Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Baseball

While D was enjoying playing basketball, B decided to try his hand at Baseball. We have 3 other boys in our neighborhood the same age (including BFF cousin, Zach) and all 4 of them were on the team together. They were so funny to watch and listen. One source of great pride for those guys was that they were required to wear a "cup." At first, B was a little unsure, but before long, it was quite a cool thing to have. They would get in the car and be asked if they remembered everything (glove? yes! hat? yes! bat? yes! cup? *knock knock*--rather than respond, they would let you "hear" that they were covered.)

They all really made some big improvements and it was fun to go and watch them. They really came together as a team and I know they all would have been happy for their season to have gone on another 4 or 5 months!

Getting ready to bat

On First

Monday, November 7, 2011

Basketball

D was able to be on the 8th Grade Basketball team this year. Unfortunately, they didn't have the success they wanted this season, but they still made some serious improvement over teh course of the season and it was fun for me to watch. A was always so good to sit on my lap and watch with me and she really did know when her brother was out there and she would watch him run up and down the court. They didn't get to go to the tournament, but they still ended their season on a good note... with a win, in a game where D got a rebound, turned around and put it for a basket and even got a steal. Go Sharks!!

(#42)


Sunday, November 6, 2011

Preschool

I have some wonderful neighbors who have set up a preschool where we each take a turn having it our house. I'm so thankful they included us so KL could go. She absolutely loves it and has so much fun learning her letters and sounds. Here she is on her first day:

Saturday, November 5, 2011

CK's 7th Birthday




I'm only a few months behind in my blogging...so I'll do my best to catch-up.

First, one of the most significant events that took place in our home is that CK had a birthday!!! She turned 7 years old and was so excited for this big day. The real bummer is that she ended up getting sick and couldn't go to school or have her party as planned. It was a tough blow, but she handled it all right.

She was feeling well enough in the evening for some presents and cake. Here she is opening up her presents:
Little A with B

Blowing the candles out on the special cake that Daddy bought her to try and soften the blow of missing out on her planned birthday festivities.

She was eventually feeling well enough that she got to go to school and have her special crown for the day:
We even got to have that party! We just got pizza, played outside and did the girl's toes.



All in all, I think she had a fun time. She is certainly someone worth celebrating!!

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Puppies!!!

My friend's dog had a big litter of adorable chocolate lab puppies so I just couldn't resist taking the girls to go and play with them. Jill and I loaded up Lily, A and KL and headed down. Lily is absolutely obsessed with animals and she was just beside herself with Joy. KL really loved them too. A thought that they were great, but she enjoyed looking at them from a distance more than when we tried to help her pick one up or even pet it.






Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Sisters


As always, as I was downloading pictures off my camera, I found SEVERAL pictures that I didn't recognize and were clearly taken by the girls who had snuck off with my "off-limits" camera. While, publicly, I am totally against them touching the camera, I have to admit that as a mom, it is fun to see proof of them having fun together! I do love all my beautiful little girls!!!




Friday, September 9, 2011

And So It Begins...

The house is coming along...


As such, I decided it was probably time to start packing now, so as to save myself more of a headache later. Also, so I could have it ready to show as rental. I started this little cutie's bedroom.

After I got it all cleaned out, it looked great...


And how much stuff can possibly come out of 1 small bedroom?
It was really hard to imagine that I found space to keep all this in there! And this was only 1 bedroom...the smallest bedroom! Heaven help me as I work my way through the rest of the house!

So...if anyone knows of anyone looking for a rental in the next couple of months...send them my way!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

First Day of School

It may have happened almost a month ago, but it still happened! The kids are back in school. D started 8th grade, the twins 4th, and CK is now in 2nd grade. Even KL will get to go to a little joy school that starts tomorrow, but she doesn't know it yet. She will surely be excited when she finds out! Here are some pictures from the first big day.


