November

OOOH!  I'm ::this:: close to catching up!

I have always loved the beginning of the school year.  Part of it, growing up, was because I loved school so much- loved the nervous excitement you get when you meet your new teacher... see who's going to be in your class- loved the preparation of getting a new bag... pencils... erasers.  Pretty much, I was a big dork!  ;)  But another reason I loved the beginning of the school year is because it meant fall was around the corner (well, whatever "fall" you get in AZ)... and THAT meant that the holidays were approaching!

I.LOVE.THIS.TIME.OF.YEAR.  Except.  It's the first time that I've had THIS many children!  And... it's the beginning of a pretty busy time of year for Derrick's job... but... still... the holidays are wonderful!

November started off with my FABULOUS sisterinlaw watching my 3 babies... so that Derrick and I could have a kidfree-24hour bday celebration for Derrick!  (We returned the favor w/ her babies too!)... It was a very hard hard hard thing for me to do... it was the FIRST time I've left all three of them... actually, it was the first time that I left Kate!  :/  But I trust Tmama...and it was a much needed time!  Derrick and I enjoyed a nice dinner w/ my parents, dropped off the kids, and headed out to see the movie Moneyball.  Typically, I wouldn't like those types of movies... but I really did enjoy it!  We also grabbed some coffee at one of DLo's "hangs" ::giggles::...  The next day... we spent the afternoon getting massages...then grabbed dinner at the Yard House before getting MORE coffee (at another "hang") and picking up ALL the kids!  :)

To celebrate Derrick, Niki, and Kevin's bdays with Derrick's family... we did something we've NEVER done before:  Cart Racing.  Derrick and I have been invited to do this a few different times with different people, but have never been able to go.  Derrick's parents were so wonderful to treat us all to this fun excursion!  It was comedy from the start- from choosing our "names" to finding the right sized helmet... the 8 of us were ready to rock!  Unfortunately for me... and my SHORT attention span... a 10 min race- especially one in which I am not winning- is too long.  And in the final(ish) lap... I took a really sharp turn REALLY fast (I thought I heard someone coming up on me and didn't want to get passed up again!)... and BOOM!  It was pretty bad... and it hurt something fierce!  I remember just thinking to myself- please do NOT have to go to the ER!  PLEASE!  Thankfully, it looked worse than it was... and although I WAS in a lot of pain for a few days, it ended up being fine!... (I still have a scar to show off too... nice)

OUCH!

Let's see... Miss Kate has started solid foods!  :(  I know.  She's getting so big!  I feel like I held off on solids w/ Kate MUCH longer than I did w/ Emme (I started Jude like RIGHT after 4months!)  It was literally a few days before she turned 5 months.  But it was time... and thankfully... she is a PRO at eating, just like her brother was!  (Emme was a wee bit nutz when trying to spoon feed her!)  I'm making all her baby food, just like I did with the other two... I honestly don't understand why EVERY one doesn't make their own baby foods and just use the jars as back ups!  It's SO cheap and easy and healthy!  :) 

...first time eating rice cereal...

Hm.  Kate turned 5months this month... and let me tell you... as proud of myself as I am that I always take her "month to month" pictures... I always feel SUPER guilty that I haven't blogged about her.  And... what they say is true... the more kids you have, the less you remember.  I mean... there are a LOT of things to remember, after all!  Sheesh!  So.  I know she was rolling from tummy to back and back to tummy... and just started solids.  But... other than being so.stinkin.cute. ...I don't know what else to tell ya!  I DO remember that she eats far less than her siblings... about 4-5oz... and that I was still "nursing".  :)

Thanksgiving, as always, was busy and fun.  Jude enjoys being at his Papa and Hanni's house more than any other place on this planet (minus DLand, of course).  And he loves to play with "Hanni's friends"... which is actually my Uncle Yong!  Haha!  Words cannot describe how it warms my heart to watch Jude and Samchun play.  So thankful for a loving family...very.very. blessed!

Hate that this picture is blurry!  But LOVE this picture!

You can tell Jude wasn't having fun at ALL!  ;)

And Miss Em was being spoiled by Papa going "Highehhhh!"

Thanksgiving with Derrick's family was nice too!  The kids are at a fun age...they play nicely, for the most part, and Jude/Emme are starting to remember the extended cousins too!  Love it!  ...it was sad not to see Pa there this year... but it WAS awesome that my "turkey cookies" that I made from Pinterest was a HIT with the kiddos!  (Especially Abbie!)

Jude and Emme got to taste test the Turkeys first!

I think she's a fan. 

And finally... now that the kids are a little bit older... and since I have this obsession with Pinterest- thus trying to be more creative... I've been trying to be more "crafty" with the kids.  I'm not very good at being "that" mom.  Partially b/c I have THREE kids that are all SO YOUNG.  But also b/c I'm too controlling and a perfectionist.  I have to remind myself that Jude is THREE and Emme's ONE...and that it's OK for the stickers to NOT go where they belong... or that the eyeballs don't HAVE to go on the head.... and that I shouldn't take stuff OFF and put them where they belong... Oy!  lol! 

The placement of the hooves was STRESSin me out!