Procrastination and Christmas lists

PROCRASTINATION folks.. it is my middle name. It is what I excel at. There are SOOOO many things I am suppose to be doing right now. So many in fact that I don't even know where to begin so instead I think... HMMMM this is the perfect moment to update my blog. It is seriously amazing that I can even dress myself in the morning.

Is anyone else freaked out that is is already the end of November? I seriously feel like I blinked my eyes and the year was almost over. That may have something to do with the fact that our Christmas lights are still on our house. Yes I said still. The only thing worse than being a procrastinator is being a procrastinator that married another procrastinator. When June came around we both looked at each other and said ahhh... let's just leave them up. What's the point in climbing on the roof and taking the lights down when we just have to put them back up in SIX months. Not to mention now we can snicker when we see all of the husbands in our neighborhood angry, shivering and cussing as they pull out the ladder and hang their lights while their wives order them around from the safety of the ground. In fact these are probably the same neighbors that made fun of us for leaving our lights up all year. Who's laughing now? We are... that's right.

It's that time of year again.... the dreaded Christmas shopping. Oh how I loathe Christmas shopping. What happened to the days of shopping for my kids and just picking things that I know they will like? I can still do that for Sophie for the most part because I know that anything she gets she will be happy with, and Jake is pretty much the easiest child to buy for on the face of the universe... HE ASKED FOR COPY PAPER PEOPLE. I was like "um sure you can have copy paper. I'll buy you a whole box of copy paper." and his reaction was similar to the one you would get from me if someone told me they would clean my house every day for the next 20 years.

But HOLY HELL... what is up with tweens? Isaac writes a list and you seriously have to have a glossary to figure the freaking thing out.. Maybe a map in the front would help.. (you know like in the Lord of The Rings books) Everything has a brand name (some of which I've never heard of) specific color or pattern and then they are ranked in order of which ones are most important and then there is the issue of "if you can't find this one then I guess this one over here will suffice." What??? Hello!! Does he know how many different pairs of Blue Nike football gloves are out there??? It's like he's trying to make my head explode?! Don't get me wrong, other than his crazy, mind blowing Christmas lists, he is honestly a DREAM child so I feel very lucky to have him, but wow.

M

Blog? What Blog?

Monica I'm copying you because I love the bullet point thing and maybe it will make it easier to blog and get my points out without stressing too much about un-needed info.

- Jake started gymnastics last night... He jumped from his first ever gymnastics class which was a level 2 to a level 4 and started working on back flips last night!?! He is in a class with only 4 people, three of which are girls. Needless to say he is loving life. His instructor said she wants to teach him how to do a flip off of the wall.... AWESOME! I love seeing people do that, I'm just crossing my fingers that he doesn't get injured.

-Isaac is still going strong with football. He is playing Wide Receiver and Corner Back and loving it. He has changed so much since last year...(more aggressive, better catches etc.) He is so much fun to watch and I am definitely his biggest fan!

- Sophie and I have been working on letters this week. She is such a smart little monster but when I try to make her learn something new she just stares at me like I'm wasting her time. I'll have to try to make it not seem like I'm not "teaching". She is such a funny little girl and still makes me laugh constantly. Her new thing is when I say something stupid and she looks at me shrugs her shoulders with her hands out and says, "Come on!" It's hard to give it justice on a blog but it is hilarious. Her favorite movie right now is Coraline and she asks every new person she meets if they have seen it. She is constantly telling me she wants to go live with her "other mother." Nice.

School Days

The boys started school yesterday at their new school. I can't believe I have a fourth grader and a seventh grader! Holy cow how time flies! I know everyone says it but it seriously seems like they were just babies! I can't believe what handsome, polite, sweet young men they are turning out to be. I am so lucky to be their Mom!

July too??

Wow.. the last time I updated was the end of June and now it is the end of July! Where does there the time go? It has been a crazy, busy, funfilled couple of months and it has just flown by! I'm just going to post an update on each of the kids rather than trying to squeeze it all in together.

