Maggie's Madness

Louisiana Update

2010-08-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

I have realized how I am failing miserably at keeping this blog updated. There are times I forget I have it and other times I wonder why even bother because nobody looks at it. But then I have to remember nobody likes to look at the same thing for months on end. So it is about time that I get my act together and start posting more...got to keep it interesting right?!!

So we have been in LA for about 6 weeks now and really trying to get settled. We bought a new home and trying to organize it has taken up most of my time. (well that and swimming at the neighbors! thanks to the Coopers.) I can't wait til it cools down and I can start doing some landscaping to this barren yard. Greg was here for 2 weeks then he left for San Antonio for military Training. He said to me that he thought it was crazy that for 9 years he's prepared to become a surgeon and the first few weeks of training is learning how to shoot an M16. Hopefully when deployed this will keep him safe. But he has been gone for 5 weeks now and 3 more to go :)

The girls started school here Aug. 11. Kind of early to me, but it was good that they could start so they could meet some friends. (Now only if I could figure out how to get pictures off my iphone so i could post some of their first day would be great!) They have to wear uniforms down here...Khaki bottoms and white, black or purple polo shirts. At first, not really liking the idea, but after school shopping I'm a big fan. However, the girls aren't really set on it yet. But it sure eliminates the fights I'd have with Brooklyn in the morning as to what to wear.

We have met some wonderful people here and are looking forward to what lies ahead. We think about our friends we have made each time we have made a move, and we have made lifelong friends everywhere. So we are hoping to do so here!!

I will post pics soon!! More to come. (Not 2 months later either)

Sad News!

2010-06-13T20:35:00.000-07:00

So after 11 years of having my pup, Baylor, we had to put him down april 13. In March he had been diagnosed with diabetes and I had been giving him insulin shots twice a day for a month. He wasn't getting any better and was losing weight. He became weaker and wasn't able to get up on his own. I felt so bad for him. He would bark at me in the middle of the night just so I would come move him a little so he was more comfortable or so he could go outside. I was not ready to let him go. But I really think he knew with all the changes happening he didn't want to do it anymore.
We got the kids and took them to the vet so we could all say goodbye. That was really tough for me. Even now 2 months later I choke up and miss him terribly. He was a very good dog and loved by many. I will get a picture up as soon as I can.

Too much to catch up on

2010-03-08T06:10:00.000-08:00

As you can see I am way too far behind. With Facebook, it seems that I forget to get on here anymore. I post things there and not here. I will try and catch up soon. But our latest and greatest, or not so greatest news is that we found out we will be going to Fort Polk, Louisiana. Initial reaction...not so good. But we have known for 6 days, and for the past 5, I have been searching the internet about this place. I am definitely warming up to the idea. Small towns are nothing new to me. Been there done that a few times. Humidity, tornados, & bugs, done that too. BEACH near by haven't done and really looking forward to it. Mardi Gras is one thing I haven't done nor do I care to either. Exploring a new part of the country will be fun.
I have been in touch with a few people who are stationed there and seem to be mixed feelings. But I realize that I have never went off what other people tell me, so why start now. I need to go down there and see for myself. It will be fine and we will be happy wherever we go. We know that the Lord has a purpose for us...might be to drastically reduce the mosquito population or some other grand purpose, but we will go find out. We will definitely miss OH and all of the wonderful people we have became friends with. It will be a hard move. I am counting on lots of visitors...even if they want to meet us at the beach :)

Too far behind

2010-01-15T08:33:00.000-08:00

Seriously- I am this far behind. Updates will be coming soon. I am losing my blogging touch :(

Thanksgiving Fun

2009-12-16T07:32:00.000-08:00

Brooklyn's Class had a Thanksgiving Feast. They had made their own drums and learned a few songs. I was one of the lucky moms that were able to go see it.

These two girls are her good friends!

Her class and teacher Mrs. Peterson

Getting in to playing the drums.

Yes, she marches or plays to her own beat!

Brooklyn's Christmas Program

2009-12-16T06:54:00.000-08:00

Brooklyn had her Christmas Program at school Monday Dec. 14. It was just her Kindergarten class. They were so cute. They made some props for most of the songs. Here are a few.

Must Be Santa

Jingle Bells

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

Christmas Preparations

2009-12-15T10:09:00.000-08:00

Every year we say that we are going to simplify, and every year it seems like at the last minute I am feeling guilty for not giving as much. This year however, I am determined to keep it simple and focused on the Savior. I love this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXXwtFWpAI8&feature=player_embedded#
We can learn so much from our children. I hope we use this season to teach others about the gift we all received from the Lord. May we look to serve others and feel the true spirit of Christmas.

If any of you are wanting a FREE Christmas DVD about the birth of Jesus, click on the link and fill out the information. Or lmk and I can get one for you.

http://mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/basic-beliefs/learning-center-offer?offerId=dd9b8ca949be1110VgnVCM100000176f620a____

Halloween

2009-12-06T16:27:00.000-08:00

Yet again I am trying to make up for lost time. But here are some pics of the girls. Whatever happened to dressing up one night, actually on Halloween? Too many activities to keep up with and too many times to dress up. Once Halloween comes around it isn't even fun anymore. My little ninja and pirate...what the heck. thought they were girls. The matching colors weren't even planned. But still turned out very cute!
Me as the mean Biker Chick.

Kalahari

2009-11-17T14:31:00.001-08:00

In Ohio the school district gives us 2 days off so the teachers can get report cards together. So our long weekend was back in the middle of October.

Greg not on call +no school 4 girls = recipe for boredom

But not this time. We planned a trip to Kalahari. This is a great big indoor waterpark. They had so much to do it was unreal. We tired them out even stayed at the park til midnight Friday night.
I love this pic of Sydney. She couldn't stop playing with this particular water fountain...at least not until the bully came and pushed her away...Boys suck!

Brooklyn in the giant play area.

Brooklyn racing Greg and London and obviously she won! (Maybe because Greg had to push her down)

Brooklyn sliding down one of her first waterslides. The first one was actually enclosed so it was pitch black and you had to lay on your back-- even I was a little scared. She was a trooper but didn't want to do that again. She definitely preferred the ones where she could sit and see what turns were coming. She also loved the wave pool.

London in the giant play area! This was about the only picture I could get of her because she was all over the place. We couldn't keep up. She wanted to go go go. She had it all planned out. Imagine that! She wouldn't stop talking.

She'd say:

"mom stays with Sydney and Brooklyn in the kiddie area, me and dad go on __________."

