Hmmm...

With a wink of her eye and a swagger in her step, Hailey just offered me $20 if I would let her eat her cupcake before she finished her lunch. Is it poor parenting that after my initial thought that it certainly isn't good that my 3 year old is attempting bribery, I found myself wondering if she really does have $20 and where she might be hiding it?? I mean, I REALLY need a pedicure.

Recap...

Yes, I know I am a slacker. Yes, I know I haven't posted anything new since the beginning of November. So sue me. What follows will be a picture filled extravaganza with minimal narration on my part. I know you come here for the pictures and not the quick witted, always entertaining commentary anyway. Let us begin...

While Grammy's trip out west did start off a little crazy...

there was a rainbow at the end of our path.

We eventually made it to beautiful Sedona. And when I say beautiful, I don't mean "oh how pretty" beautiful, I mean "HOLY CRAP IS THAT REAL?!?" beautiful. It really is just like the postcards.

Hailey made some friends that- much to her liking- didn't even try to talk, which is good cause that meant she never had to stop.

And although it was seriously chilly, we even hiked around a little.

Hailey was a tad bummed that we didn't do the whole trail, but it started to sprinkle, and 5 miles seemed a bit beyond what we could handle.

Having Mom here was awesome, and then terrible to have her leave. But soon after our good-byes and our welcome home to daddy, we headed to Idaho for Thanksgiving. We arrived on Saturday and on Sunday we had a mega snowfall. Monday, Hailey and Jona made a tiny snowman complete with raisin eyes and mini carrot nose.

Hailey, ever searching for her next career move, tackled the role of make-up artist leaving Jona and I lookin' good.

We had a great time hanging out with the family, and I was even able to capture the elusive Gabe shot.

There was plenty of Grandma snuggles,

and an absurd amount of Wii playing (man that thing is addictive!).

Our Turkey Day feast was divine...the food was great and so was the company!

Gorging ourselves was followed with the delicate task of constructing gingerbread houses. Jona, Hailey, and Matthew made the house...really Jona made the house while Hailey decorated and Matthew ate the candy :)

While Miranda, Hayden and I made the gingerbread train. There was icing everywhere and I do believe that Hayden's tongue might still be green!

As promised, we finished the trip with a girls day out for Hailey. Little Miss Princess got her first ever professional manicure that included flowers painted on four of her nails. She didn't use her hands properly for two days because she was so worried she would mess it up, and we JUST took the polish off three weeks later!

And now Christmas is upon us. As soon as we came home from Idaho, I worked two night shifts and then Jona left for a conference in Philly. Chaos. But we finally got our tree up last week and decorated it with all of the ornaments we have collected throughout the years...

adding our Arizona 2009 chili pepper Santa last.

So that sums it up. Lots going on, lots to come. We head to M-I-A-M-I on Tuesday and I CANNOT WAIT! Santa has been informed that he will need to find us at Grammy and Grampy's house and we will ALL- and I do mean all 23 members of the Perrin clan- spend Christmas day and night at Rick's in Boyton Beach. Should be crazy...and fabulous!!

Happy Holidays everybody...I'll blog again in 2010! XOXOXO

May be a trick...sure ain't no treat

Is it wrong for me to wish that my kids had H1N1? That might seem cruel and cold hearted, but really I'm just trying to give us all a break. If you refer to my three previous blog entries you will be entertained with tales of our fun filled Halloween adventures. Consider this the prologue...

Every single family that we celebrated with has at least one sick child. By Tuesday, they were all sick. Ahh the power of the mighty germ. I think Alexa (aka Pirate Princess) was the first to go down, but I don't have her mom's e-mail address so I cannot be sure of the situation. Ella (aka Cinderella) was taken down next by the evil swine. Zoe fell prey to the same dark master. but not my kids. Hailey and Parker like to march to the beat of their own drummer. Sing their own tune. Follow the path less taken. Blah, blah, blah, blah...sometimes there is something to be said for going with the flow. Moving with the pack. Following the leader. Instead of just a fever and a headache (and yes I know it can be WAY worse than that, but Zoe had a fever, a high fever, but only a fever) my little unique individuals have a snot filled extravaganza. We went to the doctor today- they both have ear infections, they both are wheezing, they both were running low grade temps, the are BOTH now on antibiotics, breathing treatments, and if that doesn't work Hailey gets the added bonus of oral steroids. Rock on! Neither of them sound like they can breathe, you can hear the wheezing from across the room, and nebulizing a 14 month old is like some terrible form of torture...for both of us. Screw waterboarding. Oh, and did I forget to mention that Jona is in Guatemala for two weeks?! Thank the dear lord that Grammy is here to save the day. And we all know Grammy rocks the casbah. But she is totally getting the shaft being here for the sickos again. We WILL go to Sedona next week.

So yes, I may be a bad mother, but I wish my kids had the swine flu...and were sleeping through the night...and there wasn't a trail of snot down the cushions of my couch, and my shirt, and my pants, and a little on the floor.

_______________________________________________________________

And because I know a blog post without pictures might as well not be a blog post, I leave you with this. Go ahead and tell me I don't deserve a drink at the end of the day...

"I didn't get any candy..."

The grand finale happened at our house. A bunch of friends came over for an early dinner and neighborhood looting. The kids had a blast and the parents enjoyed adult conversation!

Nothing like a princess picnic in the backyard. Munching on Dino Nuggets before the sugar induced coma could set in.

Mulan.

Tinkerbell...aka Emily

and her sister Cinderella...aka Ella.

Tink...aka Zoe.

Pirate Princess...aka Alexa.

