Ian Marcus

3 snow days in a row = awesome

2012-01-18T20:49:00.000-05:00

We have been sledding every morning for the last three days - I think every day James said - "this is the best day ever!" Snow is really fun when you don't have to deal with it very often.

Most of the pictures are from the first day without a ton a snow and we only have about 4-5 inches now but it is enough to make everything beautiful and white. And today even Curt's office was closed which made it the best snow day ever.

We got a tree!

2011-12-06T00:46:00.001-05:00

Baby Annabelle came with us to help pick it out. It is ridiculously big (not the one pictured below) and makes the house smell like Christmas.

So happy to have Scott and Doris here from Hong Kong.

The Nutcracker

2011-12-04T12:59:00.001-05:00

This was James' first time coming with us to the Nutcracker and I must say he did really well - we talked a lot about the story before we went but he kept asking me why they weren't talking.

After we hung out and ate at the Center House we picked up Curt from work and walked to the Gingerbread house display at the Sheraton.

Last month catch-up

2011-12-04T12:47:00.001-05:00

I haven't been very good at blogging lately so here is some catch-up - last month we went to the Science Center twice, Ian and Curt went to a Seahawks game together, the boys and I went to see Frog and Toad at the Seattle Children's Theatre (they loved it and keep singing the songs), went to see the new Muppet movie which they also loved (me too), and got to spend a week of fun with Lisa's family who was in town from Austin for Thanksgiving. Scott and Doris surprised everyone by flying in with baby Annabelle on Thanksgiving day so we were together with all of Curt's siblings but one sister (we missed you Julie!) - it was so great. I love that we get to see family during the holidays - can't wait for our Christmas visitors!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T01:13:00.001-05:00

Ian's Thankful list:
Friends
the beautiful world
his nice teacher
that mom can help in his class
the Armed Services

James' Thankful list:
mommy helps him with things
school
Ian helping him build legos
flashlights

A little fall visit

2011-11-04T19:15:00.000-04:00

Grandma Clay came to visit for a week and Grandpa for a long weekend so we got to do lots of fun stuff, including: checking out the boys' classrooms at school.

Wrestling with Grandpa, a lot.

Visiting with the Leonards, watching Ian play soccer and piano, and doing fun crafts.

Thanks for the visit mom and dad - it is never long enough. James told me in the car today "it isn't as fun without Grandma" - and I agree (you too, dad).

Thomasson Farm

2011-11-04T18:06:00.000-04:00

Last week we went to the pumpkin patch with James' preschool class. James and Mags love going to school together.

We love Miss Rhonda - cutest preschool teacher ever.

When he took his pants off that night I found about a half cup of corn on the floor that had been hiding in his pant cuffs. I think his first field trip was a success.

Happy Halloween

2011-11-01T12:46:00.002-04:00

Here is the world's most excited Power Ranger and grumpiest Harry Potter.

For last weeks party we spray painted his hair black. This week I begged him not to do it again.

It was extra fun to have Grandma and Grandpa to trick-or-treat with us. James was crazy - he could have gone all night (of course because he was getting candy). Ian would have been done with just our street - but our neighborhood was very festive and there was even a haunted house to walk through AND it didn't rain - so it was a good night.

Scholz Farm

2011-10-15T16:14:00.001-04:00

We went to the pumpkin patch yesterday so I could pick up some decorating stuff for my mantle (why doesn't anything ever turn out the way I picture it in my mind?). The kids had fun in the corn maze and picking out the biggest pumpkins they could find.

Ian just finished his soccer game and now they are hanging out in their new halloween blanket - seriously so so cute aunt ash - thank you!

Seabrook

2011-10-02T19:27:00.001-04:00

We had a perfect long weekend on the Washington coast. It was warmer than expected and I am in love with Seabrook's perfect little beach community (those are pictures of my some of my favorite houses). We road bikes, played at the beach, roasted marshmallows, hiked in the woods, took walks to the park, and, in general, played outside a lot. We also enjoyed lots of time with good friends - thanks Penrods for always being up for a weekend away.

Oh my baby

2011-09-13T17:53:00.000-04:00

Is clearly not a baby anymore and was so excited to start school today. I wasn't quite sure what to do with myself so I went to Target and wandered through the store finding lots of things to buy that we don't need (especially from the new Missoni line - LOVE IT). It was dreamy - but I miss him already.

This kid melts me

2011-09-06T17:57:00.001-04:00

- he is getting to be so big. This morning he woke me with a huge smile and said "let's get ready for school!" Mrs. Malkowicz gave each child a hug as they entered her class and asked if they were ready to learn to read. It is her specialty - she has all kinds of grants for it and an IPad for her classroom. Cheers to another great school year for Ian and to hoping I will get better at letting go.