"dad stays with Brooklyn and Sydney, me and mom go on ___________."

"I go down ________ with Brooklyn and dad.

Sydney hung out in the swing for a long time. They have an entire area for toddlers. All the slides and equipment are made of this soft foam so when you fall and bump your head it's not so bad.

We got a great deal on a room for the weekend. We got "bumped up" to a suite which was perfect. Greg and I had a king size bed in one room, the girls slept in the living room in a pull out, we had a full kitchen and dining area and a patio. We got breakfast both mornings we were there, dinner the first night, lunch, passes for the waterpark, free mini golf passes, free zoo passes(had a small area with some zebras, an ostrich, a bunch of goats, camels, horses, kangaroos and other weird birds), and an in room movie.

This is where Sydney learned to slide (see video). A safe place and very soft place to have little ones climb and move around.

We had such a great time and hopefully can go back. My pictures don't do it justice. You should go to their website just to look at all the stuff they have to offer.

New Car

2009-11-17T14:16:00.000-08:00

Once again I am behind and trying to catch up. We had get rid of Greg's Grand Prix, afraid the transmission was on the fritz. Our good friends and neighbors helped us get this awesome car. Greg loves it and has already tinted the windows, got the Nike sticker for the back window...or as Brooklyn says the check mark which is how she can tell it is our car, and ordered some winter mats for it. There wasn't a whole lot to do to this car. It is a brand new Altima with all the works. I told him it was a pretty car but I don't think he wants to be driving a "pretty" car, so our friends rephrased calling it a "sharp" car. We were really hoping to avoid doing this til we had to move, but glad we have a reliable car.

First Day of School

2009-10-20T16:44:00.000-07:00

We started our way back to Ohio by leaving the cabin and heading to Twin for Jessica's wedding. Then Sunday we were going to go to Boise since our flight left on Monday. However, plans don't always work out. Brooklyn got sick and was throwing up all day Sunday so we stayed at Grandma and Grandpa Starley's. Monday morning she felt better thank goodness. Could you imagine having to deal with throw up on the airplane? Guess our prayers were answered for that one. We got back from Idaho late Monday night at 1:30am and poor Greg had to wake up early and be at the hospital by 6am so he could head to Columbus for RPAC (Resident education lectures of some sort). By noon he was texting me telling me he didn't feel good. Neither did I . He came home early and we spent the rest of the day and the following day in bed or near the toilet. We weren't as lucky as Brooklyn. Ours lasted a few days. But we didn't have a few days to spare. School was starting on Thursday for London and Friday for Brooklyn and we hadn't even gone shopping for anything. Resourceful me made up a scavenger hunt for their school supplies and told them to go for it. They found everything they needed except for some glue and a set of markers. Yes we had plenty of black markers or markers with their lids off but not a whole set. So instead of making a Walmart/Target run we did a grocery store run mainly because we needed milk but I also grabbed the markers paid grocery store prices...yes my sister would be disappointed. But I wasn't going to go all around town just to say a dollar or two. Not worth my time and wasn't sure I could even function long enough to go anywhere else. I felt kind of bad for the girls because it was Brooklyn's first day of Kindergarten and there wasnt' a whole lot of pomp and circumstance. I did manage to get a few pics. However, London got sick Thursday night and had to miss her second day and wasn't able to be with Brooklyn on her first day of riding the bus. It was a crazy week but we managed and we were all fine to start fresh Monday morning.

Idaho

2009-09-23T09:04:00.000-07:00

London and Brooklyn both knee boarding for the first time. They did fantastic! Didn't fall once.

Tubing and jet skiing.

Floating in the river.

Chilling, I mean sweating in the hot pool.

Greg showing off his wake boarding skills...or lack of.
Brooklyn and I taking lots of four wheeler rides.
We had a fantastic time at the cabin with all the family.

Catching up!

2009-09-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

The summer went by in a hurry. I am not sure where it went. We had a couple vacations and lots of playing time with the neighborhood kids. Only one day out of the whole summer did we get the slip n slide out. The neighbor kids all joined in and they had races. It was fun! Sydney even got into it.

Updates!!

2009-08-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

Syndey turns ONE!

So it has been a month since I posted, actually more than that so I am going to try and get caught up one event at a time. We will see what happens. Back in June, Sydney had her 1st Bday. Can hardly believe my baby is one...well now 14 months. She is still a very happy baby and smiles and laughs a lot. She rarely cries. She cut her 2 bottom teeth the first week of July. She has yet to start walking however, she is content on the way she gets around. I will try and post a video later so ya'll can see it. She scoots around on her back moving backwards. She can go anywhere she wants. Her hair constantly smells like burnt carpet and it is so course and twisted. It sometimes looks like she has dread locks...well with what little hair she has left back there. She hasn't completely rubbed it bald, but there aren't any luscious long locks either.

Florida Trip

2009-07-06T13:44:00.001-07:00

Man did June just fly by. The girls got out of school on the 9th. We headed to St.Pete Beach on the 10th. It was fantastic. We rented a house with my siblings that was across the street from Sunset Beach. My mom had a hotel down the road on St. Pete beach. We hung out there quite a bit too because it had a pool. Everyday we would get up put our swimsuits on and go to the beach. We would come in grab some snacks or lunch and be back out to the pool or beach soon after. This was a beautiful place. The beaches are clean and white and the water was like taking a bath. I can't wait to go back.

London getting in the ocean for the first time. She was a little afraid that the sharks would get her. Once she got out there a ways and realized she could stand and could avoid the waves she had a great time.

Sydney loving the water.

Building the sea monster London and Brooklyn learning how to chicken fight courtesy of Uncle Jake.

Crazy Family

Sunset on St. Pete Beach

My sister Stephanie and brother Josh

London's Baptism

2009-05-29T16:55:00.000-07:00

So it is official...London turned 8 on Saturday the 23 and was baptized the same day. I can't believe I have an 8 yr. old. I guess that means I am getting older too :( It was a great weekend. We had Grandpa and Grandma Starley, Bugga, Grandpa Cheney and Grandma Pat come out to Ohio to be with London. She was very excited that her grandparents could be there. We are really proud of her. She has always been such a great kid and a good example to others. We feel very blessed to have her in our family. She is such a beautiful little girly girl. She had fun trying on dresses and picking out shoes. Thanks to all the little Catholic girls who had their first communion about a month ago...all the dresses were on sale and it worked out perfect for us. You can't beat $19.99 for her gorgeous dress at JC Penny. Her shoes were almost that much and it will cost about that to get the thing dry cleaned. But who cares, you only get baptized once right?

