Our Crazy Frog!

Our middle child has a dance recital coming up at the end of next month. She has been taking a Jazz Basics class since last summer that my sis is teaching at the studio that I grew up dancing at. It's pretty fun to go back to the studio I grew up at. A lil weird to be on this side of the window though. She has enjoyed learning new dances over the last year. I think she enjoys it but really enjoys it because her Aunt is the teacher. I'm not sure if she will continue next year if her Aunt isn't teaching.

Anyway, as I was saying her dance recital is coming up. This last Monday was Costume week. The big info meeting where the teacher aka my sis in this case, gives you so much info you can be overwhelmed. The nice thing for me is since I was there 8 or so years ago I know a lil about the behind the scenes. One of the things that the teachers ask for is a Stage Mom. This is a person or persons (2 is preferred) that makes sure all the girls are there and ready to go w/makeup and positions. Being the good mom and sis I volunteered to be a stage mom, and I get the sole responsibility! Luckily she got 2 moms for Sat performances but on Fri I was the only volunteer. At least I know what I am supposed to do, kinda.

Our daughter's recital theme is Jungle Book and she is a Crazy Frog. Now for those of you who don't know the Crazy Frog song, just ask my adorable nephew. He LOVES Crazy Frog! And that might be an understatement he was asking for it so much his mom had to tell him no. It's a fun song and the dance is cute.

Here is a pic of our middle child in her Crazy Frog costume.

It will be fun watching our daughter perform at the same studio I did, not too long ago. Even if she doesn't do it next year she had fun this year.

Check back because momma got a new do!

Calling All Women!!!

I want to start this post off w/an apology. I am sorry to anyone that I did not invite to the Women Walking w/God Conference that our church put together for the second year in a row. It was an amazing uplifting day and a half of fellowship, friends, family and fun. So in saying that I want to invite everyone to mark their calendars for next April. It is a Fri night and all day Sat event that brings together family and friends from across the area to laugh together, cry together and draw closer to God. This year the conference had 2 wonderful women of God. They were such a joy to listen to when they taught because they used God's word to teach and didn't just share their opinions. Elaine Denman and Lynn Jones were the speakers. They have a great ministry where they work w/families. They took time to go through the book of Ephesians and show what a family of faith would look like.

2 Years ago 2 women at Northside felt called to start this ministry of bringing women together to draw closer to God. The blessings have rained down on so many because of their faith to follow God. I know many women including myself who feel so blessed and refreshed after the weekend. It's also fun because not only do we learn more about God but we are blessed w/some wonderful musical talent and comedy.

One of my mom's friends entertained the ladies last April w/some comedy. She was loved by so many that they brought her back this April for more true stories that were very humorous. You laugh so hard that you cry. And like she says, the funny thing is they are all true stories! Another great treat is the musical talent that performs. One of my dear friends who is so musically talented came back from college to sing for us. She is such a great singer and I feel so privileged that she sang at our wedding. I keep reminding her to remember all of us small people when she makes it big. The choir that sings are so talented and a blessing to the conference.

I will finish by saying that it is a great time to get away from the everyday routine and draw close to our Lord and Savior, the Great I Am. So, if you want to know more just ask and I would love to see you next April!

Girls Night Out

"Girls Night Out" is one of the best things for a Mommy! Some time away w/friends is a nice break from the normal routines. Now don't get me wrong I dearly love my hubby and 3 kids but sometimes a mommy needs some time for girl talk. And I am very thankful for my wonderful hubby who was willing to stay home w/the kids and let me have a few hours w/some friends. He is a good man :)

Tuesday night we got together and had a surprise party for a sweet friend. She was totally surprised she thought she was just having dinner w/2 friends and it turned out there were 7 more of us. She was so excited and had so much fun. It was a great night! Our sweet friend is going to be moving away for her hubby's job. We sure will miss them!

Here is a pic of all of us at dinner!

So, if you haven't had a "Girls" or "Boys" Night Out make some plans!

Blankie

Do you have a blankie? Or maybe its a stuffed animal. When I was lil I had a rainbow colored blanket that had satin trim all around it. I loved it! I would go to sleep by rubbing the satin in between my fingers. I loved the soft feel of it. I had it for a long time and I think my mom even still has it although to anyone else it is just an old blanket.

