Vollmer Family

More Than Meets The Eye

2010-04-16T17:05:00.000-07:00

Kaden: Mommy, did you know that your eye is a little red?

Me: I know. I have a little eye infection.

A huge smile spreads across his face.

Kaden: That's so cool! You look like a Decepticon!

2010-03-26T06:44:00.000-07:00

It's really hard...

...to potty train the Littlest One when he can't sit on the potty for more than 2 seconds before he's wondering what the big boys are up to.

Why God Gave Moms Eyes in the Back of their Heads

2010-03-08T19:52:00.000-08:00

On Thursday morning...I found Ry hiding under the bed at my mom's. He had found 4 pieces of rich chocolate and eaten them all.

On Friday morning...I found Ry hiding under the kitchen table. He had my purse with him, found my gum and had chewed 4 pieces of gum...with the wrappers on.

On Sunday morning...we found Ry hiding quietly in a corner of the cabin. He had a container of children's Tums and had eaten 1/3 of the all the tablets. Poison Control was called and he was fine.

Today...I found Ry hiding under the kitchen table. He had managed to find his brother's leftover Valentine candy and decided to finish it off for them.

And for your viewing pleasure, here's a few more photos of Trouble up to no good...

As I walked into the kitchen the other day, I found him smooching the honey bear.

Here he is helping himself to a nice, chilled, refreshing beverage.

2010-01-29T18:57:00.000-08:00

Still waiting on my computer, a new camera...and for health to be restored to the Vollmer family again.

I'm coming back...I promise!

I'm Coming Back...

2009-12-23T09:52:00.000-08:00

With a broken computer and a broken camera it's made blogging a little difficult.
But I'm determined to try and keep the stories and pictures updated.

See you in 2010!

Summer Reflections

2009-09-03T11:15:00.001-07:00

I have not been a very good blogger this summer. It's been intentional, actually. We've had such a fun time playing the past few months as a family that I really haven't wanted to devote much time to technology.

Today was the first day of school for Zachary, which marks the beginning of whole new season for us. It got me thinking about what a great change of pace the past few months were for us.

We...

spent a few weekends at Grandpa's cabin,

celebrated Justin & Rachel's wedding,
went to the zoo,

went to NW Trek,

went hiking,

had a scavenger hunt at our local beach,

had lots of picnics at our local beach,

blew bubbles,

played with silly string,

played with water balloons,

had a family water gun fight,

tried new bike and stroller trails,

played on Kaanapali Beach in Hawaii for 2 weeks,

went to YL camp for 1 week,

picked flowers,

picked berries,

went to the Children's Museum,

ate over 100 otter pops,

had play dates,

went to free morning movies,

went to lots of parks around town,

grew pumpkins, tomatoes, lettuce, beans, peas and thousands of zucchini,

chased butterflies, and

had tons of family movie nights.

But more importantly we just slowed down. We...

read books (and not just Harry the Dirty Dog, but interesting adult books, too),

watched lots of morning cartoons,

stayed in our jammies till 10:00,

savored full, warm cups of coffee without having to re-heat them two or three times,

had dinner as a family most nights,

spent hours at the table coloring millions and millions of pictures, and

didn't worry too much about being in bed right on time.

It was a good summer. I don't know that I'm feeling too ready for the get-up-and-go (and go and go...) pace of the school year but I'm thankful for the seasons and how they offer us something new and fresh to look forward to. For today, I'm just thankful for a really terrific summer and hopeful for a really fantastic fall.

Beach Boys

2009-08-06T17:05:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful family adventure in Maui.

15 simple days filled with beach, pool, family dinners, family game nights, family movie nights and early bedtimes.

What a gift!

I love what an adventure family trips are with boys.

Here are some thoughts about the beach from my boys' perspectives (according to Mommy)...

The sand and water are a perfect place to practice my ninja moves. This is kind of a dream come true...I can do kart wheels, flips and kicks and always have a soft landing.

Sand is kind of like mud, so it's it's part of the experience to get it caked in my hair and my body to be covered in it every. single. time. I go the beach. Don't bother trying to keep me clean. It won't work.

The beach is not much of an adventure without the threat of bad guys, so I will be yelling "Shark!" and "Alligator!" every time I hurl my body into the waves.

Mommy, when I say "Come swim with me," I don't mean come take a nice dip in the water with your hat and sunglasses on. What I mean is, roll around in the sand and actually put your head under water. Sheesh! What's the big deal?

Can you fill this bucket with wa-wa? Again? More please? More please? Again? More please?...

I will not stop running, jumping, splashing or building for a second. Chilling out is just not in my

vocabulary.

Silly Mommy. See that book you brought in your beach bag? I have way too much planned to keep you busy...don't expect to read that.

Summer Highlights!

2009-07-07T20:38:00.000-07:00

Coffee Talk

2009-07-01T15:10:00.000-07:00

Zachary and Kaden love to play "Dad" and "Son" together. ("Zachy is always the dad because he's da biggest.") Today I overheard Dad and Son pretending to drive thru Starbucks and order some coffee...

Kaden: "I'll have a cracker with a fap-chino on top"

Zachary: "And I'll have a fat tall-fat mocha flapachino. With some whip cream."

I think it's a good thing they're practicing now.

Uncle Just & Aunt Rach!

2009-06-30T18:40:00.000-07:00

I have been a bad blogger this month, but here's some pictures to capture some of what's been keeping us so busy!

And just to keep it real...

Our unsuccessful attempt at a family picture. Rylan was not too happy with me, apparently.

Justin and Rachel's wedding was beautiful! The weather was gorgeous and all the boys did a fantastic job as ring bearers. We really couldn't have asked for a more perfect day!

We've pretty much been doing this all week....

2009-06-04T20:07:00.000-07:00

Questions About Heaven

2009-05-28T20:57:00.000-07:00

"Do we eat food there?"

"If Jesus is in Heaven why can't I see his feet sticking out of the clouds?"

"Will I get to live on a cloud when I go there?"

"When I go to Heaven will I have a mustache?"

-Kaden

Works For Me Wednesday: Projects

2009-05-27T15:27:00.000-07:00

One thing I love doing is taking old furniture and making it look like new. My mom had 2 neat, old nightstands that belonged to my great-grandparents and I was excited to take them off her hands. It's so easy to get a new piece of furniture for just the price of paint.

Before:

I originally painted this (and replaced new knobs) to use in Zachary's new room, but then later decided not to use it.

This nightstand is in our family room now and I think it's my new favorite piece of furniture. I spray painted the original antique knobs using white spray paint. Aren't they cool looking?!

This old junky drawer set was part of Jay and Suz's old kitchen!

Painted up brown with the original pulls spray painted, it works perfectly for Zachary's new room.

Glad to be home

2009-05-26T12:23:00.000-07:00

My thoughts at 7:00 this morning after not seeing my children for 4 days...

I have the cutest kids in the whole world.

How do I ever get irritated with them constantly talking to me? They have the sweetest little voices I've ever heard.

Well of course Rylan is whining and crying for an hour. The poor, sweet, helpless baby stubbed his toe. What else is he to do?

Isn't it fun to see the boys interacting? Sure, they get annoyed with each other but it's just because they love each other so much.

My thoughts 5 hours later...

I have the cutest kids in the whole world.

Wow, they really do talk to me c-o-n-s-t-a-n-t-l-y. I mean, that's OK, but WOW I have a bad, bad, bad headache right now.

Seriously, Rylan. Stop whining. I can't wait to put you down for a nap, sweet child.

I think I'll split the big boys up for the next couple of hours so they can't find anything else to argue over.

New Rooms!

