December fun with the Manns!

Had a super duper busy December with Christmas outings and two birthdays in our house.  It was such a great time though and got to spend serious time w/ family and friends!  I copied this format from my friend Jiffy's blog.

Dec 2:  Polar Express train ride.  We took the kids to ride the train to the North Pole, meet w/ Santa on the train and have hot chocolate and cookies while listening to the story and Christmas music. 

Dec 3: Adopt a Family Christmas Party at the Wollenburgs. My amazing group of friends got together over $800 and purchased presents for a family at the Julian Center (women escaping domestic abuse situations). We went shopping and came back to their house to wrap--all while celebrating w/ a few adult beverages of course!   I am going to brag on Target real fast because they were able to give us 10% our entire purchase because it was for charity and then of course we got to shop tax free for the same reason.

Dec 7: Taylor's 8th birthday.  We went to BW3s for dinner because that is where he chose. (which was a milestone b/c it was the first time he didn't choose McDonald's!!)

Dec 9:  Celebrated Todd's 38th birthday by having friends over for dinner and to play a few games. 

Dec 10: Our friend Matt hosted a "Haunted Holiday Party". He lives in a restored 1880's home downtown Indy. The home itself is gorgeous and a good excuse to party, but he hired a medium to "read" the ghosts of the house. It was a blast. 

Dec 16:  Taylor's friend birthday party. Took 5 boys to the Pacers game and then back to our house for a sleepover.  I personally do not enjoy the NBA; I will take college bball any day.  But the boys had fun!

Dec 17:  Tried to go to Christmas at the Zoo but it was so crowded we had to divert and go downtown to look at Christmas lights on the circle, go to the top of the monument and get hot chocolate at South Bend Chocolate Co.

Dec 18:  Baked cookies with my mom and sister (our annual tradition) ALL DAY for 12 hours.  We made almost 1200 cookies-and passed them out to friends and family!

Dec 23: Friend outing with Turners and Josephs.  My mom and Derrick watched the kids for the night while Todd and I went out with friends to BW3s and then back to their place to soak in the hot tub with adult beverages.

Dec 24:  Spent the entire day at my mom and Derrick's celebrating Christmas.  We had breakfast (lots of yummy food), opened presents, played with our presents.....laid around, snacked, enjoyed each others company and then had dinner and left for the evening around 7:00.  We got lots of great stuff including my first ever COACH accessory (a wristlet).  Came home and set out cookies and milk for Santa and spread our reindeer food on the lawn so the reindeer could find us easily.

Dec 25:  Jesus' birthday (Christmas)!  We woke up, read about Jesus' birth from the children's Bible and went downstairs to find presents EVERYWHERE!  The kids loved everything, especially the Xbox 360 Kinnect that Santa brought for the entire family.  Santa and mommy and daddy spoiled them.  Then off to my dad & Carla's for more spoiling.  The boys got a boxing bag on a stand to use w/ their punching gloves.  Currently they try to beat each other with them...I am going to direct them towards the bag now.  Then off to Ft. Wayne to have Christmas dinner and celebrate with Todd's family.  A great meal and good time with family.

Dec 26  Up to Goshen to celebrate with Todd's extended family with lots of food and talking.  It was warm so the kids ran around outside, rode on the 4 wheeler at Tom & Sharon's and played football.  The adults went back to the shooting range and shot clay targets.  This too is a Christmas tradition :)

Dec 28  We finally made it to Christmas at the Zoo with our friends, The Turners. Then we tried to go out to eat and watch the IU game but it was shacked so we went back to the Turner's house for pizza and watched the game. 

Time to start 2012 and make many more memories!

EIGHT FRICKIN FRACKIN YEARS OLD!

I am not sure when or how, but my little 7 lb 10 oz firstborn baby boy turned 8 years old this month.  8 as in E-I-G-H-T.  As in "where in the world did the last 8 years of my life go"!  This has me a bit emotional, as every year that my kids age always does, but he is just getting so stinkin' old.  I know we can't keep kids young forever...our jobs as parents are to raise them to be fully functional adults and set them free in the world to thrive on their own.  But I have always told my kids they will always be my babies no matter how old they are. 

