Gasp! I'm in a new age bracket....

Well it's official. I am no longer in the 25-34 age group. You know what I'm talking about. All the different online forms, when you have to check your age. Turning 35 on Friday, officially bumped me to the next category. How did I get here? It seems like only yesterday, I was attending the NKOTB's original concerts, clubbing Thurs-Sat nights with Tiffaney, and actually being able to talk with my oldest. lol I've decided to made a list of 35 things I want to do before my next birthday.
1) Become more involved in the kids' schools. All aspects. I want my kids to look back & know that I was an active participant in their school careers.

2) Visit Disney World. I dream about going here, eating Tonga Toast, having the magic hit me full force, and drinking a lapu out of a pineapple. lol

3) Visit with my online friends. I had such a fun time with Chelle, Michelle & Mel 2 years ago. I would love to plan a meet. Or maybe a closer one, with Tig & Courtney.

4) Lose a couple of dress sizes. Being an 18-20 right now sucks. :( I want to get down to at least a 14.

5) No matter how crazy my children drive me, make sure to tell them I love you everyday!

6) Read to my kids a few nights a week. Even the ones that can read themselves.

7) Start dating my husband again. Bring back the excitement of getting to know each other again, rather than let the everyday pressures affect our relationship.

8) Get myself financially in a better place.

9) Blog regularly.

10) Start an Etsy shop with all the crafty things I have in my head.

11) Take my mom to a Play. I had soo much fun going to see Phantom this last year, with her & Chad.

12) Win a trip to New York.

13) Win a trip to Vegas.

14) Take the kids to the park at least once a week.

15) Keep in touch with all my friends better. Don't wait until they call you.

16) Take a class, even an online class.

17) Buy a sewing machine & learn how to sew.

18) Become friends with my oldest again. I miss knowing what is going on with him.

19) Pamper myself once a month. Get a massage, a pedicure, or have my eyebrows waxed.

20) Take the kids to DisneyLand, Legoland, or Sea World, or all 3.

21) Learn how to Photoshop, so I can make my own cool siggies. lol

22) Print up all the pics that seem to collect on my computer

23) Have a Halloween Party. I have wanted to do this for several years now.

24) Attend the Exotic Erotic Ball. Another thing that I have always wanted to go to.

25) Send out Cards to people. Birthday, Get Well, etc.

26) Plan better meals for our family. Healthy eating has to become a way of life for us.

27) Support my dh. We definately have our problems that we need to work on. But I know he craves the love I can give him & praise that will help lift him up to be the man I know he can & he wants to be.

28) Wear makeup. I want to look my best everyday.

29) Hit up the midnite showing of Harry Potter in July. :D

30) Plan & totally surprise at least 3 people this year, with something they would never expect

31) Work on my patience.

32) Find better ways to communicate with my children.We do waaay too much yelling in the house,and it isn't healthy for any of us.

33) Visit my Grandparents, my Uncles & my MIL's gravesites & leave flowers.

34) Do more random acts of kindness, to do my part in making the world a better place.

35) Plan something exciting for my 36th bday. :D

Guess it's time to pop open some wine & toast to the upcoming year! Happy Bday to me!

Fun things a'coming.....

So many things are happening this month. This Saturday, we are having our 50% off of everything in the thrift store I work at. Ivolunteered to work 12 hours that day. 4 hours overtime= xtra Christmas cash! It will be a looong day, but should be lots of fun. What I am most excited about though, is that we can come in early that morning & shop before the store opens. All the body parts that are capable of crossing, have been crossed that the one item I really really want, will still be there on Saturday. We have a pretty nice Dell Inspirion laptop (w/wireless) for $400, which means only $200 smackaroos on Sat! This would be perfect for my WoW playing 14 year old! It will be nice not to have to share my computer. lol

On the 14th, I will be turning 35. I would love to hit up the casino that night, thinking I might hit the big one. lol But knowing how my bdays have been in the past, we will prob stay at home & do nothing. Ugh.

And everyone should know what movie comes out on the 21st. I cannot WAIT to see Twilight! The kids are out of school on that Friday, so I might get tickets for Sam & I to catch the midnite showing of it on Thursday. Not sure who else will be joining us- my niece def if she is in town, and possible Sam's friend Damier. If you haven't read the books yet, omg- go out buy the first two right now! (You will need both of them, because when you stay up til 4am that first night, finishing Twilight, you will be glad to New Moon in hand to start. Yep, talking from experience here.lol)

Our first ever cookie decorating party is scheduled (well scheduled in my head anyways) for Monday the 24th. Each of the younger kids will get to invite some friends over to ice & decorate already made up sugar cookies. I'm trying to decide on what else I want to do with them. I'm on the lookout for a cute easy Christmas or Thanksgiving craft. We will prob have kids aged from 2-7, and around 13 or 14 kids. I think I will pick up pizza & def want apple cider going in the crock pot. I can't wait! It should be lots of fun!

Thanksgiving of course, I will cook a big Turkey dinner for our family. Thinking of doing it buffet style this year & putting an open invite out to friends & family. I love having lots of people around, and want to foster this in my kids lives.

Black Friday- My favorite shopping day of the year! lol I actually don't "need" anything this year. But I def want to get some cheap movies for us & for gifts. And I can always count on Walmart & Target for some cheap toys. I really hope that Leapster games are on sale this year. I know some people would sooner cut off their left pinkie finger, than go out that day. But I love it! It's a tradition to go out with my brother Greg, and sometimes my sil. We head out super early, hit tons of stores & always get lunch. We meet the nicest people inline too. It doesn't snow here, but man it gets chilly out!

