time for a giveaway!

***closed***

are sling backpacks, kitchen goodies, toys, games, or shoes on your christmas list this year?

enter to win the csnstores $40 giveaway!

$40

spend it on yourself. spend it on your christmas gifts. spend it on me.

the options are endless.

leave a comment for an entry. leave another comment for an additional entry if you post on your own blog.

(you do not need to have a blogger account to enter. just leave me your name and email address as an anonymous comment.)

winner will be randomly chosen monday, december 6.

good luck and may the best person whowouldliketobuymesomething win!

thankful

thanksgiving was wonderful. grammy and poppa made the long journey out from arizona to celebrate thankfulness with us, provide free childcare and take themselves one step closer to falling in love with paradise and deciding to move on out here.
bennett helped daddy with "terry the turkey."grammy helped the kids make thankful turkeys and mason snuck food in whenever he could.on the kids thankful list...

ella:"Jesus, mommy, daddy, a brother (she didn't specify which one), a bible, a house, a neighbor, food, toys, trees..."

bennett:"daddy-that he has a gun to shoot bad guys, poppa getting me a remote control helicopter, a house to live in to keep me warm, a tv that i can watch stuff on"

(apparently i need to buy him something that flies or is destructive and maybe i'll make the list.)

masons was "daddy" "ella" "bennett" "cars" "truck" "mommy" "poppa" "grammy" pretty much the extent of his vocabulary. but at least i was included, even if i came in after cars and trucks.

and after thanksgiving, it was of course time to cover every bare space in the house with the cozy christmas decor.
it warms a mother's heart when this is the one most captivating to my 2 year old.(but um, dontyoudaretouchit. we've already had 2 wise men decapitated, so lets just worship baby jesus with our eyes and not our hands, k?)

do i have a problem with shameless blog promotions?

of course not! especially when i get free stuff.

i know i have lots of catching up to do... like a certain 6 year old losing her FIRST tooth! and the awesome way this event corresponded with completely fantastic, excited friends visiting who took her out for a special treat! (guaranteed the garates are WAY more generous than that cheap-o tooth fairy).and there have been other happenings, such as a dinner out with grown-ups! which included things like candles and appetizers. (who knew the dining experience could be better than the food court at costco?)

and, the discovery of an awesome babysitter who lives like 4 houses from me! (and the realization that i'm super, super old because back when i was babysitting, the shillingtons were the coolest ever (even if one of the boys totally hated me because i was mean) and they paid me 3 dollars an hour. THREE!!! this was the best gig in town back then. and in light of current babysitting rates... wow. at this price, i'm starting to think my kids should be fluent in another language by the time i get home from dinner.)

but aside from all that, there's quite a big event coming up...

my favorite time of year to check the mail.

christmas card season!

and guess where i'm getting my christmas cards this year?

shutterfly.

and not just because they allow me the opportunity for a shameless plug in exchange for 50 free cards (you can too, go here.)
but because their stuff is awesome. christmas cards, calendars, and all kinds of good stuff.
and yes, of course, i'm wondering if my card will look as cute when the kids on the front aren't smiling or even looking at the camera, or throwing sand in each others face, or... well, lets just say our christmas picture taking might have been a tad stressful this year...

anyhow, go check them out. and get some free cards of your own.

oh, and be sure to send me one. i love, love, love christmas cards!

dear a.y.s.o.

its been fun,but i'm not gonna miss ya.

sincerely,
not the perfect soccer mom

i love my calendar for november.

its wide open.

no more soccer practice...

games...

snack mom duty...

and no more crazy soccer parents, living vicariously through their 5 year old...

chill out, people.

(this reprimand does not include parents excitedly cheering for their 6 year old who scores her first EVER goal, followed closely by the SECOND ever goal... especially if said 6 year old has been wanting one so badly, and practicing and praying for one for two seasons.)
(no, those weren't tears in my eyes... it was the sun... or the wind... or something...)

obligatory halloween post

every year i debate whether or not my kids are going to participate in halloween.

("participate" is a much friendlier word than "celebrate.")

i mean, we really don't have to debate whether or not the nights a little evil right? there are skeletons hanging from my neighbor's trees. and tortured creatures laying about the yard. and children dressed up as though they might kill me coming to my front door.

so yeah, should i really be telling my kids this is all ok?

maybe this is the year i finally put my foot down and keep the porch light off and lock us in the house and read Bible stories or something.

but then... i think of all the chocolate i can confiscate from my kids.

and i cave.

and besides, i'm a sucker for them dressed up all cute.

(knight armor made by daddy.)

and of course my little bear wouldn't keep his head on for longer than a couple pictures.

in the door, stripped down, and sugared up.

and as soon as you go to bed, little buddy, that twix in your pumpkin pail is mine.