Halloween

Well, today was Halloween, and it was packed with fun, candy, food, candy, friends, candy, costumes, candy, trick or treating, and did I mention candy?! This morning Braden had a fall party at school, which I planned. We brought pumpkin shaped sandwiches to eat and treat bags to put in the bigger treat bags. As I was looking at Braden and Brooke today during the party, I couldn't help but think how blessed I am to get to stay at home; it has allowed me to be such an important part of their lives. We have made so many memories together, and I hope they will remember them as they get older; I hope they never doubt how much I loved them. I hope they remember their crazy mother who was willing to make 18 pumpkin shaped sandwiches and get her hands covered in ink to make jack-o-lantern treat bags, so they could have a party at school they wouldn't forget. I hope they remember how nice it was to get to eat lunch together every day when they were young, and I hope they remember how special and loved they felt as a child. I especially hope they don't forget all of the fun we had as a family. Today was a day I won't forget. It started with a great party (Brooke thought she was hot stuff going to Braden's school party), and it ended with a night of trick or treating. This year I decided that I didn't want to sit at home while Rich had all of the fun, so we put a bowl outside our door and set off as a family. The children looked absolutely adorable, and I loved getting to see all of our neighbors tonight. I guess Rich usually only takes the cuties up and down our street, but I wasn't going to have any of this one street thing; I mean, Frankie Crolley is my father after all. When I was little my dad would even bring 2 bags along with us, so if I got a lot of candy I could dump it in the bag he was holding and keep going; it would play on the sympathies of the glorious candy givers, and they would give more to help fill up your bag. We also made sure we covered every stretch of our neighborhood. Halloween was serious business in the Crolley household. Tonight as we were rounding our second street, and I was explaining to Rich my plans for what house to hit next he exclaimed, "You're hard core when it comes to Halloween." That's right baby, if you are going to do it, do it right! The only problem now is that all of that hard work means loads of candy, which means loads of headaches as I fight with the children over how many pieces of candy they are allowed to stomach everyday. Oh well, it will be worth it; we made memories tonight that I will always remember.

Halloween Festival

Tonight we had the Halloween Activity at church; we showed up almost 40 minutes late, but hey we were there. Rich was in Fernandina Beach, FL at a golf tournament, so I had the cuties all day. I had to cook chili, make a certificate, make blue ribbons, get the cuties ready and dressed, and we made edible eyeballs also. I think I should get a trophy for just making it to the activity at all, especially when I was ready to throw in the towel after Brooke starting removing parts of her outfit after I had gotten her dressed; then we get loaded up in the car ready to go, and what is this, Brooke has no shoes. Back into the house, and the hunt is on; where are those BLACK shoes?! Okay, found them, back to the car, put them on her feet, buckle her in, we're set, wait, I forgot to get the eyeballs out of the freezer, back into the house, get the eyeballs, back to the van, okay now we're ready. Back out of the driveway, going down the street; oh no, we forgot the certificate, turn around, run into the house, get the certificate, take a deep breath, count to 10, and start again. Finally at almost 6:40, we arrive in one piece ready to enjoy the time that is left. In retrospect, I am glad we were late, we still had enough time to do everything; I think if we would have been there earlier, the cuties would have gotten bored and restless. Instead, they had a great time playing games, watching the performances, eating the goodies, going on a hayride, and getting our picture taken (I really should do better at getting myself ready if I know a camera might be involved; I have had the pull my hair back thing going on the last couple weeks). Finally the festivities had come to an end, and it was time to go; oh no, how in the world am I going to get all of these kids, my crockpot, and all of the paraphernalia that comes with kids into the van (I sure wish Emma knew how to walk). The dread is starting to close in, I am trying to keep the tears at bay, when I see her, my hero, Pamelia. In my head the music starts to play and I hear the words, "Here she comes to save the day, SUPER PAMELIA, SUPER PAMELIA! Pamelia and her reinforcements swoop in, lighten my load, and help me safely and quickly load all of my belongings and my adorable children into the van. Another job well done by Super Pamelia and her reinforcements. And who said there is no such thing as super heroes?!

