Falling Down and Having Fun

So Cat Boy was outside playing one day and apparently forgot how to walk. Walking is tricky, I have issues with it often. (We will cover that in another post). Anyway, he fell and scraped his legs pretty good. By the time I got outside to him, about 15 seconds after the scream, his one leg was already changing colors. He was upset but not overly so, which was pretty good considering his past history. He has Anxiety so often times he thinks the sky is falling. He fell at King's Dominion once, scraping his knee and as we waited for a person from First Aid he had a full blown attack saying he was drying, and his heart hurt, ect. We got through it pretty well, but I am pretty sure the teen employee that was waiting with us was a bit freaked out. LOL Anyway, he fell and I got him inside, cleaned him up, and put some Young Living Lavender on his legs. Within minutes the color had returned to normal. I applied it a few more times that day and by bed time it looked SO much better. I LOVE this stuff. The kids call it my magic oils, and I really do agree. If you would like some more info on oils or want to get a kit for yourself you can find info on this blog post. Young Living
The kids, (and me too) had been counting down the days until King's Dominion started all their Halloween stuff. We had made sure to go a few times before it officially started so we could see stuff as they put it up. This really helped Cat Boy not have anxiety over the unknown. During the day till 5pm it is all kid friendly. They have some super fun stuff in the kids area. They had a petting zoo, foam bubble pit, pumpkin decorating, trick-or-treat stations, a maze, and more. Then after 5 they make it all spooky. They have workers dressed up, haunted houses, fog machines, ect. The boys wanted to go at night so I went ahead and took them on opening night while The Hubby stayed home with Princess. I was pretty sure we would not even make it into the front gate before Cat Boy wanted to go home. However he did better then I thought. His progress really amazed me sometimes! They made a special map for the Halloween Haunt that showed where all the spooky stuff was which was super helpful. We studied the map, went the way that took us through the kids area so there was nothing spooky, and made it to a stage to watch a really cool show where people did tricks on a trampoline, walked up walls, ect. After the show we tried to go see some other stuff but there was fog everywhere and Cat Boy was NOT about to go walk through fog. After all fog means spooky, and people jumping out at you and that was NOT on his list of fun (mine either if we are being perfectly honest). So we decided to head back the way we came and grab a funnel cake on the way out. We found a store ont he way that had everything lit up with blacklights and light balls so we played there for a bit. While eating the funnel cake we watched a man dressed up as a bush jump out and scare people. It was SO much fun. The people that screamed the loudest were the biggest MEN! The Boy also decided that was his new dream job....he was going to grow up and be, A BUSH!

The next day the whole family went during the day. We did all the activities they had to do and had a blast. The favorite was by far the pit full of bubbles. The bobbles were really cool. They didn't make a big soapy mess when you played with them. The kids decided that we needed one of these little bubble pit contraptions. Hey, it would make bath time a TON more fun! It was so much fun we ended up going a few more times before it ended. We even ran into some friends one day from the RV park. The boys really loved that and they had fun riding some rides with them while I enjoyed some adult conversation.

Young Living

I have been using Young Living since May 2014. I am in LOVE! We use it everyday. We use them on Cat Boy for behavior issues, and to help his mood. We use them for cleaning. This was VERY important to me that we use as few chemicals as possible when we were going to be in such a small space. We use them for skin care, cuts, back issues, stinky laundry, immune boosting, boo boo creams, and so much more. I chose Young Living because of many reasons. They have been in buisness for over 20 years. They are PURE oils. Not fillers, no adatives, NOTHING but PURE oil (There are a few that have a carrier oil for easier application). They are the only company that distills all their own oils which means we know EXACTLY what is in them and how they are distilled. Most oils only come friend first distillation (again a few exceptions where the quality is not compromised otherwise but this is VERY few oils). Plus they have an AMAZING Seed to Seal guarantee.

When I started out I ordered a few oils from a friend. Less then a week later I was ordering a kit. This is by far the BEST deal. It gives you 11 oils, a diffuser, a roller ball, and some samples all for less then the price of 10 of the oils! PLUS you get a 24% discount on all future orders for the rest of the year.

No, buying a kit does NOT mean you need to sell. It just gives you the wholesale discount. Think of it like a wholesale club. There are 2 kits I recommend if you want to take this oily journey. The Premium Starter Kit ($150) or the Premium Starter Kit with Bamboo Diffuser ($160). The only difference in these 2 kits is which diffuser comes with it.