Us minus Sydney (she was sleeping)Bugga (my mom)

Grandpa & Grandma Starley

Grandpa Cheney and Grandma Pat Picture with Sydney

London and Kaiden(other boy who was baptized)
London and Jane

Amish Country

The girls got to miss a day of school and we visited Amish country. It was a beautiful day. We spent it touring an amish house, school and farm. We even got to ride in a buggy (the girls favorite part-even Sydney couldn't sit still).

It was a fun weekend! The guys (my dad, greg's dad, and Greg), even managed to get some golf in at Firestone Country Club. Thanks to our friend in the ward who got them on.

Thanks to everyone who came out and who was involved any way in making London's weekend special. I know she will always remember it.

Crazy Hair

2009-05-07T17:26:00.000-07:00

Sydney woke up with her hair looking like this. I left it for a couple hours til Greg got home and he could see it.At least she is happy!

The Yes Baby

2009-04-12T16:59:00.000-07:00

I am convinced that Jim Carey stole our idea. Just think...Sydney could be a movie star and I could be basking in all her money. Too bad we didn't pursue it.

London was making Sydney laugh so hard. I wish I would have had the video earlier because I haven't heard her laugh that hard before.

More Vacation

2009-04-12T15:44:00.000-07:00

The pictures say it all. We spent our time hanging at the beach watching for dolphins, hunting for seashells, swimming, or playing some sort of golf. We really enjoyed ourselves and were bummed that we had to come home to snow. Brooklyn did not want to put away her spring clothes. She insisted that it was spring because we had spring break and that means warm weather and shorts and tank tops. Now we play the waiting game here in Ohio for Spring. It better come fast or else I will have to take another vacation.

Glad swimming lessons are paying off

Driving to Botany Bay to go seashell hunting.

Tons of crabs along the way.

The Loot

Clam beds

Waiting for Dolphins

Miniature Golfing

Sydney says HI!

Playing under the chair

Pedicures from Bugga

Building Sandcastles
Playing in the sand

Hallelujah! Finally at the Beach.

Alligators in the complex

Golfing What more could you ask for on a vacation? (Other than it being free.)

We concluded the vacation on Friday by heading to Charleston to the Aquarium. We saw dolphins in the Harbor. Then when we went in we saw a giant sea turtle, sharks, jellyfish, and all sorts of ocean life. It was fun but too expensive for my taste.

Spring Break In South Carolina!!

2009-04-07T06:18:00.000-07:00

We had such a great time and got to do many things so I am going to post in smaller sections.

North Carolina

We headed out on Friday March 20 and made it to Princeton, WV. We stayed the night, thanks to Grandpa Steve, at the Hampton. The girls and Greg got up the next morning and swam while I tried to sleep a little bit more. Sydney had this awful cough and her bum was so sore that it even started bleeding. Every time she coughed she would poop a little and then she would start crying. It was not a good night's rest for any of us except Brooklyn, who snored through the whole thing. But at least they got to swim before they left! Instead of going through Charlotte, we took a detour to Asheville, NC to see Grandpa Lou and Grandma Carol. We had a great visit. Tracy and Les brought the girls over to play with London and Brooklyn.

Jean watched the all the girls for a bit while we went and looked at grandpa's new house (Sydney got to screaming and poor Jean was probably beside herself-good thing we were minutes away). Carol fixed us a wonderful meal and we stayed up and visited. We went to PF Changs for lunch and then left for Columbia to see Bugga (my mom).

Edisto Island, SC

We stayed at Bugga's for a night before we headed to Edisto Island, SC. We rented this condo which was perfect for our family and Bugga. It was on a resort so we were able to use all the resort's activity centers like the pools, miniature golfing, playground, movies, games, and whatever else they offered. When we got there we went to the Piggly Wiggly for groceries and then went to Bugga's good friend's house who fixed us a yummy dinner and we got to enjoy their beautiful home and scenery on the Marsh Lands.

Thanks to George and Gailya for a great evening.

George and Gailya's hospitality didn't end there. Then next afternoon we met them back out at their house so they could take us on a boat ride to see the marsh and the dolphins in the bay. Bugga stayed at the condo with Sydney so we could go. Thanks mom. It was sunny but windy so as we were just about to approach the bay, the waves were getting too big and we were getting all wet so we turned around. We didn't see dolphins, but we saw some really beautiful scenery. Thanks again for a great afternoon.

Greg and I got some golfing, if that is what you call chasing, hunting and losing golf balls, in that morning. It was awful. I haven't played for at least 18 months and boy did it show. My putting game was better than I thought but I couldn't hit worth crap. Greg was doing alright but there were holes that we were even on. That doesn't happen very often. At least we got some sun while we were out.

More to come on the rest of the week later.

NEW CAR!

2009-03-14T09:22:00.000-07:00

After 2 failed attempts of buying new vans, Greg bagged the Odyssey's and moved on to bigger and better things...SUBURBANS! He started looking at them on Auto Trader and called on a few. One that he called had already been sold by the dealer, but they said they were getting another one in the following week. When it came in they called Greg and we headed up to Cleveland to look at it knowing that we were 99% sure we were going to get it. As long as there wasn't major body damage and the car didn't smell like smoke. Luck was on our side this time. We already did the negotiation over the phone, Greg had a check printed out, so it didn't take hours upon hours like it normally does to buy a car. Greg drove the beast home with Brooklyn, and I drove the van with Sydney and London. Of course London was a little upset she had to come with me in the van, but I told her I would pick her up from school in the new car the next day and she wouldn't have to ride the bus home. That did the trick. She doesn't enjoy the bus so that was a good incentive to ride home with me.

I asked Greg if he had buyer's remorse, but he said not at all. We are very happy with our purchase and I am sure even at the gas pump we will still be just fine. Let's hope it doesn't get up to $4 a gallon.

We got a 2005 Chevy Suburban Z71-Color -Silver Birch. As you can see, it is loaded. The must have feature for me is the DVD system. I was so sick of having the portable ones in the van and having the cords all over. Now this has the wireless headphones for each girl. Now only if Greg would share with me and let me drive it, I could tell you how well it drives :) I think this will suit our family great for years to come!!!

Sydney's Latest and Greatest

2009-03-05T16:30:00.000-08:00

All my girls have been a little slow on the whole sitting, standing, crawling, walking, and teething things. Sydney is 8 months old and is starting to get a little more comfortable sitting. She is still very wobbly and sometimes stubborn and just gets really stiff. But we were trying to capture a little bit on video and this is what we got.

