Planting Party at the Parmley's

Looks like there will be a planting party at the Parmley's this morning!

Take the seeds and plant them in a bowl

Sprinkle with magic sparkles and see what will grow

You must wait overnight to see what will rise

I hope you like your special Christmas surprise

We ran out to Arby's and Costco last night.  The girls were really excited to point out houses that were lit up with Christmas lights.  As we would pass by a house that had a few lights there were 'Ooohhs and Aahhhs' and when we saw a house that was decked out we would hear Hannah say "Now thats what I'm talkin' about!"

Hailey to the rescue!

Lula had Hannah stumped today.

She looked everywhere and this time she lasted for probably 5-6 minutes.

She finally gave in and decided that she would enlist Hailey for help when she got up.

Hailey woke up and when she found out Hannah wanted her help she perked up and set off on her mission.

She was looking everywhere in the kitchen with no luck.

Me:  "Hey Hails, why don't you turn on the light?"

At that moment she looked up and noticed where she was.  

Hailey: "Hannah!  Me find her!  Lula!"

Sippin' on Syrup

That is where Hannah found Lula this morning.

It took her a while and after about 3 minutes of searching everywhere (remember she is 5 and 3 minutes of searching is like FOREVER) she came into the bathroom to ask me to help.  

Hannah:  "Mom, that Lula is a good hider.  That's all I have to say about that."

So off we went.  We started in the living room, checked Hannah's room, finally made our way to the kitchen.

She opened the cupboard and yelled "Gotcha!" and was actually pretty surprised when she was really in there.  It generated the daily morning giggle and we were ready to start our day.

On Thanksgiving Kim was wearing leg warmers.  Hannah has been talking about them ever since so last night when I was at Target I picked up a pair.  Thought it'd be a good idea for dance this winter- well, Hannah had another idea.  She wanted to wear them as part of her outfit today.

I have to admit they looked adorable!

But the best part?

Seeing how my girls look up to their aunts and being so lucky for the relationships that they have with them.

Hannah:  "Mom, I was thinking about writing a song.  We should do that."
Me:  "Ok, sounds good.  What should the song be about?  Being in love?"

Hannah:  "Ummm, friendship. I've already been thinking about it."

She then handed me a notebook and pen and told me to write it down while she tells me to.

It goes like this....

This is our friendship song-ong, song-ong

We're best friends tonight-night

We wanna show you what we got-got

Why don't you hear it- hear it

Let's start dancing, we don't want to stop

Pump up the party and dance

Man- I love that kid!

Glow Morning

Today started out as a glow good morning.

Lula had gotten into some glow sticks and as soon as Hannah came out of her room she spotted her by the TV.  As always, the girls were in awe of this little elf and her antics.

Last night Hannah was coloring and drawing.  She made this picture that she wants to bring to Santa when we go and see him at the mall.  She knows that the mall Santa isn't the real Santa.  He is just a helper that helps Santa talk to all of the kids but she is sure that the mall Santa will deliver this drawing to Santa at the North Pole.  

"Now you behave little lady"

 

The girls woke up today to find that Lula had given them mustaches, horns and glasses.

Hannah could NOT stop giggling.

"Lula!  You are so silly!"

 

As we were getting ready to leave Hannah ran over to her, shoke her finger and said "We are going to Jackie's.  Now, you behave litte lady!"

 

Both girls giggled the whole way to Jackie's talking about how Lula not only 'got' them but also 'got' mom cause she stole my marker.

Look what the Christmas Tree brought in

Look who flew in last night!

 

Hannah woke up and went running around the house yelling "Lula is here! Lula is here!"

She couldn't stop smiling and giggling.

 

 

Good thing we left that Halloween banner up a few extra weeks :-)

Hannah really liked having it there- her grandma Judy gave it to her, you know.

 

 

After I moved Lula to her daily resting spot in the living room Hannah pulled out a book and sat on the floor reading to her.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Hannah woke up and the first thing on her mind was scrapbooking.  I can't blame her.....I totally get it.  This time she had a visitor.  Hailey wanted in on the action too so we printed some pictures and they crafted.

 

 

After lunch we put up the Christmas tree and got out some decorations.

 

We put the Vikings Santa out and I went downstairs to sit with Brian.

A few minutes later we heard Hailey coming down the stairs talking to someone.  She turned the corner and we saw this!

