An early Halloween

Since we are not going to be around to go trick-or-treating this year (we will be in Disneyland) I told the girls that they could go trick-or-treating to our house a few times a couple of nights before we left. So last night they got their costumes on (Josey ended up as a fairy instead of Luke Skywalker) and headed outside to come trick-or-treating to our door.


They were having so much fun and had come walking up to the door a couple of times when Dustin told them to pile in the car. They didn't know what was going on but we all got in the van.

So Dustin had arranged for a few of our friends to let the girls come trick-or-treating early! They were so excited. He actually went and dropped of candy at every ones houses so they wouldn't feel put out using their own and then we went and trick-or-treated. They went to about 5 houses.

Then we did the usual and dumped all our candy out and went through it and ate a couple of pieces. I have put the rest away to take with us on our trip. The girls were absolutely thrilled that they got to go trick-or-treating. Thanks dad!

BINGO!!!!

Look what we won!

Not the girls, the i-pod. The elementary school has a fund raiser night of Bingo every year. We went last year and didn't win anything. But this year we got really lucky! I wasn't going to take the girls. I was really tired but they really really wanted to go. So we ate dinner and then decided to go late. We walked in about half way through and I told them we had 5 dollars to spend. So they each got 2 bingo cards and I picked up 1. We went and found a seat and they announced that they were giving away the i-pod. The whole gym went CRAZY, including Maddy. She has wanted one forever! So we start playing our first game and I won! In like 6 call outs it was crazy! I sent Maddy and Josey up to collect the prize and they were so excited. I think Maddy felt like a rock star because everyone kept wanting to see it and was so amazed that she won it. People kept asking to trade for it, even though technically it was mine!

So I haven't quite decided what to do with it yet. I really wish that I could have won it and put it away for Christmas but the girls were just too excited I couldn't do that to them. Dustin really needs a new i-pod as well and I have been tempted to give it to him but the girls are just so darn excited about the i-pod. I actually wish that one of them would have won it so that it would be definitively theirs! I guess they will share it for now and it will come in handy on our trip down to Disneyland tomorrow! How lucky is that though?!

Jack-o-lanterns

We decided to carve our pumpkins last night since we are going to be gone all next week. We ended up with all together too many pumpkins this year from field trips and birthday parties and our family trip to the pumpkin patch. So the girls each had 2 pumpkins to carve and mommy had the big one. Maddy and Josey were so excited because we actually let them do the carving this year and they were so proud of their creations.

Daddy helped Lilly with her little pumpkin. She loved it!

And then we celebrated with Halloween cupcakes.

Which Dustin helped frost. Dustin refuses EVERY year to stick his hand in a pumpkin. He absolutely hates the smell and feel of the pumpkin brains. So that leaves......ME.....to have to clean out all the pumpkins! So not fair.

Then we took them all outside and lit them up. This is the girls yelling BOO!

And this is the only semi decent one that I could get with the pumpkins all lot up.

Then they had to blow out all the candles together. So cute.

And on a side note, I love out neighborhood. Yesterday the kids were all playing outside with the neighbors and I just thought how nice it is to live in a neighborhood that I can let my kid play outside. It seriously is such a great neighborhood. Everyone takes such good care of their yards (except for us) and I can't tell you how many people put up decorations for the holidays, it is so fun! Anyway here are the girls playing bubbles with the neighbor kids.

Rock-a-bye Baby

How weird is this? A couple of weeks ago I was singing Lilly the song "Rock-a-bye baby" and she got really serious and all of the sudden her little chin started quivering. I asked her what was wrong and she just started bawling! I had to hold her and let her cry for a few minutes. I couldn't figure it out. So I let her compose herself and (I know it sounds kinda mean) but I tried it again and when I started singing it she completely started bawling again! Then a couple days later Dustin happen to sing her that song and she just fell apart AGAIN! Dustin had no idea what had happened until I told him that I don't think she likes that song. So that was weird.

Then yesterday she found the little part to her baby mobile that used to hang over her crib that plays the music. It is that music box sounding music of Lullaby. She walked into my room with that same look and her little chin quivering. I scooped her up and she just started to bawl again for like five minutes. I just had to hold her. She kept saying, "It night night time". I kept telling her that is wasn't but she wanted to go to sleep. So we went into Maddy and Josey's room and I had to lay down on Maddy's bed and she had to lay down on Josey's bed and go to sleep. This is all while she is totally crying. The music stopped and she sat up and said, "Time to wake up!" Then she would wind it up again and just start crying and crying. So that was even weirder.

What is that all about? Do you think that she could be traumatized from some time that she was put to bed or something? It really made me feel bad and a little worried that she is going to have some weird phobia or something. She is going to hear the song "Rock-a-bye Baby" when she is 20 and just start bawling and won't know why!

It works!

So I got my first rebate check from Walgreens today! I was so excited! Even though the check was only for 8 dollars! I wanted to try it first with only a little bit to lose in case I never got a check back but apparently its good. WOO HOO!

Musical Beds

How did Maddy and Josey end up in our bed......and Dustin and I on the couch and the twin mattress? This is what I am asking myself about our sleeping arrangements last night.

