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Sunday, October 31, 2010

Halloween

The kids had a blast today.

That's what I love about Halloween.
It's no-pressure.
Once you buy the costume, anyway :o)
It's simply about the kids having fun.
And they look forward to it just as much as Christmas.

(BTW, I also love Thanksgiving :o)

Anyway, I took the kids to the park this last week for some Halloween pics.
They didn't turn out wonderfully.
And I didn't get any good pics of Charlize.
But the kids had fun.

Rayce's Halloween Parade at school

















We went this morning the The Clay Ground for story and craft time.
They listened to The Teeny Tiny Witch, then made and painted a teeny tiny witch.
They had a great time.
It was kind of expensive ($13/kid), not something I could afford to do often, but it was worth it at the same time (kind of like when we saw Sesame Street Live last year... expensive, but more than worth it for a once in a while treat!)

I only took a couple pics today.

(pics from today are still on my camera card, which is downstairs, sooo, not happening tonight :o)

We wandered around the mall for a good hour.
It was a lot of work.
For a dozen or so pieces of candy each.
BUT, again, the kids had fun.

When we got home, I was exhausted.
Rayce went around the block with our neighbor kid Jamin.
The girls helped pass out candy to the trick-ot-treaters.

The kids were all on a sugar high, so bedtime was a little extra crazy.

But they're all asleep now, so it's all good.

Annnnnyway.

So much to do tomorrow.
I need to do a couple loads of laundry.
Put a million loads away.
Vacuum the upstairs.
Get us all up and dressed and fed by 8 in the morning.
Rayce on the bus at 8:15.
Charlize to school by 8:30.
Pick her up at 11:30.

Yeah. Busy.
So much to do.
Ok, bedtime for Mama.
Or more accurately... time for a waffle with nutella and whipped cream while watching Sister Wives :o)

Happy Halloween!!

Friday, October 29, 2010

New Fo

Toes.

Check em out here.

Enjoyyy :o)

Thursday, October 28, 2010

*~Bonnie Lea~*

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Wednesday, October 27, 2010

diapers

I did something today that I'm not sure I should have.
But I really wanted to.

I bought cloth diapers.
Off craigslist.

I thought about cloth diapers 2 years ago, but never followed through, mostly because I was still in my apartment and we didn't have a washer and dryer there.

Now, Liliya is potty training.

But I am almost out of diapers.
And I saw them on craigslist.
So I went for it.

I was about to dish out $40 for a case of diapers anyway.

And Charlize can wear them to bed, which will save me on pull-ups.

She usually stays dry anyway, but after two nights, even when she hasn't wet, the pull up smells funny and I toss it anyway.

I won't have to do that now, but if she does wet, there's something there to catch it.

Also, this will force me to keep up more with laundry.
I'll have to do a load of diapers every night, and switch it over in the morning.
So I may as well put another load in while I'm down there.
And when I go down to get them out of the dryer, I may as well switch the other load to the dryer, right?
So it will *make* me do laundry much more regularly.

I told Liliya she couldn't poop in the diapers, and today, she told me she had to poop twice, and she went on the potty.

Yay!!

All in all, I'm happy about the decision.

Having more laundry to do isn't a great thing.

But saving at least $60 a month and being almost forced to do other laundry every single day...
THAT'S a good thing.






*~Bonnie Lea~*

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*~Bonnie Lea~*

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*~Bonnie Lea~*

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*~Bonnie Lea~*

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I think i'd like to get a big one of these log baskets to hold the 'baby' toys. It's low and it has a handle, so melissa will be able to reach it when she starts crawling and it would be easy to put it away behind the chair chair when she's not here
*~Bonnie Lea~*

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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

bedtime prayers

Tonight, I pray...