Football season is starting again and Isaac has been doing a conditioning camp for several weeks now. This week he had tryouts and last night was his first practice with his team. He is SO excited and has tons of friends on his team and his Dad is coaching. There are some great kids on the team so it should be an exciting season! He is becoming such a mature young man but it's so hard to believe he is already 12 years old! I can't believe my baby that weighed in at 5lbs 9oz when he was born is now a big tough football player!

Jake started gymnastics this Summer and he is LOVING it! The second day of class he was already working on back handsprings! He has perfected his front handspring already and is really good at the back handspring in the gym but hasn't dared to try it on the grass yet. His instructor is amazed at how much strength he has in his tiny body. He loves being in the gym and it seems to be the perfect outlet for his neverending energy!

Sophie is crazy as ever... she is so outgoing and SO dramatic! She tells me on a regular basis that I am ridiculous and looks at me as though she feels sorry for me. She cracks me up every day! Her new favorite things are:
She loves smelling Jay when he gets out of the shower.. honestly.. she acts like she has won the lottery when he tells her he is getting in the shower! It is hilarious!

She has this new fascination with money... we got her a piggy bank and she has been adding coins to it constantly. She searches the house for money so we all have to hide our wallets from her. She caught on that paper money is worth more so she is constantly asking us for dollars.

She watched the movie Coraline for the first time last week and had trouble sleeping that night. Since then she has watched it about 700 times and LOVES it. She is going to freak out when we have to take it back to Blockbuster!

We are staying busy but are all happy and healthy and getting ready for my sister and her family to come into town tonight for another week of fun!

I cannot believe June is over....

Are you kidding me? I swear it seems like the kids just got out of school!! How could this month have flown by without me even noticing it....

We have had a fun filled month with something going on just about every day. The boys had their check-ups with the doctor. Isaac stressed about this for weeks in advance because he had to have his "jr. high" shots. After they were done he felt a little goofy considering they didn't really hurt at all. I warned Jake ahead of time to please not say anything to embarrass me in front of the doctor. I know that sounds really mean, but if you knew Jake you would understand why I had this little "discussion" with him. And to drive the point home, this is the way the conversation went when the doctor discussed eating habits with Jake.

Dr.- So Jake, what kind of foods do you like?

Jake- Candy

Dr.- But you eat healthy things too right? Like vegetables and fruit?

Jake- No. (and by the way, this is totally untrue... considering one of his favorite snacks is apples and would eat 10 a day if I would let him but I don't because I worry about the whole bathroom issue with too many apples.. and as far as veggies go, he is the best vegetable eater in our family and loves broccoli, cauliflower and salad and will eat them at every meal when offered.)

Dr.- You know it's not good for you to eat candy all of the time though right... just a little bit at a time.

Me-- (yes.... I interjected at this point because I didn't want this doctor thinking I was an inattentive parent that let my kids gorge on crap all day.) Jake loves veggies and only eats sweets in moderation.

Jake- except when I sneak into the pantry when you aren't looking and eat cookies and candy.

During this entire conversation I gave Jake what I thought was the "I'm going to kill you when we get home look" but it didn't seem to phase Jake one bit.

So there is the doctors appointment that just about ruined my relationship with my middle child. Just kidding... Well sort of.

Moving on into the month..... My sister Melanie came into town with her kids and we had a blast. They stayed with us for two nights and we stayed up late talking, playing cards and let the kids run wild. Then during the next week we went to the zoo, Grandma's house and Wheeler farm. I got some great pictures of her kids (see my photo blog) who are some of the sweetest kids on the planet. They were so easy to photograph and are all so photogenic! It was a great visit and made me sad that neither of my sisters live in the same state as me. I miss them so much!

Jay's Mom came into town on the 18th and left this morning.. I love having her visit! It is so nice to have an adult to talk to during the day... (not that Sophie isn't a great conversationalist) but it is always so great to have Grandma around. We went to see the movie Up (which i cried through and got made fun of), went to Gardner Village (where Sophie had her first pony ride), the zoo, the Tooele Arts Festival and the Salt Lake Arts Festival and played cards. The kids loved having her here and Sophie loved having another adult willing to read stories or be bossed around. Jay and I even got to go out to dinner and see My Sister's Keeper (which I cried through) for the first time in over a year!! Woohoo!! It was ten days of fun and we were very sad to see her go. I waited until she got out of the car and walked away at the airport before I burst into tears on the way home. I sound really emotional after reading this post back through but I promise I'm not. Ask my husband... I rarely cry but for some reason I was a huge emotional wreck this week.

