Sprinkled with Chaos: Meet Us Monday (Kamree)

Sprinkled with Chaos: Meet Us Monday (Kamree):                        We found out that baby #2 was on the way when Ethan was only 6 months old....SURPRISE!!! Kamree Alice surpris...

Meet Us Monday (Kamree)

                       We found out that baby #2 was on the way when Ethan was only 6 months old....SURPRISE!!! Kamree Alice surprised us and came 6 days before her due date on October 12th. She weighed in at 7.14 1/4 and had a head full of dark black hair. In the hospital she was so much easier than Ethan was, but when we got home with her that all changed. Kamree was our severe colic baby, something completely new too all of us including our parents and the part of the inspiration for my post about colic in my Spread the Info section. For 6 and a half months she screamed and then just like someone walked in and switched babies she was over it.

                      Kamree has always been a "mother hen" type and continues to be one til this day.  She is always a help when ever we need her. And she loves to clean around the house. However she does have quite an attitude on her and sometimes gets herself in trouble with her smart remarks and eye rolling. I thought that didn't start til teen years?  Just like Ethan she will entertain you with her stories and funny statements that she comes up with. I remeber one time she came crying and told me that Ethan wouldn't pick her nose for her, and running out screaming that Mr. Potatoe's butt fell off and he was now "Butt maked!". She is our singer,dancer, and helper all in one.  I have always said that nothing will stop her. To tell her she cant do something only drives her to do it! Kamree is definitely one of a kind.

  

     Below are the same questions I asked Ethan that I asked Kamree with her replies:

• Whats your favorite color? "Ummmmm.......Purple." 
• Whats yur favorite thing? "Horses, I like them"
• What do you want to be when you grow up? " A Baker" (this has been the dame answer for years now)
• Do you want to get married? "HAHAHA, Yeah"
• do you want kids? "Yes, 1"
• Do you want a boy or girl? "A boy"                 

Sprinkled with Chaos: Whats for Dinner?

Sprinkled with Chaos: Whats for Dinner?:                                          Baked Garlic Green Beans My neighbor introduced me to these green beans and I absolutely love ...

Sprinkled with Chaos: Sprinkled with Chaos: DIY

Sprinkled with Chaos: Sprinkled with Chaos: DIY: Sprinkled with Chaos: DIY :                     Grinch Candy Canes   For the past week I have been racking my brain for an easy, cute, uni...

Sprinkled with Chaos: DIY

Sprinkled with Chaos: DIY:                     Grinch Candy Canes   For the past week I have been racking my brain for an easy, cute, unique gift for the kids to d...

Christmas Traditions Old and New

Christmas Traditions

(Old and New)

               We all have them, some better than others, some you look forward too and some, well you don't. I'm talking about Christmas Traditions, things passed down from when you were younger or new ones you started for your own family. Growing up we had a few traditions that I remember loving to do each year and looked forward to them as Christmas drew closer and closer. 

My Mom's tree this year

              The first to start the Holiday season was getting together and finding the mighty Christmas Tree. Running through the field filled with trees, we all would look for the one we liked the best and would point it out to my Dad who in the end gave the finally "I like that one, we are getting that one". Our tree was always too big for the space that my mom prepared in the living room but we would make it work and fit it in. Then came the decorating the tree, and my family will back me on this one, my father had to have enough lights on the tree that  you could light up the night sky with it alone. I mean you could feel the heat coming from the strands of lights when you stood by it! But they were always the most beautiful trees I have ever seen. Complete with a village and train under it, the Christmas season had begun for our house.

                                      

           Our next yearly tradition was going to the grave sites of loved ones who had passed and placing flowers on the graves. As a kid I never cared for this one, it was weird to me. I always thought "what is the point?, its not like these people can see or care about the flowers". But we all did it just the same every year, because we knew how much it meant to our Father. He would always stand in silence at his Dads grave and then start to tell stories about his Dad and growing up. As an adult I realize the importance of this tradition for my father, although he knew his Dad was gone, it was still a way to somehow connect to him and reminisce about him to us children who didn't get to meet and know him. Now knowing the reason for this still doesn't make it my favorite tradition specially since now one of the graves I visit is that of my Fathers who passed away in 2013, but i get it, I get why we all had to go and why he had to do it. I'm carrying that on with my kids and its funny because I hear the same questions I had at their age and Danny just tells them "mommy just wants to visit Pop-Pop". I know that as they get older they will understand little by little, then they will be the ones carrying it on to their children and I smile because in a way my Dad is passed down in more than just stories and pictures.

