To get ready for Thanksgiving... we gave the boys a new game to keep them busy!

Then we went in the kitchen and made a huge mess...


But it was worth it... talk about a lot of YUMMY food.

Here is the "Real" cook! My mama is T.H.E. BEST

(Notice the difference in my blender and hers... *grin

Look at all these happy... full folks.

Even pop was getting his hands dirty to help...

I loved Kyle's cookies...

The decorations were great too!
This is how some of them get ready for seconds...

and this is how some of us try to keep the pies off of the thighs!

Studs in Training

During our fabulous anniversary weekend away in Monterey, we had 'lots' of time to talk about "stuff" ... in between 37 phone calls from the boys, and 12 calls from coaches asking us what we're doing with the boys this season.

We talked about important stuff... Like how in the world are we going to get through another baseball season trying juggle all 7 teams???

Tony needs to coach fewer teams.

I need to schedule their hitting and pitching lessons earlier.

AND the boys need to start lifting now!!

SO Daddy got started tonight...

I love how AJ wants to be just like his daddy!

oof! this is harder than it looks dad!

and Kyle loves to show off how strong he already is... at only 11!

Colton, of course, has to do more curls than anyone!

And trust me... he's ALWAYS counting.

(Being the 3rd boy is tough!)

And baby Caden... well... he can do anything his big brothers can do.

UMMM...

Mommy- DO YOU WANT A TURN???

Oh. Well. Um. I'm taking pictures... maybe tomorrow???

or after Thanksgiving when I'm complaining about not being able to fit in my jeans... then maybe I'll take my turn.

Happy Anniversary

I love you hon!

Thanks for doing all the laundry, most of the housework, all the yard work, and taking care of the cars (I haven't even put gas in a car since I was 18 years old, I may have forgotten how)...

and the thousand other things you do for me that make people ask:

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR HIM??? ** Humph

Most of all, thanks for loving me as much as you do, and for being the daddy that you are!

You're still my "Love of a Lifetime"

I love you.

Weekend Weather

We had hoped to go on a mini vacation to SO Cal this weekend for some weather like this:
instead of bright blue skies, we got this ominous orange color...The Sylmar fires broke out a few miles away...

3 miles is pretty far away (supposedly)... but the view from the backyard seemed pretty dang close to me.
The kids would peek over the fence every once in a while to check out how close it was. Once they could actually see the fire from the backyard... they became a little more like their mama... and fREAKED OUT.

I can only imagine what the coming days will be like for the people who lost their homes. Once again, another reminder of how much I have to be thankful for!

Can You Imagine

The year before last, I was blessed with a very bright, sweet, wonderful little girl in my class who has forever left her mark on my heart.

She was every teacher's dream. Motivated, loved learning...

Her "mother" was just dropping her off at school a couple of weeks ago. I remember noticing that she didn't 'look' like she felt too good when I pulled into school behind her.

Long story short... her mom died yesterday.

They only had a little time to embrace the news.

She told me on Friday that her mom "didn't even know who I was last night, so I just pet her hair and try to get her to take a drink. It's already that bad."

But as I hugged her today, I realized just how difficult "forever" is to grasp for a 9 year old... even as bright as this one. I know I certainly can't grasp it.

What can you do?

Except run home as fast as you can ... and ever so thankfully hug your own kids, and wonder why you are so blessed to live the life you have!

Definitions

This is how we "define" math and social studies in first grade while he's at home with Nana...Nana makes it easy... and fun... and wonderful! That's how it "should be."

But then the other days of the week, this is what the definition of school looks like...

The little yellow word book is what I use in my first grade classroom during Language Arts in my class (since I'm still teaching 3 days a week).

I had to "graduate" to the Webster dictionary to accommodate my 3rd and 4Th grader... but I'm good with that (usually). After all, I'm a "teacher" for Pete sakes; a college grad with a couple of science degrees and 15 years of teaching experience (But my hubby would point out that I've only taught Kinder and first... so as to explain my anxiety about trying to teach geometry and science to a brainy kid).

BUT now that Kyle wanted in on this "home schooling adventure" too... I'm a little more stressed.

His "definition" of a dictionary is this....
(and yes... he actually uses it!)

When he was little... his idea of a great "rainy day game" was looking at "his" book and finding new words to try and trick his daddy with.

(Notice I said daddy... not mommy. He said he only liked to play that game with daddy because he "likes a challenge"...humph! and then I took his blocks away... because he started that when he was about 4!)

So, the real "adventure" of me starting to home school all 4 boys is really just beginning!

This week we just tried to figure out logistics... Like why it's not going to work for them to call me while I'm at work 47 times to ask if they can have a "recess" yet.

We'll see...