The boys are out of town until tomorrow and Jay and Sophie are at the store so I figured I would try to catch up on the last month of activites. We had a great month and I'm sad that it was over so quickly!!

xoxo
M

War Paint

Sophie got into my makeup bag yesterday morning and came out looking like this! The lines are eyeliner. She said, "I did my makeup Mommy, don't I look beautiful?" What do you say to that? I told her she did look beautiful and got a quick picture before she decided to wipe it off. She is SO entertaining!

Last day of school and Ike's 6th grade graduation!

Another school year over... Almost...

I cannot believe it's June.. I know I probably say that every single month but I really can't believe it! It seems like the school year just started! Don't get me wrong.... I am not the mom that dreads having my kids around all summer... I actually look forward to it, although I'm sure I will be singing a different tune in a couple of weeks. The end of this school year is a little bittersweet for all of us.. (Isaac and Jake included)

Isaac is "graduating" from 6th grade tomorrow! It's crazy that he will be in 7th grade next year! I'm excited for him but nervous... I hated 7th grade! Absolutely hated it but I'm hoping he will have a different experience than I had!

Isaac isn't the only one going to a new school... Both boys will be going to the charter school this year and they have mixed feelings about it. I'm excited for a million reasons but I understand their concerns. Jake is sad that he will be leaving his friends... (I don't think any of his close friends will be going to the charter school with the exception of Halle).. and he HATES the fact that he will have to wear a uniform (one of the millions of things I couldn't be happier about).. Isaac is much happier with the situation than he was in the beginning.. When he found out his best friend Brandon wouldn't be going to the charter school, you would have thought we cut off his right leg but he has come to terms with it and seems pretty excited now.

I love the fact that they will be going to the same school still.. it is K-8 and I love the fact that if Sophie gets into the school she will be going with Jake for a few years!

Sophie is 3 which means she can start preschool this fall if we choose to do it! I haven't made up my mind yet. Jay is fine either way so I guess it is up to me! I think the social interaction would be really good for her but I know that I could keep her to myself for one more year and still get a year of preschool in before Kindergarten... I can't believe I'm even saying that. It seems like she was just born!

I am just amazed at how fast they have all grown!! When I say I have a twelve and a nine year old it still feels weird coming out of my mouth! And the fact that Sophie is running, conversation-having three year old just blows my mind.

I am so lucky to have such amazing kids that teach me what it means to love unconditionally every single day. They are all so unique and so perfect and I couldn't love them more! I am grateful to them for the examples they are to me and Jay. They have taught us to enjoy the simple things in life and to not "sweat the small stuff"..

Maya... The dog from HELL....

I know you are looking at this picture saying.... OH CUTE PUPPY... Don't deny it, if you have any feelings at all that is what you are saying to yourself... I understand that this is my second post today but after several events over the past few months I have just realized that this dog is completely INSANE!! Don't let this adorable sleeping hunk of loose fur fool you... She has grown about 10 times this size and has become the devil. Some things Maya has done over the last year or so..

1. Chewed a corner of siding off of our house. Yes this dog eats houses.

2. She completely ate (chewed up and swallowed) our drip system for our new garden.. and managed to eat a few plants as if she wasn't full yet.

3. She has eaten numerous blankets and dishtowels... (when I say she has eaten them, I'm not talking about chewing up and spitting out... I'm talking completely ate them. She once ate a blanket that she pooped out for several weeks after.)

4. She eats her own poop and our other dog, Gus's poop... (which really isn't that surprising after reading the above three things)

5. Jay made a dog run on the side of the house and filled it with river rocks the first time she went in it she ate a rock.. literally picked it up with her mouth and swallowed it whole and it was roughly the size of an egg.

