Oh' Christmas Tree

'Look at me or I'm taking your candy cane away.'  Ahhhh, sweet memories.

He talked us into it again.  A little tree for he and Theo's room.  I'll let him do it for as long as he ask for it and I'll always take this picture, because, yes, sweet memories. 

Thankful!!

Thankful for cousin time! Even if it does mean passing around all the germs.  Tis the season...

Sandlot & Ice cream, Winnie's choice.

Farris, Carinci, Asma Christmas card success.  Only one missing, and she is a twin, so you will never  even know!

Heels House

My ride or die Tarheel football fans.  Go big or go home.  (Winnie and I stayed home)

I said brrr....

It's cold out here!  (Name that movie, folks)

Also, we are loving this kitchen island.  And to think I was worried about Winnie trying to sit up here and fall down, growny pants.  

Put me in coach.

Life with 3 older brothers.  Alllll day, Errryyy day.  

Fall

My babies.  They are growing, all of them, in all the ways.  But they will always be my babies.  Everyone talks about how Winnie will never have to worry about anything with 3 big brothers.  I'm here to tell you, they will never have to worry about anything with their youngest sister keeping tabs on them all of the time!

Halloween!

Trick or Treat!  I somehow convinced everyone to be characters from Aladdin for Halloween this year.  I mean the personality match-ups were too on point not to do it.  Also, on 3 different occasions someone told me I HAD to go see the play because Charlie was Aladdin!  I know, I know, I know...  

Featuring a skeptical princess Jasmine, two handsome Aladdins, a Theo monkey Abu, the Genie himself Jackson and Jafar, because like I said the personalities fit.  

New hood, same great pizza parties and trick-or-treating!

Right before the storm came in, perfect Halloween night.  

Moving along...

We moved! To my dreamiest house in all the lands, in a fabulous neighborhood, about 1 mile from where we used to live.  All of this while still trying to sale our old house, starting school for big bros, part-time job for me, another Jersey Mike's store and somehow my trusty lap top was left on the top of someone's truck and ran over repeatedly... (ahem) I have had zero thoughts or time or energy to break out the blog.  And then, I hear my boys tripping out over a book they found while unpacking.  It was a 'Sleepin' In the Sun' book that I had printed out when Jackson was just a little baby.  They were laughing, I was trying not to cry, and here I am again, giving it a go.  At least some pictures every now and then.  

Our new 'SMOOOKKKYYY' house as Winnie says.  And I plan to never correct her.

Queen W.

 A surprise fair day.  And 2 new fish, yeahhh...

Football date with these cuties.  They area a little more well behaved that their dad.

Fishing bro.

Artist bro. 

(his studio in the new house, the work is for sale, bring all your dollars)

Sports bro.  Drawing up some football plays at his desk in his new room.

#1 fans of all the boys and mama's bff.  

Copeland Way

Check out this beauty of a house and pass it on to anyone who wants to live on a pond in the best neighborhood ever.  Remind me again why we are moving?!  Just kidding, sort of.  The only way we would ever move is if we found the perfect house in the next best neighborhood and we hit the jack pot - way sooner than I thought and not the best timing but here we are.  Now, back to cleaning and hiding crap in cabinets and pretending like we are an organized, fun, family of 6 and you will be too if you live here! ;)

New house... who dis.

'We gon go to da new house mommy? I will take a picture.'

Love bugs

The walk home from the bus stop, my favorite time of the day.  Five minutes until the madness begins, but I'll take it.  4th, 2nd, K, and my lil mama. 

The Blues

I got to get up extra early to get this guy to his game last weekend.  He is on the 'Durham Blues' team this year and has tournaments a few weekends this fall.  I honestly wasn't that excited about it, but it was the most pleasant mornig I have had in a while.  He is already 9 years old, and time is fleeting.

Winnie's Turn!

It was finally Winnie's turn in the 2's class!  And mommy's turn helping out in the 3's class!  We both had the most excellent first day.

KINDERGARTEN!!

Real life, first day of kindergarten.  I tried to convince Theo to go the next day, staggered start, 'noooo way, I'm gonna do the two-step and cowboy boogie...' He was so pumped and proud and loud and full of joy.  His teacher is a lucky one. 

