Thankful

 Thanksgiving this year was spent in Idaho where we enjoyed every minute with friends + signed a dream job contract + bought our dream lot for our future dream house + literally had to pinch ourselves several times to make sure it wasn't an actual dream.

 To say that I am "thankful" for this guy + all my people + all our blessings is the understatement of a lifetime.  

I am so 

extremely

+

excessively

+

immensely

+

immeasurably

....

THANKFUL.

Home Sweet Rental

"How to Sell a House"

by Luke and Ashley Webb

1. Put it up for sale.

2. Get a full-price offer in 3 hours.

3. Have no issues during the sale.

4. Move out 29 days after you list it.

5. The end.

It happened.  We fixed, listed, sold our house, and moved out. It literally happened in less than a month.  And now we are proud renters one more.

We bought our very first house without ever having seen it. (Read about it HERE.) (Who does that, by the way?)  It was the home from h3%% and I'm still surprised we survived it.  But still, it was our first house and we loved it.

Will Knock For Friends

This is Rod.  He is the greatest human being and Cameron's BFF for life.

A few months ago, Cameron went down our street knocking on doors and asking people to be his friend, and we had NO IDEA.  (I'll be throwing away my undeserved "Mother of the Year" coffee mug, don't worry.) Here's what happened.

Cameron asked if he could go ride his motorcycle.  I was super busy that day and and we had visitors over, food to make, and things to do.  So... I told him he could go by himself as long as he promised to take a walkie-talkie, not go in the street, and not go past the corner.  The terms were agreed upon and off he went.  

A little while later he came home and started telling us about "Rod."  I assumed it was an imaginary friend (remember his imaginary friend "Hay."????), or a worm he had named Rod, or a toy army guy, or something.  Well, a few days later Cameron said he was going to ride his motorcycle and go see Rod.  I didn't think twice about it and told him to have fun with his harmless imaginary friend.    

Turns out - Rod is an actual human being.  And a great one, at that.

After a few weeks of getting to know him, he and Cameron have bonded over build-able airplanes, Fireman Sam, the Lego movie, chocolate milk, McDonalds, Hot Wheels, video games, and walks to the park.  Cameron asks to go to his house every. single. day. and they have THE cutest little relationship.

A few days ago, Rod came over and told me how grateful he is that Cameron came down the block  knocking on doors and looking for friends.

And I am so grateful that he found one.

Career Day

Other titles to describe career day include:

#1: "Make-your-mom-design-and-sew-2-extra-outfits-the-night-before-even-if-she-already-made-5 -intense-Halloween-costumes.-She-won't-mind.-Really.-Day"

 #2: "Can-you-even-handle-the-mini-people-cuteness-Day?!?"

 #3: "No-matter-what-they-end-up-being,-I-love-these-muchkins-to-death-Day."

Halloween Twenty Sixteen

 

In Halloween's past, I've written posts about how we somehow end up being strangely similar to our Halloween characters, and this year was no exception. 

(2015, 2014, 2013, 2012)

Luke was our shark-attack-surfer-victim.  He may not be a great surfer in real life, but he does regularly get attacked by Jagger (our shark).  Plus, while the blood on his head wasn't real, he was figuratively pretty bruised and bleeding.  Life kind of just attacked him this week and he bandaged up his wounds and kept on surfing, dude.

I was the family lifeguard.  My kids try extremely hard every day to put themselves in danger and I am the always-on-duty lifeguard of the troop.  (Plus, I have literally saved 2/4 kids from near-drowning experiences, so I probably should actually become a lifeguard someday.)

Brooklyn was our Mermaid Queen.  You guys, she is straight-up regal.  If there really is a colony of under-sea mermaids, they are missing their leader.  Brooklyn has sea water in her blood and I've never seen anyone as in-their-element as she is in the ocean.

 

Aubrey was our Mermaid Princess.  She would be the perfect actress to be cast as a playful, flirty, mischievous mermaid.  She loves causing harmless trouble and flitting from place to place like a spunky mystical nymph.

 

Cameron didn't go along with the family "Under-the-Sea" theme and instead donned his Police Officer Costume (which after making 4 costumes I was more than okay with).  He's a perfect cop.  He enjoys making sure others are following the rules and he believes strongly in duty and honor.  (At least as much as a five year old can.)

 

Bailey was our Scuba Diver.  She enjoys exploring and discovering foreign worlds. She has absolutely no fear and knows no bounds.  She's not afraid to go deep and is constantly pushing her own invisible bounds.