Easter Egg Hunt

Our club had an Easter Egg Hunt today and the Easter Bunny made an appearance. The weather was gorgeous - 70 degrees. M loved it and found 6 or 7 eggs. K wasn't very into it. She really just wanted to play on the playground. She found 2 eggs and loved the treats in them but could care less about looking for any more. She also wouldn't have anything to do with the Easter Bunny. Most of the kids wouldn't. M is really embarrassed in his picture with him... I told him to show all the little kids that it wasn't scary and everyone was watching him. Towards the end one of the ladies running the event came up to us and asked if K found any eggs. I told her she found 1 0r 2 and she gave us the big chick K is carrying as a prize. She carried it around and hugged and kissed on it all day

M on the hunt

K checking out her treats. See the cute chick she got?

M is embarrassed here.

What else is in here?

K picking flowers for me. I finally had to make her stop.

Love this one.

Dyan took this cute one of the girls.

Coloring our eggs

My titles are so creative aren't they? We colored our eggs while my mom was here visiting. Each year the kids enjoy it more. (It's St. Patrick's Day, that's why I'm wearing the green). I don't have time to write much now.

M and I

K and I. Let's just say she wasn't gently when she DROPPED the eggs in there. Is she ever gentle?

She LOVED painting the eggs. She was really concentrating and so serious. She used a lot of paint.

M is tickled about something.

One word... TheraFlu

Well, this nasty flu finally made it's way to me. I'm the last one to get it... unless it starts over again. I'll tell you what... I've been puny(is that a word) all day, coughing and sneezing, congestion. I was searching the house during K's nap for something to take to make me feel better and I found some expired (10/06) TheraFlu. I figured WTH, all it would do is lose it's potency a little. Wow, that stuff works great. This is the best I've felt in 2 days. I'm actually up to meet Dyan at the club for a few beers tonight now.

While K napped M and I watched Tom and Jerry's Shiver Me Whiskers and Scooby Doo upstairs in bed. He knew I didn't feel good. He is so sweet to me. He said "your hands are cold". "Do you want me to warm them up, mommy?". He rubbed my hands and held them until they warmed up. Then while I was trying to sleep he pushed the hair out of my eyes and said "I love you." I've worked the last 3 days and I think he really missed me. He told me about 10 times he loved me up there. There is nothing like the feeling of being a Mommy. K has been very sweet also. She is following me around the house and says "hug" or "kiss". I missed them both.

Will write more later... I have a few pictures to post also of us coloring easter eggs a few days ago.

Cute picture of K

My wonderful babysitter (and adopted family member) Willy took this photo of K on the day of her Valentine's Day party. Thank you Willy for being so wonderful and for always being there for me when I need you. Without you, I don't know what I would have done! I love the cute expression on her face. This is totally her.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

I was too tired last night to blog. We went to the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Old Sacramento. Dyan and Macy went with us. The kids had a blast. We found the perfect spot where the kids had a little room to run around. At one point, all three kids were dancing to a marching band. K refused to wear the hat or shamrock sticker. We had a great time.

A family picture... we were all saying Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Brian, myself, Dyan and Monte went to the club on Friday night for green beer and a traditional St. Patrick's Day dinner. I love this picture of Dyan and I. We had a nice time. I realized I don't like Cornbeef or Cabbage. The cornbeef was so salty. Yuck.

Discovery Kingdom

Saturday morning my mom came up here and we decided to go to Discovery Kingdom. We took a really big chance because there was a 70% change of thunderstorms and showers. The sky was so blue and pretty that we decided we wouldn't tell the kids and would drive there and if it looked bad we would go to plan B which we weren't sure of yet. We got there and it was a little chilly but blue skies and almost completely empty. It was perfect! We never waited in line for a ride... I mean never. We walked right on and most of the time, we were the only ones on it. I had no idea they had so many things for the kids to do. M like the Shouka the Whale show the most but I think K likes the Dolphin show. M and K both liked the new Thomas the Train Town. We had a blast. Stayed until about 4:00 when were completely pooped, had a funnel cake and left. The kids couldn't have been better the entire time there either. I asked K and M to get in the stroller and THEY DID, every time. It was amazing. I hope they are that good at Disneyland. My camera battery died about 3 hrs into the day... I was so sad. I had camera withdrawal. Of course, right after my camera died we went into the butterfly exhibit where the most beautiful butterflies I have ever seen are just flying all around you and sometimes they even land on you. The pictures would have been just awesome. We hadn't really planned to go because of the weather so I wasn't prepared! There's always next time.

