Easter Monday

Easter Monday had to be the most beautiful day of the year.  It was gorgeous!  The weather was warm, it did not snow, the sun was shinning and the cherry blossoms are in full bloom.  With such a perfect day we headed downtown to the Nations Capitol.



Jay and I both had off work so I skipped school and and pulled the kids out of school and took the whole troop to the Smithsonian.



Our main Smithsonian we wanted to see was the  Museum of Natural History.



This museum is so incredibly awesome, well all of them are.  Another reason we wanted to go that week was by the end of the week they are closing the dinosaur exhibit for the next 5 years.  Yes five years.  They are doing a complete remodel of it and that is not easy.



Our kids are not that into dinos but they do like them.  If they did not have the chance to see them now they won't for quite a while.  And Smiley he is having a dinosaur birthday in June so why not get him hyped up now.  They had fun, so much fun.



Baby kept running up to us and yelling RAAWW!!





People used to tell me how much these two look a like.  I saw it but as their mom I always thought they look different too.  And the past few years I thought they were really growing their own looks.   However this picture, I do see their close looks but more so I see how much they are growing up.  It is not baby looks but I can see the teen looks developing.  Wipe the tears from my eye!



one of those two for a throw back Thursday.

It looks like the dinosaur is going to get them!



My little LOVES!!



Even though the dinos were cool the boys are into gems, rocks and stones.  So after we saw the dino bones per their request we went to the gems and Hope diamond.



They loved it here.



The kids did so good this day.  They were well behaved and such a pleasure!  Well minus the tongue sticking out.

A beautiful day!



We made our way over to the Air and Space Museam too.





They had fun there too.  And were able to touch so much more stuff.



There were all these tepees on the Mall.  Protesting for something and I only know that much cause I saw a stop the pipe or something sign on the ground as we were trying to figure out why they were there.  Rule one of a good protest, let people know the cause.  Oh well the kids had fun running in and out of them.









Why don't we go down there more often?



Its close, there is so much to do?

Maybe we will.  We had a great time and it was so worth it when the kids said so too.

Wiped out

Nothing makes you feel old like being wiped out after a day with your kids.  Yes I do say life is catching up with us.  Sometimes the go, go, go  hits you like a wall.  We are not trying to keep up with anyone, nor trying to schedule all daytime hours, nor trying to squeeze every moment out of life we can but we have been exponentially bust lately.  (kinda why I have not been on this blog in over a few two weeks and before only to what turned out to be a once a week update.)  Life moves fast.

So what is it that has kept us busy?

Work, both of us are working.

School, the kids are back to school, and I am trying to finish this semester.  That is always an incredible crunch time.

Easter, we have had weekend after weekend of Easter fun and though enjoyable it takes a lot of planning, organizing, and running.

Tball, I have only 1 kid in an activity right now but that still consumes many evenings.

Sickness, my daughter although feeling well are deep raspy chest coughing all night that keeps everyone up.

Today as I was getting ready for work I took a shower and laid down.  I set the alarm because I was exhausted and new I had a few extra minutes.  And I am so thankful I set it.  Because I fell asleep, hard.  I did not wake to my alarm but to my baby crying in her crib because the alarm kept going off and woke her.  It is a dark rainy day the kind you want to stay in bed or curl up and watch tv.  The motivation needed to get up and going is not there.

I have a few ideas how to work things out better, get more motivated and get moving more.  I will share them with you soon.  I have learned a few things is my 4 week money challenge of savings and want to share those too.  So good things, stores and hopefully helpful advice are yet to come, maybe just after an energy drink.

March is over!

Whew we made it through the March birthday madness. We still have both mothers birthdays coming up later in April, but that feels like such a nice break till then.  Whew.  I am glad it is over and...just glad it is over.  My daughters birthday was the last of the March ones.  We had a bunch of things planed but the kids were just not their best.  We had lots of running to do to, and that all conflicted with my perfect mental image of a sweet princess/ Angelina Ballerina birthday for her.  However, she was BEAUTIFUL and still had a great time.  More than a few meltdowns from each child and I think at lest 2 from me.



She turned 3.  She is a grown up still my baby 3.  I am just as crazy about her now as ever maybe more.  This girl is AWESOME!



I know it is know almost a month past her birthday but that is because it is truly hard for me to find the time to blog anymore.  I try and try but..I am exhausted and always busy.  But that is why I love instagram.  You don't get the stories but you get a glimps about what is happening and really how many of you read what I right or just scroll through and look at the pictures anyways?



She wanted an Angelina Ballerina cake.  I could not find one, I did not have the time money or skill to make one, so I ordered her a princess Faith ballerina cake and she was over the moon she loved it!!  She still talks about "my Angelina cake with my head"  Although it was a bit weird eating Faith.



And the reason we now have back up plans/relighting plans for birthday cake candles.



They all laugh when it is not their birthday, but when baby blows out the candle on their special day oh they cry.  But each of the others did it when they were babies age too.

We went to watch Frozen again.  But this time in her new costume from  Ms. Ginny, she loves it and still wears it all the time!  Thank you.  And for the frozen microphone and Elsa doll they were perfect and she loves loves them.



I know this is not the best picture but here is baby watching her brother eat popcorn.  If you saw them she was astonished like oh that is how you do it.  And below is another bad picture.  Sorry it was dark in there.  My parents came to to see Faith on her birthday and help me out.  Can you believe they had not seen Frozen yet?!  How did anyone make it without seeing Frozen?



