I know, I have been bad at blogging lately. But for me to have not posted anything since before Thanksgiving is just awful! And now here we are at Christmas and I haven't said one thing.
Well...In advance of New Years, my resolution is to post more often (once a week?) and to put up more pictures. Although, that means that I will have to find time, or allocate it, as the case may be.
Catch Up:
Audrey's class went on a field trip to a performance of dance and music from around the world. She discovered that the sound in the background of JJ's video game was called a didgeridoo and was very excited to tell Jay about it.
We went to Hanford for Thanksgiving this year. The kids had a great time with their cousins. We had a some good food and discovered deep fried green beans dipped in ranch were a fabulous appetizer.
JJ's Class sang Christmas Carols to the seniors at two senior centers in SSF. Santa showed up at the second one. And let me tell you. I couldn't have been more proud of Santa! He was fabulous; laughing and clapping and singing. The kids were beside themselves! Good Job Santa!
We made Gingerbread houses at my Mom's this year. The kids were very good at finding ways to put candy on every inch of the exposed gingerbread and foil covered cardboard and didn't hesitate to use gobs of royal icing!
JJ is learning to spell. The other day Jay asked him to spell a word (insert three letter word here such as dog, cow, or hay because I can't remember what word it was) and JJ responded, "Ask me to spell C-A-T."
Chris is beginning to talk, and has mastered calling for me or Jay in the middle of the night "Mama" and "Dada" are definitely his favorite words between 1am and 5am. During the day he asks for water with what sounds like mama but has more of a /o/ sound than an /a/ sound, sort of like "momo" while raising his hands high above his head. He also has begun to find hot wheels cars fascinating, driving them over all terrains in the house and finding places to keep them such as sweater and pants pockets and laundry baskets.
Kaylee has become very sassy as of late. All of her statements end in a slightly uplifting note which makes each one shift into a question by the end of her sentence.
Sparkle our cat ran away last week and when he returned four days later (after we had visited the pound and were preparing to hang posters) we were all relieved.
If I don't have your address I can't send you a New Year's Letter (because I have given up on sending one for Christmas). Send me your address and I will add you to my list.
If I don't get on here soon, Happy Holidays!
Thanksgiving is over?!
Halloween
Okay, it's so late. But I have these pictures from Halloween that my sister Lauren took of the kids. So here they are, because they were all really cute and not to be missed...
JJ as a mummy.
Audrey as a movie star. Karen is in the background in a butterfly costume.
Jumping Lessons Take Two
Chris is getting big. His hair cut has made him into a little man overnight. Maybe we (okay me) were keeping him a baby because he is the last one, and so his infancy is just that much more precious. I woke up to this noise in the living room on Saturday. It was the sound of Chris' childhood education beginning. It was really cute, and sad for me at the same time. Off with the hair and on with the show I guess.
Going, Going, Gone.
Well, I guess it is time for Chris to grow up. He was our only baby with so much hair when he was born it was actually visible to the naked eye. When JJ was a baby he had beautiful blonde ringlets and it was very painful to part with them. I had hoped that Chris would have this same beautiful hair also, but alas, he has been cursed with fine straight hair just like the girls. So yesterday we went to get hair cuts and when they asked how many we added Chris to the number.
Here is his last picture with his baby hair.
The first cut.
The last cuts.
And it's gone.
What Is Going On Here?!!!!!
Okay so I lost my Camera cord and then my camera...
Jay found both for me.
Then my camera wasn't working and then I lost it again.
Jay found it again...and in a stroke of luck it was working. So I downloaded a few pictures. Well, 522 to be exact.
Copy That
I have been super busy, and consequently super tired. Not that anyone (except Sue) really even noticed that I took an almost two month hiatus. I have lost my camera cord, I know many of you can relate. And here I have so many things to talk about . . . first day of school, birthdays, weather, Chris climbing, Kaylee's dance class, our new little kitten. And it just keeps going.
So bear with me. I know it's tough. You need a crazy fix and so this is where you come. Well this place and this place also.
Thanks to my sister for this great idea to replace all of my absent pictures!
Oldies but Goodies...
Jay instructs JJ on proper sparkler etiquitte.
Audrey and JJ stacking the extensive Baby Food jars that I had collected.
Audrey gives herself her first short haircut (I was so mad because she looked so cute).
And a beach day down near Santa Cruz.
Happy Birthday to Jay (Belated but it still counts)
Here is the requested cake with candles (although not nearly enough to really do his age justice).
Here is Jay smiling because I told him to...
Blowing out the candles after the crazy loud birthday song has finished...
And 36 never looked so good!
Happy Birthday Jay!
First Day of School 2009
Okay, so these pictures are a week old but in my computer troubled haze I deleted the program for my camera and then became preocuppied by the fact that I couldn't find any of my old pictures, but here I am, recovered 83%. So on with the show...
The first day of school arrived with pomp and circumstance. Although we quickly told them to leave as we only had enough Captain Crunch for our immediate family on this particular morning. Audrey and JJ posed for the obligatory picture in front of the school name (I wish taht they would paint it a prettier shade for the sake of my scrapbooks). They are so big!
Here is Audrey with her 2nd grade (YES! I SAID SECOND GRADE!) teacher Mrs. Garcia-Rovetta. She is so sweet. She has assigned the kids to make Student of the Week posters to display sometime during the year and Audrey immediately started working on hers. They are sitting at Audrey's desk, she is on the end farthest away from the whiteboard (no blackboard here). I guess that her talking has not become evident yet, or maybe over the summer she has stopped, although I doubt it.