  • that I won't have to yell and scream and threaten the kids for an hour to get them to stay in bed, quiet, and fall asleep (we're at 29 minutes now and the girls are finally settling down)
  • that we won't have another episode like last night, in which my girls took an entire jar of coconut oil and caked it onto themselves from head to toe, which ended up involving about 20 shampoos EACH, 12-14 with regular shampoo and then about 6 with dish soap, which STILL left their hair disgustingly greasy, which resulted in me pouring half a bottle of powder into their hair, brushing it through, and leaving that on for the remainder of the day, then shampooing it out (two shampoos each, then one condition each) tonight
  • that not taking a nap today will render me actually able to fall asleep tonight
  • that Charlize's cold will be better *enough* by tomorrow to send her to school, which basically means that as long as she isn't gagging and almost vomiting when she blows her nose, or sneezing snot bubbles half the size of her head, we should be good to go. Unless of course she keeps up this coughing that she just started. *Sigh*
  • that I can manage to get a million tons of laundry put away tomorrow, and about 3 more loads washed, so I can then go through the kids clothes and do another purge, and then remind myself that yes, although I am shopping at the Salvation Army on half price family day and something is really cute/cheap/right size, my kids have enough and I do NOT need to buy just because said item is cute, cheap, and the right size
  • that my period doesn't start in the middle of the night
  • for good dreams. Or at least no terrible dreams
Amen.
Chillin with Daddy, with his feet up in the air LOL

Monday, October 25, 2010

Coconut oil. Everywhere. The stuff is the consistency of thick vaseline, and much greasier. This resulted in 40 mintues of head scrubbing which barely took 'the edge off' of the grease. SMH

10/25

I had an amazing weekend.
Photoshoot (second in a week!).
Kid-free Bonnie time.
Time with my sweetie.
Time to talk.
Time with a great friend.

Time for ME.

It was amazing, and I can't wait until my next opportunity :o)

Check out my photography blog.
Pics from the most recent sessions are up.

I'm feeling really good about my photography.
I'm getting lots of requests, starting to charge for my time, and having a blast.
What more could I ask for?!?!

I'm really looking forward to seeing where this goes.
I would LOVE to be able to make a living from it.
I doubt it will take me that far.
But if I can make a little extra money doing something I love, that's more than enough.

:o)

Busy week ahead.
Kids are sick with colds. Noses running like faucets. Charlize is home sick today.
Two Halloween parades on Friday, hoping they're at different enough times that I can make it to both.
Thinking more and more about Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Nuff for now.


Sunday, October 24, 2010

Jerry. Ben's brother. Ankle biter. Sock lover.
*~Bonnie Lea~*

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Friday, October 22, 2010

Hellooooo weekend!

I'm so excited for this weekend.

I'm dropping the kids off with MiMa and Grampa tomorrow morning.

Doing a photoshoot with MiMa's niece and great nephews.

Meeting up with a couple of old friends, Amanda (did a photoshoot with her last week! we went to high school together, played on the tennis team together) and Mahri (did a mini photoshoot with her at our friend Candice's wedding... we went to *elementary* school together and just reconnected via facebook about a year ago).

Going to PA with Jason to hang out with his brother and sister in law.

On Sunday, I'm gonna try to sleep in.

Then lunch and a movie with Amy.

Then picking up my kiddos.

It's gonna be a busy but wonderful weekend!!!

On another note, it's supposed to rain for the next week straight, after tomorrow!

Ewwww.

I'm desperately hoping for a sunny day so I can get some nice pictures of the kids in their Halloween costumes.

Anyway, I've got an early morning to look forward to tomorrow, so I've gotta get to sleep.
Hopefully the kids pass out soon, they're still up :-/

*~Bonnie Lea~*

Thursday, October 21, 2010

*~Bonnie Lea~*

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I'm in love with my cat
*~Bonnie Lea~*

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Holden: let me explain. *big

Holden: let me explain. *big sigh* do you know the muffin man?
*~Bonnie Lea~*

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Gorrrrgeous october weather!!
*~Bonnie Lea~*

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Tuesday, October 19, 2010

*~Bonnie Lea~*

*~Bonnie Lea~*

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I've barely been on the computer.

LOL.

A little!

But not much. Honestly.

I had a photoshoot yesterday with a friend from high school.
Check it out on my photography blog (link somewhere over on the right!).

