roadtrip family style.

hmm...where to begin.

step one: make plans for time to leave wednesday am. we'll go for 6.

step two: pack for everyone plus big, fat lapdog and get things ready for other fat dog's caretaker. got it.

step three: sign the no-yelling-fighting-saying stupid agreement...okay maybe just mention it nicely while holding breath, crossing fingers and toes and making a wish while all numbers on the clock are the same. done.

step four: say prayers. head to bed for restful sleep for a safe, peaceful drive in the morning. nitey-nite :)

1:15 am wednesday
mom...cough,cough,cough. i don't feel good...cough,cough, 103 temerature.
motrin, cuddles, kisses, back to bed.

1:31 am MOsbY!!!! (nice runny, aromatherapy present left on bedroom carpet) how are we gonna take this trip?!

get up two more times with dog.

5:45 am enter jack. very chipper (very rare). i'm ready to go! :) yea, about that jackie...wanna try to go back to sleep. 'sure' 'hey mom...' 'hey mom...' 'and, hey mom! i had a dream last night that bears were chasing me and surrounded the house.........' okay, i'll bite...'what happened jack?' smile, 'there were like a hundred of them and i stabbed them all once in the neck.' sweet. enter dad into conversation, " betsy must have been here and brought knives that worked.' giggles... okay, maybe there's hope after the night's no sleep.

11:30 am after taking fisch to dr, running the runs out of the dog and twelve potty trips...this rockin suburban hits the road...positive attitudes in tow.

we're rockin and rollin (jenn, what movie?) coloring, drawing, movie watchin, candy eatin, diet coke sippin, mom karaoking (whole nother blog to come on best roadtrip sing-a-longs), dog sleeping...not too shabby.

fast forward to night fall and the scariest road experince i've EvER had! fyi...when nana aka sally reports the weather is going to be bad...LISTeN FOR ONCE!!!

i am so grateful that the boys slept through this part and that we, unilke many others we saw wrecked and stranded, finally made it to a hotel.
just fyi. there's an intersection in roxford, ks that is straight out of the shining...redrum, redrum...

didn't get to dad's like planned, but family safe :)

11:30 pm kansas. tucked in bed. prayers. snuggling, sighs of relief...

7:30 am christmas eve WOW! Look at the snow!!! mom! dad! mosby! look! :)

8 am continental breakfast...just try and beat me in line :)

9 am colorado or bust! sun is shining, wind's blowing, dog FINALLY peed!! wahoo! the boys loved the yellow snow the most so far :)
i heart boys and their laughs.

btw...anyone else own a dog with public pee stage fright? so random...poor mose.

...more to come and pictures too...can't upload from phone :(

10-4 good buddies.
sanford and fat five signing off.

run forest run.

dear favorite necklace.

if i rub your magic stones could you maybe help me with a few, TeeNY-WeeNY things?

STaRT Christmas shopping or even make a list of what to get for anybody.
finish laundry (HA!).
organize the legos.
get the dog hair out of the organized legos.
build the lego tables.
wash the dogs.
plan the game for one of the two parties i'm supposed to be in charge of tomorrow that happen at the same time.
make sure the craft for the other class is even remotely possible to accomplish by the kiddos without tears or stabbing themselves.
figure out what to bring to colorado.
magically time warp us TO colorado.
get clothes for the clothes destroyers that will allow them not to freeze their rears off in colorado.
get the boys' teachers gifts.
make decisions on meals for the entire holiday break.
find someone to take care of the dogs while we are gone.

did i mention you are my FAVoRiTE necklace?
yes indeedy :)

okay. thanks. love you. bye.

sanford

ps  did i mention we haven't taken pictures for our Christmas card yet?

dear laundry.

why do you continue to be the snapshot which probably best represents me? always way too much. very scattered. never done. stained. never found in the right place. wrinkled. out of control.

just curious...
sanford

take fisch to work day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVznEXXq81Y

every flippin year.