Saturday sun

2011-09-04T17:50:00.002-04:00

I can't believe it is the last weekend before school starts. The weather was beautiful so we headed down to olympia to try out the Penrod's new sunflower sail boat. I have been sailing for a lot of years with my dad but his boats are always too big and scary for me to sail myself. I was surprised at how fun it was to be the captain (you might notice by the picture that there was not a lot of wind that day - we did get a few gusts and Ian was terrified that I was going to flip us over).

Jamesy and the rest of the group stayed on the beach and played in the sand while the "sailors" took turns.

Then we headed to the Voellger's house for an end of summer BBQ. They have an amazing backyard and my kids are already asking when we can go back.

Ian getting on the zip line.

13 kids in the hot tub - I think it was a record.

The broken leg

2011-09-02T00:53:00.004-04:00

Today Jamesy got his cast off his broken leg. Last night, after he asked his dad if he would bang on his cast forever (helps with the itching), he asked if today he would be able to run super fast again - that was cute. Actually, he has only been walking on it very tenderly if at all and his knee and ankle joints are pretty sore. It is still good to see him without that green leg, though.

Not that it stopped him from doing much...

I wish I had videoed how fast he could hobble around on that thing.

Other funny things about james this week:
On Sunday he walked out of church - ripped off his snap church shirt, threw it on the ground and said "This shirt needs to die!"
He also tried to get Ian to open the bedroom door by knocking and then saying it was the pizza man.

More zoo

2011-09-01T19:23:00.003-04:00

We have a membership this year so we have been spending lots of time at the zoo.

Last days of summer

2011-09-01T18:37:00.006-04:00

have been spent at the park, the lake, the slip and slide or anywhere else outside - the weather has been amazing.

...and filled with berry picking. There is something about free berries that totally has me hooked - even when I am covered in scratches and stains when I am done. This year we made two batches of freezer jam and a blackberry cobbler.

Tipsoo Lake

2011-08-21T01:06:00.004-04:00

Today we headed up Mt. Rainier to a hike near Tipsoo Lake. It was amazingly beautiful (my pictures don't do it justice). A lot of the hike was still covered in snow so it was a bit more slippery and muddy than we expected (Ian fell at least 12 times - was dirty everywhere and tried to hit me with every snowball that he possibly could). The day was perfect and hot and the snow made the kids forget they were tired.
Tipsoo lake, where the hike started.

You can see the top of Mt. Rainier behind the boys.

Jamesy rode in the backpack because of his broken leg - he was great.

and so was Mim, like always.

There was a LOT of snow.

We hiked to this small lake and then on to a waterfall before we turned around and headed back to the cars.

I have to admit that I love living this close to the mountain.

Ian's Birthday Party

2011-08-21T00:36:00.007-04:00

Friday we had a slip-n-slide party for Ian's birthday at Grandma Leonard's house (our 3rd year in a row). It turned out to be a perfect day to play in the water and hang out with friends and family.

A few action shots:

Of course Jamesy couldn't get his cast wet but he was happy anyway.

We are so excited that the Jensens moved back so we can spend time with them (after a few times down the slip-n-slide with Sadie she told me I was becoming her favorite aunt - so worth it!)

Ian told me he wanted either a skeleton or a wampa birthday. I went with skeleton - turned skull and crossbones/pirate.

Thank you thank you thank you Grandma and Grandpa Leonard for letting us use your house and the best, hugest, most perfect slip-n-slide hill!

Ian is 6

2011-08-21T00:07:00.005-04:00

Ian turned 6 on Wednesday. And I realized that I have a hard time with my kids getting big. I am totally heartbroken that he is going to be in school full time this year. That is so much time away from him. And even though he can be annoying at times and never stops talking, I really like hanging out with him and I like the little person that he is.

We started his birthday with a present scavenger hunt as soon as he woke up. He could even read the clues himself (see, he is getting too big). Then we had some fun with friends and a waterslide at the Reddings.

Then we picked up Curt and headed to the Rainforest Cafe for dinner. Ian thought it was cool - James thought it was amazing (you can always count on James for a good reaction).

Things I love about Ian:
- he has no fear, which unfortunately often leads to lots of falls - but he rarely ever cries.
- he plays made up games all day long - he would rather make up a game than play with a toy.
- I guess it is the age but he has so much more stamina and physically can do so much more than he used to be able to do. This included kneeboarding and tubing full speed with the big kids this summer.
- He is very carefree - not much bothers him (including punishments - which can be frustrating for his parents) which makes him a very easy child.
- He gives hugs and kisses freely - to whomever wants them. I think he even realizes that it is a nice thing to do.

