Life in the Fast Lane...

We've been back in school now for about 3 weeks, I've officially started my Rank 1 (a series of 7 classes  that will also certify me to work with students who are dealing with moderate-severe disabilities) and Labor Day is slowly creeping nearer...

I have lots of people ask me "How do you work with 4 kids?"  I have a fabulous husband who helps and is supportive of my craziness and a wonderful family that helps with pick ups or odds-n-ends that I may not be able to cover.  My older kiddos are old enough to be responsible for chores and are somewhat self sufficient and... I am organized.  You may not recognize it if you walked into my house (or as I refer to it, Crazytown), you may not be able to see this if you walk into my classroom, but yes, there is a method to my madness.  I thought I would share some of the online tools/services I have found that are helpful to me and although I may not use everything mentioned, you may find them helpful.

When I get up early in the morning (between 5 & 5:30) I pack lunches, pack bottles/cups for daycare and prep dinner...that is if I didn't do that the night before which I try to get done so I can sleep later... but speaking of prepping for lunch and dinner...

At our house, we plan our menu using menu planning websites.  I specifically use www.quiettimecooks.com for dinners and www.emeals.com for lunches.  I have found that I spend anywhere between $75-$125 in groceries each week (avg $300 a mon-maybe a tad more) and this includes formula, diapers, etc. I shop at either Aldi or Kroger each week depending on the schedule. So far, |I've just had to put $10 in each of my kid's lunch accounts (which I may add that I love how our district is doing that online @ www.myschoolbucks.com) once this year because we pack and have saved lots!  It's nice to have different foods each night and different ideas for lunches that even Nathan and I can enjoy.  I try to prep as much as possible on the weekend or the night before so that when we get home I'm not necessarily in the kitchen all afternoon.  We eat out maybe once a week (also schedule depending as we have gymnastics, afterschool meetings, etc).

Here are some other menu websites  (I got mine on www.groupon.com) but I see them often on www.livingsocial.com and www.plumdistrict.com).

5 Dinners in 1 Hour- www.5dinnersin1hour.com
No More 'To Go'- www.nomoretogo.com
Another great resource is www.moneysavingmom.com - her sight is great for menus, freezer cooking,  family fun and lots more money saving ideas
And never underestimate the ideas you can find on Pinterest





I did just find a website that I've not yet used but it is called  Saving Star (https://savingstar.com).  You can link your loyalty card to the site and put coupons onto your card.  As you save money using coupons, you can earn credit on this account and then cash it out into your paypal account or an Amazon card.  As mentioned, I just found this this morning so you'll need to look that up for more info.


Another chapter in the story of my life is Dishes and Laundry!  I have no solution for dishes...other than "just do it" :/ I try to stay on top of them and get a sense of accomplishment if I do :)

It is pretty much the same with laundry- I do at least 1 load a day and am trying to stay on top of it and get it put away.  With 4, though it seems like someone is always growing into or out of something and putting away laundry turns into cleaning out closets and drawers.  I love a good consignment sale and will even list some I know of coming soon but I have also found I love ThredUp (www.thredup.com).  I order a bag-I just turned in my 2nd- and fill it up.  I send it back (they have a shipping label on the bag) and they email me when they receive my bag.  I get credit from my clothes on my account and have the option to cash it out through paypal.  I will be honest, I haven't ordered anything yet, but look forward to doing so.  I have sent in 2 bags and in a timely manner (my most recent was just a week) have gotten a decent credit for my bags! The 1st one I did cash out but I am waiting to decide on the second one. This has been a good option when I don't have space to keep storage around and I won't get the chance to consign soon and I don't have to load everyone up and wait at a consignment shop or spend time tagging.  Of course I save some things
to hand down to the little boys or friends but again, this is a fun option.

