~Age Limit on DOING Laundry~

Okay so you have to be 16 to drive, 21 to drink alcohol and 18 to be called a LEGAL Adult! So my girlfriend and I were talking today and were trying to decide the legal age of allowing our kiddo's to do their own Laundry! I always have laundry going, and I know I am a family of 6 and three of my kids are in more than one activity! HOWEVER, my laundry crisis is getting the best of me. I try to follow my APS guidelines of 9 to 9 but sometimes I need to sneak in that one load. Lately my kids can't figure out this CRAZY AZ weather, so they start in a long shirt,pants,and a jacket. After school it is shorts and a shirt, then practice comes along and they put on warm clothes again(and not the ones from earlier in the day). So today we decided to let them separate the clothes, put them in and fold them.....WOW... Scott and I just laughed, they were like this is alot of work, and they were telling us it was boring waiting for the loads to finish, and fold..Carley told us she is going to one outfit a day if it means doing this, We were like AMEN SISTER!

~Show Me The Money~

I am 100% believer that MY KIDS think money grows on trees! We have tried for years to help them understand the WHOLE money thing. We started with three envelopes, one is for saving, one is for giving and one was for spending! We LOVE LOVE LOVE when family and friends give them GIFT CARDS for Birthdays and Holidays and they see how fast it goes! A year ago Maddy was in TEARS at Build A Bear because she received a $20 gift card and after she built the bear and put in a sound that was it.... "She was like I did not put clothes on it or accessorize", I said you had $20 GIRLY.... Tomorrow we have the Twins Family Birthday Party at our house, and I asked the kids to clean up their rooms. They came out to the kitchen and said "we are missing three Nintendo DS games" I was like oh you are, well you better find them! Harrison says " Oh Mom you can just go buy new ones if we do not find them" (HELP) :( Here is the KICKER.... Miss Carley wanted a Hollister T-shirt so bad before school started. SO we bought her the shirt and NOW it is missing. HER PHILOSOPHY " Well it is getting cold out, I wouldn't have worn it much longer" UGH....I tell ya we work so hard and these kids just think we go in the yard and pull a couple bills off, then the next day water the money tree again and more grows! .....NOT!

What would George think?
"Show me the money"
"There is the money tree in our yard" :) LOL

~Tea or Alcohol~

So~my drink of choice since kids has always been a glass of Ice Tea , Extra Lemon and a Sweet and Low! Kids and alcohol just do not mix! The thought of drinking and having a hangover the next morning and having to take on 4 energetic kiddo's was not an option for me! I will have my occasional glass of wine at Sunday Dinners, My token Light Beer with Lemon on date night, or even an Amaretto Sour at a Wedding. My girlfriend introduced me to the sweet taste of Vodka/Cranberry, YUM.... I even read in my Shape Magazine the other day that a fitness guru in CA said "I usually recommend vodka with a splash of juice to my clients. What's even better is vodka on the rocks or with soda water," says Ashley Borden, a celebrity fitness and lifestyle consultant in Los Angeles, "I also tell them to have a glass of water to sip, to flush the system." She went on to say it has the least amount of calories! Who knows... I do know I have been to a Halloween Party, Dinner with Friends, and did a Girls Night Out and have enjoyed my new SIP....Maybe now that my kids are older, and I am working again it is a little more tolerable!!! LOL :)

~Halloween Night~

We had a great time on Halloween! We started in our neighborhood with our Block Party.The Grill Master made some Burgers,Brauts, and Hot Dogs around 6pm. We hung out with our neighbors, friends and family. The kids played in a jumpy, went tricker-treating and danced! Around 9:15pm we headed to our friends block party over in Arrowhead Lakes, for some drinks, good conversation, and Poker. It was so cute the kids finally tuckered themselves out and fell asleep on an Air Matress in the grass, while the adults played POKER! I have alot of AWESOME PICS from the night however I am (TTTBRN) Too tired to BLOG Right Now........SO I am in the coming days going to do a slide show, along with my Pumpkin Patch Pics too! My action packed weekend has sucked the life out of me. I am up right now assisting Carley with a SS Project DUE tomorrow on Hernando Cortes. I thought my school days were over...UGH :)

The Adorable Witch... She is so flippin CUTE!
The Cereal Killer! She was so CREATIVE with her friends, one was Boo Berry,
one was Count Chokula and she was the Cereal Killer! Pretty cute one too....

