The Open Concept House

Since moving to Texas we have cable in our corporate apartment.  I've rediscovered my love for HGTV and have watched a little too much Love it or List it & Property Brothers.  I say "too much" because last night while I was making dinner I saw Lilyanah start taking apart the couch and gathering all the blankets and pillows from the house.  Then she started moving the chair, coffee table and anything else she could find.  It was fort time.  
 Now, I consider myself a fairly creative person but this girl, she trumps me over and over!!!  I knew it a couple of years ago when she wanted to do a tea party and ;made 3
dimensional dishes out of paper.  But last night it was all I could do not to laugh at the conversation happening while she was building the fort.  "Ethne, I'm going to give you an open concept bedroom. . . ." was my favorite comment I heard.  My favorite design element was when she turned the chairs upside down on the table to use them as windows.  LOVE IT!
 Second favorite was when she turned the fabric chair on its back and got cushions and pillows to make stairs up to the coffee table which was the patio.  Adorable.

Here are some pictures from the pool the on Friday after the kids got home from school.  It's a fantastic little pool for the kids to splash around in.  It's been in the 80's and 90's so there's been plenty of opportunity to go there and play.  Also, I promised a picture of little Ethne's toothless smile.  She's about to lose her other tooth so pretty soon that gap is going to double!

The last pictures are from our weekend.  We made our first trip up to Oklahoma since moving to spend some time with family and friends.  We spent a good part of Saturday morning/afternoon trying to help Memaw get all the pines cleared out of their yard.  I don't know if you can see the line of where we cleared.  But that little area filled up 60 garbage bags and we barely made a dent!  The kids spent time picking up sticks, they didn't love that job but at 200 sticks they got to put their feet in a little plastic pool we got at Walmart on our way up.

  It was a little taste of Will's life since moving into this house when he was a teenager.  YIKES!!!  It wasn't fun but it was rewarding.  I have to say though, after one afternoon I was ready to get a chainsaw and cut those pine trees down myself!  I don't know how Memaw has done it more than 15 years!!!!! I'm a little concerned for her since she can only put 2 of these bags out with the trash a week!
  : )  There's got to be a graveyard for 5" pine needles somewhere!

My Sidekick

I am very sadly aware that my time alone with our little guy is coming to a quick end.  So here are some pics of my little guy and just a few of the things we do together during the day.

 I had to put this pic in because I can't believe how big he's getting and just love this picture, thank you grandma for the Easter outfit!

 We have to drop dry cleaning off for daddy about once a week, sometimes more, sometimes less, but I love the look of our dry cleaners building.  The wood with the stone, love it, which is why I asked Westyn to pose in front of it about a month ago.  : )  They're from California which explains the look & palm trees.  : )

 Now this happens very rarely.  Sometimes if he goes in time out and I forget about him he'll fall asleep.  (Yep, mother of the year here).  But in this instance he actually just crawled up in bed and fell asleep he was so tired!  That was a first so I had to get proof!

 We recently got these blocks and this was the beginning of the first building he decided to make.  He's a little engineer and is very resourceful with his creations.  Of course he's usually building with legos so the blocks are a nice change.

 Yesterday we had to do some shopping at Walmart so we stopped for lunch at the Subway in the back of the store, we split a sandwich and winked at each other across the table.I knew better than to interrupt his eating to ask for a smile.

And this was taken this morning after we got back home from dropping the girls off at school.  We take the dogs with us in the morning and then walk them when we get home before heading back up to the apartment.  Westyn discovered my neck pillow a couple of days ago and has been grabbing it when we go to the car for whatever reason to wear.  Yesterday he made the comment that it keeps his neck warm.  This morning it was in the 40's which explains the coat and 'neck warmer'.  When I asked him what he thought it was for he did say for sleeping so perhaps he's afraid he's narcoleptic and wants to be prepared.  I have to go get ready now to meet Will for lunch.  Love you!

Living in Texas

I can hardly believe we've lived in Texas almost 2 months already!  I've been awful at updating the blog, shocker, I know but I figured pictures are the best part so here are some pics of some of what we've been up to here.

 Super Target, gotta love everything being bigger in Texas!