We had family over for lunch and cupcakes closer to his actual birthday.  On his actual birthday we let him choose where he wanted to eat.  He started to say McDonals but changed his mind to BW3s.  My baby really is growing up-no McDonalds??  Then for his friend bday party we took him and 4 of his friends to see the local NBA game and the boys spent the night.  They had a blast! 

Taylor, you are a good kid, you do well in school and I am proud of you!!  You are very competitive and love playing any sport.  Right now you want to be a professional football player with professional basketball player as your back up plan.  Okay, we need to work on your back up, back up plan.  You know, just in case you aren't famous.....You have recently developed a bit of an attitude and I see myself in you (and fight the urge to call my parents on an hourly basis and apologize).  I am saddened at the upcoming challenge we may have with this attitude, but I know you have a good heart and are a good kid, so I know that will come out in the end.  But please do not threaten to run away any more this week...I need a break!  You are so smart and I am proud of your progress in school.  You do especially well in math (like your momma!) and are competitive in the classroom too.  Which is good, because it makes you strive to do well.  I love you more than words can tell you-you are my world!!!!  Love, your mommy.

Is 2 too young for mascara?

Hmm...I don't know...she at least knew WHERE To apply it (except for the nose smudge)...although didn't do such a great job.....

Polar Express (and the Wild Wild West).....

Okay, so those aren't exactly the lyrics to George Strait's song Overnight Male ....they are more like....

"Like a pony express in the wild, wild west. I'll ride hard all night long. And I can saddle up fast, get you there first class" 

BUT if you know me, you know I screw up lyrics all the time....basically I don't know the true lyrics to any song...I just sing it the way my brain thinks it is supposed to be and then make stuff up if I forget.  That paired with my amazing singing abilities would make me an awesome entertainer.  Really.  You should line up for tickets if I ever make it big.

We took the kiddos on the Polar Express train to the North Pole last weekend.  We met up with friends of ours and their kiddos and it was a great time!  They serve cookies and hot chocolate on the train and read the Polar Express book.  There are chefs that work the train cars (like the movie), a singing, bouncing, annoying, I-wanted-to-stuff-a-sock-down-her-mouth elf, a conductor type like Tom Hanks that comes by and stamps the B for Believe in all of the kids golden tickets.  They play Christmas music and eventually stop at the North Pole where the town is decorated in a huge light display and Santa exits his make-shift workshop to board the train.  They then head back while Santa visits each and every child on the train.  The kids get to sit on his lap one at a time and he gives them a bell to take with them.  It was about a two hour ride and the kids wore their pajamas on the train (like the kids from the book/movie).  Taylor asked for an Xbox 360 (and Santa told him to get a job...)  Okay, Santa didn't say that...but he may have been thinking it.  Connor asked for a Leapster handheld device and Claire just sat there smiling not knowing what to do. 

We went with our friends, the Turners, for pizza aftewards and then headed home.....It was a great time and definiltely worth the shocking sticker price for the event.  We have been wanting to do this for a few years, but had to wait until we could sell off some of assets in order to afford 5 tickets to attend. 

Golden Ticket

Jacob & McKenzie

I love this pic, I am not sure why they are looking at each other like that though!

Could my daughter get any cuter?

Waiting for the train

I am thankful....FINAL installment (THANKFULLY...ha ha)

So, hello, it's December tomorrow and I haven't finished up by days of thankfulness.  So, this is my final installment (you can now do a happy dance :)) 

