I think I made it

Wooosh. I made it. I made it through my own little personal nightmare. . . . you decide which one it was. Anywho, for those of you who left comments of encouragement, a sincere thank you is in order. I know you had to click over from google reader and click on "comment" and then probably log in. . and you know what? I really, really appreciate it. Sometimes a girl just needs to know that she has people on her team. Ya know?

Ya, I am sure you know.






My kids all made it too, and although it may have sounded like it, I didn't just stay in my bed everyday. The only reason I survived most of it was because I had 4 kids standing at my bedside every morning depending on me to get out of it. Thank heavens for them.

We did a lot during our "break". More than I thought. When I was talking to someone else I though, GEE WIZ we did a ton of stuff! It was great, because it kept me sane. Week one, we went to the

Zoo (zoo pass)

Children's Museum (Culture Pass)

Movie Day (Gotta Love Harkin's Cups and T-shirts)

Castles and Coasters.

The lines at castles and coasters were long. I was doing a "shop" so, essentially it was "free" but honestly, you would not catch me dead in that place. It was the worst 5 hours I have spent in any one place. The lines were obnoxiously long. I can wait 45 minutes to get on Space Mountain, but no the Bumper Boats. . . you know? Plus, there were an inordinate amount of teenagers with crazy piercings making out in line. I was hoping "someone" didn't notice.

Unfortunately, she did.

Week two, we did Tumbleweed Park, Freestone Park, made sugar cookies, went to the pool x2, hit Chuck E. Cheese (awesome coupon) and went to Enchanted Island Park. We had some passes with the company that does Jaxon's respite care. It was fun, and there was hardly anyone there, but I can't say I would go back unless I had some discount passes. And from there, we went to the fair. Because who can resist $1 fair entry. NOT ME. Luckily, we were there early enough to miss the teenage crowd. (No More PDA)

Wade likes roller coasters, but is definitely my most timid adventurer.

And who doesn't enjoy the smell of cows.


Just kidding.

Sometimes I giggle when I look down and see these two heads. They don't match very well. And if they look the same size to you, you are about right. Kaylie is now wearing a 4T, and Wade was wearing one last spring. 6 months ago. Believe it or not, Wade is not a small child. And if you ever wonder why Kaylie sports the same hair-doo all the time, that cowlick in the back of her head should tell you somethin'. The hair is growing in three different directions.

Hope you survived your Fall "BREAK" too.

I have a plan

It is "fall break" for our kids here. Which means, just after getting into the groove of school and homework, we have a nice long break in which to forget it all. Or, at least that is what it feels like to me.

I entertained the idea of driving to Utah to visit family, but, I didn't feel "strong enough" shall we say to drive the 24 hours by myself. I mean, I have done it before, too many times to count. But it takes a certain mind set to get it done. One which I don't have right this very second. I am sure I will muster it up again some time in the future, but just not right now.

In order to survive the 2 1/2 week break, I knew I definitely needed a PLAN. Other wise, I would spend my days watching Tom(Jaxon) and Jerry(Wade) do their shtick all day while Abby watches Little House on the Prairie reruns, and Kaylie sticks with her Dora addiction.

NOT GOOD.

Since Wade was still in preschool this week, I decided that I would have a planned activity every OTHER day, and I wasn't going to sweat spending a little money since we weren't going out of town. The money that we WOULD have spent going out of town, will be spent on our activities.

We started with a trip to the Zoo. My zoo pass ends at the end of the month, so, it only makes sense to squeeze in one more trip.

These are the only pictures I caught of the animals.

The only animal that is mine in this picture is completely concealed. But I can see his cute bum!

This is DEFINITELY the most WILD animal I saw.

PS- The Koala Bears are cute, and apparently they sleep 20-22 hours a day. We were lucky enough to see them awake. And we were lucky enough to leave just before the downpour on Monday.

We went to dinner that night for free (doing one of my "shopping excursions") and learned that my family of 6 is DEFINITELY not quite ready for dining at restaurants. Not that we could spend the money anyway.

Tuesday, was quiet while Wade was at school, and nap time for the toddler was strictly enforced.