Snazzy Swap (www.snazzyswap.com) is a clothing swap site for kids (you can do books, dvds, and toys).  For this site, you fill a USPS flat rate box (the size depends on what you are sending- clothes go in a medium box for example) and post your box (be sure to post some pics of what you are sending).  When you post a box, you can also pick a box (thus the swap).  You simply pay postage (about $11.95 for a medium box + $5 for the maintenance of the website-a portion is also donated to a designated organization for children with special needs- I believe this changes periodically and it is listed on the site).  I just sent my first box this week and will be able to pick my box!  I'll be sure to keep you posted...

Since I am talking about kids' clothes...there are some consignment sales coming up in September.
Lily Bugs (Georgetown) Sept 7-8
Little Elks (Lexington) Sept 20-22
MOPS Take Two (Georgetown) Sept 22

There are lots in our area, but these are all sales I've been too and love.  I've also sold at two of the 3 successfully. 

To keep everything together, I've just started using Cozi.  There is a website and an app as well.  I have used it to set up a family calendar so that Nathan or I can log in and enter events on the calendar or check out what's happening.  There is a lot more offered, but I have just gotten started- to do lists, grocery lists, etc are included...however I am often more of a pen and paper lister...you may find this useful for your family though.

To stay informed on family fun, check out the website www.lexfun4kids.com - aside from just doing my own local investigating, I always check this out if we're looking for something fun to do :) 

This weekend we are headed out to a car show where our families are showing their cars!  Here's to some great family times (and those little tools or technology that help it go just a tad smoother)!

School is back in session and just like with any change of schedule in our home, it's been a crazy week!  I don't have a lot to write about but instead wanted to share with you my summer through pictures :)

 

 

 

 

 

Sweet Corn Festival

My 1st grader, 2nd grader and day care attendee! Sawyer also goes to day care but is sleeping at this moment :)

McKenna and Asher had a blast at Kid's College...college graduates :)

Harrington Herd!

My Littles

Sawyer can play!

Asher showing cattle

Happy 4th of July!

Brothers

The Longest Day of Play

Longest Day of Play

A walk in my brother's boots

McKenna tries her hand in archery- Longest Day of Play

These are just a few moments of our summer...I didn't do as many posts as I would have liked, but then again we were having moments just like these! Tonight, we plan to go to a baseball game- the kids are so excited :)  I hope everyone had a great start to their school year and enjoy this beautiful weekend!    Have a great weekend

Something new...

wow! Where has the summer gone! I can say that my kiddos and I have had a good summer and are now making preparations to head back to school. With new back packs and lunch boxes we now have a few clothing items to buy! It's on that note, I wanted to share with you something new I'm going to give a try! I LOVE a good consignment sale and it's that time of year around here. But when I registered for one of our local sales I was a little late- no time for me to volunteer and no good drop off time available :( This leaves me with a bunch of clothes. So- I am going to try www.thredup.com (I am on a different computer and can't get my links to link so I apologize - you will need to check it out! You order a back (when I created my account I actually got one for free) then once it arrives you fill it up with the clothes you wish to consign and send it back. The process is a bit longer as you have to wait but, I'm not having to sort or tag and I can afford to wait a little bit. They pay you through Paypal or you can spend your earnings at their online consignment store. I am waiting for my bag right now and will let you know how the process goes :) Most readers know that I've used E-mealz in the past (and was pretty pleased) but when our meals started to feel the same every week we decided to switch it up. Based here in the Central KY area there is a menu planning website- www.quiettimecooks.com. After seeing this on the news we decided to change things up and give it a trial run- and we are so glad we did :) Our budget did not change and there is something for everyone. We love the bonus recipes- especially the homemade peanut butter bars from last week that taste like reece cups! I still love to follow the e-meals blog and am very excited to see they are offering a lunch plan (right now Groupon.com has a deal). I may consider this as I just packed up my hubby's lunch with yet another sandwich. Other news in the Harrington house- we have cut the cable. Yes, we were tired of paying unnecessary money for a cable service we didn't like and don't have lots of time to watch. So we kept our Netflix and added Huluplus. As far as Huluplus we are still deciding on it... It is more for the tv watcher as Netflix has more movies but I read that in the fall it is really good about keeping you up with the network tv you miss. We are also checking out a free trial of Amazon Prime but I doubt we will hang onto that one. Well, I will get going! We've had dentist appointments this week- I am happy to report NO cavities! That was truly a first :) today Asher and Sawyer go for check ups. So we are a busy clan. I will do my best to keep you posted- but we all know it may not be timely!