My son has a blankie, kind of. He loves the big blanket on our bed. If he is really tired and he is on our bed he will lay down and hold it and go to sleep. It is really cute except for the fact that the blanket is huge so I can't just throw it into his bed w/him. Now, it's not like he doesn't have any blankets of his own. He probably has between 10 and 20 blankets of his very own that he was given as gifts. Some are soft, some have satin, some are handmade, some are big, some are small but none of them have the same effect as our big blanket. I am not sure why he doesn't really care about any blanket other than the one on our bed. Now I love our blanket too, it's soft and cozy, but sometimes I would like for him to just take a blanket of his own and fall asleep w/it in his own bed. Maybe he will find a blanket or stuffed animal one of these days that he loves to sleep with. And then if he doesn't have it, it will be the end of the world (hopefully not). But for right now nothing is as comforting as the big green blanket.

Isn't his lil hand so cute?! He just has to be touching it and it does the trick!

I LOVE Spring!!

Yesterday was a BEAUTIFUL day. My family enjoyed God's creation yesterday all day long. The sun was bright, their was no wind and the temperature was great! My hubby had some work to do around the yard so he did that while the kids and I played and went on a walk. It was great! Spring time is one of my favorite times of the year. Everything starts to bloom and grow and come alive. The temp changes from cold to wonderful. I have had enough of winter cold and snow this year. Our lil man loves to be outside too. He enjoys watching everyone and everything and just being outside. As soon as he can run he will be running out the door to play until I make him come in.

It was so beautiful yesterday that my darling middle child got a lil sunburn on her shoulders, cheeks and back of her legs. We told her to put lotion on but she is such a fair skin child that she burns very easily. Poor thing last night she was miserable after her shower. We put lil man's hat on him because I was afraid he would be like his big sis and burn easily.

God is Great though. It amazes me the beauty that he pours down on us each and every day. The lil things that we take for granted. The green grass, blue sky, trees, flowers, sun, wind everything God created. It is days like yesterday that make me stop and think "Wow!! God is AWESOME!" So as I reflect on the beautiful day that my family and I enjoyed I thank God for blessing us so much!

Here are a few pics from the day!

Lil man after our walk laughing at his big sis!

Why is dirt such a magnet for boys?! We had some dirt delivered to do some work around the yard and 3 of the neighbor boys came down attracted by the dirt! Our lil man even decided to try and eat some dirt. Boys will be boys!

Me and my lil man.

Me and our middle child.

Our oldest and lil man playin ball.

What a Wonderful Spring Day!

Reading

My hubby loves to read! I'm talking love like if he had a choice of what he wanted to do, one of the top things he would choose would be reading at home alone. And emphasis on home alone. See he has a wife and 3 kids so reading w/us around isn't much fun. It never fails that when he wants to read is when one of us has some "major" thing we need to talk to him right then about and if we wait any amount of time the world might come to a halting stop! Several weeks ago we were out at my parents house having dinner. The kids and I ended up staying and watching a movie while my hubby wanted to get home. When I came home he was so happy because he had been able to read and study for about 2 hours with no interruptions. This was Big for him.

Now, I think reading is great. I used to love to read mystery books. My favorite was Nancy Drew mysteries. I read a lot when I was little. Then I reached high school and I was forced to read a lot of books that I didn't care for, so when I had a choice of something to do I was tired of reading. And unfortunately my love never came back, I almost began to detest reading after college and all the text books and novels we were required to read. But I think reading is something great that people should do. And that is why I love it that my middle daughter likes to read and our lil man has a love for books too.

Our middle child actually gets caught hiding books in her bed w/her when she goes to bed. Her big sis thinks that is really weird because she isn't a big reader. She did find one book that she loves though To Kill a Mocking Bird our oldest really liked that book. And there are a few books she likes but nothing like our middle child. Our lil man has just started looking at his books. Now I know he is only 10 mos old and has no real idea about a book, but it is so cute when he sits down and just looks through his books. When I take him to work he will sit down in the play pen and pick up one of his books and just look through it. Here are a couple of pictures.

