Nov 05
Everyone,
So last week Butterfly had 2 days of no school because of the hurricane.
This week, Butterfly has 2 days of no school for, um, I’m not sure. Professional day?
Next week, Butterfly has 2 days of early release days. Parent Teacher Conferences.
The NEXT week, Butterfly has 2 days of no school PLUS a day of early release. Thanksgiving!
If anyone wants to visit us during the fall, November might be the time to do it. That is, if you want to spend time with my school aged kids.
Of which I will have 3 of next year.
Let’s skip the hurricane, though. That wasn’t all THAT fun.
Safire
PS- We spent our time wisely today. Everyone got flu shots at the county flu clinic. Not me. Just the kids. Then we dropped off Butterfly’s shoes to get fixed. (One was fixed 2 weeks ago. The other one broke.) Then we went to CVS to get my flu shots. Then we came home where the kids played outside with the neighbors for several glorious hours. Then dinner, FHE, and bed! Whew…maybe tomorrow won’t be so busy?
SafireNaBloPoMo school
Nov 04
Everyone,
I just bought backpacks and lunch boxes for the boys next year for school. I CAN’T believe they are going to be going to kindergarten next year! They are getting so big so fast.
Anyway, Land’s End was having their backpack sale and I figured now was the time to buy. I got 2 packs for around $10 each. And 2 lunch boxes for around $6. This is a better price than 2 packs at over $30 in the summer.
Score!
I also landed on a HUGE thing for Butterfly next year at the thrift store. It’s a barely used coat and snow suit from Hanna Andersson for $5. Yes, $5 whole dollars for a really, really nice coat and matching snow pants. I know the brand will last. It’s a size bigger than Butterfly wears now but I can store it for a year and still enjoy the amazing deal.
Now if only I can get some amazing Christmas shopping deals!
Safire
SafireNaBloPoMo, shopping
Nov 03
Everyone,
About a year ago I started working teaching horseback riding lessons at a stable in Frederick. I love it there. I love the horses, the students, the time to enjoy myself in something that I really, truly love.
Because of the hurricane, the barn has been closed for a week. All horses and people came through just fine, but they had no power and a huge tree came down by the house. Plus, it was muddy. So I haven’t been in over a week.
We were supposed to have a horse show today, but it’s been cancelled due to rain. And the huge mud puddle we used to call the big ring. So I unexpectedly found myself without a completely full Saturday.
The first I’ve had in almost a year.
And it was filled with errands.
Okay, first it was filled with making close to 4 dozen rolls for the ward barn dance while Juice and the kids went to play soccer. Grass being better than dirt for surviving storms.
I made the rolls in my blissfully silent house. In my pjs. It was awesome.
Then we exchanged the car seat from a girl seat to a boy one, bought myself some long underwear that will (hopefully) fit my ever growing belly, went to the grocery store and then to the ward barn dance.
Okay, so the Saturday wasn’t completely free. In fact, it was probably more packed than any other Saturday. I guess the difference was that I picked the activities.
Safire
SafireNaBloPoMo, Saturdays
Nov 01
Everyone,
We were very lucky with Hurricane Sandy. We never lost power. We never had problems. It was Very Windy. We had sheets of rain going down our street. The big pine trees by our house lost a lot of needles and pine cones.
We spent Monday playing with a few of our friends at the local fast food place and play area. We tried to go to one of those bounce places but they had lost power. The kids played hard and we enjoyed getting some of our cabin fever out!
Then we spent Tuesday (with the worst of the wind) drinking hot chocolate and watching tv. I read a book. We all took naps. We went walking through the neighborhood to assess the damage.
So all in all, we were totally prepared and nothing happened. We were lucky.
Do you see the branch broken in this tree?
I kind of like this picture. We are headed home from our regular park.
This is the biggest tree downed we found. In the middle of the park with NO houses around it.
The 2 inches of water underneath our swings. There will be no swinging for a few days.
Checking out the puddle on the sidewalk. With all the leaves downed around them.
We were VERY lucky!
Safire
PS- Guess what month it is? November! NaBloPoMo! A post every day!
SafireHurricane Sandy 2012, NaBloPoMo, weather
Nov 04
Everyone,
When you give a boy a camera
He’s going to take a lot of pictures of the entry way rug.
And when he’s taken pictures of the rug,
he’s going to notice the door.
And when he’s taken pictures of the front door,
he’s going to want to take the camera outside.
Once he’s outside, he’s going to take pictures of the sky.
