Rollin' Rollin' Rollin' on the river.....

Okay so let me update you on my little project that I call Move Myself Across America.  I had this grand plan two years ago that if I kept an atlas next to my treadmill that I could track my progress and run myself from Tijuana to Madawaska, Maine....basically run myself from the southwestern end to the northeastern end.  I gave myself five years to do that, then figured up the actual mileage and realized I'd have to run over seven miles a day.  Well.  That goal obviously needed to be tweaked. 

So after Maddie was born, I started on my run.  It was lovely running through southern California through the winter, but as with so many of my goals, it fell by the wayside.  So to cut straight to the heart of this, it's two years later and I'm still not out of California.  I should be dogging through western Kansas by now!  I have a ways to go.  Nevertheless, it is a very inspiring way to run.  So, now that I'm in a fit of motivation, I'm going to start tracking my progress on my blog. 

Like I said, I started my run at the southern most tip of California, and from what I could tell on my map, the best place was to start at the border on Hwy. 5 and run north....

So thank you to Mapquest for letting me draw on your map....sure hope I don't get in trouble for that one.  Anyway, this has been my path up until now.  It's taken my over two years to go this far, but hopefully now that I'll feel a little more motivation I'll start busting off the mileage a little quicker. And the weather in SoCal today...sunny and upper 60's.  Hmmmmm....... 

So if I were actually in California, this is the view I would probably have...or close to it. 

This is how I'll update you on my run.  Right now I'm working myself toward Victorville...I'll post again when I hit my destination.  Victorville, here I come!  Wonder what the shopping is like there....

The Thanksgiving Tree

This week our project was the Thanksgiving Tree.  I got this idea from www.thecraftycrow.net.  This site has given me a lot of the ideas for holiday crafts and it's great because there is stuff for all ages.  Anyway, this was supposed to be a one-afternoon craft, but the kids were done with the leaf-decorating after about 5 minutes.  At that point, really became thanksgiving boot camp.  "Ella paint this, Maddie color that one, Payton cut some more out....we need more leaves guys...go go go...cut, paint, color...more more more..."  So that was fun.  We got the leaves done and called it a day. 

Ella had a problem with her hands getting dirty, but after I took this picture, she was pretty proud of them.  They were "pretty hands."

I painted the tree on the kitchen floor, which was a supremely bad idea since I was on Maddie's level.  Maddie loves a good mess.  So after the tree was painted it had to be hung as high as possible to dry, but that still required a close eye on the Maddie-monster.  Have I mentioned she loves a mess? 

So after a few days we reassembled to finish the project.  And let me just say a quick thank you to the inventor of glue sticks.  Imagine a 2-year-old Maddie gluing without a glue stick...I shudder.

Each one of the leaves had something the kids were thankful for.  I was pretty proud with most of their ideas:  Mom, Dad, Nana, Papa, school, books, puzzles, Grandma, Granddad, Aunt Erin, Aunt Meme, Baby Tucker, bugs, trees, clouds, food, garage doors, Buddy, crossing bars, trains, and toilets. 

Even my wonderful husband got in on the project.  Unfortunately for him, the leaf with his name on it went under the leaf labeled "toilet."  So now the kids are yelling, "Daddy's in the toilet!"  Sorry love.

It was a fun project and nice to know what the kids are thankful for...or at least it's nice to know what's on their minds when it's time to yell out a list.  Until next time...

A few Halloween projects before we get into Thanksgiving

Here are the Halloween projects we did this year.  We have plenty of new Thanksgiving ones to do now that I have discovered this world of blogs.  Can't wait for all the new chaos that's soon to be in store...
First we stated out with the First Annual Apple day.

The kids had tons of fun picking all the apples.  Maddie was a machine.  Payton's job was the throw the bad ones across the street to the pasture.  There were a lot of apples and we had a lot of cooking to do...

It was a big weekend of picking, throwing, bobbing, cooking, and caramelizing apples.

Next we headed to Sunnyside Pumpkin Patch with my in-laws.  This was a great pumpkin patch with a lot of fun stuff for the kids to do.  They had a giant slide that Maddie showed no fear on, a petting zoo, corn maze, games, a hayrack ride, and pumpkins.



up close and personal with the cow



So with all these pumpkins we had a lot of decorating to do.  We opted for paint instead of knives...there were just too many pumpkins. 

All together I think they painted 11 pumpkins.

Our house was wonderfully decorated with so many awesome colorful pumpkins and it kept them busy for over an hour! 



Ella's Picasso.



The following week was spooky play-doh day and cookies...

Ewwww...play-doh worms.  Meanwhile, I made muffins/cookies from the same recipe.  The muffins turned out wonderful...the cookies...

The cookies turned out looking like cow pies.  They were really gross.  Muffins only for this one. 

Next came some fantastic leaf jumping.  Just in case things are looking a little to perfect by now, check out the expression on Maddie.  This was equal parts fun and temper tantrum. 

Finally it was almost Halloween and time for the major projects.  The kids and I spent the morning making spooky ghosts.  Payton painted the eyes and the girls played and ran around with the extra ribbon...

Every morning the kids said they were having breakfast with the ghosts.  I really hate to take them down even though it is November while I'm writing this. 

While they took a nap, I did the next project.  Would've been great I'm sure to share this one with the kids, but I wanted it to turn out perfect...I'm anal about my ghouls.  I got this project from www.ourbestbites.com.  It's one of my "check everyday" sites.  The ghosts I got from www.bhg.com. 

Finally there were cookies for Payton's Halloween party.  This was a great by myself project too that I did with the windows open and a movie on.  I love doing stuff with the kids, but I also love having that kitchen to myself.  That weekend was Halloween and a fun day spent with family.  I love Halloween and everything fall.  I'm also excited about all the cool projects we have for Thanksgiving that we'll be starting this week.  Until next time....

