Time with Gma

Do you believe that I used to wear Grandmas clothes to school? I remember leaving her house with gold shoes (back in the day when I was a 9) and a t-shirt tied to my side that said "Bloomies" on it with lots of gold flowers!

Us three kicking leaves together.



Little Minnie in a pouting spree! If only that worked. . .I find it beyond entertaining. This is lipstick under her eyes in case you were wondering why they were red.

Mural Kids and Flashdance!

Well, this is just another day at the Hogan-Lefler household! The kids have started a mural in our house below our island in the kitchen. This is part one. They will be layering it throughout the months and years. I am excited to see the progress!

Like the leaves! It's fall and we like to make clothes out of our fall leaves!

This is the current finished progress!

Sela has a dance class on Friday that we all go to. A. has been her biggest supporter, he helps her get dressed and supports her throughout the class. She calls the horsie that she rides in class Aidan Rue. This was the current outfit that they picked out. Flashdance baby!

Of Course, Halloween!

MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY! We have been playing in the 2 Xtra Large tubs of Halloween costumes for the last couple of weeks having a ball! Sela, A. daddy, and I got dressed up for Sela's pre-school Harvest party. I was some freaky lady, as usual, A. was a rock star (in my sparkly pants from 9th grade dance class), Sela was Minnie, and daddy was a baseball player (he wouldn't be the hot pimp in my tight tassle pants for the pre-school party!)

A. was adamant about being a shark this year, so once again I go to the sewing machine. Here he is showing it off in his school parade.

These are A.'s friends he went T or Ting with.

Sela was a Flying Princess Fairy Poodle. It started off as she wanted to be a dog, but she kept adding!


And this was the feeling all night!

YAY!! Candy! Mumma had to let go of her obsessive sugar deal. I actually let the kids eat candy this year, we were with friends so it was kinda hard to say once piece and that's it. They did great, especially A. after experiencing 4 previous years of obsessive mumma. He did go a little sugar bonkers, but no tummy ache's!

And I dont't know what is going on with these photos, the horizontal ones keep cutting themselves off ~ even when I add them as small. Heather, when you read the blog email me and let me know the scoop ~ she's the one who started me on the blogging and she is my blogging pro ~ even with 4 kiddos!

Fall Around Here

I am sitting here toasty in our home. . .we have two fireplaces burning. It's been rather exciting having a fire burning every day. I wake up on Saturday and Sunday mornings, after everyone, (I get the weekends to sleep in) to the crackling and the smell and warmth of the fires in our home. It is fall.

Here are some glimpses of our everyday around our house.



Now come inside. On our table is our mascot the scorpion and our current favorite game, CAMP. It is made by a couple out of GR, MI and it is a great game for all ages. Sela can answer the 1 questions, A. the 2 questions and mum and dad the 3 & 4 questions. If I could figure out how to post a link I would do that. Maybe I will figure it the retype it in.


Mom, you should be so proud! Look at your plant, it is beautiful! See I really can take care of your plants while you are in AZ. It is lovin' our W sun!

And my little Miss Minnie! Dom started this when he got back from FL with a stuffed Minnie Mouse. Just last week A. Kelly gave Sela her girls old Minnie ears and they are attached permanately to her head.
Such a sweet moment before bed though.

I've got some goodie ol' photos that I can't wait to post. This weekend I am sure!

Tae Bo and Cheeseburgers

Wanna see Niki doing something out of the ordinary? Take a good look.

Yep, that's me, IN A PARADE! I guess back in the day you could catch dancing on the back of a flat bed for the Oehrlein Dancers in a parade, or riding in a fancy car in a fancy homecoming dress, or marching in the band playing the drums, or wearing a cheerleader outfit. . .Wow! I guess I have had my share of parades. Never Mind! And, yes! for those of you who are snickering. . . I was a cheerleader. I could really never do those jumps though, I was much more of a tap dancer. . .Liked the noise.
This summer during the annual Cheeseburger in Caseville Festival we had a tie dy had a tie dying booth. (For those of you who have never heard of the festival check out this: casevillechamber.net It is 10 days of craziness in this little resort town. There is music every night and cheeseburgers gallore!) The parade was one way of promoting ourselves. The booth was a brilliant idea. We drew a design that was printed on the shirt, taught customers how to "tie" in fancy ways, then we dyed with professional dyes. We sent them away with a wet shirt in a bag that needed to sit for 24 hours, then THEY had the fun of opening the design. It was a hit!!
Connor you are a star. . .he needed a hug!

And on to the TaeBo! So, my legendary grandma Edie gave me about 10 TaeBo tapes that I will never ever use. (never been one for working out!) We had just moved into our new home and the kids needed a little down time so they chose a movie to watch. I was unpacking boxes when up on the 2nd level I hear lots of movement and some guy counting. I snuck up the stairs to find this:



They were exercising to the TaeBo tape. All on their own they set it up and went to town. I was in histarics!!!!! I have a bunch of clips on my cameras video camera also. (Maybe a clip or two needs to go to the Funny Video Guy!) The movements they were doing. . .check out A.'s thrusting movement!!!!! They are in shape now!!!

