We're gonna be famous!...maybe

I haven't been blogging as much in the last few weeks. There has been a lot of exciting things going on... but none that I was really ready to blog about!  Plus I haven't had time to blog because I'm using my oodles of 'free-time' to make Christmas stockings.  Growing up, the family Christmas stockings were always my favorite decoration. My Grandmother, Bobo, had made them for us. They were unique, and very special. I wanted my kids to have special stockings too. Every year I scour the stores for stockings that will jump out at me, or have an irresistible feel to them... but to no avail. I figured the only way I would really achieve the same feel was to make them myself.  SO... I am not going to post pictures for you yet.. I will save that for when they are done.  On a side note, the only reason I am on here blogging now instead of sewing is because I strained my eyes working on them!!! I went to the eye doctor, and he suggested I get some reading glasses to wear when sewing.  READING GLASSES??? what am I, 30??!! uggg

The other exciting adventure that has been eating up my oodles of free time is Jack's new JOB! Yep, that's right. Our 4 year old has a 'J' ' O'  'B'.  Shortly after his 4th birthday, we signed Jack up with Hoffman International.  A local model and talent agency.  It was a bit of a scary dive, because there was an investment up front, and a commitment for Jack to take their classes.  I was terrified that it would be a scam, or a giant waste of money.  But Mom and I did as much research as we could, and felt confident that Hoffman was a well-standing, established, and respected agency.  Within a few weeks, Jack has already landed a job. In fact, it was the very first audition we submitted him for!  The job was a video shoot for Ball Jars.  The video isn't out yet, but we are anxious and excited to see it!  The team at Hoffman seem genuinely excited about Jack.  They gave him a fake commercial script to practice, and he memorized it the first night.  He seems to enjoy performing for people, and did great following the directors calls at the job.  He had everyone there laughing.

The stylist dressing Jack before his first scene

My first glimpse of Jack on the TV screen

Jack and his pretend Mom having a moment at the table, with the Ball Jar precariously placed :)

Jack and I modeling for ToastyTote 

So while Jack was getting started at Hoffman, our neighbor has been in the works of getting his "ToastyTote" into production.  He asked if our family would be the talent in his advertisements- both photos and a video.  Why Not!? So now Jack and I's pictures all over facebook, twitter, and other social media as the face of ToastyTote.  I wanted to put more of the pictures on the blog, but can't steal them off the toastytote website.  So you will have to go to www.toastytote.com to check them out!  The video just went up on kickstarter last weekend, and it stars Adam and NonaJane as well.  You can check that out here www.kickstarter.com then search for toastytote.  All this fame and fortune might start going to our heads. Are we famous yet? No!? Well that's cool too.

The photographer took this headshot of us, and was nice enough to email it over to us :) A nice bonus for helping out the neighbor!

I am well aware that there are some varying opinions regarding getting your child into the model/acting industry, but I think it is pretty cool that Jack has a hobby that he enjoys, is talented at, AND makes him good money!  So far it has been an exciting adventure! Plus we are hoping maybe we can bulk up his college fund :)

Mom and I right after the race

Last but not least, I ran my first 5k this past weekend with my Mom.  We had been inspired last month when we watched Ryan finish his first 31 MILE race.  We figured we could start small, and found a neat trail run up in Parkville.  We had a blast, and finished strong!  So this coming weekend, we are thinking we will go ahead and enter in a 4 mile trail race that mom found on the internet.  Not sure either of us will turn into ultra-marathoners... but I can possibly see a half marathon in my future? There was something motivating about seeing all the other runners, and I found myself wanting to try and pass them!  Perhaps I am more competitive than I thought?

Mom jogging across the finish line! 

Say CHEESE!

The running photo...

Notice NonaJane escaping the picture...

My sweet and wild NonaJane has always been more than difficult to get pictures of.  I worried that when she looks back thru photos she will wonder why there are so many of Jack.. and only blurs of her.  I do TRY to include her in pictures, but she is usually less than interested.  Thus the reoccuring picture of her has been with one foot off the ground in mid-run.

But this past week there has been a turn of events!! NonaJane realized that after she says "cheese" and sits still for a milli-second, that she can then SEE herself on the screen!!!  Apparently seeing her cute face is motivating enough to take a picture !  Look at these beauties we captured this week :)  Love it! 

The first time that NonaJane intently looked at the camera AND smiled for me!  When she saw her picture she kept pointing at the picture and yelling "BABY"!

Say "CHEESE!"

Halloween 2013

Jack, Annabelle, Caroline and NonaJane (hidden in back of stroller)

                 I don't always do the best job of celebrating Halloween.  Mostly because the holiday kind of confuses me.  I mean, it seem like it should be for children right?  Kids getting to dress up and trick or treat for candy. But then we decorate with terrifying bloody bodies, ghouls and goblins.  So are we trying to traumatize the kids?  I don't know, it just seems weird.  But that is neither here nor there (look! I had almost forgotten about my attempt to work that saying into every post! Hate to let anyone down...)
SO, Jack dressed up this year as the alien from Toy Story (the one that the claw grabs).  NonaJane was a bumblebee.  No particular reason on either costume... found them at the consignment sale. Wish I had a better background story to that one...

Caroline and NonaJane

We spent Halloween day in Topeka with Jayna and her girls.  We went trick or treating at a strip mall, then the kids made 'mummy' pizzas.   Jayna amazed me by having home made dough for the kids (she always amazes me with her kitchen craftiness).  She let the children use string cheese to decorate their pizzas, making them look like mummies.  Darn cute!


Halloween evening, Johanna came over in true Halloween tradition (Adam has worked on Halloween that last several years and Johanna has made it a fun tradition to come trick or treating with us).  Johanna helped me take the kids around the neighborhood.
Then I ate too much candy.
The end.
Despite my lack of enthusiasm for Halloween, I actually am looking forward to next year! I'm hoping NonaJane can wear my Indian costume from when I was little! I will let Jack choose if he wants to be a cowboy or an Indian as well :)

Johanna, Jack, NonaJane, and our sweet neighbor Jaycee

Jaycee helping NonaJane up the stairs

NonaJane made quite the killing. She distracted them with her cuteness, then would take half their bucket of candy.

 Then the other day I looked out and saw Adam blowing all the leaves together in the backyard. I thought "Wow, he is on top of things! Already cleaning up the yard!" Then, I realized he was blowing them into a pile for the kids to play in.  A week later, the pile has imploded all over the yard, dead leaves askew.  O-well.  Leaves are more fun for playing then shoved in a bag for the trash man to take. Right?

P.S. I also learned that leaves will leave nasty stains on your favorite pink corduroy pants :(