How sad/cute is this

2011-08-15T13:08:00.002-04:00

Our NY vacation was perfect until james broke is leg on week 3. It was only slightly less perfect after that. Pictures to come.

Northwest Trek

2011-07-10T12:42:00.005-04:00

Lisa's family is in town so yesterday we all went to check out NW Trek. Our boys love Collin and Rachel - actually James is kind of obsessed with Rachel and won't leave her alone for a second.

And the best part is that we finally got to meet baby Sarah. She is so happy and cute and will let anyone hold her. I love that kind of baby!

The first part of the park is kind of like a zoo with the carnivores in their natural habitats.

The second part is a one hour tram ride through the free roaming area - only herbivores there.

Grandma and Grandpa Leonard had to get home so we kept Collin while we explored for a while longer.

Getting ready for the lake

2011-07-10T12:36:00.002-04:00

4 days and counting...

The northwestern most tip

2011-07-04T22:49:00.009-04:00

This weekend we went camping in Neah Bay on the Olympic Pennisula. It was amazingly beautiful - our campsite was 100 ft. from the beach - and the boys were super campers.

After we arrived and set up camp on Saturday we took a hike to Cape Flattery.

The views were amazing.

And here Ian and I are standing on the northwestern most point of the continental US (we are several feet away from a 100 ft. cliff AND apparently there was a gray whale swimming out there an hour before we got there).

The next morning we got up and headed to the beach to check out the tide pools. We saw all the typical NW stuff - the kids were most excited about the star fish and the crabs.

(I love this picture of Ian and Curt)

Then it was finally time to play in the sand and the ocean.

The beach had sand dollars everywhere - and I am not exaggerating when I tell you that Ian and Grant collected 100 of them. Also, I think about 85% of the campers at the campsite were there to surf.

The boys got to try out the new beach robes I made them - they worked perfectly!

And of course there was a fire and smores at the campsite both nights.

On our way there we stopped at the most picturesque lake - maybe we will camp there next...

The Zoo

2011-07-02T00:33:00.007-04:00

We had a little time to ourselves when we first got there...

But when the rest of the group arrived it got really fun (crazy).

They are pretty cute in their own snail shells...

But I think they are extra cute together.

But then again, I also think monkeys are cute.

The zoo is small - but the two really awesome things it has are the sharks and the budgies. You buy a stick with bird seed and the budgies come right to you and eat it off your stick. James was half amazed and half terrified.

James and Mags love each other.

The Dragons

2011-06-27T00:49:00.002-04:00

Soccer ended for Ian and the Dragons on Saturday. He had some really funny team mates that made going to soccer games pretty entertaining this season. I won't go into too much detail but there were shoes flying and little boys talking a LOT of trash.

He and James had the same color shirts even though they were on different teams so James would usually sneak a treat and a drink from Ian's games as well as his own. Tricky...

End of school dance party

2011-06-27T00:30:00.004-04:00

My friend Brooke had this brilliant idea to have a dance party for the kids to celebrate the end of school and it turned out to be so fun. We had a DJ, three tables of food to snack on and tons of fun stuff for the kids to do including:
Light saber balloons.

A slip-n-slide (that is james).

Face and arm painting.

Tons of food.

The limbo and lots and lots of dancing in the street.

They were completely delirious by the time we finally got them home and in to bed. Can you tell?

I'm hoping it becomes an annual event!

Welcome to summer

2011-06-20T17:17:00.004-04:00

I am so excited for summer vacation - no schedules, nice weather (we hope), fun day trips, playing in the sun. I always thought the last day of school was the best day ever - but instead of celebrating I can tell Ian is feeling kind of sad. Don't worry - I will make his summer so fun he will never want to go back to school - ever! (just kidding).
FIRST day of school:

LAST day of school:

I made a banner across the front door for them to run through when they got home.

It is amazing to think about how much they change over the course of a school year. I feel like he is learning things so quickly and yet he is the same in so many ways. He is happy, clumsy, fearless, sweet, charming, annoying - and I love every single spec of him.

The Pirates

2011-06-19T17:41:00.004-04:00

James' first soccer season ended yesterday. He wouldn't play the first two games but once he got comfortable with it he was kind of a crazy little player. Go Pirates!

