More pictures

Just catching up. The kids love the yard and playing outside. I can even get them to pitch in and "help" with chores (like raking leaves). Ty the Guy LOVES to talk on the phone...just like his big sister.

Moving

No new pictures of the new house, but I do have a few "moving" pictures as well as some in the yard of the kiddies.

Creative Bug II

More creativity attempts...I picked up these blocks at a barn sale over a year ago. Now that I live in an older, more charming, house they really fit in. I'm now looking out for more antique toys. The decorating department around here is lousy...all these excuses about too much time given to dirty dishes and stinky diapers. It's a slow, but fun process to get things decorated. I really am in a house that I love!

Betty Brinn -- Outta My Mind II

Another day of insanity...why do I do this to myself? I am indeed a glutton for punishment. So, today is Thursday, my day to take the kiddies to the children's museum. Jake goes to school and it's all day mommy day so I have to do something to break up our day. We decided to go for "Tot Time", a little nursery-esque experience for babies ages 1-3. So, the session was full but I talked the teacher into letting us sit in. Not two minutes later, Ty had found a pitcher of water and spilled the entire thing on the floor. As I was cleaning up his mess, Sadie was screaming. When I got to her I found that she had a poopy diaper...all over. Cleaning that up and Ty was everywhere and into everything. While children were supposed to be sitting on little rugs on the floor, Ty had found a small table with small chairs and cups and napkins. Well, you all know what that means. Snacks. But, not now. Ty didn't get it. I had to strap him into the stroller and when he again convinced me to let him out, he ran for the teacher's stash of stuff and stole her spider puppet and later some stale popcorn and some leftover craft projects. (The other moms thought he was SO cute and absolutely HILARIOUS...I wanted to say "do you want to borrow him?" I looked so incompetent chasing him and nursing Sadie and encouraging Brooklyn to participate. Finally, it was over. We had snack and buzzed out fast enough to not have the teacher ask us to do a craft, again (she asked several times as if I had the situation under control and we could really handle making a spider while nursing a baby and chasing Ty the terrorific). Anyway, in the museum, playing, I lost Ty twice and Brooklyn once. I swear, I'm a good mom, I glanced away and they were gone. I had the humiliating experience of having to ask museuam staff to help me find Brooklyn. Since she knows better how to operate doors, elevators, etc...for all I know she had already made it to the lakefront and was feeding birds or over to US Bank and applying for a job. Ahhhh! It will be awhile before I put myself through that again. Real confidence booster, after I explained that she needs to stay by me or she'll get lost and have a new mommy; she thought that was a fabulous idea...she said "...wow, a new mommy and a new Ty and a new Sadie and a new family..." It all sounded cherry until she realized she wouldn't live in her "new house" anymore. I'm glad she loves me! Despite the headaches, I did get some cute pics that I will post. (P.S. if anyone reads this and would like to join me, I'd love to have company and a little help! Like you would actually offer knowing what the situation is!)

Creative Bug

So, I don't get "creative" very often. Considering that my sister is a home economics teacher and a fantastic seamstress and cook...my other sister is a painter and talented musician...I often joke that I was too busy talking in heaven to get any talents. BUT, I'm working on it. Trying to do new things. Here's my latest attempt. Cookies dipped in chocolate to look like candy corns. It was pretty cute and very tasty. I recommend to someone who tries it to add lots of orange coloring to the dough...mine wasn't orange enough!

Still Here....

So, here I am. I'm totally miffed because something is not working with the computer and I can't upload pictures. Isn't that the best part of my blog? It's my favorite part. Oh, well.

We're here. We survived our little move and I am starting to feel settled in our house. It was a rough go at first, as many of you know, since Jake got sick two days after we moved in. (But it was fun to get to meet both the paramedics and the fire department my first week in my new house). Don't worry, Jake didn't die or have a massive coronary or anything...he's fine now...it's a long story for another day.

Fall is here. Bummer. I love the fall and the changing leaves, but today I'm feeling a little short-changed. It seems like here in Wiscsonsin we went from Indian Summer to full-on Fall overnight. Don't get me wrong, I was totally enjoying the long summer and 80 degree October days; but going down into the 50's and 60's stinks. It's funny how the 50's feel so balmy in the spring and I get out and walk and take the kids out to play and as soon as it drops below 65 in the Fall, I am done with going outside and ready to board up for another long Wisconsin winter. I'm trying to think positive...

I am excited about our new house, new ward, new town, etc. Things are going well and I feel very welcome in our new ward. There seem to be a lot of other families with similar families to mine. The kids love the yard and feeding the squirrels. I love being so close to shopping and clsoer to the Children's Museum and the zoo. I miss my West Bend Ward friends and the country feel of Jackson, but overall I'm feeling really good about life and things. We're enjoying meeting our new neighbors (we practically live in a retirement community and they're excited to have a young family in the neighborhood). My next door neighbor is hilarious. He watched things like a hawk and reminds me to close my garage and keep my kids bikes in the backyard so that the boys from the hood up on Hampton don't come and haul my stuff away. He spends a lot of time looking out the window and almost always stops me when I'm walking by with the kids...."I noticed that your bike was in the front yard...some kids were riding by and looking at it, so I moved it to the back.....I was watching you when the kids were doing such and such and laughing at you....". I think it will probably kinda drive me nuts, but it's nice to know someone is looking out for me.

I enjoyed conference last weekend so much and it was a good chance to remind myself of my priorities and set some new conference goals. I usually don't do so swell, but we'll see. Conference is great because it makes me feel good about what I am doing; yet, at the same time motivates me to do better and see all the the many areas where I am lacking in my life.

Anyway, life is calling, so I guess I should go. I'm rambling again anyway and not feeling very funny, so its probably not worth reading.

Out of my mind...

Bona fide proof that I am outta my mind...pictures from the zoo and a cute shot that I got today at the "Piggy Wiggy" when we were shopping. Yes, I do take all three kids by myself to the store. Usually we go to Wally World, but I just needed a few things today and I wasn't up to it. It requires some pretty serious strategizing (and bribing), but most days it's not too bad.

Also, cute pictures from the zoo with the Brough's. Thank heavens for good friends and someone to help me out with the kids! (Although we still have five kids under four between the two of us!) We loved seeing the animals. Brooklyn and Ty call the zoo the "jungle". Silliness. (Note in the pictures our children leaning over the fence towards the animals...luckily they're looking a bunnies which are actually in another cage).

Lastly, some adorable shots of all the kids in their new Halloween jammies from Grandma. Brooklyn wore hers all day the day that they came in the mail. She loves to get mail almost as much as I do (I guess because her awesome Grandmas are often sending her fun stuff!) I think I'll also include some pictures of Sadie. She's pretty darn cute (I'm not at all bias). As she continues to grow, I've been reassured that like my other children, she bears absolutely no resemblance to me and gets her good looks from her Dad. They're little Morton clones...