My Birthday-whoopee!

 
 
 
 
It was my birthday this week. I turned 36!! It felt like just another ordinary day. It definitely wasn't my most exciting birthday, but every year can't be as fabulous as last year. I went to Red Robin for lunch with my girlfriend to get my free burger, went visiting teaching, ran on my treadmill, did a little shopping at Ross, taught a piano lesson, helped the kids with homework, did laundry, then went with the family to a pizza place called Dion's and had a salad, then went to Baskin-Robbin for my free ice cream, which I gave to my kids and they loved it. Chadd gave me the greatest gift--John Mayer's new cd, love it!! My favorite song is his cover of "free fallin'". Then put kids to bed and went to sleep. Well, I love being 36 so far and feel like I like myself so much more than when I was in my 20's, it's a good thing. In a few years Chadd will be able to tell people he married a cougar:)

Reunion Time

This year I'm in charge of my family reunion. There will be 29 of us and we are going to CO. I've been racking my brain for months for fun things to do together that are memorable. We have some fun things planned, but I sure would love any last minute suggestions, ideas, thoughts...of things to do (it's this labor day weekend). Any fun outdoor games or activites. Anything that you have done and loved. So send them ASAP!! (I know I should've done this sooner!) Thanks in advance.

Last day at the pool

 
We bought a punch pass this summer for the pool and used the last time on thursday. We went with our friends/neighbors who happen to be my girls bestest friends. They had a blast and got in as much swimming as possible. It was nice because we had the whole pool pretty much to ourselves.

Twinsies

 

 

 

The girls woke up one day their first week of school dying to wear matchy outfits. Their friends down the street had matching outfits and thought it was unfair that they didn't have the same deal. So, I found the closest things I could and they were so pleased. You know it will be a short time before they are ticked that they are trying to copy each other or if some other chick at school has on the same shirt. We'll enjoy it while it's still cool and fun. I thought this was a cute hairdo on London-I got the idea from a website I found through my sister-in-laws blog. She is such a good sport when it comes to her hair, especially since it is definitely more painful to get done with her curls.

Addi wants curly hair for a day

 
 
 
 

Addi wanted to have curly hair for school, so we put soft curlers in hair at night so it would actually hold a curl. The next morning she was up at the crack of dawn asking me to take out her curlers to see her new cute hairdo. Well, as we are taking them out I'm trying to hold back the gasps and "oh my goodness" facial expressions. We got them all out and I thought maybe if we just brush it, it will calm down and all will be okay. But as you can see it grew and grew. By then we were cracking up and searching for the camera. Addi then went into the bathroom to see if she could save her hairdo. So she squirted her hair with water and started brushing, not a good idea! Now she had crazy tight curls and stick straight hair everywhere. I tried hard not to laugh but oh man it was so funny. She was good humored about it and we ended up straightening it back. Hope she doesn't ever ask for a perm:)

First day of school

 
 

Addison and London had their first day of school August 18th. It started out with a call, around 6:30am, from the school saying there was a 2 hour delay because of damage done to school buses. So, the kids were bummed because they were so excited to go and kept asking if it was time to go. Addi was all cool when she got there like she didn't need us anymore and London was a little apprehensive at first and then found a friend and was just fine. Then they came home on the bus, which was about 30 minutes late. They had a great first day and Addi really liked her teacher. Both girls have a Mrs. Martinez for their teacher, crazy huh?! London was bummed that she didn't get to play on the big playground since school was shortened and then was totally bored during quiet time where they laid down and listened to music. If you know London, that was probably a chore and a huge feat for her to lay still for any length of time. Little do her teachers know that she doesn't require a nap, it just makes her stay up longer!!! I got a good laugh out of that and she said she was a little scared because she laid underneath the computer station or something, weird. We'll see how long she can be good during this time. I don't remember Addi's kindergarten class doing this. I won't be surprised to hear from her teachers that she has a hard time holding still. Anyways, they better keep up the pace or she is going to go crazy with boredom. London also informed me that she loves taking the bus. This year there is like 10 kindergarten girls on the same bus, fun for the driver:) And Addi is ecstatic that they are doing a ton of science this year and can't wait to get started. Oh, and London informed me this morning that she didn't want to bring lunch, she wanted to buy it at the cafeteria. Man oh man that kid always wants to go out for dinner, shopping, anything but stay home. She is so funny!
It should be a fun year for them and hopefully Asher will survive without his buddies to hang out with.