2009-05-20T19:47:00.001-07:00

We surprised the boys last weekend with brand new bedrooms!
We did a major switcheroo.

Rylan moved from a crib in his own room to the bottom bunk in Kaden's room.

Zachary moved from the top bunk in his and Kaden's room into his own bed in Rylan's room.

Kaden moved from the bottom bunk to the top bunk.

It actually worked out perfectly, since each boy got a whole new bed. We hung new pictures, put on new sheets, blankets and comforters and had a new "Ugly Doll" sitting on their pillows. The boys' reactions were so sweet. "THANK YOU, Momma!" "This is the coolest room EVER!" "Do I really get to sleep in this bed?!" That day they actually begged and begged us to go to bed. (Unfortunately, that only lasted one day!)

Here's Zachy's new big boy room...with the coolest bed in America.

Here's the little boy's (as Momma calls them, much to Kaden's chagrin) room...

What Kaden thinks of our beautiful sunny day...

2009-05-17T16:54:00.000-07:00

"Isn't it a great day to have our bits out?!!"

Reason #104 I love raising boys...

2009-05-07T14:03:00.000-07:00

...because I get to buy bedding like this for their big boy rooms.

What's New with Sassy McSasserton

2009-05-07T13:21:00.000-07:00

Works-for-Me Wednesday

2009-04-29T15:41:00.001-07:00

I am loving that Barenaked Ladies have finally come up with a kids CD that is appropriate, fun, smart, clever and parent-friendly. (It was released last year...I'm just a little behind the times.) This album is full of original songs that are quick and quirky and won't make Mommy and Daddy want to throw the CD out the window after hearing it 50 times a week. This band obviously has Daddies in it because they know how to write and produce songs that please both kids and parents...which is not an easy thing to do. Thanks Barenaked Ladies!

Momma's Bag of Tricks

2009-04-22T19:13:00.001-07:00

It only took:

1 fruit roll-up

1 pack of fruit snacks

1 container full of goldfish crackers

1 sippy cup full of juice

1 granola bar

15 white tic-tacs

to accomplish my 1-hour, meltdown and whine-free shopping trip to the mall with my 2-year-old

When raising 3 boys, one may occasionally hear things like...

2009-04-19T18:17:00.001-07:00

Momma: Kaden, how was Sunday school this morning?

Kaden: Good! Josh and I wrestled and burped in eachother's ears!

Ahhh...makes a good Christian momma proud.

Zachary's Non-Fiction Debut

2009-04-17T13:50:00.000-07:00

Zachary loves writing books. We have a library full of books that he has written and illustrated and they are priceless. Today he came home from school and shared with me the book that he wrote during kindergarten literacy centers and later read outloud to his classmates and teacher. And, by the way, the two chapters are based on two different occasions, both of which actually happened the way he described.

Typed exactly as it was written...

A Skwurol Came In and Jumped

By Zachary

Contents
1...a Skworal Jumped
2....Came In
3...The End

Chapter 1

A Skwural Jumped

Once upon a time we were going to take a walk. And a skwural jumped on my moms neck! She was skared. The skwural went in to the living room! Skwural went out the house and mom freeked out! She loked the door and I was out side wen the door was loked! and then I freeked out! She let me in. She was still freeked out!

Chapter 2:

Came in

I was outside and I came in and my mom went upstairs. I choosed to draw and right. The skworal came in and I didn't now. I herd a sond I thought it was mom. I was rong! It was Mr. Bad Skworal! It came inside wen I was there by myself. I saw it. I skriemed! my mom asked if I was ok. I was.
The End!

Why I'm Sometimes a Crazy Lady

2009-04-09T20:07:00.000-07:00

In the last 24 hours, Rylan has managed to...

throw his entire lunch on my clean wood floors,
pull the tablecloth off the table spilling everything onto the floor (again),

get stuck in some pretty tricky places,

and stopped at nothing to fulfill his constant craving of children's vitamins...

He's also...

thrown his poopy diaper down the stairs,

followed the diaper down the stairs and continued to throw the diaper throughout the house,

thrown a ball into his diaper pail, which I had to fish out 3 different times and

thrown his toothbrush in the garbage.

Mix those 2-year-old shenanigans with a little of the following from Kaden...

"Are bad guys real?"

"Is Barack Obama real? What about John McCain?"

"But I thought you told me that stuff on TV wasn't real, so if Barack Obama is on TV how can he be real?"

"You're the meanest/nicest Momma/Daddy in the world." (Depending on the hour of the day and his approval rating of us at that particular time.)

"I'm not gonna be your son anymore!"

"Don't talk to me unless you speak French."

And there you have it.

Number 2 Turns 4

2009-03-26T13:36:00.000-07:00

To our strong-willed,'I'll-do-it,' back-talkin', back scratching, people-loving, joke-telling, blankie-snuggling, always-touching, donut-eating, sweet-talking, mischief-planning, always-bouncing, (running, moving), sixteen-year-old-boy stuck in a four-year-old body, birthday boy...

...you have expanded our hearts, our home (and our patience) more than we could have ever imagined. You make our family so special and home so much fun. We love you Kaden!

You know you're raising 3 boys when...

2009-03-21T18:10:00.001-07:00

...your youngest son can clearly enunciate

"poopy!"

"pee-pee!"

"toot!"

far better than he can pronounce most other words.

2009-03-17T16:44:00.000-07:00

Over a week ago Zachary wrote me a special letter, sealed it up in an envelope and had it waiting on the kitchen counter. He gave me strict orders not to open it until St. Patrick's Day. I couldn't wait to see what it had to say. Here's his letter just as it was written...

Dear,: Mommy
Happy S.t Patcric Day Mommy!
I love you. And I hope you have a great day on the 17th and Tuesday!
Bekuse your a great Mom!
And Have fun Today Mommy. your the best!
I bet youl have fun in March! I hope you have a great time at yar movie. With Daddy! And we have fun at Grandma's house spending the night.
From
Zachary

Isn't he just the sweetest boy?
(This weekend the boys get to spend the night at Grandma and Grandpa's while Steve and I get to do whatever we want! We've been talking about it for a long time which is why he included it in the letter...)

Number 3 Turns 2

2009-03-17T13:06:00.001-07:00

We had a fun day celebrating our baby boy last weekend. It's so hard to believe that the baby is talking up a storm and keeping up with his big brothers!

Happy birthday Ry! We love you!

2009-03-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

I love that my children are so unique from one another.

Their differences manifest themselves in all kinds of ways--the ways they play, the ways they interact with people and even the ways they eat pretzels.

Rylan likes to chew up his pretzels...and then spit them right back out.

Kaden somehow manages to make a huge mess with BITE SIZE pretzels.

I don't know how this happens.

Zachary spends 45 minutes biting his pretzels into letters that eventually spell out his name.

Silly boys!

Baby Love

2009-03-06T16:25:00.000-08:00

The face I just can't stop smoochin' a million times a day.

2009-02-25T18:56:00.000-08:00

Who isn't always looking for quick and easy ways to cut calories? Lately, whenever I've done any baking I've substituted organic applesauce for vegetable oil. If the recipe calls for 2/3 cup oil, I just use that same amount of applesauce. It makes brownies and cakes nice and moist and it cuts way, way down on fat and calories! Super easy and much healthier!

2009-02-20T12:58:00.000-08:00

Heard every time we turn on

'The Today Show'...

"Look! There's Grandpa Bill doing the news again!!"

2009-02-18T10:31:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my first installment of Works-for-me Wednesday! I've loved picking up tricks and tips from reading other "Works-for-me Wednesday" blogs, so I thought I would start my own. (This will also help me to blog more consistently!)

