Super Fun San Diego weekend!

homemade Christmas

Christmas is one of my favorite times of year now that I have kids. They see a wonder in Christmas that as adults we can't see anymore. The delight in their faces on Christmas morning is something that I look forward to.

Christmas has become so commercialized now. I don't want my kids to start getting caught up in the hoopla of receiving. I have adopted the less is more attitude about Christmas. My favorite gifts are ones that some one has put thought into.

Last year, J's cousin (who is a high school student) made the girls a cradle in wood shop. My kids have played with it every day since.

This year I have started early on my homemade gifts...here is my list:

Home made doll diapers and bibs

flannel board

memory game (made out of family pictures)

Ocean in a box http://pinkandgreenmama.blogspot.com/2008/09/ocean-wonders-wednesday.html

I spy bags

art smocks

I better get to work on it all....its gonna take me a while! Ill post pictures as they get finished.

I love being a SAHM!

I came across this article on a blog I follow called Anniescupboards. I absolutely love it! I hate it when people without children ask "what do you do all day?". Its not exactly easy to put into words. Being a stay at home mom is a joy and a selfless sacrifice. Its also the most rewarding job I have ever had. I love my little girls and feel privileged to have the opportunity to spend this precious time with them but sometimes I find myself pulling my hair out and wishing I could be the one going to work. At the end of the day, after I tuck them into bed and they give me goodnight huggels and snuggles...I can honestly say I have the best, most important job in the world!

Fall family pictures!

Its about time we had a family picture of all four of us!

Trader Joes

I just love to shop at Trader Joes! Here is a list of yummy things I like to buy there:

garlic chicken stir fry (only needs one pan and 10 mins...so yummy!)

marinated Mahi Mahi (I cook this on my george foreman grill and make the most delicious fish tacos!)

Burried treasure (popcorn with the texture of cheetos, only was better for you...my kids LOVE it)

Pumpkin Pancake Mix (this has been a new discovery for me...we loved them!)

Apple cider

chicken apple sausage

sun dried tomato pesto spread

new york style cheese cake (especially yummy with a can of cherry pie filling poured over the top!)

I also love Trader Joes because my girls always behave there so I can shop. They are super kid friendly. The little carts keep them entertained and the girls know that if they behave they will get a balloon and a sticker when we check out.

crafts

We have been busy doing lots of crafts here at Sweet Surprises! With three four year olds and a two year old around, art projects are a daily event! Usually we have a few neighbor kids over to join in the fun too. It has been my goal to get the kids doing something creative every day. So Last week I accomplished our goal! Our theme for the week was the five senses and the letter "S".

Monday-Homemade bright pink play dough (I added some peppermint extract) The kids lovedit. B insisted that it smelled just like chewing gum. I was going for the candy cane scent but close enough.

Tuesday-Sidewalk chalk rainbow art. I wrote the kids names on the driveway and let them trace over it with different colors of sidewalk chalk. This activity was perfect since it is getting so much cooler outside!

Wednesday-It was just me and my girls most of the day so we had lunch at Mongolian Grill andtook a trip down to Ikea to check out Children's Ikea. They have fantastic art supplies for super cheap. We picked up a few things to store away for Christmas presents.

Thursday-(crayon resist) We have been working really hard at learning how to spell and writeour names. The kids wrote their names on painting paper with crayons. Then we painted over it with water colors.

Friday-find its! We dyed rice with food coloring and alcohol and let it dry for two hours. We then filled plastic water bottles 3/4 full of the rice and added small trinketts. I then hot glued the lids down. B's bottle was filled with hot pink rice, a couple barbie shoes, hair clips and a little horse. The kids love playing with these, especially in the car.

I will try to post some pictures later today.

We had a really fun weekend too. We went to an Equestrian fair where B and S entered in the Little Buckaroo rodeo. They got to use a stick horse to run a pattern, have a flag race, and lasoo a fake cow! B actually roped the cow twice! S totally cheated and just ran up and threw the rope over the horns! It was so cute!

On J's day off we took our girls to see UP at the dollar theater. I was amazed at how long the girls lasted. We almost made it all the way through the movie!

Sometimes I need to remember what my Grandma always told me....I tried to follow her advice this week.

"Life is what's passing you by while you are busy planning for your future."

Its nice to slow down and enjoy my little ones while they are still so small.