On Monday morning, I booked it to the Library to see if I could score a Museum card. I got lucky enough to grab a Children's Museum pass. I seriously had to beat 4 moms to the rack who were waiting outside the door. Luckily, they weren't going for the same pass as me, or I would have been out of luck.

We hit the children's museum today. It was the first time I had ever been, and my kids were endlessly entertained by the activities there. Going there makes me want to bolt sheet metal to the wall in my basement, and have an endless line of tubes cascading down the wall to roll balls down. Huh. Not sure why. Actually, that is what I love about the museum, simple fun. I am also seriously considering buying out a stock of water noodles and creating my own water noodle maze in the basement. I will let you know how it goes.

In other news, I got to see my kids performing their future methods of employment.

Wade stocking shelves.

Abby in customer service.


Jaxon bagging groceries. Of course.


Kaylie working in bulk goods? I don't know, but she was into it. It also makes me want to have a vat of dried split peas to play with in my basement. Actually, no. No it doesn't.


It is hard to know for sure, but I think my kids favorite room was the art room. The all LOVED the play dough, and the paint-able castle.
Especially Kaylie, who ended up mostly pink.


Because she refused to wear a smock like this.



She sat herself in that castle for at least 3o minutes, and screamed at anyone who tried to come in. Sooooooooooooooo princess like.

Tomorrow is another preschool day for Wade, however, we might hit Chuck E. Cheese for dinner if I am feeling generous. And then Friday is Owls of Ga'Hoole day. I RARELY purchase books from the book fair, but Abby said they had the first three books of the series there. I told her she could buy them, but they all had to be read by the time we went to go see the movie on Friday. It is working.

Saturday will be another "shopping" activity at Castles and Coasters and I will be feelin' pretty great about week one! :)

Summer Remix

Still going backwards here. That statement is true in soooooooooooooo many ways. More cell phone pix from our summer vacay. Geesh, I am glad I got those offa there! Anyway, we had the most amazing trip to the zoo this summer! It was almost like some mystical thing had happened and the animals came alive for us!

The Gorilla came face to face with Wade. There were SEVERAL other kids with their faces pressed to the glass, but the Gorilla decided to "face off" with Wade. I know it is hard to tell, but they were literally inches away from each other's face. What was more surprising is that Wade didn't run off screaming like a little girl when the Gorilla approached. Part of me thinks that maybe he thought he was watching a movie . . . just really up close. I was just grateful that glass was there, because that Gorilla could have had Wade for LUNCH!

Then we visited the Tigers. They were ACTUALLY playing! I mean, COME ON! How many times have you gone to the zoo and the tigers aren't there, or they are sleeping. I can tell you that happens to me EVERY time, except this one. (Go early in the morning) The tigers (they are brothers, and their mom was watching in complete disgust) were all over each other jumping, biting, growling, and jumping in and out of the water. JUST LIKE two brothers at play. I could have watched them all day. It was fascinating.







Then we got to see Zuri. The cute new baby elephant. I think the only thing cuter that watching a baby elephant run around, is watching a baby Rhino run around, which I have seen once . There is something so stinkin' cute about a smallish animal that will one day be huge running around and acting like a little kid. Truly cute.

The thing about Zuri is that her handler, as you see here, was telling us all about how she was conceived, which fell on deaf ears for everyone but ABBY.
Who curiously asked, "So, mom, what is a menstrual cycle?"

The zoo was VERY exciting that day, AND VERY educational.





And the zoo without the train would be like. . . .
Cereal without milk?
Insert your own comparison here. ____________.





Overall, a pretty fantastic day, even with no eyes.

Making me HAPPY! + DEAL FOR YOU!

A few years ago on my blog, I did an ODE TO YELLOW and a demo on making the cutest Spring Wreath. I haven't felt so "domestic" since I have lived in AZ. Don't get me wrong, I did do a little something to spruce up Kaylie's room before she arrived, but, since we have been here, I have just been in survival mode. . . just. keep. head. above. water.


I love to be crafty and I love to make my home a better place to be, and I have learned, from moving so many times, that you can make ANYPLACE feel like home. I rejected doing this for a while in our latest home because, I will be honest, it is hard to feel all "homey" when you are renting.