The Chaos of Prop 8

If you have called California your home for the last month, than I'm sure you've heard up to your eyeballs about Proposition 8. Well, unless you've been living under a rock. I don't remember past Props getting as much media attention as this one has. It seems like every time I turned the tv on, listened to the radio, or went anywhere, I would get bombarded on how I should vote. We all have our opinions on what we feel is right. Which is great- another reason to live in the great country that we do- democracy rules, and everyone's voice counts. I personally will say I am sad that this passed. I feel that EVERYONE deserves the same rights. My dh & I were allowed to get married, put each other on insurance forms, and are automatically the "next of kin" if something were to happen to one of us. Alot of people voted Yes on 8, because they don't want it taught in school. How do they think it is going to come up in school? I highly doubt that a course on gay marriage will be a requirement for high school graduation. What if your child comes home & tells you their friend at school, has 2 moms or 2 dads? What would you say to your child? Would you tell them that it is wrong? Isn't that teaching intolerance? Or Discrimination? I would really like to hear people's views on it. The world is changing, & we need to keep up with her! What should we ban next? Interracial marriage? Personally, if you want to "save & protect" marriage, ban celebrities from marrying! Getting married & divorcing 2 months later just because you can, in my opinion, is hurting our children's image of marriage far more than gay marriage.

The North Pole

Did you know to go to the North Pole you need a fast rocket or a flying car? It's true, because my 5 year old told me. And he is really smart. He is so smart he did his whole homework packet, for the week, in one night. Child takes after me, you know. ;) I guess if it takes Santa some magic to "get out" of his magical home, it makes sense to use some magic to get there. Who wouldn't love to sit and have some yummy hot cocoa & scrumptious cookies with the big man himself? I love this time of year-seeing it through my children's eyes. To see them watch the beloved Christmas movies that I watched myself, growing up. Decorating cookies, the way we did w/my mom & grandma. To watch the awe in their faces, as we go Christmas Light looking. Yes, I love the hustle & bustle of the holidays! Now if I could only find someone with a flying car.......

Have Luggage, Will Travel

Finally, a nice win for October.

Contest Second Prizes (4): Set of Eddie Bauer Luggage (ARV $582)

I received email notification today, and the contest ended yesterday. Now I need to win my New York trip. I would so love to take my mom at the beginning of December, to New York for an actual Broadway Play. And it would be awesome to be in the snow & see all the holiday festivities. It could happen.......

Pumpkin Patch & the Cute Things that come out of my children's mouths

I am tired. And sore. Did I mention tired? 3 weeks before my 35th birthday, and I realize that I am getting old. How the hell did that happen? Seems like yesterday that I was stayng up all night, dancing in the clubs & hitting up Taco Bell for Breakfast Burritos.

Today, Felicia & I took the kids ( my 3 middle ones, her 2 & her niece) to a neat pumpkin patch about 25 minutes away- Bishop's Pumpkin Farm. The pic above is the merry bunch on the way there. Aren't they cute?
They have everything here= animals to feed & pet, several play areas, a train, lots of yummy goodies to eat, many picture ops, & of course the standard hayride & pumpkins. The kids had early day at school today, so we got to spend a couple of hours there. Even though they didn't get to do everything, they still had fun. It was hilarious watching the kids feed the goats- they were getting attacked! lol They enjoyed riding the train, and going down the slides at Coyote Mountain. And LOVED panning for marbles- they all came home with a baggie full of them. Felicia bought them all ice cream, and I picked up a caramel apple ( that was delicious & all gone now lol) & some pumpkin bread. They were a bit disappointed that we didn't have time to go in the corn maze, but all in all, it was a fun day! Exhausting, but fun.:)





The kids have been saying the funniest things lately. Andrew informed the other day, while he was bringing me a diaper/change of clothes for the baby/one of the other 4574573475374 things that I asked him to get for me that day, that he loved me forever & that is why he always brought me the stuff I asked for. Brandon gets stickers on him homework folder, when he turns in his homework. The other day, he was showing me his pteradactyl sticker. He informed me that it was a "carrot-dactyl", & he ate carrots. lol He also cracks me up when he sees the Brown UPS trucks. As a son of a Sweeper, he knows all about the fun packages the mailman, UPS, FEDEX & DHL sometimes brings us. If you ask him who the brown truck is, he calls it the PS truck. My kids make me smile every single day! I am so glad that I am a mom!

Can I please put the clock on pause?

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that time seems to be racing by, as we get older? I cannot believe that Halloween is only 2 & a half short weeks away. Don't get me wrong- I LOVE this time of year! The holidays-Halloween, Thanksgiving & Christmas of course; but I also love the colors of the leaves changing, the "smell" in the air, turning the heater on & drinking hot apple cider on the rainy days. And of course the countdown to Black Friday! lol I just wish I had a little more time to enjoy the time leading up to these things. I really want to decorate the house for Halloween, but it's looking more & more like it isn't going to happen. My garage is still packed to the gills with boxes from our move. My goal this week is to make a big dent in them. I have to- Joshua's costumes (yes, I did say costume in the plural. lol Gotta love the after Target clearance sales. ) are in a box somewhere out there.

I'm also having issues with how fast the baby is growing. He is so close to crawling, doing the rocking & lunging, rocking & going a step. He is getting pretty darn fast at it too! Last night he was heading towards Matt's fan, and daddy barely had time to grab his foot to stop him in time. lol