 

I think someone thinks there is a new baby in the house.  How long do you think it will be before he is in a stroller?

Black Friday turns Scrap Friday

Black Friday.

 

It's become a little tradition over the past few years- Stacey, Tammy and I join the rest of the crazies shopping while the normal people are sleeping.

 

This year however, the stores decided to play a little trick on us and open Thursday evening at 8 pm!!

It was very exciting for most people but for us it was disappointing.

What is fun about going out to shop at 8 pm?

Not to mention that it was a holiday and the poor workers...yeah, yeah....

Tammy and Stacey decided to brave Albertville around 9 pm when they opened and we would meet up later. 

They came and picked me up around 11:30 pm and we headed out. 

They dropped me back off at home around 7:30 am.  My family was already awake so after a few kisses and snuggles, Brian took the girls downstairs so I could get some sleep. 

 

After lunch we all headed out to a few more stores.  We got home in time for Hailey's nap and after she went down Hannah and I were back at it.

We stopped into Archivers and Hannah really wanted to buy something.  They had a black Friday special- $1.99 for a pack of paper.  She really wanted it.  So, she used her money and bought it.  We decided that it would be fun for her to make her own scrapbook.

 

After dinner I helped Hannah get set up to start in on her book.

 

 

She was so excited to work on her book and actually did a really good job with it. 

Here is one of the pages that she made.  If you look really close you can see that she used letter Q's (tiped sideways) for letter a's in her name.  I especially love this because when she writes her name her a's look like Q's.  Think about it.....nobody really writes a letter a like this: a.

I was pretty tired after dinner and Hannah was pretty excited to start on her scrapbook.  You can imagine what happens when you mix a sleep deprived- crabby mom and an excited 5 year old little girl together (I know, unfair- I brought it on myself!).  Yep-- a mom that is frustrated and probably yells a little bit.  Hannah finally broke me and although I didn't want to, I gave in to help her.  I got out her book and helped her cut her background papers to fit inside the pages.  Once we were about half way done she put her hand on my knee and said "Mom, I am sorry that I was yelling at you and bothering you to help me."   It broke my heart. 
I then apologized to her for being frustrated and we hugged then continued on working.
Watching her work on that book for the rest of the night was a pleasure. 
A kick in the you-know-what to myself to remember to be more patient and present.
She has so much fun and I had almost denied her of that because I was tired.

 

 

Too much to be thankful for

I have so much to be thankful for.

 

A family that is too big to put my arms around.  

A husband and two little girls that I get to share a home with. 

I have four sisters that cherish our relationship as much as I do.

A career that I am passionate about and a company that has given me tons of opportunity. 

Everyone is healthy and has reason to be happy.

Friends that I can talk to and have fun with.

In-laws that I adore.

Nephews and a neice that I get to watch grow up.

A grandmother that doesn't go a day without thinking about us and has always been there.

Parents  -that despite their divorce, have always spent holidays together with us.

I don't know what it is like to truly need anything.  I have everything that matters.

 

 

 

 

I hope you guys know just how much it means to all of us to have you both together at holidays.  I can't imagine how hard and uncomfortable it must be/have been throughout the years. 

I hope you have never felt as though we have taken this for granted.  We know that it is not the usual way that these things turn out.  We know that this doesn't happen with other families.  We know that you do it for US.  And for that- we are truly thankful.

 

 

 

 

 

Finger Lickin' Good

Who taught this girl how to eat chicken wings?!

 

 

It is truly amazing watching her. Not gonna lie, she can get those bones cleaner that I can.

Hide and go....um, find the money

I was cleaning up the kitchen and all I could hear was giggling and clapping.

The girls had invented a game where one takes 4 coins and hides them in the living room.

The other girl waits in Hannah's room and when she is called out she comes looking for the coins. She finds them and then they trade places.

 

I couldn't help but take a picture of Hailey as she was bursting with excitement while Hannah searched around the room for the money. I love when these two play together and it is even better when you can see the genuine happiness they get from it too.



Way to go Parmleys!

It's been a week since I attended the Hearts at Home conference. I still have a lot implementation to do of the 'practices' I learned but one that I started and have been able to continue for this whole week is keeping the sink shiny and counters cleaned off.

 

 

It's not much but it is a start and honestly....it's crazy what a difference that can make in your day.

 

 

Movember

Movember (combining the words moustace and November) is an annual, month-long event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of prostate cancer and other male cancer. The goal of Movember is to "change the face of men's health.