If you would like to join me on this oily journey you can sign up at https://www.youngliving.com/vo/#/signup/start?site=US&sponsorid=1828562&enrollerid=1828562 That takes you to my direct sign up link. If you can please make sure my Member Number (1828562) is in both boxes that will ensure you are on my team and I can help you with all your questions. That also makes you part of the Lemon Droppers which is how I get my AMAZING graphics and so much mind blowing help! Here is a little step by step instruction graphic as well. Here is a graphic to explain everything or you can follow the directions below:

Step 1: go to https://www.youngliving.com/vo/#/signup/start?site=US&sponsorid=1828562&enrollerid=1828562
Step 2: Be sure to choose “Member” instead of “Retail Customer.” Becoming a member is the only way to get access to the kit and the 24% discount you get afterwards. It’s really important!
Step 3: Make sure my member numbers are in the blanks (1828562)
Step 4: Select your country and language and click next.
Step 5: Enter your personal information and create a username, password, and a 4 digit PIN number. The password needs at least one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, and one number. Be sure to write all three of these pieces of info down! You'll need them if you ever want to log in to place an order or contact customer service in the future.
Step 6: Select your "tax information" choice. This information will only be used if you decide that the business end of Young Living is something you want to do. If you never sign anyone up, this info will never be used. Lemon Droppers do not pressure people into the business end…EVER. We want you to use and love your oils and we love you as a member whether you work the business end or not.
Step 7: Choose your starter kit. You can click "View all Starter Kits" to see all the choices. Choose the Aroma Premium (this is the one with the Aroma/Bamboo diffuser) or the Premium (this one comes with the Home diffuser). These two come with a diffuser, 11 oils (5ml bottles), and samples and booklets. It will be $150 for the Premium or $160 for the Aroma Premium. You can choose whichever kit you wish, but some of the other kits do not include the Everyday Oils kit or a diffuser so one of these two is what I always recommend.
Step 8: Feel free to click "No Thanks" on the Essential Rewards portion. You are not obligated to sign up for Essential Rewards (ER), but it does have some great benefits like cheaper shipping and the opportunity to earn free products. To be honest, I always tell my new members to get the kit and try the oils out, and then talk to me before your NEXT purchase. We then we will see if ER is right for you and your family.
Step 9: Select your shipping method and enter your billing info and click "Next". Please note: The warehouse is very busy these days and it could take a couple of weeks to get your kit. This isn't always the case, but I just wanted to give you an idea of what to expect just in case!
Step 10: On the next page, confirm your purchase and add any oils if you desire and check out. You are DONE! WOOHOO! Yay! You are a member! I remember how excited I was when I ordered my starter kit. Your membership will stay active as long as you spend at least $50 in a calender year. You DO not have to continue to “renew” your membership…that kit was a one time thing and you will remain a member as long as you spend that $50 a year. Which trust me…will never be a problem.

Fun with clay

Monkey was learning about Cuneiform writing. So we whipped up some salt clay and him and Cat Boy sat down and more some tablets. They had a blast. Cat Boy learned just how hard it was for them to write since if you pushed to hard it made a hole in the bottom, and that if you messed up there was no eraser or backspace button. He used to get SUPER upset when he would mess up, but he took it in stride smoothing it back out and trying again and again. We baked it in the oven to harden it when we were done but I forgot to take a picture of that.

The Boy meanwhile make a clay diorama of his favorite habitat. That was of course the ocean. We went ahead and bought clay for this one so it would be easier to work with and he could re-wet it between sessions. He did an AMAZING job on it. The hardest part was keeping it away from Princess. I also forgot to take a picture of the finished project with this one too. Boo on me.

Visit time

As I mentioned earlier, we left quite a few AMAZING friends back in Maryland. Since we were only 2 hrs away from where we used to live we invited some friends to come visit. The trip had been delayed a few time but they FINALLY made it down before it was time for us to leave. The kids were BOUNCING off the walls waiting for their friends to get here. If I heard, "How much LOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGGEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR?" One more time my head was going to explode. LOL Though I secretly was thinking the same thing because I wanted some time with their mommy who is my MD BFF! They eventually got here and the kids LOST it. LOL The chaos that ensued would have been loud in a large house but in our little 35sf rv....well you get the picture. It was totally worth the hearing loss. We went ahead and made Desiree Low Country Boil since she had never had it before (or OLD BAY! GASP!). That night of course we had to make S'mores. I mean you can NOT have a sleep over at a campground WIHTOUT S'Mores. I am pretty sure there is a law against it. There were also some trips to the park, including one in the rain. We were so glad that they were able to visit and we hope to be able to do it again when we are close enough.

Here comes the bride....

In August we went to Ohio to go to the wedding reception of The Hubby's cousin. We stopped in KY first to the in-laws house and stayed there for a bit then we all went over to Ohio. Leah and Michael had gotten married on the beach earlier in the year, so this was just a party to celebrate.

It was outside at a local venue right next to the train tracks which Cat Boy and Monkey LOVED. Cat Boy counted all the cars in each train that passed and then would run over to me to tell me how many cars that train had. He couldn't believe that many of them were over 100 cars.

They had a live band that played and Princess was very happy about that. She loves music and loves dancing. When she wasn't dancing she was busy decorating the sidewalk with rocks. She would grab a handful, drop it on the cement, get another handful, drop it next to the last pile and so on and so on. I have no clue what she was doing but if a section got kicked back onto the ground she would go put the rocks back.

The boys spent their time playing in the field with by a big pile of dirt. When Princess was to tired to keep rocking we all went back to the hotel and The Hubby and the in-laws took the boys swimming while I put Princess to bed.