6. Jay bought new collars for the dogs and she actually ate Gus's collar. He sat there while she chewed it off of him and then she ate all of it but the buckle... The day we bought them. This was just one of 4 or 5 that she has eaten previously.

7. She eats her food and then flips the bowl over and then barks at it non-stop until you flip it back over. It's like she needs you to prove that there is nothing hiding under there that is out to get her.

8. Today- the moment I realized that she isn't just a normal dog going through a "puppy phase" for an abnormally long time was when I heard a pounding sound on the side of my house, I went to the window and saw that she was chasing her tail... which sounds really normal for a dog right? But is it normal when it lasts a full 20 minutes? And each time she rotated through her circle her head was hitting the side of the house... Was that not enough to make her think... "Hmmm maybe this isn't such a good idea"?????

Maybe that answers my question... she has head trauma from banging her head against the house in an attempt to catch her tail once and for all and that is what is causing her to eat everything in sight and act like a complete and total lunatic!

I love my husband more than anything in this entire world... I really do.. He is the most amazing person I have ever met and I don't know what I would do without him. I love that he is an animal lover... but I swear on my life if he brings one more animal into this house I am going to kill him with my bare hands!

My new favorite things.....

I'm bored... Sophie is sleeping and I don't really feel like cleaning since I know that as soon as Sophie wakes up and the boys get home from school the house is just going to look like a bomb went off anyway... so I'm going to bore you all with a list of my new favorite things... (well sort of new.. sort of not but I love when people tell me about fun websites or products that they love) so here you go...

My first one (which has been around FOREVER, but I love it) is www.entertainmentweekly.com
Oh my gosh!! Their writers are SO funny!! If you go to their website and click on the TV WATCH section and then click on a show that you watch it will give you a rundown of what happened on that show the night before. (Warning... they contain spoilers so if you have recorded the show but haven't watched it, I don't recommend reading it until you have watched the show.) The recaps are things that you are thinking while watching the show but these writers have a way of putting it into words that will make you laugh out loud!! I LOVE IT!!

2. www.dooce.com (this one has also been around for a long time but I just rediscovered it)... This is a woman that lives in Utah.. She has written a couple of books and this is her blog. She is HILARIOUSLY funny but beware because she does use some profanity! I can't get enough of her and wish that I could be so witty when I write!

3. Pledge Multi-surface.. ( I know, random)... I was complaining about my constantly dusty house (no matter how much I dust) to my friend Jodi and she said she had purchased this spray and that she really liked it.. After I tried hers, I bought myself a can and now I cannot be stopped! I LOVE it!! While I've come to realize that my house is just a dust magnet, (partially because we have a horse field in our backyard and the kids don't understand what it means to "wipe your feet off or take off your shoes before you come in the house"..) This spray works so much better than anything else I've used. We have a lot of dark wood furniture and everything else I have used leaves streaks but this doesn't! Also- I have discovered other uses for it... No I don't inhale it. We have a shiny black refrigerator which was so pretty in the store but once we got it home and it got food streaks and tiny fingerprints all over it, it didn't look so pretty. This spray with a soft dishcloth makes it look brand new!! Woohoo!! I had come to accept the greasy streaks and fingerprints but NO MORE!! It also looks great on our ceramic cooktop! LOVE IT!
(Sort of ridiculous that I could write that much about a dusting spray but there you have it.)

Ok that is all for now... I have an extremely short attention span but if I think of more I will add them to this list!

Update....

Other than Jake's birthday post it's been a while since I've updated so I will catch up real quick...

We had a great weekend.... Ike and Jake won their game on Saturday 36-22 so they have their first play-off game tomorrow. They are so excited and so set on winning... I've had to had the talk about how "it's not all about winning" about 15 times but they aren't convinced. After the game last Saturday, we went in to Grandma and Papa's house to celebrate Mother's Day. It was great to visit with everyone and eat delicious food! It is especially nice now that Sophie is old enough to play with the other kids and we can actually visit!!