She also is trying to eat baby food, but she gags on all of it...green, yellow, orange, soft, chunky, warm, cold or however else it may come. Mind you this isn't the first time she has had baby food. I give her at least a jar a day. Now all she wants to do is spit it. This makes for a messy dinner but lots of laughs. She refuses to eat rice cereal so I have been sneaking it in her bottles. I'm sure if she could talk she would say forget all the food and just give me a stinkin bottle. Hope this isn't a sign of what's to come.

This thing is fantastic. It is a mesh bag that you can put food in and then she can suck the juice or flavor out of it. We have been trying that lately too, to see what kind of funny faces she will pull. She likes apples, but I think strawberries are her favorite and of course the messiest.

Morning time

2009-03-05T16:15:00.000-08:00

It seems every morning everyone is so excited to see Sydney. She has definitely brought so much happiness to our home. It is hard to believe that she is already 8 months. But a few Saturdays ago, I slept in a little while longer and when I finally drug my butt out of bed, this is what I woke to.

I can't complain. The girls love her and are constantly in her face and want to be holding her. London has gained a lot of confidence with picking her up and walking her around. It makes me nervous because I remember (mostly because my mother told me) carrying around my brothers and I actually dropped Cade on his head. (So that might explain it Cade). London is very careful, but it makes Brookyn think she can do it too, and that right there is just a big accident waiting to happen. But I guess too much love is better than none.

Valentines Fun

2009-02-20T12:29:00.000-08:00

Where is the surgeon when we need him? Cutting on someone else instead of London's shoebox. Greg and I went to Hobby Lobby and picked out some fun embellishments to decorate London's Valentine Box. But when it came to decorating Greg was working. So when I got the knife out and got ready to cut the box, this is how the conversation went between London and I.

London: "mom, have you ever made one of these before?"

Me: Yes London-remember I went to school too.

London: "Well, do you know what you are doing?

Me: Yes London

London: Do you know how to use a knife?

Me: What do you think?

London: "Well, I wish dad was here cuz he knows how to cut?

Me: Thanks but he won't do as good of a job as I will.

London: I'm not so sure because he is a doctor and you are not.

Great-since when you do you have to have doctorate degree to make a Valentines Box. Nobody's fingers were cut off and no blood was spilt, so I think I got her approval. Gotta love her! This is what she made...

This is what she gave to her classmates. I thought she was pretty clever, instead of writing each kids' name, she just wrote To: You---Fantastic idea! Why didn't I think of that.

Of course we can't leave Brooklyn out. She got to make her box at school. Since I didn't have a regular size shoe box, she had to use my boot box. She was proud that her box was the biggest one in her class. Since she made hers at school, I had a little craft for her to decorate. It was a little foam purse, but that got boring too fast so she resorted to decorating herself.

I went to both of their school parties but forgot the camera for Brooklyn's but they are all the same...games, food, and craft. Very fun for them. And I have to admit that I even had fun. London was even proud of her box because she got so many compliments on it. In fact, one parent told me that her child said she wished she could have a box like London and the parent said well, then go live with London. I just laughed because I have told London the same thing about other people.

All in all Valentines was good. We even got a special delivery. I got a dozen roses and the girls got a single rose with a teddy bear and a balloon. They were excited that daddy didn't forget them. Too bad Greg has such a crappy wife who didn't get him anything. Hope he knows we still love him.

Sled Riding

2009-01-28T11:13:00.000-08:00

Can you help me find my girls? Oh wait, they are in deer hunting orange and hot pink . I will never lose them, even if I tried. We had this grand idea to take the girls sledding. To my surprise, I actually had fun. After the 2 girls were dressed, they didn't want to wait for me to get the baby all bundled, so Greg went ahead and took them out. Once I was ready and had Sydney looking like "Ralphie", we went out to find them. I didn't have to look for very long. They stood out like a sore thumb. Their outfits were so cute on them and perfect for the snow. The coats were long and had a tight cuff so the snow couldn't get down there arms. They would have stayed out there all day if we would have let them. Unfortunately 2 minutes after I was out there I had to head back to the van because I had to change a diaper. So I ended up staying in the van for an hour til Greg came back and took Sydney and I went out and played with the girls for about 30 minutes. Good Times!!

Don't ask me what is wrong with Brooklyn's hands in all the pictures.

Christmas Time

2009-01-28T10:33:00.000-08:00

Well, I am only a month late on posting Christmas festivities. We had a great Christmas! Santa was very kind to us. We got a Wii with a bunch of games. The girls got lots of Barbie stuff...the party bus, the house, furniture, more dolls and clothes what more could you possibly want?! Greg got a nerf machine gun which he glady tested out on the girls. I got a new watch. We enjoyed being at home especially since Greg took the week off. We played a lot of Wii and Greg and London perfected Mario Kart. Brooklyn has since picked up on it and I am holding my own. When your 7 and 5 year old beat you it is a bit humbling. At least I can beat Greg at bowling :)

Greg was so excited for all the Barbie stuff he could hardly contain himself!

London was more than willing to help Sydney open her presents!

The girls had fun making gingerbread houses out of rice krispies. I figured why waste all that money on something that they aren't even going to eat...so they each made a house and then somthing to give Santa. London made a Santa face and Brooklyn made a candy cane. They enjoyed doing it and eating it so it was a win win!!

Brooklyn's Birthday

2008-12-30T12:01:00.000-08:00

Birthday Girl

In the past, I have not been a big fan of McDonalds. My kids love it and I love that they love it and sometimes it is great for that quick meal, but as for me, the only thing on their menu worth anything is a Coke. But I have to say I have changed my mind. Ronald McDonald is fantastic!! Brooklyn turned 5 on December 22 and she had her birthday party there. They did EVERYTHING. All I had to do was show up with my money. They provided the cake, the games, a hostess to run the games and take orders and serve and CLEAN UP (best part) and each kid got a happy meal with a sundae, and a treat bag. What more can you ask for? Oh, PLAYLAND! They all seemed to have a great time even though it was negative something outside and seemed even colder inside since the heater wasn't working but the kids didn't notice much, or if they did, they didn't complain. Thanks to all of you who came and helped make her day fun.

Brrr...

After a couple hours at McDonalds, we went home and she got to open presents from us. Also Angel had to give the girls their Christmas from her. They were thrilled to open presents before Christmas. Angel spoils them ROTTEN! Yep, you heard me Angel. I guess it is not just the girls, but she spoils all of us.

Greg getting "DR." shoes and scrub hats.

London getting a remote control barbie car.

