walking home from preschool/church
Alice and her buddy at swim team practice
the last day of school
Alice and daddy working on roller blading
Paige graduating from PreK
playing in the yard 
Alice bridges over from Daisy to Brownie 
Even when she screams…..You don’t love me anymore.
Oh yes, I do. Even when you stomp your foot.
Love, Mom
One sister for sale!
One sister for sale!
One crying and spying young sister for sale!
I’m really not kidding,
So who’ll start the bidding?
Do I hear a dollar?
A nickel?
A penny?
Oh, isn’t there, isn’t there, isn’t there any
One kid who will buy this old sister for sale.
This crying and spying young sister for sale?
Shel Silverstein
Just kidding. This sweet sister isn’t for sale but the skirt and headband she is wearing are (she is only modeling, the items in my shop are brand new and handmade). If you didn’t know, I have an Etsy shop, Ladybugs and Lovebugs. I have 5 items left and I am really trying to clear out so that I can fill it back up with new items. Feel free to click on my Etsy sidebar and check out the items that are still available. Everything is $5.00. Everything. So, if you know of anyone who is interested in some cute handmade dresses and skirts for low prices, send them to my shop! Check it out.
Jennifer
Scott was gone all weekend and man, did we keep ourselves busy.
Friday night, I had a craving for pizza, so we all headed out to our local Italian restaurant and pizzeria, Piazza’s, and enjoyed pizza, salad, flat bread and sodas (gasp!) After a month without soda, I truly savored mine. If you think that I am crazy for taking 4 kiddos to a fairly nice Italian restaurant you are very right. I am crazy. No just kidding, I had it completely under control. Well, sort of. Here’s the deal. We went early (4:00pm) in hopes that the restaurant would be pretty empty, took a game to play at the table (Bananagrams) and practiced our manners. My kids are usually really good out as long as they understand the expectations.
Saturday, Paige had a soccer game so I had our favorite sitter over for 3 hours while I took her to her game. After I dropped Paige back off at the house, I took off and went out to lunch, all by myself, and to Kohl’s, all by myself. All by myself is really fun. Really. Fun. I mean it.
Saturday night was rice night and then we finished it off with a movie.
Today was crazy busy. We started out at church, sent Paige off to her soccer game with friends, headed to Target with the other three to buy a present, took Sam to a birthday party, drove to the soccer game and picked up Paige, went to Chipotle, grocery shopped at Whole Foods, took the groceries home, jumped back in the car and went to the birthday party to pick up Sam. I should have clocked my mileage. It would have been high. The nice thing is we burned the entire day 8:45 am to 3:00 pm. Another day full of fun.
Scott is on his way home and I am planning out my quiet evening. I wonder if he has figured out my plan yet. The one that includes him. Him putting the kids to bed. Him reading bedtime stories. Him doing the dishes. Okay, that might be pushing it.
This is the kids last week of school before summer vacation. Look out!
Jennifer
I have read about this on some other blogs and thought that it was an interesting idea. Rice night. One night a week eat just rice and water. My kids were really put off tonight when they asked me what was for dinner and I replied….Rice. Kids: What?? Just rice???
For us, eating just rice, seems like a sacrifice but for many all over the world, rice is the staple, their meal; just rice. For some, rice is a luxury.
It is my hope that by eating rice one night a week, it will teach my children to be compassionate to the lives of other children. Children all over the world who hunger, children who do not have enough food, children who eat only when food is available, children who don’t have the luxury of anything they want anytime they choose.
As the school year winds down, the amount of activities always seems too accumulate and ramp up. Sam and Alice have one more week of school left and then they are done for summer break. They both have started swimming two nights a week in pre-season practice for swim team. Sam is still trying to make it to karate until the end of the month. Alice will finish this last session of gymnastics and has one more daisy scout meeting before the end of school. Tonight Sam is attending an info meeting for Boy Scouts, really, because we don’t have enough to do 🙂 Paige is also finishing up her last gymnastics session. Mason continues to go along for the ride. We try and attend playgroups about every 3 weeks and he really enjoys that.
