Watching The Wheels

 "I've been baking bread and looking after the baby...Everyone else who has asked me that question over the last few years says. 'But what else have you been doing?' To which I say, 'Are you kidding?' Because bread and babies, as every housewife knows, is a full-time job. After I made the loaves [of bread,] I felt like I had conquered something. But as I watched the bread being eaten, I thought, Well, Jesus, don't I get a gold record or knighted or nothing?" - John Lennon




Even John Lennon appreciated the work of an at-home parent... bc he WAS one :) The video is of a song he wrote about his choice to stay home instead of being on the road all the time







"The joy is still there when I see Sean. He didn't come out of my belly, but my God, I've made his bones, because I've attended to every meal, and how he sleeps, and the fact that he swims like a fish because I took him to the ocean. I'm so proud of all his things. But he is my biggest pride." - John Lennon

Even More Catch Up and my Birthday!

how did we do on our fall bucket list? There's still time to make a pie! Maybe even a bonfire...

 I have kept my political opinions generally to myself for the EXACT reason that I see happening all over facebook/LIFE. Friends and family tearing into each other... I in no way think that Obama is perfect, but PLEASE PEOPLE... have some respect for the *re elected* leader of our nation and for other people's opinions. This is Democracy and it IS progress. I voted for him and as easy as it is to stand by someone when they have already won... I feel safe enough to talk about it. Facebook became a hostile environment and spawned so much hatred and foul conversations and name calling between people that otherwise like each other. I refused to get on board.

In other news, I turned 29 yesterday. I had a great laid back day that involved watching the 4 or so inches of the first snowfall of the year melt away in the sun. Maris had school and Jim had work. Jackson and I headed to the consignment shop and used up my store credit to get some Lands End snow boots and coats for the kiddos and a few pairs of pjs and pants. (and some books for Santa to bring. Hey, what do they care where I get them or if they were pre-read?) then headed to Kmart with my sister and got myself a pair of jeans that FIT me! We really didn't have the money for it, but with us not going out for my birthday, we had that money free. In retrospect, I should have gotten FOOD... but today is payday. ONE DAY we won't live paycheck to paycheck.
 Anyways, my awwesome Mom threw me a family dinner party and I drank moscato champagne and bailey's, ate tons of delicious food and my stepdad always gets me cannolis :) I love my family. This beat going out to any restaurant any day!

 my drunken trifle. brownie soaked in baileys, white cake soaked in kahlua, 2 types of pudding, crushed halloween oreos layer, heath bar layer... yum.

 Beatles gift and Beatles card. It's like they know me... :p

and this is how I helped to clean up haha

Holy Catch Up Batman!

In the post previous to this I was talking about how true friends can pick up where they left off no matter how much time passes... my friend Geoffrey surprised me with a visit a few days after I posted that and took me out to an early birthday dinner. We played bar trivia and laughed and carried on like we see each other all the time. It breaks my heart that he's a distance away and my kids have only met one of my best friends in the world maybe 3 times... but we make it work in our own dysfunctional way. We text and stuff all the time and keep in touch but we actually come face to face usually about once a year. Lots of rambling... but just wanted to follow up on the previous post about friendship. I've been having issues with certain people that were in my life and aren't so much anymore. Learning to focus on the people that want to be here in my life and not on those who apparently don't...
but anyways I have a lot of catching up to do on here.

 Josh's birthday/Halloween party

 pumpkin picking and fall fun with another best friend Trina. The kids love Aunt Trina

 we went in the bouncy house with the kids, it was fun!

 this Obama mask in the haunted house was offensive in my opinion... I almost wanted to leave, and would have, if the kids weren't having such a blast

 then the Hurricane Sandy hit and we were without power for 6 days, well we got power back on the 6th day. The first night was amusing to us. The kids went to bed and we lit candles and drank and played board games by candlelight...

 the winds were so strong, it was scary. It blew the kids playhouse right over but thankfully we put almost everything in our shed that survived the storm. The neighbors swingset was destroyed and the slide was in the stream by our house. I am so thankful that ours survived. the kids would have been heartbroken.

 the power outage left us with a below 40 degree house and no running water so we camped out at Jim's parents house. The kiddos were happy to have cable lights and water.

 The Halloween came and Maris had school (one of the only schools in the area still in session due to the hurricane and power outages) and I volunteered for the school class party by donating my photo taking :)

 after she was out of school, we got dressed up and ready to go trick or treating. Due to mass power outages in the area, there wasn't much of a choice in where we could go so we headed to the indoor mall - o - ween and what an ordeal...

 this picture was early on when I could sill move around! it was shoulder to shoulder people. Horrible.

 then the gas outages started and we saw a lot of this happening. It took me 2 hours of driving around the county before I could fill up.

Jackson didn't have school until the following Monday but they still held Halloween and he opted for his Buzz dress up outfit I got at a yard sale last year. It fit him well and he had a great time :)

On the 6th morning of no power, I got a glorious text from my friend/neighbor that said we had power back so we finally got to head home and air out the house and throw away a lot of spoiled food. Other people had it far worse, just happy to be home and warm and safe. We will be eating a lot of ramen and cereal etc until I pick up more hours since I missed a lot of work from the storms.

