Since I already admitted to my lack of interior designing skills, I'll let you in on another little secret.... I'm a bit of a perfectionist. There, I said it! Being a perfectionist isn't always a bad thing.... in fact it served me quite well in my school years! It's not such a great quality however when trying to have "fun" with the kids, or trying to "craft", or "create" with them. And being a perfectionist actually adds quite a bit more stress than necessary when trying to "create". It's something I have to work very hard on controlling and keeping at bay.
So I was quite proud of myself last week when we decided to spend a Family night constructing a Halloween Gingerbread House I picked up at Michael's, after seeing pictures on my friend, Mary's blog of her and her family's Gingerbread House.
I made the icing before the kids got home from school, and got everything prepped and ready to go, so after homework and dinner we could get right to work!
We assembled the house quite easily, and put it aside so the walls could "set." After dinner we got right to work. I actually read the instructions, step-by-step, to the kiddos and let them each take a turn decorating! I realized that this wasn't going to be the "picture perfect" Gingerbread house, when almost I noticed almost immediately that my icing that was the "perfect" consistency hours earlier, had now gotten a little watery. It was too late at this point in the evening, to try to fix it. So I completely backed off, and although the kids still tried to follow the "script", I let them go for it! We had a great night together, and this project that could have been extremely stressful for me, turned out to be soooo much more fun! I guess I'll have to restrain my inner perfectionist more frequently if it means less stress!
Caiden really concentrating!
When we finished following the "instructions", we still had three sides of the house, some icing and some candy left over, so I each of the kids got to decorate a side however they wanted! Fun!
Crazy kids!!!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Our "Perfect" Gingerbread House!
Halloween Fun
I'll admit... I'm not the best interior decorator. Some people just have that knack, but I don't. I wish I could say I was, and I wish even more that I had the money to go and purchase all kinds of cute seasonal items to decorate my house with, but I don't. Every year I have these grand ideas, and wonderful intentions to at least decorate a little for Halloween, but then I get busy, and frankly, money runs out, so I don't. This year, however, I was determined to do something!!! So here's my very feeble attempts at decorating for Halloween this year... not shown in the pictures is my too cute Scarecrow out in my planter in front of the house.
I have had these window clings ever since our first Halloween here in 2004. They seem to "magically" change positions a gazillion times before Halloween comes, but my little ghosts and goblins have actually let them be this year!
It was lots of fun putting up these spider webs before Madi and Caiden got home from school. They were so excited when they got home and saw them!
I love my little Pumpkin luminary... only ended costing like, $1.50 or something at Michael's. What a deal!!
One of my new favorite things to do around the holidays is to decorate my kitchen cabinets with the many art projects and drawings my kids do at school!! I got this great idea from my friend, Christi!
And they say TV isn't educational!!!
So yesterday morning after I dropped off Madi and Caiden at school, Kami and I ran home to finish getting ourselves ready for work. She was brushing her teeth in the bathroom and I went in there to check on her and our conversation went a little something like this...
Kami: Mommy (with toothbrush hanging out of mouth), wanna know what I learned on TV?
Me: No, what?!? (All the while thinking "Oh no... what's going to come out of her mouth next?)
Kami: I learned that you shouldn't leave the water running while your brushing your teeth. See?!? Look, I turned it off!!
Me: Very good, Kami! That's absolutely right!
And they say TV isn't educational! :-)
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Halloween Flashback!!!
Halloween 1999- Madi's First Halloween
What's crazy to think about remembering this year was that Tyler had just arrived "home" from almost nine months of basic training/tech school, and only a few days after Halloween we would be leaving Sacramento for Langley AFB, VA, and our new life together as an Air Force family!
Being only 3 months old, and too young to Trick-or-Treat, we didn't buy a costume... Grandma spoiled Madi with some warm pink PJs, and a too cute Bunny Bib, and she added some whiskers! We helped hand out candy that year!
Halloween 2000
Unfortunately, we don't have any costume pictures of Madi this year. She was going to be an "Angel." Our little "angel" didn't get to Trick-or-Treat this year as her behavior was really, quite the opposite of "angelic"!!!
Our "angel"
Halloween 2001
Our first Halloween in England! Nagymama and Nagypapa had sent us some money to use on the kids, so we splurged and bought them these too cute Disney costumes!
Madi and her first best friend, Ashlyn.
LOVE this picture of Caiden!!!
Yay!!! Back in the U.S.! And we added a new member to our family... Kamrynn!
Halloween 2005
This was the year I decided to make Madi's and Caiden's costumes! They turned out great, but what they DON'T show is the many late nights, blood, sweat and tears that were spilled during the making of these!!!!
Madi, AKA, Sleeping Beauty
Tough-guy Buzz!!!
Kami showing a little Sacramento-love!
Halloween 2006 This must have been a pretty uneventful Halloween, because these were the only two pictures I found!
Halloween 2007
This year I only made one costume... and that would be Princess Ariel's! It was much easier than the Sleeping Beauty costume, even though my machine broke when I was trying to put in the zipper.... nothing a few safety pins couldn't fix! I am embarassed to report that my machine is now fixed, and I still haven't put in the zipper! It's on my To-Do list! :-)
My Mom made this Indian costume when she was a Campfire girl, which means it's SUPER old!!! (Just kidding, Mom!) But seriously, I think every girl in our family has been an Indian for Halloween at least one time or another!
Tyler applying Caiden's "face".
He did an AMAZING job!!!!!!! Presenting........ Darth Maul!!!!
And of course, Princess Ariel!!!
Be sure to check back next week for pictures from Halloween 2008!!!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Crazy kids!
Here is the swimming video that I tried to upload last night! I have no idea why it worked this morning and not last night... oh well! Enjoy my crazy kids!
