All of the above, Santa

Ella and her bestie spent the evening service at church conniving a plan that would end in her staying the night with said bestie.

It worked .

I couldn't find her anywhere and then our pastor shouted that she was going home with them.

The little turds waited until the mommies were busy and told unsuspecting Daddy, who was already busy trying to get our guest speaker back to his hotel that there was a sleep over-Knowing he wouldn't question it , just buckle up and drive off!

I found out from my older daughter that she had over heard the plot and it consisted of much tip toeing about and shoving Ella in the trunk. (they have already shoved Ella in the trunk, under the car seat benches, under coats...on previous missions)

Shortly after they drove away, victorious in sleep-over plotting victory, I got a text.

Ella was asked what she wants for Christmas. Her enthusiastic answer-
"All of the above!!!"
Where does she even learn that?

Asked to clarify "above what?" she answers -

" It means I want everything!"

Cue Veruca Salt...
"I want the world, I want the whole world. I want to lock it all up in my Pocket..."

Anyone need Christmas portraits? I could use the cash. Apparently I have more shopping to do...




The co-conspirators

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Insta Friday

So excited to link up to my first InstaFriday. I love using my iPhone for pictures so handy and between hipstamatic and instagram- I get great effects no hassle!



Santa came early bringing a bundle of fluff that the girls named Peppermint in keeping with the Christmas season. Runner up- Beyonce. For reals.




Trying to sneak into Santas workshop. She did this repeatedly while waiting For his arrival in the Christmas parade. Sadly we didn't see this because an Ali Ghan shrine little old guy fell right in front of us having a heart attack! Shuffled my kids away as people started CPR! My friend is a nurse and had to help as they got the AED and shocked him, thankfully my girls were whisked away before they saw that on the mall floor. He made it though, thank God.




Making fall trees (last minute) and Layla decides to paint the table.... This is why sensible people think to put down paper or something over the table before uncapping paint around children.




Hand turkeys. And maybe a confused flamingo?! My three year old loves PINK!





Needs no caption <3





Sisters <3




Scouty mcwinkerbeans arrival (elf on the shelf) he's in the upper left corner on our old farm house porch columns... Still can't decide whether to renovate those or leave the farm house charm... Elf post to follow....

Linked here

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Make Something Monday

I'm starting a new segment in the vein of my "Here's What Wednesday" (I know I haven't done them lately but not much is irritating me to go off and say here's what )

I'm going to start Make Something Monday.
I'm hoping it will help me be productive or creative reminding me to do something that is not a daily task. That may be baking something special (today is pioneer woman cinnamon rolls) , crafts with the kids, my own craft project- just something extra.

I'm currently waiting for the bestie To arrive with the goods. Somehow her stockpile of little round baking pans disappeared since last time so shes on the hunt.

Ok so we are doing square pans. Probably having a major holiday this week = lack of supplies in grocery stores. They'll turn out the same right?

Aside from me over loading on the butter and her making tiny gnome sized rolls the prep part went well.


And this is after considerable rising haha.

They turned out super yummy except I drowned the first two batches in icing so they're kind of a bread pudding. But a very good bread pudding.

Even the dog got a taste when I dumped half the icing on the floor... And her. Why do I ever clean?


And if these picky eaters approve....






They must be good.



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It was all yellow

Ever since I became a mommy traditions have become important to me. For Thanksgiving I always have had the kids make handprint turkeys. (except last year- a two year old and newborn making turkeys became too daunting a thought).

Im behind so we just got around to it today- along with handprint trees that I like to make with them in the fall. Since I plan on starting Christmas decorating
this week, the turkey/fall prints are going to have a short run. But I must do it for my mommy archives!

It was obvious from the outset that it was going to be challenging. Not only did Ella have a very abstract idea of what a fall handprint tree should look like - she added a purple rendition of her bff riding a unicorn in the sky ( or so she says) but Layla wouldn't keep her hand open long enough to paint and smash it on the paper leading to 15 minutes of creative maneuvering and painting.


While I started Ella on turkey I foolishly turned my back on Layla only to hear laci exclaim , in coldplay fashion,
"it's all YELLOW"

I turn to see Layla, delighted with herself, spreading yellow paint all over the table.





After three kids- I don't care anymore. My life is not counted in minutes- it's counted in messes. I can't stress over them or I'd have had many strokes by now and sucked all joy from our lives. For some currently mysterious reason God decided to bless me with two destructive beings in a row. I clean one thing up only to turn and see the wake of disaster that went in the opposite direction while I was otherwise engaged. Why should craft time be any different?