Rich's Birthday

Here is a picture of the golf cake I made for Rich's 34th birtday. If you notice the flag is pink (Brooke's choice) and the golf ball is purple (Braden's choice). Rich loved the cake and his birthday celebration; we just went to the Lonestar Steakhouse (best sirloin I have ever had), sang a pathetic Happy Birthday song to him, devoured the cake, and watched our new Meet the Robinsons movie. Tomorrow Rich is driving to Fernandina Beach, FL to play in a Georgia Pacific golf tournament; he is so excited! He was like a kid ironing his new GP shirt and pants and telling me about all of the details of the tournament. Though I dread an entire Saturday with the cuties after such a long week, I'm glad Rich is getting to live the dream, his dream, 36 holes of golf in one day; I couldn't think of a better birthday present!

Hat or Wig, you be the judge

I know you aren't supposed to laugh at your children, but I couldn't help it! I took one look at Emma in the new hat I knitted for her and busted out laughing; I guess by laughing at her though I also laughed at myself, since I am the one who made the hat. A couple weeks ago I went to my neighbor's house to learn how to knit using a round loom; I think I am trying to see how many new things I can learn in one year. Anyway, I thought it would be a great idea to make Brooke and Emma matching hats and scarves, and I started with Emma's. As I was making her hat, I envisioned my two sweet girls wearing their matching hats and scarves and taking tons of adorable pictures. I thought about the oooooos and aaaaahhhs they would get when they wore their made by Mama creations, so when I finally finished Emma's hat I couldn't wait to try it on her.

Drumroll please, I now present to you Emma Maseda sporting her new custom made knitted hat, hey wait, is that a hat or a wig?!

Okay, be honest, wouldn't you have laughed?! Instead of looking like the sweet angel I envisioned, she looks like a baby rocking out in her pink wig. Oh well, note to self: not a good idea to use fuzzy hairy yarn on a hat you are making for someone who has no hair, because it will look more like a wig. Oh well, lesson learned.

Sweet Sweet Emma

Isn't she just adorable?! I can't believe she is 7 months old already. Emma has changed so much; she can sit with support now. She also is trying to crawl; she basically gets up on her arms and pulls the rest of her body along while pushing off with her feet. It may not look exactly look like crawling, but it sure helps her get where and what she wants. Emma gets a look of victory on her face when she finally reaches her destination. She also has quite the little appetite; here is a video I took of her this past weekend at my mama's house.

Snip, Snip

Tonight my house was a salon; I cut Braden's hair, trimmed Brooke's and buzzed Rich's. Here are some pictures of Braden.

Braden's First Field Trip

Old McDonald had a farm, E I E I O, and on this farm he had a duck, with a quack quack here, and a quack quack there, Old McDonald had a farm, E I E I O. Yes, you guessed it, Braden's first field trip was to a farm; I regret to say it was not to Old McDonald's farm, but the kids still had a blast. Braden had talked about today for days, and he would always inform Brooke, Emma, and I that we were to drive in the van and not his precious bus. In fact, I think he enjoyed riding on the bus more than he enjoyed seeing the animals. I was wondering how today was going to be, because I knew I was bringing Brooke and Emma along. I could have left Emma with someone, but something in me just wouldn't let me do it. It just didn't feel right leaving her behind while Braden, Brooke, and I would be off gallivanting around Effingham County going on hayrides, taking pictures, looking at animals, and having a picnic lunch, so I did the only thing I knew to do, I filled up my backpack with drinks and lunch and put Emma in a little snugli; I had supplies on my back and a baby in front, I was a power packing Mommy. I laughed in the face of possible chaos, 'Ha Ha', and I prayed feverishly in my heart for strength. Luckily, my prayers were answered, we all had a great time, and Emma was in a great mood right up until it was time to go; Braden can't wait until his field trip next week, and I say, "Bring on that Pumpkin Patch baby!" This Power Packing Mommy is ready to divide and conquer!