This is our middle child reading our son's favorite book to him One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish.

And this is lil man "reading" at work. Isn't it so cute.

I hope that they keep loving books like their daddy does and not lose the love like their mommy did. So, find a good book and get to reading :)

Preciousness

I was looking through some pictures and came across ones that I thought were the definition of preciousness. Something so precious that probably can't be repeated in the same way ever again. One of them is two of my kids sleeping.


They look so peaceful and precious. And they are .... while they are sleeping :) Sleeping kids always just look so precious to me.

Another pic was one of my nephews and son the other day. They were looking out at the dogs when all of a sudden there was this moment of preciousness.

There are also other photos I find reflecting preciousness that only a mother would see that way. Like when her middle child has a love for the same team that she grew up loving and sports it full out.

Its fun to look back through the pics that capture the preciousness moments in your life. And some moments can only be seen as preciousness through your eyes, and that is ok.

Until later....

Birthdays Galore

This month we have 2 birthdays in our family. My hubby and our oldests which are the 8th and 12th. Which makes that week a busy week. We of course do our family celebration, then a friend party (for our daughter), then my hubby's side and then my side. On Sun afternoon we had my hubbys side over for cake and gifts. Its always fun to get together w/my hubby's side because there are 7 grandkids and 5 of them are 6 and under. And what is big trouble are the 3 youngest grandsons which our lil man is a part of.

The oldest of the 3 is almost 2 1/2, then the next one will be 2 when our lil man is 1. And the 3 of us moms are thinking that they are going to cause some trouble as they grow up. But even w/all of that we think it will be fun for them too.

After our family get together my hubby, sis in law, her hubby and myself went to see the Blue Man Group. It was AMAZING!!! We couldn't believe the stamina those men had to do what they do for as long as they do. It is an awesome performance! And we recommend it for any of you who have the chance to go. It's really loud and you can feel the music! Unfortunately I forgot the camera after all the birthday celebration. And we could have probably got some really good pics from our seats, but oh well. Maybe next time. Our girls weren't too happy that we didn't take them w/us. We told them maybe next time.

Screaming and fussing

Well, we survived! Our oldest's party went great. All the girls had fun and their was plenty of giggling and screaming girls that invaded our home. I told my hubby the nice thing is when they reach this age, if there is a problem we don't know about it, they just solve it themselves. Unlike when our 10 yr olds party and the girls aren't getting along we get pulled in to mediate. It is nice when they get older, they are more self maintained.

Our poor lil man is still under the weather. He has had a temp yesterday and again today w/a runny nose. And he loves having his nose wiped oh so much! He really loves when the nose sucker comes around :) Of course I don't think I would like it too much if a nose sucker came at me, even if it was to make things better.

We are having our family bday party for our oldest and my dear hubby. And then tonight we are off to the Blue Man Group! Hopefully lil man will get to feeling better and be good for his Grammy.

Until later.....

Sick Kiddos

One of the worst feelings for me is when one of my kids are sick and I can't make it better. I feel helpless. The most is w/my lil man. Since he isn't talking yet its hard to know what is wrong. Early this morning at about 3:45am he woke up and came to bed w/us. He felt a lil warm but not too bad. Then when he woke up at 6:45am he was very warm. We took his temp and he was at 101.6. His nose was a lil stuffy so we aren't sure if it is a lil bit of teething and the crud or what. Our middle child ended up in bed w/us Tues morning w/a 101 temp. Thankfully she is feeling much better. She missed a day and half from school and got some much needed rest. We are hoping that lil man's fever is more along the lines of teething and that is why he isn't feeling himself. He has been more clingy and not wanting to be down by himself. Which I know how that is, when I was sick I always wanted my mommy. And sometimes I still do. There is something about how a mommy is the only one who can make it better.

Our lil man is finally getting a nap so I have been able to straighten up the house before it is invaded by 9 teenage girls. Our oldest is turning 15 tomorrow!! Where has the time gone. I'm not ready for her to be driving and I know that is right around the corner. I know that when I was 16 I thought that was old enough to drive, but now that I am a mother I am thinking maybe it should be 17 or 18. Of course another driver in the family would be helpful at times :) It is crazy how our perspective changes as we have different experiences.

