Pumpkin patch

We finally made it to a pumpkin patch! It has been ungodly hot up until this weekend but we have finally gotten some fall weather!! It only lasts until about two in the afternoon but we take we can get here in Texas. 

I had been looking forward to this particular fall festival for some time and it didn't disappoint! It is a small neighborhood festival but they still had plenty to do and the pumpkin patch was great!!! William (surprisingly) was unaffected by this great event and only wanted me to hold him, Bear Bear had a good time but Nathaniel LOVED IT! He started climbing all over the pumpkins and never looked back. 

There were lots of little activities for kids but Bear Bear enjoyed crushing cans the best. I think we will have to make this for home. 

And of course the bounce castle was Bear Bear's favorite. I'm beginning to see why these things are so popular at birthday parties. I used to kind of scoff at parents who rented them (Oh, they got a bounce castle, how original) but now....oooh ho ho now I see. I may get one 

permanently installed in the backyard.

The festival was held at a neighborhood park, I think that Williams favorite part of the day was playing on the playground equipment and in the sand pit. 

We decided to not take the stroller thinking that if one of us has to stay with the stroller then that leaves the other parent dealing with all three boys by themselves and the boys are old enough to walk around for extended periods of time so let's wear them out!! We patted ourselves on the back for our superb parenting insight. 

We were oh so wrong. 

This adventure, like many of our adventures, was a learning experience. Basically we learned that, at this age we can't take the boys out by ourselves. We need an extra set of hands or we need to take the stroller so we can strap one or two kids down and give us a chance. 

Although...

I feel like we should have this figured out by now (which is dumb because the boys are always evolving so just when you figure out one stage its time for the next one). 

I feel like strapping them into the stroller is coping out, like we're not taking the time to teach our kids how to act in public (which is dumb because if all the boys are out running in different directions there is simply not the time to teach them anything, I'm just trying to keep them from killing themselves. If there is only one kid out then at least we teach that kid how to act right and by swapping them out we'll eventually get to all of them). 

I feel like if we took them out more, and if I did more interactive stuff with them they would be better behaved (this is true...and not dumb).

THIS IS WHAT IT IS LIKE BEING A PARENT!

Nothing goes right and in your head it is all.your.fault. 

Which is ridiculous.  

Next weekend we are going to try to attend the Houston ArBOOetum! We went last year and it was a blast. But last year the twins weren't walking yet. 

This year we will also be taking my mom. 

-Ri

2014 Holiday To Do List

In case you're new here...I have a terrible memory. I am a list queen but as soon as something is marked off the list it is gone forever. Not too big a deal you would think, except when it comes to family time. 

Every holiday I keep a list in my head (my first mistake) of all the things I would like to do. Then the holiday comes and goes and I've done a couple things but I have no record of having done those things so I bemoan by existence saying I'm a terrible mom for not doing things with my kids, I'm always home, I never get to do nuthin' and so on. This is a big reason why I'm on Facebook and Instagram all the time. I can look back on the photos and and say "Look! I did it! And I did an awesome job! Look how awesome I am!" :) 

Which brings us to this post. Here is my list of things I want to accomplish this holiday season!

-First and foremost, I want to have a clean and fresh home. We're working on getting the clutter out (thank GOD!) and I have a bunch of stuff I want to sell on Craigslist, donate, and just plain throw away. Barry is finally getting the idea that less is more...and he is going away on a feature the first three weeks of December which means I'll be able to get more stuff out of the house! :D

-I want to spend time with both sides of the family but I also want to have an intentional Christmas at our house. I don't want to be lazy because we will be spending time away from our house on Christmas Day. I won't be making a thanksgiving dinner this year because we will be out all day, I don't want this to happen with Christmas as well.  I want to make a great Christmas meal with table settings and everything. No more skating by just because we don't have company. We are worth linen napkins! ;)

-I want to decorate the house in a timely fashion. Two years ago we decided that the Strickland Christmas season officially starts the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We spend Friday doing a general cleanup around the house and then Saturday morning we go pick out a Christmas tree! 

-I want to send out Christmas cards out the first week of December. 

-I want all presents bought by the second week of December. I forsee a lot of amazon purchases this year. 

-My mom and I always go crazy with the cookie making. I think since this year will be the first year in their new house this will be the First Annual Clark House Cookie Fest! We usually only do chocolate chip cookies and fudge but with Pinterest being the best thing ever and my baking skills getting better and better we will try some new recipes this year!

