What a Wonderful World

Good ol' fashioned fun

2011-12-10T18:12:00.000-08:00

I remember raking the leaves in the front yard up with my friends in the neighborhood (for money, of course) and once we were done, we'd jump in the huge pile of leaves and frolic around. Of course, we'd have to rake them up again and repeat. Well, because we live in a newer neighborhood, we don't have many leaves but while walking out of Fairytale Town we spotted piles. I gave the kids the OK to go for it and they had such a great time. It was so much fun, just to watch them.

Christmas caroling at Fairytale Town

2011-12-10T16:47:00.000-08:00

Kyla's Daisy Troop had their first event ... they walked around and sang Christmas Carols at Fairytale Town. I love the pictures of Kyla with her good friend, Reese. They enjoyed themselves very much for the first hour and a half or so ... then they were over it. Not bad for a bunch of 5 year olds.

Molly and Kyla went to preschool together for 2 years and are now in the same Kindergarten.

Christmas Tree Hunting - Smart's Family Tree Farm

2011-12-02T16:44:00.000-08:00

On our way home from Nevada, we stopped by Apple Hill to pick out our Christmas tree. There was such a huge difference in weather from last year. I missed having the snow on the ground.

Kyla wanted this teeny-tiny tree but we said, no way.

Brian, reluctantly posing for a picture. He hates me for this, I'm sure.

And ..... here it is. We all agreed on this gorgeous 16 foot White Fir. Why we felt the need for such a huge tree, I'm not sure. It was quite difficult to decorate as you'll see in a later post. I guess, Brian and I are the type of people that want to get the most bang for our buck and because any size tree was $60, we felt we must get a huge one.

The kids and I. Wish we weren't so bluish-tinged but for some reason, I couldn't fix it in Photoshop.

Awwwwwwe. Love this one. Roscoe is such a good old dog now. Look at his aging face. Just may have to frame this one and put it in Mason's bedroom.

Smart's Tree Farm. Love it.

All Stars Tournament - Team Ireland

2011-12-01T18:18:00.000-08:00

Mason made it on the All-Stars again for soccer and they played on Thanksgiving weekend. The coach was fantastic and luckily Mason knew a few of his teammates so he had a great time.

Mason played a lot and mostly played Half-Back. It's a mid-fielder position (so I'm told) and to play this position, you have be good at offense and defense. Boy, did he run his heart out. So much running in this position. They won their first game and easily won their second but lost during the championship game. It was a good run and all of the boys were so proud of themselves (as they should be). They got T-Shirts and a medal this year (instead of a pin like last year).

I couldn't be prouder of you, buddy. You always give 100% (unless it's homework). I had a great time watching and just about lost my voice from yelling.

Thanksgiving Dinner

2011-11-30T20:00:00.000-08:00

We had Thanksgiving dinner at Auntie Sharon's house. It's always so much fun because it's such a large group and everyone is out for a good time. We enjoyed some lovely wine, caught up with each other and the kids love playing with their cousins. Definitely makes me feel thankful for the wonderful family I have married into.

Kyla made a turkey hat and a thankful necklace at school. She was so excited to wear it, we had to keep saying "not yet" until it was dinner time. Her necklace said she was thankful for her family, dog, cat, fish and the world. She stood up in front of everyone and announced it. Truly adorable.

Yum, yum. It's all coming together.

They had a nice, long table this year which was nice because we were all able to visit with each other.

What a big ol' bird she was ... 21 pounds! Golden brown and soooo yummy.

They work so hard on dinner each year. Thank you.

Mason and Kyla with their big cousin, Nolan.

As always, can't wait until next year.

Thanksgiving Weekend

2011-11-28T18:17:00.000-08:00

We went to Brian's parents house for Thanksgiving in Minden, Nevada. It's wonderful having them so close. We were hoping for a little snow but the weather was warm! It's hard to believe that this is November. On Thanksgiving morning, we hung out around the house and rode Brian's old quad (not me, I'm a big chicken and all I could think about was head injury). Anyway, they recently got his quad fixed so it was great to see Brian on it. Next time we'll have to take it out and find some hills (with helmets of course)!

Mason was all smiles.

Kyla liked it too. Her laughing was contagious. She has this really deep belly laugh when she laughs hard.

I love this one ... she has her eyes closed. Must have been scared, I guess.

Kyla, just being a crazy girl. It's what she does best.

It was a great weekend, I can't wait to go again.

Crafty Girl

2011-11-20T20:14:00.000-08:00

Kyla loves to sit at my craft table and make cards. I usually stamp for her because ~~she is so rough with them~~ it's difficult for her and then she colors them in with her markers. She says she can't wait until she's 11 so she can go to card making classes with me.

LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER.

I guess I was bothering her while she was crafting and she didn't like it one bit. Gee, I wonder where she gets that from? And this face? Boy, am I in trouble when she gets older. She has to do everything herself.

Supergirls Party

2011-11-16T18:17:00.000-08:00

Kyla's soccer team recently had their end of the season soccer party. She played for her 2nd year and even scored 2 goals this season. Her trophy is a little soccer ball with bendy arms so of course, she loved it. Here's a picture - excuse her crazy eyes. She was hyped up on cake.

Team photo - aren't they cute?

Olympic Triathlon - Westlake Charter

2011-11-12T21:08:00.000-08:00

We're so lucky in that Westlake Charter offers specialty classes. They provide Spanish, Art and P.E. Due to budget cuts, most of the public schools in this area no longer offer these. One of the largest fundraisers that Westlake Charter does is the Olympic Triathlon. For about a month prior to the event, they take pledges from friends and family and during the event they do activities related to the specialty classes. This year they did an Art Project, Spanish Trivia/Bingo, Tricycle Races and an Obstacle Course. Brian and I attended the event, so I took a few photos.

Kyla's class represented Mexico. Here's a picture of their flag (and her teacher).

Fun in Spanish.

They all got a good laugh out of riding the tricycles.

Go, Kyla, Go!

Obstacle Course time.

Mason's class represented Columbia.

My boy, love you.

Mason's tricycle sounded like it was falling apart and he could hardly control it. Boy was he laughing.

Don't drop the egg!

He's super fast, I'm not sure where he gets that from.

My sleepy girl

2011-11-10T20:49:00.000-08:00

While upstairs reading before bed, Kyla fell asleep. I can't remember the last time that has happened. She doesn't even fall asleep in the car anymore (neither does Mason). I couldn't help but take a few pictures. She's growing up way to fast. I wish she could stay 5 forever.

Halloween 2012

2011-10-31T20:36:00.000-07:00

I didn't take a lot of pictures on Halloween. I really just wanted to enjoy myself and I've found that after dark, the pictures don't turn out great. We trick-or-treated for about an hour and a half and the kids got tons (too much) candy. This was the first year that Brian has been off for Halloween in 3 years so it was nice being together as a family.

Watch out neighborhood!

Carving our pumpkin

2011-10-26T20:11:00.000-07:00

First of all, can you believe we're able to wear short sleeved shirts and shorts at the end of October? The weather has been gorgeous lately. Brian and I finally had a day off together so we carved our pumpkins. Believe it or not, Kyla practically carved hers all by herself. She used a template but I couldn't believe she didn't get bored with it. She spent a good 45 minutes to one hour on hers. It turned out cute.

Mason for the most part, did his on his own as well. I don't think he would touch the slimy insides of the pumpkin last year but this year, he digged right in.

Hard at work.

She was determined.

Kyla and her masterpiece.

Mason and his masterpiece. He carved BOO.

I had a good time with mine too. I used a template to carve a skeleton face with hands. In my last 5 minutes, the entire skeleton face came out. I was bummed so Brian had to perform neurosurgery with a hammer and nail into his skull. It worked perfectly.

Awwww.

Halloween Crafts

2011-10-25T18:29:00.000-07:00

Around the holidays, we love to do crafts together. I got some cute Halloween masks at Michaels for the kids to paint - wish I would have gotten one for myself. I'm so glad that Mason still enjoys things like this.

He sticks his tongue out when he concentrates just like I do. ;-)

Boy, does he know how to smile for the camera or what?

It's amazing how quickly Kyla can go from such a sweet and patient little girl TO THIS! I can't even remember what the problem was. I think she was upset because she messed up on her project or something. I couldn't resist taking a picture of that face. Drama.

She was stiff sniffling a bit here but eventually had fun.

His eyes kind of creep me out here.

