Not Me! Sunday

I did not go to the doctor's two weeks ago and find out that I have put on 20 pounds over the last two years. I did not come home and try to put on my size 6 capris that barely did up and had belly hanging over. I did not need to go on the South Beach Diet to lose all that weight!

But if I did....my scrumdillyitious Day 7 dinner might look something like this:



However, I exercise regularly and never eat junk food. Therefore, it is NOT ME!!

Kaylee's Room

This has actually been a very requested report! THIS is Kaylee's room! Nothing like some of the rooms she has had before but she loves it and it is perfect for my almost 9 year old!!

Art Room

With family coming for Thanksgiving and Kaylee's party tomorrow night, I've been pretty motivated to get the basement completed. Here is the tiled art room that we have at the back of the basement. I did the whole room in chalkboard paint. I wanted it to be as creative-juice-inducing as possible. All the art work on the walls have been done by my children, my aunt, my cousin or me. So fun!

My Perfect Daughter

I am so excited!

Yesterday Kaylee was so excited to find a CD that she didn't know in the cupboard. She put it on and loved it. Today she snuck it into the car so we could listen to it on our errands. It is my favorite CD of all time...like ALL TIME! It was...drum roll please...Kenny and Dolly's Christmas CD. Stop laughing...I"m being serious!

You already know that I love lists. And I can't believe that I neglected this on my list of 100 Things About Me, but I love Christmas music just as much. I get them all out the morning after Thanksgiving and it is nothing but Christmas music until Christmas is officially over. Now, I also have favorites and I play them over and over (much to my husband's annoyance!). Alan Jackson, Kenny Chesney and the most awesome of all, and previously mentioned, Kenny and Dolly (which I am sure that I have been listening to since I was about Kaylee's age!).

So, I am so excited to see that my daughter has the most perfect taste in music. When I mentioned it to Jimmy this afternoon, he didn't seem quite as enthusiastic...I'm guessing because she has convinced me to start this Christmas music frenzy of mine exactly 27 days earlier than he was expecting the onslaught!! hahahaha

I believe in Santa Claus
I believe in Santa Claus
I believe there's always hope
When all seems lost
I believe in Santa Claus........................

Life List

I told you...I like lists!

I read a book about a week ago called "Next Thing on My List" by Jill Smolinski. The premise of the book is that the main character offers a girl she just met a ride home from her Weight Watchers meeting. On the way home they get into an accident and the girl dies. The main character finds, in the wreckage, a list that the girl has of things she wanted to do before she turned 25 in the next year. She has only crossed off two things on the list. The main character then sets out to finish the list for her. And I did not spoil it for you because you get all of that information in the first chapter. It's a phenomenal book.

It really got me thinking about what I would put on my list. I am at an age now that I also know what my limitations are and what sounds interesting but is something that I would absolutely not do. Like jump out of a perfectly good plane to go parachuting...sounds interesting but I would hate it and have no intention of ever trying it..even if my death sentence is handed to me tomorrow! 10 years ago I probably would have changed a few things about my body...make my chin more prominent, even out my eyes, lipo that one bulge in my tummy...but I've come to be okay with my body so that's really not on the list for me either. But I do have some things that I would love to accomplish. Here is a start:

1. White Water Rafting.
2. Run a 5K.
3. Participate in a triathlon.
4. Try waitressing.
5. Cut down my own Christmas tree (not very environmentally friendly..but just once!!).
6. Be completely debt-free.
7. Take my family to the beach for a week.
8. Find a church home!
9. Find a job that I can do from home.
10. Start Jagger's scrapbook.

My list is not complete. I realized after reading this book that I am really content. I am happy with my life and I don't feel like I would have many regrets or wants if I were told that I only had a short while to live. There are always some things that we want to try or do though and so I am thinking this might be my New Year's Resolution this year. I might make a list of 10 things that I want to accomplish in the next year and see how many I can cross off. They don't have to be big (one of the ones in the book was to go bra-less for a day!! I've had kids though and I have no desire whatsoever to do this! But small things are good is my point.). Since I am accomplishing last year's goal of reading through the Bible in a year I feel like I really want to have something big to do every year. I think this would be a fun way to go through next year...or at least an adventurous way.