Well a few last things to tidy up before the fun begins.....

Our lil man the flirt

Our lil man is such a flirt! Now that he has really caught on to the whole waving, he thinks he is big stuff. No matter where we are he loves to wave. The other night we went out to dinner for my hubby's bday. We were at a favorite resturant of ours and from the time we sat down he didn't stop waving to everyone who passed. Our table was also right when you walked in basically and all the servers walked by several times. All the servers kept waving and saying "He is so cute!" And he would just smile and wave. When we were about to leave the servers were getting ready to dance. A server came up and asked if our lil man could dance w/him. We said sure if he goes to you. So the server reached for him and lil man just turned away all shy. Then a pretty server came up and asked the same question. She reached for him and he went right to her. As the other server and my hubby say, "he's no dummy." We are going to be in trouble in a few years. Here is a pic of our lil man w/his new friend. It's a lil blurry but still cute!

What a flirt!

Good Bye March Madness

It is so sad that another year of March Madness has come to an end. But what a wonderful end it was. I have to admit that I was a lil nervous for the Jayhawks. My hubby makes fun of me for how I get into the games. But basketball is the one sport that I really love. Ever since I was lil I have shared the love of basketball w/my dad. When I was lil I remember playing basketball in my Dandad's backyard. My dad, Dandad, sis and I would play for fun. Now even though I was somewhat tall and everyone that met me said "Oh you must play basketball" I never played a real game in my life. And if anyone asked my family if I played basketball they would laugh in your face. For one thing I am not aggressive, although I can shoot around and play w/the family, playing an actual game is something entirely different. And another thing is girls that play basketball are tough, and I am not tough.

That is why from the age of 5-15 I danced. I loved it! I did ballet, tap and jazz. Although jazz was fun for me I was much more talented in the ballet department. As my sis would say, I am too proper to be funky. And for the most part she is right. My sis and I danced for years and from time to time I really miss it. Although my hubby thinks I am crazy he just can't appreciate it. And that's ok he is a guy.

It has been fun though because our middle child has started taking a jazz class this last summer and school year. So, it is fun to share dance with her. And our oldest has also embraced her artistic side by being in a musical and really loving it. Although I was never in a musical I knew what it was like to perform. It's been fun sharing the artistic side w/them since I am not athletic.

Of course some days my hubby wishes I wouldn't have encouraged the artistic side so much. He isn't all into the musicals and recitals. But he is a trooper and supports his girls.

The Newest Addition to our Family

Our family has a new member. He is about 12 wks old, has dark eyes and soft black hair. He is the cutest thing you have ever seen. Here is a pic.

Don't you agree! Kirby is the newest addition to our family. We have been a 1 dog family since our good and faithful Copper died this last January. He had been w/my hubby and the girls for the last 10 years. He was an awesome dog that is missed very much by all. In 2006 we adopted Bella from the Humane Society. She is a pretty good dog but we felt she was lonely after her buddy Copper was gone. So, we had talked about getting another dog this spring. And my hubby wanted a Lab and there was no other choice of what to get.

This last Saturday our neighbor came over and asked my hubby if he wanted a puppy. His friend had lab puppys and was wanting to get rid of the last one and if we wanted it our neighbor would get it for us as a thank you for things we have done for him. So, my hubby asked me if I wanted a puppy. At first I said no, but decided that since we were going to get one probably anyways a free one w/papers was an easy answer.

So Saturday night Kirby came over and joined the family. He is so cute! He has the softest coat I have ever felt. Bella is adjusting to having a friend again. She wasn't too sure of the idea of a puppy chasing her all over the place. Now she knows how Copper felt when we brought her home. She is warming up to the idea now and is even starting to play w/Kirby.

Our furry companions.

Just as I remembered?