On Mother's Day, the kids and Jay gave me flowers, a new memory card for my camera and an organizer for all of my photo stuff! It was the perfect gift for me! Jay knows me so well. We decided to celebrate Jake's birthday on Sunday since he didn't have school.. We went bowling and it was SO much fun! I haven't been bowling in so long! Later that night we had Harley Davidson birthday cake (Jake's request since he couldn't get a real Harley).. darn.. Jake got a Spark scooter and some other little toys.. We had a great day.

We have been LOVING this weather! It has been beautiful and is suppose to be even better this weekend so I'm sure we will be spending a lot of time outside! Life is good. We are all healthy and happy!

I will finish up with the latest from Sophie...

Sophie: "My friend is Jodi."

Me: "Really?"

Sophie: "Yes she speaks mostly French".. (she learned this from the Fancy Nancy books)

Me: "Really?"

Sophie: "And I'm Hispanic... and I have no arms."

I honestly have no idea where any of this came from except the French part!! She is a crack up and will randomly quote movies... the other day she came up to me with a dead serious look on her face and said.... "What is this.. a hot tub party? Get the hell out of here."

And not only does she quote lines from movies but she always quotes the ones with swear words in them! She takes after her Dad I guess :)

Happy 9th Birthday Jake!!!

Jake is our middle child and he is the "wild child" in our family. There is not a dull moment when he is around and he is constantly trying my patience and making me laugh hysterically! He has been a handful since he was 11 months old and spilled an entire can of laytex paint on the carpet while splashing in it with both hands. That was just the tip of the iceburg! He is spirited and crazy but he is such a kind hearted child! He is brilliant and wise beyond his years! I adore him and can't even begin to imagine my life without him! Thanks for 9 wonderful years Jake... and many more adventures and laughs to come!!

I am honored to be your Mom!!

I love you so much!!

Happy Birthday sweetie!!

xoxox Mom

Curly Sue...

Sophie asked me to put curlers in her hair today....and I was so excited because it's like pulling teeth to get her to let me touch her hair! She looked so cute with them in... but got annoyed that I got out the camera, as you can see in the second picture.

I know you are looking for an after picture but I will explain why there isn't one. I took the curlers out and she looked SO cute so I told her to go look in the mirror. After she saw herself this was the conversation.

Me: Don't you look beautiful?

Sophie: No! I hate it! Make it look the way it looked before! I hate it!

Me: It looks beautiful.. you look so grown up.

Sophie: I'm not grown up mom, I'm little... get the curls out!

Me: I'm not going to wash them out Sophie, we just washed your hair. It looks so cute, can I take a picture?

Sophie: (yelling)... NO!! NO PICTURES!! I hate it..(as if I hadn't understood her the first two times)

I gave up on the photo at that point but she didn't say anything else about "hating" her hair because I told her she looked like Annie and Shirley Temple.

Flag Football....

Isaac and Jake are playing flag football right now.. Their team had an awesome game in the rain last Saturday and won 38-0! It was a great game. Isaac is really liking it. Not quite as much as tackle but he is having a blast and has improved SO much!

Jake....... ummmm... not so much. It's not that he isn't good or that he hates it, he would just rather be doing other things. He is such a ball of energy! I think this will be his last football season and we will try something else next. He's thinking maybe gymnastics.. Anything to help get some of that energy out!

Photo Blog

For those of you that don't know already.... I have been working on a photography blog and finally have it finished. I guess I shouldn't say it's finished because it will always be a work in progress as I will continue to add pictures but take a look if you are interested.

Here is the link... http://www.risspics.blogspot.com/

Spring Fever

The flowers that Jay planted this weekend!

It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! ~Mark Twain

Our family LOVES Spring! We love going outside together and planting new flowers in our garden, pulling weeds, the smell of freshly mowed lawn... etc. Basically just everything that comes along with Spring. When I woke up this morning, I could hear birds chirping outside and we definitely got Spring fever.... I have been sick for a couple of days with a cold along with the sore throat, sore body, sore everything so I have been pretty useless this weekend. Jay has been such a huge help, letting Sophie order him around, planting flowers, weeding the garden, mowing the lawn etc... Thanks sweetie for being so helpful this weekend and allowing me to rest. It's so nice to be able to look out the window and see them. Something about flowers just makes me happy!

