It's Beginning to Look A LOT like Christmas!!!!

We have been super excited about Christmas coming for like..... WEEKS now!  Christmas music has been blaring on Pandora and in the car on our rides everywhere.  There's something so sweet about hearing your child belting out Away in a Manger and Jingle Bells.  They are so innocent and sweet.  So last weekend BEFORE, yes you read that right, before Thanksgiving, we put up our tree and decorated the house.  We are so excited for the preparation of the birth of our Lord.  Oh and also... our Elves came back!  Thank goodness.  These two have been up to some fun while spying on our girls.  Hopefully, they are giving Santa some good reports.  :)

Louis and Louise even traveled to Cleveland with us this weekend!  Louis had a spill.  Fingers crossed he's ok.  We'll know after his trip to the North Pole tonight. :)

 

 

We hope that you have a Blessed Holiday season!  Enjoy every moment!
From our BROWN eyes to yours.....

What We're Doing

We're still here, but doing a lot of this.....

 

Celebrating this.....

 

 

And a whole lot of this....

Our house is always running.  Running to practices, running to swimming, running to school and every once in a while just running.  Like for real running.  Is it weird that I still run with the double jogger and only one kid in it?  I've gotten a few looks, but It's going to be so weird to switch back to the single jogger.  I'm so used to the double wide. :) 

This is the first time I ran after surgery!  I've been feeling well and just running 2 or 3 times a week, no high mileages.  One day, but right now I'm just trying to build strength in that guy.  :)

Here's to MANY more miles!

From our BROWN eyes to yours....

A little Random

This will be an all kids of random post. :)

 

This cutie turned four last Saturday (AAAHHH!!!) and started preschool this past Tuesday.  It's been a BIG week for us!  For her birthday all she wanted to do was Soak City, McDonald's and get a Speedy Freeze.  Check, check and check!

 

We went to Kings Island for Dollar Days on Monday (we were also there on Saturday, but stayed in the waterpark).  The fam enjoyed $1 blue ice cream while I road the Scrambler with a friend.  :)

 One random day the girls dressed alike and didn't even realize it, so I just had to take a picture of these twinies. :)

One of our last summer fun pool days. There weren't too many of these days this year, but we enjoyed and savored every.last.one. 

We celebrated two half birthdays this month.  We always have some sort of dessert and sing "Happy Half Birthday to You!"

Celebrating the 4 year old.

Basketball is also consuming our life. :)  She's loving it!

The Coke truck came to KI and we ALL got our names on Coke cans!

 

A visit to the aquarium!

The girls and "Mighty Mike". That guy is HUGE!!!!!!

 

 

Thanks for sticking with this "random" post! 
From our BROWN eyes to yours...

First Day..... HOORAY!!!!!

Today was the first day of school for these ladies!

 

They were so, so, so excited!  So was I.  :)  The day started with donuts (I got up extra early to go and get some. Thank you Dunkin!).  We headed to the bus stop and used our listening ears while waiting for the buses.  I'm so blessed to have been able to drop them off this year because usually I'm in school.  :)  The youngest and I headed to school after we dropped these ladies off.  She "helped" me at school.  If you count helping as drawing on a chart I was making.  grrrr.....  Other than that she was perfect.  See....

 

From our BROWN eyes to yours....

Wordless Wednesday

From our BROWN eyes to yours....

Celebrity in the Family!

Our local teacher free store, Crayons to Computers

asked our principal a few months ago for a few kiddos to be photographed.  Of course I told her sure, she could use our daughter.  :)  Then, she appeared in the C2C newsletter and I thought... Awesome!  (Actually, I was like.. whew.. she matched that day and did I brush her hair?  BAM! Score one for Mama!) 

To our surprise though, it just kept getting better.  Popping up at all our area Kroger stores are these super cute displays.  :)

We are all so, so, so proud of her.  Amelia said, "Mama, am I famous?"  And of course my reply is, "Yes you are." 

From our Brown eyes to yours...

FREEBIE!!!! Rewards for Children

Summer is upon us and that means I go from being a full time working mama to a.... full time (working) mama.  The only difference is now I can devote all time and energy to three little ladies instead of 73 ladies and gentlemen.  :)  Do not be fooled into thinking this job is any easier than when I'm teaching.  Sometimes it is even MORE exhausting than working during the school year.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these three little ladies, but WHEW... they can be a handful. 

In order to help myself out this summer, we are starting a Rewards, punch card system.  I have made cards that look like this to ensure our successful, less stressful summer.  :)

This is just one of the cards we will be using. Once the girls have earned all 18 punches they will get to choose a reward from a list that they've come up with.  Then, we will start a new card.  So, so, so excited for this!  This morning our two youngest were up, dressed, teeth brushed and room cleaned by 6:30 am!!!!!  All to earn 1 punch! :)  SUCCESS! 

I'm thinking about printing them on cardstock and using a hold puncher, but you could print them on regular paper and have your little color in the circles.  Good practice for our 3 year old. You could also laminate them. :)

If you want to grab a copy to help keep your sanity, click on the picture below!  If you have any ideas or suggestions, I will take them for sure!!!!!

Wishing you a summer of rewards!

From our BROWN eyes to yours.......