kill 'em with ... CUTENESS!!!

we've all heard that phrase:  "kill 'em with kindness" (and, not to go off topic here - but that phrase is weird to me.  I mean, I get it and all - but how 'bout we're just kind because we're just kind?  if we're being nice to someone to "get them", so to say, then we're not really being nice?  am I right?  moving right along though ...) but when I saw these pics I took of my "lil pumpkin" yesterday, all i could think of was that she's killing me with her cuteness!  she's just so stinkin cute!!!

anhow, just had to stop by and say happy ... hmmm, how about - PUNKIN DAY!  yah, as you can see - I'm still not ready to say "happy halloween".  I admit, we've changed a lot over the past couple years and we're now pretty much full swing into the fun festivities that go along with halloween:  we dress up, we attend "functions" (this year we went to the school "dance" and the chapel had it's festival again - so the past two evenings we've been out having fun), and we're going trick or treating again this year, too!  but, something holds me back still ... I know, it's silly, but so am I!!!

so - "Happy Punkin Day" to all ... if you're trick or treating, have fun and be safe!!!

the lunch room - October

so, yah ...October was not my month for packing lunches!  basically it ended up that the first week I packed twice and they bought twice, then there was a week of half days where they ate lunch at school, then the past two weeks they bought - simply because it's so much cheaper and I was ... being cheap!  no worries, though, I'm going to grocery shop tomorrow and have every intention of getting back to packing lunches.  I might add, Annicka will be very please and I think even Jericho is sick of "hot lunch" after having it so much!  so, here are the two lonely lunches of October!

lunch 1: 

applesauce, 100% juice, fruit leather, strawberries,

bean dip, potato chips, cream cheese & ham roll ups

lunch 2:

pear fruit cup, 100% fruit juice, pizza stix, raspberries, 

celery sticks, asian cracker mix, ham & swiss 

dinosaur sandwiches, slice of swiss cheese 

(my kids didn't care for the cheese, not sure if it

was just not quite right or if they don't like swiss

by itself?)

quotes of the week ...

I suppose my lack of "quotes" posts is a sign of something, not sure what - but surely laziness, if nothing more!  it's not that my kids haven't been making me smile with their funny little phrases, I just haven't been bothered to document them.  my bad.

a few weeks ago, after Nana and Grandaddy's visit, Liam went through this phase of constantly asking "who brought me this" (I'm guessing he was gaining an understanding that the things he has have come from people - and was interested in who each item had come from).  so, one day, he asked "who brought me this" ... to which I replied, "I did" ... his response?  "oh, you're cool ... I mean, you're awesome".  oh, thank you sweet little one.

now we'll get back to the present and hopefully I'll be posting weekly again with cute and funny moments!

in the midst of a tickle I asked my giggly little Liam, "are you a silly monkey" ...
Liam's reply, "no, I'm a cool monkey"!
yes you are, sweet three year old boy who can be such a stinker!!!  but I love you always, no matter what - even when you're completely disobedient and driving me crazy with your ornery-ness!!!

lately Liam likes me to play this pizza game online.  it's pretty fun because we can count and learn how to look at following the orders and stuff.  so anyway, we're sitting here and he's watching me and I turn and look at him and he goes, "I don't know about you, but I love you"!  it was so sweet.  but, of course, I was like - what do you mean you don't know about me?  I don't think he understands what that phrase implies, ya know, but -rest assured- he said, "I know you love me".

down syndrome awareness ...

someone posted this blog post to facebook - definitely worth the read!

down syndrome awareness

she's a character, alright!

I took these pics one morning when Zoey had put herself into one of the toy buckets! yes, she got herself in there - I told you she's amazing! not so amazing? when Liam attempted to dump her out. he didn't barely even tip it, though, before I stopped him - no worries! anyway, later when i was editing these pics I noticed which toy bucket it was - look close ...

... I'll say she's a character!!! LOL.

hand-me-downs ...

a couple weeks ago when i pulled these shirts out for Liam and Zoey, I realized two things: a) these shirts have passed through all my kids - they started as Annicka and Jericho's; then they were Jericho and Liam's; now Liam and Zoey's and b) they're on their last set! 

it made me almost sad for a minute.  I remembered finding these at Target, back in Oklahoma, and buying them.  I remembered how cute Annicka and Jericho looked in them ... and how cute the boys looked in them.  but it's fun, to now see how cute my final "set" of kids looks in the "my mommy loves me" tee shirts. 

lately I've been more sentimental about passed down clothing - I guess there's something fun about being able to see each of your kids wear a certain something!  these are just everyday pics from a morning last week ... and you can't even see Zoey's shirt ... but I may not ever manage to get any more pics of them in these shirts, so had to share now so I can always remember!

hot, hot, hot ...