IRON MAN.... Okay only for a while and then that mask was History. He

would tell people he was Iron Harry the rest of the night. He is too funny.

Maddy was so Adorable...Sharpay from HSM 2.. "Ice tea imported from England"

She had the Do, the Outfit, the Golf Club and all the adults kept asking her WHAT

Mermaid she was... LOL

THE FANTASTIC FOUR!

~Weekend Sports Rundown~

Madison~ the Red Robin's did incredible this weekend! Maddy girl rocked on her serving. The whole team did well and there were actually some hits back and fourth! We won all three!

The Serve......The Robin'sHarrison~they had pictures before the game all the boys were lookin good! However when we hit the field at HIGH noon it was hot and our boys started to melt. It was a tough loss 5-2, Harrison did score one goal and got the SPIRIT AWARD for the game!

Carley~ the IceBreakers kicked some butt on Saturday! Won all three.... Carley played awesome and we celebrated afterwards with the her team and their parents at Sardella's!

~Pre-Halloween Crunch~

So tonight in between all our practices, we put the finishing touches on the house! The garage has all the Block Party Stuff ready to go for tomorrow night. We had a great time carving all our Pumpkins. And of course we did our ALL TIME favorite thing baked all our pumpkin seeds..YUM~ Family Fave!!! Poor Lil Avery is running a temp, so she went to bed early and missed out on Carving the Pumpkins and enjoying Halloween Treats... Our family loves Halloween, come to think of it we really ENJOY all the HOLIDAYS! Be safe tomorrow night!

The kids with ONE EYE Scardey Cat
Baking the SEEDS...Yum :)

~This One's For You~

So I am always blogging about our kids, their activities and our kids. Scotty this one is for you baby! So he may Play in 3 Fantasy Football Leagues, Play Softball with his Buddies once in a great moon, Play PlayStation with Harry for HOURS on end, And is stuck in the 70's and 80's when it comes to music, He has NEVER cleaned our gas stove in the KITCHEN (1998), However he will jump on the Trampoline for HOURS with the kids, HE loves to GRILL ALL his food, and he is a HOMEMAKER at HEART, He can Watch Re-Runs of Steven Segal and still get excited by the ACTION, and finally he is the biggest KID I know, and has a heart of gold. Scott thank you for all you are to this family! You have to be the most selfless person I know. WE LOVE you and appreciate you SO VERY MUCH! You are the glue that holds our family together. P.S. He still loves Mash, Barry Manilow, Dots, PBJ, he eats Leftovers, and Most of all he ROCKS! SWAK..
If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you. Winnie the Pooh (A.A. Milne)

~Tolmachoff Pumpkin Patch~

Fun..Fun...Fun...Today at 10am we met up with a bunch of friends at the Pumpkin Patch! The kids had a blast. There was a Corn Maze, Tomato Shooter, Jumpies, Petting Zoo, Barrel Train, Face Painting, Pumpkin Patch, and more! It was such a great day, we went to Westgate for lunch afterwards and we were ready for a nap! :) (I making a slide show 2-morrow)

Pumpkin Patch My little Pumpkin
JJ, Scott, & Scott

Avery .....

Scott, Scott, Dawn, Mary & Lora

Livi,Chloe,Carley,Jamie, & Avery

Avery & Brookie

Children In The Corn!