Harvest Festival and Fall in love with Fall Party

2011-10-21T11:29:00.000-07:00

Instead of taking all of the Kindergarten children to a Pumpkin Patch they decided to bring the Pumpkin Patch to Westlake Charter School. With buses being so ridiculously expensive, I think it was a great idea. They had haystacks, a petting zoo, an obstacle course and had a bunch of pumpkins in a field and the kids each got to choose a pumpkin. Kyla's teacher asked me if I would take pictures of each of the Kindergarten kids with their pumpkins ... all 100 of them! I was flattered to be asked and loved every minute of it. Here's Kyla's.

Kyla, waiting her turn.

I'm surprised the haystack lasted all day, those kids were crazy!

After my time with the Kindergarten kids, I volunteered to help with Mason's Fall in love with Fall Party. They decorated a pumpkin, did a craft project with fall leaves, ate caramel apples and drank apple cider. Obviously their favorite part was the caramel apples and I can't say that I blame them.

Cutie, patootie.

Yummmmmy.

Pumpkin Pictures over the years

2011-10-20T11:10:00.000-07:00

Here are some of my absolute favorite pumpkin pictures from over the years.

2004

Mason was less than thrilled with this photo op. He looks like he's content but this is really in between a cry.

LOVE this one.

2005

I could just kiss his chubby cheeks off!

SO heavy!

2006

Do they look alike or what?

2007

Couldn't resist - had to post a few from 2007.

2008

Here's the link to my 2008 blog post.

Mason just wasn't having any of it. This one cracks me up. Life of the party girl is all smiles.

Nevermind. There's always next year, right?

2009

Here's the link to my 2009 blog post.

I don't have a good one of the 2 of them together for some reason.

2010

We didn't even go to Apple Hill for pumpkins in 2010. My health problems (my MS scare) started in Mid-October so Halloween was a tough time for me. I remember taking the kids to this little pumpkin patch right outside of town one day while Brian was at work because I felt I had to. The entire time I was worried and walking around with numbness and tingling down my left leg. Pin and needles. Not a good time for me. I didn't even blog this. :(

Apple Hill

2011-10-14T10:19:00.000-07:00

We absolutely love going to Apple Hill to get our pumpkins (and of course, eat apple donuts). This year, we were lucky enough to have Carol (Brian's mom) in town to go up there with us. The kids have minimum days on Wednesday so we left right when the kids got out of school. Our 1st stop, duh, apple donuts. We always get ours at High Hill Ranch. They're the best.

Such a cute picture of Mason with his Grammy.

Kyla and Grammy.

For some reason, Kyla was really in the mood for me to take pictures of her. Everywhere we went, she asked me to take one so I got some great ones of her.

I love this one.

Mason, being a boy and climbing a tree.

Like I said, another great one of Kyla.

Joe-Cool.

If you ever wonder why there aren't more pictures of Brian, he HATES them. He gives me a very dirty look and probably shakes his head after this one. I'm telling his mom.

Apples, apples and more apples.

Cute one (finally) of Mason.

Hurry up, lets get outta here.

Kyla LOVES the petting zoo. She is such an animal lover.

"Be nice."

I really wish Kyla would have had this goofy face in this photo. Love the background.

We think this pumpkin looks like a skull.

Oooh, it's a heavy one.

We ended the day with a good ol' pumpkin rolling race. Mason won.

Going to Apple Hill for pumpkins is one of the traditions I look forward to each year. We'll also go there to get our Christmas tree and occasionally to pick berries in the summer. With Brian and I working opposite schedules, it's so important that we have quality family time together. The kids will fondly remember these times and hopefully establish traditions with their family's. Such a great day.

Halloween Crafts

2011-10-13T22:26:00.000-07:00

I bought some wooden masks at Michaels for the kids to paint. It started out great until Kyla had a breakdown and about ruined the whole thing. I'm not even sure what it was about ... who knows with that girl.

Mason's cheesy-smile.

Ta-da ... Frankenstein Mason.

Here we go. "Stop, Mom!" I couldn't help but take pictures ... I know, not the best Mommy move but it was so funny. She can be such a Drama Queen.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

A little better now.

Ta-da. Witch Kyla.

Jabber (again)

2011-10-11T20:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm on my lunch break at work. Am I tired. Any hoo, all is well on the homefront. The kids are back in school - Kyla is on her 5th sight word list. She learned list 4 in one day - some hard words on there too. Mason is working on a big family history project and is planning to interview Carol (Brian's Mom) tonight. She's in town for the night. We're going to Apple Hill tomorrow so I'm sure I'll have tons of pictures to post from that as well. I'm having a tough time keeping up with everything around the house (and my hobbies). There isn't enough hours in the day. Now that the kids are back in school again, it should get a little easier.

Brian's had a terrible cold ... thanks to TheraFlu, he's doing a little better. I just hope the kids don't get it.

Met with a personal trainer for the 1st time today. I'm doing a program called WOW (Women on Weights). A group of 8 of us will meet with the trainer twice a week. Well, today we worked on legs. She said her goal was that we would be so sore we'd have a hard time getting off the toilet! Let me tell you, I'm getting there. I'm doing it with a friend of mine which helps keep me motivated.

Not a whole lot more news around here.

Disneyland - 2011

2011-10-10T09:45:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to Disneyland during the fall break. It's such a perfect time to go, midweek during October. My mom was able to come along with us this time and Brian's dad even met us at Disneyland for the evening. It was such a great time. It's such a joy to take the kids while they're still small ... they still get a twinkle in their eyes when they see a character and Mason still runs up and hugs them. Tons of pictures to follow - we spent 4 days there, I just couldn't narrow it down any further. I love them all.

We had never been to Disneyland during Halloween time. I loved seeing all of the decorations.

Bat girl and Luke Skywalker.

A group picture with the pumpkin Mickey.

And Mickey and Minnie (you never get a picture op with both of them). This was the longest wait of the evening. It took us about 45 minutes.

More character pictures. They LOVED seeing Phineas and Ferb. We've been watching that show practically daily for years. That one turned out cute too.

I love seeing Mason hug the characters (Kyla too). He really is a sweet boy (to everyone but his sister).

Just had to get a picture in front of the castle. It didn't turn out so great because we had some drizzly rain that day and our hair was a mess. All of the wimps left and we didn't have any waits in line. It was wonderful.

The kids with their granny.

Bunny ears cracks Kyla and Mason up so much.

Me and my boy.

Notice that everyone but Kyla has a parka on. Kyla refused and it was a chilly day. She's crazy tough.

I think this is the 3rd time on this ride. Kyla had her arms up the entire time too. Here we are waving to Brian.

Aw, love this one.

Grandpa and Kyla - watching the fireworks. The kids were in awe.

My boys.

"Let me out of here." This is Kyla's serious face.

Kyla had to get up and dance during the Phineas and Ferb Street Parade. Love that girl.

OK, on our 2nd to last day we had rain ... I mean rain. Not just a drizzle. We decided to brave it out and go in, parka's and all but ended up staying until about 2 pm and then had to head to the room to dry off. I'm talking, it was POURING. We went on Big Thunder Railroad during the rain and it was like running through the sprinklers! After a rest and a Disney movie in the room, the rain stopped and we headed back out to close the park down. We saw The World of Color in California Adventures that night. Definitely a must see.

Cute one.

Kyla relaxing in her cozy's in the room. Peace out.

Jabber

2011-09-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

So I've been looking through my old blog books and I'm realizing I used to spend a lot of time just writing what the kids were up to and the cute things they did. It almost brought tears to my eyes reading some of the stories from 2008 and 2009. Well, I've decided to spend more time on my blog and to attempt to post once a week with just words - no photos. We'll see how I do. How is it that I feel even busier since the kids are both in school. I found plenty of time to blog in 2008 when both of the kids were home all the time. I think I'm just enjoying all of my free time ... and am able to get back to things that I enjoy. I've been spending tons of time on card making and crafts (I dream about cards when I sleep). A friend of mine and I are doing a Christmas craft fair in December and I've been enjoying crafting for that. I'm also doing much better about going to the gym and eating better (I'm down 5 pounds)!! Woo-hoo. Work is going well, I enjoy my 2 days a week but wouldn't necessarily want to work any extra. My job can be so rewarding. Just the other day, I had a patient that got some very devastating news about her prognosis (months to live) and she didn't have anybody there with her. She'd been battling cancer for years and years and basically it was winning now. Well, I spent a good 30 minutes just sitting with her, holding her hand and listening to her. I can't imagine how she must have felt, she has a 12 year old at home. I told her I was getting off work and would give her a ride home and contacted her family which are all out of town. Well, I worked the next evening and got a phone call from her sister from out of town. She thanked me over and over again for being there for her sister and that her sister couldn't say enough about the sweet nurse that took the time to sit and listen. She's such a strong women, she'd gone to work the next day. This is why I love being a nurse.