Brooklyn getting a Barbie cash register along with clothes and Sponge Bob umbrella

Me getting a whole lot of things: purse, make-up, jewelry

Sydney getting lots of attention

Angel getting "comfy/relaxing" things
Sweet little Brooklyn
x2
Scary little Brooklyn
Can't forget smiley, toothless London

Brooklyn's PJ Party

2008-12-19T19:56:00.001-08:00

The last day of school before break is pretty much a party day for all. Brooklyn's preschool was no exception. They got to wear their PJ's and slippers, bring a blanket and stuffed animal. They frosted sugar cookies and made some crafts. And of course they had gym. I think I could have survived PS if I knew it was going to be like this. (Note to self...you are paying $100 a month for this). Actually we love her PS. Her teacher is fantastic and Brooklyn has developed this love for letters and sounds. She goes around the house or while we are in the car and names everything and tells me what letter it starts with and what sound it makes. She is a bright one. She comes up with some pretty amazing words when asked "Name something that starts with 't'?" or any other letter. She is a great kid and loves school. On this day she was even chosen to do the weather bear which she has to dress the bear according to what the weather is outside. She did a great job getting hats, gloves, sweaters, pants, and boots. It will be fun to see her in Kindergarten. Hopefully she will start reading soon.

London's Limo Ride

2008-12-19T19:28:00.000-08:00

I am a bit jealous of London. She had her first limo ride at the age of 7. I barely got to have my first ride in one last Christmas. Anyway, for her school fundraiser she sold Otis Spunkmeyer Cookies. She sold enough to get to go to lunch in a limo. So this huge Excursion Limo came to school to get the kids. She was so excited. The restaurant was only a few blocks away so I asked her if she had a long enough ride and she said "yep, the driver got lost and took us over by Wal-Mart." (She is great with directions, so she knew this wasn't the way.) Come to find out the driver was taking them the "long" way back to school so they had some extra time. They had a blast. She was lucky that a few of her good friends were able to go with her and sit by her. Thanks to all who helped her earn this great reward. It was all she talked about for weeks!

This was K-2

London and Jordyn were the first ones in.Off they go to Parrason's Italian Restaurant

Family Pictures

2008-12-19T18:36:00.000-08:00

I always wondered why my family never had any big family pictures taken other than with the polaroid. I always thought we were a cute family even with our lovely perms. Well, I wonder no more. It is a big pain in the butt!! You can't get everybody to look good all at the same time. You spend time doing the girls hair and it is flat 5 minutes later. So thank you mom for not torturing us kids but mostly for not torturing yourself.

This was the best we could do after an hour of trying! So Merry Christmas to all of you.

Family Traditions

2008-12-12T09:27:00.000-08:00

This holiday season I have been trying to teach the girls that they are very fortunate to have the things they have from toys to friends and family. So Greg and I have been trying to come up with some new family traditions to instill this. I love the idea of finding families in need or going to shelters, hospitals, or nursing homes to visit, but my girls are to young to be able to help at these places. I was wondering if any of you could share your family traditions, even if it doesn't involve charity-like finding the pickle on the Christmas Tree (I know some of you do this)! Let me know what you and your family do because I might just steal your ideas. Thanks and Merry Christmas!

Tis the Season for Christmas Parties

2008-12-07T15:35:00.000-08:00

This weekend we had a couple parties for Greg's work. On Friday night we went to Damon's Grille for the surgery party with all the surgery residents and Dr. Fried. It was nice because for once we were able to take the kids and make it a family night. Fried's and Hensley's brought their kids too, so the girls weren't alone. Then on Saturday night, it was the hospital's party at the Hudson Country Club. Man, I could get to used to living like that. It was a very nice place and great food. It was fun to see some of the other residents and their spouses. Thanks again to our Angel who watched the kids despite her migraine. I love to get to spend alone time with Greg which doesn't happen very often.

Sydney's Milestones

2008-12-02T06:19:00.000-08:00

It seems like for some reason the third child doesn't have as many pictures as the others, or doesn't have her baby book filled in, or doesn't have a record of her major milestones. Being a third child, I am determined to not let this happen to my little Sydney. So even though I have put this in her baby book and scrapbook, I will fill all of you in. She is now 5 months and 15lbs and growing faster than ever. Greg decided she needed to start some rice cereal a few weeks ago and I knew it wasn't going to be pretty. Ok, I will say it...I told you so. And we haven't tried it since.

The other thing she is trying to do is roll over. If you lay her on her back it is easy for her to get to her side. In fact, she has been doing that since birth. She never has liked being on her back and instantly would roll to her side, but now it is with purpose. She also likes to scoot on her back as a means of transportation. I am trying to decide if I want to call her scooter or Zachary! (This is my nephew who used to do the same thing).

Thanksgiving

2008-12-02T05:50:00.000-08:00

So I'm a little behind. Tell me what mother isn't. Anyway, our Thanksgiving was terrific! We had some friends come down from Cleveland, ate 'til we couldn't eat anymore, then ate pie! (Thanks Leanne for that.) Since we have been in Ohio we have had people over and I have to say I would prefer it that way. We split up the food which makes it a lot less overwhelming, and you get to try other people's holiday dishes. On top of that we have great company and the girls have other kids to play with. Thanksgiving should not be spent alone. That is the whole purpose right--SHARING a meal. So we are grateful for the Davidson's who shared this day with us. We miss you and wish you were closer. Wish we would have taken pictures. It is about the only time that we use tablecloths, placemats, cloth napkins, and China, oh and have a built in dish dryer
(thanks Warren). Hope everyone's Thanksgiving was good!

Halloween Week

2008-11-14T08:25:00.000-08:00

HALLOWEEN FUN!!

My Little Indecisive Child

My little Angel

I know I am a little behind in posting Halloween pictures but I am trying to forget it because it lasts like a whole week out here and it drives me crazy. Whatever happened to dressing up one time to go trick or treating on the 31st? Well, out here in Ohio the city decides when to trick or treat. It usually is the Friday before Halloween. Some nearby town do it the Saturday before the 31st. Why you ask? Who knows...Insane Ohioans. I like the fact that it is always on a weekend so kids and parents don't have to worry about school the next day, or you don't have to worry about doing it on a Sunday night either, so I guess it is a pretty good idea. However, since they block out from 6-8pm that kids can trick or treat it's not like they are staying out til midnight knocking on doors and begging for candy. But Whatever! Anyway, because the 31st just happened to be on Friday this year, the girls actually got to trick or treat on Halloween!! But it is all the activities before that make me crazy and by the time it is time to trick or treat, I have put their costumes on 3 or 4 different times between school activities, church, and community and I just want to be done. Brooklyn loves it. It is like dress up everyday for a week. She had her school party on Thursday the 30. London had activities all day the 31, Church activities the 29, and Community things on the 25. Craziness!!! I have to admit that it still never gets old seeing them parade around in their costumes and participating in their classroom parties.

