Oh So Sad

My sister came down for a visit a few weeks ago.  While she was here we tried to take some pictures of Allie and her baby, Kai who is about 3 months younger then Allie.  As you can see it didn't go so well.

 How cute in their matching outfits and big alligator tears!

Friday Night- Movie Night

  Over the summer we started having a Friday night - Movie night with the kids. It has become a tradition and frankly with as crazy busy as our last couple of weeks have been Jason and I have started really looking forward to Friday nights at home.  Sometimes we rent  a movie from Redbox or we watch a move we already have, other times we play a game or play the Wii but the purpose is to just relax at home and enjoy being together as a family.

Look we adopted another boy!

"Mom, where did you go?"

We love having our own theater room right downstairs. It is cheaper then the theater, more comfortable then the theater and we can pause for potty breaks.  You can't loose!

Our First Pine Wood Derby!

We survived and the car made it to the end of the track! What more can you ask for? Brock had a great time painting his car and even more fun racing it.  We kind of took the easy road by picking up a kit that all we had to do was assemble, paint and add some decals.  His car wasn't the fastest but Brock and all of the scouts had a great time and in the end that is what matters most!

This is serious intense stuff!

Brock's car's average time was about 3.5 seconds

This is Brock and his best friend Sean

Brock got the award for the "Coolest Car"

Allie has a new talent!

So Allie discovered a new talent the other day. She can pick her nose! I think it is more of a "I found  a hole that my finger fits perfectly in" sort of thing. It is pretty funny and cute to see a 9 month old with her finger up her nose.

I have actually been trying for a few days to get these pictures but every time I reach for my camera she pulls her finger out. She is going to love it when I pull these pictures out right before a hot date!

Mikele Lost her First Tooth

After much wiggling and very little patience Mikele finally lost her first tooth.  Half the kids in her class are toothless and Mikele was feeling rather left out. Her new tooth had already come in behind her baby tooth so it was just a matter of time.  I told her she looked like a shark with 2 rows of teeth.  In the end she decided it was not worth the wait and had Jason pull it out for her.  Jason said it made a nice popping sound. GROSS! She put her little tooth in a bag and asked Jason to write on in "my first tooth" so that the Tooth Fairy would know that this tooth was special and that she wanted to keep it.  The Tooth Fairy was very understanding and left her a dollar and her tooth.  Mikele likes to hold it for some strange reason but whatever makes her happy! Here are some fabulous photos documenting the event.

Here is a picture of her "shark" teeth. Notice the adult tooth has already come in behind the baby tooth.

Mikele and Jason both smiling after Jason pulled her tooth out. Thank goodness for Dad! There is no way I would have pulled it out for her.

Now her adult tooth will just move into place with the help of her tongue pushing on it.

What a beautiful little baby tooth. This is worth some hard cash!

Who needs friends when you have a sister?

Chefs In Training

After being inspired by my wise friend Lynette we decided to start something new with our kids.  Each night one of our kids takes a turn helping me make dinner.  It has been a fun experience for the kids and a patience promoting experience for me. Actually the kids have been doing really well.  So far the kids have helped make a variety of meals including: pork chops, rice and broccoli; Navajo tacos with homemade chili; creamy chicken tomato bacon pasta and spaghetti and bread sticks.  My goal is to teach my kids how to plan and prepare a variety of healthy balanced meals and to spend some much needed one-on-one time with each of them.  They have all enjoyed the experience and fight over whose turn it is to help. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy!

 Mikele has become an expert green salad maker.  She loves to chop vegetables.

Kassie just loves to help.  She especially like to make scones with either honey butter or "riggly" butter. (pronounced like wiggly with an "r" sound at the beginning)

Oh, Kassie also likes using a knife.  Thankfully no fingers have been harmed yet.

This is a picture of our homemade chili.  It was really good on the Navajo tacos. I realized I haven't taken any pictures of Brock cooking yet so I will have to take some the next time it is his turn. I think he is cooking tomorrow.

 

SOLD!

    Yesterday I watched out the window as my Jeep Liberty drove away with its new 19 year old owner behind the wheel. Some of you may be laughing at me, others may be rolling your eyes but I have to admit I was really sad as I watched the last thread holding me to my youth drive away.  It is true that I am leaving my twenties behind me this year and yes I understand I usually am driving a mini van and that I do have 4 kids but when I was leaving the house without the kids and would jump in my jeep and be care free and fancy free I would feel young and rejuvenated.  I would even go as far to say that I felt "cool."  Cheesy I know!  Oh well life marches on and speaking of which Allie is crying and probably needs a diaper change. So farewell to my youth I will just have to make this whole middle age Mom thing look AWESOME!!

Blue and Gold Banquet

Brock is enjoying the Cub Scout program. Every year they have a Blue and Gold banquet that usually includes a dinner, awards and activity. This year the boys and their dad's had a cake decorating contest. I want you to know that Jason and Brock did everything except make the frosting. They baked and decorated the cake all by themselves. The cake has a blue layer and a gold layer. Brock was stuck on putting Oreos on the cake so they decided to draw one of the belt loop symbols with frosting on each Oreo. This year we are also celebrating 100 years of scouting.  Such professionals!

At the banquet the boys were able to tell about their cake.  Everyone voted on the best cake and Brock and Jason won the "People's Choice" award!!!!

Yes these boys are usually like this.

Brock earned a number of awards including his Wolf patch (completing all 12 requirements before he moves on to earn his Bear), 1 gold and 3 silver arrow heads (for every 10 electives he completes he gets an arrow head) and his basketball belt loop. Jason and I are very proud of how hard he has worked.

Allie enjoyed hanging out with Grant.

P.S. I am all caught up. I hope these last 6 posts in a row will make up for my negligence. 

Fun Park

My parents sent the kids passes to the Fun Park for Valentines Day.  They have a great soft play area for the kids and as you can see they had a great time!

Even Allie had a good time.

Jason claimed that it was my turn to climb around with Kassie because the last couple of times we have came I was pregnant and not in any shape to crawl through confined spaces.

Jason even found something to do.

This next set of photos are from the really fast long slide. By the way Mikele and Brock like to try as many ways as possible coming down the slide.

Oh look Mikele came down the right way!