I'm Back!

So. . . .Wow. . .It has been an extremely long time since I have posted. I am feeling it again, now being once again in a schedule. A whole bunch has happened and you'll get tid-bits along the way.

We went raspberry picking a couple of weeks ago! I made a yummy pie from them. I actually eat a little pie with my whipped topping.

There was a wonderful old truck we stopped at to get a photo. . .This is the best after a day of picking. Gosh, I should have taken a photo of the big daddy grasshopper we caught. Although, now thinking of it, he is probably still in the travel coffee cup in my car!

I wanted to start out my new post with our doggie Vega, but thought after months of not posting that would be too sad of a start. But, I still had to get her up here as a little honor to our dog. Vega Sky had to be put to sleep because of a brain tumor. It was a very traumatic experience, starting off with a seizure, being told she had bloat and would die that night, to her getting better. Unfortunately, after many, many test and feeling better for days she started having neurological problems. I'll stop there. SHe was beyond an amazing dog!!! Aidan had her collar hanging in his room and a day doesn't pass that we don't talk about her. SO now that I've gotten myself crying I will end. Just look at her cuddling with Aidan! The look in her face was her personality, she was a huge gentle and goofy (she lived with us!) dog.

Desperation

So I chose this title, then looked in the Thesaurus. I may not be feeling full desperation. Although, I may now as Sela screams and tugs on my arm. Have I ever told you of my obsession for Dictionaries and The Thesaurus? Guess that will come another day, after I finish the book I am reading.

I am desperate to find a renter for our home in 3 weeks.

I was desperate to find an ice pack. A frozen banana was chosen instead.

A showing for our home was bumped up so I had 40 minutes to perfect my house. In a moment of desperation I put the kids in the car with 2 popsicles each. A week later, cleaning my car, I asked myself what this red sticky stuff was.

And I feel full desperation knowing our best friends are moving away this summer.

Ken, are you sure you can't just find another job in Ann Arbor?

My Sweet Little One!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY LITTLE 3 YEAR OLD GIRL - MISS SELA ROSE! I just put her down to sleep after a LONG day of playing! She had a great day, and at the end of it said her favorite part was eating ice cream with Cade. I will recap a little of our day to let you in on the fun. This is how it all started, love from her brother!

While Aidan was a school we met a couple of friends for ice cream. Sela's most favorite friend is Cade and she was just elated to hang out with him during the day. After ice cream she went over to their house to play while I went back to school to play with Aidan. She was ADAMANT about finishing her ice cream, but the moment Michelle invite her over, with a mouthful of ice cream, she said "I'm all done" and ran out the door.


Posing with brother again before attempting the three candle blow! Yeah, she did it! And now the best part, licking the candles!


Now Muma gets a chance! We ended up devouring my ice cream cake before we sang to me on my 30th. My husband wanted so bad to put 30 candles on the cake, so he got his chance. And, WOW!, I must have been excited that I blew all of them out!


Yeah! Don't mess with a muma and her cake!

Noni gave Sela a pink baseball bat, a pink mitt, a pink ball, and a pink wrist band. Dominic, Aidan and Sela were having a blast playing after we opened gifts.

I thought I had a serious face while eating cake, but I think Sela has topped me!

I have been feeling pain all day. I won't give all the details but it has been rather weird. Must be the 3 thing, I have always had a thing for 3 and 7. Basically, I have felt all day like I was giving birth to her all over again. Even the drugs I was taking didn't help. Drugs in my world is Xtra Strength Tylenol. Funny how I can birth 10pd 14oz child and a 9pd 2 oz child and not take a thing, but the first sign of cramps I am all over the stuff.

We all had a great day, although I thought you weren't suppose to scream or whine on your birthday. Maybe next year!

Feeling Like I Haven't Posted

I am just coming up with anything to post today, just to be able to see something new on the site! I missed my birthday to myself, the 23rd, so I will have to make that up to me. Maybe tomorrow as I am documenting Sela's #3 birthday.

My husband is coaching Little League this year. Just check out my little guy, they get to wear uniforms this year. And he has quite the batting form, eh? (at least that is what I have been told) He just looks so damn cute in those tight little pants!

So check out this photo. See how he is wearing his right handed glove on his right hand. I know this sounds goofy, but if you throw right handed you have a right handed glove, even though it goes on your left hand. And vise vera, if you are left handed you have a left handed glove, which you wear on your right. Well, Aidan is determined to wear his right handed glove on his right hand. He catches the ball, then takes off his glove to throw it. And just look at how it fits - it doesn't. We will work on this.


That's my girl! I need to start taking style tips.