When he’s done looking up, he’s going to look down
and take pictures of his feet.
Those feet are leading him to the van.
He’s going to get in the van with the camera.
While his mom drives him to watch his sister’s swim lessons,
he’s going to take pictures of his siblings.
He’s going to take pictures of his knees.
When he arrives at swim lessons, he’s going to take pictures out the window.
Which reminds his Mommy that he has the camera and the camera gets taken away.
Which causes him to cry.
He cries during swim lessons, which makes Mommy forget to take pictures of his sister.
So if you want pictures of Sister swimming,
You should give the boy a camera.
Safire
Hosted by Cecily and Lolli
SafireGMYBS, NaBloPoMo, picture taking, Pirate pictures, Pirate
Nov 02
Everyone,
What is NaBloPoMo? If you haven’t been with my blog for awhile, NaBloPoMo stands for National Blog Posting Month. I started it maybe 3 years ago to help me jump start my writing. Here’s a description taken from the NaBloPoMo website:
“National Blog Posting Month is the epicenter of daily blogging! People who want to set the habit of blogging by doing it every day for a month, including weekends, can come here for moral support, inspiration, and the camaraderie that only marathon blogging can provide.”
Now here’s a bit of a secret. Well, it’s not that big of a secret. Last NaBloPoMo I didn’t stop after 30 days in November. I wrote through the end of the year. And then I just kept writing. And today, I have written 367 days in a row.
Okay, yes, I know I haven’t writing them EVERY SINGLE DAY. Especially this month. But I have gone back and back filled those days. So really, on paper (can I use that phrase here?) I have a post for every single day.
Ta da! A whole year written!
Now what should I do?
Safire
SafireNaBloPoMo writing
Dec 01
Everyone,
So how did everyone like my 30 days of posting? Do remember that I challenged myself to write every day of December too so you won’t stop hearing from me yet!
Juice is in Chicago this week for his annual trip for some trade show. I get to get take out for a week while he’s gone. Tonight was Mexican food. Yum! Of course, I seemed to be the only one that ate it…the boys and Butterfly only ate apple sauce and then threw the rest around the kitchen. Not my idea of fun!
I ran about 10 errands today. Some early in the morning after I dropped Juice off at the train station. Some during Butterfly’s dance class. Some even after! It just seemed like I had a ton of little tiny things to do. Things that would have been easier without 3 little tag-a-longs. But we made it work. With a lot of bribing. My kids LOVE chocolate. I can get them to do anything with a promise of that stuff. Professor even knows how to say it.
Speaking of Professor, he is my little talker! He says several things now.
Shoes
Cracker
Mama
Chocolate
What’s that?
Noodles
Socks
Snowman
Tree
Lights
Pretty
Dog
Woof
Kitty
Meow
Roar
oh no!
No
Block
Baby
Pirate, on the other hand, is still stuck with “uh-oh”. He does now say, “uh-uh” when he wants to say no. But other than the few times he’s said Daddy, nothing else. I think we always knew at first that Professor would be the talker and Pirate the thinker. For a long time I wondered if I had named them correctly. I wonder if other mothers of twins worry about that. Sometimes I think of how their lives might be different with different names. I don’t regret the names they got, it’s just something I think about.
Safire
SafireJuice's Travel, NaBloPoMo, names, Pirate talks, Professor talks
Nov 26
Everyone,
A list of 20 things I am thankful for in no particular order:
1. A healthy body. These kids keep me running full tilt and I’m grateful I can keep up with them.
2. A healthy husband. Juice is my right hand, my partner in life, family, and love. Can’t do anything without him! Plus, he spent this morning playing football with the guys in the ward and is limping around and I kind of miss having a big physical helper around. 
3. Brown boxes from home! My parents sent (well, they left it with us) some things to start off our Christmas season. And my Nana, great lady that she is, sent us a box of fun little things.
4. Web cams and Internet. I was able to talk to my family this morning, and Juice is talking to his family now. I love being able to see the person and show them the kids and how big they’ve gotten! Although, Juice’s family won’t see the kids because they are sleeping.
5. Friends. We were able to spend the afternoon/evening with my good friend Lolli and her family. We had such a good time and such good food. Thanks Lolli!
6. Music. I love turning on music to suit my moods. I also really miss being able to play my instruments and think I should get out my violin more often.