But, since I unpacked not too long ago, the "creative" juices have started flowing again and it feels good. I like to be "working on something"... not just to keep busy (I am still kinda house bound with two napping kids at home) but it makes me feel accomplished... in a weird sorta way.

You KNOW the sewing machine is going to make a debut when my MIL is in town. And, it did. We visited a store called Home Fabrics in Mesa.. It is a discount decorator fabric store and the minute I stepped through the doors, the juices started flowing. It has been too long. Really.


I found two amazing fabrics.. one that would be PERFECT in my living room. I have had my drapes done for a long time, but have wanted another fabric for throw pillows. . It was $4 a yard, and if you know decorator fabrics they are anywhere between $18 -$25 per yard, so, this was a steal!!! (All the fabrics there are deeply discounted)


HELLO LOVER...

this is totally me. . .

and I am in love with it.

I pretty much had to make pillows for my couch on the spot... I look in this room now and it makes my heart go pitter-pat. (Ok, so, I get excited about fabric. Weird, I know)

LOVE.
And see this lonely little chair? I think it needs a new look.. Something a little more splashy.. Don't you think? I will show you its' make-over soon.

Now, I didn't want my family room to feel left out... and I couldn't resist when I saw this happy flower fabric that I knew would just blend right in... and if you don't think a few little throw pillow will make the difference, I beg to differ... here is the proof.

BEFORE

boring. ho hum. blech.

AFTER

Your eyes go straigh to the cuteness, don't they?? And doesn't it just bring a smile to your face?

Well, here is my offer... If you are looking to spruce up your look, I will happily go to Home Fabrics with you and if you don't know how, I WILL MAKE YOUR PILLOWS! They are easy and fast and if you take me to lunch I will consider us EVEN. Deal?

The Snowbirds. . .

We have snowbirds that come to live at our house. They flit about the country anyway, but sometimes they land in our neck of the woods. My kids have named them, Nanna, and Poppa.


They come from time to time when it is too COLD in their neck of the woods.. which would pretty much be now until June, which is, coincidentally, when we like to go THERE.



We love having them. The kids love them here, and they love to spoil us. I would say it is a Win/Win. For those of you that know them, this isn't hard to imagine. They are spoilers by nature. When the spoilers are here I like to show them around. I am still pretty new around here... so, it is kinda fun for me too!


This time, Nanna showed up sick. :( But we still had LOTS of fun with Poppa. We went on bike rides, and checked out the new park and showed them around a bit (see above link) and then, he took us to a show. . .

Disney On Ice to be exact. . Poppa asked us if we brought our binoculars. . We OBVIOUSLY didn't need them. . .Jokester.

We had three thrilled kids. Wade had NO idea what was coming, but let me tell you, when he saw this.....


He was MORE than a little excited. I don't think he moved through the whole "Cars" part of the show.

Of course we had to get him a "My Queen" hat. . . which daddy seemed to want to wear more.

And, the great thing about Jaxon is... if you don't get him a hat, you can always convince him the cotton candy bag is ACTUALLY a hat. He is easy like that.

Poppa made up for it later by getting the Ta-mater hat too... notice how the BIG boys ended up with the hats and the little boys ended up with nada.

THANK YOU POPPA!

We had an awesome time!

You gotta go HERE

*Image totally poached from their website.

I like to check AZ central for all things : Best of. I call upon my self to entertain my in-laws while they are here, and for the most part, I think I do a pretty good job.. One time, we took them (I mean, they took us) to dinner HERE. It was seriously the best Mexican food I have had. . . LIKE. . EVER!

If you LOVE you a good Mexican place with a fine dining flare.. you have got to try this place. It is not el-cheapo, but if you are looking for some good food and maybe a special occasion, try it.

Yum o! My gosh.. it was good. . anywho.. I always try to find some sort of fun little place. They are adventurers.. they like to tread off the beaten path and if I can help them, I WILL!