We moved on to turkeys and luckily Tony came down to help by this time (he was showering after work , if I have my mind set on doing something I can't wait for him- he takes so stinkin long) and we tag teamed laylas closing claw and made the cutest little hand print ever. Ella decided her turkey needed to be pink.

This is something else I've let go of. I wanted traditional turkeys but traditional is not Ella. Ella is her own person in a world colored pink and purple where bffs are transported via striped unicorns. I want to go there.

So to accurately represent Ella her handprint HAD to pink I realized. It is so representative or her because ellas nickname should and would be Pinky- but shes already named her stomach Pinky and will noy allow us to call her that...
And so we have the most fabulous turkey ever. And I have to say- I love it.

Laci smelling the freedom (being used to being the first child who falls in line with mommy's wishes) doesn't stray too far, having a brown turkey but adds some turquoise and purple feathers.

Basically we have one baby turkey, a flamingo with an identity crisis and a peacock. And I'm okay with that.






Oh yeah, and this happened



These are the messes of my life...

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The little things

Tonight Tony and I went to a play at our church. The two oldest girls were staying at my best friends house having a sleep over with her daughter, who is conveniently Laci's best friend. That left us with Layla and fortunately my mother in law was able to watch her because miss busy pants would not have sat still enough and quiet enough to endure a play. She is also not known for her affinity of nursery workers at the church.

Tony and I do not get much time at all sans children. It takes a toll and I forget what we are like as "just Tony and Mandy" not mommy and daddy. I was looking forward to kidless time- even just two hours of it.

Of course the days when you're going to pawn off your kid always ends up being a day when they're sweet and oh so cute. Does anyone else notice that? Im not sure if it's just a rule of nature that they save the best behavior for those types of days or if it's just the light at the end of the tunnel aspect of knowing you get a reprieve from parent hood - no matter how brief- that makes your heart grow fonder those days and almost not want to leave the darlings . Almost.

In any case leave them I did. It's hard having kids around 24/7. I often feel (and say) " I can't do this . I can't do it today" . The crushing weight of always having someone depend on you can be too much for me sometimes as having three children means someone always needs something. Sometimes it's overwhelming.

Then there are moments in life that make it all worth it.

When we came from the play we stopped to pick Layla up . As the door to my mother in laws house opened I could hear Layla making this squeal sound of excitement that I had never heard before. As soon as she saw us she let out a big scream bounced up and down on my mother in laws lap then catapulted herself off of her, running towards us shrieking with the biggest smile on her face, eyes wide and hands in the air like it was the best moment in her life. She gave each of us hugs and kept squealing and kissing me . ( she's does not freely give those )

All that joy just seeing mommy and daddy walk in.

So worth it.





And then she came home and tore up the house and dumped a can of pepsi on her head...


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Princess of communication

My Ella has two little besties now and has suddenly taken an interest in texting. It's an interesting venture considering she only recognizes the first several letters of the alphabet and can only spell her name. Also her friends do not have cellphones, Being 4 and all. But txt she does.

It took me a good 9 months to relinquish my iPhone 4 into the grubby hands of my children but now daily Ella wants to text. I apologize to all the recipients of these texts.

Today she was sitting on my lap "texting" and came up with this little gem.

"this is how you sit when you're a princess and this is how you sit when you're a texting princess"

I love her and her view of the world. I'll be sure to have her model the appropriate texting position for princesses and forward it to the new Duchess Kate. I'm not sure that was part of her royal protocol training.



Ps if you have a texting prince or princess here are two inexpensive toys you can buy to regain control of your phone. They let them type to their hearts content on a blackberry looking device ( sorry kids you're not cool enough for iPhone) and it's educational too!
Leapfrog

And a barbie one because a texting princess needs a pink one!


Barbie text and learn


Here you go duchess:



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Dude where's my car

Obviously I need more sleep. We pulled into the driveway tonight , Tony said "crap "and pointed to the empty space where his car should be.

I on the phone with the bestie say "*gasp* Tonys car was stolen or something."
he gives me a look and says "it's at the park and ride - I met you there before we took the kids to dance".
He forgot to pick it up which was what I was supposed to garner from his "crap" not" oh no! Grand theft auto."

This sadly came minutes after I said to him

"I had to distant myself"
- just like the stupidest housewife of all bravo housewives.
(I'm sorry for making endless fun of you Teresa giudice. I apparently have no room to talk.)

Once upon a time I was a smart girl. Sadly with each child a part of my brain died and apparently is still Dying. Please be kind to me in my senility. I'm hoping to recover over the next year or two as Layla learns to sleep without being physically attached to me.


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