Nov. 24  Even though I try to pretend like it is annoying, and sometimes it is, secretly I love that my kids still like to sleep in bed with me at night.  We usually let them do it about once every three weeks.  Taylor has spent the night in my bed every night that daddy has been out of town since he was born.  I love that tradition and I LOVE snuggling!
Nov. 25  I am thankful that I have a network of friends and acquaintances that have opened many doors, such as every job I have ever had was because of someone I know. 
Nov. 26 I am thankful for change.  Sometimes I resist it, sometimes I hate it and sometimes I love it.  But it is inevitable so I might as well embrace it!
Nov. 27 I am thankful that my mom is Betty Crocker/Martha Stewart, because frankly, I am not.  Those fine genes skipped me.  I am glad to have her a phone call away.  Ask her how many times I have called her with a simple question-she'll probably roll her eyes :)
Nov. 28 I am thankful that my parents paid for 98% of my college education.  I was at least given the opportunity to live debt free, even if I chose to screw that up by going back to school for two more degrees and open a few credit cards here and there.  We will now be paying student loans until....well, forever.  What was I thankful for again? 
Nov. 29  I am thankful for laughter.  I love to laugh.  A sign of a good time is when your cheeks hurt from grinning or your side hurts from laughing. 
Nov. 30  I am thankful that I have had at least one reader that cares enough to have read all of the entries this month!  Now folks, back to our regular programming........

Not so serious:
I am thankful for......
1.  A husband that won't divorce me after I have lost my second pair of diamond earrings that he bought me.
2.  Rain boots.  Because my 4 year old can put them on himself and I never have to help him put his shoes on.
3.  McDonald's.  Because you can be your child's hero AND give yourself a night off from cooking.  Score.
4.  Blogs.  Because I like to talk so much I have an outlet for my thoughts that no one is forced to listen to.  It's completely optional!
5.  A sense of humor.  I can't imagine life without being able to enjoy the endless opportunities of humor that everyday living provides.
6.  Coworkers that make me look good just by existing. 
7.  I actually finished something I started!  That's a rarity!

Thanks ya'all (or maybe just Jiffy?)

I am thankful (#485 right?)

I got a little crazy and switched the format of this blog entry up..I put the Not So Serious things first (GASP)....I'm a rebel, I know.

Not so serious.....

• Ugly vinyl floors so that when my kids spill food and drink on it 800 times a day I don't care that much.
• Gloomy, rainy, cold days so when I do nothing of worth all day, I don't feel so bad.
• That one of my three kids can wipe their own butt. That's a start right?
• Snacks. Because my kids would shrivel up without them. Really, ask them. Life would have no meaning.

November 20  I am thankful for alone time.  My husband is gracious enough to give me time to run errands by myself, work out by myself or just go upstairs and sit in the closet by myself.  (I am okay with this and don't feel weird about it at all) This allows me to function as a person.

November 21 I am thankful for the busy holiday season and all that comes with it.  I wouldn't trade a relaxing empty calendar for the one I have. 

November 22  I am thankful for hand me down clothes.  My boys have always had tons of clothes thanks to Todd's cousin's hand-me-downs. Claire has had some too from various friends and even I have enjoyed clothes given to me by friends and we are so appreciative of this that we make sure to hand down all of our clothes to those in need.

November 23  Food.  All of it.  The good, the bad, and the ugly.  (maybe a little more thankful for the good)

Happy Thanksgiving You'all!  Gobble Gobble

I am thankful #4 (are you over this yet?)

November 15 I am thankful for naptime.. Because if it didn't exist, I wouldn't be able to be a stay at home mom and I would have run away from home already.  I would have put this in the not so serious section, but I am serious.

November 16  Family get-togethers during the week to break up our weekday monotony and visit with family.

November 17  I am thankful for music.  I have never been a huge music person.  I didn't go to too many concerts-just the ones that my friends were going to or that would be lots of fun...didn't buy a whole lot of CDS, etc.  But I still appreciate the way a song can take you away and allows the opportunity to let your emotions fly by belting out a tune that you either connect with somehow or just love to sing at the top of your lungs.  I like all kinds of music from classical to hip hop....I listen to country a lot.

November 18  I am thankful for great neighbors. It really makes a difference in enjoying where you live when you love the people that surround you.  Our kids enjoy long summer nights outside at the pond or in one anothers back yards.  We look out for each other and are always borrowing something from each other.  Great conversations and friendships. 


