Getting ready to go

I had not planned on doing anything for Thanksgiving. I was looking forward to the kids being home, I sure do miss them throughout the day. I planned on pretty much doing nothing which is music to my ears. Nothing with three kids is really not nothing just a time of less running around and more time for house stuff. Evan especially has wanted to decorate for Christmas pretty much since the day after Halloween and I thought this would be a good week to deep clean and decorate. I have been toying with the idea of another marathon black Friday. It always seems good, I am not scared of the hours, I like the deals, but I hate the parking. I usually regret going after I pull up at 4 AM to the 1st store. But I love to tell my battle stories for to anyone who will listen. Ahhh memories...I still have not wrote it off.

As far as Thanksgiving Day, I was going to celebrate it in a comfy cozy (pregnant) fashion. I wanted to lie on the sofa in my sweats sipping coffee and watching the Macy's Day parade. Trying to get the boys to watch it with me. Maybe the dog show after maybe just the highlights. Only to be repeatedly disturbed by the boys saying "I am hungry." Still enjoying my comfy cozy holiday I wanted to order pizza enough to last us the day if we choose not to go out. Yes pizza. I love pizza. For our traditional Thanksgiving dinner, we never do that. We are one of those families who always go out to eat for the meal. To a wonderful decadent spread at a historic tavern in Gettysburg. We so enjoy it there but this year Thanksgiving day is just me and the boys and I don't want to do it by myself. I will keep it a good memory.

My comfy cozy holiday plans are aperantly changing. I was tossing around the idea of going away for the holiday but was not sure and leaning more towards no. I just really don't want to get stuck in a holiday traffic jam. At church this morning I was discussing what are you doing for Thanksgiving with kids and Jay said right in front of my oldest "Karen is going to a water park!" Gregory's eyes lit up and the decision was made for me. Jay now committed me to taking all the boys to Virginia for Thanksgiving.




So we are leaving, back down to Virginia. Me and my kiddos. And probably most everyone else in the Washington D.C. area. Ugh the traffic. It won't be pretty. Virginia is all ready horrible with police everywhere and on the busiest travel days of the year I see a grid lock nightmare.

With a day till we leave there is a lot to be done. With a weeks notice there would have been a lot to be done but a day. It comes down to I better just get to it. Last week I was sick. The week before Gregory. I spent the beginning of the week in the hospital, ER, and the next few days recovering not doing much. By the end of the week I felt great. I was back to our normal routine, even an evening out shopping with the boys, back to the gym, and managed to squeeze in taking them to a birthday party.


My 3 cupcakes


Aaron and Evan. Aaron is not mine but he comes over and I feed him. He keeps coming back like a puppy. A cute cuddly one I can't claim on my taxes.

With over a week of our house sick it is a mess I don't need right now. Not with us planning on leaving. Who wants to come back to a messy house. I want to come back to a Christmas themed stress free gingerbread smelling house.

To you this might look like a normal canning jar and under most circumstances you would be right. When I clean it turns into an offering jar. What is that? My kids are horrible with money. They don't understand it they play with it and you find it everywhere. I keep one on top of the laundry machine and I have this one by my side to throw all the lose change in. Then the brothers can use that money for their church offering.



I do not have a dish washer. I am the dish washer. We are never caught up on dishes. As soon as you finish the entire load you will find a fork in the couch or a cup under a bag. The boys grab a new cup every time they even want a sip of water. It adds up. I hate doing dishes I do loads a day and I certainly have a few loads here.



With many loads a lot can be accomplished while one is drying. I started sweeping.



Underneath the couch lead to the discover of many parts of toys. I keep sweeping and cleaning. It would be nice to have helpers but...



We got a big job to accomplish we need everyone's hands. Smiley never hesitates to help whether you want it or not.



With another load of dishes down I am making some progress and managing to get a little decorating in.



I can feel the pressure. I want everything done I don't have enough time. It seems like there is never enough time. We are at the beginning of our week so on top of cleaning and packing that I have not even thought about the older boys need to make sure they are ready for tomorrow. So we continue with our normal night routine of dinner, showers and homework. Lets fit that in between the cleaning and decorating.

I am so tired I want to relax and watch TV. I am not going to stop though. I want to have this done. It goes faster and easier when I am not constantly running behind a 1 year old and cleaning his extra messes on top of the current mess. So I will take my clean cute baby and let him watch TV with his brothers for a few minutes before bedtime. He is not happy about that. No he wants to be with Mommy. Awe. But this will be better baby don't be so sad.



Can you see my helpers behind him? Yup they are in the middle of a light saber fight. Maybe the loser will have to do the dishes.





At least they are moving towards the Christmas spirit. Gregory is now sporting his Santa hat and Evan has thrown out a few decorations.

The dishes are done and the wet clothes are now in the dryer. The children have been sound asleep for hours now. Wow the time goes fast. My work my plans are not even close to being done. But if I want to be productive tomorrow I need to get some rest now. For the kids will be up in 6 hours and I need to have to be up with them. So with the coffee ready to brew and my eyes so heavy, I will go to bed. I will realize I am no super woman. But I know the kids love me. I know they will have a wonderful Thanksgiving. They will be so happy to go the water park and happy to have a special time with mom. I am so thankful for the time with them.