Leah looked beautiful in her dress and we were glad we were able to go. I wish I had taken a picture of what they had everyone sign, it was a piece of tree stump in the shape of a heart. It was super cute.

Princess rocking out

Dancing with daddy

All the little cousins

Redecorating with rocks

Cat Boy counting the train cars

Princess running a muck

Cute wedding favors

Princess dancing with the bride

On the way home from Ohio we stopped at New River Gorge in West Virginia. It was so beautiful! It was a quick 2 min walk from where we parked to the overlook and there was also a playground and bathrooms there. It was a great little stop for us to stretch our legs and get some wiggles out before we continued our drive home.

4 little ducks all in a row

Cat Boy

Princess had to look too

The Boy, Princess mad she is not running, me, and Monkey

Random fun

So a friend of mine recomended we try Chuey's for dinner. So we decided to check it out. It is a cute little mexican chain where they make the tortilla's where you can watch and all the kids meals come with a push pop for dessert. The first time we went there The Hubby ordered the "Bigger then your face"" burrito. Cat Boy found this hilarious and it was not long before he asked to go back so he could order it. So we went and he ordered it. When it came he of course had to measure his face to the burrito to see if it was true, he was so excited it was indeed as big as his face!                                                                                         

Look mom it IS as big as my face!

 The Hubby went to the store one day to get stuff to wash the cars and the RV since are parked under a bunch of pine trees and it is really dusty that the RV park. All the kids wanted to help out but The Boy and Cat Boy were just interested in using the hose. Monkey however wanted to help with the actual work.So him and The Hubby worked hard scrubbing away. The other two boys did eventually help some but Monkey was defiantly the big helper of the day.

Monkey scrubbing the dirt off the boarders. 

We invited everyone over one night for some S'mores and fun. We were finishing up a round of Bingo at the RV park (we won 4 games woohoo) so everyone met us up at the front. We played some ping pong for a bit before heading back to the RV. The Hubby had gone back with Cat Boy to get the fire started so it was ready by the time we got there. We all sat around enjoying the fire and stuffing ourselves with S'mores and roasted marshmallows.

The Boy got a microscope for science. He was so excited to use it as soon as Princess went down for a nap we got it out. He spent her whole nap looking at stuff. We did the stuff for a science lesson (some onion skin and celery) and then he spent the rest of the time looking at whatever he could think of. We did hair, spit, a popsicle stick, cotton ball, and I don't even remember what else. He was bummed when Princess woke up so I told him he could play again when she went to bed. I had barely gotten out of the kids room after putting her to bed when he asked if he could use it again. LOL So we took it out and he played for another 2ish hours. He told me the other day he wants to be a scientist when he grows up and invent stuff. He really does love science.

My niece works at Cicic's so we went to visit her one day. Of course I had to take her picture and embarrass her. :) The kids loved it there and my step-mom seemed to enjoy her self as well. I remembered the brownies being much better the last time we went though that had to have been 5+ years ago. The Hubby and I didn't feel so good later that night so I am pretty sure we will not be going back.

Birthdays

So we had a few birthday's since my last post. First, we had my Uncle Rob's birthday. The family got together and we did dinner and games at Dave and Busters. Despite the HORRID waiter we had we all had a great time. We played a 4 way game of air hockey which was a ton of fun. Uncle Rob lost to Monkey in a racing game, and snuck in a last second win against The Boy.

 My sister brought cupcakes and shared some with Princess, oh the mess. I am pretty sure that dress is still yellow in spots from the frosting but man did she like it.

Princess and the cupcake

 The next birthday that we celebrated was that of our dear friend Maddux. We drove back to MD for this one as we would not have missed it for anything. The kids had an absolute blast playing at the jump house and seeing all their friends again. We have THE best group of home school friends anyone could ask for and we all miss them bunches. After the jumping we went to the birthday boy's house for some pizza, cake, and fun. We ended up staying WAY later then I thought but I still had to drag the kids to the van, the would have stayed for days. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MADDUX! 

Last but not least was my birthday. The Hubby had arranged a dinner out with all my family at P.F. Changs. It was a great idea but we both agreed after we should of done something else. The food was amazing as always and it was great to have everyone there but Princess was in a horrid mood and for 95% of the dinner one of us had her outside running up and down the sidewalk. We have now learned she HATES high chairs and insists on sitting in a chair or at the booth like a big girl, she will not even use a booster. I think a big reason is because in the RV we do not have space for a highchair so she either sits at the table or eats on the go. Oh well, live and learn. Anyway, the restaurant was at an outdoor mall so after dinner we walked around a bit to walk off some dinner and let the kids get out some energy. While walking we came across a fountain that is flat with the ground for playing in! Of course the kids wanted to play so we let them. It took a while till they got wet as they were trying to avoid the water coming up from the holes. Cat Boy was the first one to get hit. Soon, him and Monkey were SOAKED! The Boy was holding back but finally gave in. I think that was my favorite part of my birthday, just watching them play and laugh and have fun. This is why we did this, to be able to see new things even if it is just a fountain in the dark at the mall. My phone was dead so I didn't get any pictures except for on Cat Boy's DS but there they stay.