Isn't it funny how sometimes you remember things a lil differently then they really are or were. For example my Dandad tells me that we didn't start at the very top of the stairs but more like the middle for sliding down the stairs. And maybe it just felt like the top because I was 6 and that was a long way down to me. Or other things like places you lived. On Saturday I was driving to the grocery store and saw a For Sale By Owner (FSBO) Open House Sun 2-4 sign. (I have noticed that since my hubby is a realtor I am drawn to these signs more.) What caught my eye about this one is it looked like it said 423 Judith. That was the home where I had grown up from the time I was 3 until the age of 10. I got all excited and decided after the store to swing by my old house and see if it was true. So, after the store I made a slight detour and drove down my old street to 423 N Judith Cir. Sure enough it was having an Open House on Sun. I was so excited and immediately called my sister. And of course she didn't answer so I left a Voice Mail and called Mom. I told her we had to go see our old house and see if it was just as we had remembered. She was also excited and thought it would be fun. I continued on by calling my Dad and my wonderful sis ended up calling me back too. I was so excited to go back to the house where I had spent so much time as a child to see if it was like I had remembered.



Mom and Dad had decided to build that home back in 87. Their family had grown to 2 daughters and they wanted a nice home w/a yard for their family to grow up. We shared many memories in that home like when mom was boiling the bottles when a salesman came to the door. After she had got done kindly telling the salesman she wasn't interested in whatever "have to have" thing he was selling she forgot what she had been doing and went downstairs. A few minutes later the smoke detector goes off and the bottles are on fire and I run outside w/the play food I was playing w/in my kitchen. If our house was going to burn down I wanted to have my play food. Or the time where my hamster died and we buried him under the deck. There were also the times of cooking cookies in the kitchen during the holidays and my sis and I sitting on the floor licking the bowl. We had had lots of good memories in that home.



So, on Sunday my mom, sis, middle child and myself ventured over to the old home. It had been painted outside and the trees in the front yard that we had planted were huge. Inside there was new carpet and paint and all the fixtures were brand new. We found out that the seller had bought it after a foreclosure and completely redid everything. It looked great. We showed my middle child what room was what and enjoyed walking around. Surprisingly downstairs where our dance room had been the mirrors were still on the wall. Even though we had taken down the barre, the marks from the brackets were still there.



The funny thing was my room was a lil smaller then I remembered. And I didn't remember that the 2 bedrooms downstairs both had walk-in closets. Of course at the old age of 10 closets and closet space were not big on my "important" list. It was fun to see the old place and remember the things that had gone on.

Here is a pic of my sis and me in front of our old house.

Although my hubby hadn't shared in the enthusiasm I had of seeing my old house, my girls sure did. They are both ready to sell our house and move right in. That might be a lil weird living in the same home my parents had built 21 yrs ago. Of course if it was in Goddard school district it might be more tempting.

Almost just as I remembered.....

Sliding Down the Stairs

My Dandad found some pics of us sliding down the stairs so I figured I would share them since I had shared the story. Good times w/a box and some imagination.

The Best Toys

Why is it the best toys are not toys at all? One of my favorite memories as a child was sliding down the stairs in a box. My grandparents had bought a new fridge so they had a big box that was just taking up space and going to be thrown out. Except my Dandad had something else in mind. He cut out one of the long sides, let us decorate the box to look like a car and the fun began. We would start at the top of the stairs and slide to the bottom over and over until the box was more like a Flinstone car which was not good for sliding. Then there were the hideouts that we made from smaller boxes. No matter what the box was for my sis and I could always come up w/some fun thing for it.

My son is the same way. He has more toys then he needs, like most kids, yet finds the things that are not toys to be more fun. The other day when I was cooking dinner in the kitchen I noticed my lil man playing underneath his high chair. All of a sudden I noticed that the high chair had moved away from the counter. And then he was off. He used his high chair as a walker and walked all the way around the kitchen w/it. Lil man was mighty proud of himself too. Now don't think that he was making do w/what he had since he didn't have a walker. For Christmas this year he received 2 walkers which he enjoys but his high chair was much more fun.

Here he is walking around the corner.

Look at that proud smile on his face.

And even though the high chair has wheels the brakes were on so he would have been really rolling if the brakes had been off. What a silly lil man.