It all started out with a movie. Dustin was working late and so for FHE I told the girls we would make some popcorn and hot chocolate and watch a Halloween movie. I had recorded Hocus Pocus....anyone remember that from way back when? Anyway I couldn't really remember what it was about but I didn't remember it being very scary and it was rated PG. So we sit down to watch it and in the first scene the three witches suck the life out of a little girl......that should have been my first clue for my girls.

(Let me preface this by saying I have SUPER scaredy-cat girls. We don't really watch much that is scary or even not a cartoon so when they do see things that probably to the average kid wouldn't freak them out, my girls are terrified for days.)

SO! After the part where the kids were trapped in the graveyard and the witches were summoning up the dead bodies, I stopped it and said it was time for bed. LOVELY! So I got everyone to bed and the girls actually insisted on sleeping together which I don't usually allow on school nights. But they feel asleep together in Maddy's bed and a few hours later Dustin and I headed to bed.

At about 12:30, Maddy comes in and is scared. I don't usually let my girls get into bed with us but they can make a bed on the floor if they want to. Well at this particular point in time my bedroom is probably as messy or the messiest it has EVER been. Don't ask me why. There really isn't a good reason except that our TV broke in our bedroom and I am finding it much harder to clean in there without something in the background going on.....lame excuse I know. So I offer for her to make a bed on the floor but she says it is too messy. So I thought that she went back to bed. The next thing I know I am awakened as the middle of a sandwich, between Maddy and Josey, and Dustin is no where to be found. I am also in between the cracks of the pillows meaning I have no pillow as Maddy is taking up Dustin's and Josey is taking up mine. WHEN DID JOSEY GET IN THE BED? So I try to get comfortable but as all us parents know when we have sleeping children in the bed there IS NO comfortable position between them. And now by this point I am frying.....and it is 4 in the morning. So I finally just climb out of bed and move into Maddy's bed where the only blanket on the bed isn't long enough to cover my whole body and it is very thin. But I was too tired to care.

So I woke up this morning with my back hurting and really really tired and cold and I go into my bedroom to see my two sleeping beauties nice and cozy in my bed. Dustin ended up letting Maddy sleep in the bed and moving to the couch because she was so scared after I had fallen back to sleep. So he slept on the couch downstairs.

The girls thought it was quite funny that they took over our bed for the night. I informed them it wasn't going to happen again anytime soon! Why is it that the parents beds always seem more comfy and safe. I remember thinking this myself as a kid and so do my kids. They slept better even when neither of us were in there to protect them from the witches. Such a fun night!

Rite Aid and 120 bucks!

So I went today to pick up my newly transferred prescription at Rite Aid and I picked up my 30$ gift card. I also asked the pharmacist if I were to transfer more prescriptions could I get more gift cards. She gave me a little pamphlet with 4 MORE transfer coupons in them and said that you could get up to four 30$ gift cards! That is 120$ at Rite Aid! Just thought I would let anyone know that might be interested. I don't shop a lot at Rite Aid but for 120$ I will fill a prescription there and I am sure that I can find some things I need or want there! And you only have to fill it one time. So if you really don't want to go there much just fill it once and then transfer it back to your regular place but you will make 120$ at Rite Aid. I am going on Monday to get my Walgreen's transferred prescription and 25$ gift card and I am going to ask them the same thing. Maybe you can get multiple gift cards there as well!? Does anyone know?

Guess WHAT?!

I sold me first items on ebay this morning! And here they are.......

I went to Fred Meyer this week because they were having a buy one get one free, and a buy two get one free, offer on some of their toys and I had a 10% off coupon and some other manufacturers coupons for the board games. So I picked up the above toys along with all the ones here.........

for 100 dollars. Then I turned around and sold these ones.......
on ebay for 50 dollars. Making all these toys.......

a grand total of 55 dollars! Making each item an average of less than 3.50 a piece! Christmas here I come!

And here is how I have decided to get serious about my coupons. I realized that I could no longer fit all my coupons in my little accordion filer in my purse. So I went out and bought this organizer box. The girls came separate.

Now I can organize my coupons by as many categories as I want and it is saving me a lot of time going through my coupons trying to find the one I need. I also have folders for the weekly ads etc. to try and stay organized with it. Then I just take out the ones I need for the store that day and put them into my accordion organizer and head to the store.

Daddy's princesses and a caterpillar

I just had to post this picture and tell Dustin what a good daddy he is. He sat and watched princess video after princess video with Lilly on his lap for almost an hour the other day. She was in heaven and he, I am sure wasn't, but he did it anyway. He is such a good dad. He is so ready with a compliment for all of my girls that makes me so thankful to know that they will know that their daddy thinks they are the most beautiful, smart, funny girls in the world. He is never shy about telling them how beautiful they look or how smart they are and I don't even think he can understand what that means to the female psyche. He will just pop off with a compliment on how beautiful someones hair looks today or how cute those pants are on someone. He will compliment them even when they haven't made it obvious they want a compliment. Sunday morning is a parade of girls showing daddy their dresses and hair clips only to have him GUSH at how incredibly beautiful they look and they LOVE IT, even Maddy. Thanks for being the father you are. I think our girls are the luckiest girls in the world!