Church Party

Brooklyn's School Party

London's Parade

We had friends come over with their kids and we had pizza and then they went trick or treating together. They played outside and ate their candy.

Brooklyn's Stash

London's Stash

Growing Baby

2008-11-08T10:01:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that Sydney is already 4 months. We went to the Dr. on Oct. 30 and she weighed 13.6 lbs and 24 inches. She also had to get her shots. I hate being a mom during that time. That is usually why Greg comes with and he gets to hold her legs down. But this time he couldn't make it so I got to be the proud mama. It was fine til I looked down and one nurse had already poked her twice and was done while the other one still had the first needle all the way in her leg. Poor girl.

She settled down fairly quickly which was nice because I had to rush over to Brooklyn's Halloween parade. And boy talk about making it in the nick of time, I walked in the front door and they were finishing the parade and her class was last so I barely saw it. So I went into the class room and she was crying to her teacher saying I didn't get to see her. I felt so bad. I talked to her about where I was and why I was a little late and then I showed her where she got her shots. Brooklyn was then more concerned about Sydney's well being, so that was good.

But I still felt bad, so I stayed for the rest of the party. It was fun to see her interact with her classmates. I was glad I got to stay and watch.

Grandpa and Grandma Come to Visit

2008-11-01T16:02:00.000-07:00

Being out in Ohio, we have kind of isolated ourselves (not by choice of course) from the rest of our family. Needless to say, we love to have visitors. Grandma and Grandpa Starley got to come visit us October 20-26. The girls were off school the Monday they came in and then on Tuesday London went half day and then we went to the McKinley Museum down in Canton. London's first grade class went there a year ago and she has been begging us since then to go again. So we had our own personal little tour guide. It is a pretty neat museum, small but just enough for me, oh, I mean the girls.

One of the highlights was the vacuum chair. You would turn on the vacuum and it would produce enough suction to lift you while sitting in the chair.

This was the first time Grandma and Grandpa met Sydney.

We miss being around our family and sure enjoyed having them come out. We wish we were closer to everyone. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for coming out and everything you did for us.

Lemonade Stand

2008-10-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

You know, I love watching my kids come up with ideas of things to do. However, when it involves me, sometimes I just want to shoot their so called ideas down. During the summer, London, like every kid, wanted to do a lemonade stand. I kept putting it off and putting it off and creating one excuse after another. Well, I ran out of excuses and the possibility of sunny days. So our neighbor down the street was having a garage sale last weekend and we asked if we could come down and profit from her crowd. We took 2 pitchers down, one grape and one lemonade. Miss Betty (neighbor who was having the garage sale) always watches out for our family and is constantly giving without expecting anything in return. But she gave the girls some crackers to sell with the lemonade and told them to keep the money. London was so excited about that. We started out with $2 in change, and came home with $8.50 so they were thrilled that they each got $3.25. Wow! Wouldn't that be nice if we could get excited about that amount of money, that just might buy us a gallon of gas. Because I had to keep running back and forth between the houses, Betty and other neighbors helped the girls if they needed it. Thank goodness for great neighbors. This was actually a fun time and an opportunity to put London's math skills that she has been learning about in school to good use. Betty's husband took these pictures of the girls. Thanks to him for capturing their first lemonade stand moments. Laurel, one of London's best friends joined in on the action a little later and I think that is when London really started to have fun. It turned out to be a beautiful day and on top of making a little money, they got to take the sombrero hats home from the garage sale. YEA!! Brooklyn actually convinced Betty that she didn't want the hat and got her to give her a bell instead. I don't know which is worse, the constant ringing or the huge hats. Oh well, at least they had fun and can stop pestering me about having a lemonade stand for another year.

Greg's Birthday

2008-10-06T11:33:00.000-07:00

Saturday October 4, Greg turned 34. Wow! He is old. I remember meeting him a week before his 22nd birthday. It is crazy how fast the time goes. Undergrad, a dog, med school, lots of moves, residency, and 3 kids later we arrive at the place we are now...HAPPY! Even though things have been tough, we have always enjoyed the journey. Happy Birthday! Thanks to Angel for getting Greg his favorite Dairy Queen ice cream cake.

Finally we had an excuse to go out so to celebrate this day oh, I mean his day, we went to PF Chang's. Angel, whose name fits her, has been a great friend to our family, volunteered to watch the girls. That means fun for all of us. After we left, who knows what they did. Last time is was mani's and pedi's for the girls, this time Angel even documented their events so I will share and let the pictures speak for themselves.

cards for daddy

It's the hand giving him a spanking on his bum.

Then it was some sort of salon time with cool do's. I even got in on the action when I got home.

Pigtails for all of us! Greg is surrounded by girls and I know he wouldn't have it any other way!

Other Crazy pictures of the Birthday Bash

Can't forget the baby

or the dog kissing the babyBrooklyn helping Greg find his present

More Family Time

2008-09-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

Even though Greg has been on call this whole month (he can do this because he takes home call which I think is just a way around the 80 hour work week and I could go on about that), we have had time to do some fun things with the girls. We went to the apple orchard intending to pick apples but they only had red and golden delicious ones to pick. So we just bought my favorites, Honey Crisp, and Jonagold from their store. Then we headed through the corn maze. They had a small one for little kids and a larger more complicated one for us "smarter" folk.

This was in the bigger maze. Greg and I went with them while Jamie stayed out with Sydney. London didn't want to stop long enough to even take a picture. She insisted that she knew the way out. After a while she asked that someone else be the leader, so Brooklyn stepped up. That didn't get us anywhere either. It wasn't til the ole reliable mama took over that we finally made some progress. What would we do without ME? I won't go there.

They decided they wanted to pick the feed corn to see what it looked like. London was teasing Brooklyn that you could really eat it...Brooklyn didn't buy it.

After the maze there was a pumpkin patch that they walked through. Didn't know if they were supposed to or not but they did. Too bad they couldn't pick their own.

From the apple orchard we headed to ....

The inside was chucked full of jams and jellies, JIF peanut butter, pilsbury, crisco, hungry jack, products, ice cream toppings, tons of other cooking gadgets, a hall of history, and a little cafe. My mom could have stayed in this store for hours. We however, managed about 45 minutes.

