Not just a Mommy.....

A lot has been happening in the last few months. First off I decided to do a little more for me. Don't get me wrong I love and adore my 3 kiddos and husband however being a stay at home mom is hard work. I found myself pushing things that I wanted to do to make me happy further and further down on my list of Things To Do.

After having my 3rd little trouble maker in June I had a long talk with my husband and found that I was sad that we just had our last baby and I was sad that I felt like I was loosing myself, I chalked it up to hormones and said be gone with it. Well the thought of having more kids were those darn hormones cause I now feel very complete with our family of 5. But the loosing myself still bothered me, I always worked since the age of 16 cause I loved my independence and I had every intention of going back to work after we had our first, then I saw my little princess and could not imagine the thought of not being at home with her. Everyday I thank God for how blessed we are that I can stay home but I still felt the nagging that I had to do something for me.

In the last few months I have done the following and am very happy to say I feel a lot better.

1.) I started this blog
2.) I actually went out to a girls brunch yesterday, I know moms gone wild..... over here
3.) I signed up to be an independent stylist with Stella and Dot

I found that by doing things for myself big or small it made me a better mommy and wife. Please feel free to comment I know I am not the only one who felt this way. I better go to bed a little guy will be crying for mommy in a few hours for his late night bottle. I have to admit as much as I love my sleep I cherish those middle of the night cuddles and smiles that are just for me.

Well fall is here. Tomorrow is October 1st and I feel like the official beginning of the holiday season. Now if only mother nature felt the same way and sent some cool weather our way, I am very over 90 degrees in Southern California. Anyway, I LOVE the holidays and do everything and anything with my kiddos to celebrate the season. 

One thing that we feel very strongly as a family is teaching our children to give back. We are very blessed in so many ways and I do not ever want to take that for granted. One event we look forward to is the CHOC Walk (Children's Hospital of Orange County). The walk is on October 11 and covers three miles throughout the Disneyland Resort. This year is its 25th year!!!! The walk has raised millions of dollars and is a wonderful experience. Last year was our first year, we met an amazing family at our daughters preschool and joined Team Kyle Lee with them. Tears were brought to my eyes to see all of the support in the very early morning hours. 

Little did I know that about a year later our family would experience CHOC and put our little 3 week old into their hands when he spiked a 103.5 fever. It was our 3rd little guy and Jason and I felt pretty confident at the whole parenting thing.... well..... at 5pm on a Monday I noticed that we had a warm baby who was getting hotter by the minute. Of course everything happens after hours and after a frantic call to the doctor I was on my way to the ER while my husband stayed at home with the older two. Our ER trip turned into a week long stay of tests, medicine and fluids. To see your little helpless baby laying in a crib so sick and then to know that your two older kids are at home needing mommy was a feeling of complete and total helplessness that I cannot even begin to explain. Thank goodness for a loving husband who's an amazing daddy and a support system of family and friends that was there for us. In the hospital I found support that I never thought I'd find in the nurses and doctors. Each and every one of them handled my baby like he was their own. They were gentle, loving and patient. They asked me how I was holding up and feeling and they were never too busy to stop and listen if I needed to talk. We now have a chubby 3 month old who's smiling, cooing and trying to hard to sit up and be big like his sister and brother. I will never be able to express my thanks to the nurses and doctors that work so hard to take care of children and families in need. This is my families way to rally, fundraise and get up at the crack of dawn to walk thru the Happiest Place on Earth. 

Please take a quick minute to check out how you can help a charity in your area and lets teach our children to be kind, loving and compassionate. 

http://choc.convio.net/site/TR?fr_id=1110&pg=entry

WHEW.......

Took a long weekend off and went to Arizona to visit with some fabulous family friends. Our 3 kiddos had a fantastic time playing, swimming and just being kids and my 4th child... aka... my husband was with his dudes and had tons of fun also.

My new favorite app.......

I have a little princess that will be 4 in January and she's at the age where she says the darndest things. There were so many times she said something and I want to tell my husband cause its so funny or out there or just weird and by the time he gets home from work I totally forget what was said. Well my problem is solved folks by an app I downloaded on my phone (which is usually where I can find it) LITTLE HOOTS.

The way it works is you can record what child said what and the date. You can even do things like order books, prints, mugs, etc with the quotes.

One of my favorite to date is I was 37 weeks along with Trouble #2 and my princess looks at me and says "Mommy how's the baby gonna come out Are we just gonna pop your belly like a balloon?" I just couldn't hold that smile in.

What are some funny things you kids say???

You can download "Little Hoots" from the app store. 

Bruschetta

With the warm weather we have been having in Southern California..... Hello 90+ at the beach.... who wants to cook? NOT ME....

I came up with my own version of Bruschetta while back and after a few attempts I finally came up with what my family thinks is the perfect blend. This is just a guide feel free to add things or omit to make it your own.

1/4 onion
3 large tomatos
1 bunch basil

1/4 cup olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic
2-3 tablespoons balsamic glaze (already reduced and sweet)
salt and pepper to taste
4 slices of prosciutto
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Chop tomato, onion, basil and garlic. Add olive oil, balsamic glaze and salt and pepper. Allow to sit in the fridge for about a hour so all the flavors blend and start to create a delicious juice. Right before serving chop the prosciutto and add to the mixture. Sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on the top for garnish.

Serve on toasted bread, over grilled chicken or toss a few spoonful's on lettuce and you have a refreshing salad.

Hi there and welcome. I am a busy mommy, wife and dreamer. I have 3 beautiful children, a 3 1/2 year old princess, 16 month old trouble 1 and 12 week old trouble 2. I have a loving and supportive husband, Jason who supports my crazy ideas and dreams.

Oh and did I mention we are a HUGE Disney family. I am a former cast member and now we have annual passes and are lucky enough to go all the time.

I started this blog as a way for me to connect with others out there and also as a small release to my crazy/wonderful life. I hope you enjoy my tips for doing Disney with kids or fun date nights. Sharing recipes for quick meals or fun stuff we do as the active family of 5 that we are.

Feel free to contact me at anytime with questions or even just to chat. I do not label myself as an expert in parenting but I do have 3 under the age of 4 and have been there done that with a lot.

Nice to meet you all,

Misty