O & M

Elizabeth,Livi,Maddy,Alyssa, Harry

~Ice Cream Social~

Tonight the kids had their Ice Cream Social/Book Fair/Basket Raffle at their school. I for some reason can't say "NO" so instead of mingling and talking to friends, I told my girlfriends in the PTA I would watch the baskets and take tickets. So Scott and the kids had ice cream, put tickets into the Raffle. Harrison REALLY wanted a basket that was done up in all BOYS STUFF! He must have placed all his tickets in there! He was really sad when he did not win but I think there must have been over 150 tickets in that raffle...The kids enjoyed hanging with their friends, Scott talked to all our friends and I actually got some chit chats in with friends/teachers when they came to the baskets to drop off their tickets! It was a fun evening, and I am now ready for bed.. :)

~Proud Parents~

We are so PROUD of the kids, first quarter is over and they all did exceptionally well....Carley made the Honor Roll! ( Her teacher said she should have made Principals list but she likes to chit chat like her Daddy in class) Maybe next quarter! Harry & Maddy got all "E's"...No letter grades yet but the E's equate to A's..... All of their teachers communicated that they were pleasures to have in their classes! Music to a parents ears....Paul Kiddo's GREAT JOB.....

WE ARE SO VERY PROUD OF YOU ALL!

Our lil Einsteins!

Smart but Sassy!


Smarty Pants!

If those eye's alone could earn those grades! Ha...

~Decisions...Decisions~

So tonight at Harrison's soccer practice this lady walks by with an adorable Golden Retriever Pup.Tucker has been begging us for a female companion since last Christmas. He even put a call into Santa for a live present under the tree this year. I just don't know? My life is so crazy with 4 kids, two working adults, 8 extra curricular activities the kids are involved in, Scott would still like to adopt a boy (Age 4 or 5)when Avery turns three, the girls want a small dog they can dress and carry in a purse, Harry wants a turtle for Christmas....And I actually asked the lady for the # where she purchased her gorgeous Golden! I think I need a Mental Health Day to think about all of this! :)

Santa put us on the Naughty List! LOL
They are such cute dogs!

~Pounding the Pavement~

The kids went outside before dinner for some Scootering in the Street..... the kids were trying to catch some air it was pretty funny. Dad tried to do some jumps and landed on his bum, it was kinda funny....All in all it was good 30 minutes outside....Maddy missed out on a little time she was hanging with some friends after school!

Harrison riding the Dora bike!
Dad trying to catch air but only caught assphalt! LOL

Air Carley!
Air Harry!
~Hang Time~
How Coot!
The Fantastic Four!

~Ice,Ice Baby~

The Icebreakers swept their opponents in three straight.....Carley actually only served once
in the second game and scored five points for the team (Peoria only lets you serve five points and then the ball goes to the opponent). She started the game in the last rotation position and since her team served so well only five girls served in the first game! She started the second and never served again in the third game... Such a clean sweep!

Sierra, Londyn, and Carley
Pep talk!
Carley is Ready!
Kobe and Carley.....

~Snuggle Bug~

Avery does not miss a beat, even when it comes to my blog! She is always going"where is my picture mommy" and since she is currently not enrolled in any activities, I will gloat about her sweet home life. Avery at least 4 out of 7 days during the week finds her way in the middle of the night to my bed. She is such a little snuggle bug, but like her Father does not like to have the covers on, which is polar opposite of me, I am always cold and LOVE my comforter. Each morning Scott and I will say "Avery why are you in our bed" her comment is always the same
" The Cat in the Hat is under my bed" ...LOL.... SHE LOVES to watch the Mike Myers Version of The Cat in the Hat. In that movie the kids hide under the bed and the Cat is there, then our favorite Avery line is when she quotes from the movie (my 2 year old already quotes movies like her father) "A monster WHERE".... So then she says sometimes tell us the Monster is under her bed! She is so darn cute!

~Legend Springs Duck Race for FA~

Madison takes 5th......YOU ROCK !!!!!!!!!!!

Maddy and Cav won PE T-shirts and 4 Otter Pops
All the participants from 1st grade
The race is on......
Ohhhh.... There is Riley and Harrison
Mr. Cerjak awards Madison!
YEAH Madison she took 5th Place in The Duck Race at school. A 4th grade teachers daughter has FA. The school sold ducks to compete in a race down the creek that runs the length of the front of their school. The kids all had SO much fun participating in this great event to raise money to find a cure! Gino took 1st, Olivia G took 2nd, Brooke took 3rd, Cav took 4th and MY MADDY took 5th...............