Just a thought....

My mom sent me this in an email today and with things going on in my life I felt like I should share it. I'm not an overly emotional person (at least I don't think I am) but this just really hit home with me.

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person. When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Thank you for being a part of my life, whether you were a reason, a season or a lifetime.
_______________________________________________________________

I know that in my life I have crossed paths with certain people for a reason and I have learned so many valuable lessons... good and bad. I hope that in my lifetime I am able to bring something positive to the lives of others, even if it's just a laugh... But hopefully it will be something more significant!

Random Ramblings..

Sophie has been feeling sick... It started Saturday night during the night...(isn't that when it always happens?) as soon as you lay your head on your pillow and close your eyes ready to drift off into a peaceful, dream filled sleep... you hear a cough that sounds like a bark followed by loud crying... That's how it happened.

Thus began a week of sick Sophie... She was miserable all day Sunday, with two full hours of screaming in the middle of the day after not taking a nap because in her words...."I can't close my eyes because they just keep popping open".... (she gave me a visual demonstration.) She felt hot to me but since all of our thermometers are broken because Sophie and Jake assume that when they see something in our home that beeps it must mean it's a toy, I was unable to take her temperature. Using my Mommy instincts, I felt her head and knew she had a fever so after some kicking and screaming, I got her to take some Ibuprofen. After the medicine kicked in she seemed to be feeling a ton better! Woohoo... Until Sunday night just as I was falling asleep again it started all over!

Monday.... Sophie had her 3 year well checkup so I was so relieved to have the Doctor look at her... Aside from the normal well child stuff he does... the conversation went like this...

Me: So Sophie's been complaining that she feels "yucky"... and when I ask what hurts she says her ears and I'm pretty sure she's had a fever for two days.... (meanwhile Sophie is perfectly happy... smiling... and talking to the Doctor as if nothing in the world has been bugging her)

Doctor(while looking at me skeptically and after checking her ears and nose): Yep she has a cold.

Me: Thank you captain obvious! Now could you just prescribe something for her so that I... er I mean she can sleep through the night? Just kidding... I didn't say this but I wanted to!

Doctor: Keep an eye on her and bring her back in if she complains about her ears or has a fever...

So Jay, Sophie and I get in the car and it is like a switch is flipped.... Sophie immediately starts crying and complaining that she feels "yucky again"!!! I so wanted to run her back into the Doctor's office and say... see I told you!! But I restrained myself... since because she didn't have an ear infection or strep..I knew there was nothing they could do anyway.. I just really wanted him to know I wasn't just making it up because I thought... Hey.. You know what... I'm a little bored today...I think I'll pull a fast one on the pediatrician while we are there and tell him Sophie is sick and see if he believes me.

Anyway- I know this is beginning to get kind of long so... Monday night was a nightmare (no sleep, fever, lots of crying -- Sophie and me.)

Tuesday went about the same and by Wednesday we were both zombies from lack of sleep so I gave in and made another doctors appointment... I could feel Jay rolling his eyes at me over the phone when he called from the car on his way home from work and I informed him that I was taking her to the doctor AGAIN....

We took her in and her fever was 102.3 and she had an ear infection! I knew it!! Woohoo!! (not that I'm happy she had an ear infection) but I am happy to know that I am not crazy and that there was something that could be done to help all of us sleep through the night!! Sophie slept pretty well last night and this morning is so much happier than she has been all week so the second doctor's appointment was definitely worth it!

I guess the moral to the story is... well I don't really have a moral but I had to share this experience because I love saying... I told you so.. Ask Jay.

Fancy Nancy Party....

