Fall Festival and the Horse of Many Colors.

I love my town.  I've said this many times... NEVER did I think I would live in a small blip of a village such as this but I love it.  Have you ever seen Gilmore Girls?  Stars Hollow... that is what I think of when I think of my town.  There was a fall festival a little while back and the kids participated in the Fun Run.  Then in the neighboring village, Berlin was invited to paint a pony, Jellybean, and then walk in the Celebration of the Horse parade.  After leaving the parade, the rest of the day was spent at bounce houses, watching BMX stunts, and listening to the music at the festival.

 Eli was preparing himself for what he thought was going to be a big boom for the start of the race.

 He has a running style all of his own. :)

 Ribbons!  The kids were so excited to get ribbons!

 Painting Jellybean for the parade.  She was very sparkly and colorful.

 Berlin and daddy.

 The parade took a ridiculously long time to start.  Wearing on Isadora's patience, James tried to appease with new sitting arrangements.

Preparing to be Miss America someday.  Look at this bright smile!

October happenings.

James and I have been trying to be productive with the house.  A few weeks ago we organized and purged A LOT from the basement.  It is a lot more helpful to have things lined up on shelves, labels front facing.  We bought a set of lockers for our mud room and have cleaned them up and repainted them in a lovely shade of WHITE.  I had major decision problems so decided white would delay the decision making.  Works for me.   We are also redoing a dresser for a new buffet.  I'm excited!  Photos to come.  Also, new lighting for our rockin' patio space.  It feels overwhelming at times to attempt to do anything but the day to day but it is nice to get them accomplished... however slow it may be.

iphone photo of our patio progress last night.  Next spring it will be more decorated with pottery but I couldn't find anything that I liked this year.  I may have to DIY some planters.

The last couple of weeks have been hairy to say the least.  Sick children.  Behavior issues (we won't go there right now).  My work picked up all at once with a bunch of work to do.  James' work has been insane and he has been working a LOT of late nights and weekends.  Field trips, halloween class party prep and costumes (thankfully I had a HUGE help from Judy, my MIL), doctor appointments for the kids and I.... way too many for me because of my injured back.  I did manage to get the winter coats and hats out in time for the freezing weather that came our way so quickly.  Life is so busy.

BUT with that busy busy... I had some amazing times.

A girl day with the girls.  We had a school field trip for Izzie and Berlin's school was cancelled due to a funeral of a school official.  SO girl day.  We went to Starbucks for some pumpkin scones and drinks.  Then to the Detroit Zoo.  We spent the morning there and then headed to Somerset for lunch and a little shopping.  It was great.  I'm always amazed at how mature Berlin is becoming.

Elijah's parent/teacher conferences went SUPER.  He is doing fantastic... especially with math.  His reading is coming along so quickly as well.  This week he read his first longer book (one without 2 words per page).  I haven't forced it on him at all and he is now to the point that he is so excited about reading that he can't stop.  He reads everywhere we go.  We bought him a new book called Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons.  He has read it all by himself at least 10 times aloud to James and I.   "Mom, Mom, can I read this to you again?"   AH, love it.

James and I also got a date night last week after conferences!  We went out for dinner at the Union Woodshop in Clarkston.  They have some fun drink concoctions.  I tried a new one for an appetizer and opened new horizons with the Porker... ignoring my distaste of the name of the burger I was about to consume.  It was delish.  We had actual conversation without interruptions and a lot of laughing, considering I had a drink for an appetizer.  It was a nice time.

Also, my mom decided to make a boatload of jams and butters which were so lovingly gifted to our family.  AMAZE!  Peach, apple, pumpkin, strawberry, and raspberry!  Cheers to fall!

Long week.

It has been a REALLY long week.

Being a parent is the hardest job.  Cliche comment but I've been feeling it a lot lately. In my idealistic little mind, I keep waiting for things to just fall into place and that it will be magically easier. I've heard that... it gets easier. HA HA, no. Sorry. Being a mom is the greatest joy I've ever thought I could have BUT so far, not getting easier.

Three toddlers turned into three school aged kids and although certain struggles, like bedtime (can I get an AMEN?! for sleep!) have lessened, it just brings about a new stage of struggles. But in that challenge, there is the reward. I know that so far my kids are doing pretty good. We've gotten through the stages and struggles to make it to these next ones and remembering the triumph and the good times alleviates some of the pressure or anxiety about doing it right. I said I want to be a lifelong learner.... well, I asked for this. :)
 

 I was going to write more but now I have a bird in my basement again! 

 A few more from August.

Elijah learning to ride a 2-wheel

James trying with Izzie.  She needs some more time.

Morning at the beach.

Not sure what is with the gangsta pose.  A backstreet boy?

Castles in the sand.

Village making... mine was more primitive. 

Buried.

Telling daddy to get out into the water!

I've missed this.

 A few weeks ago, or months ago? Time... I'm not so sure of how fast it is going sometimes... Anway, a period of unknown time ago I was going through my blogs before I deleted one and had them put into an E-book.  SUPER idea, really.  I didn't want to lose all of the blogging but tired of paying for my hosting when I didn't post.  It really made me happy to read and see pictures of the kids.  I've been blogging since before I was married and it was so fun to read my own terrible puns, not so great days and how I got through them, pictures of the kids, excitement of sharing ultrasound pictures and announcements of pregnancy or moving.

I do keep small journals for each kid--amusing stories and such.  I also keep a smash book for my lazy photo memory keeping.  But I think it loses context for me.  I remember only so much. I keep meaning to do more journaling but I haven't gotten around to it.  So, I think I may be back.  I've missed this.

And because photos are fun... a couple randoms from August. 

New Bloggy Blog! {ch. ch. ch. check it.}

So it isn't finished BUT I have a new blog started! Please visit it. Bookmark it. Come back and look at it often! I'll be updating more often now that life here in the James and Amanda Mattila household has become a little less insane. http://family.amandamattila.com/

And now for something completely different...

Woo! I just got off my butt and started installing the wordpress application onto my other domain that I already host for my business blog...and am creating a new family blog! Big pictures! Easier to update = more updates! I'm excited. It probably won't be done for a little bit but I'm hoping to get pictures from our move and our recent vacation up in Michigan up asap! I will make a post when it is up with the new link.

YIPEE.

Izzie is 11 months old!

Wow, 11 months old! She is almost a year! Amazing how it flies. I've been thinking about her birthday and I'm going to do a little party here. My mom and Steve and possibly Chrissy, Roger, (and hopefully more) are maybe coming down the weekend of her birthday. It is Steve's 50th birthday and we originally had planned to go to Lake Michigan but with the move, it was going to be a lot so they might be coming down here. Plus, Steve is into the Civil War stuff and wants to see some battlefields and such. I came up with some ideas for her party so I plan to start once I get back from Michigan. I found a dress for her that I just love... here!

So, what has our precious Isadora accomplished in the last 11 months? Besides being the little angel that has us wrapped around her tiny finger... she has 2 teeth, eats table food, she climbs (yay, another climber), can walk more than we can count her steps, tries to blow kisses (which looks like smacking herself), she claps when we say clap or we clap or we sing a song that has clapping, dances when we sing or music is on, says "mama, dada, hi" along with babbling which sometimes sounds like words. The other day, I think she sang "abcd"!