Nasty Ingredients

Harper's new favorite game is to make "nasty ingredients."  I love the way she says "ingredients."  The word is too big for her but she goes after it with gusto.  That's my girl.  

The game consists of Harper getting a few spices (any will do), a bowl or two, a liquid, and a detailed monologue.  On this day, I see that she has toast pieces, sugar, cumin and water.  Harper, I can't wait to see what you make. 

C at the sink

What is it about a baby, water, and a cup that children are so drawn to?  C is getting to be a grown up little baby (you can't tell around her paci, I know) and has discovered the joys of playing in the sink.  For an hour, she will stand there, filling up cups, bowls, bread bags (as seen in the picture, my mistake of leaving to close to her) and anything else she can get her hands on.  Rock it out C.  You join the full group of Perryman children who have done this at the sink at your age.  

Baby Abby at the sink

Birthday

I do love my birthday.  This year, we celebrated at Dunkin Donuts and then all weekend.  I was surrounded by all of my favorite people who were so full of donuts, they couldn't stop themselves from enjoying my day with me.

Thanks kids for making it a great start to year 34. 

Putting the tree up for Christmas

Nothing says that holiday season like getting the tree set up.  We like to make the event a family affair.  We all pitch in and help, but there are traditional roles we all usually take on. 

1. Matt lifts.  He also encouraged the kids to help lift. 

2. The big kids fuss.  They don't want to touch the tree.

3. I move furniture. 

4. Cecilia cries because no one was paying attention to her.

5. Harper tries to look busy holding her towel so she doesn't have do do with Matt is making the big kids do. 

6. Matt brings in the tree stand.  He encourages the big kids to lie on the floor and tighten the bolts around the tree.

7. The big kids fuss that the bolts are difficult to tighten. Needles are falling on them. Harper doesn't have to do anything.

8. I get the vacuum.

9 Cecilia calms down with a snack.

10. Harper moves into the other room to find another towel. 

11.  Matt tightens all the bolts. 

12.  I give Matt a big hug. 

Fun moms take their kids out to dinner.

What's a mom to do when her partner in crime (dad) is out of town?  There is really only choice here...ice cream for dinner.  I made the executive decision that not forcing the kids to eat dinner at home would be fine if we went out together.  Here are the list of good things I rationalized in my brain:

1. My kids would think I am cool.  They don't think this very often, so I seized the chance.

2. Matt would think I am a fun parent.  He doesn't think this very often as I enforce bedtime and won't let people wear shorts to school in the winter time.

3. Frozen yogurt is technically a health food.

4. The store is locally owned so I am helping a small business person.

5. We shared an apple on the way there.

While we were there, I texted Matt this picture.  His exact response back: "Mom of the year, I am so proud of you!"  I was feeling very smug about letting go and being a cool mom...and then the baby dropped her ice cream, Harper stepped in it, Will asked for another bowl (whined over and over) and Abby wouldn't let Harper be in her show that she was putting on for me in the middle of the ice cream store. I guess I can't win them all, but I can convince Matt that I am a fun parent.  

After Thanksgiving Shopping

What do you love about Thanksgiving?

1. The day off of work?  yes.  love it.

2. Family?  yes, they rock too.

3. Leftovers for days?  bring them on. 

But even with this amazing list, I need to give a special shout out to the shopping on the day after Thanksgiving, a truly American holiday activity.  Without fail, my mother, sister and I go every year.  My sister in law also rounds out the group, even if she has to rock out her shopping remotely (her mad shopping skills deserve their own shout out).

Why do we do it, this shopping on this day of the year?  There are crowds and lines and so many people, but really those don't matter when you are watching your mom try on 8 pairs of shoes only to make the same funny face of dislike again and again.  I can't stop myself from trying on the 8 right behind her, making a different face of dislike, and then handing her another pair.  The crowds, lines and people just fall away. 

Pants

I hemmed these pants like nobody's business!

Sometimes love is a hemmed pair of pants the night before a cold school morning. William doesn't ask for much (or maybe he does, but I can't hear him above the noise created by his sisters) but he doesn't like to wear pants. He much prefers shorts. But tomorrow is going to be 20 degrees in the morning, so the boy must wear pants. It is the least I can do for my little 9 year old man.

Happy in Shorts

One Million Selfies-Abby

I leave my phone with Abby for five minutes and I return to about 20 selfies of Abby in her finest poses.  I will be looking through my phone and find Abby selfies in large quantities.  These are from a doctor's appointment where Abby had my sunglasses and a few minutes to kill. 

Everyone got their hair done

 

After bath time tonight, I went ahead and gave everyone a ponytail.  Matt had the least, um, material to work with.  William has a surprising amount of hair.  Harper and Abby are bored by my efforts to keep their hair organized, but tonight they were both willing.  

Halloween 2014

This was a great year for Halloween; great weather, great costumes and great amounts of candy.  My kids had super cute costumes (they are so cute anyway, the costumes just fuels that cute fire).  Matt and I also got into the Halloween spirit for two different Halloween parties.  I am never too old for this!

An M&M, a bunny, an angel and a hippie

My friend Emily took this amazing picture of Abby.  Wow girl!

Duck Dynasty and Sharknado

French Kiss.  Yes.

A new game

I am not a fun mom.  I don't like games (I will play because I love my kids) and I don't like mess.  However, the kids caught me in a rare moment of relaxation.  We found a fun game the other night after dinner.   For lack of a better name, I will call it "shoot spaghetti at each other." The whole game consisted of shooting dry spaghetti noodles at each other.  Harper, even though she is five, was really good.  I figured it out after a few minutes.  Even though it was a mess and I found noodle pieces for days, it was worth it. 