Yay know idea what my oldest is doing.



And a selfie of me and Smiley!  My love boy

The movie was great, again, again x8 or 9 times then.  It was so fun to see all the little girls dressed in their Frozen outfits.  Girls are such princesses.

It was a nice birthday even with some of the hardships.  And truly now nearly a month later I don't remember the stress, I just melt at the princess pictures.

Week 5 Savings

This was another bad week.  We spent a lot but some of it will be beneficial in the future.  Such as I paid for a camping trip.  When we go I will just have to pay for gas and food.  I bought Easter shirts for the boys and that does not happen but once a year.  I have the girls outfits already.  I still need pants and shoes for the kids but no doubt payless will have a BOGO going on.  It is funny I used to hate that store and through fits when my parents would take me there.  Still am not that fond of there shoes but last time we were there we got awesome deals on socks!  Cute socks too.

My splurges
Sickness has been running through the home.  I have been working with the girls on no more baby stuff.  Faith has been out of diapers for over a year and baby is now working towards it too.  Once a child turns 3 they have no more bubas (sippy cups) I took binkies (pacifiers) away form Faith somewhere around Christmas and once we lose them I was not replacing them, plus I am trying to ween baby off them too.  We were down to 3.  And they are always lost and I search for just 1.  With baby being so sick and non stop crying for days!!!  I caved and bought 2 more binkies.  -$7
New Sheriff Callie Birthday necklaces for the girls for Gracie's  Cowgirl Birthday, from etsy -$23
Paid for the reservation for a Labor day camping trip with our neighbors to Raytown Lake!  -$150
(non refundable!  so lets pray for great weather and good health!!)
Since I sat in front of the computer so much, I found out that Walgreen's had an "EGG"tra special deal everyday this week.  Recently we hast years of pictures.  Births of babies, holiday, the little moments.  This is the second time that has happened.  I took advantage of their free 8x10 collage picture deal.  And the I ordered a duplicate for my mom made another one too and got prints of all the pictures I used.  It cost me -$23 but is really priceless.
Surprises for my kids.  But from a thrift store.  They loved them -$6
Drive through one morning -$3
Easter shirts for the boys.   -$46

Jay
Still he eats out constantly.  I made him food and had it bagged up ready to take and 1 day he forgot it, the next he did not have time to eat it, the following day "well it was to old to eat". And other things  -$65
He is still trying to figure out his smoker.  Bless his heart he is trying but with no success.  Everything he makes takes like wood.  Yes like you are eating rubbery bark.  Our grocery bill is high because he decided he was going to try to smoke brisket.  Brisket that was not on sale, brisket that tasted ....not that good.  He also tried to grill wings one night they were horrible!  And the chicken you saw last week smoking well eating it as a chicken was bad but mixing into other dishes worked better.  However I am trying to stay optimistic.  He will eventually get it and it will be good, hopefully.

Unavoidables
Groceries -$300
Gas -$143
Dr office co payment -$14

Savings
Family Savings Jar +$20
Pellet/Propane savings Jar +$20

Other Awesome Accomplishments

• Made a menu plan and stuck to it.  (Jay did not)
• vacuumed out my car parents in under 4 minutes with time to spare.  Only cost me a buck!

• did not buy coffee this week but took advantage of McDonalds free coffee promo
• Got my first paycheck from the YMCA
• PA is a clothing tax free state so on the boys shirts I found a 15% off coupon, free shipping, and it was tax free, and they were on sale  It took the Ralph Lauren shirts from $150 to the affordable $46
• My parents took the boys out to see Mr.Peabody and Sherman, no cost to me-Thank You!
• I had sent the boys to their house to stay a few days with groceries and the boys came back with even more.  again thank you.  I won't be buying hot chocolate for a year.
• Jay had a few extra $$ in his pay check which made some of that camping trip possible

Advice
I heard this on a radio show (I am a talk radio junky) but they said sit and shop.  Add what you want to the cart but don't buy it.  You will feel satisfied enough at the end that you don't feel the urge to buy.  I have done this for some time now.  Especially lately with the girls getting bigger I want to buy them ever piece of American girl I see.  Sometimes I spend to much time on the site and look around fill up my cart to the best deal possible but then I walk away.  I don't order (usually) and buy the time I distance myself from the website I think why would I spend that much on buying my daughters dolls clothes??!!  It is great advice because often you find great deals but when they are erased by the shipping it makes you not want any of it that much anymore.

If we invite you over form a smoker meal, just pass.  For now at least, just pass.  Or bring over a bunch of delicious sides :)

Goals
Cleaning.  I wanted to have my house Easter ready by now.  In cleanliness, decoration, spiritual preparation, plans, menus, everything, and nothing is done.  So I want to spend time this week cleaning and maybe I can find some treasure to sell.  However I did get 10 pounds of Matzos for FREE from grocery store deals!


And as always check out the other savers HERE

Spring is no snow

If it wasn't for the snow earlier this week I would say winter is over.  But since it snowed, sleeted and iced up, the following days have been in the 50's and 60's pretty nice.  I am not the only one who is tired of winter overstayed welcome.  My middle son Evan is too.  I found this poem he wrote about spring.  It made me smile so much.



I love how for N he but NO Snow.  He even drew a snowman  with the no sign.  He is not home this week but I hope he is enjoying the warmer temps, playing outside building his fort.

And there is no snow, sleet, or ice in the 10 forecast.