Summer Bucket List

It's been a great summer so far- but it's flying by! I was inspired by a post I saw on facebook about a summer bucket list. A fellow teacher had written what she and her family wanted to do throughtout the summer on clothespins and clipped them to a bucket. As they complete each activity, she took that pin and put it in the bucket! This way they could look at what they've done and not reflect on "where's the summer gone?" I thought I would take a short moment to look back over what we've done so far and what we still would like to squeeze in before we head back to school! So far this Summer, we've gone to the library for story time and fun Friday. We've swam and even made it to the movies! Kid's night at Chick Fil A and wrapped up a tball and soccer season. We've hit up a few good yard sales, built some pretty cool projects at Lowes. The kids learned some great new skills & had wonderful worship at VBS (Campin' With the Crew). We are all reading for summer reading and on a personal note, I have enjoyed getting some 'me' time at Jazzercise:) My sister has helped me get from place to place - I have to brag that so far, every has behaved very well on our outings! Logistically, though, I am still trying to figure out how to get everyone in and out -which is where my sis has been most helpful! There are other things I could list, but needless to say, so far we've enjoyed our summer! What next??? We still have some things we'd like to do this summer- the drive-in movies, craft camp(McKenna), fishing, baseball game, bowling (Asher's request :), the park, Kids College and whatever else catches our attention! I had some crafty things I would like to do and some cleaning/organizing projects too- hopefully we get it all in! Do you have a summer bucket list??? Please share!

"There's a party in my tummy! Yummy! Yummy!"

If you have young children, this title may sound familiar to you as it's from the show Yo Gabba Gabba.  However, it just makes me hungry!  So, as I've been writing about summer fun I've written about baseball/bowling, movies, and reading programs but I've not gotten around to one of my favorites....
Kids Eat Free or Cheap!  Below I have a list of restaurants and their specials or kids' nights (much of which I took from http://lexfun4kids.com/ -which I highly recommend you follow if you are in the Central KY area. She always knows what's happening around town!  Anyway...back to cheap eating...
 As always, make sure you call and check before you go just to be sure.  Enjoy!!