Any-who, enough about me. Brian is doing great. He did the swim back from Alcatraz again this year and significantly beat his time. Last year it took him 46 minutes and this year he did it in 38 minutes! He is also working hard to be healthy and has lost 23 pounds. We're best friends, our marriage is wonderful (at least on my end). Now that the kids are in school, we almost feel like we're dating again. We've been going to movies and out to lunch, it's been great. His work is going well, he'd probably work everyday if I'd let him. He's taking classes at Sacramento State, working on his Bachelor's Degree. I don't know how he gets it all done.

Mason - He's doing great in school. He loves his teacher again this year. She is best friends with his teacher from last year and they are a lot alike. She's pregnant so she'll be out for about 8 weeks this year but he'll have a great substitute that he already knows. He's NEVER gotten into trouble at school which makes me so proud. He's rocking his spelling words (he gets that from me) and has been doing challenge words each week. Math comes easily to him as well (he gets that from Brian), they are working on money and he definitely has that down. As always, his challenge comes with writing. He can do it but absolutely hates it and is constantly trying to write as few words as possible which actually takes him longer as I've explained to him. Surprisingly, 2nd grade has had less writing than 1st grade (at least in the homework). He loves soccer and is doing fantastic. He doesn't score goals but constantly gets the ball back from the other team - he's super fast and always does his best. He also passes a lot and gets many assists. I think he gets a little nervous once he gets to the goal because in practice he gets them like crazy. They've won their last 2 out of 3 games with the other game being a tie. He loves science, facts and riddles. He can tell you anything about sharks and dinosaurs (still). Also history. When it comes to reading his 20 minutes a day for school, he most of the time wants to read factual books - he's not into the story chapter books yet. His teacher says that's fine. At home, lets just say Mason is Mason. He can be challenging. Getting ready for school in the mornings can be very frustrating. He moves at a snails pace and I'm constantly nagging him to get ready. We often times have to ask him numerous times to do something. Ugh. By the end of the day, it can be quite exhausting. He picks on his sister (as all older siblings do) and rarely has anything supportive to say to her. I guess, I just want them to be there and be encouraging for each other which on Mason's end isn't going to happen. Homework time has gotten much easier but the homework is easier for him his year. He can knock out 4 pages of math in 5 minutes (correctly too). He can be very sensitive. If I'm upset or sad about something, he's most often the one that will try to help. Kyla will say, "You aren't going to cry are you?" By the way, I hardly ever cry about anything these days. We have to be very careful about what Mason hears. He'll talk about a sad news story for days and even cry about it sometimes. (No, I don't let him watch the news ... sometimes he just hears the stories) Anything sad about animals devastates him, even if they turn out happy. Kyla on the other hand doesn't get affected by those type of things.

Kyla - She's doing great in school. Her teacher says she's an "example student". She loves school and takes it very seriously. So far she enjoys doing homework although she hasn't had much of it. She'll say, "I like homework!" Mason says, "Of course she does." as he rolls his eyes. She's on list 3 of her sight words already. She's been much more tired now that she's in school for a full-day. It's a lot, between that and soccer. Right now she's working on learning her lower case letters and numbers as well as many other things. Her "best" friend at school changes daily and when she sees one of her friends, she'll run over and hug and squeeze them. It's adorable. Something totally clicked with soccer this year. She's scored 2 goals so far and has been very aggressive getting in there and trying to get the ball .... when she wants to. If she gets tired or frustrated she'll stop trying. All in all, she's doing great and seems like she enjoys it too. I told them I'd give them $5 for their first goal and $1 for each goal afterwards. Well, a few weeks ago, she scored a goal and during the game came running up to me asking for her $5! (All the other parents do it too!) Last week she scored a goal again and is such a ham she began blowing kisses to her audience with both hands over and over again. It was hysterical! After that half was over she ran in and gave 10's (2 handed high 5's, duh) to about 10 parents. You would have though, she'd just won the World Cup! She's too much sometimes. A crack up. She still loves anything doggies. At home, Kyla is 5 years old going on 10. She gets up, picks out her clothes and gets dressed without being asked ... shoes/socks and all. You rarely have to ask her to do anything more than once. She's easy to parent. She's super sweet and tells me she loves me multiple times a day and loves to cuddle.  She says nice things out of the blue. Here are some of them.
     -"You make me smile"
     -"I'm happy that you're my mom."
     -"I love my family."
     -"I love you more, mom."
     -"You make my heart happy."
     -"You look pretty."
     -"I love you cute mom."
She can be a stinker to Mason but is also very supportive.  "Good job, Mason." If he wants to play with her, she'll only play with him if she gets whatever she wants. If not, she'll say, "Then I'm not playing!" It frustrates him to no end. She's affectionate towards him and tries to hug him but he'll have none of that.

Well, that about sums it up. Enough for now. TTYL.

It's soccer time!

2011-09-02T21:07:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the year again ... soccer time. Kyla and Mason both got are playing on the same teams that they played on last year with most of the same players. I'm looking forward to a great season.

How cute are they?

Bunny ears cracks him up so much.

Go Supergirls!

Guarding the goal (by the way, that's not allowed at this level).

Go Wizards!

Stretching before the game ... yes, Brian is that limber.

Get em', Mason.

2 Randoms

2011-08-20T10:05:00.000-07:00

Uh-oh. Thank goodness it was just doll hair!! I couldn't be mad at her because she was so proud of herself and thought she did a great job. It was hysterical.

Seriously, look at Mason's abdominals. He's in crazy shape ... probably because he never stops moving. Even his back is well defined. He loves showing his muscles off!

1st day of school - 2011

2011-08-10T19:30:00.000-07:00

Well, the day has finally come ........ the first day of school! Kyla (and her parents) have been counting down for weeks and weeks. She couldn't have been more excited about the big day. Woke up early, quickly got dressed and was ready to go. Mason, eh ... he's been there done that so I don't think he was much looking forward to school starting up again. He missed his buddies but definitely enjoyed his summer break. Brian and I won't know what to do with all this free time we're going to have. We're thinking we might manage without them. Swimming pool, lunch dates, movies, SLEEP, hanging out, etc. etc. Several people have asked me if I cried watching my youngest go off to school. ~~Just tears of joy~~. I'll miss the alone time I get to spend with her. She's my little buddy, we enjoy a lot of the same things. Her constant affection warms my heart. I'm not sad because she is so ready, she's excited about her new adventure and being able to go to the same school as Mason.

A first day of school picture.

Take 2.

He's starting to look more and more like a young man ... and acting like it too. Stay this age forever! How handsome is he?

He chose to use the same backpack and lunch bag that he had last year. That's Mason, he never wants to get rid or let go of anything! Saved me some $$$ though.

Of course, she chose a new backpack and lunch box for Kindergarten. The preschool one simply won't do. She's a big girl now. I have to admit, her kitty-cat backpack is cute.

Looks like she's holding a flower but that's in the background. LOL.

I realize, I took a lot more pictures of her on her first day than I did of Mason. I took a gazillion pictures of him on his first day of Kindergarten also. See here. She's standing in line, ready to go to her classroom.

All eyes on the teacher.

There she goes. Have a great day sweet girl.

OK, so this picture might make me a little teary eyed. My kids are growing up ... I hope they always want to hang out with me. I hope that Kyla and I will remain good friends, even when she's a teenager. I hope Mason will still want to play catch and Super Mario Brothers on the Wii with me.

As for my free time ------Woo-Hoo!

Meet the teachers

2011-08-09T11:33:00.000-07:00

Mason and Kyla's school does something wonderful each year. They have a meet and greet the day before school starts so the kids can meet the teachers and find out where their classroom will be. Both of them were very excited to meet their teachers. We got so lucky ... both of their teachers are young and enthusiastic about teaching. Kyla's teacher is new to her school and this is her second year of teaching.

Kyla couldn't wait to meet her.

Sitting at her desk ... she also received a goodie bag from Ms. Adams.

Her classroom. Such a happy place.

It's official ... I see her name.

She is growing up too quickly.

