My Turkeys

It's been bustling at the Gosselin household. We're getting ready for the upcoming holiday. Charlie is so excited about our Indian and pilgrim hats and he even helped me make our very own turkey project with construction paper and pumpkins. Here is our creation!

I'm starting to make my dishes for the actual Thanksgiving dinner and Charlie asks me what I'm making. I tell him a green bean casserole and he cheers. (My kids are weird -- they LOVE veggies) Then, I tell him I'm also making bread pudding and he proceeds to tell me, "Why are you making that? It's disgusting!" (Mind you, the kid has never had it or even seen it!) Disgusting is his new favorite word. Everything is disgusting. It's ok, I'll take it.

I'm thankful for his attitude and the little smart-ass that he is. He reminds me of myself when I was a kid. I'm thankful for his bright little mind. I'm grateful today for Kate and her beautiful little heart & smile. I am grateful and sooo blessed for my little Ella who is always smiling and curious.

I know everyone else is busy with the holidays coming up so here is my way of saying

Happy early Thanksgiving from me & my 3 little TURKEYS!

Skirball Cultural Center

Another crazy day. Another adventure. 3 adults to 9 kids is just a crazy thing to consider but all in all, it was a fun experience for all the kids. Keeny, Eli and I took all of our kids to the Noah's Ark Exhibit at the Skirball Museum. It was a huge replica of the ark and all the animals. The animals were wooden, and plush and all different kinds. -- and I must add here, that they even had fake poop to show what it was really like on the ark with all the different kinds of animals...lol. Richie loved this. I should've thought to take a picture. They could run around and climb all over. There were also mini exhibits to show what a flood is and how it was windy and they could even make their own lightning. Kate really took a liking to a plush pig. She called it Olivia, after her favorite cartoon by the same name. Charlie liked trying all the little exhibits. He likes to see how things work. It fascinates him. We had a fun time, the kids learned some new things and we didn't lose any of them! I'd say that's a pretty productive day, if you ask me. A quick dinner at McDonald's and home we went. Thanks girls for a fun day!

Kate decorating her paper Ark

Mark wasn't cooperating

Keeny & Carrie

Me & my Kate

Charlie making wind. He needed a little boost.

Kate & her pig

The kids sitting on a camel

The entire gang. Good lord, that looks like A LOT of kids.

What I Love... Week 2

In troubled times emotionally, financially or otherwise, small & simple pleasures become the big ones. It's no longer about getting the perfect pair of shoes or that new Louis Vuitton. The little things start to matter more and reshape the way we see the world. At least it does for me.
So, when I woke up this morning, from the wrong side of the bed, I might add, and went through the motions of the day, something caught my eye. A vase of orange baby roses. Just sitting there on my kitchen table. It made me take a second and slow down. Breathe.

Things aren't so bad. They could always be worse. There's just something so refreshing and hopeful about a bouquet of fresh flowers. So rich and luxurious yet simple and natural. They make a room happy and comfortable. They make me smile. How could I not love anything that makes me smile? So this week, what I love is a simple vase of fresh-cut flowers.


Have a good weekend and take the time to smile a little bit. :o)

What I Love... Week 1

So, I saw this on another blog and I thought it was a cute idea...

This week, I decided what I love is Martha Stewart's
"Everyday Food Magazine".
I recently got a subscription to it and I've made a few dinners and it's really easy to follow. It has market lists and weekly menus. I won't lie. I've taken the kids to McDonald's and Chick-fil-a more times than I care to admit. It isn't healthy for them and I can't keep turning a blind eye. I am making a conscious effort to make their worlds more wholesome and healthy inside their bodies and out. In my ideal world, I'd be a vegetarian along with my family but I'm way too unfocused for that. Someday. I'm challenging myself starting on Monday to not eat out for an entire month. Only home-cooked, fresh food. I'm also really going to try to get down to our city's local farmers' market. Freshly grown vegetables and fruits with minimal pesticides. Sounds good to me...

http://www.downeyca.org/city_farmersmarket.php

and I also saw this and loved this quote: "Doing the best I can. When I feel like it." lol. This is probably the quote that best describes me. When I've got my stuff together, I'm on fire... times like right now, when I'm feeling less than stellar...not so much. But hey, I'm doin' the best I can. {...when I feel like it... ;o) }

Another Featured Baby Shower!

Charlie's baby shower was featured on an entertaining website! http://www.thepartydress.net/?p=4167

I LOVED that shower. After having been on bed rest COMPLETELY for 2 full months, this was my first experience with the outside world. And what an experience it was! Jaclyne and Keeny and Tante Be and EVERYONE else who helped make this shower as beautiful as it was really outdid themselves. This was an especially emotionally charged event because after having lost a baby and then the tumultuous pregnancy that was Charlie's, everyone in my family was so anxious and excited to have finally gotten as far as we did gestationally and we were finally going to be able to bring home a real baby to love and spoil. This shower was the result of that. Every detail was well-thought out and breath-taking. I'm so glad that J is getting the recognition she so deserves because she really is fabulous at what she does.
For good measure, here is the little guy that helped inspire such a wonderful shower...

almost 5 years later...

