And The Oscar Goes To...

In my household full of thespians we do a lot of acting, pretending and dressing up...I throw out an emotion or action and the kids act it ..This started when TJ was maybe a year old and we'd try to get him to sleep with, "Show me sleeping" and he'd close his eyes and play opossum; it turned into a giant game that all 3 of them get a kick out of  (and it never actually helped us get TJ to sleep).

Show me sad

Show me happy!

Show me MAD (We call it the Ms. Hannigan face)

Show me surprised...yes, my kids love Home Alone!

Show me scary

Show me crazy!

Show me Mixie (Mixie is one of Finny's countless nicknames with an unknown origin).  If she's having a fit I will say, "Show me Mixie!" and she stops, tilts her head and does this sweet face.  This is also the signature move of pageant demons on Toddler's and Tiara's.

Show me sleeping

When one door closes...

About 4 years ago the door that connects our kitchen to our laundry room was broken...in one of those mysterious kid related accidents that we (adults) will never really know the truth to...but I'm fairly certain Beau was swinging on the door like the two year old monkey he was..and broke the glass to the bottom window frame.  A few months later TJ broke the other window and there we had it...a door with two glass-less windows.  So what does Husband do?  Well, he covers the holes with cardboard and duct tape...of course!

And it shortly became another one of those projects that we just forgot about...and the kids really enjoyed crawling back and forth through the two holes (after the cardboard and duct tape came off), Finley even referred to it as her "doggie door!" 

Husband really must  have a bee up his bottom because he managed to complete the bathroom AND replace the door!  What a guy!

The old door with a cardboard and duct tape covered window-the other window is empty.

Off the hinges...no going back now!

Go Husband...Go!

Sorry Finny...no dog door!

Christmas Eve!

In our family, Christmas Eve tends to be a bit more hectic than Christmas Day...it's the day we are preparing food, visiting family, getting all of Santa's gifts ready, etc.  This year was no exception...it was a busy and very fun day!

The kids enjoying their favorite Christmas Eve breakfast tradition...Eggs Benedict.

LOVE!

Kisses...which turned into WWE wrestling about 3 seconds after this was snapped.

Holy Cow..Santa is on Papa's front door step..holding a red plastic Solo cup that..sniff sniff...smells like whiskey?!?!?!?

TJ still believes in Santa...or he's just pretending to believe because of Beau and Finley...or because he doesn't want to break his mom's heart...or he's afraid he won't get any gifts.  But my gut says he truly does believe.  He's a sweet kid who has just a good enough imagination to think this magical man must be true. I tried to test his Santa theory a few times this year with some questions and he did tell me, "Mommy I know all the Santa's we see aren't real...they just work for the real Santa!"  I LOVE THAT!  I also love that he still calls me Mommy!

Two out of three Sackman's isn't bad.  Beau was hiding in Papa's closet...literally. 

All the grand kids...Sackmans/Downeys/Boyds

 Beau emerged from the closet to see Santa. He was really nervous!

Sackman's 2011

 Santa group hug! We LOVE YOU SANTA!

Santa was one of Husband's old high school football players who went to Linfield after graduating from Omak.  Husband adores Derrick and his entire family, and we were so happy they stopped by.  Though after he left, Diesel (green shirt) laid down in front of the fire, "Looking for Santa" all night. It was so cute!

All the grand kids listening to Papa's gift opening instructions...

Still listening...deep in thought...

Still listening..."Can we open our gifts yet Papa?"  No pictures of the actual gift opening because it's somewhat of a madhouse..organized chaos.  But fun.

This is how Husband and I capped off the night once the children were nestled all snug in their beds...mommy and daddy drank a hot tottie and watched TV. 

Yuuuuum!

This recipe is one delicious way to enjoy a busy Christmas Eve..Christmas day schedule. I mix it in a plastic pitcher and lug it with me from stop to stop...a pretty punch bowl or glass pitcher works too! The only thing that could make this drink any more perfect would be cousin Eddy wearing a Dickie and his white shoes as he sipped it.