Ok .... Here are the pictures of Sophie's birthday party... Let me first say that the most important parts of the party are the people that were here and we had such a good time but I didn't get any big group shots... I don't know why, I guess I was just a little out of my mind but if I try to post each individual picture of everyone at the party there will be a ton! Thanks everyone that was here! Jon and MaryBeth brought the most delicious pork barbacoa (sp?) nachos!! Delicious! And Mom and Dad brought the cutest petit fours and eclairs! Perfect for Sophie's fancy party! My Dad also drew a big picture of Sophie and a bunch of crowns so that the kids could play pin the crown on the princess. It was wonderful and the kids had a blast! Thanks everyone for helping us make it such a special party for Sophie!! And for all of you that couldn't be here, we missed you!! So here are the pictures..

Fancy Sophie in her "glamorous sunglasses"

Sophie wouldn't pose for me to save her life... which is not the usual for her but this is all I could get.

About to blow out her candles.

She did it!!

She loved having everyone's attention focused on her and loved the Happy Birthday song!

We had Fancy Nancy plates, napkins, and cups and Jay bought these adorable "fancy" silver platters from the dollar store! They were really cute!

Eclairs from Grandma and Grandpa! They were beautiful and DELICIOUS!!

Petit Fours from Grandma and Grandpa... again.... beautiful and DELICIOUS and very fancy!

The loot... Sophie got some really great gifts! She was in heaven! Everyone knows her so well and knows exactly what she loves! Thank You!

Table and balloons... I wish I could've photographed the whole room. It was so cute. Grandpa Jim and Jay hung crepe paper and it looked so cute!! Sophie was very excited when she saw it all!

The cake! I was so excited for Sophie to see this and she was really excited but as soon as she took a bite she spit it right back out on the plate! She "hated" the pink icing!

Chocolate covered strawberries... Ooh La La!

Sandwiches that don't taste the same without "frilly" toothpicks!

It's official....

Sophie is 3!!!

Our beautiful baby girl Sophie was born on April 11, 2006 weighing in at 6lbs 6oz... We all fell in love the moment we saw her with her big green eyes and sweet demeanor! It's hard to believe she is 3 years old today! But what a great three years it has been... Sophie is a ball of joy in our house since the day she was born.. Always dancing, singing and running around like a whirlwind! She is so creative, so dramatic and so loving. Her favorite things right now are Fancy Nancy and anything dress-up! She is ALL girl... loves wearing dresses and posing for pictures.. and she is always handing out hugs and kisses! We are so lucky to have her!
Happy 3rd Birthday Sophie Ellen!! We love you so much!

XOXOXO Mom, Dad, Ike and Jake

Quick update....

It is spring break for the kids this week and the boys are in Mexico with their Dad!! I can't believe how much I miss them! I'm sure they are having a blast... soaking up the sun, eating as much as they want, swimming, snorkeling etc... so I'm trying not to feel sorry for myself! They will be home on Saturday! Woohoo! It can't come fast enough...I really can't wait to kiss their faces (which I'm sure they will really be happy about... not) and ask them about their trip!

Jay's Dad is coming on friday for Sophie's birthday and Easter weekend so we are looking forward to that and Sophie is looking forward to having tea parties with "Grandpa Jim"...

Sophie's big "Fancy Nancy" party is on Saturday and she is so excited. She wakes up every morning asking if today is her birthday... but she takes it really well when I say no and when I tell her how many days she says ok but then asks again the next morning.

She has really been in to Fancy Nancy lately and loves everything "fancy"... What a girl! Sophie Jay and I all dressed up last night with her "jewelry" and walked around saying "darling" and drinking our water with our pinkies out! It was a sight!! Jodi came to the door and Sophie said, "hello darling"... What a doll she is! I look at her every day and still can't believe she is mine!

How lucky I am to have such great kids that teach me so much every day about enjoying the simple things, being patient and loving unconditionally! They are the best and I am so lucky to be their Mom!

Here is a copy of Sophie's birthday party invitation that I made.... I will post pictures after the big "event"!!

I made a tutu!!

Sophie wanted something fancy to wear to her "Fancy Nancy" birthday party on Saturday so I decided to attempt making a tutu! I went to Wal-Mart last night at 9pm bought tulle (which by the way is super cheap.. $1.47 a yard) and by 10:30 this morning I had a tutu and I also got a decent night of sleep... My point is... it was really easy and I think it turned out really cute. We had to bribe Sophie to put it on because I think she was a little frightened by the poofiness (is that even a word?)... Anyway here it is....

