Another Great Fall Day In Michigan

I realized something today.  I don't know if it was the weather, or the kids, or whatever it was.  But I realized that I've been taking so much for granted lately.  I know, I know...I've written some pretty bitchy stuff lately.  Just putting it out there that my life has been shitty, oh woe is me.  Crap!

I had a great day out with my kids yesterday.  I didn't spend much, probably cost more for the gas in my truck than I spend on the pumpkins we bought.  But we had the best day.

We've had an odd year.  Here in Michigan we didn't have much of a spring, we almost went from winter straight to summer.  We didn't have the typical yucky snow melting phase where everything is ugly.  We had a very early spring and it was warm very early in the year.  Then, after a screaming hot summer, we've had a really warm fall.  We've had days in the last week that were as high as 77 degrees. 

Tomorrow is Jason's 18th birthday.  I'll never forget looking out my hospital room window and seeing it snowing the day I delivered him.  As a matter of fact, when I brought him home from the hospital on the 20th of October, the ground was white.  Yet, we've been in the 70's and that is really odd for Michigan.

I remember one year when I was a kid it was a particularly warm winter.  We were pretty young so we were really bummed over not having much snow for Christmas.  I know they do green for Christmas in the southern states, but I'm a Michigan girl...I want a while Christmas!  Anyhow, I remember that my parents took us to my Aunt's house here in Lowell for New Years Eve.  I remember being out in her front yard at midnight with no coat on, yelling "Happy New Year" at the cars driving by.  It was warm out, but I don't really remember any other years since then that were that warm.  Maybe it'll be that way this year.

Today started out like any other Sunday.  Scott was bugging me bright and early, mind you Sunday is the ONLY day I get to sleep past 6:30 am.  So, I was a little slow getting going.  He's an early riser, so by 8am he's been up for hours and is ready to go about his day.  Excuse me darlin, but it's a little to fucking early for all the sunshine and happiness bit.  Give me a fucking cup of coffee. 

That was my morning, lol.  Of course by then, Scott has had probably two pots of coffee on his own so he's wired and ready to rock-n-roll.  I'm still waking up and I tell him to back off.

Eventually I pull myself together and we decide we better get some groceries.  Seriously, no food in the house.   I have my diet meals so I'm in good shape, but the rest of the gang needs to eat.  And we go through probably 5 to 7 boxes of cereal a week.  I know what you're thinking Beth....holy shit....7 boxes?  Its' true.  4 kids and Scott all week long.  And I occassionally will eat a bowl of cereal if its on my menu.

So we were off to Meijer for groceries.  Fun Fun!!! But we survived and when we got back it was all good.

Kathie brought the kids over and we set them up at the table with the little pumpkins I was talking about last night.  You know the ones, they are a little bigger than softballs.  I gave them paint brushes and a plate with different color paints on them.  I had gotten online and looked for patterns so I drew them on the pumpkins for them and they painted.  They had so much fun. 

It was amazing that I had a second stress-free day with my kids.  I really enjoyed seeing their atristic creations on the pumpkins.  They are very proud of them.  I'm going to try to put up a picture....

These are all the little pumpkins that Jourdan, John, and Sami painted.  I have a glass bowl of really cool looking gourds and indian corn sitting behind Jourdan's pumpkin in the middle....and I think they did a fabulous job.  We did move two of them to the rails on the front porch. 

Speaking of front porch, I got two larger pumpkins that I painted and put on our front porch.  Then I put two of the smaller ones on the top of the rails.  I snapped a picture, but that was before I added the smaller ones.

I'm not a big Halloween decorator.  But, the kids were excited.  If you want to see some decorating, wait until Christmas.  I take everything off my shelves, I take down pictures off my wall, I even change my clock to a Christmas clock.  Snowmen are my thing.  And Scott has started me with a Christmas Village.  My favorite thing is the ice skaters.  It looks like a little town square and there is an iceskating rink in the middle.  It plays music and there are little street lights and there are skaters that glide across the ice.

I know, I know....I've already said Christmas was my favorite.  I can't wait for November to get here so I can start getting my stuff out.  I went downstairs to the storage room tonight looking for something in one of the boxes and realized I have about 20 totes of Christmas stuff.  I think it might be time to sort through some of this stuff this year.

Anyhow, we had a great day.  The kids had alot of fun painting their pumpkins.  It was a little cooler today and Sami has had a snotty nose so we took her new bike down to the family room.  She's been riding it around the family room and my craft room all day, and loving every minute of it.....until she wiped out.  She's still getting the hang of it.  By next summer, she'll be a pro!  I'll post some photo's I just downloaded on my facebook page.  Too open here.

Well Jason just got home and I need to go have a chat with him.  Tomorrow he turns 18.  He's going to Secretary of state for his Chauffers license to be a driver for Two Men And A Truck.  My goodness he loves that job!  He's so excited to become a driver, and more money too.  It's a win-win for him.  I have to go see what his schedule is for tomorrow.  Hopefully he'll be around for some cake and icecream to share with his mom, who misses him so much it hurts.

And stay tuned for tomorrow.  I have an idea on how to make some extra money for Christmas and I need your opinion.  I'll fill you in on it tomorrow evening.  Till then, sweet dreams!