12.30.2009

christmas 09

Image
Image

I am finally blogging about Christmas, it has been a mad house around here with all the kids home from school! Everyone has been sick with coughs and colds adding to the chaos, I think everyone is finally starting to get better. Overall we had a great Christmas. We are lucky enough to live close enough to both sets of our parents that we were able to see both families on Christmas day. After staying up until 2:00 a.m. on Christmas eve getting everything ready for the kids, I was dreading them waking up at the crack of dawn. Luckily, they didn't wake up until 7:00! I loved seeing how excited the kids got opening each present, and their excitement as they dumped their stockings all their over the floor.

12.20.2009

7 years old

Image
Image
Image

I can't believe my oldest child is now seven years old! I couldn't ask for a sweeter seven year old. Dario makes my job as a mother easy because I rarely have to discipline him and he is always willing to help. We had a family party for him at Brian's parents house. We made his favorite food, hamburgers and hot dogs. Dario was in heaven with all the nice presents he received from his aunts, uncles, and grandparents.

12.19.2009

christmas tree

Image
Image

Today we finally bought and decorated a Christmas tree. We went out to a Christmas tree farm to pick one out. The kids and Brian inspected each tree until they found the perfect one. The one we picked out didn't seem that big when we saw it out in the open field. However, when we set it up inside our house it turned out to be a monster of a tree for our space. Good thing it will only be up for a week. Unfortunately Aiden was feeling sick so he didn't get to come. The kids decorated the tree tonight, and I will be redecorating it when they are asleep because they put all the ornaments in clumps mostly at the bottom of the tree. Hopefully they don't notice!

12.17.2009

gingerbread house

Image
Image

Can you believe Christmas is next week! It really snuck up on me this year. We have been trying to do as many Christmas activities as we can. This week we made gingerbread houses. Each of the kids had their own little house to decorate. Unfortunately the boys ate theirs before I could take a good picture of it.

12.14.2009

christmas cookies


Image

One of the many things I love about Christmas time is baking lots of Christmas cookies. Yesterday I made these Key Lime Thumbprint cookies. I found the recipe on Martha Stewart. com which is a great source for delicious Christmas cookie recipes.

12.07.2009

first steps

Image
Image

Laila took a couple of steps yesterday! I can't wait until she learns how to walk full time!

12.05.2009

snow!

This morning we woke up early to enjoy the last of the snow, before it melted in the sun. It was beautiful while it lasted!

Image
Image
Image
Image

11.30.2009

Thanksgiving

This past Thanksgiving we had lots of fun visiting with family and eating lots of good food. While we were visiting my family we had a big soccer and kickball game with all the cousins, aunts and uncles and Grammy and Grandpa. Despite the fact that most of the kids cried when they struck out during kickball, it was lots of fun.

Image
Image
Image

At the park we were the only ones on the playground and we let the babies loose. They loved exploring and playing with the mulch that covered the ground.
Image
Image
Image
Laila thinking about walking, hopefully any day now!

Image
Daddy and Aiden after soccer

Image
Dario on the playground

Image
Image
Image

11.24.2009

little artist

Laila's new favorite thing to do is drawing, well scribbling. It seems like every time I turn around she has found a crayon, marker, pencil, or pen that one of the kids has left out and is scribbling on any surface available to her. Luckily most of the time it is a piece of paper. She can sit for awhile and draw and is really concentrated on what she is doing. Heaven forbid I take whatever she is drawing with away or she'll scream and cry. Looks like we might have a future artist.

002 copy
003 copy
048 copy
015

11.18.2009

making cookies

047 copy
035 copy
045 copy

Today Ava helped me decorate leaf sugar cookies. She loves cooking and is a good little helper!

11.13.2009

S.O.S. day

024 copy
034 copy


Today was kindergarten S.O.S. (someone special day) day at school. All of the children got to invite someone special to come visit them at school for a couple of hours. I was able to go up to the school with Aiden. All the classrooms had different centers set up with Thanksgiving crafts that the students and parents could make together. It was lots of fun, especially when Aiden saw me and yelled out excitedly "hi, mama!", that made my day. It was also funny to see him interact with the other kids. He couldn't get through a project without running off to say hi to one his friends. Aiden got out of school early, so I decided to take him, Ava, and Laila to McDonalds for lunch. We ate in the indoor playground. While we were there Ava had to go to the bathroom and I took with to the bathroom in the play area. Of course she had to go number two, and it took forever! With all the chaos of trying to help her while holding a baby, I forgot about Aiden playing on the playground alone. When we got out Aiden was no where to be seen and there was no one else around. At first I though he was hiding, so I called his name several times, still no Aiden, I looked around, still no Aiden. Then I remember the 2 shady characters who were sitting close by the play area, and noticed they had left with their trash still on the table, like they had left in a hurry. Oh boy, I though Aiden had been tricked to come outside with them and had been abducted. Just as I was about to run screaming through McDonalds or call 911, he shows up smiling and said , "Oh, I thought you went to the other bathroom, I went in there to wait." We will not be going to McDonalds to play for a long time!

11.05.2009

mustache!

027 1

016 1

011 1


The other day I gave Dario some quarters to use on a bubble gum machine. Well, he found a machine filled with nothing but fake mustaches! I couldn't pass up the opportunity to take some pictures of the boys making crazy faces. Brian also turned 31 today. Oh, to be 31 again. Yes, that's right I have a husband who is younger than me!

11.02.2009

ava is three!

034 1
129 1
015 1

On Sunday, Ava turned 3, my little princess is growing up way to fast! Here are some pictures from her birthday party
121 1
141 1
153 1
126 1