**Remember, many are free with the purchase of an adult meal!
**Fazoli’s Snow Day Deal!! If school is out for a SNOW DAY you get a FREE kids meal with any adult meal purchase! (up to THREE free meals per adult meal purchased)
**Check out the Asian Buffet in Georgtown (I believe their kids' night is Monday but not sure)
**Check out Gattitown (Lexington) and Gatti's Pizza (Frankfort) for their specials.
**Chuck E. Cheese has many great charts and calendars kids can use to earn free tokens on their website (they also honor good grades)
Mondays
(Lexington Legends games offer Kids Eat Free on most Mondays during the season! Sponsored by Members Heritage Federal Credit Union)
Chick Fil A Hamburg
Chick FIl A Georgetown
Chick Fil A Richmond
The Dog House (Winchester 5 – 7)
Smashing Tomato (6 – Crafts + Kid’s meal $1.99
Saporro- Georgetown
Tuesdays
Chick Fil A Harrodsburg Rd.
Fazoli’s (5 – 8 99 cents)
Chili’s
Pizza Hut (5 – 7)
Gold Star Chili (3 and younger)
Tony Roma’s Beef O Brady’s (4 –
BD’s Mongolian Grill
Bob Evans (4 pm to close)
Mancino’s (Leestown Road)
Theresa’s Grinders (Pasadena)
Old Chicago (Make your own kids pizza for $1.99)
Denny’s (4 – 10)
Moe’s Southwest Grill
Texas Roadhouse
Zaxby’s (Nicholasville – up to 2 free kids meals w/adult meal)
Applebees Georgetown (one free meal w/adult meal additional meals are $1)
Wednesday
Buffalo Wild Wings (1.99 cents)
Applebees
Dog House (Winchester – 5 – 7)
Cantuckee Diner (Winchester 4 – close)
Fro-Jo’s (Wacky Wednesday Discount – check their Facebook page for details on how to claim your free frozen yogurt that specific Wed.)
Menchie’s FREE Waffle Bowl for anyone
Thursday
Chick Fil A Nicholasville Road (W/purchase of adult meal)
El Chico (after 5 pm 99 cents)
Carino’s
Giovanni's-Georgetown
Friday
IHOP (4 – 10) Perkins (after 5 pm)
Saturday
Zaxby’s (New Circle Rd)
Steak and Shake (Free w/every $8 purchased)
Denny’s (4 – 10)
Sunday
Tumbleweed Steak and Shake (Free w/every $8 purchased)
Zaxby’s (New Circle Rd)
The Dog House (Winchester 3 – 5)
Firehouse Subs (.99 cent kid’s meal w/drink, sub, cookie)
Whole Foods (Hot bar, salad bar) Purchase $10 from the hot bar/salad bar and your child eats free. (There are specially marked containers for kids)
Every Day
Cici’s Pizza (kids 3 and under)
FREE Frozen Yogurt at Orange Leaf for good grades (Confirm the details at the individual store)
FREE Donut at Krispy Kreme for every A your child brings home (up to 6)
I didn't include links for these as there are so many and I'm sure there are more so please share :)

Baseball and Bowling Boredom Busters!

Baseball and Bowling Boredom Busters!! Say that 3 times fast!

I plan to keep today's list pretty short-my niece is coming over to play :)

Baseball is a great way to celebrate summer! We have especially spent a lot of time on the t-ball field this spring but on our summer to do list is to go to a "big" baseball game! In our area we have a few different options I thought I would share.

The Lexington Legends is our nearby Minor League Baseball Team There are so many great promotions and deals. Simply check the website for ticket availability and prices- games often include fireworks nights, Faith and Family night and more! Kids eat free Mondays, there are Thirsty Thursdays, Kids Club nights, and hot dogs for 35cents on Tuesdays. So much to enjoy. Keep an eye out on your summer reading library packet because on ours, it notes that if you finish your reading logs by July 20th, you get free tickets for the game on August 10th (Reader Appreciation Day).

In May, they celebrated school being out by having kids bring in their report cards -and the could receive a box seat for free at selected games! Something to remember for next year...

We are also located near Cincinnati-home of the Cincinnati Reds!It has been so long since I've gone to a Reds game, but I have good memories of doing so :) They also offer great promotions and events like, fireworks, zoo nights and family days. If you're nearby check it out (or check out your local team).

If you're in or near a college town, this may be another great option to see a baseball game! For example, you can attend a University of Kentucky baseball game in Lexington for $5 - General Admission - Adults (18+) $2 - General Admission - Youth / Seniors (65+)
**Children ages 5 & under are admitted free

If you need to get out of the heat on a hot summer day, let me encourage you to go bowling! Check out Collins Bowling Lanes (or your local lanes) for the summer kids program. Click on Collins Kids Club and get your coupons weekly for free bowling.

The website says, "Children under the age of 12 are eligible to register for 2 free games a day, all summer long (May 25 to August 15), courtesy of Collins Bowling Centers along with the schools and organizations"

Today, on Groupon, the featured deal for Lexington is a group outing (up to 6ppl) that includes one hour of bowling, shoe rental and a pitcher of Pepsi for $19. I bought mine! My kids love to bowl!

Hope these ideas help to bust boredom at your house! Have a Happy Friday!