My coffee, my coffee....

This is a little ditty I jotted down as I was waking up during Sesame Street time.  I just know there's a Nobel Prize for Poetry lurking around the corner for this one. 

My Coffee

How do I love thee?

Let me count the ways.    (original, huh)

I love how you warm me

on cold Autumn days.

You give me reason

to slither out of bed.

You help clear the fog

out of my groggy head.

You tell my children "be aware...
do not mess with her
until that cup is completely bare."   (yea I know...inconsistent rhythm...it's a ditty not a work of art)

You give me something to hold onto

when sanity is low.

You put pep in my step

when there's three kids in tow.
So thank you to my coffee

and cup and filters too,

for creating a morning person
from a blob of bedtime goo. 

You've seen the Snuggie commercial right....

Okay, so if you've seen the Snuggi commercial you've seen the amazing difficulty that a blanket can present.  It's awkward, it moves, it creeps off your feet and falls off your shoulders...clearly it is an atrocious invention.  I saw evidence of this first hand today.  Ella was sitting on her bean bag and her foot was sticking out of her blanket.  She screamed at it and screamed at it, but that stubborn blanket just wouldn't move back to where it was supposed to be.  Why didn't she just move her foot?  Why should she have to do that?!  Why should she be inconvenienced to move her foot 3 inches to the left when that blanket is supposed to do it's job by moving 3 inches to the right?  It really is outrageous.  
So next time you see that commercial and think how ridiculous that lady looks as she's struggling with her blanket, please keep in mind my daughter Ella and know that for some people, this is a real and true burden. 

And the award goes to....

And the Oscar for "Best Panic Attack Over the Possibility of Leaving Bunny in the Stroller" goes to (drum roll)....ELLA MARIE RYAN!!!!!  (eruption of applause)  This is Ella's first year winning Best Panic Attack Over the Possibility of Leaving Bunny in the Stroller.  She credits her accomplishments to her older brother who is her constant support and guide in her panicking ventures.  She is joined today by her less than thrilled mother and her little sister and protege, Madelynn. 

Oh the joys.  The many, many joys.

You know, wouldn't it be great to act like a three year old just once....

"Kelly we're floating you to 9 tower."
Kelly:  NOOOOOO...baaaaaahhahahahhaha....NOOOOOO  (falling on the floor, kicking, wailing, kicking, standing and hands on hips)  I'm NOT going to 9 tower, I'm NOT.  I'm going away!  NO...NO 9 tower!  I don't like you ANYMORE!

Well, maybe if you don't mind being unemployed...

Movie theater attendant:  Miss, may I have your ticket?
Kelly:  No.  I keep it.
Movie theater attendant: Miss you cannot go in to see the movie unless I have your ticket.
Kelly: (hands over ticket....pause....HITS attendant on the arm and runs away.)  I don't like you ANYMORE!

At the 5K:
Race official:  On your mark....get set...GO!
Kelly bounds off full of energy and unbridled joy.  Legs flail and arms swing around erratically as she takes the lead.  Suddenly she breaks away from the pack and leaves the race path to go dashing through the park...."OOOOOHHH, LEAVES!!!" 

My boss:  So Kelly, as I was saying, every time you have a patient come up with a PCA, it is very important that you not only put the order in for Respiratory to come and set up the CO2 monitor, but also give them a call to let them be aware that we have a new PCA patient.  That way the monitor gets set up as soon as possible.
Kelly:  You know what?  I have a cat!  Her name is Aggie.  Sometimes she poops on the carpet.  That's gross.

Ah hell, I think I'll give that last one a shot...it would be worth it. 

I DID IT!!

I did it!!  I flew my first solo Halloween!  Okay so I wasn't exactly solo, I did have four other adults helping me with the kids, but the point is that...I DID IT!  We really had a great day.  I didn't get all my things done that I wanted to, but if I would've pushed it, I'm pretty sure it would have gone downhill.  So I thought I'd start the day off with nice soaky baths and showers for the kids.  Lovely thought that ended with Payton screaming naked through the house that he was cold...if he would've towelled himself off?...well what do I know.  So after I got him dried off, returned to the bathroom to see Maddie jumping in a puddle of pee with her toothbrush hanging out of her mouth.  Lovely.  Moving on.  After all the multiple baths and re-baths, it was time for some Halloween fun.

She's a good little witch.  Remember, only bad witches are ugly.  We started with making owl cookies from the website http://www.ourbestbites.com/.  Great site. 

Ella believes in equal parts eating and making....good girl.  Maddie thought this project was a buffet rather than a craft project, so when I took the candy corn piece and stuck it on the cookie, a grand hissy fit followed...wow...what was I thinking. 

 On that note we had naps.  Next up was the pirate ship.  Down the road there was house that went way over the top with a full pirate ship in their driveway complete with crocodiles, squids, and ghosts.  It was really awesome.  Payton loved it.

Payton ringing the bell.  It really was an awesome set-up. And so perfect with Payton being a pirate. 

Next up we drove to my sister's for the making of the Halloween donuts.  This is a tradition that has been going on for 15 years.  My mom always made homemade donuts for the trick-or-treaters and last year she handed the recipe and cauldron (wok) over to my sister to continue.  Halloween isn't Halloween until the house reeks of fat.  The kids made mummy-dogs (hot dogs wrapped in crescent roll strips) and Erin and I tried not to laugh at what it really looked like...heheheeee.

 

Finally it was time for trick-or-treating.  It was nice and cool with the leaves skittering around the streets.  Ella found it perfect weather for her snuggling needs.  The kids made out great on their loot and ate tons of donuts.  It was a great night.  I did it!