Snow Day

We got to go to school for one day and were off again for a Snow DAY!  Yep, a big storm came through and dumped on us.  I  got the call the night before that school would be canceled and told the boys as we were putting them to bed.  Later that night when we checked on them I found that they had made a fort behind Zachary's bed and were curled up back there.  Love it.  They really are best friends.

We woke up to a foot or more of snow.  I got the boys new shovels so that they could help clear the snow and learn how to help out.  Zach was so excited to get out and help.  He was the first one ready and out the door.  Eventually everyone got out there.  Well their shovels weren't the best for clearing snow but they are great for making snow forts.  So I taught Zach how to build a snow cave which he thought was so cool and so did Andrew.  Adam liked playing and messing around with his friends and trying to get dad with a snow ball.

 

Happy New Year!

Going Snow Tubing at Blue Mountain was a great way to start off the new year.  Josh and I both agree it was the best family outing that we have ever had.  We all had fun from the oldest to the youngest.  We got there got our tickets and were on the mountain as a family pretty quick.  Half the fun was not having to walk up the mountain and have our tooshies pulled up by a lift.  It was great all the fun and not the exercise.  It kept everyone very happy.  Tubing is defiantly the lazy man's sport (if you could even call it that) or a great outing for a young family.  We went down as a family a few times and then Zach and I broke off to try out the single tube hill. We got to ride down together and it was a lot more of a thrill.  We went faster and further.  Zach loved it and wanted to go again so Josh and I switched and I went down with Andrew.  Andrew realized that he was left out of some kind of fun and communicated through screams that he wanted to ride with the big brothers. So after confirming that he was in fact big enough to go in the single tube we made our way over.  I was surprised that he loved it and not even a little bit scared when we flew down the hill.  I think I have a thrill seeker.
We went in doors to warm up and grab a bite to eat.  There was just enough time to go down one more time so Adam took the opportunity and went down with daddy one last time. I was thrilled at his excitement for our activity.

Santa Time

We had a very nice day yesterday.  I got to sleep in after staying up late wrapping gifts ( 2nd night in a row).  We went to the mall to see Santa and have a chat with him.  I asked Adam and Zach what they were going to ask Santa for and they told me "max steel turbo sword" and Zach said "bay warriors".  Which I find funny since they were really into a different set of toys a few weeks ago.  Awww, the fleeting desires of a child.  Anyway after seeing Santa, we ran around the little mall riding rids and ducking into stores for a quick look.  The boys really enjoyed getting pretzel sticks and .25 balls at old navy.  It is fun as a parent to see you kids get a kick out of something so simple

We stayed home the rest of the day and made Santa sandwiches with a snow storm outside and Christmas music inside.  It was one of those moments that I just wanted to bottle up and remember forever.  As Andrew snoozed upstairs Adam and Zach helped me put peanut butter on the crackers and dip them in the chocolate.  I thought that their help would last a few minuets at best but they really got into the activity.  I let them take over the dipping.  It was SO nice to be together in the kitchen enjoying each other's company.  As they were dipping into the chocolate they made up a game where all of the cracker sandwiches had come to life and were begging to not be drowned in the chocolate.  At least I think that is what they came up with.  I didn't want to interrupt their game.  Andrew got up and the snow had piled up that they all wanted to go outside with dad and have a snowball fight which is what they did.  I got to hear all about the epic battle with dad.  I poked my head out to take a few pictures and saw Andrew laying down in the snow pushing a boat through the snow and analyzing the tracks that it made.  Also they boys running around trying the best to get dad.  I just loved today.

Dec the halls

Decorations for every holiday are I think a important part.  They really help set the mood and get everyone excited about the upcoming events.  Well Christmas to me is the biggest of all holidays and so I do my best to decorate all over the house.  We make a day of it by getting the kids involved, putting on our favorite Christmas time music or movies to be playing in the background.  This year I had on "White Christmas" a favorite of mine.  Growing up my family would watch this movie and Kathryn, Heather and I would often sing the song "Sisters" or "Snow, snow, SNOW!" while getting ready in the morning together.  I have memories of watching the dance scenes with my dad and him point out the difficulty of what they were doing. I found myself doing the same thing with Zach this year.  The little cutie watched some of the movie with me and seemed genuinely interested and impressed with the movie.  It was fun for me to share that with him.