why? why i ask you do i think it will be fun to decorate for christmas? why? apparantly, i'm a control freak and no one can decorate 'the right' way. so, why do i get irritated that mister doesn't want to help anymore or exhausted at the thought that the boys do. which really doesn't make any sense because as you can see in the picture, i stink at it myself! notice the awesome picture frame ornaments that my friend gets us each year that are STiLL empty. way to go queen decorator. you rock! and i tried to make this cute garland stuff like anthropologie had as part of their gift wrap this year and it, first of all, looks like a 5 year old made it and, B, i don't even know how to wrap it on the tree. maybe it was due to the basketball flying through the air repeatedly and the old lady dog who barked at me NON-SToP for 2 hours or the 9 month old black-furry-constantly-eating mess that was also trying to help. okay, i'm going with that.
happy always-crazy-i'm-using-less-and-less-decorations-every-year holidays :)
 ***this just in...when asked how bad the garland i made actually is, mister responded with, "it doesn't look bad from far away. you just can't get too close to it."
nice.

now playing.

dallas snow...

don't think you're not going to fight. -joe veith

the simple statement my grandpa turned to say to us so randomly and out of the blue, in the parking lot, on the way in his and grandma's 60th wedding anniversary celebration. gee, thanks grandpa for the chipper sentiment. after he turned back around we both giggled, but funny how we've never forgotten. we had JuST gotten married...literally :)
so, thirteen years ago it began as a ReALLY rainy day (good luck-woohoo). it was freezing cold. later sunshine and a beautiful afternoon. the night was crisp and blustery...perfect for a fan of mr. pooh. we had a blast with family and friends. and started the rest of our lives....ahh, fairytale. okay, maybe the modern day kind because grandpa was right...
what a life we've started! we have been so blessed with MaNY things! each other. three healthy, spunky boys. our families. great friends. good jobs. two dogs. a house and cars and things. and really so much more. and let's just say that it's not always been a cake walk or all good times. infact, sometimes, i'm pretty sure we both have wondered: what are we doing?  how'd we get here? and can we make it?... life is hard. it's not all so pretty and perfect and easy. and we all make really dumb decisions at one time or another and don't always think of those around us. but each day is new and, thankfully, God allows us perspective and forgiveness and sense of humor to grow and learn together.  and i'm proud to say that i think we do that and THaT iS NoT EaSY!
these past thirteen years have been the best in my life and i cannot wait to see what we say to our grandchildren at our 60th anniversary celebration :)
mister, thank you for being my best friend. putting up with the loud obnoxious, messy, starts 900-projects-and-finishes-one me. surprising me. challenging me. road-tripping it with me. forgiving me. dreaming with me. couch dating me. silly texting me. raising smelly boys with me. smiling through way too many that-didn't-suck-too-bad dinners for me.
growing old with me.

love you,
sanford

more.

thanksgiving.

 

 

seven.

you are seven today. this is one of my favorite pictures of you...of which there are too many to count. you are funny. you are helpful. you are caring. you are sneaky. you love legos and your dogs and being with your family and friends and riding your bike and school and reading and making things for people so that they will smile. you LoVE to cook! you really love to 'o-ganize' things and, unfortunately, that creates three times the mess you started with...so from your father ;) you love to take pictures. you know how to get what you want. you give awesome hugs.
you are amazing and so loved. you are one of my biggest blessings.
happy birthday midget :)
love,
mama kat

dear chair.

i apologize for the hiatus in your makeover. please know that i am very fond of you! you are my favorite spot to daydream and talk with friends. thank you for being so patient. i think you look quite dashing now :)

xo,
sanford

ps    it would appear that you may have a new admirer...

faith.

find it. hold on tight.

several weeks ago, my sweet friend was so excited when she brought me these PeRFECtLY old-dirty-yummy bottles from her brother's land. as friends do, she was happy knowing how excited they would make me :)  they were the most fitting motivation for making my bottles again. even more incentive coming from someone who believed in me.

and , of course, as life does, it fills quickly with one thing after another fighting for priority in your day to day schedule and things falls by the waist side...and there the bottles sat collecting more dust on my mantle.

