Come in from the cold......

It's chilly outside, and inside I have Hot fresh coffee, we're having "Maple Pecan", and I also have breakfast all ready. How about some bacon, eggs, sausages and some biscuits and gravy???

So come in and sit down, I have a lot of photos to share with you today, you might want to get ready for that. If you don't like looking through photos, you may want to skip this post altogether, but I'm hoping you'll change your mind and stay a bit :)

What a wonderful day we had yesterday!!!

You know as a parent it's much too easy to get so caught up in the daily grind, the schedules and errands, work, house, cooking and cleaning, responsibilities. It's easy to brush aside the importance of spending time with the kids all in the name of "BEING BUSY".

I've done it way too many times, I'm not ashamed to admit it. Then there's the times that I buy them a toy because I feel guilty, like THAT'S supposed to take the place of spending time with mommy. But you know, at least I realize what I'm doing and try really hard to change it.

So yesterday, even though I'm still sick, I told the kids it was their day. I honestly didn't think hubby would join in, he's got his shifts all switched around and is struggling to get some sleep. One day he has to be at work at 5am, then the next it's 3pm, and then the following it's 11:30pm. But anyway, I thought he would be sleeping and wouldn't be able to join us, but I was wrong, he wanted to come along, especially knowing that next week he will be heading out again.

We started the day with a trip to the library, always my favorite place to head to. I was able to snap some pics, is there anything more precious than kids and books together???
Now here is where the endless photos begin, so come on and sit at the kitchen table with me, we can eat while we look right???

Oh let me just say that on the way to the library, we had already been picking leaves for our LEAF COLLAGE. I was amazed at the beautiful leaves we had already found, I mean, not just shape wise, but color and size. Truly amazing!!!

We came back home to drop off all the books, and that is when hubby decided to join us in our quest for leaves. It turned not only into a search for the perfect leaf, but also a learning experience for all of us. Have you ever just gone outside near your house and around the area, and really looked at the flowers and nature around you???

The first thing we saw were some crabapples, which Jasmine actually mistook for cherries and was sooooo thrilled :)

What is beyond the fence that has the kids so enthralled??? Well the playground off course, they tried mighty hard to see if they could squeeze through that small hole in the fence. But their attention was only lost for a minute before they set off on their quest for leaves again.

I kept having to call Nicholas back, he was trying to sneak off to the park LOL
Gotta love those wagons though, just pop them in there, they love going for a ride, and we love being able to keep them with us at all times :)

Along the way we saw some really pretty desert flowers. Yes we live pretty much in a desert, and I had no idea that it could be so beautiful, if you just take the time and pay attention to what is around you.

It wasn't long before we came upon a beautiful butterfly.

And then our friend grasshopper, he actually stopped right at our feet and remained there while I snapped pictures. Look even Jasmine got to touch him, not a peep from Mr Grasshopper. The kids were beyong thrilled and we kept hearing "OH we love this day, this is the best day ever".

As our walk came to an end, the kids wanted to make a "wish". They LOVE these, so every chance they get they pick one. Wonder what they're wishing for???
No doubt more toys!!!

By the time we got home, everyone was tired and hungry, although extremely excited at the beautiful afternoon we had spent. So instead of grabbing some sandwiches, we went to the Food Court at the BX to have some lunch. Now that may not sound like a great deal to you guys, but we hardly ever go there to eat, if we get food we bring it home. It's just that with the two kids, it was painful trying to sit down, they wanted to run all over, fight with each other, scream and shout....you understand that young kids and sit down restaurants don't necessarily mix. LOL

When we returned home it was time for some art. I think we were all dying to get in there and make our leaf collages. The rules were = THERE'S NO RULES!!! Just use your imagination, so we set to work. Wow, did we have fun, we allowed ourselves to have fun, no holding back, there were leaves all over the table, glue and glue sticks sticking here and there, sticky hands and lots of laugh.
But here's the end result, everything ready for the frames, which I'll have to do later today.

Aren't those just adorable??? Look at all that color, it really brings out the best of Fall :)
I'll be sure to share the pictures once they're all up in frames and hanging on the wall.

So there you have it, I guess you could call it our day in pictures? It just served to remind me and hubby that we don't have to go far or spend loads of money, to enjoy having fun with the kids. All they want is some alone time with mommy and daddy, so next time you're out walking, stop and look at things around you, get down on the ground with the kids and explore together, it's SO much fun ;)

Anyway, yesterday I told you all that I would share my daily schedule, of course this is just a rough draft, if I have appointments or if something comes up, I just adjust it, but it's pretty much what my day consists of. As you can see it leaves me plenty of time for TV and crafts or reading etc. Hope it helps some of you get an idea to jump start your own schedules, and here's the thing, the kids LOVE knowing what's happening next, gives them structure too and stops the "I'm bored, so I'll pick a fight with my sibling" problem.

I used to think that if I want to watch a show on TV, then that's all I'm doing and have to leave everything around me for later. NO NO NO, I've now learnt that I can do SO much while watching my favorite show, during commercials I can pay bills, make a budget, draw up a menu, look through recipes, or I can fold clothes, iron and even read my favorite book.
This way I enjoy my show AND I don't neglect the household chores. Works for me :)

And then to finish off my day, last night after the kids were asleep, I was able to sit up and watch Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel and I also started Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it :)
Only got to sleep at around 1am, and then back up at 6am with Nicholas, but I don't mind....I wouldn't have had it any other way.

It's days like yesterday that remind me why I'm a mom, the rewards far outweigh the bad days, and even the bad days are not BAD per say, just a little chaotic at times. Then again, anything worth having is filled with hard work right???

I hope you enjoyed the pictures and the breakfast, nothing like good company first thing in the morning.

I have laundry to do and I also need to get things ready for my "Ultimate Meatloaf" dinner. I'm posting the recipe on my food blog, right after I'm done here :)

Have a beautiful sunday :)