Happy Halloween

 These days, we have been working really hard to try to make life as normal as possible. Twenty-twenty has really seemed like one big trick! Am I right? Halloween has always been a favorite holiday for us and even though the scariest ghoul around is COVID 19, we still were able to have some fun trick or treating. Stella dressed as her favorite Addams, Wednesday. We all wore masks, and ventured out into our tiny town for some treats. It was a good time! 

Back to School

How is it the end of August already? Tuesday was the first day back to school for the girls and we were NOT ready for it! Summer just seemed to fly right by!

Felicia (10th grade) has been busy with field hockey to start the school year and she loves it! Madelyn (8th grade) is currently a manager for the field hockey team and will be playing in the spring. We are super proud of their commitment to the game! It's a lot of work and they are killing it! Stella (3rd grade) was probably the most excited to head back to school! She loves seeing all her friends and catching up after summer.  

Although we were not quite ready for it to start, we are looking forward to a great school year!

The First Day Back

I know, I know...I haven't been here in a long time. What can I say? We wrapped up last school year, took our annual Myrtle Beach vacation, and enjoyed the lazy days of summer. Nothing too exciting, just good old family time. It was refreshing to not have a schedule to follow and just go with the flow for a few months. But, today I am back!

Also, today is the first day back to school for my girls!

Felicia is in ninth grade (her first day of high School), Madelyn is in seventh grade, and Stella is in second grade. I cannot believe how quickly they are growing up! As always on the first day, they were up and ready to go super early. I'm sure that won't be the norm! But, I am looking forward to a great school year, filled with lots new things.

I can't wait to hear all about their first day back!

The Santa Clause and Ruby the Elf

Day 4 of our countdown to Christmas was a busy one. Madelyn had an orthodontist appointment in the morning, followed by lunch out, a trip to Wal-Mart and a trip back to the orthodontist because something came loose on her braces. By the time the other girls came home from school, all we wanted to do was watch Christmas movies and drink hot chocolate. We watched The Santa Clause while munching on candy canes for the perfect relaxing evening.

Today on Day 5, we celebrated the arrival of a new friend!

Stella has recently started asking for an Elf on the Shelf. All of her friends have them and she loves hearing about their Elf shenanigans. While I was out shopping today I decided to pick one up for her to find after school. When she got off the bus, she was super excited to tell me that Jingle the Elf arrived in her classroom today. Imagine her surprise when she came home to find an Elf of her own. She named her Ruby! We told her, she must have flown into town with Jingle. So, a new tradition is born for our family. 

Do you have an Elf on the Shelf?

Gingerbread House Making

Happy December! 

When I look at my calendar for December, it is jam packed. While I love being busy, I also want to slow down and enjoy the holiday season. I'm really trying to focus on the little things that make Christmastime so special. So, let the countdown to Christmas begin!

On Friday evenings for the past several years, my kids have attended Kids Club at a church in our neighborhood. One of their favorite activities is the annual gingerbread house making. Of course, they do more finger licking and snacking on the building materials than actually building, but it is the most fun! Stella came home sticky and super sugared up. Ha! 

*A little tip for you mommas of little ones that want to do this fun activity: skip the traditional gingerbread house kits and get a small empty milk carton, graham crackers, frosting, and assorted candies. Building on the milk carton makes it easier for little ones to do on their own. Less frustration=more fun!

For the Love of Fall

My love for fall has never been a secret. The colors, cooler temps, fall treats, and Halloween fun are a few of my favorite things. September and October were jam packed with all things autumn!

At the end of September, my sister Diane came to visit from Texas and we had our annual fall cookout at World's End State Park, along with my sister Karen and family, our parents, and a few of our kids. It was a great day...

..just a little chilly! Aaron, Madelyn, and Stella had to cuddle to stay warm! Ha!

 A few of the cousins.

 Pop and Aaron's usual shenanigans!

Honestly, this is my favorite place to be every fall. Spending a day unplugged, with my "circus" is a day well spent!

Our next fun, fall day was Stella's school Harvest Festival. I had the pleasure of being the tattoo lady once again this year. Thankfully, it was much warmer than last year and I didn't freeze my fingers off applying temporary tattoos to all the kiddos. Days like this, give me life!

Next up, our tiny town had it's first ever Halloween Festival! There was a pumpkin decorating contest, a costume contest, and so much more. It was followed by the annual Halloween Parade and fireworks. Another great day! 

We wrapped up October with pumpkin carving and trick or treating. Although, I love me some Christmas, I really am in no hurry to let go of fall! After all, my favorite holiday has yet to come! 