So women and their boobs get the month of October for Breast Cancer Awareness so I guess it's only fair, right?!

Brian started out growing his facial hair but due to work and upcoming family pictures he has been keeping a clean shave. This is not so much the case according to my new iPhone App- Stacheify!



Even Hannah got in on the action!

 

 

She was miserable

 

Caught Hannah crying while watching an episode of Hannah Montana.

Me: "Hannah, why are you crying?"

Hannah: "Because she had two boyfriends and she had to pick! She was miserable! Do you know what that means mom?!"

Big shoes to fill

I swear- little people in big shoes will NEVER get old!

 

 

Hannah's new calendar

This weekend while Hannah and I were out running errands she asked if she could use her own money to buy a 'calendar like I have in the kitchen that I write on'. So we went to the dollar store and she picked up a frame and some dry erase markers.

 

Tonight we added the paper and stickers.

 

She likes to wake up in the morning and write out the day of the week.  Then she notes whether or not it is a Jackie's Day.  I love watching her writing develop :-)

Hailey the Dance Class Mascot

 

Hailey came with to dance class tonight and like the other nights, she entertained the other moms while we sat and waited for class to be over. 

Mystery Solved....for now

As I was unpacking the clothes I didn't wear while away at the conference I happen to feel something stiff in this pair of socks.

 

Peek-a-Boo

Too early?

Woke up this morning to a light dusting of snow.  I am sure that it won't be sticking around but no doubt it was a quick reminder of what is to come (well, maybe- we didn't get much last year).

 

 

Hannah and I ran to the store today.  This girl is just too much with all of her accessories.  Boots, purse, scarf, earrings, and a hat.  Man oh MAN she is cute!

(poor Miss Hailey- always napping when we run out)

 

In the MOMent

 

Taken from the program:

Being in the MOMent is not beating yourself up with regrets about missed opportunities in the past.  It's embracing today.  It's evaluating your priorities.  It's seeing the world with a child's eyes.  Most of all, it's learning how to look beyond the mundane so you can be fully present in all of the MOMents that come your way!

 

A preview of some of the sessions available

This morning we all met in the auditorium where we started together with a morning session.

It started with music and then some stories. 

Then out came the Duggars.  Yes, Michelle and Jim Bob.  The two people from the show 19 kids and counting.  They spoke for about an hour before we all seperated and went to our sessions.

 

 

Love this picture of Jenny.  Classic Jenny.

 

First Session:  Confessions of an Imperfect Mother- Julie Barnhill

 

She started by asking each of us to write down three things we were feeling guilty about, we would come back to this later.  She then went on to talk to us about that nasty little feeling we all carry around- guilt.

She talked about the definitions of guilt and told us to look at our list and ask ourselves this question- is there anything on that list that I could be arrested for?

 

I looked down at my list:

not going to the park enough when the girls ask  (no)

paying too much attention to my phone/iPad (no)

not creating a better habit to have the girls brush their teeth (no)

 

All seems sort of silly now to feel guilty over those things.

 

She talked about how you need to take back your brain and the next time you start feeling guilty you need to shout out "I'm not picking up what you are dropping!"

 

It was a great first session to attend to get me warmed up for the day- might as well lose your eye makeup within the first hour :-)

 

Second Session:  Get a Grip on Your Finances - Marianne Miller

 

This session was about creating a family budget, finding contentment in your life and not in the things that you buy, setting bondaries and finding space for the things you really love instead of wasting space with stuff you don't even like, discovering when enough is enough, and how to pay off debt most effectively.  She was a great speaker.

 

My favorite quote from her (while at the store talking to a sweater she really wanted to buy):  "Hey, I am really sorry that I can't bring you home.  It wouldn't be fair to my other clothes."

 

Attack the contentment issue- more money just reloads the gun.

 

Third Session:  If Momma Ain't Happy - Marla Cilley "The Fly Lady"

 

This session was FILLED with tips and steps on how to de-clutter your life and how to start a cycle of clean.  She talked about how the littlest things can set you off and put you in a bad mood and everyone knows 'If Momma Ain't Happy'....  She helped us look at ways to prevent those 'little things' and start to create better habits.