7. Unlimited long distance. I love being able to call anyone I want any time I want. Awesome!
8. Juice’s job. They have been very good to him and I’m so grateful he has stability in it.
9. Soot the puppy. What a cute dog we have. She does great with picking up all the spills and is very gentle with the kids. She plays with me, sits on my lap, has cute puppy dreams, and obeys me. It’s great!
10. Family. We have the greatest kids. Our extended family is pretty great too! I love being an aunt, a sister, a daughter, a sister-in-law, a niece, and a granddaughter. I love how all these different titles tie me to different people.
11. Our house. It’s tiny. It’s often dirty. There are crayons and markers on the walls (thanks Professor) and we don’t have a yard or a play room. Or a basement. But it’s ours and it keeps us warm.
12. My church. I love knowing where I came from, who I am, and where my life is going. I love the peace that the gospel brings. I love having a relationship with my Heavenly Father.
13. Internet shopping. I really love to Internet shop. In fact, most of my Christmas is from my Internet shopping. I love that I get different points for shopping online and can get free stuff from it. Also, I love not having to take my kids into the store because that’s a pain.
14. Cameras. I really like taking pictures. Even though I haven’t taken a whole lot lately because my computer crashing because of my 12,000 plus pictures kind of killed my desire to put ANY more pictures on my computer. I still really like taking them. I love looking back on them and remembering how small the kids were, or how small I was!
15. Books. I love to read. I think it’s the best kind of entertainment. I don’t nearly have enough time to do it.
16. Movies. Sometimes it’s nice to just veg out and watch something.
17. Bob the stroller. Seriously, I think I am doing so well with the whole twin thing because of this stroller. What an awesome piece of equipment. It hauls kids and stuff, is warm, easy to turn, and goes through sand amazingly well.
18. Chocolate covered raisins. Yum!
19. Hot hot showers and no water bill. Our HOA pays our water bill. I can take as long of showers and I have time/hot water. This is probably why the kids get into so much trouble while I shower.
20. Diapers. Enough said.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Safire
SafireNaBloPoMo, Thanksgiving 2009
Nov 26
Everyone,
I stayed up late talking to my mom tonight for our weekly chat (hi mom! Great to talk to you!) so tonight’s entry will be things I did today.
All four of us up, dressed, fed, and exercised. The kids love to do my exercises with me (and get in the way sometimes) and it’s very cute. You should see them try and do push ups!
All four of us out at the mall exchanging too small pajamas for not too small pajamas. And seriously, for a children’s store, the Ch*ildren’s Pl*ace is really NOT stroller friendly.
All four of us out at Ikea on an errand for Daddy. He needed a new lamp. I go there to get the $8 lamp and leave minus $50. Why is that? Butterfly had a grand old time in the kid’s play area and then we had lunch there. Yum!
All four of us drive home in horrible rush hour traffic. The kids napped…I did not. The kids were awake when we got home. I was tired. They refused to come inside. We ended up playing outside for over an hour. In this hour the following happened: Pirate made himself a mud puddle and promptly sat in it. I spent at least half of the time trying to wrangle both boys down the street to get the mail while Butterfly fought the remaining leaves off the tree out front. I finally managed to get everyone inside when the sun started to set. It was not without some tears.
All four of us rejoiced when Daddy came home. We had dinner, the kids had baths and then to bed. I braved the store for a few things for tomorrow and a free redbox movie rental. Now to find time to watch it!
Happy Thanksgiving Eve!
Safire
Safiredaily list, NaBloPoMo, shopping
Nov 23
Everyone,
Where else can I go with my good friend Lolli on a rainy Monday morning and come home with 2 horses, 2 electrical outlet covers, one book and 7 movies (2 of which haven’t even been opened yet!) and spend less than 20 dollars? Our favorite thrift store Unique of course!
Pretty basic day for me. Seriously, I’m at a loss of what to write about today. Juice’s input is that I should make a list of some kind. Of how many times I said no. Okay…
I tried…I just can’t get ALL of them down. It’s too many to say. Butterfly had a rough morning, and Pirate had a rough evening. Professor has been my sunshine for awhile now. He’s so cute with his big dimple and happy face. Butterfly this morning didn’t want to go to the store and Pirate had a fascination with the dog food this evening. And the dog water. And shoes. Yeah… He also go a time out for whipping Butterfly with a toy, and then another time out for getting out of the time out spot. Poor kid.
Anyone have one of those cool meme things that were floating around last year? Anyone?
Safire
Safiredaily stuff, kids in trouble, NaBloPoMo, thrift store, time outs
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