Happy Fall!

Trick or Treat

Another Halloween has come and gone and it was all treats and no tricks for us! While Stella is still all in for trick or treating, Felicia and Madelyn had decided they no longer wanted to go. However, after school yesterday, they both changed their minds! A little makeup and a few props later, they were all set to go. It was a good night for all!

I hope you all had a Spooktacular Halloween too!

First Day

Ahhh! It's so quiet here!

The girls headed off to their first day of school this morning. Everyone was awake early and ready to go. We are hoping they are just as eager to get up and go back tomorrow!

Madelyn(6th),Stella(1st),Felicia(8th)

Bubbles

Warm and sunny days are finally upon us and we couldn't be happier! Spending evenings on the front porch with my girls and even a few extra neighborhood kids is pretty much perfect. Sometimes they toss a ball around, draw with sidewalk chalk, or blow bubbles. Because guys, you are never too old for bubbles!

I recently bought a big bubble wand and solution for my girls. I have never seen bubbles so big and the solution really makes them last a long time. I'm telling you, this thing is AWESOME! Bubble making has become a nightly thing and bonus...squeaky clean kiddos!

We are all so happy that summer is right around the corner and I am looking forward to many more bubble filled days to come. 

Happy Friday! 

*This post contains affiliate links

Loving

Well, hello there February! January was not the most fun month for the Adams family. We spent most of it fighting off one sickness after another and generally feeling pretty crappy. Needless to say, I was so happy to flip the calendar to a new month and start fresh. Plus, I love February! It's a nice short month and one step closer to spring. Also, Valentine's Day is pretty cool! Since today is the first day of the "love" month, I thought I would share a few things I'm loving about today.

Pizza for dinner! While I really do love to cook, sometimes having someone else do it is just what I need. The coolest thing about this, back in December, Stella(6) won a free pizza a week for an entire year. Thank you very much, Stella!

Mini Valentine's cupcakes for dessert! Yum!

The Notebook! Getting cozy on the couch and watching a movie while snacking on mini cupcakes is the perfect way to spend the evening.

These are just a few things that I am loving about today. I'm also loving that we are all feeling so much better!

I hope you all are loving this first day of February too! Good night!

Easy Two Ingredient Slime

Happy Monday! I cannot express enough how much we needed this extra day off. It turned out that Mike had the weekend off as well (which is very rare), so we just had a well earned "lazy" weekend. We spent the weekend mostly hanging out at home watching movies and football. It was perfect!

Today, the girls wanted to make one of their favorite things...slime! It's super easy! You only need 2-ingredients: liquid starch and glue. Of course, my girls like it to sparkle, so we use glitter glue.

Just mix equal parts glitter glue and liquid starch. At first it seems too runny and messy, but after a few minutes, something magical happens and it turns into slime. Honestly, I don't know how something so simple can keep these girls entertained for so long, but it works!

Stella's favorite thing to do is put a straw in the slime and blow bubbles.

So much fun!

*This post contains affiliate links.

Yesterday...

The last several weeks have been filled with sniffles, coughs, and general crappiness for Stella. While Madelyn and I had a milder version of it, Stella's sickness seemed to linger, much like it always does. After struggling to make it through the first week back to school, she seemed to improve over the weekend and we actually made it to church on Sunday for the first time since before Christmas. Yesterday was her well check up and I figured after her appointment she would end up sick again after being exposed to doctor's office germs. Turns out, she has walking pneumonia! I would have never guessed it, she was finally feeling better! She was given a breathing treatment in the office and started some antibiotics, so hopefully she will be fully recovered quickly.

"Happier" Halloween

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. Actually, I love all things fall! We've crammed a lot of fun fall activities into the last few days and some did not exactly go as well as planned. I was really hoping that three happy girls got of the bus this afternoon, because trick or treat night had arrived. Thankfully, there were no grouches...just Batman, a cat, and a mouse (duh)!

While the big girls planned to go with friends, Stella and I were heading out alone for some treats.

Pumpkin carving may not have been as good a time as I had hoped. But, trick or treat night...nailed it

Pumpkin Carving with a Side of Grouchiness

We are rolling right along through Fall and checking things off our Fall to-do list faster than you can say "pumpkin pie"! Last night, it was pumpkin carving night. While the girls scooped the guts out of the pumpkins, I made some doughnuts. Of course by the time I was done, the kitchen was covered with pumpkin goo and the girls were getting grouchy. Sometimes, even though in my head I clearly have a perfect picture of how things will be fun and everyone will get along and be happy, it doesn't always work out that way. But, we power through and make the best of it! In the end, we have three jack o' lanterns.