Mason's teacher has been teaching at his school for a few years. She is good friends with his teacher from last year (which he loves) so he already knew he was going to like her. She told him she'd heard all about him from Mrs. Ashby and it put a HUGE smile on his face.

We also found out that Spencer, his best buddy will be in his class also. Cheesy smile while sitting at this desk.

Big 2nd grader now.

Camping - Santa Cruz

2011-08-07T14:00:00.000-07:00

Back in early August we went on one last camping trip before school started. We went with some friends of ours and their kids. It was a great time ... the kids loved having other kids to play with. They had all brought along their scooters and were able to scooter around the campground.

Even camping, the kids still wanted to play with their gaming devides. Mason and Syndey sat in the same chair and watched each other play.

There was a nice area for a good ol' game of baseball.

While they played baseball, Kyla played in the dirt ... it's what she does.

Hangin' out at the beach. We were worried that it was going to be cloudy and cold but it burned off just as we got there.

Cutie.

Mason can be so silly. I think he was doing a silly dance here while playing soccer with Brian.

Wow, does he look grown up or what?

Man, that water was cold. The girls didn't mind at all.

Mason and Nolan got in as well but didn't stay in long.

We saw this laying on the beach (turned over) and told Mason it was a piece of seaweed. We had him touch it and everything. A few minutes later, we took a good look at it and turned it over and realized it was some kind of a ray. Mason was so mad at us that we had him touch it ... it was a good laugh for the rest of us.

Aaaaaaawww!

Like I said, Kyla loves to play in the dirt ... it's what she does. She absolutely loves the beach.

A decent pictof all of us.

We took the kids on a little hike through the redwoods.

Buddies.

Down at the swimming hole we found while hiking. We'll be sure to wear our suits and hang out down there next time.

Mason's favorite ... Bunny Ears!

Nolan and Mason.

Another group photo.

Camping - Lake Tahoe

2011-07-20T21:47:00.000-07:00

Brian participated in a relay swim across Lake Tahoe so we spent a few days camping up there. We stayed at Zephyr Cove which nice because it's right across from the beach. Walkable. The downside to camping there was that you feel a little bit like you're right in the middle of town. And really, you are. The nice part of camping so close to town is that we were able to go out for pizza one night and I was able to get away and gamble for a few hours. I had a great afternoon and made $60.00. (Thanks for letting me out, Brian)

The kids frolicked around in the water but it was too cold for me! Brrrrr.

Brian and Mason played football on the beach and Kyla enjoyed pretending she was a puppy doggy and fetching the ball from the water. She still loves pretending she's a dog. Look at his rockin' body.

The best picture I could get because Kyla wouldn't cooperate. M.S. Dixie is in the background.

We went on a hike to Horsetail Falls. We didn't make it all the way to the base of the waterfall but the kids hiked about a mile and a half each way. It took us about 3 hours ... I was so impressed with the kids. They hiked through some rocky terrain and didn't start complaining until we were almost done. I love having outdoorsy and adventuresome kids. They have been so much fun to be around.

Kyla spotted this unusual looking tree with an L shape. Both kids posed for a picture.

Kyla's turn.

Hey cutie!

My turn to be in a picture. We sat on a big slab of granite.

Mason gets the biggest kick out of bunny ears!

Relaxing during lunch time. Mason loves to play with Brian's face.

Kyla thought it was the funniest thing ever.

See the falls in the background?

Luckily there was a dog beach nearby so Roscoe could get some exercise and cool off. He loves fetching in the water. Dry land, not a chance.

Wet dog!

While growing up, I went camping during the summers with a friend. We used to make, "fuddpuckers". I'm not sure why there were called that. You take a nice green stick and wrap bisquits around it. I made Mason one with 3 bisquits. The Big Kahuna!

Everyone else likes them with butter and honey. I prefer butter and jelly on min. I love his crazy face.

While Brian was swimming the kids and I were beached out so we went to a local park.

Aaaah, camping is so relaxing.

Hanging out in the trailer.

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-07T19:09:00.000-07:00

We went to a bike parade the morning of the 4th of July. They kids had so much fun and were very proud of themselves riding along. Brian and I helped (OK did it) the kids decorate Mason's Razor 360 and Kyla's Razor Scooter. Kyla isn't good enough at riding a bike without training wheels yet. She does OK once she gets going but has a difficult time starting off. Brian had to work the 4th of July ... we were all bummed. If they don't change his shift, he'll have the next 4 or 5 off.

I forced the ~~kids~~ Mason to take a picture together before we headed out. Mason is usually pretty cooperative but for some reason, he didn't want her to touch him AT ALL. I had to threaten him with going to bed early. I wouldn't really have put him to bed early on the 4th but he didn't know that. I love the way it turned out.

Kyla ... all decked out.

Mason with his 360. That thing is so cool. It reminds me of the ol' Green Machine from back in the day.

Eh. Just a so-so one of the two of them.

Now, Kyla wouldn't cooperate. She wanted to stand by Mason and he wouldn't let her (she was touching him). She chased him round and round and finally stood still but REFUSED to smile. She can be such a stinker!

We stopped by our friends' house so they could walk over to the parade with us. Here's a cute picture of all of them.

Station 30 sent an Engine over the lead the parade and the kids were able to get in for a picture. Kyla the Engineer.

Mason was the Captain. He told one of the firefighters that his dad also has a red helmet. It was cute.

Tons of people came out for this. It was such a great time and I can't wait to do it again next year. After the parade, they had snacks and a bouncy house.

Awwww.

They stopped for a brief moment during the parade but weren't happy about it.

Kyla couldn't wait to get her hands on these sugar cookies! Yum-O.

Online Card Class

2011-07-05T22:12:00.000-07:00

I'm taking an online summer card camp and each week we're given a color combination to work with. You can then upload your card to a student gallery for a chance to win great prizes if your card is selected to be featured. I decided to give it a try. I'm definitely not getting my hopes up ... there were something like 800 cards uploaded for last weeks color combination.

Here it is. Simple, but I love the way it turned out. It's difficult to see in the photo but I put pop-dots underneath the butterfly to add depth and the small red butterfly has Glossy Accents on it.

Kyla's Preschool Graduation

2011-06-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

Kyla had her graduation ceremony for preschool last week. She was super excited and had been talking about it for months. Kyla started going to Tendercare 2 days a week when she was 3 and moved up to 3 days a week when she turned 4. It has been wonderful, she looked forward to going each day and met some great friends there. She has been out for less than a week and this morning she already said, "I miss Teacher Michelle. Maybe I will still see her in stores or something." After the ceremony, Teacher Michelle and I laughed about how lazy she was when she first started school. Michelle said Kyla would often say she didn't want to do something because she was too tired. Finally, Michelle asked me one day if Kyla gets enough sleep. Sleep? Oh yeah, my kids get plenty of sleep. I put them down no later than 8:15 EVERY DAY. Unless it's a holiday or something... even then, I'm not happy about it. ;) Well, after she found out that Kyla couldn't possibly be tired, she wouldn't let her get away with any shenanigans. I can't believe how far she's come, she is so ready for Kindergarten. I don't anticipate a difficult time transitioning at all.
I have to warn you, the next several posts are going to have tons of pictures. They are big events ... graduation, vacations and 4th of July.

The kids marched in carrying pinwheels. Kyla was so serious.

All smiles now.

The Pledge of Allegiance.

They sang several songs and boy did she get into it. It was adorable.

More singing.

A group photo of the kids. Aren't they all so cute?

"Slippery fish, slippery fish, sliding in the water."

After their performance, they changed into their cap and gowns. Absolutely my favorite photo of the night. Am I going to be in trouble with this girl or what? I love how she is sitting, legs crossed and both boys are looking at her. Priceless. To make matters worse, she is boy crazy too. Most of her friends are boys.

Waiting to get her diploma.

Woo-hoo! Go Kyla. I'm so proud of you little girl.

A group photo of the kids in their cap and gowns.

She blew us a kiss on her way out. She can be so sweet sometimes. I bet she tells me she loves me 15 times a day right now. Yesterday she told me, "I love you just the way you are." Melted my heart.

Good friends.

A so-so family picture.

A great one with her Daddy.

LOVE IT!

Teacher Michelle.

Teacher Marissa.

Teacher Beth.

My mom couldn't make it so she sent Kyla a stuffed animal and a flower arrangement. Kyla said she had never gotten flowers delivered before and that she felt so special.

Congratulations, baby girl. I couldn't me more proud of you.