 Some weekends we drive around trying to figure out where we may want to live after our time in the corporate apartment.  These pics were taken at Lake Arlington on one of those drives.  I couldn't get all the kids to jump at the same time, no surprise there. . . .  Westyn decided he wanted to pretend to surf.

 We've only spent one day at the pool thus far but this weekend is suppose to get into the 90s so I see it in our very near future!

 We went to an easter egg hunt the Saturday before Easter and sadly the best picture I got of the kids Easter Sunday was them all being their sweet, goofy selves!  Why do kids think tongues are suppose to be sticking out in pictures when they actually look at the camera!!!!??????

Just last week Ethne lost her front tooth, this is a pic of her pretty full tooth smile:

Sadly, the lighting was crazy when I was trying to get a picture of her toothless smile so stay tuned for that!

Sorry for not being so great at posts mama, but I love you with all my heart and hope you enjoy these pics!

8 year old Lilyanah

" This  is me having a tea party with Ayumi. First, we used my great-grandmother Mathias'
tablecloths and I forgot the flower by the fire place see it in the back I got it with my birthday money."

The above is Lilyanah's attempt at writing her own blog entry.  I thought she did a fantastic job for her first attempt.  : )  Of course after she had that much she was DONE.  So here is my attempt:

For Lilyanah's 8th birthday party we had a combo party planned for her and Ethne to which they both invited friends.  Unfortunately, Ethne woke up sick and I had to call and cancel with her friends who were going to attend.    So the tea party that we started with was just Lilyanah and her sweet friend Ayumi.  Lilyanah requested Gigi's coffee cake which I made and a lot of fruit, cinnamon rolls (thank you Pillsbury Dough Boy!) and muffins.  It was a serious spread, the girls loved being proper, and no, that is not a paper plate on the side of Lilyanah's head.  Ethne picked that headband "hat" when we were visiting Oklahoma in Nov/Dec.  So very English!  After they were sufficiently filled the model party began.  We made a runaway out of twinkle lights and the girls did their makeup and changed outfits to model them at least 10 times.  They were adorable!  Ayumi gave Lilyanah a beautiful purse that was part of every ensemble she tried on! Ethne started to feel a little better so I let her join and model some outfits. 
Ayumi left around lunch time and Eva arrived.  The kiddos had pizza for lunch and made rainbow cupcakes as part of their baking party.  I attempted shaping the pizza like a birthday cake, however when all your children want is cheese it doesn't get decorated cool with olives and such.
  Lilyanah's friend Mattie came over next to do crafts with her.  We bought a cabinet the day before the party to go over the toilet in the 1/2 bathroom on the main floor and had some couch shaped Styrofoam left from it's cushioning.  So we went in the basement and found some fabric they liked and  the girls worked on making couches out of them.  Now, when I say the girls worked on them, I really mean they tried for about a minute and then said, "Mommy, will you please make this for me".  Maddie's mommy, Lisanne, was a rockstar and not only got it covered but also made half a dozen pillows to accent the piece.  I, did not fare so well!.   Lilyanah quickly moved on to making Barbie veggies out of clay.  She did a very good job, I have yet to cook them . . .  more on my "to do" list!  Last, but not least, was sweet little Francessca!  She is such an adorable friend to Lilyanah.  They were in kindergarten together, they just play so well together I love when she can come over.  The girls had a spa party.  Francessca gave Lilyanah the Bejeweled game for her birthday so the two played with that while their feet soaked.  Little girls just do not fully appreciate what it means to get to relax and soak your feet.  Will filled all the tubs for me and even Westyn got a little soak in.  : )  All in all it was a wonderful day celebrating 8 years of Lilyanah!  She is such a blessing!  She loves to plan things, ANYTHING, she's already a list maker and is determined that when she grows up instead of being  a scientist we three Mathias girls will own a party-planning business.  She'll be the head decorator and I'll be in charge of baking.  I think she just plans on having cookies at our events thus far.  : )  Ethne is unsure of if she wants to do the photography or be in charge of flowers.  Such ambition!  : )  Lilyanah is deathly afraid of the dark & often has Westyn escort her upstairs to her bedroom or even when she's on the main floor, to the bathroom, mudroom or front room.  All places that are just too dark.  : (  I maybe shouldn't have talked about how God is the light and satan is darkness. . . . . .  lesson learned too late.  She does LOVE God though and that makes my cup overflow!
And now I am off to run errands!  I love & miss you all!