My mom stayed all weekend and went home this afternoon. We hung out at home most of the day on Sunday. It was so windy outside. I took the kids to a birthday party in the afternoon and my mom stayed home and did my laundry. I love my mom!

I love this one of M. He ate the whole corn dog!

K NOT eating lunch. She never eats anymore... grrgh.

If only K were looking. The Bertie the Bus ride in Thomas Town.

Will post more later. We colored easter eggs this morning and I have some pictures to post. We're going to the St. Patrick's Day parade on Old Sac tonight. Should be fun.

Bye, bye mullet!

Well, K has had a mullet for sometime now. Brian calls her Billy Ray sometimes! I decided this morning I would trim it a little. I didn't want to trim it much, just enough to get it's curl back. I hope that SOMEDAY her sides will catch up. Every once in a while I bathe them in the kitchen sink. This morning I put her in and let her play while I cut it. Here are some pictures.

Before

After

Cute one of K smiling. It's hard to catch her looking AND smiling. She loves the water.

A good day

I worked last night so Brian took BOTH kids to daycare this morning. For some reason, M didn't want to go and he cried. I'm not sure why. I bet he was fine 5 minutes after he left though. K went to daycare also. After Brian got home we hung out together for a while and then did out taxes. Why is that always so stressful? Even though, we knew we would get money back it still stresses you out. And, you can never have all of the information you need even if you are organized. After taxes we went to Joe's Crab Shack for lunch before picking the kids up. Later we all met Dyan and the kids at the park. What a nice day.

Tonight before bed K and I were reading in her room. I was sitting on the floor and she was in my lap. She turned her head, put her cheek to mine and said "I love you more". Oh my... she says she loves me but has never said that before. Brian and I always say I love you more to each other and we do it too the kids too. Those moments make up for all of the times you just want to escape and the times you have to count to ten just to get though the day. There is nothing else like it that's for sure.

The other day we were hanging out at home and I had the airbed folded up and some blankets piled on top. M decided he was going to climb up to the top and jump off so of course K was right in there too. It's amazing how much fun kids have doing silly things like this. I had my camera out to snap some action shots. M played so hard he was actually sweating. Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Those are scissors in his hand (orange). They are the scissors for the play-doh. Kid safe I promise.

Here's K's big jump

Wow, look at that air!

Is that just the most devilish face or what?

I love M's expression in this one too.

Just had to put one more

That's all for tonight. Going downstairs to watch Gone Baby Gone with Brian.

Mel

Time outs

Well the kids have been getting a few time outs around here lately. It really seems like it works. Surprisingly, we can put K on time out (on the bottom of the stairs) and we'll set the timer on the microwave and she will sit there until we go and get her. I'm shocked. Yesterday, M made her made (as he often does) and she said "Sason, go to time out!" So cute and funny.

Here's one I took the other day of Brian TRYING to rest.

My helper girl

A few of K helping me get ready yesterday. She's quite the big helper as you can see!

Park play

Today was such a nice day and both of our husbands were gone so Dyan and I took the kids to the park at around 5:00 pm and had a picnic dinner there. We stayed until around 7:20. I love daylight savings time. They had a great time. I'm sure they will all sleep tonight. M was so sweaty. It's getting a little bit easier with K. I'm not as worried about her falling off the park equipment as I am her running off. A couple of times tonight, I turned my head to deal with M for 2 seconds and I turned back and she was gone. Not gone, just not where she was playing before. My heart just sank each time, thank gosh only for a few seconds. She has no fear, doesn't turn back to see if I'm following her. So different that how M was at that age. She was exhaused on the way home and having a huge fit (because she couldn't get the bow out of her hair) and M goes "she's a pill!" That cracks me up. One day he asked me what that meant because I said it to K.