A, walking the kids to school

The boys didn't feel the need to be walked to school by me. :)

The girls heading off to find their classes.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Dewet


KL is one of those kids who just never ceases to say the funniest things! I decided I needed write some of these down so I don't forget them. Most of the things I want to record are about "Dewet", her invisible special friend. He has been a boyfriend and even a fiance. At times, he's been an ex, but he always manages to worm his way back into her graces. He and KL have been special friends since early last summer. He has really shown some serious staying power this last year +. He's not walking away from this relationship. When she first introduced him to us, I couldn't decide if his name was "Jared" or "Derek". Given her cute little preschool speech impediments, she really couldn't correct us when we asked, so we decided to go with Derek.

Derek has a back story. He has had a difficult life, as all of his family has passed away and he had to come and live with us. When Dave heard that his baby girl had invited her boyfriend to live here in the same house with her, he put a stop to it. Thankfully, a few months ago, Derek's family miraculously came "back awive!" He is able to stay with them again for the most part, but he still makes frequent, to the point of near constant, visits over here.


A few months ago, my girls were having a little slumber party at my sister Julia's house. Julia's husband Dee, a redhead, is a favorite of KL's and she just loves to charm him. That night, Julia noticed KL sitting and talking to him while she was stroking his forearm. The next day, Julia asked her what Derek looked like. She answered, "He has wed hair and 'fuw.'" "Huh? 'fuw'?" Mea started to furiously stroking her arm and said, "Fuw! Fuw! Like Deet!" A few weeks later, she was over having another sleep over when she came up to Julia and said "I need to take a picture of my boyfwiend. He is so so cute. Like Deet."

Whenever KL goes to play with her little girl friends, I almost always get reports that whoever she is playing with now has an invisible boyfriend too. A few days ago she was over with a friend of mine to play with the little girl she babysits. My friend was on the phone with her mom when she noticed the little girls had the back door open and were making a kicking motion out the door. Kimberly said, "Girls! You need to shut the door so we don't get hot inside!" KL stuck her hand on her hip and said, "Ouw boyfwiends cheated on us so we'we kicking dem out." Where did she even learn that term!?!?!?!

Whenever something happens around here that shouldn't, we aren't surprised to hear that Derek did it. One day Dave informed Mea that she would be getting the spanken whenever Derek did something. She found this so totally unfair since she's not responsible for his actions! None the less, after taking a few of Derek's time outs, he quite misbehaving quite as much. However, last week, I took my sister and brother in law to our new house. Scott found a little piece of styrofoam and some nails and made a little head and said, "Look, it's Derek. Go give it to KL." I decided not to take it to her, but just to tell her that I saw him. When I did, I swear her eye's just about popped out of her head. "He's weal!?!?!?" She was so excited and just couldn't believe it. Just this morning, one of the other kids saw something out of place and angrily asked who did it. KL quickly jumped up and very knowingly said, "Dewet did it. He's weal! He's weal!"


She does say funny things, even when she isn't talking about Dewet. Earlier this week, we were at my parents where my mom was saying she couldn't call her "Maisy" anymore because my brother just got a dog with that name. KL asked what she would call her instead and my mom said maybe "May-May". She immediately said, "I want you to call me Roosevelt." Huh?

She will often tell me that I'm "hew hewo" when she's happy with me (accompanied by a big hug and several eye bats) and when she gets mad that she "will nevew be in youw famiwy again!"

I truly wish I could remember everything that she says, but there is just too much! She is so much fun and we are so thankful to have her around!

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Utah, 2011

We got to stop for a few days in Utah on our way home. We went to Lagoon with some of cousins. it was lots of fun for everyone...well almost everyone. I spent several hours in the "nurses office" with a vomit inducing migraine. Lots of fun. Still, the kids had a great time so it was worth it.

I spent the next day at my aunt's house recovering and then we wen tot Dave's sister that night for dinner, followed by a nice little movie the next afternoon. That night,we went to dinner with one of Dave's brother's family before leaving. That ended up being the only time I pulled out the camera.

All in all, a very fun family vacation, but as always, it was great to be home. Even if it was soul-suckingly hot. We are still surviving the heat, but looking forward to a change!