5 Year old Westyn

Westyn is pretty difficult to get to sit still for pictures so we're rather limited on pictures to choose from.  He knew exactly what he wanted for his birthday party and made sure I knew every detail.  Will said it's my fault for setting the bar high from previous parties I've done for Lilyanah.  When Westyn started asking for a lego batman cake with every color of the rainbow I knew Will was right.  Instead he got a white cake with a road coming off it so I could set his Lego batcave & batcar on it.  We put the candles on the corner so less pieces were ruined by his blowing them out spit.  : )  Since we were doing a little party we decided to all dress up like superheroes or villians mostly from Batman.  Daddy was Superman again but Lilyanah dressed like Cat girl, Ethne like Harley Quinn (who the kids called "Harry Queen" up until about a month ago because they thought that was her name, Westyn was obviously Batman & I'm Robin Girl wearing Ethne's tank top which explains why the R is so low.  I just love Westyn's serious face, that's what he does when you tell him to pose like Batman.  I think he's captured his essence quite well.  : )  The costumes arrived a couple of days before Westyn's party and the kids spent hours running around playing hero and villians.  You can see Batman and Harley Quinn battling it out in one of the pictures.

We had a few of Westyn's friends over for a dinner party on Sunday night, the day before his birthday.  Grandpa made an obstacle course for them to go through downstairs including a red yarn 'laser field".  It was a great way to get some energy out and entertain 5 highly energetic boys.  I don't know how we made it without getting pictures of all of them.  Mason Hinman is the son of one of the women that comes to Bible study at our home.  He and Westyn are adorable and get along perfectly.  Jackson, Trace, & Ty Sorensen also came and dressed as Captain America, Ironman & baby Superman.  Westyn loves having them over.  That's Mason in his Spiderman pajamas.  He and Westyn were taking turns trying to throw something through the ring.
 I probably don't need to point out that Westyn's costume is at least one size too big!  It should fit perfectly next Halloween, so spoiler for our next Halloween post.  I had to include a picture of Ethne in her costume with her eyes open.  With five people in our family it's nearly impossible to get a picture with everyone looking at the camera, eyes open, let alone actually smiling!  I just love her costume, the reviews on it were awful on amazon but apparently we got a good one that you'll also be seeing next Halloween.  : )  Fortunately, the costume Lilyanah chose is very versatile.  She can be Bat girl, Cat girl, a super spy, a thief, a panther. . . .  the possibilities are endless, so you'll just have to check in next Halloween to see what she chooses.
The final picture is Westyn covered in his birthday cake.  I'll admit I had a little crumb on my chin too but nothing like his face.  : )  I'm wearing a shirt that Will and I got after completing my first 5k & our first 5k together The Workforce Challenge in downtown Albany, NY. 
I can hardly believe our little Westyn is already 5 years old.  On his actual birthday I gave him the choice of what he wanted to do and as result spent over 4 hours playing Batman Lego on the Wii that Dad and Mom gave us for Christmas.  Four hours was my limit,with a headache from looking at the tv for too long I had to quit! Needless ot say, his favorite thing is anything Batman.  When I asked him his favorite colors he said yellow and black.
 Westyn is such a laid back little boy and such a joy to all of us. I am so immensely blessed not only to be his mommy, but to get to spend every day at home with him.  He has so much joy in his little heart, laughing through most of our days and most importantly will tell you how much he loves God.  In fact, when I talk to him about how much I'm going to miss him when he leaves for kindergarten next year he says, "don't worry Mommy, God is with you, you won't be alone."  If I teach him nothing else but that God is always with Him I will have done my job.  .  I feel so humbled to be raising a little man who will some day have a family of his own.  We are doing our best to try to teach him to be a gentleman and good helper around the house.  He takes being a gentleman quite seriously but REALLY does NOT like doing housework.  : (  I have my work cut out for me.  He is a very talented chef.  The kid can break eggs and stir things without spilling them all over the place.  Just the other morning he mixed pancake batter up for himself.  I was supervising of course.  Mom measured him and he and Ethne are separated now only by 1/2".  He is 45 1/2" tall and weighs about 53 lbs.  He's our little cuddler and can melt my heart as much now as the day he was born.  Thanks be to God for blessing our family with our Westyn Jack.