I would have loved to get a picture of all three together, but Madelyn refused. :(

Oh well, maybe next year! ;)

A Visit from the Tooth Fairy

Stella had been wiggling another loose tooth for a few days. Yesterday, she got off the school bus with that tooth just hanging there, sticking out, and looking crazy. I really wanted to just yank it out, but she is a bit stubborn and had to do it herself. That tooth survived an afternoon snack and dinner! Finally, just before bed she went into another room and pulled it out. 

This is the smile of a little girl that is so proud of herself! Also, this is how big she was still smiling this morning. With school pictures coming up soon, we could have a very interesting first grade picture! 

{Catching Up} Back to School

Madelyn(5th), Stella(1st), Felicia(7th)

Summer break came to an end a few weeks ago and apparently, I'm still in denial over it because until now, I haven't posted first day of school pics!

So, here they are, The Adams girls starting out another year of school! It's hard to believe how much these girls have grown. I mean really...my BABY is in first grade already! Crazy!

Being home alone when the girls are all in school and their big brothers are all at work is very quiet. Most days, I am very busy with the everyday chores of being a mom, but there are some moments that I actually have "free time". These are the moments that I have no idea what to do with myself! I suppose I should just enjoy the quiet, but it's not always that easy. I think I need to find a hobby! HA!

Of course, when the day is done and I pick them up at the bus stop, the silence is broken and the witching hour begins. I must say, I dislike homework just as much as an adult as I did when I was a kid. Booo! But, so far our school year has gotten off to a great start. Hopefully it continues!

Summer Adventures

I can't believe it's August 8th already! Summer is dwindling away fast and I am not quite ready for it to be over just yet. Back in July we spent a week in Myrtle Beach, SC. I really wish we were still there. Sand between my toes and sunshine on my face is just about my idea of perfection. Also this summer: we've had VBS twice, trips to the pool, sleepovers, cookouts and general summer fun. We'll end the summer with a trip to Gettysburg, PA for the Labor Day weekend. We can't wait!

Yesterday, we had a unique experience with our church. Instead of our usual Sunday service, we went for a river cruise on the Hiawatha Paddlewheel Riverboat. We had a short service after our cruise and followed it with lunch and fellowship. It really was a perfect day!

I'm still looking forward to a few more adventures this summer and I hope you are enjoying yours as much as we are!

Happy Monday!

Sick, Sick, Sick!

Twenty sixteen has not exactly started off great for us. With the first week in the books, the theme so far, seems to be a nasty cold! We've been sharing the germs around here and although Stella powered through the beginning of the first week back to school, she just couldn't make it today. I was pretty certain I would have my mini home with me after Madelyn told me, not only did Stella fall asleep on the bus ride home, but she was crying at lunch and had to find Maddie for some big sister lovin. I'm also feeling pretty crappy, so cuddling on the couch watching Nick Jr. is on the agenda for today.

I hope your first week is going better than ours!

Fabulous Fall

I'm sure I've mentioned it before, I LOVE FALL! In fact, if we could have double fall and no winter, I would be one happy girl! 

If I ever had to pick my favorite place to go in the fall, it would have to be World's End State Park and this past Sunday, the weather was perfect for a day of "unplugged" fun.

A walk in the woods with leaves crunching underfoot was just what I needed to recharge my batteries. The kids love it there too!

The colors were beautiful and the weather was amazing! Sun shining and warm enough for Stella to dip her toes in the water (Thankfully, because she fell in and was wet up to her knees!).

Of course, we love to recreate photos from the past, so Felicia decided to wear a leaf on her face again this year!

It turns out, we picked the perfect day to enjoy our favorite fall tradition. Next weekend is turning cold. Boo! I am NOT ready for winter just yet! 

My Empty Nest

Madelyn(4th grade), Stella(Kindergarten), Felicia(6th grade)

The day I have been dreading is finally here. My baby girl has left the nest and joined the big girls at school. She had a bit of a trial run over the summer when she went to the summer reading program, but that didn't go so well. There were several days that we had to drop her off as she sobbed. Today, NO TEARS! She was super excited when she woke up and was thrilled that Felicia and Madelyn would be riding the bus with her! 

All the girls were a little tired when they got off the bus this afternoon, but other than that, they had a GREAT day! Hopefully the rest of the school year goes as well as today. Now I just have to figure out how to spend all my free time...