We loved meeting the Pilsbury Dough Boy!

Or at least climbing on him.

Good Bye Smuckerville!

We have so many cool things around us and I would love to see them all. I am hoping to visit other amish towns, take a ride down the Erie Canal, and hit the covered bridges festival, ride the Polar Express, visit the Rock n Roll hall of fame, the NFL hall of fame, go to Browns game(only when they play someone cool), go to more Indian's games, and whatever other adventures I uncover. Too many things, so little time, oh and money.

You would think that this would be enough for one day, but it didn't stop there. We came home got some dinner and went back out to play some miniture golf. You know, Greg had to practice his putting game.

I strapped the baby on and had to get in on the action. I am pretty sure I beat them with one hand! London got the hang of it pretty quick. Brooklyn kept switching hands and sides and would wind up and smack the ball. She didn't get the concept of hitting it soft. I think she will do just fine in softball, and maybe on the golf range. Greg had his serious game face on and was telling the girls that he wouldn't take them again unless they obeyed the rules! He is a rule GooRoo!

By the end of the day, we were all tired and ready for bed. But we sure had a good time spending it with each other.

Hike to the Ice Box Caves

2008-09-23T06:47:00.000-07:00

We have had some gorgeous fall days. The weather has been right around 70-75 degrees. Perfect for exploring all the great hiking trails around here. And that is just what we did. This particular hike had incredible scenery. The pictures I show won't do it justice. Rocks created all these nooks and crannies and ledges, even extremely smooth rocks made a nice slide for the kids to play on. It truly is amazing all of the beautiful things the Lord created for us to enjoy.

Going into the "Ice Box Cave" which was too narrow and wet for all the kids to go in.

Up through the narrow rocks which opened up to awesome ledges above.

Good thing a bunch of boys came with us so we could "capture" wildlife moments.

These are absolutely the world's freakiest little spiders. They were all white and covered the whole branch.

We found Little Zions National Park

Sydney was a good sport. She loved being hauled around in her pack.

At the end of the hike there was this look out point across the whole valley. It was so pretty. I can't wait to go back in a few weeks when all the leaves are changing and see how amazing it will be. We had a great time! Here is the link if you'd like to see other pictures or get info.

http://hikingohioparks.com/virginia-kendall-park-hiking-ohio-parks.html

my cute little nephew

2008-09-20T06:16:00.000-07:00

What 12 year old does this? I am amazed at the ambition he has. He is such a good kid. I want him to reach his goal, so I was hoping that many of you could get on and help him. Even if you could donate five dollars. I want him to be successful. Thanks in advance to any of you who help. If you could forward the link to anyone who may be interested in donating I would appreciate it and I know Jaden would be so excited.

He told me a couple weeks he was going to be a team captain for the Relay For Life Cancer Walk in October in Arizona ! I am so proud of him!!! He is so excited and has put together a team of about 10 friends. I think he can have up to 15 on his team so he is working on adding a few more. He has asked his dad to be his chaperone. By participating he wants to honor all cancer survivors as well as pay tribute to those who have lost their lives. Cancer runs in our family as it probably does in a lot of yours. On one of the main cancer websites said, "based on rates from 2003-2005, 40.35% of men and women born today will be diagnosed with cancer at some time during their lifetime. This number can also be expressed as 1 in 2 men and women will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime." That is just toooo crazy and we want to help! That is why Jaden has chosen to walk! For those of you not familiar with the walk, it is anywhere between 12-24 hours depending on which location you do. This particular one is from 6pm to 6am on October 17-18th. Someone from your team has to be out walking on the track/football field at ALL times. The entire event is to help raise cancer awareness and funding for cancer research. This relay event is trying to raise $100,000.00
Each participant pays a $10 registration fee and the rest of the money is raised by the teams through fundraising and donations. So Grandma Nancy has been working for the American Cancer Society for 15 years or so and has some ideas for Jaden to be able to accomplish this. If any of you would like to help Jaden or help in the fight for cancer then I will post a link at the end of this entry. I know he would very much appreciate it!!! He has been brainstorming to come up with ideas for fundraising such as selling doughnuts one morning at the school before school starts. He is trying to come up with a list of businesses that might be willing to donate so that their team can sell items the night of the relay to help reach their goal. If you have never participated in one of these relays, check in your own city about dates and create your own team! It is definitely a rewarding experience that you will never forget! Just go to http://www.relayforlife.org/

Here is a link to his website for online donations to help his team meet his goal of $1000. Any amount great or small helps us reach our goal. :)

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RelayForLifeGreatWestDivision?pg=personal&fr_id=5316&fr_id=5316&px=7998395

brooklyn and the camera

2008-09-16T11:17:00.000-07:00

As someone once told me, Brooklyn is a creative handful. Such a nice way to put "she is a whole lot of trouble." She reminds me of her cousin Sierra when she was little. We have had so many incidents with her that it is not funny. However, now we can look back and laugh. She is finally out of that stage, well I hope so, and now she is exploring new ways to channel her energy. One of them is taking the digital camera and sneaking up on people and taking their picture, or taking pictures of random things, a million times. But there have been some funny things she has caught on film. Like the other day, I have been on an exercise kick to lose the 'baby fat' when she was in Sydney's room with the camera and caught this sexy mama all hot and sweaty.

I know what you are all thinking. If she can make me look this good she might have real potential as a photographer.

Lost Tooth

2008-09-16T08:44:00.000-07:00

Sunday London had been wiggling her front tooth all day. At church I looked at her and it was bent back and looked horrible. During primary she wasn't interested in singing, she was interested in playing with her tooth. So we were on our way out of the parking lot when I looked in the rear view mirror only to see London's face with a big smile on it. She said "hi mom" and kept grinning. As if I wouldn't notice. I said when did you lose it and she said right now. Losing teeth must be the grossest and ugliest thing you have to put up with while being a parent. Well, there might be a couple things worse, but this certainly is high on the list according to me.

little rockstars

2008-09-16T08:12:00.000-07:00

London was invited to a birthday party at the covetted Justice for Girls. She loves it because they do her hair, give her the fake head microphone, give her arm warmers, and then they get to choose 6 "girly" things for their goodie bags. When she got home she was in a generous mood because she gave Brooklyn her old headphones and told her they needed to go play together. Watch out because you might be looking at a future American Idol!

They had a fashion show and this is the pose she told me she did.

Love London's serious rockstar pose.

The peace sign and rock out sign are the best!