Halloween 2013

  Last year the kids weren't allowed to dress up for Halloween so they were extra excited to be able to wear costumes this year.  I am proud to announce that this was our first year since the girls have had an opportunity to dress up that we have been "princess-free".  Lilyanah chose to be a ballerina and Ethne went as "Robin girl".  My favorite part of her homemade costume is the R patch that my lovely and talented mama sewed for her.  She loved her costume so much she wore it for three days afterwards!  Next to Lilyanah is one of her best friends Maddie from up the street and by Ethne is little Madison, also a neighbor from around a couple of corners.

  

 The night of Halloween we had friends over for dinner (ghost shaped homemade pizza & mummy weinerwraps) before heading out to trick-or-treat together.  Lilyanah chose to be batgirl, Ethne was still Robin girl and Westyn went as Batman.  Rather than spend more than $100 on costumes we took the homemade costume route.  Will had the wig and glasses from being Will-I-am for a kareoke thing at work so he just went and bought a shirt and surprised us as Superman!  Since I'm writing it here I ruin it for later but Will joked about having me see what Dad wore that day and getting something to try to match as closely as possible and go around mimicking him all night.  Dad should take that as a compliment I think that the only thing keeping Will's costume from being Superman vs. dad is the clothes.  : )
Unforunately I only got one picture of little Westyn in his costume.  I had a full outfit for him including a black batman shirt and black pants but he was comfortable in what he was wearing.

  Trick-or-treating has changed significantly over the years.  This was the first year that we had to chase the kids down vs. leading them from house to house.  The kids never did seem to learn that you're only as fast as your slowest team mate.  The youngest little guy Jack was only 2 so they were waiting A LOT.  : )  Once they got t to the door they all wanted to ring the doorbell so we had to have them all take turns which worked out well.  It was drizzling the entire time but fortunately held off the hard rain until we were almost done.  You can see all the rain on Will's shirt where he was photo bombing the picture of Ayumi  

and Lilyanah.  Ayumi is one of Lilyanah's best friends in her class.  She moved here from Idaho this year after being there for 2 years (like us).  Her family originally came from Japan and she has been very sweet to Lilyanah writing her notes about how kind Lilyanah is.  She has also taught Lilyanah quite a bit of origami.  I think she was a pirate.
Halloween is also the end of budget season for Will and since the kids wanted him to be a part of our pumpkin carving we didn't end up carving our pumpkins until the night of Halloween.  Lilyanah was actually the only one who really cared to carve pumpkins.  So of course it was her pumpkin that had, shall we say, more than we bargained for?
Grandpa was helping cut the pumpkins open and when he cut open Lilyanah's they found little black bugs crawling all around inside of it.  Lilyanah was DEVASTATED.  Grandpa did everything he could to make it right, driving all over to try to find a pumpkin for her but there were none to be found. I had what I thought was a brilliant idea to set the pumpkin on fire and have a Halloween bonfire in the front.  Kill those nasty little buggers!  Lilyanah warmed up after quite a few "MYYYYY PUMPKINNNNNN" sobs.  The kids all roasted some hot dogs before calling it a night.  I told the kids anyone can carve a pumpkin but how many people do you know having a pumpkin bonfire!?

The next day grandpa found a cooking pumpkin in the grocery store and brought that home making Lilyanah, who FINALLY got to carve her very own pumpkin, very happy.

Happy Halloween!

WHAT!?

A new picture, that's just crazy!

That's what you're all thinking right?  Well, it isn't the most attractive picture of the kids but I love how mom (who is here visiting) captured their different expressions "attitudes"  : ).  At that point Ethne was NOT happy about her costume and was trying to transform her pirate into a pirate princess.  I got a hold of her & afterwards she was completely content.

I hope you all had a fantastic halloween & I will do my best to update more often.

Love to the two of you who still check this blog. . .  and those who use it to get to the links.  : )

Smiling,

Wendy.