Movie Madness!

So. At my house I have a list.  It drives my husband crazy that I list. You see, I have a minor ocd about listing things. But I do and I think I will share one of my lists with you but broken down into pieces each day-a series so to speak.  My list is my "to do list".  Not what I need  to get done around the house or errand to do list-that's no fun, but stuff I want to try or to do with my kids/family.  Mostly fun outings and freebies.  Yesterday, I shared the reading/book portion and today I plan to tackle movies!

There are a ton of opportunities to get out and see a free or very cheap movie this summer! tried to make sure you have a link to each on-so click away! 

1. Regal Summer Movie Express Moviegoers of all ages can climb aboard the Summer Movie Express to enjoy a great selection of films. During this 9-week festival, participating Regal Cinemas (Hamburg),will offer selected G or PG rated movies for only a dollar on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at 10:00. A portion of proceeds from the Summer Movie Express will be donated to the Will Rogers Institute.           

2. Cinemark Summer Movie Clubhouse (Fayette Mall) If you purchase tickets in advance, you can buy tickets for 10 shows for $5.  If purchased at the box office tickets are $1 per show. See the link for a schedule and concessions coupon!

3.  Theaters of Georgtown offers free summer kids movies:

June 6-7 HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
JUNE 13-14 HUGO
June 20-21 MEGAMIND

June 27-28 Puss in Boots
July 4-5 Rango
July 11-12 Shark Tale
July 19 Shrek Forever After
July 25-26 TinTin

4.  Free Friday Flicks at Jacobson Park-  is a great way to get outside and enjoy a free movie!

7 pm (pre-show activities) Dark (movie)
Friday evenings June 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 (Rain Date: July 6)
Jacobson Park Admission: Free

Free Friday Flicks Movie Schedule 2012:

June 1st-Cars 2-Disney
June 8-The Muppets-Disney
June 15-Dolphin Tale
June 22-Puss in Boots
June 29-Adventures of Tin Tin
July 6 is the rain date

5. In Cynthiana, KY, you will also find Free Friday Flicks but I do not have any links to share. I do know that through June you can find a free movie on Friday evenings at Flat Run Veterans Park and you may check the local newspaper, The Cynthiana Democrat for details.

6. In Lexington (Triangle Park), you can find Fountain Films on Friday. This takes place all summer long (more information can be found HERE) and this movie event is different as it is more for adults, showing films such as Pretty in Pink or Dirty Dancing. What about the kids? See the link for details about the Exploium's Parents Night Out program!

7.  Another option for free movies, may be your local library.  I know that at the Central Branch in Lexington, you can find Movies on the Big Screen (Mondays at 1:30pm).  You may want to check your local branch as an option also.

8.  As always, Carmike Cinemas (near Hamburg) is a great place to catch a movie at a reasonable price ($1.50 the last I remember-and that's throughout the year, not just summer).

9.  Cinemark Lexington Green Movies 8 is also a great value all year long with regular movies $1.50 and 3D for $3.50!

10. The Kentucky Theater (Downtown Lexington) shows classic movies during the summer and early fall.  They will also be hosting a special showing of The Lorax on Saturday, June 9th at 10am for free.

11.  The Movie Tavern is another fun option for movies!  This option may be a little more expensive as it is a theater and restaurant also. They offer Breakfast and a Flick on Saturday and Sunday mornings (9am) and Retro Cinema Summer Blockbusters on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:30pm.

12.  Have you and your family been to a drive in theater?  That is on our summer list to do!  Great local options are The Bourbon Drive-In in Paris, KY and the Sky Vue Twin Drive-In in Winchester, KY.

13.  Finally the summer wouldn't be complete without some good rentals.  We are all familiar with the value you can get at the public library (free rentals) or Redbox, but at Blockbuster, if your child presents their report card, they can get a free rental from the family section. They also offer Camp Wannawatchamovie.  This is a 4 week pass good for unlimited rentals of select family/kid movies.  It's 4.99 for a 4 week pass and my kiddos loved doing it last year and each received a cinch back pack with activities when they signed up. 