I have been on a purging kick lately. I have filled BOXES and BOXES of stuff that I just don't need or use anymore. I have been thinking a lot about simplicity this year and I've realized that the extra clutter in my home can start to equal extra clutter in my heart. I don't want clutter. I want to be about a few things that really matter. However, all that said, it's been difficult for me to get rid of any of our baby stuff (and we have TONS of it)! Rylan is getting ready to go in a big boy bed next month, so I've started going through all of our sweet, cuddly crib blankies. I just couldn't box them up for our garage sale. So many of them have sentimental meaning!

So, here's what I decided to do....
Take a couple of the most special blankies, fold them in half, sew up three sides and...
...turn them into pillowcases for his big boy bed! Turns out that most crib-sized blankies are the perfect size for a pillowcase. There's no cutting or measuring involved! It's a winning situation for all: no money spent on new pillowcases, Mommy and Ry get to hang on to special blankies, no more un-used blankies taking up space in the closet, and Ry gets a luxuriously soft place to rest his baby head (instead of some ordinary crunchy, cotton pillowcase).

2009-02-15T17:55:00.000-08:00

The Lord is my Shepard. I have aaaaaaaaaaall I need.

He makes me lay down in green meadows,

He leads me beside pre-school waters.

--Kaden
quoting Psalm 23

2009-02-13T17:35:00.001-08:00

If you're wondering why the baby smells like Old Spice deodorant....

it would be because he smeared it all over his lips.

Apparently Daddy's deodorant strongly resembles Mommy's chapstick.

I am Indeed My Mother's Daughter

2009-02-11T15:56:00.001-08:00

When I was little I remember my mom asking my dad to sneak over to our next door neighbor's house and "steal" his garbage. The neighbor had these great old wooden lounge chairs that he was throwing out and my mom thought instead of buying new ones, she would simply re-use his! Once she got them, she fixed them, painted them, and put new cushions on them. They looked fantastic and we used them for years next to our pool in California. (And that was before re-using things was considered "green" and the cool thing to do. She was just way ahead of her time!)

I did a similar little project this month. I needed a piece of furniture for an empty spot in our family room, so I decided to see what I can do for as little money as possible...

I had an old cheapy foot-stool that I bought at a garage sale for 50 cents.
Spray painted the base black ($3.00). Put a cushion on the top ($4.00) and stapled some leftover fabric over the top. I pulled a "Lisa" and took this chair from the curb where someone had it out as garbage! I just loved the shape of the chair and thought that it would look way cuter in my family room than in a landfill. So...I pulled over and loaded it right up into my trunk...and prayed that no one would see me.

I spray painted the legs black, bought some home decorating fabric that was 50% off of clearance ($6.00 total) and stapled it on. I'm not much of an upholsterer, but it does the trick!

Somebody is going to make an impressive Dad one day

2009-02-04T16:09:00.000-08:00

Kaden and Zachary were having issues. Kaden was running away from his Zachary with a toy that clearly belonged to his big brother...

Momma: Kaden, you need to give that back to Zachy.

Kaden: He needs to ask for it nicely!

Momma: Give it back to him.

Kaden-with no intention of handing over the toy-looks at Mommy straight in the face and tells me very seriously...

He needs to learn Momma. He just. needs. to. learn.

2009-01-14T19:59:00.000-08:00

Number 853 on the list of things I swore I would never do as a mom:

Letting my child go out in public as a boot-wearing, dog-loving, superhero.

2009-01-14T07:10:00.000-08:00

8 days

7 nights

6 old friends

5 days of hot, hot sun

4 the ladies' 30th birthdays

3 little sweetie boys left back home

2 days of clouds & rain (but no biggie when you're with good friends)

1 perfectly restful, absolutely fantastic week

Winter Fun!

2008-12-31T08:45:00.001-08:00

2008-12-17T17:42:00.000-08:00

It's inevitable...days where we're stuck at home too long means more sibling squabbles.
Steve & I had a good laugh as we overheard this one erupting from the playroom tonight...

(Fighting over some toy)
"You're a diaper!"

"You're a...poopy diaper!"

"You're a diaper...with pee-pee!"

"You're a girl who screams with a diaper on!"

Oh my goodness...I hope school isn't cancelled tomorrow or this may be one long Christmas break.

Why don't you tell me how you really feel...

2008-12-17T15:43:00.000-08:00

Kaden came in while I was doing my hair this morning...

"Mommy, your hair looks pretty."

"Thanks buddy!"

"I like your hair better this way. You looked kinda scary this morning."

Sometime between now and when this boy starts dating I think I'll teach him a little tact.

Turtle Power!

2008-12-14T20:29:00.000-08:00

Zachary had his friend birthday party over the weekend...a little early since his birthday is so close to Christmas. He wanted a Ninja Turtle theme and invited some buddies from his class. The party started off with Steve leading the boys through an obstacle course where they mutated into Ninja Turtles at the end and got to pick a ninja mask.

The turtles then practiced throwing Ninja Stars...

...and quick reflexes by playing "Turtle, Turtle, Shredder..."

...and then eating Ninja Turtles favorite food pizza.

It was a fun day and our big boy had a blast with his friends!

25 Days of Christmas--Half-Way Through

2008-12-14T19:47:00.000-08:00

This year we started a new tradition for our family called 25 Days of Christmas.

I heard about the idea from some fabulous mommies at my MOPS group and I am so glad we started it this year. It has been such a treat to slow down each day and do something special as a family! Some days we do something small (make paper snowflakes, eat Christmas jellybeans) and some days we do more extensive activities, but either way the boys have loved it. Opening the next day's activity is the first thing on their minds when they wake up each morning!

Here's a few of our highlights...

We made Snowman sock guys. Zachary's guy is "Snowy"....Kaden's guy is "Go-ey."
Zachary posed Snowy for a few pictures of him doing some snowman activities like taking a nap and reading a book. So cute.

Zoo lights was another special activity. It was insanely busy and I dressed the boys WAY TOO WARM so they were sweating and dying of thirst by the end of the night, but overall it was pretty fun.

We made Christmas trees out of upside-down sugar cones and green frosting. This was a really fun treat after lunch. This gets my vote for the perfectly manageable, fun, yummy, age-appropriate, not-too-many ingredients activity. Loved it!

One of our family activities was heading to Zachary's Winter Concert at school.

Are these not the cutest little reindeer you've ever seen?

And of course one of our special activities was making gingerbread houses. Steve was actually in charge of this one since I was gone and it was deemed a "boys night" in our home. I was so impressed to come home to such amazing works of graham crackers and frosting!

2008-12-03T18:53:00.000-08:00

Apparently

"Ry, Momma will get you a snack in just a minute"

just wasn't going to work for him.

Last Bits of Fall...

2008-12-03T15:22:00.000-08:00

Since it's December now I wanted to post a few last pictures of our Fall fun!
Zachary's kindergarten class had a Thanksgiving feast and all of the students dressed up as Native Americans or pilgrims. Here's Zachary with some of his little buds.

We celebrated Thanksgiving Day at my mom and dad's. It was a wonderful, very relaxing day. The boys were excited to spend the day with both sets of their great grandparents!

Later last weekend we spent time at the cabin. We had a family talent show on Saturday night where we all performed some sort of skit! I'm so bummed that I don't have any pictures because it was absolutely hilarious. (The rest of the family is probably not so bummed that I'm not posting pictures online.)

2008-12-02T15:16:00.000-08:00

I adore my children. I think they are the most darling and hilarious little people I've ever met. There are some days, however, where I miss having intellectual conversations (this is why I'm determined to be a veracious reader). Just in case you don't quite understand my deep need for adult conversation, here's a little sample of conversations I've had in just the last 24 hours with my Kaden:

K:Mommy, when can we go the big jungle?
Me: ?
Me: I'm not sure...
K: Because when we go, I DON'T want to step in elephant poop or peep, OK?
Me: That sounds like a deal to me.

