A look ahead on the calendar and there was an entire weekend with no plans and the weather forecast was warm and sunny . . . it was the perfect set up for a weekend getaway! We announced to the kids that it was going to be a family weekend and they excitedly ran upstairs and packed their stuff. Minutes later Tinkerbelle, Cinderella and Mickey Mouse suitcases bounced down the stairs filled with all their favorite possessions ready to go. They were off! Our 3 kids ran out the back door, suitcases in tow, jumped into the tent . . … Continue reading →

I have the perfect Father’s Day gift . . .every mom should run out now and get one of these for their kids Dad! This perfect gift gives back every weekend, to ME! I sleep in (LATE) every Saturday morning. Daddy HAS to get up. The kids beg for  him to get up. The kids never let him skip a weekend, this is serious ‘Daddy is the best ever and we love him soooo much’ kind of stuff!! All the  makings of the PERFECT Fathers Day Gift!! So what is it? THE perfect gift for this Fathers Day is a … Continue reading →

At 6:30 this morning when the alarm clock went off, I could see the fog out my bedroom window. I knew it had rained over night, I knew the trails we were about to hike would be full of mud and the rocks we were going to climb over would be slippery and wet. I knew I was going to have to drag the kids out of bed early on a Saturday, I knew my 5 year old would be too tired to hike the whole way, I knew my husband still really wasn’t feeling well, I knew we were … Continue reading →

Since they were weeks old my kids have been running! It’s my form of exercise, my me time and my required ‘must do’ if I want to fit in to last years pair of jeans! So soon after birth, my babies were put into jogging strollers and off we went. When each of my 3 girls were 8 months old, my husband and I completed a ½ marathon WITH our newest addition in the jogger. They each have their own finish line photos and medals proudly displayed in our hallway. Medal bearing babies!! Now that they are 5,7 and 9 … Continue reading →

I let my kids skip school on afternoon this week. No one was sick. No one had an appointment. And no one was more excited to get out of school at 1pm then my 3 kids! It’s been a crappy Spring around here . . . sunshine only out for small windows of time and then clouds roll in and we have rain for days and days. Everything is soggy all the time. We’ve given up hoping for Spring and hike in the rain, bike in the clouds and just cross our fingers that Summer sunshine will be here one … Continue reading →

It happened in an instant, I had no more than a 2 second warning but I saw it coming . . .for those 2 seconds you could see me in super slow motion shouting “Nooooo” and reaching out to cover my kids’ ears. Right there, hands in our popcorn bowl, giggling at a silly movie, right before my very eyes, the Easter Bunny vanished. I couldn’t prevent it, I couldn’t take it back, I couldn’t explain it away. I couldn’t lie to my 9 year old anymore. It’s been a big couple of months for her. The tooth fairy had … Continue reading →

I love that I get to take my kids to school everyday and I can be there to pick them up after school. When they were little I would carry or push one, pull one on a bike and the oldest would walk. Now on nice days we walk through the forest looking for squirrels and flowers instead of taking the long sidewalk home. On cold days we all pile in the van and we battle car seats & snowsuits, seat belts and winter gloves. Over the years it has gotten more fun on the warm days as we walk and stop … Continue reading →