Halloween Sneak Peek...

In our little town, all the Halloween festivites are being conducted today. The excitement in our house is very adorable! All morning Caillou has been practicing, " Trick or Treat" .... "Thank you, Happy Halloween." At 3 pm, as Caillou puts it..."let the wild rumpus begin" we will be going up and down main street, trick or treating at all the little shops. Daddy is coming home from work early, and meeting us along main street, then we are going out to dinner at our most favorite little taco shop. Afterwards, we will go to our church trunk or treat, for more candy collecting, some games, and a cup cake walk. Caillou is dressing as "Max" from "Where the Wild Things Are" and Jasper is going as a little gnome! I finished sewing their costumes last night, and they are quite giddy about the whole thing. The above picture shows their headpieces, after tonight there will be many more pictures to come!

That Mommy....

This morning I woke up and decided no matter how tired, dizzy, and morning sick I felt, I was going to be "That Mommy" you know, the one who makes a huge hot breakfast for her kids, the one who does everything perfectly, the one whose motherly deeds are remembered for generations to come. So being "That Mommy" this morning.... I made hashbrowns, sausage, toast, and scrambled eggs... laid by our own chickens, yes I am quite proud of our chickens and their egg making wonders. I can't tell you how many times I ran to the bathroom morning sick before breakfast made it on the table,but it did make it to the table. I layed on the couch, enjoying seeing my family eat, then ran to the bathroom again. But.... determined to be "That Mommy" I then asked Caillou to join me in the kitchen to bake cupcakes for his Sunday School Nursery class. We made little white cupcakes with homemade cream cheese frosting, which I of course didn't want to just spread on, I want to pipe on with a pastry bag and special star tip, then we put a candy corn in the center of each one and sprinkled yellow and orange sprinkles atop. Then I put together Caillou's behavior card. In attempts to help him overcome some of his misbehaviors, we have begun introducing some new methods of teaching around here. One of which being, short term behavior cards. He gets a sticker on his card for doing good behaviors and gets a sticker for not doing bad behaviors. I am making them for him to use when we a meal out, a special play date, a trip to somewhere fun, and for his time in Sunday School. This one focused on no hitting, no biting, no yelling, following directions, sharing toys, listening to the lesson in class, and being kind. Okay, so breakfast done, cupcakes done, behavior card done, Jasper napped, Caillou dressed for church, mommy dressed for church, okay all of us successfully on time to church. Now before you think that I am wonder woman, getting all this accomplished in time to be to church bright and early, let me just shatter that illusion, our church starts at 1pm. So, no... not wonder woman. Got through the first hour of church, didn't throw up on anyone. Now that is quite the accomplishment, I am one of those pregnant ladies that just throws up without any warning, throws up in very un-throw-uppy places.... in front of the meat counter at the grocery story, at the drive-thru of McDonalds, in the pet store, in a trick or treating pumpkin. It is quite terrible. But, I made it through the hour. I got Caillou off to his class, handed Jasper off to Daddy.... and then I snuck out of church and went to Quiznos for a bowl of brocolli cheese soup and returned before anyone ever noticed I was gone. I know it was very naughty of me, but I was really quite hungry, and I am growing a baby, so I felt entitled to my craving. 3rd hour of church rolled around, and Iwas sooooo tired and feeling queasy once again. I really wasn't feeling like "That Mommy" was going to make an encore appearance this evening. So "That Mommy" became "This Mommy" the one who laid on the couch and couldn't change any diapers, couldn't cook any dinner, and couldn't get up if my life depended on it. I tried very hard to get Caillou to request in his sweetest of voices.... " Daddy, Sizzler.... salad bar, all you can eat buffet?" I totally understood what he was saying, but Daddy thought he was requesting a trip to the desert. No luck, no Sizzler. Finally Daddy, got the idea that I was not leaving the couch, and he fixed dinner. I did manage to play a game of Candyland with Caillou while I laid on the couch, and snuggled little Jasper before he fell asleep, but that was it. This is a hard time for me, I always want to do so much, bake yummies for my littles, sew them special things, take them on adventures, then when I get so sick that I don't feel up to all these things, I feel like a terrible mommy. I am trying to learn to pace myself, and not feel guilty or inadequate, but I struggle. I am also working on not being so grouchy. Feeling sicky brings out the grouch in me. Well, thanks for listening to my rambles.... Goodnight!
P.S. There would be pictures of our little cupcakes but my camera is broken. Another reason in which I am grouchy. I feel like I am losing memories by the hour, not being able to take pictures of my precious ones. I am praying that the tooth fairy will leave me a new camera under my pillow. I'm not holding my breath on that one.

We love Autumn...

