They hate these shirts but love their mom

 

Every year we take a Christmas picture together as a family.  When they were little, I bought matching outfits for everyone.  I would get everyone cleaned up and ready for a picture for the Christmas card. There was always yelling, bribes and pleading for them to stand still for just one good picture. This includes me fussing at Matt to not make a dumb face. 

The last few years, it has been easier to get the kids ready for the picture.  They all can get themselves ready now. The girls even help each other with hair and makeup.  Will is always slow to get ready, so we just give him an earlier start time- we tell him 20 minutes before we want to start. 

Everything went well this year except for the outfit choice.  I got a great deal on four shirts from Old Navy.  I thought they were cute, but I underestimated the hate Abby, Harper, and Cecilia could have for shirts they did not pick!  

Yet again, I resorted to yelling, bribing and pleading.  They agreed to wear them for exactly two pictures. 

This outfit selection did not make the Christmas card that I sent out, but I am grateful that my kids humored me for five minutes. 

 

Sisters hanging out on Black Friday

Sometimes the ladies fight.  Some times they yell. Sometimes they bug each other just for the fun of it. But they love each other.  Cecilia and Abigail shared a room for a while and then switched it up. Now Abby and Harper share a room.  At the Black Friday shopping trip, Harper and Abby bought matching pajama pants.  

They do gang up on me to get what they want, specifically going out to dinner or buying junk food, but it is a small price to pay. 

All Four In The Same Place

We do a lot of driving and a lot of running.  We are running to work, school, scouts, wrestling, soccer, kumon, and playdates. Tonight we are all in the same place.  The kids are hanging out with each other. Nobody is crying or teasing.

Your text means that you LOVE me

Matt and I work together at this parenting thing.  As dad's go, Matt rocks.  he is calm, involved and lightens the mode when I get too intense (his word, not mine).  I do get intense from time to time, say when we can't find someone's shoes for the 100th time and the bus is on the way.  Matt keeps calm by making a joke or reminding me that it is not that big of a deal.  I SOMETIMES accept his feedback and calm down, but most times I just keep the steam rolling machine of this family moving forward by finding that shoe (or coat, or baby doll or book bag or marker or hair bow) and staying intense. 

I believe that as we parent together, we polarize each other a bit...the more intense I get, the calmer Matt gets.  I have seen it go the other way too, where Matt becomes the yeller and I lighten the mood (it has happened, don't be so surprised), but most of the time we fall to our standard norms....Anna the dictator, Matt the cool guy. 

One day when I was out for the evening with work, Matt sent me this text.  He sent it in the middle of a time that he was managing all 4 on his own at the witching hour of kid pick up/dinner prep time, so I have ultimate sympathy.  I know I read more into this text than he meant, but I took it a a deep-seated thank you for my crazy, intense way of managing the family hard times.  I loved it so much, I kept the text.  I shared it with everyone.  Heck, I am putting it on a BLOG. 

Matt, the crazy is always just a text away. 

How was sky diving Harper?

I was going through the pictures on my phone to clean out the 1000+ items to make room for more.  I found this little gem that Harper left me after an evening she spent playing with a few roles of sports tape.  I don't know where she comes up with this stuff, but I do love the full explanation for the camera.  

Abby's loose tooth

Like ticks, loose teeth are gross to me.  It turns out, when you have children, there are lots of loose teeth in my house on a regular basis.  Abby has a few of them right now.  One night after a week of teeth literally hanging out of her mouth, she got up the courage to let Matt try to get them out with pliers.  The whole family gathered around to see the "removal". Abby was a trooper, right up to the time that Matt put the pliers next to her face.  Like any reasonable person, she freaked out, ran away, and screamed. 

To Abby's credit, she pulled one tooth by herself right after the freak out.  The other tooth took a different path.  She let "hang" for a few more days until it fell out in her hand. 

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.