K: Does God like to eat treats?
Me: Jesus probably didn't eat a lot of treats. He wants us to keep our bodies healthy.
K: Well Goliath eats a lot of treats because he's BAD.
Me: Alrighty then.

(Coming back to pick up the boys at my parent's late last night ...Kaden was still awake)
K: Mommy, Grandpa said if I don't fall asleep he's going to burn my head.
Me: WHAT?! I don't think that's what he said. Grandpa would never burn your head.
(Kaden goes into the office and asks Grandpa what he said.)
K: Ohhhhhh! Grandpa said if I don't fall asleep you're going to be mad.

Me: Kaden, please go put chapstick on your lips. They look really dry.
K: Nooooooooooooo. Then I can't be a superhero!
Me: What do you mean?
K: Does Batman wear chapstick?
Me (so very convincingly): Uh, OF COURSE! Batman's lips are as smooth as can be.
K: Oh, o.k.

5th Annual...

2008-11-25T15:20:00.000-08:00

Pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving!

Pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving has become one of our most cherished traditions over the last 5 years. Each year our oldest and dearest friends come together the weekend before Thanksgiving and we celebrate together by fixing a fantastic Thanksgiving dinner, laughing, watching old videos from our college days and talking, talking, talking. It's one of the most refreshing and fun weekends of our year. We love these people!

Pre-Thanksgiving is a family affair! The number of kiddos grows each year and the kids just have so much fun playing together. This year we had a...5, 4, 3 and 2-year-old...two 1-year-olds...and one 10-month-old! To keep our sanity we hired 2 babysitters for the entire day on Saturday. I managed to have SEVERAL uninterrupted conversations that day! (That's a small miracle in my life!) It worked out great and was so relaxing!
Here's some of us Mommas delivering our children's food to them upstairs in the bonus room where they were being watched. Meanwhile, we got to eat our meal downstairs with adults! (Do you know how exciting that was?!)

Mike & Becka flew in to be with us all this weekend! We have missed them so much! It was just so good to be with great friends again!

JJ & Lisa are really the ones that get the credit for starting this fabulous tradition and we were so glad they came all the way from CANADA to continue the tradition with us this year! They organize all of the food for the group and they are also the ones that make the delicious turkey each year. Thanks Kissingers! Here's the picture of what most of the weekend looked like...relaxing!

It was just what we needed!

Engaged!

2008-11-23T20:43:00.000-08:00

Definitely topping the list of what we're giving thanks for this week...

look who's getting married in June!

Uh, Excuse Me?!

2008-11-14T14:57:00.000-08:00

My sweet, innocent, angel-face Zachary was working hard on a craft at the kitchen table when suddenly he got a little frustrated and exclaimed...

"What the SHELL?!!"

Hmmm...guess what little boys will no longer be watching the Tennage Mutant Ninja Turtles?

Busted!

2008-11-11T07:45:00.001-08:00

When we got home last night from Young Life the babysitter gave us this report...

Kaden & Zachary were playing in the playroom when the babysitter heard Kaden saying something about "butt."

"Kaden, is that a word that you're allowed to use?"
"Ohhhhhhhh! Right, right, it's not a good word. Sorry!"

And then she heard Kaden say to Zachary...
"Ahhhh man. She knows the rules AND the bad words."

Arrrrrrrrrrren't They Adorable?

2008-11-01T12:01:00.000-07:00

The boys were super excited to dress up like Pirates for Halloween.

We had a great laid-back, "Pirate-themed" night as a family.

We ate dinner with our hands (pizza),

went pillaging the neighborhood for candy (trick-or-treating),

and then came home, put on our snuggliest jammies, and snuggled up on Mommy and Daddy's bed and watched The Pirates That Don't Do Anything.

Kaden was in character all night, "Arrrring" every chance he got.
Zachary insisted that he was the captain. "The captain is the boss," he told us all night.
Rylan thought it was the best being able to finally do things his brothers do.

Last week we decorated our pumpkins. It was so exciting because we actually grew our very own pumpkins this year! We were all so proud! Zachary cut out his pumpkin all by himself and Silly Goose Kaden insisted that his jack-o-lantern be upside down. Every time he looked at his pumpkin throughout the last week he would just crack up. Such a silly boy!

Just So We're Clear...

2008-10-28T15:05:00.000-07:00

Kaden was standing by Rylan and was doing this spazzy little fake punching/running in place thing...

"Kaden we don't pretend to punch our baby."

"I'm not pretending to punch him. I really am."

Things Heard From My 3-Year-Old Today...

2008-10-25T16:14:00.000-07:00

"Mommy, I tooted five times on your couch. Is that OK?"

"Mommy, Scat Cat (a guy) is flying away in the sky. He has a rocket and fire that comes out from his tail."

"Mommy, we should eat fruit snacks for lunch. Should we?"

"Mommy, I only like to play with girls that are pretty."

Octoberfest

2008-10-14T16:47:00.000-07:00

Two things mark October in our house each year...

The Pumpkin Patch!

And...the flu.

(Insert picture of a whiny, tired baby and a mommy that looks worn out.)

Too Big for His Britches

2008-10-06T16:06:00.000-07:00

Kaden is completely convinced that because of the "fur" on his legs, that he is turning into a Daddy.

"Kaden, please don't talk back to Momma."
Kaden responds under his breath: "Don't sass me. I'm a Dad."

Later in the day...
"Kaden, please use big words instead of whining to Mommy..."
Kaden looks directly at me and borrows one of my frequent parenting phrases: "Momma. Your da-possible!" (Which of course translates, "Mommy, you're impossible!")

Needless to say, it's been one of those days.

Picture Update

2008-10-04T09:03:00.000-07:00

Here's Zachary and Lorrin at Skate Night last week. (I've decided that the PTA Sponsored Skate Night is the official "initiation" of all new elementary-school parents...) They held hands and skated the whole night side by side! They are such good little buddies. The cuteness was overwhelming.
Here's Kaden posing for me at lunch yesterday. He was trying to muster up his inner Zoolander.
Here's our muddy buddy. Rylan has perfected the skill, passed down from his big brothers of course, of finding any possible dirt or mud in the backyard and then getting himself completely covered in it (and then crying because he's so cold and wet).

2008-09-30T17:36:00.000-07:00

Kaden was taking a close look at his little toddler legs today...

"Momma, I'm growing fur on my legs."
"You are, huh?"
And then he announces in a sing-songy voice...
"That means I'm turning into a Daaaaaad-dy!"

Thank you very much!

2008-09-23T14:24:00.001-07:00

Here's a list of things that I have just been LOVING lately

and are making my life

less chaotic

in small and simple ways...

