action Day-the environment

So I have read a bit about this, here and there. I even tried to sign up, but was a little late. I tried to copy the html code to put it on my blog myself. But I was unsuccessful.
This is all about the blogging community working together for one day to focus on a topic: the environment.
I wrote a little bit about what my thoughts were on "going green" here.
Before I read Ali Edwards blog today, I had the thought of sharing this. And her blog thoughts were along the same as mine.
I love to make things.
My kids love to make things.
We have lots of leftovers from making things.
We also eat, a lot.
We have a lot of trash leftover from making things to eat.
Where we live, recycling is not as easy as it was in OR.
SOOO
in keeping with the motto of
"use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without" (aka: reduce, reuse, recycle)
here are a few of my favorite "green" crafty items.
One I already blogged about here: creative juice (ribbon straps)

The next 2 can be adapted to so many different ideas.

We go through a lot of cd's here in this house. We burn them, they don't turn out. They get scratched. I tried making a mini photo album out of them once. But it did not turn out so well. (anyone that has instructions to make one, please let me know)
I wanted a birthday banner. I wanted something I could reuse over and over whenever we celebrated a birthday. I wanted something that I would not just wad up and put in the trash.
So I came up with the CD birthday banner.





I found a cute circle template from Martha Stewart.
Colored and cut them. Covered the CD's, and pasted the letters onto them. Then punched out holes with an eyelet punch. Pretty easy.

The next one I used last year as the containers for my "favorite things" Christmas gifts. I am covering more this year for other uses.





These were large cans, but you could use any size can.
You take printed napkins, and peel them apart. They usually have 2-3 layers. Cover the can in Modge-podge, and put the napkin with the print on top. Let it dry, then add another coat of Modge-podge.
If you use a napkin with a lot of white in it(first can), or with a white background, the metal shines through. If you don't have a lot of white in the napkin,(2nd can) it still looks pretty and the overall effect is metallic. We punched holes in them, and added wire for a handle.
My friends, Donna, and April, had the idea to use these for trick or treat buckets, or for birthday baskets, the possibilities are endless!

Now my last one for today.
This idea came from Kim and I found the directions here. Its great to use up extra bits of ribbon, and all of the lunch sacks that we don't use anymore.
I needed a cute little something to send with Savanna for the girls in her cabin at camp.

The way this is made, you end up with pockets that you can add a little something inside. For the girls I put in small Halloween packages of candy.

Well that is it for the day. Kind of a long post, but there are so many possibilities. Once your mind gets going, you just keep coming up with more and more ideas for projects!

"use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without" (aka: reduce, reuse, recycle)

200000-we made it

highlights of today- good or bad

:napping Tucker before church
:a child asking "what can I do to help you mom"
:leaving for church and realizing that one child has no underwear or shoes
:making it to church on time
:being able to sit all the way through the sacrament portion of the meeting
:our 4 year old sounding like he has Tourette syndrome only half of the time (and I mean no disrespect to those with tourettes, I went to school with a girl who had tourettes, I was in class with her for several years, I know what she went through)
:a purple bead the size of a peanut up the 4 year olds nose
:remembering to have him just blow it out (already been to the ER, in the year 2000 with Savanna for a similar situation!)
:seeing Jay walking down the hall, and glad that he made it to our meetings
:Tucker spending time with Jay during church (ahhhhhhhh)
:an almost nap for me

sleep

Luke slept the last 2 nights. All through the night. Yes I am talking about our 4 1/2 year old.
For any number of reasons, (ear infections, allergies (that the allergist says he does not have!), colds, scared, hungry, itchy skin, etc.) Luke has not been a very good sleeper for some time now. Jay usually gets up with him, since I have Tuck. (who has been having his own sleep issues, but we may be getting back into his old routine since he slept last night!)
Sleep is so wonderful. I really wonder why we need it so much. And why our body acts the way it does when we don't get enough of it. And its also interesting how we feel, when we are the ones that sleep deprive ourselves, vs. say, your children keep you up.
I am guilty of staying up. I was talking to my friend Rebecca, and she said there are 2 reasons we stay up.
1. to finish getting stuff done
2. to enjoy the stillness and quiet.
Well I do both at the same time. I like to work in the stillness and quiet. I like to finish cleaning up something, without turning around and seeing another mess that has just been made. But once I finish cleaning up, I like to enjoy the quiet time.

And it is right about that time that one of the 2 trouble sleepers wake up.

So last night, as I finished up, I was waiting for them. I was waiting for them! I kind of sat there for a minute thinking, "well they should be up any minute now"-and it didn't happen. So I went to bed. And I slept.

who made these?

****Edited****
those are "spare parts"



***Edited****
those are superman S's

diaper cake

My cute cousin is pregnant with twins-(does not even look like she is going to have 2 boys!)
My family put this together for her shower...it was fun to put together, and a good display for all those needful but not so fun to open things.

The birthday

the first happy meal




the decorations-








the birthday boy-






the cake




the gift (cart cover)