Some things I've learned...

You always hear people saying, "Kids say the darndest things!" And I have had some experience with that myself in my life like the time I was about 6 my mom and I are going to pick up my Grandparents and I tell them "My mom says your so cheap!" After my mom turned her normal shade of pleasantly pink, she scolded me and gave me a lesson on not repeating things I hear. She also learned her lesson on what NOT to say while I was listening.

So I say things I should not say ALL the time in front of my kids, or say things that other parents might "frown" upon. I use scare tactics to hopefully keep them away from harm like the time we saw road kill and I told Hannah that if she ever crossed the street without looking both ways that is exactly what would happen to her. Or the time she ran away from me in a store and I told her that someone would take her, do things to her she would not like and she would never see her family again! Whatever don't judge. I always turned my nose up at the nay sayers and kept on running my mouth around my lil ones. Well I always tease my kids about physical pain that I will inflict on them if they don't obey such as; "If you don't clean up I just might have to beat you silly", or "Oh my gosh your not listening to me, I'm gonna have to sock you in the belly."

So it finally came back to me... (da da dunnnnnn) My neighbor came over today to say hello and she asked us what we were doing. Hannah replied that if she did not clean her mess I was going to beat her silly! "Um, let me explain what she means. I always tell her... Oh crap this is not going to sound good either way so I'll just be honest, I don't beat my kids!"

I always just thought that my kids ignore me when I speak, you know like the teacher on Charlie Brown? Wa-wa-waaaaaa Or like I speak a different language, "Do you hear the words that are comin' outta my mouth!?" And of all the things she chooses to repeat she picked that! She also tells her friends that she will sock them in the belly if they don't share. hahaha Oops!

Well just when I was feeling like I deserved the big mouth mother of the year award she says to me tonight, "Mommy when I look into your beautiful eyes I see the best mommy in the whole wide world." Melt my heart why don't ya kid!? I do praise my kids so much, tell them how amazing they are and how much I love them and I guess it is shinning through in Hannah. I may not be the most tactful momma, but I sure do feel like I'm doing something right.

So what I've learned is, definitely watch what you say to your impressionable little ones, joking or not. And second, they are ALWAYS listening, even if it's just long enough to hear the good stuff.

Pumpkin patch

I love this time of year. Love the colors, the weather, all the baking and the traditions. So it's pumpkin patch time! I love the tradition and the excitement of the whole pumpkin patch idea, just not the skeezy and very questionable jumpers. So it's always a challenge to go and get them to agree NOT to go on those overpriced "rides". We made it out germ free and pumpkins in hand.

They each picked a small pumpkin to decorate. Since carving is out of the question, they love to paint. So they painted their lil pumpkins.
They are very serious about their work!
This is such a messy job thank goodness it's only once a year!!!
And the finished product! Ta-da! I love having my own family to make traditions with.

Mommies lil helpers

I really love to spend time in the kitchen. I love baking especially, but the best part about being in the kitchen is all the help I get. I recently got four flats of strawberries for free so I made A LOT of jam! And of course, my sweeties where there to help out when they could.

Anytime I'm cooking they rush over, apron on already, pull up the chairs and ask to help. I love it so much! I'm not gonna lie though, I have a very hard time letting them help sometimes due to messes and other silly reasons. However, I am getting much better because I see how happy it makes them. So I am choosing more meals they can help me with and allowing them to help much much more. This is a pizza that they made entirely by themselves. I hope that I can teach them to love to be in the kitchen and hope I can teach them to not be as controlling as me and my mom :)