It's been a rough few days around here. M was sick with cough, runny nose and fever. He had to miss school and Brian had a stomach thing going on. Poor guy had them (the kids) for 3 days in a row and was sick. I worked and then had a mandatory meeting. They are better now. Yesterday M fell and smacked his face on the floor, had a huge bloody nose (saturated a washcloth) and now has some abrasions to his upper lip and lower lip. You can see it in the pictures. No, I didn't beat him.

K loves the swings for about 2 minutes.

M picking flowers for me.

K on the seesaw. Cute even though she's squinting. She needs some shades.

My poor sick guy. Look at his abrasion and fat lip.

Off to bed. Melissa

Fort Natomas with M and K, park play with M

Here are a few pictures from the outing to Fort Natomas yesterday with both kids. I don't have much else to say tonight. I'm exhausted... the kids were so tired and hard tonight. Besides, American Idol is on. I'm a reality TV junkie.

Eating our picnic lunch.

Cute one of M

Sitting on the Choo-Choo. I only had a second to snap this one.

I love this one. I ran a saturation action on it. He held her hand when we had to go to the car and back. She loves holding his hand.

I'm sure he's trying to bounce her right off.

Today before I went to pick K up from daycare M and I went to the park. Here are a few pictures. He had a blast rolling down a hill (there were lots of other kids doing it too). Then he blew bubbles and there were 3 other kids that were running around and popping them. They kept telling him to blow more and he just loved it.

Didn't get a lot of good pictures. He gave me this face to get me to stop.

Weekend activities

On Saturday, Brian and the kids planted 4 blueberrry trees, carrots and cilantro in the backyard. We're going to get an orange tree also but haven't yet. The kids enjoyed themselves but it was pretty cold outside so Brian did it mostly on his own. We won't have any blueberries for at least a season or two but the kids will love picking and eating the blueberries when they come in.

Digging and getting the soil ready

Putting in the blueberries

I had called Dyan on Friday and asked if they wanted to come over for a BBQ on Sunday. Just my luck, I woke up to the news on Sunday morning saying there was a wind advisory for the day. Of course, I didn't need a news report to know that. It was blowing our chairs and trampoline over. Kids ride on toys were blowing across the backyard. Called Dyan and we decided we were BBQing anyway. We already had most of the food together. They came over around 3:30 and I had made a pitcher of Sangria so we decided to brave the elements and hang out in the backyard. Luckily, it had died down a lot. Still some small gusts but the kids were really having fun out there. We also learned that it's hard to grill in winds like that. The chicken had a yummy flavor but turned out a bit, um, "charred" as Brian called it. They left and were getting into their car and M and I were watching them through our windows in the front and he said "wait, I want to tell them something else." I opened the door and out he ran to D's (Dyan's son) side of the car. Dyan opened the door and M said "I love you." He can be just the sweetest. This evening after Dyan and I went to the gym as we were leaving he ran back over the M (Dyan's daughter) and said "I love you". Then they hugged each other. After we got in the car he said "they have fun with us Mom." They are the closest people we have to family up here.

I don't think they were thrilled about getting their pictures taken

This morning when we were in the Starbuck's drive-thru M said "do you wish you had your coffee now, Mom?" I told him "yes, but we have to wait in line and be patient." Then he said, "yeah, you can't say I WANT COFFEE" in his loudest voice. It was so funny.

K has been extra cute lately too. When we left the gym tonight she told the babysitter "have a good day." And, while she was having her orange this morning she looked at me and said, "delicious." She follows me around all day wants a "hug" and "kiss". She does it to Roscoe too.


Things she loves (K)...

Getting her jammies on.
Brushing her teeth.
Anything with sugar.
Pigs...obsessively. If you're out shopping and she sees one, you're done!
Roscoe and Mason
Yogurt.
Playing outside.
Cuddling. We call her the Baby Bear.
Coloring in the bathtub.
Juice.
Ring around the rosies.


Things he loves (M)...

Scooby Doo.
Sharks and Dinosaurs.
Green apples.
Mommy and Daddy's bed... my pillow.
Sweatshirts with hoods, they have to have hoods!
His frog boots
Trains...still
Play-Doh
Tom and Jerry cartoons

After baths tonight. Do they look alike or what? I ran a antique action on this one in Photoshop. I'm not sure if I like it or not.

The original version