Happy Halloween Ya'll

Happy Halloween!!! What an awesome day we have had enjoying the beautiful fall colors, meeting lots of new friends in the new neighborhood, and watching the kids enjoy the day's festivities. Our neighborhood has a very active Halloween tradition of getting everyone together for pizza and festivities before the kids go trick or treating. It was so much fun seeing all the kids play together, and enjoying our new neighbors. The  big kids went tricker or treating with their daddy, while the babies and I stayed behind and handed out candy. 

This is a picture of my foyer window, and I have loved looking at this beautiful maple tree for the past couple of weeks.  The colors have been amazing.  You will have to ignore the ugly chandelier that is also included in the picture.  The town that we live in is very old, and the houses are old, and we have some updating projects to do, but that is a post all of its own!  Enjoy the colors of fall!!!

These are our little trick-or-treaters!  Albert Einstein, Minnie Mouse, and Spot the Dog!

Emma Grace cracked me up insisting that she wear this outfit.  Last year I had bought her a fairy costume, in about a size 12 so that she could wear it for the next 10 years because remember that I hate spending money on costumes.  But she did not want to be the fairy, she wanted to wear the size 2T dog costume (remember that she is 4).  You can see form the picture that the pants are about 6 inches to short, and she has the worst wedgie.  Not to mention she wants to wear the costume tomorrow to dress up day at school - Lord help me. 

Taylor really wanted to be a Star Wars something or another, but he also has a school project coming up that he has to dress up as Albert Einstein for, so again being cheep for Halloween I made him wear his A.E. costume!  Thank goodness Aunt Emily left her brand new size 4 suit jacket here in May, so Taylor could borrow it!  I tried to find him a jacket his size but I did not want to spend $85 on it because we are not really suit type people.  But I did buy him new slacks and a new button up white shirt - it will double as a Christmas outfit.  I have not figured out how I am going to get my money out of that wig yet. 

This has been a really busy day.  Preston started walking big time today!  He started taking lots of steps tonight.  Addison was too funny trying to imitate brother by getting on her knees and walking just on her knees.  It is funny how jealousy can be used as a motivator. 

These were the girls before school this morning!  I thought they looked so cute all dressed alike. 

Funny story.  My next door neighbor is a wonderful women, and a busy momma to 4 older children.  Her oldest is a senior in High School, and her youngest Gretion is 10 (picture posted above as Minnie Mouse). She is so very busy running the kids all over the place, her oldest sons are competitive swimmers, and she is just busy.  Well today I looked outside at about 4:30 and she was franticly working in her front yard blowing leaves out of the way, and carving a pumpkin for the front porch.  She had sent her husband to the basement to find some fall decorations for the front portch to decorate a little bit (keep in mind again it is 4:30 on Halloween night).  The next thing I know I look outside and he has strung up fire place mantle pumpkin garland from the rafters on the front porch.  It was the funniest thing I have ever seen!  I wish I had taken a picture.  Kathy said "I can't believe he has used my inside decorations on the outside."  The whole event cracked me up. 

Stayin' Warm

Have you ever seen anything so cute in all your life?????  Today we are all feeling a lot better and we are just trying to stay warm.  It has gotten very cold in Atlanta, and I am not sure that any of us like it.  What I do like are these coordinating cowgirl and cowboy outfits.  I love all things boy/girl twins.  It is getting harder and harder to find matching outfits for these little love bugs.  So if anyone out there knows where to find matching boy/girl clothing let me know, but know that I am cheep and I don’t like to spend a fortune on clothes. 

 

Sick Day Monday

I have not been feeling well the last couple days, and by last night I was determined that I had strep throat.  So I self diagnosed myself and started a round of antibiotics that my doctor had given me this time last year, that I did not use.  The pills were a little bit puffy, like moisture had gotten to them, but I thought it was better than nothing.  My sweet husband decided, without me asking or nagging this morning, that he was going to work from home and help with the little kids.  He gets awesome husband of the year award today!!!  I decided that since I had an extra set of hands, and that the puffy antibiotics I had started taking last night might not be such a great idea, that I would go to the walk in clinic this morning.  The verdict was not strep throat, but a sinus infection!  Got some update antibiotics, and something good to help me sleep tonight!  One of the perks of no longer nursing 14 month old twins is that I get to take advantage modern day medicine, and two I am not nursing toddlers!!! 

Anyway when I got home Ryan’s work had blown up and he asked if he could go into the office.  So the three little kids and I just took it easy.  I was hoping for a 4 hour nap (not sure why I would hope for this since they have never napped that long in their life), but we settled for no nap at all, and fun in the ball pit. 

We played in the moon sand.

 

We looked so cute in brother’s PJ’s, because I failed to mention that we stayed in our PJ’s all day long.

Then we made my Aunt Shirley’s Sausage Casserole.  It is so good, it reminds me of my childhood, and my momma cooking.  I posted the recipe below.

