Back to School

Ah, and back to a cleaning routine. My house desperately needs it. I'm finding that sending a 1st grader off to school is not nearly as emotional as sending off a kindergartner. I didn't cry once, but Aubrey cried for me. She will dearly miss her buddy/debate opponent.

As for those rushed pics I usually take right before school starts on the first day, they never turn out. So, I did them a few days early this year.

Confessions of a Mom

I hate the zoo. Perhaps hate is a strong word, but I really dislike it. Why you ask? It could be the act of pulling a wagon over miles of hilly terrain (sounds kind of pioneerish, except my children don't walk). Or maybe it's the countless times my kiddies run off to be raised by the monkeys? It could be my fear of E. coli.

We have a beautiful zoo and the yearly membership is a good deal, 2 or 3 trips and that baby would be paid for. And I love a good deal, I would probably be there every week. Just the thought if it makes me sweat. I fully understand the educational factor of a zoo, so we go once a year. That is all I can take.

Aubrey sacrificing her baby brother to the goat

Yet another sacrifice I made for my children - truck day. The park and rec puts on quite a show, gathering a wide variety of vehicles and letting the kids climb in them. They even get to honk the horn. Just in case you are curious about which horn is the loudest, oddly enough, it's the utility truck. Chad tried it out several times. We will go again next year, I'll just take Tylenol before we go, as a preventive measure.

Good times

I love the obsessions of 3 year olds, and I find myself indulging them (just a little). At 3, Chad loved Thomas the train. Watched the movies, had the toys, wore the clothes. And when Thomas came to Mt. Hood, of course we went. And now it's Aubrey's turn with a fancy for princesses. I had a hard time deciding where to take her. We are still avoiding Disneyland, and I have an unusual fear of public transportation that deters me from any Disney on Ice production. At last I found the place - The Enchanted Forest! The park takes you through all of the fairy tales - with Alice in Wonderland rabbit holes; princess castles; Snow White's cottage (although Snow White was kind of creepy, creepy like the puppets on Mr. Rogers). She loved it, my work is done.





As for the rest of our vacation, our days were spent biking, spelunking in lava caves, hiking volcanoes, and shopping at Walmart (the closest Walmart is 40 minutes from our house, we take every chance we can get). Good times.

6 is Better than 5

Here's a few reasons Chad is loving this age rather than last:

- "going to 1st grade"
- "more legos than I can imagine" (I don't see that happening, unless he can imagine a lot less than I can)
- "doing older kid stuff: mote control cars; school alllll day long;" (me too)
- "having parties at like Chuckie Cheese" (at what age do they outgrow that place?)
- "having a little fun once in awhile" (okay, but only once in awhile)

A few birthday highlights:




I was a little late taking a picture of the pinata action:

Having a hot wheelin' party yourself? Click here for Chad's party explained.

Sunday Afternoon

Oh, how I love 9 am church, especially in the summer. We were granted a few moments to take pictures after church, but as you can see the tie had already been removed. Chad had in mind his own wardrobe change, but when his request was denied, he no longer wanted to participate. Aubrey, on the other hand, asked that I take a few action shots.

Hostile Environment

I don't have an explanation for this picture, only that the child knows how to wear sunglasses (even pink ones).

And For a few minutes, I couldn't find this child. Under normal circumstances, if I just stop and listen for a moment, Sam can easily be located. Not tonight, it was very quiet. As most of you know, a quiet (and awake) baby can mean all sorts of trouble. I was a little worried, until I saw this:

And this:

And this:

And finally this:


Sam has also taken to making a loud, angry, rattling noise (similar to an insect you have no desire of stepping on in the grass). No doubt these are a few defense mechanisms he has had to develop in order to protect himself from these two:

Pizza & Sparklers

I'm trying my best to improve my skills as a domestic chef (and I use the term "chef" loosely). My latest challenge you ask? Grilled Pizza. I was a little intimidated to try it, but it was much easier and tastier than I thought it would be! I used this recipe for the crust:

Grill Dough

My dough didn't quite mix like I thought it should, so I added a little extra olive oil. Grill one side first, flip, and then add your toppings. The crust can burn quickly. As for toppings, I just did the usual: sauce, cheese, pepperoni. I will be a bit more adventurous with the toppings next time, now that I'm a pizza grilling pro.

And now I leave you with a few sparkling digital images.


Look how calm I am with my baby holding a sparkler, maybe too calm? Not to worry, he was properly supervised by his grandma.

And I added a few pictures with a glimpse of my kiddies's professional sports careers (props courtesy of the Utah Olympic Park).