Post dinner and lots of playing, we hit the streets. Parker didn't mind the pumpkin suit at all, seemed to pad his falls.

They attacked each door like a pack of rabid dogs. It was hysterical to watch the group try to figure out how to move out of the way of an opening door.

At one house the family was leaving and the kids marched on into the open garage with bags open, arms outstretched. Parker was actually the first one in, Hailey brought up the rear of the group. As she walked into the garage of a neighbor we haven't met, I asked "What do you say?" Did she respond "trick or treat"...NO. Did she say "happy halloween"...NO. My oh so polite and lovely Mulan held out her bag and said "I say, I didn't get any candy."

Parker the Pumpkin thought this whole idea was great. Wander the neighborhood with your friends following a pack of screaming girls and eating rocks along the way...mecca.

"I just don't get what all the hoopla is about. Tastes like paper to me. They all taste like paper. Boring. Where did I leave my rock?"

Mulan on the skids.

Pumpkin Carving

The fun continued with a Carving Party at the Hruschka's. It was complete chaos, and we loved it! Dee LOVES Halloween and I love that she loves it so much :) Their house was decorated with all things Halloween and she even managed to make only orange food!

After dinner, half of the parents had the joy of carving pumpkins with the little people. I am happy to report that no blood was shed.

The other half of us...some might say the smarter half...chased the little people around thus avoiding pumpkin goo.

The end result was fantabulous. I love how different each pumpkin is, how they represent each family. Which one do you think is the Maupin??

Trick or Treat

Our Halloween festivities began last weekend at Mother Nature's Pumpkin Patch. The weather is FINALLY glorious and we can enjoy outdoor activities again.

How cute are these kids? Seriously.
Hailey and Zoe are bosom buddies :)

The girls picked a pumpkin and then decorated it with stickers. Sadly we arrived after the stickers had been heavily picked over. Hailey's is covered with random letters and a dinosaur.

Parker wandered around like he owned the joint. There was sand in his diaper when I changed him that night...probably still is.

Parker and Dimitri didn't get to decorate their own pumpkins, but that didn't stop them from touching every last one of them at least once.

They had a few goats and a cow that the kids fed. Parker kept trying to kiss the goats...the goats kept trying to eat his clothes.

Hailey became one with the cow.

Once we were able to break her nature induced trance we headed over to the hay ride. The kids loved it...the view of the newly constructed strip mall followed by the empty field was indeed rather awe inspiring.

The hay maze is always a crowd favorite. And I am happy to report that everyone was able to make it out alive...even Michail (sorry man, couldn't resist!).

Fun was had by all, and the cuteness was irresistible.

Brain Lines

I started my new job today. This week is hospital orientation and computer orientation. Its only been one day and I am already exhausted. Mostly because I sat on my butt, in a freezing cold room, for 8 1/2 hours...no doubt chasing Parker around is WAY more fun than that!

Parker is being taken care of by a WONDERFUL woman who brings along her 11 month old daughter. For now they are hanging at our crib but when they move into their new house, right around the corner from ASU, her crib will be where da party at.

Got home, went for a walk with the family to look at the gorgeous sunset, Jona and I made dinner, and listened to Hailey repeatedly melt down over...well...nothing really. But at some point I made a face at her and she looked at me, pulled her bangs up and asked if she had lines on her forehead too.

Thanks Hailey, I feel younger and prettier everyday.

Hey Hailey- Where are you going for Christmas?

Hey Parker- Are you excited?

Ahhhh morning cartoons

Never let the TV be your babysitter...let it be your sanity.

Gateway drugs

Waking up at 6am has been tough on all of us. Sadly, Parker has been hitting the hard stuff lately.

and it always ends badly.

Fun in the Perpetual SUN!

We have this ongoing joke, that really isn't much of a joke but something we say and laugh at in a strange, ironic, slightly depressing way..."It never rains in Arizona." For example, I said it yesterday to Hailey when I had to throw away her Dora umbrella that had been destroyed over time and wouldn't block a sprinkle. And we say it when we are reading the signs people hang on street poles announcing garage sales and block parties and they are written with no fear of the paper wilting in the morning dew, or the ink running in the impending thunderstorm. We say it when we plan outdoor activities for the weekend and have a passing thought about the chance of bad weather. And I think it EVERY SINGLE MORNING when the glorious, life giving sun shines through the skylights that adorn the ceiling above my bed.

We have seen a grand total of 2 days of real rain since we moved here in July. TWO DAYS! And one of them was Parker's birthday. And strangely, it seemed like Mother Nature's gift to P. Diddy, a day of quiet, soothing rain. Phoenix has had 2.75 inches of rain this year. Not this month. Not this week. THIS YEAR! Apparently the heavens don't do a whole lot of crying out this direction.

So we seek out the 'rain'. Splash pads they call them. Last week I took Hailey and Parker there after picking up big sister at school.

Now that Parker is walking, he loved it! No fear for this boy.

Hailey always has great plans for running in the water and splashing around, but without fail we get there and she REFUSES to get wet. Avoids the spray at all cost.

Not Parker, he was right in the middle of things.

First you must scope it out and make a plan.

Strike a pose, there's nothing to it...vogue.

Couldn't you just eat this face?

And then....IT GOT HER! She thought she could jump up before the water started but she was outsmarted by the giant snake head. And she L-O-V-E-D it!!

Gone are the days of swimming in our backyard pool. Which is fine cause its crap anyway. But it is actually too cold to swim in. I KNOW! I NEVER thought it would happen. But we tried the other day and I never got past my feet and Hailey's lips turned blue. And today was the final day for the splash pad to be open for the season. Weird considering it was still 100 degrees today.