Then I decided that we have gotten our money out of these PJ’s….  Four kids are probably too many for the same pair of PJ’s!

Aunt Shirley’s Sausage Casserole:
1 box of Hot Roll Mix
2 pound of mild sausage
2 tablespoons of fresh parsley
8 oz of Swiss cheese
1 small onion
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon of water

Make Hot Roll Mix as directed, and set aside and let rise for about 30 minutes. 

Sautee onion and sausage (about 10 minutes), and then add two eggs and Swiss cheese, and parsley.

Take 2/3’s of the Hot Roll Mix and press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9”x13” dish.  Reserve the remaining for lattice work on top of the casserole.  Fill the pan with your meat mixture.  Cut the remaining Hot Roll Mix into about 12 pieces and roll them out into ropes.  Place them on top of the sausage casserole in a lattice pattern.

Mix the Egg Yolk and water, and spread on top of the lattice work with a pastry brush.

Cook on 375 for about 20-25 minutes.  Yum Yum

A Sunday of First

I love this picture.  Not only because I was able to capture 3 of my 4 children all in the same spot, but because of the outfit that Preston is wearing.  I have prayed and prayed that one of my boys would be able to wear this heirloom.  Ryan’s mom made this for Ryan when he was a baby 35 years ago!  My mother-in-love is the best seamstress, and I was so excited when she passed onto me all of Ryan’s hand smocked baby clothes.  Taylor never got to wear this outfit (due to his size and the season not matching up), and I am so proud that Preston got to wear it for the first time this season!

 

This morning was mine and Ryan’s first attempt at making breakfast for our new Sunday School class.  I think it was a hit!  I judge by leftovers, and there was very little left to clean up!  I made my favorite fall treat: Pumpkin Muffin’s, and my husband’s favorite: Grit’s Casserole.   I love both of these recipes – they were perfect for a cold autumn morning with new friends.  I have posted the recipes below. 

 

Pumpkin Muffins:
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
¾ of a 29-ounce can of pumpkin
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
pinch of ground nutmeg
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp molasses

cream cheese frosting:

8 oz cream cheese
1 stick butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 and grease your cupcake tins.

In a bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground cloves, and nutmeg.  Set aside.

In a separate bowl, stir together the canola oil, egg, pumpkin, molasses, brown sugar and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients a little at a time and stir to combine.

Spoon batter into prepared cupcake tin and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Let cool completely before icing.

To make frosting, beat cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla together until thick and smooth. Transfer icing into a pastry bag with a tip or a plastic bag with the tip cut off. Frost cupcakes and store in the refrigerator until serving.

Adapted fromEat, Live, Run.

Grits Casserole

6 cups water

2 cups grits

Salt to taste
1 pound sausage (I like maple flavored)
1 box of Jiffy cornbread mix
4 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup of Milk
½ Stick of Butter
7 Eggs

Preheat oven to 400.

Make grits according to package directions, and set aside.
Cook sausage in skillet until golden brown.
Combine Cornbread, milk, eggs, melted butter, and 3 cups of cheese in a large bowl.
Add sausage and grits to the mix.
Place in a large baking dish.
Bake until the middle is no longer wiggly.
Top with remaining cheese, and let melt.
Enjoy!!!!

Twin Octopus Halloween

I just could not resist!  These little love bugs (or love octopi) are just too cute to let this time pass without linking up to Kellie’s Korner! 

I love the twins in everything Pink and Blue, so these costumes were a must have!  Emma Grace wore the pink octopus when she was 1 and probably again when she was 2.  So it is only fitting that Addison get a wear out of it this year.  I am super cheep when it comes to costumes, and play things.  I lucked out and found the same one in blue for Preston on Ebay!!!!  These costumes were from Baby Style when it existed (I don’t even think they are still around, which is such a shame because they always had the cutest things for little ones).

 

 

Preston is always so happy in pictures and Addison is always throwing the biggest fit!  Oh the drama of little girls.

 

This picture cracks me up. 

Preston is so macho with his zippers pried open, and his chest hair exposed!  He is going to be quite the ladies man when he is 45!

Can't Believe....

this little guy is looking so very big!!!

 

Art Time in the Bath Tub

I love to do art with my children, and it is so much fun now that the babies are getting to a fun age to participate.  Here are some pictures of an activity that we did this week at bath time.  These are edible paints, and it was so much fun that even Taylor wanted to jump in and do them (but he did not want to get in the tub with this three little siblings.)  I had some cool whip in the freezer that I did not have plans for, so I pulled it out and let it thaw, and then I filled up my silicone muffin pans with cool whip and a little drop of food coloring.  I put the little kids in the tub and let them go to town.  Everything was going really well until Addison figured out that she could eat the paint!  Her dominant side came out when she would not let anyone else have the paints out of the muffin tins!  She was very cute holding onto her prized possession.  Everyone had great fun and then we just filled the tub up with water and had our bath.  No mess activity!!!!