Life Lately in The Brady House

I figure I better get some pictures up before the Christmas deluge (which has started) and before I turn into Scrooge (hardy har right? When am I never not Scrooge?).

Let's see, these photos are from November, which went so quickly, right?

The first three are from some Saturday where the girls were bored. I took them to Michael's bought them a boat-load of Model Magic- like enough to keep them busy for a month. It barely lasted the afternoon. It was cute when they did the dragon parade later that evening.


























A little fairy art of B's.









A little fairy named Chatch,










I think this was in the way to school. Remember when it was warm enough for a light coat and not hat and mitts?










B draws ALL THE TIME. After she prataices her spelling words (in pen) she draws. Sushi dinner, draws.












Oh, I made cheese crackers - you know goldfish crackers. Fairly easy, very few ingredients. Check out Smitten Kitchen for the recipe. I am trying to buy less packaged food.. NO foods coloring, preservatives, GMOS, HFCS.











Ahhhh, this is a cave cricket. We assume the Scoops the cat brought it up for the basement. My very smart feiend Robin figured out what it is for us.










Here are the girls at the Pet Expo. We went to see bats, which are not good pets. Neither are kinkajous. But domestic skunks are, as well as hedgehogs. Who knew? The Expo also had a bunch of pet rescue organizations, I was hoping to fins a new dog. But with MIke in tow, it wasn't successful venture.












Chatch all dressed up for a ballet birthday party for a fellow ballet student.











She wasn't really grumpy and she had a good time.











I bought the girls this face sticker pad with stickers to make the faces. They did a few pages, then turned each other into canvases.


















Isabel in her new heated car bed. She only leaves to eat and use the litterbox.











We made slime. Or slimy snow. THe kids LOVED IT.









Chatch's art from her art class at school.











B's art from her art class art school. The dog's name is Patrick.











This is Teddy, our new dog. She is 3 and she doesn't shed. This is probably the only reason Mike said yes to another dog. He also said I wore hime down.













Here are a couple of crazy kid photos.










Food coloring makes kids do crazy things.







B's fairy drawing.




Thanksgiving with the cousins.






Isn't Jess a good egg?





B made Charley Climbing Kitty whiskers.






These sisters are like "this." They do fight sometimes, but mostly they are great together. I really couldn't ask for more. Yeah, you are right, I can always ask for more. They could listen the first time I ask, and they could pick up after themselves.






I made this shirt for B. I painted the sleeves and the B, then used my machine to appliqué it. I made Charley one too.






I made this for B too. Cool Tulip glitter shimmer paint and a Silhouette cut stencil. Charley also got this tee too.








One more thing I made, this cute little hippo from a RicRac. All hand sewn.








Chatch in a wig. Seriously. Makes me giggle every time.






I will try to keep up with the posting. I am thinking I just need to snap a picture and post it immediately. It may help?!?!?!?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Halloween 2013 Part 2

Last time, I was in the middle of telling you about all the fun the girls had at Halloween.  That morning, the girls woke up in their Halloween pjs (the skeleton ones glow in the dark) and I made sure they had a good, healthy breakfast. 

 

  

 B kept reminding me that I told them they could eat as much candy as they wanted because it was Halloween.   I reminded her that she had to eat healthy meals and then she could have whatever she wanted.  I am a fool.  I know it, but Halloween! 

 

 We got a move on that morning because I had to be at Charley's school for her party.  It was so cute seeing all the kids dressed up.

There was a lot packed into one little party.  Stories read, a parade, snacks, rice crispy dipping with sprinkles, and a fun footprint craft (no pictures, because I was painting feet.)

 Another parent helped out, thankfully.  She is a Montessori teacher (not currently working, being a Mom instead) so she has a cool head and is great with kids (unlike me, who says things like, well, this is a family blog, you don't want to hear the things I say to kids).

 After Charley's party, I went home, scarfed some lunch, left Charley with Mike and ran over to B's school.  Where there was no fucking parking.  NONE!  People were parked on side streets. They were triple parked in the parking lot.  No exaggeration.  I could barely get through to the bus lane, where I parked. I did make it in time for the parade!  There were some cute costumes.  One of our friends went as Albert Einstein. 

After most of the parade me and the other party moms hurried down to the classroom to set up.  One of the moms, a seasoned school party pro came up with some cute games.  Mystery Bag, Halloween music limbo and oh, wrap the mummy with toilet paper and a relay race moving balls between pumpkins.

The whole class.

 Toilet papering B. 

OK, let's talk about the party a bit.  The teacher was great.  She really didn't care what went on.  But the school has declared that no food would be given or served.  So the goody bags were non-candy (which was hard without giving junky junk, which we ended up doing, but there was a cool giant glow wand).  Here's what pissed me off.  The PTO provided a safe, non allergenic snack that was "healthy."  Popcorn (and I won't start a huge debate, but is GMO popcorn really healthy).  OK, I can live with the Skinny Pop, but they didn't give out any drinks.  Not even some paper cups and a pitcher of water.  Seriously, it is Halloween people!  Give the kids some water!

The party was the last hour of school.  So B and I came home and I sat with my feet up for an hour.  I could never be a teacher.  First, I hate kids, second, they are tiring!  I was exhausted.  But Halloween must go on.  So, we passed out some treats at home then went over to the old hood for the annual Soups and Spooks party at a friends.  There was more candy, more fun and more exhaustion (and some rain!), but it was all worth it (even the drink I needed, I mean had).

I will leave you with this face.  Eating a corn dog.

If she wasn't born at home, I would swear she was switched at birth.

I don't know if I have ever had a corn dog.

Halloween 2013 and All Relatedness

I used to love Halloween.  Decorations everywhere.  Since we have moved to The Brady House, not so much. Still, I have been immersed in all things Halloween (I should tell you I was going to decorate - bats on the front porch, mice on the stairs, some Martha Stewart stuff bought at Michaels, but the kids weren't that into helping so, I thought, WTF? and did nothing.).  Parties, parties, parties.  I helped plan three different halloween parties, and the kids went to a couple costume birthday parties.  So, the costumes were worn a lot. 

On the Saturday before Halloween, the girls went to Lola's art birthday party.  Knowing they also had to wear costumes the next day to the golf club's party (first party I helped plan), Mike I threw together some alternate costumes.  Do you know who they are?  I am sure not, so I will tell you.


B is Astrid from How to Train Your Dragon and Charley is Izzy from Jake and the Neverland Pirates. 

3

How did we do?

 

 

The art party was a lot of fun.  Lola was a very cute Spiderman. And the kids did some cool art.

Sunday was the golf club party.  I thought the kids would have worn their other costumes, but they opted again for Astrid and Izzy.  They ate lots of candy, jumped on a giant jumpy obstacle course and  did some open miking.

Part of my responsibility for they party was making some signs.

I am having some technical difficulties (feline as well, that is why this got posted without content.  Scoops the cat thinks it is perfectly reasonable to walk on my keyboard while I am at the computer), so I will continue this post at a later time.  For some reason, I can't get the rest of the pictures on the post.  Computer challenged here!