We also visited this little place called HIGLEY HOT DOG HUT it is supposed to be the best Chicago Style Hot Dog in town.. I have no idea what to expect for a Chicago Style Hot Dog, but, I thought they were awesome... They are cash only.. and you know, if you are going to take the time to try out a HOT DOG HUT because you are a fan of hot dogs, or because you tread off the beaten path too, well, ORDER THE SPECIAL which happens to be "The Works" if you have EVER been to a so called "greasy spoon" before you recognize quickly that they have a specialty, and it is usually what they are famous for.. so, for the good love of a hot dog. ORDER THE SPECIAL! (or you might be disappointed) mkay? If you do go to a greasy spoon and Don't order the special.. you get what you deserve! PUNK!

Moving back to Organ Stop Pizza. It was voted on AZ Central by the critics (Please don't listen to the public consensus! The only taste they have is in their mouth!) as best Family Restaurant. I had no idea what to expect, but was ready to put it to the test. Plus, it boast a gigantic organ in the walls of the restaurant which sounded interesting/fun/and loud which are all pluses when your last child get scream louder, longer and higher than Mariah Carey.

Peter met us there after work (it is right by his office) and when we got there, I asked him if he had been inside yet. He said, "Yeah, it looks like Senior night.... like EVERY night is Senior NIGHT!" Don't let that deter you though.. Since we had a senior with us (SORRY GRANDPA! --He can't figure out how to read this blog, so, it is ok) it was ok. . . It was WAAAAAAAAAAAY more entertaining than I thought it would be because at 5:30 on the money a 30 minute show started that was. . . to say in the least. . spectacular. If you don't want to hear The Phantom of the Oprah screaming from the walls of a pizza joint, don't go. But Abby and I didn't want to leave!!!! The pizza isn't cheap, but if you get full on entertainment, I say it is worth it... or take your sweet senior, who will STINKIN' LOVE THIS PLACE and enjoy (and have them pay).

Plus, the amazing, awesome organ player takes requests... and she is good. How about a little Mama Mia on the organ or the Star Wars theme??? AWESOME. Go.

What to do for fun around here!

I like a deal. A good deal.

So, I thought I would let you in on some "deals" that I have found around here!!

We went to the Arizona State Fair tonight. Most people think that going to the fair would be a serious $$$ activity. However, you CAN do it on the cheap! (Just take your parents like I did!) Ok, aside from that.

Check the website for deals! We went during "Happy Hour" if you can get there before 6 p.m. on a Friday, your ticket will be 1/2 price! Mine was $5 and my 2 kids (under 5 are free) were $2.50 a piece. They have other deals on other days, so, make sure to check the website for further instructions.

GET FREE RIDES! The rides at the fair are CRAZY expensive. Of the rides that we went on two had a 7 ticket value and one had a 5 ticket value. Just to give you an idea, 10 tickets is $5. Of course you can get a pass, and get some off that way, but you can also fill out THIS reading pass for each child over the age of 5 and get 3 free RIDES (not tickets) per kid! Some of the carnies. . oh, I mean, RIDE OPERATORS, even let Wade get on free b/c he was riding with Abby.

Use the parking shuttle so you don't have to pay $10 for parking! I don't know how they did it, but my parents actually found a spot for me on the street! (It is easier when you go early)

Feed your kids before you go, or get $1 pizza and take water bottles to drink instead of buying soda.


MAKUTU'S ISLAND

Have you even been there? SO MUCH FUN! I guess it used to be a Disney's Kid Zone until someone who owns a Football team bought it for his kids to play there. Now that his kids are grown, he has opened it up and my kids thought it was a BLAST! Normally, it is quite an expensive night, but, if you are lookin' for something fun to do, feed the kids and then sign them up for the KID'S CLUB!

You USED to get FREE admission and a FREE shirt, but I guess they figured out that was crazy, and now they just do 1/2 price admission. Still! That is a good deal considering regular admission is $8.50. You can sign each child up and get their own coupon as far as I know!



Chuck E. Cheese

I know the weather is getting nice, and these places are inside, BUT if you sign up for the Chuck e-Cheese e-mail club you can get a rockin' coupon for 1 Large Pizza and 40 tokens for $18.99! HELLO!!! You can spend that just going through a Wendy's drive through! Go to Chuck E. Cheese and let the kids burn off some steam! And the last time we were there, the messed up our pizza order and gave us 100 more tokens! YIPPEE!!

Ok, now that I have shared my secrets, what are yours? What do you do for fun around here??