The day before we went to the doctor to get his crazy one swolled eye checked.  We think it was a bug bite and some sort of weird reaction.  No other symptoms.  He was excited to get the all clear for school.  

Watch out Creekside!! Farris boys are coming at ya.

Winnie and I had mixed feelings about this.

Aunt Nat! Thanks for always checking in on my boo.  His favorite part of the day - the cafeteria meatball sub.  'Best I have ever had.' And he made a new friend.  Be still my heart.

I put in a request to helicopter Aunt to make sure he was on the bus and had friends.  Not surprised, the center of attention.

1st day!

Oh man, I still have some serious summer re-capping to do. Like buying a new house and putting our current one up for sale with too many kids living in it.  For now I will follow them around with Clorox wipes and pray someone makes an offer asap.  Two out of four started school today!  They are still excited for the first day and for that I am thankful.  I sugared them up with cinnamon rolls and sent them on their merry way.

4th Grade!!

2nd Grade!!

Stay Flexin' my handsome big bros.  

I scream

Her own ice cream with all of her brothers.  Winnie's happy place.  Mine too.  

Reunion!

We had a b-i-g Farris Family reunion a few weekends ago.  It was held at Pisgah View Ranch, right outside of Asheville.  We all had a little cabin for your immediate family and then a big dining hall, pond, game room, pool, etc. for everyone to hang out.  

A big photo of all that made it to the reunion.  I say it was a solid attempt.

The boys have caught the fishing bug!

Welllll, I'm gonna take my horse...

Jackson and Nash went horse back riding for the first time!  They agreed it was pretty fun.  Highlights were Nash's super slow horse and Jackson's super gassy horse. 

We had an awesome time catching up with everyone.  AND the boys finally got to meet a cousin all the way from Portland, Oregon.  AT was in the house!

Mack is Back!

We are gearing up for football around here! Mack Brown is back in Chapel Hill and the people are excited.  We have had some events to get everyone pumped up and it is working.  The big boys attended a Mack Brown morning 'camp' where they ran some drills and got to check out the new facility upgrades.  They nice, reeaallll nice.  

They had a 'Ladies Night' for all the mamas out there and it was such a fun time.  Let's go Tar Heels!

We couldn't resist.  Someone even tweeted it out, it will probably go viral in no time... ;)

Camp Arrowhead!

ALL 3 boys went to Camp Arrowhead again this year.  It is the best.  A neighborhood of high school girls put it on in the morning and all of mine love it.  Jackson and Nash told me they made up a dance  and I didn't give it much attention.  Then a counselor sent me this goodness.  Really, I had no idea they could coordinate something like this, much less with a little rhythm.  So here it is, in all its glory, you will see it again at a rehearsal dinner in the future, for sure.

the cousins are here!

My sister and her family of SIX drove down from Chicago, through the night, in 12 hours.  They said it wasn't too bad, but I am not buying it.  Or maybe I am buying it, as in we will be flying when we go visit them, hopefully sooner than later, hit me up Southwest! Just a few highlights -

Dan the Animal Man came to our pool.  I was WAY more impressed than I thought I would be, but not enough to touch this nasty big stank snake.

I opted to hold hunky chunky 'baabbyyy SILASS' instead.  Winnie made sure he knew whose mama I was.

Annual church pic with Tat-Tat. That's a lot of grand kids!

Eleanor and 'baby Winnie,' except she is no longer a baby but Eleanor is still the. sweetest.

Annual sleepover with Nat & Zack! This time in their new house with lots of room to fight, errr love on cousins.  

Go D. Bulls! Go iceeeesss!

Dinner out, no kids, no babies for us, I wasn't even sad about it.  Hawthorne & Wood, a new spot close to our house, I give it 5 stars!

Winslow family Christmas card picture?! I think we should. 

I'm not just any mom...

I'm a cool mom.  I know, these are the days, but if you don't dream of all your kids playing nicely by themselves while you sip a cold one and burn your old lady chest just a little, you are a lie.

documentation...

Because it won't always be appropriate to dance on a table in a silk donut onesie.

Winnie Lou - age 2