You know it's Fall When...

You find THIS at the STORE...and it was CHEAP!!

Yes it caused much temptation, which I couldn't resist and I went over my food budget, but since we bought it yesterday and it's half gone..I think it was well worth it-plus it was $1.50!! I just really, really wish I had some home-made soft pretzels to go with it..but I know I won't. Maybe I'll splurge and at least go to Pretzel time..again causing more budget bursting.

This month, I did something all you fabulous Mom's probably have been doing for years..but just in case you aren't I'll share. This Month I planned my menu-18 dinners. I took 1 huge $203 shopping trip to get all the items needed for these meals. Plus some frozen berries for some smoothies..and garbage bags..but anyway. I took 1 Friday about 5 hours to pre-cook all my beef meals, for the chicken I just divided it as needed-either shredded, or chopped for crock pot or left whole for chicken cor don blue (sp?). Then dinner has been such a breeze! On really chaotic days I just pull an already made dinner out of the freezer, other days I do a bit more prepping with the chicken. The best part for me is the fact that I don't have to figure out what I'm having, I have a list, and my choice is one of those options-and no matter what I pick, I have ALL the ingredients for it. Before I'd finally decide on something-then realize I didn't have sour cream or something like that, and I'd have to either; re-decide on what we'd have, go to the store, or cop out and make nothing. Just having the menu pre-determined has been fabulous! And I can't even remember that long day of neglecting Marie..it's so worth it now!

Plus we've been able to stay on our budget..okay okay, I realize it's still September and I already let you know I went over my budget but our budget for this month is $300 less than we've been spending, so compared to that, I'm doing awesome!

-Here's Tyler with his entire rock family he painted one day. He told me all their names, then got confused and named them something else..but the names aren't important, he's so proud and they sit on his dresser!

-This is Marie being as cute as normal.
-This is my splurge at Wal-Mart when I got the cider it was only $1.27 and couldn't say no to that sad face, she'd already asked for SOOOO many other items that were WAY more expensive, so I gave in. Reminds me of Gnomeo and Juliet!

Tell the world

Well I think it's time to tell the whole world that we're expecting and due March 31st. Whether this is a girl or boy it will be our last. And I'm happy I'll have my 4, I went do the doctor a couple of weeks ago and it's confirmed I'm only carrying one-thank Heavens!
I don't feel any different other than hunger, haven't gained any weight yet, and I can't tell by looking at my belly.

However because of my stroke last year I get to wake up each morning to this:

Every morning it's the first little prick into my skin I think I hate, but in reality it's the stinging as it goes in..but each morning it's still hard to do the first prick. It reminds me of nursing Brandon-in the very beginning, he preferred 1 side until it was raw and cracked. I knew my baby needed to eat but the first latch hurt like crazy and it was bloody each time..yes it passed in about 6-7 weeks..where as this won't pass until the baby is here..I know it's all worth it..but I feel like in one way it's payback..Payback for no stretch marks and no morning sickness for 3 children. I know I can do it!

But onto other things-This week Brandon wanted a carrot for a snack after school..the thought of a LONG carrot sounded so good..and we're loving Looney Toons lately "What's up Doc?"--so he really enjoyed it!

And here is what the rest of us looked like before we got ready this morning:
Tyler was doing this thing with one of Marie's hair bands..I thought it looked like a goatee (is that what I mean to spell?)

Marie-just wanted to have her picture taken-I didn't but then she wanted to take a picture of me..

no more spiders!

For a little while we were killing 1 spider every other day or so..so I dug out our 2 bottles of house spray, home protection-and of coarse I sprayed it! I looked and it didn't say anything about expecting women..and Eric will NEVER do it--so I did it and since then we've been spider free! Well Tyler killed one last week outside on our front steps, and he was SO proud. Eric believes it has NOTHING to do with the home protection-but since I've sprayed I haven't seen them. That's enough for me!

Also Marie and Tyler have been staying busy-always using their imaginations..that's good! It started out with chairs on the couch for a tunnel, then they got on the chairs and decided to ride a horse!

Tyler got some homework from preschool this weekend, they want him to start writing his name in lowercase, he knows all his uppercase but no lower case..it was VERY hard for him to even trace the letters they wrote for him. Also I guess when they asked his last name he didn't know it, nor his address, nor my phone number..I trained Brandon to know all these things but not for Tyler in preschool..so I tried to cram some info into his brain this weekend.

On Friday I weeded, because I didn't want to do it on Saturday..and the weeds on the side of the house were outrageous! Marie decided to try them on. Cute green wig!


This is the SUPER cute dress I got for Marie from some lady on Craigslist this week..for $3..SCORE

However I didn't have bows that match, we compromised on the pink butterfly clips..I'll have to get some bows..but I was so happy it's gorgeous and it's modest!

School

Last week my Dad was telling me how I need to blog important things like the first day of school, and I know I should but it's been so easy to just not blog and be a slacker..but I'll try and do better.

Thus far Brandon enjoys his class, he's only been 3 days. He's already decided hot lunch is better than bringing his own. Eric believes $1.95 is a great deal, cheaper than making your own..I'm not so sure. But we'll see how often Brandon wants to do hot lunch..then we'll see. Last week he went on Monday then threw up all night, right after a street ice cream social..I thought we were going to get everybody sick-but thankfully we didn't! The first time he threw up, he was so sad he couldn't go to school the following day. Me too!

The bus stop is across the street and 3 houses down, so I just send him by himself and he knows everybody at the stop so that's fun. Thus far everything is good.

Tyler goes to preschool 3 days a week. I was recommended to this preschool and had higher hopes than I've seen, but he's only been there 2 times and I'm sure it'll be fine. It just seems like it's the teacher's way or the high way..but there's no snack it's 9am-11:30 and Tyler's not really a breakfast person and he says he wasn't bored..so that's for sure something!

Marie is a girly girl just like always, she's talking a LOT more. On her play phone when I ask her who she's talking to 99 percent of the time it's Uncle Brett! So cute. But she's still into shoes and jewelry and dress up..just like a girl should.

The other thing I have on this camera is this summer, I was brave and went around the block with some neighbor kids on a costume parade, it was hot in all these black costumes, but the kids had a blast and they even threw out jolly ranchers to other kids.

-Tyler's a Ninja, Pyper's Batman, Ali's a Ninja, Brandon's Tootsie Roll, and Marie is Cinderella.