Christmas Time

There hasn't been anything too exciting going on, but I have tried to get the kids into the Christmas season. We saw the temple lights, bough a singing/dancing Santa that the kids love to play with, made lots of holiday treats (Cocoa Apple Spice Cake, fudge, sugar cookies in the shape of Gingerbread people & snowflakes), and set up two Christmas trees. My kids have also enjoyed trying on the stockings and all the santa/elf hats. I know this season is about more than the lights and goodies, but they make me so happy and I LOVE to give gifts though I am sure that my giving is more fun than people's receiving my silly things. These last few days before Christmas I hope that we can get focused more on Christ and feel the peace and love that comes with that. Forgotten Carols CDs, reading about the birth of Christ from the scripture, and quiet moments of reflection (when the kids are asleep) here I come.

The following are just some pictures of the kids from December, either being cute or being Christmas-y. Enjoy!

 Jacob cuddled up to Robin after she was asleep and fell asleep himself with his arm draped over her. So cute! Too bad they can't be so loving during the day like that.

These are the sugar cookies we decorated and I do mean we, I didn't do all of them this time. Robin shook the the sprinkles and Jacob's cookies are the ones with not much frosting. I even came up with some names for some, can you find them? Adam & Eve....Daddy (Matt)....there is a ghost...some cute little girls: Robin & Laura. Merry Christmas everyone. Hug on your loved ones, smile at some strangers, and sing at least one carol with gusto.

blah blah blah

Let me whine where no one reads. I would blab this on Facebook, but either no one would respond or people would just feel sorry for me feeling the way that I do. About two years ago I came to the conclusion that if I am having a really bad day, a down in the dumps, want to lock myself in my room day there is nothing I can do about it and no one to talk to about it. I don't have anyone near by that I can call friend enough to have them rescue me. No neighbors, no ward member, and no even my family can be there so I can call and talk with me. Of course I know that they have lives, they have kids or their own and also jobs that they work hard at. Every time I think on this too much it gets me really down, like to tears down. I long for friends, but I am also starting to realize that this probably isn't in the cards for me. I need to be more like Matt and not care that I don't have any friends. Maybe this hurts someone's feelings and maybe no one would care.
There will be no random acts of kindness for me because no one knows I exist. Sure they invite me to things, but they also invite thirty other people to talk to and laugh with. I know most of this falls on my shoulders because I am not willing to butt into other people's conversations. Really if you aren't talking at me I feel really bad about putting in my two bits.
I am just being selfish and wishing that I had more when I should just shut up and be happy that I have three kids of good health who are happy to play with each other and never tell me that they wish they could play with friends. I have a husband who works and brings home money for us to buy food and pay the bills. We have a house that keeps us warm and the bugs out (mostly, somehow those little critters always sneak in). I am not wanting a flood of attention because I tell people how I feel, that I tend to me unhappy with where I am, but I do want to feel that connection with people around me.
Okay, I got that out. Now I can say that I have typed my option and frustrations. Go back to your daily lives now. Hope your day has been going well and that it will still go well after you leave my post. I appreciate you taking the time to read my blah blah blah

Being Thankful

Every November I try to do something turkey with the kids, usually hand turkey variations. This year I started the hand turkeys but they are now taped to the side of my entertainment system, glued on top of each other for easier growth reference next year when I do it again. My next project was a fall cake: yellow cake with some food coloring to make layers, but the layers were barely different colors; at least I decorated the top really cute with a turkey design. What I did do was coffee filter tie-dye turkeys. We colored a folded coffee filter with markers then ran water over them so the colors would run. To make them extra special I wrote on top of them a few things we were each grateful for.

Laura, I'm thankful for Mommy, Daddy, food, and music

Robin, I'm thankful for Daddy, food, and movies (her words)

Jacob, I'm thankful for being born, the swing, and chocolate milk (his words :) )

Matt, I'm thankful for wife, kids, and having a job

Kim, I'm thankful for snuggles, sleep, and desserts

Laura has started to get grumpy and I can only hope that it is teething. She is such a squishy, lovable child and her giggle always brings a smile to my face, I could just kiss on her all day. Just a couple of weeks ago she started to walk, yeah! Every time she falls she gets so frustrated, I wish I could help her, but she just have to practice. Lately she has been trying to talk more. It is fun to pretend to have a conversation with her while she babbles :)

It feels like this month Robin has started to ask a million questions and every one starts with why. Many times she asks the same question multiple time and after a while I just tell her to stop talked because the words coming out of my mouth aren't reaching her ears. Robin loves to smile and is always trying to get in more playing.

Jacob, oh Jacob, he is such a good brother and then at the same time he gets too rough and he is oh so sensitive. He loves to be helpful and right in the middle of projects whether it is handing your the materials or mixing something together. I know that he is smart and I also know that he doesn't like to share his knowledge with me even if I ask him a question. This boy likes to surprise you with what he can do/knows.

 This is my family and I love them very much. At times they try my patience and keep me on my toes, but they are the main reason I get up in the morning and do everything that I do. They are my friends and keep me no matter how many grumpy faces I make at them.

what i have been doing since matt left: day 3 &4

DAY THREE: The day started with my girl joining me in bed and somehow sleeping through all of the wiggles. I know for a fact that Robin elbowed Laura at least a half dozen times, but she slept. The bear slept with me every night so that I could subconsciously say there was someone in the bed with me (I don't like sleeping alone) and the sheet is to keep the fuzzes from the bear off the bed. 