If you missed it, here's Kate's shower feature too...

http://http//www.hostessblog.com/2009/09/real-parties-pretty-in-pink-with-southern-charm-baby-shower/#more-7507

Halloween 2009

It's hard to believe October is already over. It went by fast, didn't it? We didn't even get to go visit Riley's Farm this year or go spend a day in Julian, CA like we usually do. The thing I'm most sad about is that our family could never get it's stuff together and set a date to go to the pumpkin patch like it has for the past 9 years. For the first year ever since baby Richie was 1 year old, we missed it. I am really disappointed about that. There is just so much to take in and so many options of things to do and everyone has such busy schedules. We really all should make an effort to get together more often. We would all benefit from it. On a brighter note to all moms I'm sure, we changed our clocks last night and got one GLORIOUS extra hour of sleep.

List of to-do's for the end of October:

Mickey's Trick or Treat - check

Halloween trick or treating - check

Jack & Russell's Halloween Party - check

Our Halloween festivities are over and we can slow down a bit and enjoy this beautiful Fall weather. It's a bit hotter than I wish it would be but it'll cool down soon enough.

My hero trying to show me how Superman flies

She wants to be whatever he is...

Me & El Our little Ella Bug as a ladybug
The Grandkids on Halloween night ready to go party!Our little fam on Halloween night

My dad making sure Kate is safe...Nia & BennyKate enjoying a cupcake

Ben and Kate LOVING those bubbles

Kate's Minnie "Nouse" Party

First off, let me say, the party was fun and a big success. Kate wasn't exactly in the best mood but you have to expect that with kids, right? Everything looked beautiful and came together so well. The kids seemed to enjoy everything. I almost had a heart attack a few times cause of the crazy kids with the bounce house slide. But no broken limbs to speak of!! YAY! Kate looked really cute in her outfits...Yes, there were more than one...lol. I truly have a little diva in the making. She loved all her gifts. It was fun to spend a day surrounded by family and friends and such good food... and oh boy did we have a good laugh.

Seriously, I think Erl should become a professional chef. Jackie turned our back yard into a little girl's Minnie Mouse Dream... And next time, I think we'll splurge the extra 1$ per chair for the better ones. ;o) Thank you SO very much to everyone who came together and helped make Kate's birthday party so memorable and beautiful. Life really is good.

Here are a few pics from our little girl's birthday party... She LOVES her Minnie. Teche and the little party guests...Katie and Grandma
For our little wild girl, Kate. Her 1st change of clothes...

Kate's precious Didi. (Kate's 2nd outfit change)

They so loved the projects...my silly little Charlie at the head of the table.

The Luxurious dessert table. They were so cute Creative Minnie centerpieces... Our smiling little angel.

Us with our terrible 2, right before she shoved me away!

Eric & Ella

What a way to finish off a great day, comfy in the arms of your favorite Grandpa!

Party Prep...

We're deep in the throes of party planning around here. I've been gluing Minnie's for weeks it seems like. Birthdays are a big deal around here, I know she's "only 2" but what is worth celebrating if not for the blessing of getting to have had your kids around for another wonderful year?

Ella and Kate both got vaccines a couple of days ago so they haven't been feeling that well but it looks like that's turning around and they are feeling like themselves again. Ella's starting to flip from her stomach to her back! She's getting so big. Last year, on Kate's birthday I found out I was carrying Ella. Now, she's a 4 month old bundle of love who gets to celebrate her big sister turning 2 with us.

Stay tuned for photos of the big day! Prepare for lots of Minnie Mouse!

The Gosselin Girls Meet Martha Stewart

I heard through an email that Martha Stewart was going to be at Sur La Table at the Grove in Los Angeles. I watch her talk show every day and love her other shows like the cooking one called Everyday Food. I'm a total Martha fan. So, Jack and I bought her book and decided to go with Nini. When we got to Sur La Table, the lady who was in charge of the line told us we didn't have to wait because we had a stroller and she was in love with my two little girls. Everyone kept stopping and telling us how cute they were. It always baffles me how people think they are twins! I mean, Kate is 2 and Ella is 4 months for crying out loud! So when we finally got to the table to have her sign our books Martha stops and tells me how cute the girls looked in their little outfits and asked if they liked to dress up. She said she loved their little bows. I was a proud momma right then. We took our books and moved on but Nia Levert had bought a book for me to have signed for Poune since she is a big fan also so I got back in line with Ella. Anyone who knows Ella has seen her poor little infected eye because she has a clogged tear duct that I've been trying to treat since she was born. Well, Martha looked at Ella and made sure to tell me to have her eye looked at and taken care of...lol I thought this was priceless. I hear it every day from Jaclyne and I have to travel to Beverly Hills to hear it from Martha Stewart too...lol. It was a good night with good friends and I'll never forget my experience meeting Martha.

Here is Nini holding the girls while Martha admires them... Kate wasn't loving the attention though. If you look to the right, you will see a camera. That's me. I didn't get to take a pic with Martha, I'm a little sad about that.

This photo was taken by a professional photographer, Frank Anzalone Photography. Martha signing my book.

My autograph. Enjoy, Martha Stewart. Do you think Martha would enjoy the fact that I used a pile of clean, unfolded towels that were on the table to prop up the book in order to take this photo? ...lol.