I love Erba Organics baby wash & lotion. It's gentle and safe for baby's skin and it's DELICIOUS smelling. Boys that don't smell like sweat, pee-pee, snot or dirt but instead smell of spearmint and other yummy things make me just feel more peaceful and content at the end of a long day! Cashmina sheets. People, you have not experienced comfort until you've tried sleeping on these sheets. My parents got these as gifts for my brothers and Steve and I last Christmas and we were all skeptics. ("I think we'll be too hot..." "I really like my other high-thread-count sheets...") Nothing compares with these. They are definitely sheets for the cooler seasons and I have to tell you after a summer sleeping on our "crunchy" sheets I could not wait to put them on my bed today! The stresses of a long day just melt into the fluffy softness of these perfect snugglies. Camelback water bottles are the best! They make me feel less crazy because they are like a sippy cup for adults that are also kid-proof! (Genius!) That means my kids don't get to share Mommy's water bottle and get their slimery germs all over. It also means that I can manage to chug down water while on the elliptical without spilling all over myself! I am in love with my vacuum! This little sucker (it's called the Infinity) is like a Dyson in it's suction, but not in price. After vacuuming my house all the way through ONE TIME it sucks up enough dirt to fill the entire bag-less container...and it makes my carpets look like I have steam cleaned them. I mean, I know I have more dirt in my hosue than the average person but I'm telling you, this is the best vacuum for the price. I'm in love. Anything that makes my house look and feel that clean with 3 little boys makes me feel far less crazy and gets my ultimate stamp of approval.
I planted some Sweet Peas this year in our garden and I just think they are the perfect little flower. A small vase of cut Sweet Peas on my kitchen windowsill fragrances the air around my kitchen where I spend lots of time. I don't think there is a flower that smells more delightful than these and just catching a little smell here and there puts me in a better mood sometimes.

Brother's Beat

2008-09-19T13:58:00.000-07:00

Zachary:
*He loves, loves, loves school. He showed us all around his classroom last night at Open House and was beaming. He's told me close to five or six times this week that he wishes he could LIVE at school!
*Daddy worked in his class today as the parent volunteer which made Zachary super proud. I'm thinking we should relish this time of life where our boys still think Steve & I are the coolest people in America.
* We had a fun playdate with Zachary's teacher this week! Her son has a little boy in Kaden's pre-school class, so we all met up after pre-school this week and played and picnic-ed. Zachary thought that was pretty special.

Kaden:
*Has a new fascination with "sisters." Every girl stuffed animal is now "Sister So-and-So." Every girl or women he sees on the street he will ask, "Mommy! Can I please say hi to that sister?" If we have people coming over his first question is, "Are any of them sisters?" You may be thinking this new obsession started with us talking about sisters, as in another baby. I'll set you straight...there's no such talk in this house.
*He now refers to every day that is in the past as Thursday, or "Surrrs-day." We'll often hear things like, "On Surrs-day when I went to school I played with cars," or "On Surrrs-day when I was a baby I had a binkie like Ry-Ry."
*Loves school, but the kid is t-i-r-e-d when he comes home. Oh my gosh. It's hard to believe that a structured environment for 2 1/2 hours takes so much more energy than a day at home of playing and running. He had a perfect little tantrum the second I picked him up out of his classroom today. It was a doozy...one of those moments where I wish I could have buried my head in the sand. Needless to say, the little one was busted when he came home and has already been napping for hours...

Rylan:
*I saw that Ry had something in his mouth the other morning while I was getting ready. I fish it out to find that he was chewing on....my wedding band. Perfect.
*Has gotten in the habit of hitting when he gets frustrated! Grandpa had the big boys up on his lap the other night and Ry went right over and hit Grandpa on the leg. (Truthfully, this is just about the only feisty behavior we've ever seen in him.)
*Ry loves when I sit him up on my bathroom counter while I'm doing my hair and make-up in the morning (which is how he got my ring...). He loves playing with my make-up brushes and pretending to do his hair. He's my little shadow, just hanging out with my all day long!

"I'm All School-ed Up!" --Kaden, on his 1st day of pre-school

2008-09-12T13:06:00.000-07:00

Kaden's first week of pre-school was just great. As you can see from the pictures, he obviously wasn't feeling too nervous or sad to be leaving Mommy!

When I asked him today if he was making good choices and listening to his teacher he said,

"Weeeeeellllll, sometimes...but don't worry Mommy, she doesn't get mad at me."

And so it begins...

My Little Kinder

2008-09-07T19:40:00.000-07:00

Zachary had his first day of kindergarten last week! He has loved each day more than the one before and we couldn't ask for a better classroom or teachers for him. We are so blessed!

It's funny because I've done the first day of kindergarten lots and lots of times, but always as the teacher. This week has really gotten me reflecting on my new perspective as a parent of a kindergartner...

I remember as a teacher having to practically squeeze the parents out the door so we could start our school day...

Now I know that it was just because somehow you realize that walking out that door and leaving your child there is releasing a huge amount of control and influence. It's a little hard to say good-bye because this is your baby and you just want to be sure everything is going to be okay.

I remember gearing up for the swarms of cameras and video camcorders that I knew would inundate me as I opened up Room 2 on the first morning of the school year...

I understand now that it was just because you don't want to miss a thing. You want to document each piece of this important day because you know that it won't be long before they are getting out of the car themselves and running to their classrooms and forgetting to kiss you good-bye.

I remember all of the the loooong conferences and emails and phone calls of concerned parents wanting to talk about their child's needs...

Now I know that it's because although you know that there are 25 other kids in the classroom, you are still the advocate and voice for YOUR child and that is your job as the Mommy. You know that your child doesn't deserve special treatment, but you will do everything in your power to make sure every need and concern is brought before the teacher who will spend the year with your amazing kid.

Most of all I can remember the conflicted looks of smiles and tears on the parent's faces and they dropped off their child that first day of kindergarten...

And now I understand that it is because your heart is swelling with pride and breaking a little all at the same time.

More from Child #2...

2008-09-04T15:52:00.000-07:00

Heard after exactly 5 seconds of not being directly supervised...

"And NOW....it's time to slip and slide on the table!"

Sassy Pants

2008-09-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

This morning Kaden was jumping from the armrest of the couch shouting, "Superman!" onto where Steve was sitting drinking a nice hot cup of coffee.

After a couple of jumps Superman gave Daddy a little hit on the arm.

Daddy: Kaden, don't hit Daddy.

Kaden: I wasn't hitting you, Daddy. I was bamming you!

2008-08-23T17:26:00.000-07:00

It's True...

Sometimes this is how my baby is dressed when we're not going out.

Fashion that only Rylan Michael can pull off...

Coffee Talk

2008-08-22T11:38:00.001-07:00

Kaden: Mommy, can I have a drink of your coffee?

Mommy: I don't think you're going to like it...

Kaden takes a sip of Mommy's Starbuck's tall Caramel Machiato and loves it...

Kaden: Mmmmmm...Now am I going to turn into a grown-up?!

2008-08-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

I was sitting down at the kitchen table with my voter's pamphlet open, circling the candidates that I wanted to mark on my absentee ballot. Zachary comes up next to me and checks out the candidates I have marked...

Zachary: "Mommy, are you circling some new guys you want to marry?"
Me: (giggling) "No. I really like the guy I'm married to."
Zachary: "Gooooooood! I don't want THAT guy to be my Daddy!"

The BEST kind of day

2008-08-17T12:50:00.000-07:00

There's nowhere else I'd rather be on a 90 degree day but Lake Cushman with the fam!

If You Were A Fly on the Wall...

2008-08-12T12:33:00.000-07:00

Here's a little sample of things heard in our household lately...

"How do seeds grow?"
"Can I write out my Christmas list?"
"How does our TV know when it's winter?"
"How does Frosty the Snowman walk if he doesn't have legs?"
"Why does it take soooooo yong (long) for Halloween?"
"Does God have a penis?" (Followed by the same question for every family member he knows.)
"Can we peeeeeeeease go to HotDonald's for lunch?"
"Am I going to school after this day?"

*****************************************************************************
Dear God,
Thank you for my Mommy and Daddy and Zachy and Ry Ry. Thank you for I not frow (throw) my food. Thank you for Zachy make good choices. Thank you for Ry Ry not to scream at dinner.
And thank you for Mommy have bits and hoopies.
Amen.

