Halloween was in danger of being postponed this year due to the looming threat of bad weather.  As soon as the skies darkened and the rain clouds formed, everyone was in a tizzy, saying things like, "We should move trick-or-treating to another day!" and "Halloween is going to be ruined for the kids ( Read more... )

When we go out to eat as a family, it's always entertaining to watch other patrons as we walk in.  First they silently count the children, then they furiously pray that we are seated anywhere but right next to them, and finally they stare at me to see what kind of shape (physical and emotional) I'm in as a mother of 5 is. Happens every time ( Read more... )

It was an especially busy weekend around here.  Two of my favorite fall events took place on Saturday and Sunday, but we were already so jam-packed with activities we were only able to manage one.  Fall weather has also definitely arrived.  October held on to some really sweet temperatures until about a week ago, when it decided to remind all of us ( Read more... )

A few years ago Rob did some work for a customer who transforms the entire exterior of his house into a haunted showcase every Halloween.  The set up is an impressive array of motion-activated monsters combined with horrific vignettes and live actors.  There is so much thought and detail put into the entire affair that you can really feel how much ( Read more... )

Good heavens -  can someone please hire me a photographer?  Or figure out why my iPhone now sucks since I updated its operating system?  I really feel as if technology is getting worse, not better.  Pretty certain that the next Apple upgrade will come with a hamster and a wheel ( Read more... )

My kids joke that the song "Thrift Shop" was written just for me.  If it wasn't, it should have been, because you know I love me a good thrift store ( Read more... )

We are terrible at taking pictures.  Terrible.  And there's no excuse since my iPhone is with me at all times ( Read more... )

Last weekend Rob and I took the three kids who were at home with us (Hayden, Kellan and Riss) to the local forest preserve to look for morel mushrooms (Hayden as you can imagine, was thrilled ( Read more... )

Last Thursday  was Open House at Eliza and Kellan's elementary school.  As usual, Rob got stuck with some work related problem so the entire evening was on me.  Yay!  The event, while fun, is always hot and crowded, especially since it's the night that all the 4th graders run the Economics Fair.  In a nutshell, every 4th grader has to make 30 items ( Read more... )

I seriously have to move out of this state because these winters make me do crazy things.

Like get a puppy, for example.


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