Where's Waldo/Amy?

Oh gosh, it's been a while, hasn't it? I don't mean to do this intentionally. Sometimes I am really good about getting on here and other times, well not so good.
Where do I start?

Kids and Illness---Well, the kids have been sick on and off (Dominic and Alex excluded). We have had sinus infections, ear infections, eye infections and just plain old viruses. It stinks. I am getting frustrated yet I deep down knew it was going to be like this. Still no hospitalization and for that I am very thankful.

Thanksgiving---Thanksgiving was very nice. We had lots of good food (even though the grocery store screwed up my turkey order and didn't have one for me, we got a different kind and although I didn't like it quite as much, it was a turkey----plus what is the important thing about Thanksgiving!? It's being together as a family...it wouldn't matter if we had duck or chicken or whatever!) and lots of good company! It was just a great day! I got out a little Black Friday but didn't really buy much of anything. I also didn't get up super early like other yrs. I think next yr I might just skip it all together!

Christmas shopping----well I am pretty much done! I do want to pick up another thing for Ella but other than that it's a few gift cards and some stocking stuffers. Soon I will be wrapping. I love it when I start but 1/2 way through my wrapping probably looks like a 5 yr old did it! Usually my Mom strolls out and helps me and it's fun because we just talk and laugh and wrap!

Christmas Decorations----Well Dominic and Victoria took it upon themselves to handle the outside decorations this yr for the house. They worked on it over Thanksgiving weekend and it took them three days. I do have to say that the house does look very pretty, very bright, but very pretty indeed! Hats off to them because they did a really good job! Much better than I could have done. Of course I have no desire to go out in the freezing cold to decorate either. We put up the inside Christmas tree last Friday. It has been decorated and "re"decorated about 20 times. Ella likes to touch the ornaments! I am getting really old because I said to John, that is something that would have bothered me when the older kids were younger....but now I think to myself..."she's not hurting anything, she's not getting hurt and most of all, she's occupied and quiet!"

Parent Teacher Conferences---Everyone loves the kids. All good comments on them. I am starting to think that they have them confused with someone else. Still John and I were so proud of them that they are well liked, well behaved and respectful. They were all very enjoyable conferences.

Nikolas and Gabriella----They have especially been keeping us entertained. Nikolas does this Steve Martin impersonation from like Season 5 of Saturday Night Live. It's one with Bill Murry where they stare off into the audience and keep saying "What the hell is that?" It's like with a hillbilly twang and he has that down perfect! He is hysterical! I think he's going to be a comedian when he grows up! He can keep me laughing. He comes out with the funniest things! Gabriella is his little side kick! It's funny but sometimes the two of them manage to really get into things! I have to say when they get into trouble, it's probably a thought from Gabriella. She's so spirited! So spirited but so much fun and just so lovable!

Well it's almost time to make dinner! I can honestly say that I am sick and tired of cooking. If I won the lottery tomorrow, one of the first things I did would be hire a chef! I promise I won't be gone for so long this time!
Amy

My Cutie Pie

Just another picture of my almost 4 yr old cutie pie!

Gabriella Mercedes

Sunday Stuff

Today we had Ella's birthday party. Still trying to figure out where the past 4 years have gone! She will actually be 4 yrs old on Tuesday. She had a Barbie cake. She really liked that! Barbie was what she asked for on her cake. She got a lot of Barbie dolls for gifts. She also got the movie Up (which I find to be a total tear jerker) and she's watching that right now. We had chicken queasadilla's and Mexicali corn for dinner. Everyone ate. It is a great day! :)

Amy

Magnadoodles and Other Things...

This morning Nikolas wrote me a note on his Magnadoodle. It said "I like Mom". That was nice to see. The little things are what makes me happiest. I am also glad at this point that Dominic does NOT have a Magnadoodle any more. I can only imagine what he wanted to write this morning. He is mad, he thinks I am over protective. I can't help it though. It's hard watching them grow up. He wants to go out in a car tonight with someone that just got their license and I am just not feeling good about letting him go. I don't know if I am being too over protective or if I am being right? It's so hard to know sometimes. Gabriella and I are doing laundry and cleaning now. She loves to "help" me clean. I have to say "help" because sometimes it's not really helping at all, but she's happy and she thinks so. I know it will only be a short time before she hides when she hears the word cleaning, if she's anything like my other two girls. Well I guess that's it from here. I realized I haven't posted anything in a while, some weeks are just crazy!
Amy

Rapunzel, Rapunzel

Let Down Your Hair! Good thing that costume came with some hair as Gabriella still isn't very blessed in the hair department. It's getting better though! I think she's the one that had the least at this point. She will be 4 next month and although she is due for her 2nd haircut, she only had her first haircut a few months ago! So this is my pretty little princess in her Halloween costume. :)

Amy

The Good, The Bad and the Sick

Today is the Halloween parade at the school. The boys got to dress in their costumes all day. Nikolas is Batman and Alex is Darth Vader. I took a few pictures before school this morning. Nikolas is super excited! He is loving all these new experiences. So I sent them off, costumes on and treats in tow. Later I will be going up to see them in the Halloween parade.

Poor Victoria is sick. She has the works again....sore throat, headache, dizzy, stuffy, cough...she just doesn't have the fever.

Gabriella is going to wear her costume to the Halloween parade with me later. Pictures of her to follow in a later post.

Amy

Sick of Being Sick

Is it possible to get something on top of what you already have? I felt sick, felt like I was getting better for a whole day and now I feel like crap again! Poor Nikolas is sick again! He has snot pouring out of his nose! It's not so attractive, I can tell you that! I am just sick of being sick! I am sick of the kids being sick!

Dominic is going to the store for me in a few minutes. It should be interesting to see if he comes home with what I want. It's a simple list! He's going to buy carrots and frozen corn. He is going to bake a carrot cake tonight! He's like Gordon Ramsey with his mouth when he's in the kitchen! It makes for an interesting night when he decides to cook or bake! He hates carrots, I hate carrot cake...why is he making it? I have no idea! He broke up with his girlfriend and maybe he's going to bake his feelings away, I can't figure him out sometimes! I was mad when he was gone every night and now he's here every night and bored out of his mind. I know I will be playing a game of Tiger Woods Golf with him tonight...I would be playing Singstar but with me sick, he knows that's not possible so he will settle for Tiger Woods.

Gabriella is coloring here. She just got her crayons back today. She finally admitted to who colored on my wall. It was Pop Pop. I should have known. I saw the guilty look in his eye! Now he isn't getting any more crayons! If he can't be trusted with crayons, he just won't use them! This all brought back a funny memory though. When Victoria was about Gabriella's age she was a holy terror! She would get into EVERYTHING! There are so many things I just can't even begin to type them all or my fingers would fall off! Anyway, she used to blame everything on an imaginary friend named Mrs. Duva. I have no idea where she got that name from, it was quite original, I give her that! Mrs Duva was BAD NEWS! She had to be banished from our house! I was thinking for just a minute the other day that Mrs Duva had found our new home and returned! So I was glad to know that it was Pop Pop that did it and Mrs. Duva wasn't back from beyond!
Amy