Daddy's Girl

2008-09-12T13:21:00.000-07:00

So do you think there is any family resemblance? All my girls have been blessed or I say cursed with Greg's cowlicks. But Sydney's is exactly like Greg's. In fact, can you even tell who's who in these pictures. I just laughed when I compared the two. Even the amount of hair is about right! At least we all know she didn't come from the mailman.

Baby Sydney

2008-09-09T11:38:00.000-07:00

I was messing around with the camera the other day trying to figure out how to put the date back on the pictures and I found the black and white and sepia option. So I used the cutest model I could find and this is what I came up with.

Then I wondered what it would be like to have a little boy and what he'd look like, so I slicked the model's hair down and now I don't have to wonder anymore.

Well, as you can see, that is what she thought of me playing dress up with her.

Gymnastics

2008-09-09T08:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Brooklyn's first day of gymnastics and boy, it was a trip. There was about 15 four year olds bouncing off the walls. She had two friends taking it with her and they were making sure they were right next to each other. At any given time, you'd look in the gym and see bodies jumping up and down. It was hilarious! After watching London for a couple years in this same gym, Brooklyn was ready to go. Before school, we went out to find a leotard. She found this one that had "balance" written on the chest in glittery diamonds. When I told her what it said, she said "oh, like balance beam". That was the one thing she wanted to do. So of course we had to get it, and that it had pink on it (her favorite color). When I picked her up from school she said she was a little nervous to go but she said that she knew Miss Diane (her teacher) wouldn't let her fall of the balance beam. She cracks me up. But she did well and can't wait til next week. So I guess that is a good sign for her, but not my pocket book.

working the beam

getting ready to do cartwheels on the mat with her friend

doing backward somersault
learning the bars

spa night

2008-08-30T18:50:00.000-07:00

We all know how some of these home based businesses are run...someone tells a friend they are selling a product, someone asks friend to hold party friend asks you to go to party, then someone asks you to have a party so your friend gets more stuff. Well, in some cases that just isn't true, or should I say in my case last night. I had several friends come over for what was supposed to be a relaxing "spa night" full of facials, mini manicures and pedicures, and a meditation period with calming music and all. Being a mom sure takes a lot of energy, and we all know that we could use moments of peace and quiet. So in this rare occasion of quiet in the living room we attempted the impossible...to RELAX. We got, oh, about 1 minute into the meditation and the sliding glass door comes flying open with Baylor panting and his nails tapping the floors, 3 girls giggling and talking at decibels that shouldn't be spoken at in the house. Immediately all of us moms started laughing because we all knew it was too good to be true. Then on cue, baby Sydney woke up and started screaming and did that for what seemed like an hour. I was so frazzled by the time everyone left that I forgot I needed to order beauty products. The lady was giving me the run down on specials and products and I was really not paying much attention. So I ended up getting "the special" which turns out to be the sign up package to be a consultant of the company. Oh well, I still get some great products and after calling her today, she said that I don't have to end up being active. GREAT!!

So what was supposed to be a night of relaxation ended up like romper room. Moral of this story...Moms don't get to RELAX so don't try this at home (well at least with kids around).

First Day of School

2008-08-27T11:24:00.000-07:00

I wish I could say I was one of those moms who have a hard time seeing their children go off to school, but I'm not. I actually count the days til they can go back. Anyone who knows my girls know that they are socialites, always have to be playing, talking, or planning something with someone. Summer is exhausting for me. At least with them being in school they can see all their friends and get a lot of that out of their system. Don't get me wrong, I love my girls but I also love when they go. So I wasn't too bent out of shape waking them up this morning. I was expecting a difficult morning and to my surprise things went very smooth. London jumped out of bed, got dressed and came down to eat breakfast and it wasn't even 8:00 yet. She moves pretty fast, it is Brooklyn who you have to constantly remind to get moving. But the bus comes at 8:30 and we were out at the stop by 8:20. Greg got to sneak away from the hospital to come wait with the kids. It has been the same every year, 30 minutes after the scheduled time the bus comes rolling around. It was 9:00. School starts at 9:00--CRAZY! Oh well, at least it wasn't my fault for being tardy on the first day.

Brooklyn is attending afternoon preschool and it didn't start til 12:40 so we had some time to waste. After being out at the bus stop with London, she came in ate breakfast and headed straight for her bedroom to watch TV. She would be in there all day if I let her. I fed the baby and fell back asleep for about 20 minutes when she came in with my cell phone in her hand telling me she called daddy to say hi. And to my surprise again, Greg was really on the phone. I'm not sure how she did it but she must have pressed the right speed dial number. Either that or I have an extremely smart 4 year old who found the cell # on the fridge and dialed herself. I'd like to think she is the latter. Anyway, about 12:00 we had some lunch and then headed to the bathroom to do her hair, and in my efforts to speed her along I burned her ear with the curling iron. When does that happen?...Oh about never with me because I rarely curl her hair. So of course she starts crying and then I wanted to take pictures, but her eyes were all red so I waited til we got to school. She was very quiet going in and I was wondering if she was ok, but when I asked her, she gave me one of those "are you stupid" looks. She signed the I love you with her fingers cuz that is our thing and said bye mom. I took that cue and left. I am anxious for both of them to get home and tell me how things went. We will see what kind of looks I will get from Brooklyn, and what kind of stories London will have to tell.

Mrs. Grimsley

Getting sucked in

2008-08-26T11:53:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I thought I would give this blogging thing a try since many of my friends and family have been pestering me to set one up. Well, as you saw, my first post was successful, so now I will try and add to this more often. It might take me a little bit to figure out how to post pictures and jazz up the site a bit but eventually I will. Thanks to all of you who have sucked me in and have given me a reason to waste more time at the computer. I guess housework will wait another day!

Day Before School

2008-08-26T11:39:00.000-07:00

The last days of summer are always such a bummer. The kids are cramming in their play time with friends and enjoying their lazy mornings. However, that hasn't been too hard since we all (except Dr. Dad) have been sleeping in til 10. Since having another baby, the girls have definitely learned how to use a toaster, make chocolate milk, use the remote control and all TV and DVD equipment. But those days are over. Tomorrow marks another year of no sleeping in, packing lunches, getting to the bus stop on time, taking Brooklyn to preschool, volunteering at school, and doing homework and all those fun school projects that the parents end up doing anyway. Yea! I can't wait. We get to go meet the teachers tonight so it shall be an eventful night trying to get everything put together for tomorrow. I think the hardest part will be getting the girls to go to sleep at a decent time so they will wake up on time. I guess that goes for me too so no more late night movies.