Ten not so interesting things about me.....

I stole this from another blog and thought it was kind of cool to find out things you may not know about someone so here goes... I'm tagging the people that actually read my blog that have a blog so there are about 4 or 5 of you out there and I will be checking your blogs to make sure you do it! Just kidding.. Don't do it if you don't want to, I will still love you.



1. I am 100% terrified of clowns.... of any kind. My big brother took a stuffed clown that I had when I was about 4 and hid under my bed with it until I was almost asleep and then reached up over the side of the bed and pulled me under with it...(this was after I had snuck in the room with the older kids one night and watched Poltergeist). I'm told I went into shock but I'm not really sure because I think I block out the memory.. But still afraid of clowns...



2. Jay thinks I am extremely quirky... to a fault. I just think I'm eccentric?? Maybe quirky is a better word. It drives him insane because if I don't have things a certain way, I literally can't function... and if I think about something that I need to do as I'm falling asleep.. I can't sleep until I get up and write it down. I know... I'm a freak!



3. I'm really stubborn and have a hard time admitting when I am wrong and will fight tooth and nail to get people to see things my way. I'm really working on this one because Jay is the same way and that makes things a little hard because we can't both always be right.. (even though I usually am... wink wink..)



4. I once made a chocolate cake with orange icing and ate 3/4 of it by myself! I have an excuse though... I was pregnant! So it's ok to endulge on really fattening things that are horrible for you right? Ok maybe not.



5. I am a Christmas fanatic!! If anyone read my Christmas post, you would understand. I look forward all year to listening to Christmas music.



6. My husband is my best friend in the world... I honestly think he was made for me because he puts up with all of my "quirky" behavior and he does it most of the time with a smile. I fall more in love with him every day and feel so unbelievably lucky to be able to wake up every morning to his face.



7. I laugh at really inappropriate times... and sometimes I cry over really stupid things.. (not often but be careful what you say to me because I might laugh hysterically or just start crying).. Just call me Sybil.



8. I honestly love my Mother-in-law... and I'm not just saying that because she reads this :)... I really feel so lucky to have her in my life and when she leaves after a visit I bawl my eyes out.



9. I am extremely protective of my kids and have a really hard time stepping back and letting them make mistakes! I wish I could just put them in a bubble until they are 25... ok maybe 30 is a little more realistic..



10. I am really easily entertained... I once looked at a funny t-shirt website for an hour and laughed until I cried.

That's me in a nutshell... Did I scare you all away?

Request....

If you happened upon my blog somehow, would you mind leaving a comment on this post saying how you found it and where you are in the world (which country and or state) .... Don't worry you don't have to list your address or any super personal information.. I'm not out to stalk you- just curious who is visiting me!

Thanks!

Joshua Radin Concert

I have been meaning to post these pictures Forever... but just kept forgetting. Jay surprised me with tickets to the Josh Radin concert for my 30th birthday. If you don't know who Josh Radin is, he is amazing. He has to be one of my favorite musicians of all time. He calls his music "whisper rock" and I'm not sure of any other way to describe it. His music has been used on tv shows and movies and I discovered him when I saw "The Last Kiss"...

I went with Jodi and we had a great girls night out. We were right in front by the stage and it was incredible. Jodi talked me into waiting in line to talk to Josh at the "meet and greet" and I'm so glad she did (thanks Jodi) because I'm not a big fan of huge crowds or waiting in line for anything so I would never have done it otherwise, but we were able to get pictures and he autographed my cd case! It was such a fun night!

Thanks Birdie!!

New Pictures....

We were playing with the camera today so I got some pictures of Isaac's new hair cut.. He's such a handsome kid! I can't believe he is 12!!

These two are best buds and partners in crime.. Always getting into mischief together! I love this picture

The boys had their first flag football game yesterday.. and even though they didn't win, it was fun to see what an improvement they have both made since last year..

Of course Jake wouldn't be Jake if he didn't mess around a bit on the sidelines..