Kyla's Photo Shoot

2011-06-29T20:53:00.000-07:00

It took a bunch of pictures of Kyla with her new haircut the other day (before her preschool graduation). We had a great time with it even though it was SO hot outside. She's growing up right before my very eyes. She is a great age right now ... I don't want her to grow up! I took her to get her hair cut last week. We went really short with it because her hair had become broken and dry and always seemed to look scraggly. She absolutely loves it and at first I wasn't sure ... I kept thinking, how long is it going to take to grow back but now I am used to it and am so thankful we did it. She has the most beautiful face and her new cut really shows it off.

Here are the pictures, I narrowed them down the best I could.

Stay tuned for photos from Kyla's Graduation as well as our recent vacations.

Cruise - Part 2

2011-06-27T23:00:00.000-07:00

Our second port of call was to Ensenada. We decided to spend the day at a local resort and then do a little partying/shopping. We had such a relaxing day ... they had a swim up bar, an authentic mexican lunch and a gorgeous pool. I wish the weather had been a little warmer. I hear that July/August are better months, weather wise.

Lacie and I. Hanging out at the poolside bar.

My sister ordered shots of tequila. I was too wimpy to do any more than one but they had a couple. Yuck. By golly, I think I've finally grown up ... I now realize how crummy I feel the next day when I drink too much and that just because everyone else is doing shots, it doesn't mean I have to. It's taken me a long time and many, many hangover's to learn this important life lesson.

My momma and I in Ensenada.

Ok, so even though I didn't do anymore shots, I had a few more cerveza's at Papas and Beer. We were having a blast but my mom was miserable in there and couldn't believe how wild some of the young girls were being. We kept telling her to stop looking but she couldn't help herself. She looked like she was getting a root canal, so we got out of there.

Back on the boat ... ready to watch the evening performance.

Mom and I at dinner. Love her.

I'm gonna get caught up with this blogging thing, I promise. Now that the kids are in school, I have so much more time. :-)

Cruise - Part 1

2011-06-27T22:07:00.000-07:00

My sister and I took my mom on a cruise for her 65th birthday. My niece was able to come along as well. We went to Catalina Island and Ensenada. The R & R and being able to hang out with the family was absolutely wonderful.

We were on the Carnival Paradise, a little bit older ship but still very nice.

Day 1 - enjoying cocktails on the Promenade Deck.

Fun in the sun.

We went parasailing in Catalina Island.

My sister and niece.

A before picture of my mom. Happy Birthday.

Waiting for my turn.

And we're off. I didn't realize that we didn't even have to get wet. It was such a great time.

It was so peaceful, I could have spent all day up there. My mom got to go up a second time. There was a super nice guy that didn't have a partner and asked my mom to go up because it was here birthday. She absolutely loved it.

Such a cool picture of my mom in the air. She rocks!!

Hanging out at a pub in Catalina.

A good group portrait. No, we didn't coordinate our colors ... I promise.

Take 2. I like them both. The original photos are much clearer.

Farm Field Trip

2011-06-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

While Brian and I were on vacation, Mike and Carol (Brian's Parents) took the kids on a field trip with Kyla's Preschool. They went to a farm. Here are some photos.

Mason pulling an onion out of the ground.

Berries.

Teacher Michelle.

Vacation Time

2011-06-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

Back in June (I'm so behind), Brian went fishing in Wyoming and I went on a cruise so the kids spent a week with their grandparents. They had a great time. Because they know how much I love photos, they took quite a few. Thanks so much for everything guys. I appreciate all you do.

Grandpa took Mason to the California State Railroad Museum.

Mason and Kyla gave Grandpa's beard a little trim. Here's a before picture.

Grandpa's a brave soul by trusting these two with scissors. He looks afraid.

Happy Meals = Happy Kids

They went up to Lake Tahoe and stayed in a cabin at Zephyr Cove. Kyla got a gigantic hot cocoa. Yummy!

Cousin Mayci (as Kyla calls her all the time) got hot cocoa too.

Mini golfing. Mason got a hole in one.

That's quite a stance, Kyla.

Hanging out with the family at the beach.

Kyla fell asleep at the beach and slept for 4 HOURS! Yes, I said 4 hours. How come she never sleeps for us! She must have been absolutely exhausted.

Uncle Jody taught Mason how to paddle board. Too cool.

Chillin' with Mayci.

Pizza time. Looks like they're having a blast.

And s'mores. 2 of Mason's favorite things!

Having breakfast at Zephyr Cove.

Mason on this jumpy thing.

Kyla's turn. I'm surprised she went on it. She wouldn't last year at Apple Hill.

Books. This is precious. My kids are blessed to have such wonderful grandparents.

We've been so busy having fun this summer that I haven't had time to blog, I'm going to try to catch up over the next few days ... I'm going to have tons more to blog about when the kids start school (in 2 weeks).

Vacation time!!

2011-06-19T11:41:00.000-07:00

Sorry for not posting lately. I've been out of the mood. I'm super excited ... Brian's parents are coming to watch the kids for the week. Brian went on his annual fishing trip to Wyoming and I'm going on a 4 night cruise with my mom, sister and niece. I'm counting the minutes. I will try to catch up when I get back. Woo-hoo!

My BIG 2nd Grader

2011-06-15T20:44:00.000-07:00

I'm way behind. Mason got out school about 2 weeks ago ... I can't believe I have a 2nd grader! Time flies, doesn't it? On his last day of school, they have a field day, basically a big play day with water activities and sports. All of the parents are able to come out for the Field Day as well as a BBQ lunch in the quad afterwards. We really enjoyed having a picnic lunch with Mrs. Asshby. She was amazing ... I'm crossing my fingers that Kyla gets her when she's in 1st grade. She made learning fun and really put her heart into everything.

Such a sweet picture of them.

Great friends.

Hanging out.

Mason's idea to leave Mrs. Ashby a note.

Animal House

2011-06-08T11:25:00.000-07:00

We definitely have a houseful, that's for sure. We have a dog, cat and a fish (had 2 fish but one of our fish died - I'll get to that later). Our animals are a lot of work but the kids get so much joy from them, it's totally worth it.

Lucy (almost 2 years old). She turned out to be a great pet, once we got past the scratching. Ugh. She loves playing with bags, lying in boxes and roaming around outside.

Cody, our Beta fish affectionately named by Kyla. When we go away, she always says how much she misses him.

Mason's fish. Well, let's just say his fish was only with us for a few weeks before Lucy knocked the bowl off of his dressed and onto the ground. Kyla and I came home to a dead fish on the floor. At least we saw it and were able to get rid of it before he did, he is so sensitive about things like that. We all agreed that it would be best not to get another fish. Lucy leaves Cody alone, she just likes to stare at the fish bowl.

Roscoe (9 years old). Brian and I got him shortly after we got married. He was out of control for the first 5 years (like Marley from the book/movie) but since then he's been a good boy. He doesn't chew our toes or walls up or anything else for that matter. He's super lazy now and just sleeps most of the day. Don't even try to take him for a run, he'll STOP running and make you drag him after 1 mile. He's my buddy when the kids are away.

I realize that all of these blog posts are out of order, I'm just trying to catch up and will re-organize them as soon as I'm done. I have all of July and part of August to catch up on! Now that the kids are in school, I have a lot more time on my hands. ;-) I'm at Barnes and Noble, enjoying a hot cup of coffee right now as I type this. Aaaahhh.

When big brothers are away, little sisters will play (with their stuff)

2011-06-07T15:24:00.000-07:00

Mason got a Razor 360 for his birthday and Kyla's been wanting to give it a try but her legs weren't long enough. Well, she figured out a way to fix the problem and boy was she excited ... and proud of herself. She took her lawn chair and put it over the seat so she would be a little closer to the pedals. I got a good laugh out of watching her ride.

Sshhh! Don't tell Mason. Sharing isn't one of strong points and he'd have a fit if he knew she was touching his things.

Mason's Classroom

2011-06-05T21:04:00.000-07:00

I couldn't help but take pictures of a few things around Mason's Classroom.

Click to enlarge Mason's story.

Baby Chicks/Open House

2011-06-05T19:32:00.000-07:00

Mason's classroom has had chick eggs. He couldn't have been more excited about turning the eggs and being able to help take care of them. When I visited the classroom, all of the kids told me to be careful not to stomp because it might scare them. On the 21st day (May 23rd) some of the eggs hatched and they had 4 chicks. The night before, Mason was so excited, he didn't think he was going to be able to sleep. I was asked by his teacher to come into the classroom and take pictures of each of the kids with the chicks. Fun, fun. Does she know me or what? I loved holding the chicks and seeing the excitement on all of their faces. Priceless.