            Christmas Eve was always an excited time simply because we knew that we didn't have to wait til Christmas morning to open our gifts. Well, at least not late Christmas morning we got to open them at 12:00am and it was so much fun! All 7 of us would go into my brothers' room since theirs was the biggest in the house and we would play,talk,tell stories,sing songs,and try to peek under the door to see if Mom and Dad was carrying out the presents yet. Every once in a while we would yell out to our parents and ask if it was time to come out and open the presents yet. our Dad would then yell "No be quiet or we wont call you and you will have to wait till later to open them!". This reply always got us to shut up, even though we all knew ,that himself couldn't wait to watch us open them and there was no way he was going to make us wait. The shenanigans that went on while we waited was hilarious, I remember one year us singing "shes a brick house" but changing it to different types of housing....log-cabin, apartment, double-wide, so on and so on. Or putting a scream mask that glowed in the dark on a long stick turning the lights off and taking turns flying it around the room trying to scare one another.  We then patiently waited for our Mom-mom and Aunt who lived right across the street to come over and get settled because we knew that then we would be called to dig into the giant pile of gifts that awaited us. It seemed like it would take them forever to make the extremely short trip from their house to ours but it built up the anticipation like crazy. Before we knew it our Dad would say "Come on" and we flew out of the room and to the tree. Christmas Day we went to my Mom's Mothers' house to visit and open the gifts that she had for us. The rest of the day was filled with visits to and from relatives and of course dinner at the end.

                               As time changes, so do traditions. We all slowly but surly grew up and got married one by one. With the change of not being under one roof anymore, we started the tradition of going to one an-others house. Picking on the trees (because you always have the best one), seeing what we got our kids for Christmas, telling stories and enjoying the company of each other. Then moving on to the next sibling and their family. Its hard to do since there is so many of us but so worth it to see the people who helped mold you, into you.  I hope that our children will continue this tradition with each other and stay close.

                                 For my family personally we have started some new traditions that Danny and I didn't do as kids our selves. Our First is that we go and the kids pick out a new ornament each year and get to have a mini tree all their own to hang them on. They love to do this and I might add that it gets quite interesting with what they pick. We have a giant fish, fancy poodles,  Sponge Bobs, Hello Kitty, and animals of all kinds. I'm so happy we started this and its so fun to look at all the ornaments every Christmas and guess whose is whose.

                             Second we have the lovely Elf on the Shelf. This has become such a great tradition in our household. Buzz as we named him comes every year on thanksgiving night although this year he was going to be late(I forgot where I had stored him for the year) but thankfully he made his way and arrived right on time. At first I was kind of spec-ital of doing this and Danny was totally against it. But after watching the kids run down stairs to find him, it makes all the finding new places for him worth it. Christmas Eve he always has a gift waiting for the kids that morning which includes new pajamas and either a movie or book for them to share.

                           We always read the story of the First Christmas during Christmas week. I love hearing the kids ask questions about Jesus. The fact that they know the reason for the season warms my heart and that Christmas isn't just about the gifts they get.  The night before Christmas we always read the Night before Christmas while settling down before bed. This year I'm excited to have Ethan and Kamree read some of each story to everyone.
 
                         Unlike my childhood we wait til late Christmas morning to open the presents. By late I mean the kids are up at 6:00am and begging to open their gifts. My Father and Mother in law come over that morning and watch the chaos and give the children the gifts they got them. Following the madness of wrapping paper flying, ohs, ahs and wows we head out to my sister in laws house for Christmas breakfast. Then we head to my moms house and visit with her and whoever may be there at the time. 

                       I t is such a crazy jammed with action day but so worth it when we see the faces on each of the kids as they experience Christmas and all its magic.

What are some of your Christmas Traditions?
Are there ones you don't like or stopped doing as you grew up?
What new traditions did you start with your own family that you didn't have as a child?

 

 

Sprinkled with Chaos: Meet us Monday (Ethan)

Follow my blog with Bloglovin Sprinkled with Chaos: Meet us Monday (Ethan): All BOY Our one and only boy Ethan Marshall was born on May 28th 2008. He surprised us weighing in at 9.9lbs 3/4oz. He was such a big...