And on a side note:

Look what Josey brought home from school today! A caterpillar in her backpack! She is just so funny! If you have missed previous posts about Josey creepy crawly obsession you can reference some of them here and here.

Our First Pumpkin Patch of the Season

We headed out to Lee Farms on Saturday! It was our first pumpkin patch of the season and we were really excited. They had added a lot of new things to do and see this year and the weather was absolutely gorgeous which was nice but it was also a little crowded which wasn't so nice! But we immediately headed over to the see if they had little chicks again this year and the girls were so excited to find them.

Then we started the quest. The quest for the perfect pumpkin.......Maddy didn't take to long and found the her perfect pumpkin pretty quick.Josey on the other hand was practically in tears after a half an hour of looking. She just couldn't make up her mind. She was pouting because no one was helping her look for the "perfect" pumpkin however when I joined her and started making suggestions she wasn't having that either. She asked me to let her look alone. She did FINALLY find a pumpkin after we told her that she had to make a decision. This wasn't THEE pumpkin but she also picked this little baby one as well. And Lilly found MANY MANY perfect pumpkins and started putting them all into the wheelbarrow. We had to stealthily get them out of the wheelbarrow except for two. She had to have a momma pumpkin and a baby pumpkin. Then we fed and pet the goats....
did the maze with the slide.....
fed and pet the baby cows....
took lots of pictures.....

played with the gourds.....
(these are the girls new purses)
and measured how much we had grown since last year.
(Maddy 2007)
(Maddy 2008) (Josey 2007)
(Josey 2008)
(Lilly 2007)(Lilly 2008)

Your Child on Drugs

So Maddy had to undergo yet another hospital trip yesterday. We hoping that this will be the last for a while hopefully ever. She has had some serious problems with ear infections for probably the last year or so. Before that I had been getting concerned about her hearing because it seemed that she couldn't hear me. So I finally took her into an ENT and after about 2 months of trying different products to help him actually look in her ear (it was so full of tissue) he suggested that we put her under and he take a look inside. We thought that one of her tubes had possibly not fallen out from when she was 4.

So yesterday morning we went in bright and early and I have to say that St. Vincents hospital pediatric unit was amazing! The whole wing was decorated so fun and inviting, Maddy didn't want to leave. And when we were lead back to our room there was a little bear and a cute sticker already waiting for her on the bed. She was so excited. It really helped considering how nervous she was to be put under again.

So the nurse gave her some magical medicine that completely relaxed her and calmed her down. It was one of the funniest things we have ever seen. Maddy was HIGH! She could hardly speak by the time they were wheeling her out of the room. After I asked the nurse if it was normal and she said, "Oh yes! This is your child on drugs!", Dustin and I were hysterically laughing the whole time from the way she was acting. She was slurring all her words and just found enjoyment in the weirdest things. We were immensely grateful however that all the nerves and tears were put aside. Everything went fine and the doctor came out and said that there was a tube in there but it was just stuck to the outside of her eardrum. For some reason it had just never fallen out and so it had been getting increasingly inflamed over the last few years. So he cleaned it all out and she doesn't really remember a thing about the whole trip! The "happy" medicine didn't really wear off until way after the surgery. She couldn't even remember that we were all done. We had to keep telling her that we were all done.

The last couple of days she has had super human hearing. You know when your ear gets cleaned out and all of a sudden you seem to be able to hear things that normal people can't? She sat up in the hospital and asked me what that ticking sound was? I had no idea what she was talking about! Then today when we were in the kitchen I was trying to make her some lunch and usually I always had to increase my volume when asking a question directed at her so I asked her what she wanted to eat? She turned to me and said, "Mom I am right here you don't have to yell." I totally started laughing. I am SO glad that the ear situation is fixed and hopefully we don't have to worry about anymore icky ear infections....and she CAN HEAR!!!

The Frog Pond

So I finally updated my blog to HALLOWEEN! I love Halloween......in case somebody wasn't aware of that.



Last week the girls and I came across an amazing place up at the community college near us. I was trying to avoid the Kirby vacuum salespeople on my front door step and to make a long story short I had to stay away from my house for an hour in the middle of the afternoon. SO ANNOYING! So we went driving around the community college because a friend of mine had told me about some frog pond that her boys love to catch frogs in all the time. So we parked and started walking through the paths and stuff and came upon this big meadow/marsh that was filled with frogs! EVERYWHERE! There were literally hundreds of frogs. Every time you walked a little frog would jump. The girls were in heaven and caught frogs for an hour and then we headed home. So we decided to take Dustin on Sunday and catch some more frogs. It was actually raining on us but we had so much fun!




(no frogs were injured in the making of this blog)




I made the girls leave the frogs the first time but Dustin let them bring a couple home. We took them to another closer pond and let them go the next day. But here is Lilly with her turn to hold the cup of frogs.
And we even found a blackberry bush and so the girls had a little snack.And then we walked by this creepy statue in one of the buildings on the property. Seriously it was kinda scary.

Such a fun Sunday outing.