Shew!  I think that takes care of movies!  There are many great ways that you can enjoy a budget friendly outing or even splurge for that date night with dinner and a movie :)  Happy Watching!!

Summer Time and the Livin' is Easy...

Today is the first "official" day of summer break for those in school at our house!  Yay!   Of course that doesn't necessarily mean anything in the area getting to sleep in...but I'm sort of a morning person so that's okay.

In the last few years of my teaching, I can say that we have never gotten out before Memorial Day!  This is a first for me (although I do have a lot of professional development and work to do as my classroom is moving) and the kids have certainly enjoyed the beginning of summer.

Memorial Day weekend was a nice, long weekend for our family (pictures to post later).  We went to Salato Wildlife Center, which is a great family outing (and FREE) and then out for pizza.  This worked out great, because it was also my niece's birthday and my sister and her family came along as well. We built the ice cream truck at Lowe's Build and Grow Workshop (also FREE and a must-do, the next projects are from Madagascar 3) and wrapped up our weekend cooking out with family and swimming!

We have already signed up at our local library  for summer reading and today, we've laid around (doing the minimal laundry, dishes and some light pick ups).  After this post, I actually plan on reading some of my own while the little guys are napping.  I did want to let you in on some great activities and freebies that take place throughout the summer.  We love family time and the summer is a great time to enjoy some free fun! 

1.  When do you sign up at your local library, you will receive coupons for great KY attractions.  These include the Explorium, Newport Aquarium and the Louisville Zoo are all attractions that are included in this set of coupons-and many more.

2.  Half Price Books Feed Your Brain Summer Reading (kids log the time they are spending reading and can earn a $5 gift card! Click on the link to print off the book log and other materials.

3.  Barnes and Noble has a great summer reading program as well (in addition to their regular story times)- giving your kids the opportunity to earn a free book.  Visit the link to see printables such as a reading log and journal pages.

4.  Joseph Beth has great events for families this summer.  This includes a camp and summer reading program in addition to their regular story times!

One great resource you may want to utilize this summer as I write about reading programs is called TumbleBooks.  Go to your local library's webpage, for my library it is HERE.  Find the link to TumbleBooks and instantly gain access to the Tumble Book Library (online read along books, story books as well as games and puzzles).  I tried to do this while not using a link from my library webpage but it seems as though this is a website that you need to utilize from a school or library link and not on your own. 

Well, that is is for now!  Hoping I can do some reading of my own and then implement my cleaning schedule in the next couple of days, and be a little more regular with my blogging (I have more good freebies and some "crafty ideas" I may give a try from pinterest...but for today just take it easy.

Off and Running!

Hello!  I wanted to take a quick minute to simply let you know what we've been up to since the last time I wrote!  I think it's easiest to describe life recently through pictures...so enjoy!

On April 14th, Sweet Sawyer was 1 month old!

It wasn't much later that we celebrated Ian's 2nd birthday!

And what better way to celebrate than with our friends and family at the playground for a picnic!

 

Next came Mother's Day!  Where these little guys and I (along with their mommies) watched the big kids present a program at church!

I've loved watching these fabulous young ladies at dance!  Gosh, my girl is growing up so quickly!!

And lately, we've spent a lot of time watching soccer and t-ball games :)

Although we are finding ourselves VERY busy- we've made time for some ICE CREAM!!

(Oh, Ian!)

And amid all of the madness...look at this cutie who has just turned 2 months old!

So this, my friends is a month in the life of the Harrington's!  Just this week, we have so many moments to add, though!  Field Day, Kindergarten Graduation, Awards Day...I am so proud of my kiddos!

I can't wait to share this week's photos sometime soon :)  I also have some great summer deals to mention, just in case you're looking for some summer fun!  I'm pretty sure mine will be full of fun and busy times!