 

Here are 12 easy baby steps- meant to be a new habit you would start each month

1.  Shine your sink.  A clean sink eventually leads to a clean kitchen

2.  Donate the abundence- do the 27 fling boogie for 15 minutes.  (find 27 things to put away, 27 things to donate, 27 things to throw away)

3.  5 minute room rescue- set a timer and spend 5 minutes in one room

4.  Get dressed and awake before your family, pick out your clothes the night before, make bed everyday

5.  Get moving- 15 minutes of activity each day

6.  Drink lots of water

7.  Swish and Swipe - clean the toilet frequently, wipe the mirrors daily, clean a section of the shower each time you are in it

8.  1 load of laundry each day to keep Mt. Washmore away

9.  Get a before bed routine

10.  Spend 15 minutes per day de-cluttering the paper

11.  Menu planning and regualar fridge cleaning

12.  Pamper yourself- take time to relax and enjoy yourself

 

Forth Session:  7 Secrets for Success at Home and at Work - Sabrina O'Malone

 

The presenter for this session is a mom that works full time and also home schools her children (6).

Hear are her secrets

1.  Get a support system- who is your inner circle?

2.  Streamline and focus resources- don't spend time on things and people that don't focus on your values

3.  Delegate- get others to help.  Favorite quote during this part: "I'm not running for office and don't need your vote."

4.  Multitask- let technology work for you

5.  Stand out- create a reputation and make a name for yourself, know your strengths

6.  Set Goals- Create a business plan, create a bucket list, stay flexible

7.  Replenish and Rejuvenate

You will get more done in 6 days if rested then 7 days sluggish and tired.  Be sure to schedule downtime.

 

 The conference ended around 5:30 pm and after a quick dinner at Panera we were on our way home.

Loriann and I never have a shortage of things to say to each other but for the 2 hour drive home we talked about the sessions we went to and made some plans for how we were going to use the information we gathered. 

 

I made it home around 8:30/9:00 pm

I walked in the door and saw/heard a bunch of papers fall.

The girls had made me pictures and a card.

It was a great experience and I am already looking forward to next year!

Road Trip

For the past few years Tammy has been talking about this Mom conference that she attends in the fall.  It's a called Hearts at Home.  Each year when she talks about it I think "hmmm, that sounds interesting' so this year when she was talking about it I invited myself along :-)  Of course I didn't have to convince her or twist her arm- she was thrilled!

Jenny, Tricia and Loriann were also interested so a few months ago we signed up and today we leave for Rochester.

I met Loriann in Woodbury and we were off.  We decided to make a day of it and head there earlier than everyone else.  We would get settled in the hotel, look around the city, and take in some shopping.  We met the rest of the group around 3:00 at Applebee's- the one NOT by the mall :-)

 

There were 12 of us all together- I believe 7 of us were first timers.

 

Friday night was a Mom's Night Out event.

321 Improv performed and they were hiliarious!

3 guys performing improv in front of 3,000 women...by the end of the night my cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing so much.

There was a shopping area set up so we spent an hour or so roaming around and checking things out.  We all got our 'fashion color' assessed.  I was categorized as a DEEP and was VERY happy to see that the color black was on that color swatch!

 

Loriann's brother lives in Rochester so we met up with him for a few drinks.

 

Before I left this morning the girls asked if we could take a picture.  They wanted something to look at while I was gone.  So, Hannah got her camera out and had Brian snap a picture.  Then she let me know it was my turn and we snapped this one.

 

Facials Rule!

A few months ago a Living Social deal crossed my computer.

It was advertising a Signature Facial at Tafoya Salon for only $29.

 

I have only had a facial one other time but LOVED it so it was really a no-brainer. 

I was buying that deal!

 

It was amazing.  Not as good as the last one I had at Core Power Yoga but still great!

This is usally a $90 value: This facial is designed to have you experience total relaxation from head to toe. During this service you will experience a foot, hand and scalp massage, along with an arm, neck and shoulder massage. This Aveda Elemental Signature Facial includes expert skin care advice, cleansing, exfoliation, toning and a refinement and treatment masque suited for your skin type. You will leave with your skin feeling hydrated and looking refreshed and alive.

Dance Fever

 

Wonder how long Hailey is going to let Hannah take 'dance class' alone?

 

She still likes to come with me and watch the girls. 

She still sits on the sidelines following along and pretty much has the dance memorized.

Tonight Brian and I were asking Hannah to do her dance for us.  She wasn't in the mood but Hailey sure was!  She stood right up and got busy!