Mason was completely at ease holding the chicks and absolutely loved it. Not all of the children were that way. Some of the kids held it away from their body and just wanted to get it over with. Some of them commented on the smell. One of the little girls had an icky look on her face when she was done and said, "Can I go wash my hands now?" I thought they were adorable and smelled just fine.

Mason talked and talked about how fluffy and soft their feathers were. Is the classroom cute or what?

They had an Open House at Mason's school. We took our friend Drew so he could see the baby chicks and Mason's classroom. Mason showed him around.

My ham.

Aww. I took the best pictures of the kids and then realized I didn't have a memory card in the camera. Why does my camera take pictures without a memory card??? You would think it would have given me some kind of message! I was bummed.

Mason held the chicks 5 times during the Open House!

Love it. Now Kyla isn't sure if she wants to be an animal doctor or a nurse. All I have to say is Nursing School is a lot less expensive than Vet School and she'd probably make more! She sure is an animal lover though.

Okay, time to give it back now. We sure are going to miss his teacher next year. She is amazing.

When did my little boy grow up? We went to Barnes and Noble today (because it was raining AGAIN ... in JUNE) and he sat down and read books on his own (pictures later). He read a shark book, a Spongebob Squarepants and a Scooby-Doo book. I'm so proud of him. While we were walking out, he saw a Battleship Game Deluxe Edition (it may have been electric or something). He yelled, "Mom, come over here!! It's a TRICKED OUT Battleship Game!!" He's too funny. By the way, for those of you with little ones. Monopoly Junior is so much fun. Kyla can play it as well.

Another Mason funny. He talked me into playing catch with him in the backyard. It's all he wants to do ... hit baseballs, catch baseballs, everything baseball. After I threw the ball hard he said, "Mom, you're showing off your guns, aren't you?" Too funny. I told him I'd play if when we got in, he'd do a page of his homework. It works every time. Woo-hoo. His last homework packed until the second grade! He's gotten so much better. He doesn't fuss about it anymore, he just sits down and gets it over with. His penmanship is still terrible (like Brian's) but his teacher doesn't seem too worried about it. She basically says to pick our battles.

Cal Bears

2011-06-01T12:01:00.000-07:00

Such a cute picture of the boys in the dug-out.

During Mason's baseball games, Kyla loves to roam around on her scooter. I can't believe how good she is on that thing. She zooms down hills and slows herself down with her foot ... actually wore a hole in her shoes. Makes me a nervous wreck.

Vroooom!

That's my boy. Love to watch him hit!

Class of 1991 - 20 years

2011-05-31T20:27:00.000-07:00

I recently had my 20 year high school reunion in my hometown. There was never a question in my mind on whether or not I would attend. So many people (who live there still) go and I can't understand why. I really enjoyed catching up with everyone. Some people were so much friendlier than they were in high school and I'm a completely different person than I used to be. I was quiet and reserved. Would never have gone up to people that I didn't know well to talk to them ... never snobish, just quiet. Not now, after a few glasses of wine, I had no problem talking with everyone.

A lot of people couldn't make it to the parade.

BIG News ... No more training wheels!

2011-05-23T22:31:00.000-07:00

Kyla has been asking us to take her training wheels off for about 2 weeks. She's not afraid of anything (but scary noises and rain). She practiced 3 times before she got the hang of it. It's a bit of a challenge getting starting but once she gets going, no problem. Big smiles ... she's so proud of herself. She's 5, you know (as she says often).

She's geared up and ready to go.

Dad gives her a little help getting going.

And she's off! Woo-hoo! Go, Kyla.

I can't believe how fast she's growing up.

I absolutely love this photo. Just look at her attitude. Bring it on.

Funny - Mason asked us the other day why he didn't have a nickname and said he wanted one. We asked him what his nickname would be and he said, "How about Fire and Ice!" Brian and I just cracked up. Of course, Kyla said she needed a nickname as well and it would be Barbie. The things they say.

We're looking forward to summer around here. It's bittersweet for me ... I love not being rushed, rushed with all of the school activities and homework but man it sure is nice having a break from the kids. Kyla doesn't get out of preschool until the end of June. I can't believe I only have one more month of childcare to pay for! Oh, yea!! We don't have any big vacations planned but I'm sure we'll do tons of camping. We all enjoy it so much. I'm really wanting to go to Disneyland again but we definitely wouldn't go in the summer, maybe one of the kids breaks from school.

I'm a bit bummed out. I was planning on selling my cards at the Craft Fair last Saturday but we found out about 3 days before the event that the Craft Fair was cancelled for good. I had 115 cards done and ready to be sold! I am on the lookout for another Craft Fair. I listed a few cards on Etsy.com but I don't think they'll sell. There are something like 22,000 cards on Etsy for sale. If you'd like to see my creations, click HERE.

Mother's Day Gifts

2011-05-23T12:26:00.000-07:00

The kids made me the most wonderful Mother's Day gifts. The best presents are handmade. :) I love Mother's Day because Brian and the kids won't let me do anything. I get taken care of, get to choose what I want for dinner and get to relax. I was able to hang out in my craft room for about 4 hours - my favorite thing to do. Brian also bought me a fire pit for the backyard. I love it.

A foam picture frame from Kyla.

A hand print flower with a lovely poem. By Kyla.

Mason made a mosaic flower for me during Art Class.

Mason also gave me the sweetest poem. He was so excited to give it to me. My boy.

Thanks guys for the wonderful day. I felt so special.

Rainy Day Activities

2011-05-20T19:00:00.000-07:00

I brought some celery home from the store the other day and Mason couldn't wait to show us the experiment he did at school. We took a stalk of celery and put it in a cup of water with food coloring in it. (any color will do, we chose red ... my favorite color). We left it overnight and when we looked at it the next morning, it had pulled the food coloring all the way up almost to the leaves. Next time, we'll try it with blue ... and lots more food coloring. It was cool. I think he felt like big man on campus for being able to show us this.

Mason's 7th Birthday!

2011-05-16T20:26:00.000-07:00

Mason wanted to have a sleep-over this year to celebrate his birthday and Brian and I were crazy enough to say yes. We had 5 boys come over (all 6 and 7 year olds). Mason was on top of the world, I could see in his face how proud he was to have all of his friends at our house. It went very well, the boys were easy and all got along great. We didn't have to do a lot of organized activities because they were happy jumping on the trampeline and playing in the playroom. They also had a blast chasing each other around the house with their weapons of choice ... light sabers, swords and nerf guns.

A group picture of all of the kids together. Not bad, huh? It was difficult to get the kids to stop playing for a photo.

Buddies. I'm so excited by how this one turned out.

4 at a time on the trampeline. Any more than that, we would have had injuries for sure.

Mason, showing off his skills.

Boys are so much easier than girls, if I would have had 5 girls over, I'm sure there would have been some drama and tears. I'm sure I would have needed to have more activities for them.

Pizza time ... none of the kids ate much because they couldn't wait to play. They surely didn't eat any fruit. Parents, I tried. They also didn't brush their teeth before bed ... sorry again, my fault. When I remembered to have the kids brush their teeth, they were all tucked away in bed (and I wasn't about to get them all up)!

Scavenger Hunt.

What do we need?

Mason insisted on having an ice cream cake. It was delicious.

Make a Wish!!

Time to open gifts, I couldn't get a good picture because all of the kids were up so close.

So excited!

They were packed in like sardines. Snug as a bug in a run. They watched Megamind before going to bed and let me tell you, it was dead silence. They loved it. At bedtime, one of the boys came up to my room and complained about one of the other boys so I went downstairs and asked them if they'd like me to sleep on the sofa next too them. They all exclaimed, "NO"! I told them if I had to come downstairs again, I would! That worked.

They woke up early ... 6 am. They hadn't played the Wii at all so we said it was fine in the morning. They took turns well.

Waffles and bacon for breakfast.

Buddies.

Hey Batter-Batter

2011-05-09T21:10:00.000-07:00

We have been playing a lot of baseball will Mason lately and now Kyla is starting to show interest as well. She has been using Mason's old bat and hitting off the Tee. The hardest thing for her is figuring out which way to put her hands.

Daddy, giving her some pointers.

Swing! Keep your eye on the ball, Kyla.

She enjoyed posing for this picture as much if not more than playing ball.