Mission...Possible

Today, I attempted what one may consider the impossible. I took my entire crew to the library! Yes- all FOUR. I am very proud of my big kids! We started our outing out with the discussion that this was Ian's first trip to the library (in which he was not riding in a stroller) and we may not make it very long. So we set out with a plan- get in and get the materials we wanted to check out first. Then, play computer and do "fun" things! They were such troopers! Asher was so helpful pushing the stroller and being the big brother and McKenna was watchful as Ian wandered around when I took off his monkey tail (AKA leash). Both were so understanding when it was time to go due to an impending meltdown.

You see, timing is everything. We planned to leave the house between 10 and 10:30 because we knew we could get lunch on the way home (yes, good behavior=happy meals all around). Sawyer rode in his stroller (and slept the entire time) with no issues. Ian wore his backpack so that I could keep up with him as we browsed books. I am now one of those moms. I NEVER thought I would use a "leash" for one of my children. However, Ian is a runner and he is fast-faster than this mommy with 3 other children (1 being in a stroller) can go. He doesn't oppose it-as a matter of fact it is a monkey "backpack" with a tail and he puts his treasures in it to carry with him so it is very helpful.

I am happy to say that our first trip out was successful. We did not cause any major disruption or destruction in the library. Everyone got a happy meal and Asher asked, "where are we going next?" hmmm... who knows where you'll see us-but you'll recognize us when you do! lol :)

Happy Easter!

Easter Eggs!

At church with my bunch and my sweet niece...

Shew! We made it to church just in time!

Who's kids wear their St. Patrick's Day shirts to the egg hunt? Oh, those are mine :)

McKenna opted to multi task- eat the candy as she goes...

Asher means business

My niece, Alexis found the Easter Bunny!

Look at that sweet face :)

I hope that everyone had a blessed Easter! We celebrated with family and friends, egg hunts, dying Easter eggs, Peep s'mores, treats from the Easter bunny and most importantly remembering what Easter is truely about.

In our family, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on Easter! John 11:25 says, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die."

Although we have lots of fun during Easter, we also make sure that we remember that he was crucified on the cross so that we could live! I hope that you also remember the true reason for Easter and I hope that you celebrated with those you love and made many memories :) Above are some pictures from our weekend!

Spring Fever!

This morning on the way to school, my big kids reviewed what is to be going on throughout the remainder of the week. Needless to say, McKenna and Asher are pumped! Tomorrow they are each having a class Easter egg hunt and we have an Easter dinner to get to. THEN SPRING BREAK! Yay! I've had the chance to spend the last couple of weeks with 2 of the sweetest little boys you will ever meet- but next week, our clan will be complete as McKenna and Asher will be home!

Our spring break plans include a few different activities around here since Nathan is working so I thought I would share in case you also have spring break and need something to do.

McKenna and I are working to plan a girls' afternoon at Primary Pottery (Georgetown). McKenna has by dying to go and I know she needs some girl time, so we are headed across the street when Nathan gets home from work and painting some pottery! She is also wanting to get her ears pierced so we may try to go to Lexington for that sometime next week.

We might plan a trip to Monkey Joe's as well! The kids don't know this, but they will be getting gift cards in their Easter baskets and I am assuming they will want to go this week.

Other local outings (because we are not ready to venture very far) that are great spring break ideas are listed below. I will not guarantee that we will make it, but all are family friendly fun.

The park is always a nice way to get out and play- luckily, we don't live far from one and it's always a great change of scenery when we want to get out.
The Pavilion is a great place to go swimming no matter what the weather. We also like the
Scott County Public Library and love to visit the Salato Wildlife Center.
Saturday, April 14th we will be building at Lowes and we plan to wrap up our spring break on April 16th at Chick Fil A kids' night- Angry Birds Night! McKenna, Asher and Ian would not miss that for anything haha!

