Dean's Cord

So Kaci had has "Blanky and Beary".  Where ever she goes, they go.  Oh and if they don't...well, you really don't want to find out what happens.  Take it from me.  And as you can imagine, her entourage is pretty ratty, especially Beary.  He has already been stitched up a couple of times and what used to be beautiful pale pink fur is now pretty grungy.  

Kaci and Blanky

As for Dean, well he has an extension cord.  Yeah - a small brown extension cord is his comfort item.  I don't even really know where he found it...obviously digging through cupboards and drawers he was not supposed to be in.  

Each night I try to pick up the living room once the kids are in bed (why bother right?).  And each night I put Dean's little cord in a drawer in one of the coffee tables.  It has now become part of his morning routine (early morning routine, so very early) after his morning bottle, to race over to that drawer and grab his cord.  It really is cute, as he gets so excited each time he finds it in the drawer.

A boy and his cord

What isn't so cute though is that this isn't the only cord the boy is fond of.  Actually any cord will do.  The cord to his changing table lamp?  Addictive!  The cords behind TV, DVR and blue ray player?  Irresistible.  Oh and don't forget the cord to that hot flat iron that you may use daily...no, one must NEVER forget about that one.  

Also remember that what may have been deemed "out of reach" for Kaci, does not automatically mean it is for Dean.  He is a stacker and a climber.  

I "mustache" you to drop that cord Dean!

To Dean, nothing beats a plain old cord.  Oh wait...except a cord wrapped around a Christmas tree with bright lights!

Dean No.  No Dean.  Deanie no no.  NO TOUCH DEAN!

Tis the Season

I figured I had better get my Halloween post up now since everyone is now on the fast track to Christmas.  I have already sat through a handful of Christmas commercials, enjoyed coffee in a Starbucks holiday cup and started reminding Kaci that Santa and his elves see everything that she does, may it be naughty or nice.

THE PATCH

Of course we hit up the pumpkin patch.  I was on a mission to find the perfect white pumpkin, Kevin went the more traditional orange route and Kaci...well Kaci didn't want a big pumpkin.  Just like last year, she was after her "baby" gourds.  She picked through the bins until she found a handful to her liking.  She then proceeded to mother her treasures for the next few hours.  She made the mistake of leaving them unattended in the living room and Dean snapped off the necks of each and everyone of them.  She was livid...and wanted nothing more to do with her babies. 

Pumpkin Launch!

Oh and those seeds that we were so careful to separate from the rest of the junk?  Yeah, I burnt those to a crisp.  Yes, I was irritated just a bit.

THE COSTUMES:

Well we are certainly getting our money's worth out of Kaci's costume this year.  She wants to wear it every day for the rest of her life - her words.   

Introducing Queen Elsa

Dean went as Clark Kent, but refused to wear the glasses...so he wasn't really recognizable.  Plus he wont sit still for any pictures...so this is pretty much all I got of his first Halloween.

The rain broke up just in time for a little trick or treating with cousins.

Gotta run.  Time to make some Christmas lists...geez!

All Dolled Up

Welcome back readers!  The Erickson's actually got some family photos done over the summer.  We had a photographer come to us to capture us out in the wild.  I am in love with the final product, but the photo shoot itself, as well as the preparation for it, was a lot of work.  It paid off though...take a peak:

And I shall leave you with this last one of the boys:

Fall Back

Well what the heck has been going on?  A lot.  I am looking forward to the slow down that fall brings with it.  Rainy days are always a good excuse to stay home - which means starting a project, cooking, cleaning, organizing something, and even a blog post or two.  Oh and sipping wine.  Sounds mighty fine to me.

Speaking of wine...check out my new wine glasses.  They make me feel fancy.

So let's chat about our little Dean.  This guy is a handful.  His current hobbies include flushing the toilet and unraveling the toilet paper.  We do make it a point to keep the bathroom doors shut, but the little blond girl in the house has a difficult time remembering.  Because of this, my new hobbies include cleaning the bathroom daily and nagging constantly about the door being left open.

He also has quite the appetite, and lately has started to take a liking to finger foods.  Though he requests only Cheerios and peas, we have also served him bananas, avocado (NOT a success), scrambled eggs, watermelon and some chicken.  What a mess...

The necklace is supposed to help with teething.  Does it work?  I don't know, but I am too scared to see what teething without the necklace would be like.  Yikes!

Here is Dean on a good hair day...sort of:

On a recent family trip to Target (which I do try to avoid at all costs as any trip with Kevin results in a very large bill), I left Kevin in charge of the kids for a short bit so I could try on some clothes.  This is what I found:

Dean had enough of that sitting business, and Kaci's legs were too tired to take another step.

And Kaci of course talked her Dad into a Princess Elsa doll.  Kevin failed to realize that it played the damn "Let It Go" song.  Yep, I think even Dean was ready to throw the doll out the window on the car ride home.  But Kaci was one happy gal.

Just a bit creepy...

Happy October!!!

She's Growing Up!

Wow time does go by fast.  Am I talking about my 2 month absence from this blog?  Oh no, that really isn't anything new.  Nope, I am talking about Kaci turning 4.  Unbelievable.

How could this coconut be 4 years old?!?!

She is a sassy little thing that will give you a glare look that is years beyond her age.

She isn't afraid of a little dirt (truth be told she actually prefers it).

And she is a wacky one, prone to random, uncontrollable laughing attacks.  Much to the amusement of Dean.

This little gal is one amazing daughter and sister.  We love you Kaci!

Vision Quest

Vision boards and statements are tools used to help clarify, concentrate and maintain focus on your goals.  Hmmm, this sounds like exactly what I need.  Some people may choose one or the other, but because I am so important, I need both.  Important?   No just kidding...I just need all the help I can get folks.  

The Statement

I am one who likes to keep my home life separate from my work.  My commute runs about 30 minutes each way, depending on traffic.  I use this time each morning to transition mentally from home to work, and in the evenings, from work to home.  It's what works for me.  So it just seems natural to have different visions for the home Jaci and the professional Jaci.  I am going with the vision statement for work...not sure that pictures cut out and glued to a board that sits on my desk is the correct way to go about getting what I want.  Unless I wanted to be a Kindergarten teacher...which I don't...ever.  I have actually been working on my vision/brand statement for a month or so now.  It's a work in progress and a project that really puts me outside of my comfort zone.  It is something that I want to be known for, something that holds me accountable.  I will look at this statement every day to keep me focused on reaching my goals.  Yada yada yada...enough about that...let's move on to the home Jaci.  She is so cool.

The Board

I had intended to have an amazing vision board finalized that I could just pop right on to this blog post....but I can't figure out how to do that.  So instead I have attached some images that I would put on a vision board.  

Finger nails....really?  Jennifer Anniston...what?  Stay with me folks!  I want to be a healthy, fit, calm, organized, motivated mom and wife with effortless style, an awesome organized home and pretty nails.  

So now I have to make this happen.  

Moral of today's post...set goals and make shit happen.