Lately...!

I will start off with saying I am truly blessed to have a number of these types of friends. People who understand that I have children, family, a job (or few), and other things taking up a majority of my time these days. If I was ever needed by one of these friends (I consider family) I would do everything in my power to be there. We may not have the same interests/views or whatever 100% of the time but we are THERE for each other. I may not have the time or money to go out at night and when I DO get a rare night off, I want to see my family... my husband bc I really don't get to so much with our opposite schedules. We are really getting back to MAKING time for each other as it was an issue for a while but thats another topic entirely... *we're doing awesome, don't worry*
 I am trying not to be upset with some people I used to have in my life and considered friends/FAMILY that have recently stopped even trying. People I thought were true blue. I know "the road goes both ways" and I can try to call them or reach out myself... believe me, I've tried. I guess I have to suck it up and let it go. This is starting to sound very "poor me" and that was not my intention. I just like to get my thoughts out. Time to focus on the friends and family that deserve to be there.

with that thought out of the way, I will catch up with the happenings of recent times. I am taking a photography class that really has helped me sharpen my skills and has taught me what all of the settings and buttons on my fancy camera are for and how to use them. Being a self taught photographer, this hands on training was a gigantic help! Now I just need to get a new lens as my loving children have knocked my camera off so many high surfaces that it is busted. I have a few other lenses but I need a regular lens close to the kit one that has bitten the dust. Pretty sad that tonight is the last night of classes. I am hoping to find the money to take the next class up - advanced photo....

the following photos are things from class. They are practice shots, but I learned a few things! Sooo ready to go out and shoot and fine tune the new things I have learned.

once I up my equipment, maybe I can continue pursuing a career in photography *gasp* Self doubt is my largest enemy there. I have so many people behind me, pushing me to do it. I have practice on Halloween at Maris' class party! We shall see how I do with real subjects :)
other happenings...

we went to a super cute train birthday party

saw a walking stick bug!

 just an insert here: we were concerned about the pincer on his back end biting the kids... I was reading up on these creatures here and the pincers are for mating purposes. The pincers are on the male bugs and they are for grabbing onto the female bugs body while mating. Yikes.. lol

our little ballerina is doing fantastic!

keeping up with homework

J is "helping" her cut out shapes... or cutting them into confetti... but it makes him happy!

we made candy corn explosion cookies (a sugar cookie recipe I altered and made my own. Used pumpkin coffee creamer instead of milk in the recipe and added orange coloring and candy corns)

ridiculously sweet. I had one and felt the diabetes setting in haha

J is in preschool and has his ups and downs. He IS the Goob. He has always been a very sensitive and particular person that we have a lifestyle of walking on eggshells with him. Don't get me wrong, he is the sweetest most loving child ever. He does have his moments where he is just beyond reasoning and can be difficult. I feared that this would continue out of the home.... maybe it was only me that he does this with... but no. Last week at school I was pulled to the side and asked about his personality bc he is usually bright and happy and particiipates. Truly loves school. BUT the other day he was withdrawn and sullen as she put it. He wouldn't join in any activities and kept saying no. I was surprised, but then again not really. This IS jackson. I asked him on the way to the car if he liked school and he said no. I asked what happened and he stopped talking. But then Monday came around and he was bright eyed and bushy tailed pumped for school. We waited on the line of kids to go in and I asked him if he wanted to go play with his friends and he said "I have no friends. Just Maris." with a straight serious face. I wonder if he just isnt willing to get out there or CAN'T (shy like his Momma) or if it's all in his head. Jim says to let it be, I cant compare him to the outgoing older sister that meets friends everywhere she goes... and I try not to. I really embrace what makes him HIM and I try to take a cue from my Mom and let my kids be who they are... he is a (mostly) happy, wonderful kid and I'm sure he will be fine. This week has been great. Still no friends he claims, but he tells me all about how he does puzzles and paints and hears stories... he can't wait to dress up for the Halloween party.

Well I guess that's about everything. I know its a cluster-eff of thoughts and photos, but this is how my brain works! Now to continue making the costumes and getting him ready for another day of school.

Bittersweet day...

 Today marks the 10 year anniversary of when Jim and I first started dating officially and also the 4th anniversary of our marriage. The date was strategically chosen to keep track, plus I love the fall. It also marks the day that we had to say goodbye to my Godmother & Aunt Sherry. It was a difficult day to balance feelings of sadness and love and happiness...

I will keep this short with a few photos bc that's what I do. 10 years, 2 kids... a billion photos and memories... we did good. Hopefully many more years to come.

Here is to embracing life and to enjoying many more happy years. Thanks to all for the well wishes on the anniversary and also the comforting words about my Aunt. I really wanted to write a lot on the subject of today but i am just so burnt out. Family is everything. Plain and simple.