Stuborn Cuteness

Our lil man is a stubborn one which he of course gets from his daddy. The other day we were in the living room and our radio sits within reach of our mobile lil man (now that he is pulling up to everything he thinks he is pretty big stuff). So he pulls up to the radio which has a tape deck that if you push on it, it opens. Of course after he figures this out this is really fun. I saw him push it open and I told him No. He looked at me looked at the radio and like a good lil boy sat down and crawled over to his toys.... yeah right. He reaches for the radio again. So this time I slapped his lil hand and told him no. He looks at me and reaches for the radio. I repeated and so did he. He continued on w/his fun new game and started laughing at me. Finally I picked him up and put him over w/his toys and went and told my wonderful hubby how our son has inherited his stubborness.

Now although he is stubborn and hasn't fully grasped the word No. He is so cute. I sometimes wonder if he is going to grow up thinking is name is So Cute because that is what his big sisters say to him all the time. This morning was a moment of sweet cuteness. I had heated up his cereal and it was still a lil too hot so I took a spoonful and blew on it. Then I fed it to lil man and as soon as it was in his mouth he went "Pttttttt" and blew it right out of his mouth. And then looked at me like well that's what you did mom. It's moments like these that even though it made a lil mess all over his high chair it was too cute to do anything but smile.

I have a terrible feeling that one of the reasons he is so cute is he is going to be big trouble as he grows up. Especially w/radio instances. I have a nephew who is pretty cute and his mom tells me that God knew he would need to be cute w/all the trouble he was going to get into. But no matter what trouble he may bring he is a pretty good baby so far and pretty darn cute if you ask me.

So until later

Selfish Indulgence

So, most times when I go to the store and buy something impulsive it is normally for the kiddos or hubby. But the other day I decided that I needed a selfish indulgence. A weakness of mine is Oreo cookies. I LOVE oreo cookies. Plain or dipped in milk they are the best! The only problem is my family agrees w/me so if I want to enjoy the cookies I have to hide them so they won't be gone the next day. And I feel a lil bad about it but I usually end up sharing after a couple of days. Just enough time for me to get my fix and still have enough to share w/the family. I'm just glad I only have to share w/3 instead of 4. Our lil man is missing out but he doesn't know any better yet.

Speaking of our lil man and food he LOVES pickles. We were at a favorite sandwich place last night for dinner and they give you pickle spears w/your meal. Lil man loves to suck on the pickle, which is weird because most lil ones, including our middle child don't like pickles. Well, last night he was enjoying his pickle when all of a sudden we heard crunch! With his 2 bottom teeth he had bit the pickle. Luckily when he had the bite he just opened his mouth and let the piece fall into daddy's hands. He continued on w/the pickle until there was nothing but bit pieces to small for a lil man who has nothing but 2 teeth. He enjoyed every bite of it.

I did want to mention that if anyone likes to cook I have the site for you. The Pioneer Woman which is under Oh the places I go is the best cooking site I have found. I have always wanted to cook but always been too scared to try. Always afraid my meal would turn out terrible. And I never wanted to try a recipe that I didn't know what it was going to look like. That is why Pioneer woman is my hero. She shows you pic by pic recipes. I have been brave enough to try apple dumplings, carrot cake, candy and cookie dough, and the pot roast. All were hits w/the family. So I recommend you trying out some of them. There are several that look tasty but my picky eaters wouldn't touch w/a 10 foot pole.

So until later try a recipe or indulge w/an oreo cookie!

And so it begins....

Well, after seeing my sis in law and best friend blog, I decided I can do this too. I enjoy reading other blogs so I decided why not try it out yourself. I figured I could also keep you updated on all the crazy happenings in a house w/a teenager, pre-teen, and infant. What could be more exciting then that. So while I figure things out I will get started by saying that I am a busy mom w/3 wonderful kids who keep me on my toes. Our oldest keeps us busy w/choir and tennis, while our middle child loves basketball and our youngest is just about to walk. Our family is adjusting to having a baby in the house again and trying to baby proof it. My husband keeps busy w/real estate and loves it. I work part-time and enjoy getting off by the time the kids get home from school. Our family is truly blessed. Stay tuned for all the fun stories that unfold in our house.