*******************************************************************************
(Zachary) "Mommy, I think we better organize my art drawer."
(Steve, to me) "Wow, there's something I don't think I've ever said... "

Ten on Ten

2008-08-10T19:29:00.000-07:00

I love the Ten on Ten journals (ten pictures taken once an hour on the 10th of each month) that some of my other friends have done on their blogs, so I decided to try it out today.

What a great way to look for beauty in the simplest things of the day!

The Boys and the Guys

2008-08-05T08:08:00.000-07:00

These....

are the "guys."

The boys have always loved their guys.

You can find the guys anywhere in our house,

but their favorite spots are...

...the family room couch

..or the kitchen counter.Most days you can even find a guy taking a little snooze on Mommy & Daddy's bed.
(This is Doby, one of the more beloved guys...)

Wherever the boys go, the guys go too!

And the best part about the guys?

They are the perfect size for little arms to snuggle!

2008-07-29T20:24:00.000-07:00

Vacation Surprise #3 wasn't much of a "surprise" for the boys, but it was very exciting to them none the less. The kids couldn't wait to spend the day with cousins, cousins, cousins!

Surprise #4 was an evening at Chuck E. Cheese. Wow! The boys were sure excited about this special treat and they had a really fun time. This picture of Rylan at Chuck E. Cheese isn't a very good one, but it really cracks me up because it's a perfect picture of how Steve and I felt after a couple of hours there. Chuck E. Cheese...the place "where a kid can be a kid...." and the parents can go a little crazy...

Surprise #6 was a trip to the zoo. It was a beautiful day and our fun cousin Tori from Park City was able to come along, too! The highlight was watching Rylan's face fill with wonder seeing these animals so close for the first time. There's nothing like it!

We had a really great week with lots and lots of good time together. Couldn't have asked for anything more!

Vacation Surprise #1

2008-07-25T14:38:00.000-07:00

Steve is taking a week off of work and we decided that since we didn't have any big vacation plans this summer that we would make the most of sticking around town. Each day of "vacation" this week, the boys wake up and get to open an envelope that reveals the next special surprise of the day. Day #1 was camping and the boys were thrilled! We headed to Yakima for a one-night getaway of total amateur camping (running water, toilets, a nice pool and fluffy green grass at our site). Besides Rylan waking up in the tent with the sun at 4:30 AM on Thursday (and not going back to bed), it was a really fun getaway!

2008-07-22T12:16:00.000-07:00

Look who perfected a new trick while Mommy & Daddy were gone last week!

My Little Lump

2008-07-11T16:16:00.000-07:00

Mess Makers, Take 2

2008-07-11T15:58:00.000-07:00

Zachary and Kaden created a fabulous creation of Split Pea Soup. Yum, yum!

Things to look forward to...

2008-07-08T15:43:00.000-07:00

Kaden came to visit me in the bathroom this morning as I was putting on some makeup.

Kaden: (picking up some makeup) Can I wear this?
Me: Nope. This is just for girls.
Kaden: Can I wear makeup when I'm a girl?
Me: You're not going to be a girl. You're a boy and then you'll grow up to be a man, like Daddy.
Kaden: (Suddenly very excited at this apparent revelation) I'm gonna be a man?! And then... I can wear A BELT?!!

Wow, who knew that a belt was the most desirable part of "manhood" for Kaden!

4th of July Fun!

2008-07-06T17:31:00.000-07:00

Fourth of July goes down as one of my favorite holidays to celebrate.

What's better than family, friends, hot summer days, and BBQs?

This year we celebrated with a long weekend at the cabin and had a great time!

Summer, Summer, Summertime!

2008-06-29T19:59:00.001-07:00

We are loving this wonderfully hot weather and taking full advantage of it by getting outside as much as we can. I'm considering this my summer of exploring our wonderful city. We've lived here for 4 1/2 years and I cannot believe the things that I haven't done since living here! So, with no school and laid-back summer days we are checking out all that is in our backyard and plugging away at our summer goals!

My new favorite spot to take the boys is down by the beach (7 minutes from my house!) on the boardwalk. We walk (well...I walk, Ry strolls, and Z and K run) the boardwalk and then we play on the beach or visit the beach park. (Summer Goal #8-Check!) The coolest thing about this spot is the sea life. This seal pictured below is named "Billy" and he has a permanent resting spot at the end of the dock there. You can literally walk 10 feet from him and he just lays there. (The city is also just finishing up an environmental education center at this beach. From what I hear they'll have marine life kids can touch and other hands-on exhibits. I also hear that it's FREE!)
When we went to visit Billy the seal for the first time Kaden asked:
"Mommy, can I touch him?"
Me: "Nope, he's a wild animal."
Kaden: "Well, I'm wild!"

I love going on adventures with Kaden. I'm always cracking up!

This is kind of hard to see, but the posts of the pier were COVERED in starfish (they're purple and orange in this picture.) I thought it was a little creepy...

At a different beach spot that's about 10 minutes from our house, we had a ton of fun building sand castles (Summer Goal #2-Check!) and splashing in the water. I wasn't sure how a beach day would go with a baby that's crawling and puts everything in his mouth, but Ry had a great time just sitting in one spot the whole time playing with a shovel and a bucket...and he only put a little bit of sand in his mouth.

I recently read a statistic saying that people are 80% more likely to accomplish their goals if they write them down. Brainstorming our Summer list was so fun this year and it has really helped to motivate all of us to get out of the house and do new things. I think we'll try this for each new season! You should try it, too!

Kandoo....without

2008-06-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

Consider this my version of a "Mommy Public Service Announcement." I have been a big fan of the Kandoo Toddler Flushable Wipes for potty training kiddos. They're smaller than baby wipes and they say they break down when flushed down the toilet, which is super convenient for toddlers who are still learning how to get extra clean after using the potty but don't want to be wiped with baby wipes.

Well, after the kids' bathtub and our shower starting filling up with sewer water (if you know what I mean) and our toilets also being clogged, we realized that we had a huge-and very gross-plumbing problem on our hands. After close to $500 in repairs, an upstairs that smelled like the sewer, and a mommy that was up to her armpits in poop cleaning bathrooms, the plumber finally informed us that our main plumbing line was clogged with these "flushable" wipes. He also said that not only do they not disintegrate when flushed, but they harden after time...and I know that it's true because I saw it with my own eyes!

So, there you go. Beware of truth in advertising! We learned the hard way!

Check 'Em Off!

2008-06-16T19:55:00.001-07:00

We're plugging away at our Summer list!

Summer Goal #4: Decide to delight in worms, bugs and dirty outdoor messes instead of just thinking, "This is going to be a huge pain to clean up!"

This is a "dirty outdoor mess" if I've ever seen one and I did my very best to be excited about it!

Summer Goal #15. Take the boys to the Seattle Aquarium.

During the yucky cold weather this was a really fun outing. We went with my mom and dad and Grandma and enjoyed a really fun day. The aquarium is so ideal for smaller kiddos because they can be inches away from the exhibits. I just love watching my kids see things for the first time that amaze and intrigue them!

Summer Goal #6. Eat dinner outside as a family as often as we can.

I love our backyard. It's nothing fancy, but it's just perfect for our family. The last 2 nights have been so sunny that we've been able to have dinner outside. Tonight after dinner Zachary rode his bike, Kaden rode his big wheel while Steve and I caught up on our days and giggled with Ry (he's hilarious these days). Ahhh...my perfect summer night. Something about being outside just makes me so much more relaxed, which is rarely what I'm feeling after a big family dinner!

The Weirdest True Story I Will Ever Tell

2008-06-07T13:30:00.000-07:00

I've never been an "animal person." I grew up with a cat that I never held because I was always scared that he would scratch or bite me. I never have any desire to have animals in my house now that I'm an adult nor do I ever have the desire to even pet or play with anyone else's animals. Just keep that in mind as I share this story of what happened to me this morning...