The one good thing... not having a school payment for the first time in 8 years will be pretty awesome! Whatever will we do??? (I'm thinking we may need to save it for the counseling services we may require if this doesn't go as well as we hope!! Hahhhh)

Seasons of Life

I am so glad Halloween is over, and we can move on to being "Thankful"... right?

It's a season for us to be Thankful ... and I am!

But once in a while... well,

DID anyone see all those cute fairies and princesses last night???

My boys... at the ripe "old" ages of 7 to 11 are 'too cool' to dress up anymore, much less humor me and dress up for any photos.

I liked it when they were little and I could make them dress up and take pictures.

Not that I don't LOVE my boys... and love the crazy, busy, LOUD life we live! I do!

But sometimes, I appreciate the season of life... after it's passed, much more than I did in the midst of it.

SO... as I look back at my cute photos of past Halloween's... where they were SO cute... I'm going to remember that this season...

the one I'm in right now... This is the season of my life when:

I'm able to sleep in. ( YAHHHHHOo)
I'm able to enjoy THEM putting away clothes (theirs and mine!); and get their own FOOD (usually without spilling it everywhere)
I'm able to enjoy them taking care of me, and each other.
I'm enjoying them wanting to snuggle and cuddle still (without wanting "something" from me)
I'm loving that they are becoming the "knights" albeit not in costumes... that their daddy is trying to teach them to be. (GOSH I LOVE THAT MAN!)

and a thousand other things that I couldn't have said... back in the season of our lives when they still would dress like I wanted them to, and wear their hair like I wanted them to... and smell like I wanted them to....
and go to school where I wanted them too...

But... that's another post.

PS!!!
Thanks a million for all your encouraging words and thoughts on our home schooling dilemma!

home schooling... REALLY?

I distinctly remember thinking that "hell would freeze over before I'd ever home school any of my own kids"...

but apparently I'll be buying the next round for the entire populous in Hades... and soon!

We started homeschooling AJ in September for the first time... and since he loves it so much, within 2 months he convinced his 2 younger brothers to drop out of school and stay home with him. They all love it... and it's amazing how much they can accomplish!

As of this afternoon, the 3 of them have convinced my oldest son to get home schooled too!

BUT... wait!

I agreed to home school my 4th grader because it's the best thing for him.

I agreed to home school my 3rd grader and 1st grader because that's easy and the school they were at wasn't nearly academic enough. They REALLY wanted to get home schooled, and AJ enjoys having his brothers around to play with (most of the time); so we're doing it.

But, I'm REALLY hesitant to teach my middle-school son at home!

He's the "perfect" child... the "perfect" student... the "perfect" built-in tutor...

but the truth is... he's already smarter than I am in all the core subjects; and I'm not really sure I can do a good enough job...FOR HIM.

I don't know how we can tell him no though.

He's crushed because he thinks that I'm "trying to convince him to stay in school."

I just want what's best for each of them; and I wish that I knew exactly what that meant for each of them---

because by the time I finish paying their food bill for the next few years, and 4 sets of braces, and insurance for them to drive etc... I really don't think they'll be much left over for any counseling that may be need because I screwed up their education!

ha

Tagged

I got tagged ...so here's 7 Random things about me...

http://alexiselana.blogspot.com/

1. My boys LOVE to clean
(and they get T.H.A.T. from their daddy!)

2. My mom was and IS ... the best mom in the world.
She'd let me stay home from school when I was a kid so that we could go shopping for the day.
Now, Kyle stays home from school once in a while to hang out and shop with Nana.
This was what he brought home last time...

#3...
My boys are Wanna BE Rockers...

#4. Daddy puts little boys on the roof
(when I'm not home) to pose for pictures.

#5 I love to redecorate my boy's rooms...
(but now that they're picking their own colors)

#6
The thing I'm most thankful for this month
is that my boy hasn't had a trip to the hospital in a long time!!!

#7

I went to The Master's College and got my degree in 3 years because dad wanted me to get married AFTER I graduated. In celebration of "saving" my dad all that money in tuition... we went on vacation... where I learned that camels are the worst smelling bumpy rides in the desert. Soon after, the wedding plans began...

In hind sight, dad would have saved A LOT more money by paying the tuition... instead of wedding! ha...

But, that's a post for next month!

Baby, Oh Baby

I can't believe my baby is 7 today...

because just yesterday,
he started this adventure of being the "baby brother"...
and it hasn't always been so easy...

From the very beginning, Caden was patient with his "not so big" brothers...

and was such a "happy little pumpkin" !!!

Always ready to go, go, go...

and has never had a hard time keeping up with the big guys...

His happy heart has been such a blessing to our family!

Always ready to learn something new...

and always up for another ball game...

Yeah, my baby is getting big...

But he's always gonna be MY BABY!