last friday, this same friend and her family tragically lost her brother. immediately, the feeling of life continuing all around you except the floor's dropped out and the struggle for friends and family to figure out how to help them get on with life without their loved one began. i felt paralyzed. i definitely don't feel like a pro when it comes to helping those close to me without over-thinking and as queen of stick-your-foot-in-your-mouth, words aren't always my best choice. and words don't take the hurt away. i just hoped and prayed that she could feel my love and support and that i could think of some way to be there for her...hmm, pray.  makes me think of faith. something i know that my friend has and hangs onto dearly. this so comforts me because i know that it is faith and God's love that will help her baby steps at a time.

then it became clear to me...as a symbol of faith and as a way to always cherish this loyal, special man...hopefully i could support her without the fear of words.

those amazing bottles were instantly dear to me coming from my friend...and now i hope they might be to her...love you amy

in remembrance of bradley thomas newsom...

cherish each moment we are here. live in faith and share it with those around you.

omgoodness.

adam richman is about to do an interview on 1310 the ticket, yes, i'm a p1...anyway...i have total butterflies! it's like i'm twelve again waiting to hear from duran duran's john taylor. i'm a total goob! adam is a hero in our house...we are so fat and not ashamed! he's going to be here in december, santa :) i'm thinking i may need to seek help for my love of food and how the mere thought of it makes me swoon. i know those of you close to me are completely dumbfounded. two cupcakes, big gulp, slim jim, almond snickers for breakfast this morning. nah, no issues here...
ooo! he's on gotta go!!! :)

remember me?

hey sanford.
remember me? the excitement in your eyes when you found me.
immediately painting me white. yet, i'm not so finished.
are you there?
i miss you...

love,
chair

final ingredient...procrastination.

the boys school's carnival was this past saturday and i volunteered to make 2 of the 3 kiddos class auction items. i was actually happy to do so and felt a little excited. of course, i have to make things a little difficult for myself by trying to do something a little more unorthodox than a student thumbprint bowl or platter. thinking i could do this more efficiently than projects i've done in the past, i even gathered items, took pictures and completed parts early...

then why does it shock me that i was throwing a hail mary at the 25th hour to get the pieces done?!
it will no more. i am embracing the procrastination which my subconscious holds so dearly. i think it is actually the most essential part of me (dear Lord, let that be the answer). i did a little soul searching about it and maybe it holds the key to unleashing the creative something i need to get ANyTHING done! i stress because i'm ALWaYS last minute. why?! i know it's going to be that way and things are accomplished in the end. i found this verse a few years ago and i'm making it my mission to have it be my mantra...
...do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. each day has enough trouble of its own.
matthew 6:34
mister, are you laughing yet? is it april fools for you? ;)

...and after all that rambling, here are the finished projects:

for jack's third grade class, a framed cork board and photo pins

that's jack's sweet mug :)

for fischer's first grade class, time flies... clock (each child designed a leaf)
fisch's leaf....the blueish swirly one
a big shout out to my dear friend, katey! without you, these wouldn't have been complete!!!

thank you.

really. seriously. are you kidding.

...a few words that have been brought to my attention that maybe i seem to use more than i notice and also maybe in a tone that i'm not always so aware of.


really? do i need you, ginormous diet coke and happy, bright-colored, anthropologie apron and favorite sneakers? i'm going to have to go with yes. i treasure the time we spend together and the pep talk you give me each morning before i 'start' my day away from home. thank you :)

seriously? did you not only eat goodness knows what again that it shockingly didn't agree with your stomach causing you to wake us up in the middle of the night with such an awesome smell from the shi-doo-bee produced, twice, BUT i was also greeted with the same aroma and scene in your kennel AND ALL OVER YOU after i got home from work. yep, folks, that is not a sweet paw print produced from stepping in mud...i bet allure magazine doesn't realize that loreal color vive shampoo gives that same glossy effect and fragrance to pooches, do they? (just add a little bit of wet dog smell to that) and as i was getting the clorox to take outside to erase the paw prints and smudges EVErYWHeRE...the bottle broke in my hand and on my shirt and on the bath mat.
SWEET!
and, yet, in the same 24 hours you made 3 boys pretty darn happy by playing football with them, kissing them and allowing them to feel in control. to end the night, you even got the old lady sleep right next to you. ...little mosby-moo and avery-too