Here is JJ with his Kindergarten teacher Mr. Jones. Mr. Jones is so cool he knew who JJ was before JJ even introduced himself. When JJ walked in he said, "Hi JJ (shakes his hand). What do you want me to call you JJ or Jason?" JJ stands there dumbfounded. I lean over and say, "Which do you want Mr. Jones to call you? JJ or Jason?" JJ comes to, "JJ." "JJ" we both repeat. JJ (facing Mr. Jones) continues to stand there staring at him. Mr. Jones asks, "What can I do for you?" JJ says, "I want to take a picture with you." Mr. Jones says, "Sure." JJ resumes the dumbfounded pose. Mr. Jones gently turns him to face the camera and I say, "Smile." I tell JJ to have a good day. And he walks away like he doesn't have a care in the world.
After school JJ removes this note that I left him in his lunch box. He asks me, "Mom, what does this say?" I ask, "Couldn't you read it?" To which he replies, "No, and none of my friends could read." And I thought that I had made it so simple. After reviewing my pictograms we read it together. Yesterday he asked if he chould bring a lunch from home. I said sure and packed a lunch. Then he asked if I could leave him another note in his lunch box. Who could resist that sweet request? Well, don't worry I left him a new note with the same message so that no one had to read it for him (and so that he could impress his friends).
A Budding Artist
A few weeks ago with Pre-Kindergarten coming to a close JJ's teacher asked me if we could work on coloring at home. While he doesn't like coloring large empty pages he has advanced by leaps and bounds in the art department in my opinion. Just a few months ago a few circles and scribbles was all that he would draw. Now I present to you his latest art in this very exclusive gallery...
Grandpa C
Media- Prang Chalk in White, 2009 Standard Issue Kindergarten Readiness Chalk Board.
JJ enters the room holding the chalkboard with picture drawn and says to Jay, "Do you remember this guy? I'll give you a hint... he's your dad..." Long pause, several purposly wrong guesses later, "No silly, it's your dad, Grandpa C" I ask, is Grandma C wearing the skirt? And he says, "No, this one is Grandma C (on the left), and this one is Dad (on the right), this one is Grandpa C (center)." Here he is with a picture he drew of Grandma C, Grandpa C, and Jay.
The Three Little Pigs
Media- Crayola Markers Bold and Pastel, Dry Grass, Popsicle Sticks, Red Constrution Paper, Light Blue Construction Paper, Crayola Crayons, on White Construction Paper.
The story by JJ...
The three little pigs and the big punching wolf. One little pig built a straw house, one little pig built a stick house, and the last little big built a strong brick house. Then they went out to have a picnic. When they saw the big bad wolf they killed it with a big torture stick. You know the stick that you use and you torch stuff with it. (Me) But I thought the wolf came and... (JJ) Ate them? NO they got the wolf before he ate them. This is a different version of it because they got the wolf before he ate them. (Me) Anything else? (JJ) No. That was it.
Rabbit Going Home
Media- Blue Crayola Crayon, on White College Ruled Binder Paper.
"Look mom I drew a rabbit."
"Oh, it is so cute. What is he doing with the snake?"
"You mean that thing next to him?"
"Yeah."
"That's not a snake. It's his hole. He is going home."
"Wow, that is pretty cool."
"Yeah."
Just Beachy
Yesterday after we went to the zoo with Lauren Audrey had Piano lessons. Then we went to my moms to feed her cat and let her out. It was such a nice day we went to the shopping center and got Thrifty's Ice Cream cones (even though we ordered the singles at $0.99 the man gave the kids GIANT blue ice cream cones, so much that I threw half of what he gave Kaylee into the trash). Then we walked over to the beach and the ran in the shallow water with the kids. It was a great time. Here are my most favorite shots and a slideshow of the afternoon.
Zooing
Here Jay and Chris were looking into the Gorilla Exhibit.
The Grizzly bears were wrestling in the shallow pond right by the window. We have never seen them in the water! I guess it was just too hot for them.
The kids were so glad that we let them climb on the lion statues. Usually I am a stick-in-the-mud and I refuse to let them over there. Audrey and JJ are too big for that sort of thing in my opinion. But the little kids aren't and Grant and Karen haven't gotten to do that yet I believe. This is the first time that Grant and Chris have played together without Grant pushing Chris and saying "No." I think that they are on their way to being good friends.
And of course the big kids. Audrey and JJ were climbing and when they saw the camera they posed before I could snap a candid. Those kids are so goofy.
Thanks for going to the zoo with us Lauren, Karen and Grant! We loved it!
New Shoes
It's official. Chris is a toddler now. He only crawls as a measure of desperation. In celebration of this milestone we got him a new pair of shoes. they are blue and yellow. When we put them on him at the store Jay said he walked like "a cat with gloves on."
Bike Ride
Last Weekend we went for a family bike ride. Jay and JJ rode tandem, I pulled the trailer with Kaylee and Chris and Audrey rode the whole ride by herself. I was so proud of her, she didn't complain at all. The only injury was when Audrey bit her tongue on the way back right before we got to our car. Poor kid, she couldn't stop talking while she was riding.
Potty Training...Ugh.
That is what I have to say after almost a month of potty training. Kaylee, normally very compliant (especially when it comes to dancing and eating) has been happy to go to the bathroom but does not want to go. When my sister Lauren was potty training Karen I told her, don't even bother until she is three. Three is the magic age. And yet I thought that I could do it when Kaylee was not quite three in hopes of her attending some sort of class this fall. After today Jay and I have had it. No more messy pants to clean, no more arguing. She can just potty train herself when she is an adult. No, I'm kidding. We will just have to try again. I mean, in all honesty. Audrey and JJ were more interested in the "prizes" than Kaylee was. Everytime Kaylee went to the bathroom Audrey would say, "Can she get a prize?!" In hopes that she could "encourage" Kaylee to pick any one item from the prize box. I know I used a lot of "quotations." But, isn't that what potty training is all about? Don't ask me what I mean by that. I really don't know.
