elliotts visit with santa

dinner troubles

I am done making dinner. I can spend 2 hours on dinner that is supposed to be "kid friendly and kid approved" on those stupid websites, but when it comes down eating it, my kids just look at it and push it away. Wow, that was a long sentence. I feel defeated. I don't want to feed my family all processed food, but it seems like it is the only thing they will eat. Just this morning I made something called Amish baked oatmeal aka "to die for yumminess". The boys ate one bite and wanted nothing to do with it. They will gobble down the sugar filled packets of nasty instant oatmeal in a second though.
Are my kids the only picky kids out there? Please help me.

a new chapter

We moved. We closed on our old home the middle of October and got possession of our new house sometwhere around that time also. The morning of our move, I went to get the mover guys some coffee and donuts and when I came back, I saw a few of them loading some boxes in the monstrous truck. I couldn't contain myself. I started crying uncontrollably. I tried to dry up the tears and clear my throat before going in but as soon as I walked in the house, I was officially an emotional wreck. I knew then that I needed to get the heck out of there before I had a self induced panic attack. Yes, I am talented enough to trigger one of those ON MY OWN. It was probably a bad day to pack the anti-anxiety medication away into a box that couldn't be located.

Being in our new house for about 3 weeks, we are about 3/4 of the way unpacked. I am a bit of a freak when I pack up my boxes. I label like crazy. I think my freakness has helped in getting things unpacked so quickly so don't knock it. There are times when my freakness comes in handy ya know. If you think that is crazy, you should see my cupboards and closets. We'll just keep it as the label maker is my friend. I will spare you of pictures of the labeled cabinets and drawers.
Andrew celebrated his birthday the day after our move. It was really nice to take a little break to honor him . We went to a Japanese steakhouse for his birthday celebration. My first born son is 10 *long sigh*......



In addition to his celebration dinner, some of my friends and I decided to do an "extreme makeover" on his bedroom for his gift. THIS IS THE ONLY ROOM IN THE ENTIRE HOUSE THAT IS DONE! He loved it. Here are some pictures of his new skate room. He really, really, really loves it. Over the last year, I have been scouring the skate park trash cans for broken boards and wheels. I found quite a collection! The gate was from a guy on Craigslist, the skateboard holder was something Grandpa Weinstein made, and the graffiti art was something done by a dear friend. Don't you love the Brick wallpaper?? It looks as real in person as it does in person.

The boys had their last day of school last Tuesday. I had a lump in my throat the entire time I was there. I really loved their old school. It was such a safe place for my kids and it was a great place for me too. Some of my greatest friends are parents of other children at the school. I know we are only like 8 miles away, but it will be weird for me to see these people on a daily basis. On Tuesday, their teachers were so thoughtful and made their last day very special. Both boys received a skateboard signed by their classmates, a few books, and a very special sending off speech. Andrew was a bit sad on the ride home and I can understand why.

(I couldnt get Andrew's special speech to upload).

We are slowly getting the house in order, decorating for Christmas, setting up my studio, getting family photos finished up, getting pictures put on the walls, trying to hold onto my sanity, starting a new school, discovering our new community, trying to maintain a level head, trying to manage a budget, raking endless leaves, and maintaining relationship. I think we have alot on our plate but couldn't be any more excited to start this new chapter in our lives.