Living in Southern California, it is so hot in the summertime, that our scenery is usually very brown and dry. But in Autumn, things begin to green up, and there are pretty colors all around to be seen. The weather cools down, (sometimes) and I don't complain to much about being outside, in fact I actually love it! I really can't stand the heat, my kind of weather is crisp cool air, thunderstorms, and I adore springtime! Planting seeds, having hopes of a wonderful garden, baby chicks and ducklings at all the feed stores. Okay, but this post is about Fall... Fall makes me think of warm pies cooling on the counter, apple picking, cozy sweaters, making quilts, sewing halloween costumes, planning a yummy Thanksgiving feast, snuggling the kids under a warm blanket, drinking hot chocolate, making scarecrows, and picking out the perfect pumpkin. A couple of years ago, I became a bit obsessed with pumpkins. When Caillou was just a tiny baby, I planted a pumpkin seed. We watched it grow and grow and vine across the lawn of our little rental on Ivy Street. One fall evening I wrapped little Caillou up in a blanket, and we sat next to our pumpkin and read a book about how pumkins grow. We moved out of that little house before Autumn time came, that little pumpkin came with us. The following two years I begged my mama and papa to surrender their backyard to my pumpkin growing fancies. And for two years they suffered very high water bills, for my pumpkin crazies. This year we had our own little pumpkin patch. Due to hungry, pumpkin loving chickens, only one pumpkin fully grew and ripened up into a deep orange ready for picking. One large, lovely pumpkin! We have been getting our fill of pumpkins, going to pumpkin patches, and everyday my little Caillou asks me to bake a pumpkin pie. And I will bake that pumpkin pie... I promise, I am just waiting until my morning sickness is a bit better! I hope everyone is enjoying this nice season! Have a great week!

I love love love this picture, it just captures Caillous fun loving little spirit perfectly

makes me want some salsa!

If you look closely at this picture, you can see a reflection of me and my silly striped stockings in the glass window!

Who is missing from this photo??? Caillou, he is busy snuggling a little cat, and Jasper is looking down watching him.

HAPPY FALL!

Stray dogs, emergency rooms, chicken murder, drive in movies, apple pie, and pumpkins....

This week has been quite long. Our favorite chicken, Magnolia, passed away this friday, she had a very tragic ending to her sweet 10 months spent here at the Little Hillbilly Farm. We are all trying to be at peace over the circumstances of her passing, but it was quite unexpected and very unfortunate. She will be greatly missed. Magnolia Chicken loved to come inside the house and sit in her favorite chair. She was very tolerant of Caillou and Jasper's affection and would not protest when she was carried from room to room and offered rides in toy cars, and snuggles with sutffed animals. She loved to find worms, eat watermelon, and blueberries were her most favorite treat of all. She was a very good chicken. Caillou is very sad, he was very good with his chicken, we will be getting him a baby chicken tomorrow, hopefully this one will be as sweet of a friend to Caillou as Mangnolia was. Later that evening, was spent in the emergency room, I was cramping and spotting. But all ended up being well, I had my first sonogram and was able to hear baby's strong heartbeat, and see baby too! Baby is healthy and mommy is quite relieved! It was so wonderful to hear the baby's heart beat, it is such an amazing experience. All though I have done this twice before, I don't think the miracle of pregnancy will ever cease to amaze me and bring me to tears, hearing those first heart beats, seeing that tiny little blur on the sonogram screen, and finally getting to hear a baby's first cries. It is truly a wonderful thing.

Last night was Daddy's birthday. We spent our evening at the Drive-In. We are very lucky to have one about 30 minutes from our town. The kids enjoyed seeing Where the Wild Things Are, I would have to say, it reminded me quite a bit of my own little wild thing Caillou! The kids dozed off during the second movie, Fame. We had quite a fun evening and enjoyed some birthday apple pie while we watched the movies.

yummy!

Halloween is approching, we have been visiting many local pumpkin patches. Caillou loves the freedom of being able to run around and around, playing, and admiring pumpkins till his little heart is content. He is very excited to make pumpkin pies with the many little sugar baby pumpkins he has picked. We did grow one very large pumpkin in our garden this year, there would have been more, but the chickens found the growing pumpkins and watermelons to be quite a tasty treat! I still have yet to sew the boys costumes, I am hoping to be able to get the money together for some material this week, so I can start sewing! Caillou wants to be either a gnome of cat in the hat, and sweet Jasper is happy to be whatever mommy sews for him!

This is PattyCakes. This sweet little dog found us one day. We were at the end of a bike ride, and she ran right up to me and into my arms. After looking for owners and none to be found, she has found her new home sweet home here with our little family. She is a young dog, very sweet, wonderful with the kids, and very loving and snuggly.