Meet us Monday (Ethan)

All BOY

Our one and only boy Ethan Marshall was born on May 28th 2008. He surprised us weighing in at 9.9lbs 3/4oz. He was such a big baby. I remember the nurse trying to put a size newborn diaper on him, it wouldn't even fasten lol. Ethan was a fairly easy baby besides the whole first baby oh my goodness worries that new parents have, if your a parent you know what I'm talking about. All the 'is he breathing?", "is he warm enough, but not too warm?", "don't let him eat that", "don't let him play there and with that" and so on. We have always called him an old man in a child's body. He has always been so cautious and knowledgeable. The things he picks up and remembers are amazing even to this day. Ethan is definitely our story teller whether they are true or not. He once had his preschool teacher believing we lived on a cattle farm, where we
butchered our own cows for meat....we live in the middle of town, our backyard isn't big enough for a swing set, let alone cattle. But yet he had her totally convince, he even told her how we did everything. His sayings are just as crazy and hilarious as his stories. Once he told my sister in law he was born with a beer, but he wanted BBQ sauce(no clue).  He is completely obsessed with Godzilla, sharks, and dinosaurs. below are some questions I have asked him and the answers he gave me.

• Favorite color: "you already now its red, why are you asking me again?"
• Favorite thing: "GODZILLA!!!!!" "I hope Santa brings me some figures of him"
• When you grow up: " I want to, you know watch, sharks and write about them." "but i also want to learn about dinosaurs, I don't know can I do more than one thing?"
• Do you want to get married?: "NOOOOO!!!" " I want to be like Uncle Justin"
• Do you want kids?: "ONLY BOYS!!!"

Sprinkled with Chaos: Christmas Where are you?

Sprinkled with Chaos: Christmas Where are you?:                                            Christmas: Where are you?             Is it me or is everyone else having a hard time getting ...

Christmas Where are you?

           
                               Christmas: Where are you?

            Is it me or is everyone else having a hard time getting in the Christmas spirit this year? Maybe its just me, maybe its the fact the weather here in Delaware is record breaking warm for this time of year. Its hard to get all Christmas like when your walking out side in short sleeves and riding with the AC on. Not to mention that lovely bronchitis has reared its ugly face in the Morton home. The 3 youngest have it and are so miserable. 
            Either way Christmas is right around the corner and the kids are over the moon excited to celebrate the birth of Jesus and see what Santa brings them. Ethan has asked for all Godzilla figures (he is obsessed with Godzilla!), Kamree says she just wants to be surprised, Ainsley has no clue what she wants and Alexia is all about BABIES!  What are you getting your girls? What have your kids asked for?

          Sunday we had breakfast with Santa (all but Kamree) where Ainsley froze in place and would not talk and made the picture look like she was being tortured lol. Ethan proceeded to list all the figures he wants and added that he needs 2 or 3 of each one! What in the world boy? He then ended with "I need that many to give some to my cousins" (heart melted) he was worried that they didn't have any Godzilla toys at all. So blessed that we have kids who think of others the way ours do.  Ainsley did go back to get a picture of her smiling with Santa but still wouldn't say a word. Alexia just had a deer in headlights look the whole time. But Hey no one cried a single tear and we didn't have to be in the picture and that's a win in my book ;)

          I'm sure as the days fly by I will get more and more in the spirit of things and if your like me your hoping the same thing :)

Sprinkled with Chaos: Meet us Monday (the late edition) Danny

Sprinkled with Chaos: Meet us Monday (the late edition) Danny:             Due to 2 sick babies this post is late(sorry) but non the less here it is.  Danny was born and raised in Delaware as well...

Meet us Monday (the late edition) Danny

     

     Due to 2 sick babies this post is late(sorry) but non the less here it is.

 Danny was born and raised in Delaware as well. He was raised in Lincoln and has 1 sibling, a sister.
He absolutely loves to be on a boat either fishing or crabbing with the kids and his Dad or out spending time with the kids and I. Hunting is also a hobby he likes to do when he can find the time. 


He delivers fuel oil to houses and businesses and is going to school at night time for Criminal Justice. Danny is the type that will do anything for his family and friends. He works crazy hard to provide for us and allow me to stay at home and raise our babies. His personalty is definitely one of a kind, he keeps us all laughing. I can always count on him to cheer me up and be by my side with everything. 

When we started dating he was 3 years older and it didn't take long for us both to decide that we wanted to be with one another. Never did we imagine that we would be where we are now and have 6 kids but here we are :) 
 Again sorry this is late but sick babies will keep you busy.

    Comment below any questions you have or anything else you want to know for Danny and I will answer as soon as I can!

Sprinkled with Chaos: Blogging, Christmas program, Drug Bust OhMy!

Sprinkled with Chaos: Blogging, Christmas program, Drug Bust OhMy!: Let me just say "Thank God its Friday!!!!! It has been a crazy week with first getting this blog up and running. It really takes a good...

