punkin time

We had a punkin carving day with the kids and our nephew last weekend.  The kids had fun and it was cool to see the older two select patterns and then do what they needed to create their masterpiece.  The punkin's turned out great and here is some of our fun.....

This is a crappy photo, but I love the look on his face!

 Here is another fun one where the boy looks like a vampire with his punkin behind him.

The girl hard at work.....

And believe it or not, but it was storming when we conducted this activity....thunder and hail!

Who can resist some yummy roasted punkin seeds?  I tried a new recipe and it was sure tasty!

The finished products

a weeks worth

it has been almost a week since i posted for my project.  part of me says it is a fail, but i know that i need to honor the craziness that is my life and allow myself to say it is okay if i cannot get to it that night.  i do want to be posting more often however.

so here is a week's worth of happiness:

10/24 - day 6:  it is monday, today i am simply thankful and happy that i am breathing

10/25 - day 7:  hearing a slice of happiness that a friend is experience.  not much better than being happy for someone else.

10/26 - day 8:  a slow report day at work.  makes the day tolerable.

10/27 - day 9:  new opportunity.  nothing wrong with checking things out with a new opportunity.

10/28 - day 10:  lunch with an awesome friend whom i have missed terribly.  it was full of awesomeness.

happiness project weekend coverage

the happiness of this weekend.....child-free!  grandparents took the kids friday and saturday evenings which allowed us to window shop, actual shop, commit the sin of gluttony.  it has been awesome!

playin around

happiness project day 4 & 5

yesterday:  good days at school for the youngest one

today:  enjoying an impromptu a capella performance at culver's

happiness project day 3

a sleeping child is my happiness at the moment.  no fighting at bedtime, no more "but mom, i need...", just slumber on the couch because he is so exhausted. 

happiness project day 2

Things that made me happy today:

1) silliness.  i got a case of these this afternoon and i think the hubby thought i was off my rocker.  it was great!

2) viewing a fantastic photograph

3) my favorite show is on tonight....Castle.  i don't believe i need to say more.  ;)

happiness project day 1

my children and their cousin playing so awesomely together today.  i have no idea how they managed it for so many hours, but they did.  and i am proud of each of them

Accepting Life As Is

“Kiss your life. Accept it, just as it is. Today. Now. So that those moments of happiness you’re waiting for don’t pass you by.”” ~ Unknown

I came across this quote today when visiting a cool site I follow about Sensory Processing Disorder and it resonated with me.  I feel as if we are in wait mode currently with Phoenix and I struggle at times with that.  I often tell myself "just get through today or only one more month until his neuro appointment."  And then there are moments when he does something that is so, well, him.  And it will cause gut-busting laughter or wide smiles at his antics or silliness.


My children have some issues.  While they don't technically fall under the special needs category I think, for us they have special needs that some other kids do not have.  And that is okay.  With all of the struggles that we have been through and all of those yet to come, my children are perfect.  And they bring happiness into my life.

I have been struggling of late.  Enough that it has impacted my life enough that I made the decision to go back on some medication to help.  I feel as if I never have down time to myself and while I am aware that I simply just need to take the time, that is always easier said than done.  Home life is crazy.  Work life is crazy.  I am not managing my stress well at all.  Some of it is not accepting what life simply is at the moment and wanting it to be better.  Some of it is not taking time to honor myself and recharging.  My negativity and the lack of positive morale at work is killing me and yet it has been difficult for me to stay positive and not buy into the sack of crap that work has become.


Perhaps I need to do a 30 day happiness project where I post at least one thing that made me happy that day.....that's an idea.  I'll start today.

trying something different

one of my goals is to be healthier, which in turn means more exercise.  i do not want to do this with the focus on weight loss, although that is a beautiful side effect hopefully.  ;)   so to try something new, i've added a new ticker to my blog....see the top right side column.  yes, from my home to walt disney world it is 1418 miles.  and i intend to track the miles i walk daily/every couple days/weekly to see how long it would take me to walk there.  can't hurt to try something new, eh?

take the risk

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."
~Anais Nin (1903-1977)


this quote speaks volumes to me this evening.  what to we have to lose if we take the risk?  there are bigger risks than others and what we hold as value in those risk depends on our own perspective of course.  but we face risks every day.  many we never think of consciously.   the ones that weigh heavy on our minds are the 'bigger' risks.  should i quit my job?  should i try to do my business full time?  if i do this, how will it impact the kids?  some of the answers come easier than others, but i know for a long time i have shied away from the risks and played things safely.  and to me, that's not really living life to it's potential.

disney planning day

we are having a disney planning day with my in-laws & nephew for our trip in June.  it is my nephew's first trip and he is very excited.  we've done plenty of trips on our own, just the two of us, and then the kids trip in 2008.  this trip, we are all staying together in one villa and i want to ensure careful planning to allow everyone time to see and do the things they want to accomplish and  yet still remain sane throughout the trip.  ;)  the main thing to figure out today is where we want to eat.  dining reservations open up at the start of december for our trip and i want to be ready to roll with those rather than scrambling at the last minute. 

Fall Fun

talking with a friend today and i was talking about how much i missed taking photos and writing.  he told me to do it.  so i did.  and it was awesome.  here is some of our fall fun tonight.