I've got pics to post, I've been slacking, seriously.

I'm exhausted, even though I was asleep by 930 last night.

So much to do.

So much I want to do.

Never enough time.

Spending time flipping through pictures and dreaming of scrapbooking.

Spending time flipping through pictures and tearing up because my kids are so gorgeous and perfect.
Especially in pictures.
Cuz pictures aren't loud.
And they don't talk back!

Missing Anthony an extra lot lately.
More than I have in a long time.
Don't get me wrong, I miss him every day.
But lately... just moreso.

Anyway, things to do.

:o)

Sunday, October 17, 2010

*~Bonnie Lea~*

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*~Bonnie Lea~*

I'm thinking i may go

I'm thinking i may go to kmart this week and put some christmas gifts on layaway. Hmmmm.
*~Bonnie Lea~*

Saturday, October 16, 2010

*~Bonnie Lea~*

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Can we

Liliya: "Can I spend the night at my daddy's house tonight?"

"Well, when he's alive again, can we hear him? Please?"

:'o(

Charlize isn't in it, but here's their class pic anyway :-)
*~Bonnie Lea~*

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I challenge myself, this week

To stay off the computer for an entire week.
This entire next week.
Until NEXT Monday, the 25th.
To get things done that always end up neglected.
And spend more real quality time with my peeps.

To eat a healthy breakfast every day.
Without exceptions.

To get the backyard cleaned up.

To take some pictures every day.

For those of you that really matter, you know the number if you need me or want me :o)



Weekend

It's already Saturday.

Mom will be home very late tomorrow night.
I've been so busy I've barely noticed she's not here!

Last night I bought myself a coat.
I know that sounds silly. But I am so excited about it.
I hate coats. I have a heavy winter coat that I only wear if it's absolutely freezing.
Yesterday, I was cold. I went without a coat for the first half of the day. And I froze.
Then I put on my winter coat. And I boiled. And I hated it. It's heavy, it's huge, it's bulky.
I would rather be cold.
So I went to WalMart and I found a coat! It's lightweight but warm. But not hot.
I know it's silly to be so excited about a coat. But I am anyway!

Pauline took my three kiddos last night for a sleepover.
So, for the first time EVER, I'm getting some time with just Holden and Dante.
It's been nice.
I let them sleep with me last night.
So, although I didn't get much sleep, it was sooo nice to snuggle.
I ended up across the bottom of the bed at some point. There was more room down there.
They were up until after eleven last night, and they woke up at 630 this morning.
Ugh.
Luckily I was able to keep them in bed for a couple more hours with some cartoons :o)

Anyway, enjoying the day with my boys, hoping to get the downstairs cleaned back up, swept, and mopped.

Then picking up my kiddos later, dropping the boys off, and possibly a sleepover here with Jason and his kiddos!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

photography

Got a few new posts up on my photography page, mostly my own kiddos :o)

Should have a couple more shoots to put up within the next two weeks (other than my own kiddos!)

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Where?

If you could go anywhere on the world for a vacation, where would it be?

There are so many places I want to go.

Ireland, to see the endless green rolling hills.

Paris. To see the Eiffel Tower.

London. Because Anthony wanted to go.

Africa. On a safari, to see a true wilderness, wide open, untouched. Maybe Ghana, more specifically, because I have a friend who is at the end of a year long visit there, and I've seen her pictures, it looks amazing.

*~Bonnie Lea~*

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stuff

I kept Charlize home from school today.
She was up a lot during the night crying. 
I thought maybe she was getting sick?
But today she's been fine.
I'm sure she wouldn't have been (or had) much fun in school with so little sleep, anyway.

I'm hoping to make it to her school on Friday during soccer, so I can take pictures of her playing, and remind her the following week how much fun she had.
In light of her Friday soccer time fits.