White Russian Egg Nog
Mix together with ice:
8 cups egg nog
1 cup vodka
1 cup Kahula
After it is cold remove ice cubes and garnish with nutmeg and cinnamon

Practicing Patience

I love old houses...I love our old house...they have something new houses are sometimes missing-character.  You can't create character or design it...it comes with time, age, experiences, and details.  I love the stories I've been told about our house and the doctor who built it in the 40's...I love the fact that my son's bus driver told me stories of his kids working on the neighboorhood newspaper in the basement of the house..and the parties the previous owner's kids had during the 60's. Now don't get me wrong, there have been plenty of moments when I've thought, "Oh how nice to have a new, lovely home with everything done and perfect"  but that just isn't what Husband and I are about.  So we have this 70yr old home that has tons of character, tons of square footage, gobs of potential, and...oh yes...the smallest bathrooms you could ever imagine!

Remodeling our bathrooms has always been on our "To Do List" but like many things, it doesn't happen.  We've been in this house 5 years and we've slowly chipped away at things...flooring, some windows, new roof, new heat pump/AC...but the bathrooms have remained untouched.  We finally got around to doing the main floor bathroom and are just about done! 

Our plan was somewhat thrown off when we were demo-ing (is that a word?) and discovered that behind a closet inside the bathroom is an old brick chimney pipe.  So we had to do a few quick adjustments, which impacted how much space we were going to end up having...but in the end it has worked out.  Husband is putting the new shower door on today and finishing some trim, overall I'm SO impressed with his work. He had some plumbing and electrical help and Zach and Ryan helped him install the new window (that we didn't plan on replacing, but a 2x4 fell through the old one). 

Husband said, "Let's go ahead and do the third floor bathroom while we are at it!"  It was one of those statements/questions that he is so awesome at throwing out there.  Had I said, "GREAT...yes let's!"  He would have been willing, but instead I said, "Let's not and say we did!" 

Until we have 2 boys who can actually pee into the toilet and not next to it, down the side of it, on the wall near it...what's the point?

The bathtub is now sitting in our backyard waiting to be hauled away to the dump!

The wall we had intended on tearing down...we were only able to take it back 18" because of this old brick chimney pipe from when the house had oil heat.

 Oops..should have put the toilet lid down. Sigh...

Guilt Guilt Guilt

I often see commercials encouraging "Family Game Night" and watch in envy as two cheerful and well rested adults play a board game with 2 cooperative and loving siblings..smiling...laughing...Sigh.
Which just stirs up the motherly guilt in me of not doing enough stuff like this...which then leads to more guilt about what I served for dinner...that both my boys need haircuts....all three kids eat way too many frozen waffles...Beau needs an updated epi pen...we don't read enough...TJ fudges on his daily piano practice minutes...all three of their closets need serious cleaning/organizing....blah blah blah.

So now that football season is officially over (Sorry Husband...E for Effort this year, but they didn't make it out of the first round of the playoffs) we enjoyed our first after school at home as a family, doing homework, reading, jumping on the trampoline, and yes...playing a game! 

Headbandz is one of TJ's favorite and he and I often play this silly game together.  Tonight we all played and had a few good belly laughs as Beau and Finny tried to join in on the fun.  Finley would instantly yell, "You're a ______" or give some very obvious hint, "You say OINK OINK!"  I think it's important to cut yourself some slack, but it's also important to squeeze in these genuinely fun moments that require no effort, no planning, no pretense, or judgement. We were laying around in our sweatpants with laundry that needed folding and dinner dishes to wash...but this was way more fun!

The kids thought covering the trampoline with leaves and then jumping was the most clever idea!  It was very fun!  Don't ask why the boys are topless...I'm lucky they weren't in their underwear!  I've decided they feel no cold!

TJ's famous side buster...which makes Finny scream-LOUD!

Am I....Hmmm...what am I?  Finley, give me a hint!??

If I look high enough up I think I'll be able to see my card!

Finley insisted on being a "Jumprope" over and over! 

Halloween Exhaustion!