Finally what the boys had been wanting to do all day; we decorated the Christmas tree together.  I love our decorations and ornaments for our tree.  Most of them are home made and or pictures of the boys.  To me there isn't anything better than looking at my tree with my three boys looking back at me.

Pie Time!

I got to go to Zachary's Thanksgiving feast at school.  I was glad that i got to go there and help out and let Zach know that I love and he is important to me.  I just love Schonely School.  They really made this day a celebration by dressing up and organizing craft centers for t each class to rotate through.  I was a fun day for all invovled.
I spent most of my day on Wednesday preparing the turkey feast and baking pies.  Josh was great!  He took care of the kids, running the bacuum and staying on top of the dishes.  He was my hero.  So when he said that he would really like a apple pie I extended myself and made my first ever apple pie.  When my parents got in the first thing that they saw were the pies that I had set out.  Dad saw those and he exclaimed "Ooooo, you know they are better when you eat them fresh.  Do we really have to wait?"  It didn't take much to push me over the edge.  I got out the plates right away.  We stayed up way too late talking and eating chocolate cream pie.  I have to say they were my best pies I have ever made.  I love this time of year.

Nov. 28th 2013 THANKSGIVING DAY

It was a nice day.  We had the McIntyre family and the Koomson family over for our feast.  It was a little crazy but very nice.  I thought everything was delicious.  Josh was on top of the dishes which made everything else run smooth.  I really ennoyed having the Koomson family over they are from Ghana and I got to visit with them a little bet and get to know them more.  We really had a very typical American holiday except the football (bc we don't have sport channels).  We were together with family and friends with lots of food and pie and ate too much.

Nov. 29th 2013 BLACK FRIDAY

I kind of pride myself for never have gone out on black friday and spent any money.  But this year i broke my tradition of not going out and went.  I'm glad I did.

  

Halloween 2013

It was a fun but a little crazy day and I'm so glad that I had a baby sitter lined up and Andrew and that Josh could take a half day at work so that everyone's needs could be met.  Zach and Adam got to walk in their school parade but since I was at Adam's school doing his party Josh got to go to Zach's parade.  I got to walk with Adam in his parade.  I love that the kids get to dress up in their costumes at school and parade around and see everyone all dressed up.
After the school party we rested up a bit and then went Trick-or-Treating around our block.  Adam was a vampire this year and at every door would say with his best vampire voice "trick-or-treat Ha-Ha-Haaaaaa".  He cracked me up.  Zachary was a very cute bat.  I was very impressed with myself that I made is costume this year.  I had one of the other first grade teachers tell me that she didn't get to see it but she had heard that it was very cute.  I really enjoyed watching Zach bound from one house to the other in his cute happy way.  Andrew enjoyed getting candy and really liked seeing people's dogs.  We came up to one house with some cut logs in off to one side and Andrew recognized those as "jobie wood" from a Thomas and Friends' episode that he watches.  He saw the logs and exclaimed over and over "jobie!  jobie!  jobie!"  He made a very cute Clark Kent.  He was a less interested in costumes this year and so it was hard to figure out what he  would let me put on him.  I tried several different costumes and even bought him one but he either wasn't interested or really protested to wearing it.  So I took his superman costume from his first Halloween cut off the legs and arms and put it under a collard shirt with slacks boom Clark Kent.

After pizza Josh took the older boys out for a little more Halloween fun at the high school trunk-or-treat event which emptied out the neighborhoods.  I think that the boys had a very happy Halloween.

Petting Zoo

I got to take Andrew to Green Meadow Farm petting zoo in Hazlet NJ.  I thought that it was the best petting zoo experience that I've ever had.  We got there before the school groups showed up and so we were the first to go through and had our own host.  We started with puppies.  We could have stopped at the puppies and Andrew would have been very happy with that.  We moved onto the other baby animals: chicks, ducklings, rabbits, piglets, calves, lamas etc.  Which we got to hold and pet. We got to feed the sheep.  Andrew tried to feed them like he does our hamster one grain at a time.  We saw a mother pig feeding her 9 piglets and got to pet them.  Andrew wasn't interested in milking the cow and he got a little freaked out when the mule bit down on my purse handle and wouldn't let go.  Other than that he had a great time.