November 19  I am thankful for books.  I am such a big reader....it has provided many hours of entertainment for me and it is one of my favorite things to do.  I would pick reading a book over TV any day.  My all time favorite is Gone With the Wind..I like historical fiction where I learn a little something real while I am reading.  But then again, I also like teen fiction...(Twilight and Harry Potter)......I hope at least one of my kids inherits this love of reading.......

Not so serious:

• Lunchables...b/c who wants to make your kid lunch every morning?
• The ability to tune out any sound I want to at any time.  Baby crying, where?  Boys fighting and screaming at the top of their lungs...are you sure?  I have the super natural ability to tune this out and go to my happy place....at least for a few minutes at a time.
• Lots of clothes.  I only have to do laundry once a day instead of 520 times a day.  Score.
• 8:00am Saturday morning basketball games. No really, I mean it..... (or not)
• That Taylor's basketball team this year is the Hoosiers and not the Boilermakers....I might cry if I have to root for Purdue. 

I am thankful #3

Nov. 10  I am thankful for living in a place with all types of weather!  I love long summer days and nights....I love listening to thunderstorms while sleeping....I love cool, crisp fall days when the leaves are different colors and the sun is shining....I love romping in inches of snow and seeing trees covered in fluffy white flakes...I love it all and wouldn't want to do without any of them.


Nov. 11  I am thankful for girls nights where I can laugh and let go.  There are just some things that only girls get and time with girlfriends is good for the soul.  I am thankful that I have girls in my life to do this with.

Nov. 12  I am thankful for weekend days when I don't get out of my pajamas until the afternoon...or ever.  Lazy?  Maybe.....awesome when done only once in a while?  For sure!

Nov. 13 I am thankful for my extended family as each person has an important place in my life.  Visiting my aunt and uncle at their lake in the summer and catching up on all that is new.....family get togethers with all of the 2nd cousins running around...for the friendship and opportunity I had to teach side by side with one of my cousins.....for the time, even tough minimal, that we spend together enjoying each others company.

Nov. 14  I am thankful for my Nana, my last living grandparent and that she is still part of our lives.  I am also thankful for the time I had with my other grandparents.  They were a huge part of my life growing up and there were times when I wasn't sure what I would do without them.  I only wish they could have met all of my children.

Nana and all her great grand kids-Always Missing Poppy

Grandma and Grandpa Morris-miss them to PIECES

Not so serious:

Nov. 10  Sports Bars with beer, TV and college basketball, specifically IU
Nov. 11  Tailgating-seriously, whoever came up with this idea is great! 
Nov. 12  Dora Spaghettios....I get to be the superstar of the day with my kids, just for opening a can!
Nov. 13  The one morning a week that my boys wake up with a smile instead of kicking and screaming....
Nov. 14  Tom Crean and Cody Zoeller......I am ready to watch some winning IU basketball!!!

I am thankful #2 (Oops, got a bit behind)

Let me specify that these aren't necessarily in order of how much I am thankful for them....and that this is long....so short attention spans may want to skim :)

Nov. 4  My siblings:  my sister who has accompanied me on our crazy life ride for the last 31 years and will always be my unconditional loving sister through it all!  My stepbrother who is so close in age I enjoy sharing friends with him and hanging out with him for the past 20+ years!  My stepsister whom we are finally getting along and forming a relationship as siblings after many years of not.

Nov. 5  My amazing friends:  I have the most amazing friends.  I know everyone thinks they have the most amazing friends, but I am pretty sure I would win an essay contest if I had to write one about mine!  I have a group of friends from high school (most I have known since 6 or 7th grade) and a group of friends from college that life just wouldn't be what it is without them.  They are fun, hilarious (you have to have a sense of humor and a need to have fun to be my friend), supportive, generous, loving, caring and most importantly CRAZY like me.  As I move through life and meet new people I continue to be blessed with good friends and for that I am thankful. 

Cheryl, Emily, Jiffy and me have been friends since 6th/7th grade and we picked up Jeni in 10th grade!  Carrie is a good friend and was with us on this outing

I have to note that I couldn't find one that included my other friend Nicole b/c she couldn't go on this trip and Kim, Sara, Becca and Nicole's husbands are also part of our college crew.