Our activity for the day was to color Halloween pictures. Robin was the only one who got into it though Laura did play with the crayons and put a few marks on her page. Mine is the other picture shown and I spent a lot longer coloring than Robin did.

DAY FOUR: It looks like we did a lot, but really each thing lasted for 10-30 minutes so there was plenty of time just sitting around. The kids decided to become superheros shortly after waking up, so pictured we have Spider-Robin and Wolver-Jacob. Robin wasn't very happy because Jacob kept attacking her and she wasn't up for that much playing so early in her day.

Our next activity was to paint, on card stock this time. I pulled out all the colors we had, put them on a paper plate for them, then let them go. Robin used lots of paint and Jacob just sponged some circles. It didn't take long for them both to revert to painting themselves and trying for hand prints  but they didn't get enough paint for that and simply colored their hands. Luckily they didn't get too much on their clothes or on the tarp though I am glad I put that down anyway. Pictured below is their finished projects.

 The third activity was some balloon volleyball. They decided that this would work best with oven mitt then proceeded to see how long they could keep the balloon in the air.

 And of course there was Halloween which i don't have pictured. Everyone was excited for trick-or-treating and the pumpkin buckets came home half full each. We brought along a stroller for the smallest kids (went trick or treating with my sister, Stefanie) and of course Jacob and Robin wanted a free ride to each house, so of course fit ensued. For about ten minutes Jacob refused to participate in candy getting because a dog scared him, but I wouldn't let him sulk the rest of the night so shoved him up to the next house which got him going again.

what i have been doing since matt left: day 1 & 2

DAY ONE: It wasn't a whole day, but it still counts right :) I saw this idea, making ghosts by painting the bottom of ones foot them stepping on top of paper or in my case a scrap of fabric, on pinterest so I won't take all the credit if you think it was a stroke of genius. Jacob and Robin enjoyed having their feet painted so much that they made me do it too, one foot at a time. When there were enough footprints they decided to use the rest of the paint from the plate to mark up the fabric. In the places that they got a little over zealous I had to clean up the floor because the paint had soaked through the fabric....oops!

 DAY TWO: We started our day with a trip to Walmart for some toy isle wanderings. Once in a while it is nice to get out of the house even if it is only to walk around a store.

Next we blew up some balloons and made balloons swords. There ensued a battle which I think I won because mine was the last balloon to pop. I think we got some cheap balloons because they pop really easily, sometimes when no one is touching them.

 Our last activity for the day was to make a half batch of sugar cookies and we had to settle for circles since we don't own any cookie cutters besides a heart. Jacob and Robin enjoyed eating some dough while we waited for the cookies to bake in the oven, which I think was their favorite part. They frosted and sprinkled, while Laura whined on the floor, as if they were looking forward to eating their creations. Once all the cookies were decorated they abandoned them for me to put away...at least they enjoyed some part of them.

 This photo is to show you the difference between a cookie I frosted (right) and one that Robin handled (left)

Robin happily posed to take a bite of her cookie, but after the first bite she spit out the cookie then commenced to lick the frosting partially off before leaving the table. Sorry for the mostly naked children, we had just taken baths and I was hesitant to dress them if they were only going to cover themselves in frosting.

Happy Birthday Laura

Born Laura Nicole Gartner on October 27, 2011
weight: 7 lb 9 oz
height: 20 in

Yesterday she turned ONE! Where has the time gone.
weight: 17.5 lbs (weighed at home)
height: 28 in (at 9 mo)
sorry the official measurements will be on the 30th (Happy Birthday Isabelle)

Since her birthday is so close to Halloween, and mostly because we could, we had a costume party for her. Of course no one remembered that they could wear their costumes so only my kids were wearing any. Laura got a special costume for her birthday because I thought she would get cake, frosting, and ice cream all over it.

She wasn't really impressed with the cake, unfortunately. My theory is since she had just finished her lunch and didn't have room for anything else, it really was surprising. Maybe you remember the picture I posted on Facebook of her with an Oreo all over her face, we really thought she would make a perfect picture of a one year old enjoying their cake.

All the little kids enjoyed her presents (Fisher Price little kitchen) for her and she got Cheetos Puffs...all over. I would say a successful day.

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a family favorite and I finally felt like posting about it. 

2 1/4 cup Flour                           1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda                        1 pkg (3 1/2oz) vanilla instant pudding

1 cup butter, softened                  2 eggs     

1/4 cup sugar                              1 pkg (12 oz) semi-sweet choc. chips

3/4 cup brown sugar                   1 cup chopped nuts, optional

Combine flour & baking soda; set aside. Combine butter, sugars, vanilla & pudding mix in large mixer bowls; beat until smooth & creamy. Beat in eggs; gradually add flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips & nuts. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 9-9 1/2 minutes. 

I have also tried chocolate pudding mix instead of vanilla. The chocolate pudding still tastes delicious, but I prefer the original recipe.

Hello Again

Here we go again with me blogging. Let us see how long I can maintain the blog this time around. Once this page was called "Jacob's World," then it become "It's A Small World," now I call it "Me and the Three Little Pigs." With each new arrival into the family the name changes to fit how my world changes. I chose this name because my life is so consumed with my kids that there isn't much else and let's all admit that kids live like pigs. There are stuff animals and toys spread throughout the house and even food up on the wall at times. What makes it even more fitting that my kids be called pigs is that they make this noise with their throats and even whine sometimes just like little piggies. I ramble, welcome back to those who have read my blog before and may I be able to entertain you all with some stories.