Halloween on a Monday is God's way of punishing us for celebrating this ghoulish occasion. Kidding...but seriously, Halloween on a Monday?  Put a fork in me, I'm done before the day has even begun. 

This year my 4th grade team made a very wise decision of allowing costumes and just giving in to the fact that probably not a lot...or anything...was going to be accomplished on Halloween!  So the entire day of school was one giant celebration with costumes, food, crafts, poems, candy corn bingo, reader's theater, etc.  I tried to find some creative ways to "teach" but my efforts were somewhat lost on my classroom full of zombies, witches, cats, dragons, ninjas, and Cleopatra's (a popular costume this year..I had 3 of the Egyptian queens in my room this year).  Thankfully I rounded up a load of parent helpers to assist me in my Halloween efforts and thank goodness...my wig kept getting caught in the hot glue gun! Seriously.

After a very exhausting and messy day of school, the kids and I hit the streets for some trick or treating.  Husband was still at football practice so we made the rounds without him.  The kids were so tired from their long day at school that 6 blocks was enough trick or treating to please them!!! Sigh..perfect.  We went home, counted the loot, and even  had 2 trick or treaters at our house-a real treat because we never get them on our tucked away driveway!

 Supergirl, Pirate Master Beau, and Peter Venkman from Ghostbusters!

 TJ insisted on carrying a pillow case to collect his loot!

One of the many joys of teaching: COSTUMES!  I love dressing up and told the kids, "Mrs S. is gone today...I will be your teacher...cackle cackle cackle" and I talked in this raspy, witches voices all day, periodically sending out loud cackles over my microphone.  I don't know why we didn't learn anything???

Husband joined in on the dress up fun...he was Pirate Master Sackman in his classroom!  He tried to wash the make up off before football practice but some lingered and apparently one of his players asked if gave him a black eye??!!!? Really?

Pirate Master Beau and his BFF Halle of OZ.  She is the sweetest bug and someday (after he's done with medical school) I hope they marry and I can share this sweet picture!

The middle and youngest Sackman and Richter kids on a Montessori Halloween Field Trip!

On a side note...someone at work mentioned to me that there is some federal bill or initiative or something that is proposing Halloween always be the last Saturday of October, regardless of the date; so it wouldn't be October 31st.  Whomever is proposing this is clearly a teacher.

Because They Are Sick Of Us!!!

This weekend Husband and I took an overnight trip to Chelan  with our friends Ryan and Katy for a little R&R ...sans children.  As I was hauling the kid's over to Nana's house, Beau and Finley began their usual 20 rounds of questions from the back seat...as TJ sat in the third row giddy with the idea of a sleepover at Nana's....

Finley: Mommy, why are you going to Spokane?
Me: Not Spokane-Chelan.
Beau: Will you bring me a toy?
Finley: Why are you going to Chelan?
Me: We are just going to relax for the night
Beau: What kind of toy are you going to bring me?
Finley: Why do you need to relax?  Where are you going again? Spokane?
Beau: I'd like another Captain American shield
Finley: Why can't we go? I want to go to Spokane!
Me: Mommy and Daddy are going to have some quiet time and relax and Nana really wanted all three of you to sleepover!
Finley: NO...I want to go with you!
Beau: I want to go to Nana's, but I want a toy! Bring me a toy!
Finley: But why can't we gooo with you? Why are you going to Chelan?

Suddenly my ever mindful and insightful 9year old hollars from the 3rd row-
TJ: Because they are sick of us! 

Sigh. 

Enjoying a little bit of wine tasting.  Good thing Husband loves wine!

 The Christoph's

Beautiful Lake Chelan

So we did enjoy a nice night away from our lovely and adorable offspring, and we returned today ready to battle the world!  Sometimes it is the small things in life, like drinking a glass of wine, eating a delicious meal without having to cut someone elses food first, and enjoying a restful night's sleep at our leisure..instead of the usual nightly marathon of baths/shower, jammies, pee, teeth brushing, stories, songs, another pee, a sippy cup of water, and finally a, "GO TO SLEEP!"