Wanted: New music to run to

I need all your help. I need some new music to put on my ipod while I run. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Anything, super upbeat with a good thumping rhythm to keep my motivation up. Thanks!! Oh, and also any suggestions for some great exercise videos.

Sunday Dinner

Let me just say first that I need to write down more of the things London says, because she's a hoot!! Tonight we were serving dinner and London looks at the chicken and says "mmmmm, Chicken with syrup!" like she thought for real it was that. She seemed pretty dang excited and thought her Mom was all that for thinking of it. Anyways, it was just teriyaki chicken. Man we love her! Hope, though, she doesn't keep saying "bemember..." (remember) and teleputter (caterpillar) and rasabell(Roswell) while at school, we thinks it's fun, but man kids can be mean.

Vertically challenged-thanks Mom!

I tried to post this the other day, but was having problems. I had to share the video of London climbing the wall as well. She gave it a good couple of tries, but couldn't move up from this one place. I do have to say that the one they put her on was more difficult than the one Addi did and with some vertical challenges herself, well I think she did great!

The cleaning duo

Asher is always wanting to "help" us clean. Here he is helping Chadd get the job done faster?!! Hope he keeps up the desire to clean and pick-up that would be the bomb. Gotta love him! (check out the music in the background-let me know if you can figure out what it is)

Asher at Hoots

Asher thought the funnest part of being at Hoots was the pylon's that blocked the way to a million cords. He kept dragging them everywhere, oblivious to all the kids running around him and sliding down the huge slides. We kept putting them back and he would get ticked and run back to move them around again. He is ALL boy! It sure is fun to watch him go.

Trip to Pinetop, AZ

What a climber-maybe a future Uncle Ben

Here's Addi at Hoots, a jumpy play place, climbing the rock wall (her first time ever) and she looks like a pro. She loved it and wanted to do it again and again. Maybe she will have to tag along with her Uncle Ben and show him a thing or two:)!

Asher in Pinetop, AZ

We went to Pinetop, Az to meet up with my Mom and two cousins for the girls to play with and this is what Asher did while they swam in the pool (he's not so fond of being in the water, he enjoys running around the pool much more:). He has a lot of energy and thought he was the man being able to manuever himself down the ramp. Since this he loves to run down our driveway, which is sloped, into the street. For some reason he thinks the street is where it's at to play. Fun!

All of you eighties metal heads can just think of your favorite Cinderella song. . .

Tracy and the kids left to visit Tracy's mom in Pinetop, Arizona last Sunday so, being the dedicated employee I am, I crammed the week full of work: I left for Roswell right after the kids and Tracy embarked on their journey to Arizona. I got to work early Monday morning in Roswell and kept going right on through the evening for dinner with a doctor and my partner Sandra. Tuesday I finished up in Roswell and hauled myself back the 200 miles to Albuquerque for dinner with the staff of an office and a couple of nurse educators. Wednesday I worked all day and then had a dinner program in Albuquerque. Thursday I worked and then met a bunch of reps and doctors for dinner in Santa Fe. I stayed in Santa Fe Thursday night and attended the International Society for Clinical Densitometry's Santa Fe Bone Symposium that Started early Friday morning and went through most of Saturday. Friday evening, simply to insure my iminent insanity I threw in another dinner program. Tracy and the kids got back to Albuquerque Friday afternoon and I got home Saturday around 5:30 PM.

On the way to my house from Santa Fe I kept imagining myself hugging Tracy and the little people. I was so excited to see them all that I couldn't decide who to hug first or for how long and wished to be in four pieces pressing them all against me at the same time. I pulled into the driveway afraid I'd be sick with the anticipation building in my abdomen. As the garage door went up I saw that Tracy's car wasn't in its usual spot. Entering my empty house was a disappointment of biblical magnitude (think storm of fiery frogs instead of burning hail). My family was out school shopping.

For some reason--some self-defeating, and ultimately daft reason--I am not great at letting Tracy know how I feel about her and the little people we've created. Tracy, I hope you have a moment to read this soon and know I love you most of all. You bring meaning to my life, your my. . . oh, not another sappy eighties song. Man, Peter Cetera stole all the truly great sappy things to say already didn't he. I hate that guy. Well, maybe hate is too strong, but if there were a word that meant love with the strength of hate that would be how I feel about you Racy-Ray. I absolutely revile you with love.

dd