Our old guy Samson isn't doing so well.
He turned 10 this summer.
Which isn't crazy old for a little dog.
But he's going downhill, really fast.
He went from having to bounce a few times to make the first step (a couple months ago) to not being able to even poop without falling.
:o(
We'll get him in to the vet next week to see what she thinks.
I'm sure she'll say, it's old age, there's nothing we can do.
Which will result in having him put down soon.
The poor guy can't even scratch himself anymore.
He can't get up the 2 inches to get inside the back door anymore.
He falls all the time, for no other reason.
It's not fair to him.
And it's hard on us to watch.

I still haven't gotten the kids Halloween costumes.
I'm broke. 
Waiting on getting paid for babysitting, their Social Security, or whatever comes first.
I hope we get a nice day after we get the costumes for a photoshoot.

I've been having lots of problems with my knee.
I've been meaning to call the Dr about it.
But I haven't.
But I have to.
It hurts.
Especially when going up or down the stairs. 
But even when I'm just sitting.
It hurts.
It's swollen above my kneecap.
And I have a really sore, tender to the touch, spot on the inside of my knee.

Blahhhh.

Mom is away until very late Sunday night, to a conference in Denver.
I'm hoping to get some serious stuff done around the house before she gets home. 
It'll be a little bit easier to get things done without her here, because I usually keep the downstairs clean at the expense of not getting much else done.
With her away, I can focus on other things and not worry about the downstairs every single afternoon.
Keep your fingers crossed I actually manage to get some stuff done.

I've got the boys this weekend, and we're going to make cinnamon applesauce ornaments.
I'm excited :o)
I'm hoping the weather will cooperate and we can do a bit of a fall photoshoot too.

I'm trying something new with Charlize's hair. Twisty 'braids'. I'll post a pic when we're done.
I've been working on it a little bit at a time throughout the day. It's almost done but she was done holding still.

Nuff for now.

:o)

Monday, October 11, 2010

Updated blog

I totally borrowed my friend Amy's idea and made a page for each of us, you can see them over on the right.

There are pictures, a little 'biography', interests, and a wish list on each person's page.

I'll try to keep them updated!

:o)

Friday, October 8, 2010

ideas around the house

Just thinking 'out loud' about some things I want to get done.

  1. Get the hair stuff organized in the downstairs bathroom. I'm thinking of one of those over the door things with all the clear pockets, to keep rubber bands, head bands, combs and brushes, clippies, etc, organized and within plain sight. The holder could also hold other small bathroom items, like the few things of makeup I have, the tweezers, tampons, blah blah blah.
  2. Speaking of over the door plastic pocket organizers... I'm thinking one of those might work well to hold some smaller kitchen stuff, too, like the marinade packets. Possibly.
  3. I want to hang a line from the ceiling, along one wall, and get some clothespins, to hang up the kids artwork from school. We can't keep stuff on the fridge, the littler kids pull it all down and usually tear it up.
  4. A pipe dream... to make the back room/pantry into a 'family closet'. That would be wonnnderful, to not have to drag clothes up and down one more flight of stairs, to have everything all in one place and organized, to not have to keep clothes in the kids rooms where the girls end up pulling everything out all over the place, etc. We'd have to invest in a closet organizing system, we'd need several hanging rods, and lots of shelves and either bins for on the shelves, or drawers, for socks and undies and undershirts. I don't even know if our tiny back room is big enough. But it would be wonderful.
  5. I would really like to get under-bed drawers on wheels for under the kids beds, to keep some of the toys organized. I've seen them on the walmart website, but they're kind of expensive, and I think my dad could easily build some that would be more sturdy and cheaper, and then I could customize the size to make use of every inch of space under there. I've gotta talk to him about it.
  6. I want to either put white boards up on, or paint whiteboards onto, two small sections of wall in the foyer. Over the kids table and on the section of wall that seperates the foyer from the living room.
  7. Get another couple sets of cubby bookcases and a bunch more fabric bins... we loooove those things and I can think of a couple more places where we could fit them.
  8. Replace the bookcase in the dining room, with something the same size but with doors on it so it can be locked so the kids can't get into everything.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

updates and craziness

I haven't been a very good blogger lately, I know.

But I've been busy!

Charlize is loving preschool.

She is making friends (Emma, in particular!), learning new songs, and learning how to behave in a group.