Vegas with some very cool people

We did it again.  We gathering some very fun friends, got Matt's awesome mom to watch the kids, and headed out of town for a grown up vacay.  This time? Vegas.  Lots of lights.  Lots of foods. Lots of trips to Walgreens for snacks.  Two trips to the best Ross ever.  And a Zombie Burlesque show.  Throw in lots of people watching, gambling, a pool, and a (short) hike, and you have a rocking vacation. 

All dressed up and all together. 

All the ladies after the Zombie Burlesque show. I made the group go see this. 

Red Rock Canyon.  We made sure to hike for less than 1 hour and then we went to lunch. 

I would highly recommend Las Vegas; as long as you have great friends to share it with. 

Harper Starts Kindergarten

My Sassy little Harper started Kindergarten this year.  She is having a blast meeting new friends, sitting at her table and choosing just the right towel to take with her everyday.  She is a trooper but Harper does miss her sleep.  She is the last one up in the morning and usually the first to go to sleep at night.  

Harper's stories are the best.  She comes home and tells everyone about '50's day or pumpkin carving or a little boy who got in trouble.  She does cry when her teacher is out and she has a substitute.  

Harper, you are rocking out kindergarten.  Let's go get a small towel packed int your bookbag. 

C turns 2

When did my baby get to be 2 years old?  The blond hair, blue eyed (I have no idea where THAT came from) adorable child is keeping us on our toes.  C is very sweet, loves to cuddle, and also will use her finger nails to cut you if she doesn't get her way.  I am constantly hearing the kids saying "no hurting CC!" They are very sweet to her and take care of her even though she is...learning to be so mean.

C, there are a couple of cool things you do now that you are two:

1. When you say yes, you actually say "Yesh." It is so cute.

2. You say "no" to almost everything we ask you.

3. You can put on your own shoes.

4. You love jackets.

5. You love to sleep in. 

6. You are a very cool kid. 

The perks of being #4

C, you have got it good.  One of the perks of being number 4 is having all these great siblings to take care of you.  William and Abby can both get you out of the crib when your nap is over or when I want to sleep in and you want to get up.  Your older siblings didn't have this luxury.  Harper plans fun games with you all the time.  Count your blessing C.  I can count 3 major ones. 

We can always eat rice

I am not going to lie, dinner is hard these days.  Abby and Will are not really into eating anything that is not junk.  Harper is a good eater but needs lots of attention.  Most of the time, she would like that attention from my lap.  But that is not available because I am running around, mopping up one huge spill or another.  C likes to feed herself, even if it is hard for her little 1 and a half year old chubby hands.  Tonight she was after the rice directly from the rice bowl.  Kids, get your rice now because most of it is going to be either gooey or on the floor in a minute.

Let's go see a parade!

Last weekend, we went to visit Shay-Shay in Wilmington.  We all love Shay-Shay's house for many different reasons:
Abby and Harper love Shay's three dogs.  The dogs aren't so thrilled with Abby and Harper.
I love the collection of Star magazines.  And the time to read them.
Will loves the pop-tarts.
C is not so sure about the dogs, the magazines or the pop tarts but she is game.

This visit we also got to go see a parade.  For a free event, it sure did cost me a lot of money for the hot dogs, snow cones, fries and lemonade.  These little faces are worth it.

Hair cuts for all of you

Pre Hair cuts

My big girls have so much hair.  Their hair is usually very tangled.  When it is brushed, it is so beautiful.  When it is not brushed, which is most of the time, the girls look a bit...well...homeless.  

After more than one awful hair brushing session, Matt was over it.  He took the girls and got their hair cut off.  The hair cut only took a few minutes but the pre cut hair brushing took almost 30 minutes.

I love, love, love the new cuts.  I look at them and notices that we had given them my hair cut.  Meet my two mini mes.  

we all have the same hair cut

Happy 9th Birthday Will!

I can't believe Will is 9.  He is still my sweet little boy, but he is almost up to my shoulder.  He is tough, has lots of questions and remembers everything (like things he heard about the Ukraine on NPR three days ago).  If you catch him at just the right moment, he will give me a hug or sit next to me on the couch.  Most of the time he is to grown or busy for that. 

For Will's birthday, we took a group of boys to see Sherman and Peabody.  The boys sat in the row in front of me and Matt, only acknowledging that we were there when they needed more popcorn.  We also took Harper and Abby.  Harper got to be in the picture. 

That is so hot.

Matt and I have been married for 11 and a half years.  In that time, we have had 2 cats, 3 houses, and 4 kids.  By my math, we have changed the sheets approximately 1 million times.  

I am pretty particular about my sheets.  They need to be tucked in really tight and perfectly lined up.  Matt believes that they should not be either of those things.  I am pretty sure he would barely notice if I left the sheets off the bed.    

Nothing, nothing is as hot as this man tucking the sheets in.  What is even hotter?  Changing the sheets while holding the baby.  Awesome. 

Lunch with my big kids

As a working mom, I don’t make it into school for lunch very often.  On this very rare event, I made it in to have lunch with both of my kids and a small selection of their friends.  My main take aways from this event were:

a.       That cafeteria is so, so loud.  God bless the teachers and the cafeteria workers who go there every day.

b.      I love school lunch.  There is just something about pizza cut into a rectangle and corn that takes me back to a happy happy time.

c.       My kids are pretty funny. 

d.      (this should really be B2) Conversations with 3^rd grade boys and grown men are basically the same.  Lull in conversation?  Ask them who they think will win the superbowl.