Sprinkled with Chaos: Blogging, Christmas program, Drug Bust OhMy!

Sprinkled with Chaos: Blogging, Christmas program, Drug Bust OhMy!: Let me just say "Thank God its Friday!!!!! It has been a crazy week with first getting this blog up and running. It really takes a good...

Blogging, Christmas program, Drug Bust OhMy!

Let me just say "Thank God its Friday!!!!! It has been a crazy week with first getting this blog up and running. It really takes a good few days of work but I'm officially on every social media I can think of, YAY me.  So please go follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook. I will leave links below for you all to click on and hit follow ;)

Our 2 oldest had their Christmas Program for school last night (Thursday the 10th) and all the kids did an excellent job.  At the school the grades go from Pre k3 to 12th grade and what an amazing group of kids they all are. No one forgot a line or froze when it was their turn, shout out to all the teachers working with the kids and doing amazing with them.  Getting there was a circus act for us but  nonetheless we made it. Thanks to my mom who ran to our house and grabbed Ethan's suit that he needed and none of us thought of until half way to the school.  Above is a little clip of Kamree's class singing one of their songs. How cute are they?!

Last but not least the lovely drug bust that happened 3 houses down from us, is what really topped the night off for us. It was literally right as we were running out the door (we were late for the Christmas program). Danny calmly says "I hope we don't get stuck behind that". I looked up just in time to see the 3 state troopers and 1 city cop pull up to the house down the road and jump out. We quickly loaded the kids and ourselves in the van and moved on.....Aint Nobody Got Time For That!

So what a week it has been.  How was your week? Anything crazy or exciting happen to you and you family?


www.facebook.com/sprinkledwithchaos
www.Twitter.com/sprinkledwithchaos
www.Intagram.com/sprinkledwithchaos
www.pinterest.com/sprinkledwithchaos

Sprinkled with Chaos: Reviews

Sprinkled with Chaos: Reviews: Hooded Car Seat Blankets JuJusBabyBoutique I stumbled upon hooded car seat blankets while looking for nice winter blankets for th...

Sprinkled with Chaos: Whats for Dinner?

Sprinkled with Chaos: Whats for Dinner?:                                          Baked Garlic Green Beans My neighbor introduced me to these green beans and I absolutely love ...

Sprinkled with Chaos: Getting started

Sprinkled with Chaos: Getting started: The very first post..... I have tossed around this whole blogging thing for a few months and finally decided to give it a try. A friend of m...

Sprinkled with Chaos: Meeting us Monday (April)

Sprinkled with Chaos: Meeting us Monday (April): For the next 8 Mondays I want to introduce you all to our family. Since we are the ones you will be reading about its only fitting you get...

Meeting us Monday (April)

For the next 8 Mondays I want to introduce you all to our family. Since we are the ones you will be reading about its only fitting you get to know our personalities. For this Monday i thought that i would start with no one other than myself.

My name is April Dawn and I was born in the great month of April (hints the name). I have always been surrounded by family and come from a large one. There were 7 of us growing up 5 boys and then my sister and I.

I met Danny when I was 15 and we have been together ever since. Normally I'm a shy quiet person until I get to know the person I'm around. But becoming a Mommy has brought me out of my shell a bit, plus just life and growing up helped.

That about sums it up for you. I'm a fairly easy going person.

comment below any questions you have for me or if want to know anything else about me!

Getting started

The very first post..... I have tossed around this whole blogging thing for a few months and finally decided to give it a try. A friend of mine mentioned the idea and the wheels were turning since then. As I laid in bed the other night the name for this blog came to me out of nowhere, like a slap in the face. "Sprinkled with Chaos" is the perfect name for a blog, especially a blog by me!

I'm April by the way :) I'm a stay at home wife and Mommy. I have been happily married for 9 and counting years to my high school sweetheart, Danny. Together we have 6 beautiful kids (yes I said 6)! Ethan (7), Kamree (6), Ainsley (4), Alexia (1) and our newest an last additions twin girls Elayna and Kennedy (5months). And a dog Bo Boy. We have ups and downs, twist and turns, and everything in between.

My hopes for this blog is to give a glimpse into our world, pass on advice, share laughs, troubles, hopes, dreams and just plain Life. I hope to let people see it is OK to not be the TV, magazine fairy tale families that they see everyday. Life is messy, fun, crazy, and worth every bit of it! So there you have the first blog...the beginning (I hope) to something great! I hope that you keep coming back and enjoy having a look into my lovely life that is of course *Sprinkled with Chaos*

~April