Ski Time

2011-05-06T22:16:00.000-07:00

Last week, Brian and Mason went skiing for the last time this season (probably). Kyla and I rode up there with them so we could watch them. While the boys were skiing, Kyla and I went to Truckee to browse around in the shops and have lunch. I was disappointed, a lot of the cute stores up there had closed down. We enjoyed lunch, hot cocoa, walked around a little and then it was time to pick up the boys. Kyla and I have such a great relationship ... I love the girl time.

I was absolutely shocked at how well Mason was able to ski. He did great, didn't look nervous or anything. No fear. I could just tell that he loved having me there watching him.

My boys ... I just love em'.

Go Buddy!

Posing on the way down. What a ham.

I couldn't believe he came down this big hill! I may have to try to learn how to ski next year. If my 6 year old can do it, I should be able to, right?

I thought he was going to fall because he kept waving and holding both arms in the air. Finally Brian told him to just ski!

Love this one.

Sneaky girl ... trying to get me with a snowball.

BIG News

2011-05-05T22:38:00.000-07:00

Kyla lost a tooth!! After coming home from school, Kyla came running into the house screaming, "I have a loose tooth!" I was so surprised. Mason was at least half way through Kindergarten before he lost any teeth. Kyla lost her tooth while playing at the park today. She actually lost the tooth and thinks she may have swallowed it. When I told her what was going to happen if she swallowed the tooth, she giggled hysterically.

Drafting the letter.

Front bottom tooth. For the past week, Kyla has been eating with her head tilted to the side because it hurts to chew on that tooth. I told her that she didn't need to tilt her head, she could just chew on the other side but she insisted that she had to. She was relieved to be able to hold her head up straight while eating dinner tonight.

She's ready.

"Tooth Fairy, I lost my tooth while I was playing with Nicholas."

Mason also wrote letters to the tooth fairy tonight. The first one said, "I lost my tooth" and the second one said, "I would like some $5.00 bills." Of course, he was fibbing. He said it's worth a try.

Easter 2011

2011-05-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

The kids woke up early on Easter morning to run out and look at their Easter baskets and find eggs. The Easter Bunny left them water guns, a few little toys, a chocolate bunny and some jelly beans. They ran around the house, found the eggs as quick as they could and couldn't wait to get their hands on their chocolate bunnies. "For breakfast?"

Mason's M & M Chocolate Bunny.

Kyla had no time for pictures.

We went out to Chrissy's house to celebrate Easter. She's a very close friend of our family ... just like family really. Each time we go to Coalinga, we go out to her house. She has property outside of town and has lots of animals. The kids love her too. We had a huge Easter Egg Hunt. They had 100+ eggs to search for.

I know... I forgot their Easter Baskets. Mother of the Year, huh?

Mason was out of control.

Jace, Chrissy's nephew is 5 and such a sweet boy. The kids played so well together, we hardly saw them. The nice thing about being out at Chrissy's house is that they can just run around. I was able to let my guard down and really enjoy the day. The adults played games.

"MOM, not right now!"

That's my boy.

Auntie and Kyla. I don't have very many pictures of them.

My mom turned 65 on April 29th. My sister and I went together and are taking her on a 4 night cruise to Mexico and Catalina Island in June. Lacie's coming too, it'll be just the girls. My mom was shocked. We are all so excited.

I love you, Mom! Happy Birthday.

Coloring Eggs

2011-05-04T14:05:00.000-07:00

We went to Coalinga for Easter weekend. The kids (and adults) had a great time coloring eggs.

Absolutely dreadful picture of me but my mom would kill me if I didn't include one of myself.

Kyla was so serious.

My mom, reading to the kids before bed. It's always such a nice break for me.

Gold Country Camping - Part 2 of 2

2011-05-03T21:56:00.000-07:00

Our friends came up for the day to see us while camping. Their son, Nicholas is in Mason's class at school. They were supposed to come up on our second day with their trailer but they got into an accident on the way up (totalled their trailer). The kids were so excited to have Nicholas come camping with us even if it were just for the day.

We toured Black Chasm Gold Mine - we had done it last year and the kids had a blast. You go on a jeep ride to get down into the mine. I'm pretty sure it's Kyla's favorite part. She loved zooming back up the hill after the tour and even held her arms up the entire way. She's a thrill seeker for sure. Here are a few pictures.

Before we headed down.

A cute one of the boys.

Miss thing.

Afterwards, the kids here on the hunt for gems. They would have spent all day looking if it weren't getting so late. We had to get back to camp to make dinner. Kim, Frank and Nicholas stayed for dinner and hung out around the campfire for a while before going home. It was a great evening.

Kyla poses for the camera.

Mason has been waiting and waiting to turn 50 pounds and he has finally done it. Kyla is 42 pounds.

Kyla has a loose bottom tooth. I couldn't believe it. Mason was at least half way through his Kindergarten year before he lost a tooth. She is so excited and proud that she tells everyone in sight, I mean everyone. She ran up to Mason's Principal (her future principal) and told him this morning. She's a crack up.

Gold Country Camping - Part 1 of 2

2011-04-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

We went camping last year during Spring Break and had such a good time, we decided to go again this year. Click for my blog posts from last year. Part 1 and here for Part 2. I'm posting tons of pictures.

I love this picture of the kids together standing in the doorway of our tent trailer. They embraced each other on their own. No nagging required.

Brian asked me to take some pictures of Roscoe. He's getting older, he is 9 years old now. He was such a good boy while camping. He was off leash almost the entire time and never ran away. That's unheard of for him.

Roscoe, eagerly waiting for some droppings.

Fast asleep. Many times during our camping trip, Roscoe would go and stand by the door of the trailer, waiting to get in. He's too good to sleep on the ground, I guess.

Hanging out together. We love the family bonding that takes place on our camping trips. I'm sure the kids will have many fond memories. We love to cook s'mores over the campfire at night and sometimes in the morning, we wrap bisquits around a larger stick and cook those too. We slide them off the branches and fill them with butter and jelly or honey. Yum.

Modern day camping ... with movies. On our second night, we had a very impressive thunderstorm. Wow. It started while we were eating our dinner (outside) around 7 pm and lasted all night. It rained into the morning hours also so the kids watched movies in bed. During the storm, we got in the truck and drove down to get hot cocoa. We tried to show the kids the lightning but they missed it every time. The thunder and hard rain woke Brian and I up through the night but our tent trailer is so cozy, it didn't bother us a bit. Of course Kyla (who's deathly afraid of the rain at night at home) slept right through it all! Stinker.

She's cute.

The kids have been talking for the past year about how cool the Black Chasm Cavern was, we went on the tour again.

Black Chasm.

Mason picked up the very heavy piece of Calcium rock?? I think that's what it was. I'm sure Brian will correct me.

I tried to take a lot of pictures of Brian with the kids, I don't have as many as I'd like.

Kyla puckered up for her dad.

A cute picture of Kyla. I can't believe how large Brian's hand looks in this photo.

I'm telling your mom!! I guess he got tired of me taking pictures.

Fools Gold.

Coalinga Caballo Club

2011-04-29T20:05:00.000-07:00

We've been visiting family in Coalinga quite often lately and one of the things we enjoy doing is visiting the horses at the Caballo Club. The kids love feeding the horses carrots (thanks mom for not getting the snack size carrots this time, lol) and of course I love the photo opportunities.

I have a confession to make ... I haven't been blogging very much lately because I'm obsessed with making cards. I mean obsessed. When I'm not making cards, I'm thinking about making cards or looking at card making blogs and videos. I've let my house go (sorry Brian). I am going to have a booth at one of the upcoming craft fairs with a friend of mine from work. She's a big stamper/crafter too. I've made about 80 cards so far and hope to have at least 100. I can't wait, I don't necessarily care if I make a lot of money, I'd just like to feed my addiction to stamps. I'll post pictures of some of my cards soon. I've gotten much better if I do say so myself.

An adorable picture of Kyla with a Shetland Pony.

This horse really took a liking to Mason.

My mom took a decent picture of the kids and I. I never like myself in pictures.

Granny. Thanks for all you do for me, Mom.

The kids and I posed for a picture on this horse trailer.

Absolutely the cutest horse out there. He loved smelling me and rubbing his nose on my face. I'm usually a little nervous around horses (I know, crazy huh) but this horse was so sweet and gentle. I wasn't a bit nervous about him biting me with his big ol' teeth.

Out takes. Take 1.

My mom and I were so exciting about using this old tractor as a photo prop. Kyla wasn't having it.

Take 2. This time she refuses to smile. Grrr.