We just put a bid on a house today. I am sure that we will go back and forth for days to come trying to "agree" on a final bid. It is hard to believe that soon we may be moving out of our home into another. Our area is not the best, we have some yucky stuff slipping in, but we have been blessed with amazing neighbors. Not having family close is hard so it is great to have other people their looking out for you and helping along the way. This was our first home and we birthed both of our children here. Maybe we just need to have ONE more to child to birth in our new home as a way of initiating it?!? (And mom if you are reading this just calm down. . .it is always on my mind. . .we'll just have to see. . . ) I'll get a photo of the house we are interested in and post it soon!

Ahhh! I feel so much better. I finally typed!

Thank Goodness it wasn't a Sharpie!

My children know not to use the "mumma markers". We all know I am a sharpie freak! It pretty much is the only writing utensil I will use.

We had friends over and they were playing inside so nice. Then I saw this and the first thing out of my mouth was, "What kind of pen did you use?" All I could think of was my child becoming a permanent kitty cat, at least until enough of her dead skins cells fell off to reveal her natural color of skin.

I actually washed some of the marker off before the photo. Her entire lips were colored on as well. I had to get that off asap. Seeing black bleeding into her mouth just didn't sit all that well with me.
Had to take a break in the blogging world. I have been spinning out of control and have not had much sleep. That is where I am heading!

Conversations With A 5 Year Old

This may be the first and last post without a photo. This is just too good to share, and I must do it quickly. You will soon know my favorite store, not that it isn't everybody's favorite store. My children obviously have been there many times, enough to be effected.

Our great dane, Vega Sky, has been on her "deal" the last couple of weeks. We are planning on breeding her her next heat, so conversation has been in the air. Aidan, who is 5, has been so excited talking about puppies. We look at pups online and talk about what we will need to do for Vega while she is pregnant. Out of the blue, in Aidan's pure excited mode, which exceeds most, he tells me "We need to get Vega a penis so she can get puppies. We need to get her a penis now! Mom, can we go to Target and get her a penis?"

This has to be the funniest moment, yet, in my raising my children. I was crying so hard from laughter. That may have not been smart though. He kept saying penis things for about 10 minutes after the fact. Well, this is how our family runs, we are very open and honest with our kiddos. Good thing we were because I wouldn't wanted to miss out on that hilarious moment with my little innocent one.

"Happiness Only When Shared"

I did not realize there was a book to this movie, I am sure I will read the written form of this story now. I watched the movie again last evening, but turned it off just as he was meeting the older gentleman. I could not bear to watch the sadness of this man again, and I did not want to see "Alex's" death. (Especially how his death was shot, images of his parents and him smiling in their arms. It disappointed me they would assume what he was thinking right in that very moment. It is a special moment of transition and it is only for him to know.)

I don't want this to sound cliche', I am not meaning it in a literal form. This movie struck deep because I understand it, it makes me mad but I get it. I have felt similar feelings at a younger age, but now being a mother those thoughts seem so far withdrawn. I have felt the anger, I have wanted it to be only me, I have taken off on a traveling quest, I have been extremely selfish in that way but not cared, I have felt the frustration of life in that artistic manner and looked for "truth", I've wanted to go far away. He did it to the extreme, but came to the realization that he was lonely. Maybe he may have never gotten there without Alaska or maybe he would have in a healthier manner. While poisoned in shaky hand writing he wrote, "Happiness only when shared". Us artist tend to have a hard time growing up and tend to be very selfish.

The relationships he made; his "parents", his "best farming friend", his "grandfather", the young woman whom loved him, were all engraved so deeply into each other. It makes me so sad to think that neither party will be able to connect again. They were balanced relationships and both are loosing out. It is not felt by him now because he is dead, but I am sure after the realization of death it was felt. If his past was so bad, then he could have used these "new" family members as his family and re-created his life into what he needed. He was just unable to see past his own pain.

He was an extremist, he was young, he was selfish, he was on his OWN quest. Nobody else mattered. I can only hope he conquered these things in Alaska. It is such a confusing thought to understand but disagree so strongly and be angry at the progression of his actions. I also think about my children and it scares me.

So - to not leave you all on such a weird note, and because I can't imagine a post without a photo. He is my own personal "CHIP".

I don't know what he is thinking with those shades. Actually, I really think he likes to make me laugh and he looks so much like a cocky police officer, I just can't get enough.

Not Fools in My Book

My family went down to Ann Arbor this afternoon and joined in the Parade of Fools. I don't agree with the title, I thought it was rather brilliant. No candy in this parade, only home-made streamers and square white paper stapled on cardboard with a crayon taped on back. Another stroke of brilliance! The kids loved it, especially when the extremely over sized cat shot out an extremely large turd.


They added an interesting element to the flow of the parade. It started out from the right and in the middle of the parade puppets started coming from the left side. They had obviously planned this and crossed, interweaving through each other. Here were my favs.



I have an evening to myself and the children are sleeping. Hmmmm. What shall I do? The obsessive Niki comes out and. . . . .I am going to watch Into the Wild again and see what my take on it is today.