-I want to start some Christmas traditions with the boys:

Watch Christmas movies

Make Christmas Eve Boxes

Take them to go see Christmas Lights

Make an activity based Advent Calendar

Santa Pictures!!!!

Read Christmas books - I'm going to buy three classic Christmas books and then place a scrapbook sticker envelope thing on the back cover of each book. Every year we will get a pic of us reading the book to the boys and place it in the envelope. Every year we will open the envelope and squeal over how tiny the boys were the year before :)

These are just some of the things I would like to do this year. I'm sure I'll come back and edit and add to this list as Pinterest explodes with all things Christmas. 

*** Edit ***

Ideas for next year:

-Definitely sending out photo holiday cards instead of regular cards!

-I want to make a small gift for the neighbors that distribute our monthly civic club newsletter. Something with a mason jar of course. ;)

What are some of your holiday traditions?

Our 4th of July

 This 4th of July was AWESOME!!! 

Usually we don't do much for the holidays. We hole up and stay home for the most part. Barry's family is about an hour away from us and the way to them is always traffic filled so unless it is a holiday like Christmas, we tend to just stay home.

Not this time bucko!

Barry's Uncle Dennis asked us to come by Aunt LaDonna's beach house and spend the 4th with them. His family is not known for their planning, usually we get a call the day of asking why we aren't hanging out with the rest of the family :) At first I was like "Really? We're going to drive an hour and a half to the beach...on a 4th of July weekend where the 4th falls on a Friday? Have you lost yo' damn mind?!" 

I'm so very glad we went.

Bear Bear, Corbin, and Emma

Nana with Nathaniel, Papa with William, and Aunt LaDonna

Nana making William giggle

Bear Bear, Nana, Papa and Barry

Bear Bear with William

Papa with Bear Bear

Papa with Bear Bear

Aunt LaDonna with Nathaniel, Robbie with William

My awesome contribution to the noms :)

Papa and Bear Bear

Scott, Robbie with William, they were like two peas in a pod. So cute.

Seriously, the fireworks.

 

 

We had a blast with the family! 

Also, the fireworks...omg the fireworks! Not only did Barry's family have their very own arsenal of highly dangerous explosives (seriously, not a sparkler to be found. Go big or go home) but it seemed like everyone on the beach was putting on their very own fireworks show. I mean BIG fireworks. They started at sundown and when we left near midnight they were still going strong. 

Not too shabby for the twins' first 4th of July!

-Ri

Patriotic 4th of July Mason Jars

 Hello everyone!

I found this super cute 4th of July lantern set on Pinterest and I just had to try it out. 

Original Pin: Addicted2DIY- Patriotic Mason Jar Lanterns

I'll start by saying that there is nothing particularly difficult about this project, it just has a lot of steps. 

What You'll Need:

1-Quart Sized Mason Jar

2-Pint Sized Mason Jars

Rubbing Alcohol

Paper Towels

Star Stickers - Small foil and Large Foam

Gentle Paper Tape

Scissors

White Spray Paint

Blue Spray Paint

Red Spray Paint

Needle

1. Wipe down your mason jars with some rubbing alcohol and let dry. I believe this helps the paint to stick by getting rid of the oily residue left behind by your hands. I have no evidence for this ...I could be totally making it up :)

2. Stick the little sticker stars on the jars randomly. Make sure to leave space for the big stars later. You don't need a whole lot of the little stars.

3. Spray paint all the jars white. You could do two coats, and if you have the time you probably should. I would much rather do two light coats than one heavy coat but I was pressed for time.

4. Let the jars dry completely. I let mine dry overnight (nap time only lasts so long, I ran out of time). 

5. Use the blue tape to create stripes on the pint jars. The top of the top strip will be a little difficult to lay straight. Place the foam stars on the quart jar.

6. This is important! Paint the jars white again! This way, if there is any bleed through the tape it will be white instead of red or blue. The white paint will make a seal around the tape to make sure no bleed happens. You can skip this step if you don't care about clean lines.

7. Paint the pint jars red. Paint the quart jar blue. Let dry. My blue came out a little cracked because I didn't shake the can long enough. You can't see the defects at all when it is lit.

8. Remove blue tape from red jars. Use a needle to lift the edges of the stars from all jars. Remove stars. 

9. Grab a glass of wine, cram a tea light in each jar and congratulate yourself for being awesome. :)

I love my jars and I can't wait to use them every year!! 

-ri