Well, that pretty much sums up our week. Oh, not quite, my cell phone met its death in the toilet bowl yesterday morning, my camera also is not any longer working, so I will be saving my pennies for another one, I can't bear to think of being without pictures of my little ones, even for just a little while, they grow far too fast! Well, this next week will be a busy one, we are going to another pumpkin patch on tuesday. I hope to can some homemade apple butter, make pumpkin pies with the boys, and do some sewing and gardening. Have a great week Y'all!

p.s. to all my bloggy friends, I apologize, I am, horrible about leaving comments on your blogs! I love all your blogs and visit them all the time, however it just seems that right as I am about to leave a comment... someone goes on time out, a gallon of milk has been spilled on the floor, someone is being bitten, diapers have gone missing and there are 2 naked little savages running amuck in the house, or a rainbow streaked child comes to me covered in paint, someone has eaten a crayon, a playmate has drowned a chicken, cookies are on fire, morning sickenss attacks me, there is a small flood, a tunnel to china is being dug in the front yard, there is always something! But I love you all! I love the sweet comments you leave me, they do truly encourage me and bring me many smiles, I love to read of your families, craft projects, and many wonderful posts that inspire me and bring happiness to my days. One of these days, I swear I will actually be better at commenting, perhaps when the kids are in college!

Morning sickness....

I have not felt much like blogging lately. I have been feeling quite icky with morning sickness. Ha! It is a bit more like round the clock sickness. I have been doing my best to try and rest, but rest is something I get very little of around here due to a certain spunky little boy....Caillou. Caillou is ever at my side, even when I am in the throes of morning sickness clinging to my dear toilet bowl. Caillou is right there, squealing..." Oh my, that's a lot mommy" "EEEWWW mommy threw up" " Mommy is the baby getting out?" Then he makes his own little morning sickness sounds and gags and spits, always wanting to not be left out of anything, he is certain that he too is morning sick and his tummy also needs the magic lotion so he doesn't get stretch marks too. Do I dare tell him, that only mommy's get morning sick and that he most certainly won't be experiencing stretch marks any time soon... or let him enjoy his "sickness" a bit longer and have a greasy, well lotioned belly?

Bumper to Bumper traffic....

Have A Great Weekend Y'all!

Little Hands....

In our home, I have been spending a good deal of time inspiring creativity in my little ones. Honestly, I need to do very little to inspire their creativity, all I need is to provide them with the proper materials, and their little creative spirits and imaginations take flight. It is a great deal of fun to watch what their little hands create. It is a great mess at times too, but if I stay calm and patient, and decide not to worry about the mess, we have sooooo much fun. I try to offer little interference with their projects, and let them make things the way they want to make it, of course I step in when someone is eating a crayon or licking the paints, but for the most part I let their little creative spirits direct the projects. Caillou loves it when I paint his hands and he makes hand print paintings. Jasper loves carved potato stamps and paints. And they both enjoyed painting pumpkins the other day, what color???? ORANGE, apparently the pumpkins were not quite orange enough for their liking! I have been making a scrap basket for the boys, fabric scraps, little balls of yarn leftover from projects, large crochet hooks, lacing cards, little things to keep their hands busy, so I can sneak in a few rows of crochet on a blanket without them going nuts with my ball of yarn, running away with it, unraveling my blanket all the while! Caillou calls his ball of yarn his "egg" and sometimes his "baby" he starts off holding it very nicely and then the unravelling begins, and he exclaims "what a mess!" It is often time difficult for me to actually do any of the many creative projects I have dreamed up, but when I do get the time to work on one of "mama's projects" I thoroughy enjoy the hum and whir of my sewing machine, or the relaxing motions of crochet. And my favorite thing to hear is " mommy made that" Sweet Caillou, oh how I love you for admiring mommy's handiwork! Well, Goodnight everyone, I think I will try to do a some of "mama's projects" before I grow much more sleepy!

A Blue Monster Birthday....for BLUE MONDAY

I like chocolate Mama!

Happy Birthday Blue Monster
In our house we have monsters. There is the Blue Monster, a funny creature I sewed for Caillou when he was 1. And there is the Hairy Monster. The Hairy Monster, is an authoratitive figure of sorts. He lives in Boo-Bah's purse, and is always only a phone call away, when Caillou starts acting up. The Hairy Monster, is a friendly monster, but he is also a "don't mess with your Mommy sort of Monster" The Hairy Monster is spoken of daily, Caillou gets great enjoyment from telling tales of the Hairy Monster, however he isn't to eager to actually ever meet the Hairy Monster!!!! Ever so much attention is paid to the Hairy Monster, so we thought that perhaps the Blue Monster was feeling left out and was in need of a celebration. So we made some treats, blew up some balloons and hosted a monster shin dig!

Please Visit www.smilingsally.blogspot.com

Thanks Sally for creating Blue Mondays!