Field Day

2011-06-15T17:25:00.004-04:00

I helped out at Ian's field day today. It wasn't super warm but it wasn't raining either so it went pretty well. Firsts for Ian: kickball (how could that be?), hula hooping, jumping rope, baton relay, tug-of-war. It definitely brought back memories of elementary school...

Jamesy came at the end and got to have his first real school lunch and join in for recess.

Blowing me kisses as we leave - i love that kid.

The real picture

2011-06-12T02:04:00.004-04:00

The other day while I was on the phone with Cami she mentioned that the blog always makes the boys seem like best friends but inevitably while we are talking they are either crying or being put on time out. The truth is - 1. usually when we are out doing something and having fun (and therefore taking pictures) they are pretty well behaved - and 2. they turn into devils as soon as I get on the phone - always.
Truthfully they ARE really good buddies and they spend most of their days playing together. However, I have noticed lately that most of their fighting can be traced back to this: Ian is bossy, likes to make up lots of rules for all of his made up games, and really likes to change the rules in whatever way he needs to so he wins said games - and James really likes to hit, kick and scratch in retaliation of Ian's rules.
So what I am trying to say is they are sweet - but they are also usually throwing each other down the slide.

Weekend Trip

2011-06-07T17:18:00.008-04:00

We decided on Saturday afternoon that we needed to get out of town. We wanted somewhere close, so we didn't have to spend much time in the car so we headed to Port Townsend. We got there in time to explore a bit and eat some dinner. Then we went back to the hotel for several hours of swimming in the pool. I can't begin to explain how crazy the boys were in the water - it made me excited for the lake this summer (as if I need to be any more excited about going to the lake - 37 days and counting).

The next morning we got up and swam some more and then went to a yummy crepe place for brunch before we got on the ferry to Whidbey Island.

It is moments like these (below) when I get visions of these two getting older and teaming up against their parents.

Once we arrived at Whidbey Island we went to explore Fort Casey - an old military base that was once used to protect the Puget Sound ports. There were ladders, tunnels, guns, a huge grassy field to run in and a beach to throw rocks at. We probably spent a good 4-5 hours playing.

James fell asleep on Curt's shoulder during the tour so I laid him on our blanket in the grass and he napped (that is what happens when you swim until 10 at night and still wake up at 7).

Hooray for fun getaways and perfect weather - it almost makes this gloomy spring bearable. (and btw, Ian's pockets were so full of his favorite rocks from the beach that he had to hold his shorts up the whole walk back to the car)

Gasworks at long last

2011-05-28T23:12:00.002-04:00

Ian is obsessed with Gasworks Park in Seattle. About once a week he offers to take Josie there and then asks if we can go. Today was beautiful so we indulged him.

It doesn't have any play equipment but it has tons of hills to roll down - over and over and over.

And water to throw rocks in.

And this is just because he has a cute bum.

The first sprinkler run

2011-05-19T17:05:00.004-04:00

of the season looked something like this (and did I mention that this was at 9:30 this morning?):

Pure delight. Once they got tired of the sprinkler I gave them the water guns, a bucket of water to refill them and they have lasted for hours.

Doesn't that just make you think summer? I know it has been spring for most of you for a while but we are just starting to really feel it - and it reminds me that I really love the sun.

Farm School

2011-05-19T16:56:00.003-04:00

Monday I went with Ian and his class on a field trip to the Puyallup Fair Farm School. We learned about agriculture and got to see and pet lots of farm animals. I think Ian's teacher is so fabulous - I can hardly believe he only has nine more days of school. Bring on summer vacation.....

Alone

2011-05-14T02:40:00.002-04:00

These two went with their dad on a father/son camp out tonight. They have been talking about it for weeks and were so excited. And can I just tell you how much you can get done without any boys around? I can't even remember the last time I spent a whole night alone...

Some love

2011-05-09T23:44:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I had mother's day breakfast-in-bed in James' bed (he called for me at 5 to snuggle him) and then was given lots of very sweet crafts from my Kindergartener - a placemat, a trivet with his hand print, some flowers made of egg cartons. Then James told me he loved me a billion, five, a billion, five, a hundred. So I basically feel pretty lucky. Especially since, when I think about being a mom, I think of all the things I have learned from all the moms around me, from my sisters and sisters-in-law who are moms, from my own mom and from my grandmas. You are all incredibly inspirational and I am grateful you are a part of my life. Happy belated Mother's Day.

As I was looking through pictures to find some of my favorite moms I found this - and I think it is perfect.

Easter

2011-04-25T16:10:00.005-04:00

Holidays with these two are pretty much awesome.