I have the boys all ready to go for a walk. Steve is gone, of course, because things like I'm about to tell you only happen when he is not here. We're all gathered near the front door ready to walk outside. Zachary opens the door first and as he does a squirrel scurries quickly by the doorstep.

The squirrel panics seeing all of us so close to him, so he tries to run away.

Unfortunately, he runs the wrong direction and runs into our house.

That's not all. I'm dressed all in black so (I'm assuming) the squirrel mistakes me for a tree and JUMPS. ON. MY. NECK.

I scream, I hyperventilate, I flail my arms. The squirrel jumps off and runs away outside.

I'm about ready to faint and am thinking to myself, "Did this really just happen?!!!"

I'm re-assured that it actually did just happen because Kaden says to me immediately following the fiasco, "Mommy! Did you see that squirrel jump on your HEAD?!"

Heard at the breakfast table...

2008-06-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

Zachary looks up at me with this sweet, smiley little nostalgic look on his face and says...

"Mommy, remember when we used to have worms in our cereal?"

Yes, my dear son, I don't think I will ever forget when we had worms in our cereal.

(For those that didn't hear the true story of worms in our cereal a few months back, let's just say don't ever be tempted to eat an expired box of Life cereal.)

P.S...He's Single!

2008-06-04T19:41:00.000-07:00

These pics are from a couple of weeks ago, but I wanted to be sure to post them. My dad took all three boys to the fire station when my brother was working and they got a personal tour of the station and engine from Uncle Just! How's that for the coolest Uncle ever?

Summer Goals

2008-06-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

We love Summer! So we're sure not to miss out on anything this sunny season has to offer, here's what I want to be sure to do...

1. Take walks with the boys at least three times a week.
2. Go play at the beach and build sandcastles with my kids.
3. Wear flip-flops (me) and Crocs (boys) every day so I don't have to wash a single pair of socks all summer.
4. Decide to delight in worms, bugs and dirty outdoor messes instead of just thinking, "This is going to be a huge pain to clean up!"
5. Visit some cool new parks.
6. Eat dinner outside as a family as often as we can.
7. Support local farms by shopping for my produce at the Farmer's Market in my city.
8. Walk the boardwalk down at the beach (which is 7 minutes from our house and we've NEVER done since living here...can you believe that?!).
9. Allow no one in my family to get sunburned.
10. Enroll the big boys in swimming lessons.
11. Eat Suz's famous Texas Caviar while sitting on the Party Boat at Cushman in hot weather while watching my husband and brothers jump from dangerously high rope swings into freezing cold lake water. (A.k.a. "my perfect Saturday").
12. Watch my baby boy start walking.
13. Take advantage of a more laid-back YL schedule (which means WAY more evenings free) and go on dates with my husband.
14. Read at least 2 books.
15. Take the boys to the Seattle Aquarium once.
16. Go the the zoo a lot.
17. Attend "Day out With Thomas" in July. (This is where the real Thomas train comes to Snoqualmie and you can take a train ride on him and do all sorts of special Thomas-related activities. It's super fun for train lovers!)

We'll keep you updated as we check off the list over the next couple of months!

School Time

2008-05-28T08:53:00.000-07:00

We have started "school time" since Zachary has been out of school. Once Ry goes down for a nap the big boys sit down after lunch for a little bit of learning time with Mommy.

As you can see, Zachary loves school time with Mommy. He's taken up an interest in learnng cursive and Spanish, so we're going to have some fun with that.

Kaden, on the other hand, does not love school time. We're working on reading and writing his name with a fun little magnet board and letters as well as his own little white board. I'm trying to make this fun for him but, as you can see, he does not appreciate my efforts! I thought we would work on letter sounds, but he completely shocked me the other day when I was "quizzing" him and he knew all of them already! (I'd like to thank "Word World" on PBS for that. Really, it's a GREAT learning show for kids!)

Weekend Update

2008-05-27T17:18:00.000-07:00

I had an incredible weekend up at Malibu YL camp this past weekend. I had the opportunity to go with some high school girls that are really special to me and other leaders from our area that are just awesome. It was a powerful weekend and we came home yesterday encouraged, exhausted and challenged!

Steve was with the boys all weekend and had a good time having lots and lots of "boy time." Not only did I come home to 3 sleeping, healthy, clean children tucked tightly in bed, but also a spotless house! (He's amazing...) He said he had a great weekend, although he seemed a little more eager than usual to be off to work this morning! :)

On a side note...I have decided that I will no longer be complaining about my boys' messy rooms or our three bathrooms that always need spot cleaning from little boys that don't have a great aim. Here's the truth--little boy messes are no match for those made by teenage girls! Between the floor being covered in millions of clothes and literally the grosest bathroom you've ever stepped foot into, I was sure thankful to come home to "mostly clean" bathrooms and floors covered in legos and hot wheels. I can handle that much better!

2008-05-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

Questions I answered yesterday...

1. "Why can only girls have babies and boys can't?" (Zachary)

2. "Mommy, can you stop having babies even after you already have 3 BOYS?!" (Zachary)

3. "Are these little boys your brothers?" (Some little girl asking me this question at the store.)

Last Day of School

2008-05-15T21:25:00.000-07:00

Zachary's last day of school is tomorrow. He has had such a wonderful experience at his preschool--we really couldn't have asked for a better year. Before the school year started we prayed and prayed for Zachary to have one little best friend and God answered that prayer and blessed Zachary with his best little buddy, Lorrin. (She is the cutest little doll face!)

Today when I picked up Zachary his teacher pulled me aside and told me that the kids were answering the question, "Who was your favorite friend in preschool?" for a little end of the year memory book. She told me that every kid in class answered "Zachary" as their best friend! I just teared up immediately when she shared that with me. Zachary loves being around people so much and to hear that he has made a special connection with each kid in his class is really touching to us. He's doing Young Life in pre-school! It's in his blood, I guess!

Zachary and Daddy at the Parent's Tea last week.

Tonight we headed to Kindergarten Round-Up at the elementary school where Zachary got to tour the classrooms, meet the teachers and see where he will be going to school next year. We are so, so thrilled about the school that he will go to next year. (Lorrin is also going to the same school which is all that really matters to him!) Just 1 hour there tonight exceeded my expectations. We are thrilled with the opportunity to be there next year!

These are the going-away cards that Zachary made for his teacher, his teacher's aide, his "snack helper" and the pre-school director. I'm telling you...he is literally the sweetest kid!

Viva Las Vegas!

2008-05-06T21:21:00.000-07:00

Cruisin' in the convertible!
We didn't see the Blue Man group, but we snuck in the hallway of the theatre after a show and got a picture with one of these crazy guys. Too bad he literally got blue paint all over Steph's cute top after this picture. :(

I didn't grow up with sisters. I live with 4 boys. So, you can imagine how excited I was to spend the week with my sister in-laws in Vegas! Suz (she's married to my brother), Steph (I'm married to her brother) and Steph (she's married to Dan, and is Suz's sister) and I had a blast!

A couple of highlights...

*The weather! It was hot, hot, hot and we spent every day by the pool. Loved it.

*All of these girls know how to get an upgrade! We were supposed to be driving a Dodge Neon, but got a Mustang Convertible. We also got a room at the Bellagio with an amazing view of the fountains. I learned it never hurts to ask!

*One night we were admiring some amazing jewelry at a VERY high end jewelry shop. (Including a 23 carat yellow diamond ring!) Steph Wolf asked the jeweler is she could try on this absolutely amazing necklace laced with humongous, flawless diamonds. The necklace cost 1.2 MILLION dollars. That's right. She had 1.2 million dollars hanging around her neck for about 60 seconds. Unfortunately they wouldn't let us take pictures, but it was so fun for all of us!