Chuck E. Cheese

Tonight we decided that we needed to get out and have some fun, so we decided to use some of the free tokens Braden and Brooke got from the library and went to Chuck E. Cheese. The cuties had a great time! After pizza, games, and prize winning, we decided that dessert was in order. Along with the coupon for tokens, Braden and Brooke also got several other coupons (for completing the summer reading program), so we went around from fast food joint to fast food joint until everyone had dessert; Brooke got ice cream from Chick Fil-A, Braden got a cookie from McDonalds, Rich got a slushy from Sonic, and I got a frosty from Wendy's. It was a great night; we spent time as a family, had fun, and we made it home just in time for me to catch the last half hour of Ghost Whisperer, and I got to watch it all by myself. I would say tonight was a success!

Dr. Maseda is in the house

Yesterday Braden got a treat in the mail, a whole package of doctor goodies to make his Halloween complete. Carla, who is a life saver by the way, sent Braden scrubs, a lab coat, a ton of doctor paraphernalia (including a stethoscope), and a badge for Braden to wear that states he is the chief of staff and world class surgeon at MUSC; I think the badge might just be my favorite thing. Carla also put on the back: This badge also verifies that you are the BOSS of every employee in the hospital; I love Carla's sense of humor, and I think she might just be Braden's new hero. He immediately wanted to put everything on when it came and get to work; he did share the scrubs with Brooke though. Braden first practiced on Brooke, and then Brooke suited up and we had 2 Dr. Masedas in the house. They had a number of patients, but the last patient was the least cooperative; in fact, she tried to escape. I hope you enjoy the slideshow of pictures, and thank you Carla, you made Braden's Halloween! He is going to be the cutest little doctor in town!

Sewing Bug

The last couple days I have been bit by the sewing bug; it started out innocently enough. I went over to Cindy's house yesterday to learn how to make a hooded towel, and I haven't stopped sewing since. I fixed Rich's suit pants, made Braden two pairs of Diego pajama bottoms, and I made Brooke a pair of princess or as she calls them 'pretty girls' pajama bottoms. I think now I can put my sewing machine away for a few days. Oh wait, I do have a sweater that needs some mending; okay after that I will stop, I think?

Braden and Brooke modeling their new pjs

(sorry about the red eye on one of the pics)

What was he thinking?!

I guess I blogged a little too soon on Sunday, because later Rich decided he too wanted to help me out with some material for my blog; my family is so thoughtful. As many of you know, Rich often gets some crazy idea, 5 out of 10 times only sounding good to himself, like the time he fed a lizard to the huge spider that had taken up residence outside of our kitchen window. Okay, that time I was the only one who didn't think it was a good idea; Braden and Brooke thought it was grossly fascinating and watched right along with Rich. I found it cruel, knowing that a lizard would rarely if ever find itself in that predicament without help from a third party; now, if it would have been a roach he fed to the spider, I would have been part of the cheering section. Last night, I however was not cheering and neither were the children, but I have to admit that I got some amusement from Braden's and Brooke's reactions. Rich, being the let's just see what happens type of guy, decided that when he found an earthworm in the backyard it would be fun to bring it into the house. You may be asking yourself, "What would possess him to do that?!" Sometimes there are no answers to that question, except that Rich will always be a little boy at heart. I must also point out that this is the same man who as a boy hid a snake in his poor unsuspecting sister's bed for shock effect, so finding an earthworm outside and not bringing it in the house was just not an option. His thinking, 'I wonder what Emma would do if she saw this?' 'I wonder if Braden and Brooke would like this?' 'Probably not, but their reactions sure will be funny.' 'I bet Carrie is really going to freak out; oh, this is going to be fun!' So, Rich walks into the house and over to the couch where I am holding Emma; I look at his face and immediately know that he is up to something, and then I see it. I am trapped; he leans over the couch to supposedly show it to Emma when the worm falls out of his hand and lands on me, at which point I very enthusiastically exclaim that he is to get that slimy, nasty worm off of me, which he does, but at a snail's pace for amusement's sake. We then put Emma on the floor, so he can show it to just her. Emma by the way loved it, but she thought it was food; she kept trying to put it in her mouth, which made Braden and Brooke hysterical (don't worry, I made sure that nasty worm didn't go into Emma's mouth)! They kept screaming that they didn't want Emma to eat it and to get out of their house! Finally, after Rich had gotten his fill of entertainment at our sake's and before Emma squished the worm to death, he returned the worm to where he belongs and needs to stay! There is never a dull moment in the Maseda household; my husband and my children make sure of that!