Nov. 6  A job that allows me to mostly be a stay-at-home mom except for one day a week where I still get to interact and teach kids, which I love to do! 

Nov. 7  My health.  In the same sense that I am thankful for being mostly healthy, I am thankful for the days that I am sick and feel like dying would be a good option.  These days remind me of how lucky I am to be healthy and general and to empathize with many who are not.

Nov. 8  Exercise!   I am thankful for the resources and time that I get to sneak in for exercise.  I feel refreshed, energetic and more confident when I fit in regular workout sessions. 

Nov. 9  My education.   College was one of the most awesome experiences of my life!  I got to experience what it was like to be a pseudo-grown up while still being mostly supported by my parents. I gained friends and memories for a lifetime!  Oh ya, and got my BS in Business Management.  Then for my 2nd and 3rd degree.....I am thankful for the resources and ability to get a degree in something I love to do.  And to complete my education with a Masters Degree in Elementary Education so that I can make the big bucks when I go back to teaching (okay, not BIG bucks, but BIGGER bucks).  I really am a lifelong learner and would like to keep taking classes once I've raised babies!

My not-so-serious list:

Nov. 4  Texting-how did I live without this before?  This is my perfect tool of communication-I am not a phone talker and love to communicate by email, but I also like more immediate responses.  Texting = perfect for me!

Nov. 5  Family who shares their Colts tickets (even if we left 3rd quarter to go back to tailgating)
Nov. 6 Adult beverages  

Nov. 7  Excedrin

Nov. 8  A DVD player in the van (seriously if there is not a movie playing and all three kids are in the car, World War III inevitably breaks out)

Nov. 9 A maid (oh wait, that's me, never mind-wishful thinking)



I am thankful #1

This post will cover days 1-3 that I have already missed. I decided I liked reading others so much I would do my own. Not for anyone in particular to read, but for me, to put things in perspective and to remind me of all I have to be thankful for! I couldn't decide whether or not I wanted to do serious or not serious things, but I think I want both....so here is #1-3:

I am thankful for......
Nov. 1-A great husband who is an amazing father to our three kids. Those kids are SPOILED with how much attention he gives each one of them. He goes to work everyday to bring home the bacon to support us. My one day a week job doesn't bring home much bacon :)

Nov. 2-Three healthy kids that make my life complete. I wanted to be a mom more than I wanted anything for my life and I have been blessed with these three babes that although drive me crazy on a daily (hourly?) basis are my heart and soul and I wouldn't change anything about them (except how many times they whine a day).

Nov. 3- Amazing parents (mom, step dad, dad, step mom) and in-laws! My parents were married for 15 years, then divorced and have now been re-married for over 20 years each. My parents are close with each other and hang out often, which makes life with divorced parents so much easier for everyone! And my kids gained extra grandparents to spoil them! My parents have been supportive in every step of my life and I am lucky enough to live close by and see them often.  My in-laws are amazing people whom I also love to pieces! (YES, I REALLY DO DIG MY IN-LAWS!)

In-laws (Grandma & Grandpa)

Dad & step mom (Grandma & Grandpa)

Mom and step dad (Mamaw and Papaw)

Now for the not-so-serious:

1.  I am thankful for coffee. Seriously. I cannot make it through the morning without my coffee. My favorite part of each morning is sitting in my chair drinking my cup of dessert coffee.

2.  I am thankful for TV. Otherwise I would have to entertain my kids all day on my own. And that is a feat I refuse to tackle. Go ahead and nominate me for Mother of the Year, I already have one heck of a resume!

3.  Right now, I am thankful for Capri Suns that Connor and Claire are blowing up with air and then squeezing it out and doing it again. It is extending lunch so that I can type this post.......

Happy Halloween

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Perfect Fall Weekend

We had the perfect fall weekend as a family!  We went to a Halloween Festival with a sorta spooky hayride, to the pumpkin patch, had family pictures downtown, had a chili dinner get together with friends and then went to a Halloween celebration at the zoo!  The weather was awesome too!  Now if it could only be so great this coming weekend as we host an outdoor Halloween party.  I'll settle for no rain!