March 2010

We took the kids to see Disney on Ice. Really it was more for Sydney than for Brody, but B was still under 2 and free, so we brought him along.

I took Syd to Sheer Madness to get all gussied up for the event. They did her hair like Cinderella at her request, and painted her nails and put on lots of glittery makeup. She felt like she was getting ready for the ball, or her wedding, or something HUGE like that. It was pretty cute how serious she took it.

She got to see all the princesses at the pre-show event.

This picture makes me giggle....striking a pose.

The next day we were snowed in, so I just cuddled with the kids on the couch. I think I smother Brody too much....he looks a little annoyed with me here.

But how could I ever resist this little doll face????Mr. Fix It

He goes into the battery drawer and gets out the little screwdrivers and pretends he's fixing toys. Guess he's seen me change a battery or two on some beloved toys.

This is what I love about having babes in the house....they're allowed to get away with showing so much more skin than we are! If Jeff went outside in his undies with nothing else on but tennis-shoes and a rain coat, I'd sign us up for marriage counseling! But, when my kids do it, I grab the camera.

Kitty, formerly known as Sweet Pea, or "Maow-maow" by Brody

Kitty and Brody had a special bond. He's the only one who truly loved that cat. Honestly, he is an animal lover...no matter where we go who who's animal it is.

We had to put ole'Kitty down in June. She was 17 years old, if memory serves, and was losing her sight....had trouble finding her food and water. I hope we provided her a good and loving home. She will be missed (but not too badly-isn't that awful!). We have a neighbor cat that looks just like her and she's an outdoor cat, so the kids can play with her whenever they want.

It totally looks like Brody is nursing this baby doll-LOL!

I keep telling Sydney that she needs to be super nice to Brody because one day he'll be bigger than her and then its payback time.....its all fun and games for now though.

Brody thought he could fit in this little basket with the kitty, but it left him covered with hair so it was a "No-No!".

And...this is Brody after being told "No-No!" by Mommy.

When I say this, it makes me sound like a bad mom, but whatever.....My kids LOVE McDonald's and will do almost anything for it. Its not that they love the food so much, but the whole Happy Meal experience must just do it for them.

I can use McD's to bribe them into being good, cleaning the house, riding in the car for 9 hours, taking shots at the doc, being good at the dentist...almost anything imaginable.

February 2010

Maybe February was a slow months for us....but honestly I can't remember at this point. I did start a new job in January, so maybe that's the cause.....I'm with ADP now. No longer in transportation, and since this blog is so far outdated I'll go ahead and update you that it is going very well!

Nonetheless, here's some picts of the kids coloring at the table one weekend evening. Sydney decorated Brody with princess stickers. This is just one of the many things they do well together.

We are already preparing our kids for a full college experience. They will be well trained in all the necessary skills for survival. Beer Bottle Whistling is just one of the many skills we will be refining!

January 2010-Sydney's 4th Birthday

We celebrated Sydney's 4th birthday at Monkey Bizness. Since the previous April she'd been inviting EVERYONE in her preschool class to her party, so we knew it would be a big one this year and that there was no way I was willing to host it at our house!

Here they are getting the rules & instructions for the party. It was SUPER nice to have extra help included with the party package. I wasn't responsible for any hurt kids....not even my own (lol!)

There was a tot area for Brody and the other younger siblings, but it didn't hold him for long.Sydney LOVES Monkey Bizness, and since the inflatables are big enough for adults too, so do I!

Sydney & Maddie Stowell

Even though she's a big ol' 4 year old now, she's still not too old to be scared of the rock wall. Can you tell how high she was willing to go?

My little "monkey" swinging.

Just like the first born that she is, Sydney helped organize (aka: "boss") everyone for a picture.

All that jumping & running around made the kiddos thirsty & hungry!

Sydney & Nathan Ogden

Here's a tip for those parents out there who haven't done a birthday party with 20+ kids and only 30 minutes to eat, have cake, and open gifts......Open the gifts at home!!! We had to rush her through the presents so fast it was exhausting. She didn't get to eat her lunch before we had to start opening. We were so pushed for time a the end that the givers of the last opened gifts were in tears making sure that theirs got opened in time. I think Sydney liked being overwhelmed with gifts, but I wasn't prepared for it. Maybe next year I'll request donations to her college fund instead!

Sydney's last day as a 3 year old:

Just some random Brody video so when I check this in the future I'll be stunned at how little he is!

For all concerned, I was driving safely while this movie was filmed. I didn't actually watch him anymore than I would have been trying to keep him awake regardless of the flip camera being in my hand