Take 3. Mason helped out a little with this one. It was hysterical. Isn't this photo cute?

Finally I got a good one. This is priceless.

My two sweeties.

Stay tuned for more posts. I have at least 5 more events to blog about. I can't help myself. My mom is working on my 2010 blog book and is on June. I'm so excited to see it when it's finished.

Kyla's Birthday Party - Part 2 of 2

2011-04-23T22:18:00.000-07:00

Kyla became girly overnight. She loves Barbie's and pink and frilly clothes (almost). She chose a pink and purple princess cake. That's one thing about Kyla ... she's very decisive. She picked this cake out in about 2 minutes and didn't want to look at anything else.

The Bounce Spot provided cupcakes for the kids to decorate.

Drew and Kyla.

Cake time. She got the cutest smile when we bought her cake out.

Blowing out her candles.

Our party planner asked if I minded if the kids had a cupcake eating contest. I thought they'd have fun with that. Here's a photo of Mason digging in.

A cute one of Kyla before the contest.

Most of the other kids wanted to neatly pick up their cupcakes and eat them. Of course, not my kids ... they loved every minute of it. The messier, the better.

Mason was in the lead at the beginning but in the last few seconds, Kyla pulled out the win. I was shocked.

She said she ate like Roscoe doggy.

What a mess!

Opening her presents. She loved this one ... can you tell by the picture?

She gets so excited about every gift.

More Barbies!

Happy Birthday Sweetie. Mommy loves you and hope you had a wonderful day!

Kyla's Birthday Party - Part 1 of 2

2011-04-23T21:03:00.000-07:00

I'm terribly behind on blogging! I've just been having too much fun and have been making cards like crazy. (My passion lately) We had Kyla's birthday party on April 9th at The Bounce Spot. Quite a few of her school friends couldn't come but she still had a good turnout and a great time. It was a great place to have a birthday party.

She was SO excited about her party and started counting down the days at 7. She said "it's my best day ever!" She loved helping me with her goodie bags and getting everything ready for her party. I can't believe my baby is 5! She'll be starting Kindergarten before we know it. She has her Kindergarten assessment next week.

A group photo. Are they a great looking bunch of kids or what? They were so sweaty from all of the cardio!

Kyla and two of her buddies. She says Josh is her boyfriend and she's going to marry him some day. She's sure of it. Funny story - while camping this week, Kyla colored a picture for Josh and wrote "To Josh". Well, while Kyla wasn't working, Mason sneaked in there and wrote "Love You!" on it. Isn't that something an older brother would do?

Wheeeeee!

Sister and Mom.

Mom and I being kids. It was fun.

While playing a version of musical chairs (spots), the kids had to crawl around like crabs.

Drew and Kyla on their spot.

Our party planner encouraged the parents to participate!

During musical chairs, they also had to walk backwards. The party planner said to be sure you look over your shoulder so you don't run into each other. They sure did. It was hysterical.

Parachute time.

Kyla was a bit of a stinker to my sister. Later in the day, she told told her, "There's a good Kyla and a bad Kyla." My sister asked her which one she was and she said she was the good Kyla and she loved her.

Kyla and Avary

2011-04-23T19:30:00.000-07:00

Kyla had her best friend, Avary over for a playdate a few weeks ago. She was excited about it for 2 entire days before she came over. They played and played and giggled and giggled. Here are a few pictures.

Kyla - Future Animal Doctor

2011-04-07T21:22:00.000-07:00

Absolutely blah and exhausted tonight so I don't have much to say. I wanted to post a few pictures I took of Kyla the other day. I'm trying to keep up with my blogging and I know I'm going to take tons more this weekend during Kyla's birthday party.

Kyla loves to photographed now which is an absolute dream to me. She does all of her own posing. Sometimes it's a bit too much but I love this one of her lying on her bed.

Kyla and Lucy (or Lucifer as Brian says). She's the craziest cat!

She's such a sweet and kind girl.

She talks about being an "animal doctor" all the time. I often find her doctoring up her injured or sick stuffed animals.

Brushing bunny's dirty teeth.

She's such a little caretaker. The other morning she picked out Mason's shirt, pants, underwear and socks for school. She handed them to him and said, "Here you go, buddy."

Batter up

2011-04-04T10:06:00.000-07:00

Mason had his first game on Saturday. They beat the other team 8-1 (but who keeps score, right). Mason has been having a very difficult time hitting off of the pitching machine so I was worried but he did fine. He got a hit on his last ups which really boosted his confidence. He ran the bases with the biggest smile on his face. He also got the last put out at first base. Proud moment.

Kyla took a picture of us before we headed to the game.

Kyla insisted that we do a silly one.

How cute is this? Absolute favorite picture of the day.

Mason hanging out in the dug-out.

A group picture of the Cal Bears. Such a great bunch of kids.

Mason and his good buddy from school.

He has a good batting stance. He's growing up before our eyes.

Big swing.

I'm just about done with my blogging marathon. I've been so busy doing crafts and making cards, I've been neglecting my blogging. I'm loving my craft room right now. My mom is working on the 2010 blog book and I can't wait until she's done. I love seeing my blog on paper. I promise to write more now that I'm caught up.

Good times

2011-04-04T09:40:00.000-07:00

As the kids get older, I find that Brian and Mason spend a lot of time together and Kyla and I spend a lot of time together. Brian and I want to be sure to spend quality time with each of the kids so last week he had a Daddy/Daugher Day with Kyla and I had a Mommy/Son Day with Mason. Both kids were excited about it.

Brian took Kyla skiing for the day. She's a bit too young and had a difficult time even standing up. Needless to say, Brian was exhausted when he got home. Here's a cute picture of Kyla during their picnic lunch. After skiing for a while, he took her to get a new toy at Target. She's obsessed with all things Barbie right now, so she picked out a Barbie purse with a pretend phone, camera, driver's license and sunglasses.

Mason and I went to the Kings Basketball game. We both enjoy basketball very much. It was an awesome game against the Phoenix Suns. Arco Arena was packed and loud. They were neck and neck the entire game until the very end when the Kings pulled out a big win!! We loved it. He got a big kick out of covering my face in this picture.

Go Kings!

Grammy helps out at school

2011-04-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

Brian volunteered his mom to help out in the classroom during the week she was here. Mason was so excited and proud to have her there.

Grammy time

2011-04-04T09:18:00.000-07:00

Carol, Brian's mom spent a week at our house at the end of March. The kids had a great time playing and cooking with her. I enjoyed the company. We enjoy the same TV programs and went out to dinner while Brian was at work. Thanks Carol for a great week.

Carol made Kyla and I matching aprons! We love them ... they turned out so cute. It's inspired me to start cooking more. You know I loved it if I let Mike (Brian's Dad) take pictures of me looking like this. Ugh. She didn't want Mason and Brian to feel left out so she bought them matching Star Wars aprons. I haven't gotten a picture of them wearing their aprons together but I will.

Carol also brought the kids their very own cookbook. Throughout the week, they made several of the recipes. Check it out. Here's the link.

Such a great picture of the two of them. They are making a yummy treat called Gimme S'more (please).

Little Chef at work.

Mason had a great time as well. He was a very serious helper.

Isn't he cute. Love the cool apron.

Don't eat it all!!

The finished products. It was so chocolaty and rich.

What a ham.

Absolutely love this picture of Mason and his Grammy. Priceless.

During the week, they also made ... Teeny Tiny Tacos, Leaning Tower Pizza and Car-Hoppin Chicken Strips. It was all delicious. My personal favorite was the pizza.

Go Cal Bears!

2011-04-01T10:02:00.000-07:00

Baseball season has begun! Mason will be on the Cal Bears this year and this will be his first year of hitting off of the pitching machine - we requested the same coaches from last year and got them and we couldn't be more thrilled. They are such a fun group to be around. Last weekend was supposed to be the Opening Day Parade but due to torrential down pours and wind, it was cancelled. I don't mind it being cancelled, I just think they should have done it sooner. Our coaches worked on the float until midnight because the Little League said the event was going to happen "rain or shine". Our kids were excited, plans were made and they cancelled 1 1/2 hours before the event! Not cool. Mason was so bummed, he cried. The following day was picture day so our coaches drove them around in the float which made them all very happy.

A cheesy picture of Mason ... so cute.

They did such a great job on the float.

Look how cute the front was? I think we would have won for best float.

We have such great kids on the team.

Look at Mason's face in this one.

Looking forward to another fun year!