are you kidding? that i couldn't take off for the third time in a row that the boys had no school :( and that when i tried to make up for it when i came home from work with a surprise, i was greeted with, "ugh! miniture golf?! that's it?!" which was then proceeded by what looked like a wwf match with each other and golf clubs and tears and cheating and mom quitting on the 13th hole because the fun had been sucked out of the excursion before it even started. it was all topped off by punching in the car and 'thanks for ruining the day, dumbo!'
fast forward a few hours...are you kidding? that all of the previously mentioned was so quickly forgotten and our family had yummy sliders for dinner ToGETHER, played a non-argument-filled game of uno and (my favorite part) watched man v food ToGETHER, hugged dogs and said prayers.

really. seriously. are you kidding. that i am as blessed as i am. that i have mister. that God gave me these three totally unpredictable, messy, unique boys to raise. that life is never the same and is full of twists and turns and we can weather them all. that it's fall and i'm striving to embrace "thanksgiving" in the big and the little.
really. seriously. are you kidding. ...probably not going to leave my vocabulary any time soon. they will, hopefully, sound a little different.

quoted.

in his best , non-descript 5th grade guy voice,
'oh hey, mom. i got quote of the day today.'

"cool, lo. what did you write?"
umm, wow.

xo lolo

loopy.

concentrate. tongue out. firm pencil grip. hold the paper just right.
down, up, small hump, perfect loopdy-loops.
"mom, how do you spell 'wold'?"
...after me asking for clarification a few times...
"'wold' you know, like 'you're the best mom in the wold'."

:)

inspiration...maybe?

once upon a time, there was a girl. she went to school and had DReAmS (and for those of you who know the author and main character of this story, let me get to the main point...THE GIRL USED TO ACTUALLY DO THINGS...okay, the ramble goes on now). while taking a moment to ponder her dreams in a remote island off the texas coast (ie. padre), this girl met a boy. the boy and the girl spent many happy days together...dreaming and frolicing long into the night (get your mind out of the gutter). after years of being best friends, the boy and girl got married. they ventured out into the 'real world' with their little jobs and dreams. on a joyous spring day, the silly couple decided to add to their family with a beautiful four legged girl. and within the next several years they welcomed 3 amazing boys to carry on the family name. the boy did well with his craft and his career. after a while, the girl left her vocation to care for her monkeys. this made her happy until she was fired from this position (happy doesn't always mean you're good at it apparently ;)...let's just call her master-of-starting-too-many-huge-projects-at-the same-time-and-never-finishing-them, not so much the housekeeping type) floundering in her current status, she attempted her career once again. a little more steady (haha) and sure of herself, one day she added to her plate, inspired by a few happy, sea-salt memories she experienced with the boy, by creating pretties for others (see photo above). she loved the hunt for treasures to make and was motivated by thrill of a finished ware. it was fun for the girl and this made both the girl and the boy smile. and, as it does, life kept going and something happened to the girl. she seemed to have brain farts and pretty much lost most abilities to function as a normal person. her monkeys were growing up so fast sending the girl in multiple directions at the same time. luckily, the boy continued to shine for them all. the girl tried hard to come back to her family, yet, somehow she seemed to be stuck on another planet. will she ever return?

okay...side note suggested by boy: the girl is not on suicide watch ;)
rather, she has really bad a.d.d. and did not realize how abruptly she ended the story. basically, she is just trying to come back from hormonal overload and figure out what she's going to be when she grows up. the girl loves the hectic, smelly life of a boy mom. and enjoys secret jokes with the boy at any time possible. she's very happy and feels so blessed with everything God has given her! some days seem long, dreary and blah , but there is ALWaYs at least one moment (but usually many) shining through making the girl's heart smile...
:)

sweet, deep soul.

as i'm making dinner, jack emerges from his room teary. when i asked what was wrong he said,
" it was just so sad..." and burst into tears...
he had just finished the marley and me chapter book.