I'm beginning to notice something ... no place has predictable weather!  and I say that only because it seems like everyone, regardless of where they live - all over the country, thinks that their town is somehow special because of it's unpredictable weather.  anyway, I do have a point here - last week we had some hot weather.  and I mean hot.  not like, oh wow is 70 and actually feels like 70 - nice.  no, I mean like holy crap it's like 90 degrees and there's zero breeze - what is up with that!

of course, there was a great benefit to those two "summer" days in the middle of fall ... summer clothes!

yah, cause we don't get to enjoy summer clothes in the summer here - it's usually way too cold.  in fact, this past summer I found myself wondering why I had bought Zoey so many adorable little romper outfits?  I guess the answer is that I absolutely adore them and found lots of cute ones, but there wasn't enough hot weather in Oregon to really utilize many summer outfits and even in Albuquerque we didn't have enough days for her to wear every cute summer thing (yes, I know - that's bad).

so, yah - last week I got to pull out one of the cutest little outfits ever.  I quickly whipped out a headband and added a flower I had already made, took Zoey to the backyard and we had a mini photo shoot ...

I think they turned out pretty cute!  in fact, I even put them on facebook -which I don't do too much of photo sharing on there- because I just had to share my adorable little missy.  they are also great pics for my little "business" that I'm trying to get going with ... yes, again!

so, there you have it - a hot day and some super cute pics!  good times.

working on walking

a few days ago we decided to have a little practice session with Zoey!  practice?  that's right:  walking practice!  lol.  but really, it's nothing special just the typical "let's see if the baby will walk to one parent from the other" ... the answer?  yes, she would take a step or two to fall into daddy's arms.  daddy's arms.  and only daddy's arms.  when he'd face her to me - nothin.  nothin!  little stinker!

so, since she wouldn't walk to me anyway - I had Annicka switch spots with me so I could get a couple photos!

the best reward- a big hug!

I want to mention this - these pics were taken October 9 ... she had already taken a few independent steps (as in - one step - but completely on her own) at this point and did a few more times in the next couple days.  then, October 13 she took FOUR steps!  right after the four, she stood back up and took FIVE steps.  then all evening she was so excited to take steps ... I think she's on her way to walking for real!!!

pics, pics, pics ...

apparently I'm more caught up than I realized (here on the blog, that is)! it's been a while since I've been to the point of sharing what I consider "current" pics - as in, pics from only the past week (not last month) - so it feels kinda good! of course, i still have several to edit and add, but here's a couple from the first week of October, to get us caught up!

I love this.

sweet baby!

I love her ponytail and her reflection!

be. still. my. heart.

if this kid obeyed better, he could

be a model ... for sure!

here's proof of why Zoey needs to wear

a bib ... not only does she drool when she

drinks her bottle, but drools a bit otherwise as well!

this cracks me up.  he was actually being a little mean

with her - with his face (though not caught in this pic) -

he was getting frustrated that she wanted his Star

Wars toys and was getting them away from her!

do I need to say anything?

party hardy!

so, one of my besties and I decided to say good-bye to September together! her and her two kiddos stayed over the night and we had tons of fun (meanwhile, her hubby was at home installing tile floors)!  there were make-overs and hair-do's ... we may or may not have gotten a little crazy and goofy with that ... I may, or may not, have had half of my hair crimped and the other half waved (and I may or may not have gone out the following morning with it still like that - hey, I had to clean up a poopy baby after an unfortunate diaper explosion during the night, ok - I didn't have time to be bothered with fixing my hair, getting to the yard sales was more important!)  There was tattoos for the boys (well, the girls too) so that they didn't feel left out, too!  we had a super fun time ... and the fun continued the next day when Jill, that's my bestie, made us pancakes for breakfast and then we all (as in: her, I, my oldest three kids, and her two kids) went out shopping together - ALL DAY!  it was a blast and just what I needed!

 ... and, yes, of course there are photos!

I had to include this, even though I don't have the skill

to remove that darn double chin digitally!  we're just so funny though!

we couldn't stop laughing!

and here's my daughter - looking far too grown up!

Diana - isn't she gorgeous!

I love how she posed - totally on her own!

we even let the girls give us a make-over ...

so, I never see myself much when I look at Annicka ... I usually

see this gorgeous little girl with glasses that she has to be 

constantly reminded to push up (she looks over them, lol) -

but looking at this pic, I can see some resemblances between

us and now maybe understand why people say she looks like me!

and then let them do their own make-up

(we did it the first time - above pics)

you know the girl got crazy, it's in her genes!

I couldn't resist!

oh yah, I'm cool!

and THEN Annicka took it to a new level - lol

her mama waved her hair - so cute!

and then she got silly ... I wonder why!

that's my daughter!

at first he got mad that they wouldn't come off - but

then he decided he really liked his tattoos!

oh my gosh.

I love boys!

LOVE. boys.

then she had to pull out her hidden talent ...

she's so funny - I love her!

showing off his tattoos!

late into the night we had a little pizza thief - lol

I crimped her hair - love it!

and, yah, tattoos on the face ... my Annicka!

oh yah ... and I want to forever remember being in our van (I discovered that five kids CAN fit in there) and loving hearing the kids singing "love you like a love song" - priceless!!!