This book has not left my mind since I finished reading it. I would highly recommend it to anyone. It's funny chick-lit...not a sappy Oprah find. I promise you that you will think differently when you are done. I would love to hear some of the things you would put on your list. Leave your top choices in the comments. I can't wait to see the responses!!

Another Column Done!

It’s that time of year again. Flu shots! I am still relatively new to the flu shots with last year being our first year to get the kids done. Like me, my oldest and youngest get sick all of the time. Last year I decided to get flu shots for all of them and see if it made a difference. My oldest did not go to the doctor from the time she had her shot in October until she had her first ear infection of the swimming season in May. I’m now a believer!

My kids, however, hate the shots. I was determined to have a better time this year. I even went and got one myself from King Soopers on Bromley (the pharmacist, Jim, was quick and almost painless! Thanks Jim). I had to make sure that I was telling the truth when I told my kids that it wouldn’t hurt. It really was quite simple.

I enlisted my husband for support and off we went to Premier Pediatrics. My oldest is terrifed of needles and began to cower in the corner as soon as we got into the room. My middle one was up on the table saying “yay, me first. I’m so brave! Can I get a treat mom?.” Talk about polar opposites! He did go first and said a big “ow” and then giggled and he was done. So very brave!
The nurse wouldn’t do the youngest while he was sleeping (he fell asleep on the car ride). So, we decided that the noise from the oldest would wake the youngest so we’ll just change the order and do her next. She was on her way out the door at that suggestion! My husband had to bring her over and hold her down (another nurse came in because of the noise). It was horrible and I cried through the whole thing. But she did it…my big girl!

I was right, the commotion did wake up the youngest and he was not happy with what was going on. Poor man, after being woken up by the screaming he had to get his pants yanked down and get held down on the table to get his shot in his leg. He didn’t cry so much about the shot as he did about the annoyance!

I’m thinking next year we may pay the extra money to get the mist! My point is that if I can get it done with my three kiddos…anyone can! Jim, the pharmacist says October is the best time to get your flu shot. Your body will build up a resistance in two weeks and it will last six months. It really is painless. My daughter’s advice is to get as worked up as you can and scream as loud as you can and then you won’t even feel it! My strategy is to look the other way and take deep breaths. Either way, it will be over before you know it.

Anderson Farms

Again..I love Autumn. I love everything Autumn. And when I found out that they have corn mazes here in Colorado, which I have never done before, I knew I had to try one out. So, today after church we headed on over to Anderson Farms. I will tell the day along with the pictures.

These are my beautiful children posing under the Anderson Farms poster...my husband thinks the kids are cuter than the poster though so it's just the kids!

Could James being any happier than in this bucket train?!

Kaylee loves the bucket train and wrestles with whether she should ride and be a bit uncool or sit it out...for now she is still riding.

For all of you out there that think Jagger looks like Jimmy...check out this picture!

Here is an obvious statement...this is the entrance to the corn maze. And a fat picture of me...

hahaha!

In each maze there are six stations to punch your card with (three mazes in one with a total of 18 stations). At each station there is also a map of where you are and where the other stations are. We never figured out how to read the map very well! And after over an hour left with only five punches to our card. It was lots of fun but a bit too much walking for Jagger (and too much carrying for Jim!).

I know Jim was just playing with the camera here but this is seriously my new favorite picture ever!

They had lots of fun things to do other than the corn maze. Here is Kaylee milking (again obvious..) a fake cow.

This was an awesome train that the kids played on. James is right in the middle with the black hoodie on.

Jagger rode a bike through a little tire maze.

Oh the mean spirited people that wrote this sign!! HAHAHAHA

Jimmy and Jagger met a new friend. This was beside a poster advertising Anderson Farms' Ghost Town tours.

They had a mini maze made out of the hay. Some kids chose to actually go through it...most kids chose to jump on top of it. Apparently it doesn't hurt too much when you fall down on hay. This was probably my kids favorite part.

Again, James is the one in the black hoodie. He was in a happy place today and I couldn't get him to sit or stand still enough to take very many pictures.

Jimmy made another new friend.....

And as if I need another reminder not to wear this shirt again...another fat picture of me!! But I had to post it because the rest of my family is so darn cute I could just wrap my arms around them and never let go...but nobody stays still enough for that around here!!

And that was our day.