first days

Time for another school year to begin.  This mama is actually looking forward to getting back into a weekly routine with regular bedtimes.  

The girlchild is starting her last year at elementary school.  She's got a fantastic teacher and they will be learning Nevada History this year.

Burrito got the teacher he wished for but none of his best buddies.  The good news is there is still recess and a chance to make new friends too.  p.s. don't let Bob's face fool you...he's wicked excited about school.  Just thinks he's too cool to smile for mama.

As for me, I'm patiently waiting to hear how the first day went and hoping the kids love their first day of school presents I left on their beds this morning!

Working on it

The kids are working on their bravery

and the mama is working on letting them be brave without a giant plastic bubble

Ready or not

BoBo: Mom, you should keep my first tooth.  I know you are really sad about me growing up and all.

Me: But what about the tooth fairy?  Do you want to write her a note and ask if you can keep the tooth?

BoBo: No, cause what if she takes it.  I don't care about the money mama.  I want you to keep my tooth forever.



That really happened.

Round up in Pictures

My sister came to visit.  I had intended to take lots of pictures and put some on the blog.  But, as evidenced by the crickets here, that did not happen.

We have been busy!  Here are the highlights in pictures.



We have had a lot to celebrate latey, birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays.



Turns out Bobbo is not so very good at back flips

Everybody say hello to Georgia.  She is a jumper...this is new for us.
And she is also named after the beloved bartender of the Silver Spur Saloon
who lost her fight with cancer a few weeks ago.

I made patriotic jello.  You should be impressed.
 Most of the time I epic fail at jello.

We had some flash flooding on 4th of July
Turns out watching the greased pig contest is not so much fun in the rain.

Emmers wanted to ride the 4-H float in the parade.
I did not.
I think it's clear who won here.

Have You Heard?

 

You can always count on Uncle Daniel to show the appropriate facial expressions... (Even when it's 6 o'clock in the morning).

 

Have you heard the new Skylanders Swap Force is coming out this fall??

 

A certain little 5 year is quite excited about it.  Beware if you show up with a device that has an internet connection, he will ask you to watch the preview for it.

 

 

A day at the lake

Paddle Boating with the little man -
 turns out he's more in it for the joy ride and not so much the pedaling part

Emmers doing what she does best

Emma is desperate to be a lizard whisperer someday

Dragon Slayers

How can you not at least chuckle at the look on Bob's face

Clearly dragon slayers are close kin to pirates, clearly.

That works

Hey Bob, let me take a picture of your swollen nose (he may have got hit with a baseball...may have) so I can send it to Memere.

Okay, but first take a picture of my ninja face.

On a side note:  You know how in the movie Date Night Tina Fey is always running into open drawers because Steve Carell's character never closes them?  That's what happens to the sliding door in the hallway.  Every time I walk past it I close it. 

Every time.

Another Day

I’ve spent the last 7 days trying to get the kids to tell me what I’m getting for Mother’s Day.

All I know is that Emma’s gift is out in the big shed and it involves yellow paint (bc she had it all in her hair). And Bob is going to buy me my own Mr Kitty Nibbles so I quit stealing his. Little does he know that no matter how many he buys me (He got me one for Christmas already) I’ll always steal his because it’s so more fun that way.

I considered using this post to tell you how great my mama is and how I still have so very much to learn from her. Things like how to make chicken liver for dinner and how to do the mending. Even my sister who lives 2,000 miles away, still mails her horse blankets home when they need patching up.  Some would call that enabling, I call it love.

Some days I feel a lot like the author of this post.  This Mother's day I'm going to pretend that there is not a small (and by small I mean rather large) Littlest Pet Shop village set up in the entry way.  With no plans on being cleaned up anytime this week.  I'm going to let the kids eat oreos and cheetos for lunch. I'm going to put on a smile and pull burrito into bed with me at 5:30 am when he comes to bring me my present, and be thankful the Boy made extra coffee this morning.

Edited: The kids took me out to breakfast (picture above), Mr Panda Knibbles is bonding with Mr Kitty Knibbles today.  Emma made me a jewelry box at boys and girls club.  And the Boy got me a necklace.  Overall, a pretty good day :)

We spent the afternoon at Grandma's house in our swim suits, running through the sprinklers (the little ones) and weeding the flower beds (the rest of us). 

How to tell if someone has been in your room

Hey, Bob.  Have you been in my bed again?

No, mom.

Then why are there ninjas about and my electric blanket turned high?

Practicing

Oh he's not sleeping....he's silently observing.

Sunday mornings

Hey mom, what do you think of my banana-chucks? They are useful AND delicious.

Pretty Please

Please may I have chocolate milk?

Please can Piper sleep with me tonight?

Please can you get the star wars Legos out?

Please can I stay up just a little bit longer?

Oh, I've seen that look a hundred times, and now all the Disneyland employees get it too. 

I wondered why every time someone scanned Bob's card they started laughing.  

This is his annual pass picture. 

 It's a keeper I'd say!

F-I-V-E



A certain someone turned 5 recently.
 I'm over here trying to pretend he's not growing up too fast.



Sometimes

Sometimes we get dressed up to go to the dentist and Olive Garden and call it a date day.

Trim the Hearth and Set the Table

Advent is one of my favorite times in the Church calendar.  They sing all my favorite songs (People Look East and O Come, O Come Emmanuel) and there are advent calendars and pink and purple candles to light. 


I let the girlchild decorate the tree this year





Bob is the only one who has his stocking hung so far...someone is excited



I thought we'd spend the season working on a family puzzle.  It only took us an evening though.  Next time, more pieces!



There is still a little bit of setting up to do (the nativity scene mainly), presents to wrap, and a birthday to celebrate.
Then we'll be ready for Christmas.

Not Literally

Mammoth, CA 2012

Me: I'm just going to run into the library really quick and get the book that's on hold for me.

Bob: Mom, you just had knee surgery.  You can't run anywhere.

Not Quite There Yet

Hey mom, did you know that Emma and I both have sketchers?

Yep, because I'm pretty much the coolest mom ever.

Yeah, maybe someday you will be a rock star.

TRUTH:  Bob does not have sketchers....But I figured why argue right?



The wild ones

But which two are mine?

oh my

Hey Mom, there's a new girl in my class and she is just too cute for me. 

Oh yeah?  What's her name?

I didn't get her name mom. She's just too cute.  She's the one with the flower on her gym suit.  I just got my looking binoculars stuck on her and I couldn't get her out of them.

I hope she's in my class again next week.