Just a few ideas for you to enjoy-I know my kiddos are so excited to be on spring break :)
I hope to post next week with some pictures (I have a new camera I am learning to use) and to share our Easter weekend with you! Have a blessed Easter!

I've not had a lot of time to post (wonder why!) but this post will be two-fold with a little family update as well as a few Easter activities I've seen posted round town you may want to put on your calendar.

I have had many questions about life with 4 kids or how we've adjusted to becoming a family of 6 and I am happy to report-it is totally doable! Of course I must add that it is doable if that is something you want for you and your family-know that it is not for everyone but we love our "little" family. I've always said that it was harder for me to go from 1 to 2 kids (for many different reasons) than 2 to 3 and 3 to 4. Not too much is different. I can honestly say having had McKenna and Asher so close, we were a little more prepared for a toddler and newborn. I can say that with the experience, I am remembering to enjoy them at their respective stages. I wish I had held on to that a little more with the older two-time goes by so fast. So I live and learn and remember to enjoy each part -and try to grin and bear the parts that are not as enjoyable :)

My house is still a mess-boo! I feel as though I could clean throughout the day and by the afternoon when everyone gets home it's crazy again and cluttered by toys, shoes and the collection of "stuff" that gathers on the counter. We even had friends come and help us clean 2 weeks ago and I dare say-they could come back and have their work cut out for them! Laundry and dishes are for the most part kept up (except for laundry is not put away- due to our lack of storage, this is my least favorite chore and always falls last for me to get completed-but hey, it's clean!). I've come to terms with the fact that my to do list may never get completed and that's okay.

I still coupon and love to save money. I spend my Saturday nights cleaning out my binder and Sunday afternoons clipping new coupons to refill my binder. One of my latest hobbies is to browse the "for sale" posts on facebook. At our house, there is still always a tantrum or melt down to be had by those young and old and finally, I am still not a hugely crafty mommy although I have goals and aspirations. All of our imperfections just go to show that our house is full of life and ever-changing.

As our family has grown, Nathan and I have had to learn a lot about ourselves and a lot in the area of team work. We often take turns doing many chores around our house (bed times, cooking, clean up, baths, grocery shopping, etc). We laugh a lot :) and we both feel like our kids laugh a lot (which is something we think is important).

I am still very schedule oriented (although this may be partially due to my "teacher brain"), I am always thinking somewhere a long the lines of "if i want to go to bed at ________, Sawyer needs a diaper and to eat at ____" or "in order to get there at ______, Ian needs a nap at______". Timing is everything and I am doing my best to be on time!

This past weekend, we had a young lady from our church and take some pictures with the kids. So cute! I've included some in this post, so you can see our newest addition (and his proud brothers and sister).

THAT...in a nutshell is life around our house right now.


Now...I will change the topic from my little family to some Easter happenings around Georgetown that I have seen posted (I'm sure there are more that I am unaware of so be sure to share.

My Church is having an Easter egg hunt on April 7th at 12:00pm in Indian Acres. There are banners throughout town with additional information. We've not been in the past, but we have gone to their Vacation Bible School (in the park) and my crew loved it. I'm sure the Easter egg hunt will be equally fun.

The library is having Easter stories in the story barn on April 5th at 10am.

Gold Star Chili is having a special Easter kids' night on Tuesday, April 3rd. With crafts, a movie and free food for the kiddos!

Although, I am not sure if there are Easter themes this week, Fazolis has a kids night as well on Tuesdays and Chick Fil A has one on Mondays. It is possible that kids may be participating in some Easter fun at these locations as well.

The Easter bunny will be at Walmart on Saturday March 31st and Sunday, April 1st from 10am-2pm.
When your kids visit, you will receive a free 5x7 photo.

We believe that the true meaning for Easter is to celebrate Jesus' resurrection after being crucified. I did some searches on Pinterest and found lots of great crafts and ideas to teach kids about the true meaning of Easter (as well as some fun spring activities) so when looking for some ideas to share, that is a great place to start! Have a great week!