She had a meltdown last week during playground time but hasn't had any issues since then.

It's a little crazy in the mornings around here.

Rayce is not a morning person.

At all.

Getting him up usually involves dragging him off the bed and hiding all the pillows and blankets.

Getting him dressed and ready usually involves threats of various severity, from being grounded from the TV to writing his teacher a note to say he wasn't dressed so I'm sorry he had to go to school in his PJ's.

Some days I end up dressing him myself because I'm just sick of yelling.

Then getting him to get his socks and shoes on and brush his teeth and get his backpack ready....
let me say again that mornings are crazy.

I'm not used to having to have all of us up, dressed, fed, and ready to GO in the mornings.

But I have to be showered and dressed, and all 3 kids have to be dressed, hair fixed (girls hair takes about 15 minutes just to get it wet, brushed, and put up in pony tails), fed (Rayce and Charlize are not good morning eaters, it's a struggle to get them to eat more than a few bites, but I don't want them to go hungry), 2 backpacks and snacks together....

Ugh.

I don't like mornings.

But, somehow we've done it, every morning for the last 2 weeks.

Yay!!

I've been trying to get things done around the house but usually not much actually gets done, or stays done.

By the time Liliya and I get home from dropping Charlize off, my sister drops Melissa off, I try to spend a little time with Liliya (counting, coloring, cutting paper, or just playing), I get a thing or two done around here in between meeting Melissa's demands, then it's time to go pick Charlize up again, have lunch, and put the kids down for naps (and sometimes put myself down for one as well!)!

By the time naptime is done, Rayce will be home any minute, then it's homework, dinner, bath, and bed.

The days are flying by.

I feel like I have no time at all.

It's crazy.

We're just beginning our new modified visitation schedule with Holden and Dante. This is our first week.

I'll have them every other weekend now.
The week following a visitation weekend, I'll have them Thursday from 315-7, and the week following a non-visitation weekend, I'll have them Monday from 315-7, to spread out the visits more regularly.

I do miss them, already.

But this is just the way it has to be, for the time being, so I can get stuff done and *enjoy* all the kids more and have more than half a day per week to slow down a little bit. Now I get two whole days every other weekend to slow down.

I think it will work out well, even though I do miss them. We'll all get used to the new and different schedule within a few weeks.

Other than all that...

I've got two photoshoots coming up in the next couple weeks, I'm excited :o)

That's all, folks!!

Melissa needs something or other, and it's naptime for my girly girls and laundry time for Mama!!

Saturday, October 2, 2010

October 2nd

Today, we made some Christmas ornaments as a busy activity.

The kids had a blast, and it literally kept them busy for hoursss between the playing/cutting and then the painting.

Recipe:
 Mix two parts flour, one part salt, and one part water. Knead well.
(I used 2 cups of flour, 1c salt and 1c water... it made a TON)
Cut into shapes, with cookie cutters, playdough toys, or freehand.
Poke a hole in each one that you'd like to hang (a straw works well, or a toothpick that you wiggle around).
Bake at 250 for about 2 1/2 hours or until dry.
Paint, glitter, embellish however you like.
Hang and enjoy :o)

This was such an easy project, and the paint wiped up easily, it was more than worth having to wipe down the kids, table, chairs, and wall.

Seriously, it was!

Someone suggested a variation using applesauce and cinnamon, I'm going to try that one next time!

I plan to do this activity with the kids every week or two until Christmas, because I loooove handmade ornaments and they loved the process so much!!













The kids played outside for most of the day that they weren't making these ornaments.

They were all exhausted by this evening.

Case in point.


It was a great Saturday :o)

Friday, October 1, 2010

9/30 and 10/1

Rayce's caterpillar is the one at the top, with the glasses 8-)





He drew his daddy in his family picture. It's the first time he's done that. Bittersweet, to say the least.

Liliya spends at least half an hour every day cutting paper into teeny tiny pieces. And she finally figured out how to hold and use the scissors (almost) properly.

Ben went outside on a harness and leash today. He wasn't too sure about the leash part.