My children aim to please

My children are very accommodating; they know how vital it is that I have subject matter for my blog, and they aim to please! Today it was Brooke who came to my rescue and added a little adventure and surprise to my day. Picture this if you will, Rich, Brooke, Braden, Emma, and I are all at church listening to the talks during General Conference. They are a little restless, but otherwise everything is running fairly smoothly. I have been touched by the spirit many times during the talks and am feeling good about life; I sit quietly as I anticipate the next speaker. Who is next up I wonder? Oh good, it is the General Relief Society President. As I listen to her discuss how it is noble to want to be a mother and how one of the greatest things we can do is be a mother and affect eternity, I am filled with feelings of gratitude that I have the opportunity to be a mother. I contemplate how many more sweet spirits are going to join our family, and I feel inspired to do even more to make sure my children feel loved and treasured. About this time my thoughts are interrupted with the phrase, "Mama, I have to go to the bathroom." Being on the mother high I am currently on, I look sweetly at Brooke and say, "Okay, let's go." (Imagine little birds flying near and deer and animals coming out of the woods to be with me because of my sweet Snow White like countenance). Well, Brooke and I walk to the bathroom, we enter the bathroom, and I ask, "Do you need any help?" (Those that know Brooke and her bathroom history probably have an inkling where this story is headed). Brooke quickly states, "No mama, I can do it by myself." For a brief second, I think I should probably help her get on the toilet, but it was a second too late. The horror of what is happening hits me as I hear Brooke scream out, "No!", and hear the unmistakable sound of pee splashing onto the linoleum. Thanks to aforementioned talk, I am in a relatively calm and laid back mood; Brooke and I work as a team and quickly clean up the mess and quietly return to our seats to attempt to enjoy the rest of General Conference, while I think to myself, 'At least I have some good material for my blog.'

My Son the Mack Daddy

Today I went and picked up Braden from school like usual, only today he made a grand announcement, "Riley kissed me on the cheek." It seems Braden has found himself a little girlfriend. On Monday in fact his teacher told me that in one day Riley kissed Braden, held his hand, and was putting her arm around him. I guess what I told Rich was true, our son is a lover not a fighter.

Here she comes to save the day...

Here she comes to save the day, SUPER CINDY, SUPER CINDY! Well, as Murphy Law states, if something can go wrong when your husband is out of town, it will. This morning we woke up to an open van door and a drained battery. I would also like to add that this also happened last time Rich was out of town, and it was Cindy who came to our rescue on that occasion as well. Luckily, a neighbor took Braden to school for me, and Super Cindy came and saved the day by once again using her plug in battery charger; I would also like to add that she left it at our house in case of another such event. Super Cindy, like most humble super heroes, sees nothing great about the service she provided, but to a woman who thinks about the possibility of being trapped at home all week until her husband comes home, she is amazing! Thank you Super Cindy for rescuing the Masedas from a week spent completely at home! Because of you, we were able to go out and see the world, to conquer the universe, to see sights unknown, to journey outside the realm of Maseda Mayhem; we thank you the world thanks you!

A Mom's Work is Never Done

A mother's work is never done; it is a hard and often thankless job, but luckily amidst the chaos there is humor. A good friend of mine sent me this video, and I thought it was absolutely hilarious; I had to share it! First you will need to scroll down to the bottom of the page and turn the tunes off; you don't want to miss a word of this! This is especially for all of the mothers out there, but even those that were raised by a sweet, loving, on the brink of insanity mother will also love this; a good laugh keeps our spirits up and helps us maintain our sanity. Enjoy!