my sweet jack

all the scaries come out to play.

okay, so it's not my favorite of holidays. not too much the fan of dressing in costume. but i will say i have come to love halloween in my neighborhood! it's like a huge party for children of all ages. just a fun night to be had by all...except maybe for this poor guy this year.

i know you probably can't tell by looking at his face because his face is saying,
"this night is going to rock! i can't wait to go out with my wife and kids. my dear, sweet, lovely wife is never loud and annoying and NeVER sticks her foot in her mouth. let the fun begin!"
...but, i'm afraid his face was let down. i thank him for putting up with me!
well, here are the results of this year's costume decisions:

jon gosselin on the loose.

colt mccoy...shocking.

and the oh-so-original wrigley field ghost.

next, a classic scene of me threatening and begging, i mean sweetly asking my always-ready-to-please children if they would ever so kindly mind posing for a loving photograph together.

you would think i asked them to play barbies or something.

FiNaLLY...the end.

monsoon monday.

lovin it! lovin never getting to play sports EVeR! so we've been brainstorming and planning to patent some new ideas. mister, can you say christmas bonus!! heehee at least the flood down the alley provides hours of fun. i am grateful that the rain teaches us to be flexible and creative. it even makes us laugh....best part though...we are all together :)
xo

mom moment.

just wanted to put it in writing so when he asks (and he will) when it happened, it's in blogged-stone.
today jack k, 8 years old, hit for the cycle...a single, a double, a triple and a home run.
i only wish i'd been there to see him and to watch his dad beam (inside, of course).

this is love.

this face. it is pure. it is innocent. it is trouble. it is smelly. it is boy. it is frustration and tears. it is laughter. it is legos and goggles and shoes and cans and pillows and toys and jellyfish and toilets and door frames and concrete. it is puppy running man dreams. it is little boy laughs. it is mom's silly exercise. it is grumpy dad's best friend. it is sneaking into your lap. it is the old lady's secret pal. it is an extra football player in disguise. it is the sweet smile on my mens' faces.
it. is. love.

testing...it's me, sanford...

i'm back! can i do it? in the words of my friend, dori, just keep swimming... okay, who am i really talking to anyway...most likely the voices in my head :) well, here goes. me blabbering on as usual. not making sense. forgetting my thoughts mid-sentence. recapping the day and laughing at life's twists and turns and most of all finding the wonderful blessings to cherish.
i have so much to be grateful for

first day of school...

i really stink at this blogging thing but wanted to at least show first day of school pics. we can't believe that logan is in third grade, jack is in first and fisch is in pre-k! they totally have opinions on clothes, sports, girls, etc. you get just a hint of life with all boys from the pictures too:)
they all had a great first day and jack even lost his second tooth.we'll report on all the summer happenings soon.
hope everyone is well:)

cabin fever!

it's been forever! the rain will never end! i really shouldn't complain after the last few summers and since my hydrangeas are awesome! but, really!!!!!! i'm getting a little crazy and am driving my boys crazy too! we did take advantage of the floods with boat races down the alley this evening...can't be a total dud mom all the time:) then, i think they took their first bath or any kind of cleaning off besides the pool in days, maybe weeks. that is except for fisch who likes to be clean and gel his hair for the ladies.
well, my teaching partner, diane, and i are in the misdt of our first summer camp..food fun or camp disaster as logan so lovingly has called it. pretty much says it all. really, what the hell was i thinking? my 3 charming kids aren't enough?!it's actually not this week that's been bad either. it's the upcoming camps that actually have several boys in them...it will need to stop raining at this point for sure.
i guess baseball has finally come to an end. fisch has grown a great fan base at his games. known for running with pizazz and just plain lookin' good on the field; jack's team has one game left but, i'm pretty sure we aren't playing in a boat any time soon. they went undefeated and were so much fun to watch!; lo's team made it through 2 games in the play-offs and had a great time together and the party at the end was fun, too:)
i have included pics from our visit with little miss gabriella, jan and mary catherine and the melrose-flood regatta....doesn't fred look cute with a little girl?! :)