It was a great Sisters' Vacation!

Lasagna Face Cutie Pie

2008-04-24T18:39:00.000-07:00

HaPpY BiRtHdAy!

2008-04-24T15:05:00.001-07:00

We had too much fun celebrating yesterday to find time to blog so (a day late)...

Happy Birthday Steve!

Here's a not-so-arbitrarily-numbered list of fun and interesting things you may not know him...

1. He's an well-organized Type B personality

2. He's really determined, but not in a crazy competitive sort of way.

3. He's a perfectionist but not particular.

4. His wife is his favorite person :)

5. He likes to spend time at home but definitely not for longer than a 24-hour period

6. He has really, really, really great guy friends

7. He makes super good nachos that we enjoy every Sunday after church while watching SNL together

8. He can do 19 pull-ups on his pull up bar

9. He never liked to read until he got in college and has been a pretty avid reader since

10. He will change his clothes if he sees that I have "coordinated" colors with him when we're going out

11. He loves Rocky Road ice cream scooped in a mug with 1 cup of milk poured over it, but not stirred up (it's good...)

12. He is the kind of dad that is always on the floor playing with his kids

13. He will almost never want to watch a Romantic Comedy with me, but will always say, "It wasn't as bad as I was expecting!" when we're done with the movie

14. Even with that said, his favorite movies are hard-core guy movies like Bravehart and such...

15. He hardly ever gets sick

16. He has a HORRIBLE memory--even before he had amnesia

17. He doesn't get scared of really anything

18. He takes a very long time to write emails

19. He is always on his phone while driving

20. I don't think there is a vegetable that he doesn't like

21. He makes amazing bbq chicken

22. He makes amazing Thomas the Tank Engine shaped pancakes

23. He will get a headache within 10 minutes of stepping into a mall

24. He was once mistaken for an 8th grader when he was 24 years old

25. He has always had a really clear idea of what matters most in life and doesn't bother with a lot of needless "stuff"

26. He gets up with our kids at night almost more than I do

27. On weekends he likes to be productive but not busy

28. He is the BEST card-picker-outer for birthdays and anniversaries

29. Without exaggeration a dad and husband that continues to blow us away more every year!

2008-04-17T16:06:00.000-07:00

Monday nights the boys spend the evening at my parent's house. We always hear all kinds of good stories from the kids the next day. (Lots of "Mommy! Grandpa let me eat 3 WHOLE COOKIES!")

Here's what Zachary reported to me Tuesday morning:
(Zachary): "We watched Dancing With the Stars at Grandma's house last night, Mommy."
(Me): "You did, huh?"
(Zachary): Yeah! And did you know there's a girl on there that can't even hear?"
(Me): "I did know that."
(Zachary): And did you also know that there's a guy on there that can't even SEE and ANOTHER guy that dances that can't even WALK?!"

Hmmmm...

1 Year + 1 Month

2008-04-14T12:00:00.001-07:00

Tricks:

Says: "hi" "ball" "more"

Signs: "please" "more" "milk"

Climbs up the entire flight of stairs in 2 seconds, before his mom and dad can find him

Has mastered the sippy cup and doesn't use a bottle anymore

Eats anything and everything

Gives kisses

Things he loves:

Mommy!

Touch and Feel books

Balls

Things he does NOT love:

Leaving mommy to go to the nursery at church

Being wrestled by Kaden

Getting teeth

Being tired

This Weekend We...

2008-04-13T19:11:00.000-07:00

*Friday: Had a picnic and park date after picking up Zachary from school.

*Had a fun night with the Gordon's and the Smith's ADULTS while all of our kiddos stayed home.

*Saturday: Enjoyed a great morning play date with Ella and Colby, our cousins that we don't get to see very often! (I stole this picture off of your blog Melis! Hope that's OK!)

*Hung out in the backyard all afternoon on Saturday. The boys were barefoot and their "bits" were out out all day. (They INSISTED that's the way boys play when it's hot!) We did a ton of yard work, power-washed, planted a million Dahlia bulbs and other flower seeds, and just enjoyed a laid-back day. The boys and I also planted a mini-vegetable garden, including carrots and tomatoes. They are so excited to have their own row of carrots to tend to!

*Sunday: Had a low-key day. The 2 big boys are inseparable lately and have really gotten to a great stage of playing together pretty well. Today they grabbed their stuffed doggies and took their "pets" on all kinds of adventures in the backyard. They were playing for hours having such a good time...until it started to rain. They were a little confused why yesterday was so warm and today was so cold!

We love these warm Spring weekends!

2008-04-09T22:38:00.000-07:00

We hang out with teenagers a lot, so we have a pretty good idea of what to expect when our kids reach that stage. I've been keeping a little mental note of things that I fully expect our boys to give us a hard time about when they are teenagers. But, until that time I will continue to do these fun and cute things as a mom even if I hear in 10 years that they were actually totally dorky and lame. After all, isn't that what being a parent is all about? :)

Here's some of the things I'm sure we'll hear about...Mommy and Son matching shoes!

Unashamedly bathing with the bros.

Dressing like twinsies for every major holiday.

Currently Playing...

2008-04-02T16:13:00.000-07:00

On the I-Pod:
Brooke Fraser
David Archaleta (Yes, I downloaded his songs from I-Tunes and yes, I'm a nerd and a hard-core American Idol fan this season. I'm so hooked on this kid and wish I could adopt him as my 4th son so he could sing to us all day long.)
Yael Naim (Girl that sings that catchy Mac Air commercial song.)

On the TiVo:
Peep and the Big Wide World (one of the boys' favs)
Good Morning America (Again, yes I'm a nerd and I TiVo my news and human interest stories so I can watch it in my free time. It's probably my favorite show.)

On the CD player in our car:
Parents Cd "When I Grow Up." (Although it's better than a lot of kid music out there, after a while Steve and I are about ready to throw it out the window. For some reason, the boys can literally listen to it for hours on end and never get tired of it. True confession: Sometimes we tell the boys the CD is broken because we just can't handle it anymore.)

In the playroom:
The boys cannot get enough of Lego's lately. Favorite things to create: birds and guns.

A Little Shout Out to the Fam!

2008-04-01T12:53:00.000-07:00

Steve's sister Steph just started a blog and it's so great!

Check out their sweet family here!

Two Ends of the Spectrum

2008-03-31T14:10:00.000-07:00

Zachary is in the playroom stacking, sorting and classifying his Lego's and explaining to us the sum and differences in the stacks. ("Look Mommy, this green stack has 6 more than the red stack!")

Meanwhile, Kaden Jay tried to get a book out of the bookcase in his room and decided instead of actually reading, it would be way more fun to empty the entire bookcase onto his floor.

Isn't it funny that 2 boys from the same family can be so different!

Frustration Station

2008-03-30T16:28:00.000-07:00

Grrrr...I tried a new template and I lost all my info!

1st off--does anyone know how to widen these margins? This is a little ridiculous!

2nd--can you comment on this post if I don't have your blog listed so I can add you and check your blogs? I can't remember everyone's blog address and now my list has vanished!

2008-03-26T14:04:00.000-07:00

Three years ago today our lives changed forever with the birth of a sweet baby boy named after my brother. Who knew that at that time we were kissing the days of peacefulness, quietness and calm good-bye! The Lord did sure did because he ended up blessing us ten-fold with more...

spunk

atttiude

fun

sneakiness

silliness

passion

joy

imagination

and a hundred times more love than we could have ever known before Kaden!

Happy 3rd Birthday Kaden Jay!