To top it off, it is still snowing. Word to Mother Nature…IT IS MAY!!! The pool opens in 2 weeks and IT IS STILL SNOWING! Can you tell that I am ready for some summer weather. Forget about spring. Go directly to SUMMER. I have put the winter coats away and have sorted through the warm weather clothes. We are so ready!
I have not had a good running week. Since the weather has been so crummy, I haven’t really wanted to run outside and I have a mental block when it comes to running on the treadmill. I run for about 2 miles and then feel like I might die. I know, I know. It is silly but true. Anyway, this has resulted in me running very little. Because I have a fitness goal to run 3 times a week on top of my other workouts, I do it. Run on the treadmill that is. But I will never say that I enjoy it. That is definitely the truth. Like I said, the pool opens in two weeks and at some point, I will need to get into my bathing suit. Note to the treadmill~ My bathing suit thanks you.
Overall, life is good. The kids are fairly healthy and happy. Scott has been busy at work. He is getting away this week and flying to Michigan for a cousin’s wedding. He is really excited. I am getting a sitter on Saturday afternoon and I am really excited about that.
Have a great end to the week. Here’s to next Friday (last day of school, is case you skipped down to the bottom) and hoping that I don’t collapse. Looking forward to a fun summer at the pool and hanging out with the kids.
Jennifer
I had the best day. The kids were good. The weather was gorgeous. We spent the day outside. All the things I love.
We started the day at church, had bagels for lunch, hiked 4 miles in Cheyenne Canyon, had Mexican for dinner and opened a couple awesome presents from the kids. I had the best day.
The best part of all was that I spent the entire day with my kids and handsome husband. Couldn’t have been better.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there and those that are waiting or wishing to become mothers. Happy Mother’s Day to the grandmas, aunts, friends and women who love children. You are honored today.
We had many stops along the way. We stopped to sit (and climb) on many a rock.
We stopped for many drinks.
We stopped for a snack.
We stopped to cuddle and be silly.
We stopped for more snacks.
We stopped to tie shoes.
Samuel had a Mother’s Tea in his classroom yesterday afternoon and Paige had one at her preschool this morning. They were both really sweet. It is so nice to get one on one time with the kids without 3 siblings trailing behind. They each really soak it up because it doesn’t happen all that often that they get alone time with just me. This past Tuesday, Samuel and Alice had their track and field day at school. They have been really excited for this day. The weather was warm but really really windy. Here are the pics from the day.
Alice did really well. It is totally Alice to run in her big white sunglasses and a skort. My kids really are at their best outside being active.
Sam did well too. He was a bit disappointed that he didn’t get any blue ribbons but the competition was tough. He came home with a rainbow of colorful ribbons and we were proud of him for trying his best.
Paige was not an enthusiastic spectator and spent most of her time rolling down the hills with her friend Ian.
Mason watched the back of his eyelids and spent most of the time in the stroller. It was so windy that he finally fell asleep holding onto his hat. Like I said in my last post, this little guy is busy. Busy, busy, busy. He pretty much moves all the time. I am finding it hard to get some good pics of him because he usually moves before I can get the shot. He is really moving from toddler to big boy. Occasionally he will say to me…”Me no baby, me big boy”. I haven’t broke it to him yet. He will always be my baby.
He made so many milestones in his first year home. We aren’t seeing so many of those big changes just the small ones that come with growing and getting a bit older.
Mom, momma, mommy, hey mom, mommmmmmmm and mommymommymommymommy are still his favorite things to say. Over and over again. Sometimes it is cute.
He is talking a ton and some of his favorite phrases are Come on! No way! Aw right!
He adores his sisters and brother and takes inventory all day long. Sambo? At school. JieJie Alice? School too. Paigie? She’s at school too. Aw right.
We have seen most of the attachment issues fade away. He now realizes that, no matter what, I am the one that he belongs to. No one else. Ever.
Our busy little guy. Isn’t he cute?
Live Your Life 