It is always fun to celebrate with cousins, too.

The egg hunt

2011-04-23T15:59:00.005-04:00

I love having Easter so late in the month because we had a perfect spring day to hunt for eggs.

James was ecstatic every time he opened an egg.

It was even nice enough for some bike riding and backyard soccer.

Jamesy bunny

2011-04-23T15:50:00.003-04:00

Yesterday on the swings while I am pushing him -
James: My feet are sticking in a cloud. If I fall off my head will break open. Or my eye will break open. Or my teeth will break off.

Star Wars

2011-04-07T00:21:00.003-04:00

Today was the best Wednesday that felt like a Saturday. Curt took the day off so we could go to the Star Wars exhibit at the Science Center - and it was Grant's birthday so the Penrods came, too.

The exhibit was full of lots of fun facts, tons of costumes, models of ships, real lightsabers and robots.

AND it was sunny outside so we got to play for a while.

Brothers

2011-04-05T19:01:00.001-04:00

I was taking pictures of the bags for my crafty blog and couldn't resist this sweet little snuggle.

Bunny Ears

2011-04-05T14:54:00.003-04:00

They had a breakfast and meet the Easter Bunny thing at the mall yesterday.

Who knew the Easter Bunny dresses like he is from the 1800s? That is weird.

Also weird - they have these things in the mall that blow wind on you.

James has been wearing this hat since I bought it for him last Friday. I'm wondering if I will ever see his hair again.

The winker

2011-03-30T17:09:00.002-04:00

Whenever James smiles lately he also winks. And sometimes he responds to things with a wink instead of words. For example: James, you are cute - wink, or I love you james - smile and wink. He is kind of the quiet type anyway -either that or he has developed a twitch.

In other news - we have been doing lots of hopeful spring kind of things like hiking around lakes and playing with our shirts off in the back yard.

Back at the home front.

2011-03-21T18:15:00.002-04:00

I often remind myself as a mother that difficult phases will pass. Today that makes me sad because I know the easy phases pass as well - and my boys love each other so much right now. I wish I could make it last.

CA - Sea World

2011-03-21T17:03:00.005-04:00

My favorite things about Sea World:

1. The shark tunnel. Impossible to get a good picture of it.

2. The Baluga whale and her baby. Zoey was trying to swim with them.

3. The awesome kid play area.

4. Changing Ian's entire outfit because his uncles used him as a shield at the Shamu show.

5. Grandma buying James' his Dolphy - he still sleeps with it every night.

6. The animals - but especially feeling the super slimy mantarays. That was creepy.

By the looks of the next two pictures - I'd say Ian was pretty much done with taking pictures at this point in our trip.

I could have spent another whole day at Sea World - there was so much that we missed and I wanted to let the kids play a lot longer in the play area. Next time....

CA - Disneyland/California Adventure

2011-03-08T18:06:00.013-05:00

Somehow, Disney is even more magical with kids. My favorite part was seeing Ian or James face as we got off a ride (not that I ever actually got to ride with them with their cousins there). They were super brave and not afraid of anything - and totally charmed by the whole experience.

Top five rides - Amy:
1. Space mountain
2. Pirates of the Caribbean
3. The Haunted Mansion
4. The Tower of Terror
5. Screamin California

The mommies took such good care of their babies.

And what is with Disneyland and weird hats???
Although, this one is somewhat appropriate - love ya mom!

Cute things I remember about Disneyland:
- Zoey eating Churros - truly her father's child.
- Talking a lot about the blueberry.
- How amazing Devon and Connor are with all their little cousins - you boys are the best!
- James pointing to everything and yelling "look" while on It's a Small World
- The battle for the most points at the Toy Story Ride.
- Ian loving Space Mountain and Tower of Terror, a lot.
- Riding Screamin CA over and over.
- Nicki's white face during the ferris wheel ride.
- The game of Can you guess the Star Wars character while waiting for World of Color to start. Welcome to the nerds, Paul.
- Losing Ian at the play area - oh wait, that wasn't cute.
- Hanging out with Laura and Kristyn for a little. Thanks for coming girls - it definitely wasn't long enough!
- The turkey legs. So gross and yet so good.

CA - the preciouses

2011-03-08T17:32:00.002-05:00

Dallas and Zoey were blessed by their Grandpa Clay while we were all together. I felt really lucky to be a part of all that. And really lucky to have lots of holding and loving time with those two sweet baby girls. Love, love, love them.

The littles devising an escape plan.

CA - Legoland

2011-03-08T16:58:00.006-05:00

A little chilly but a lot awesome.
Of course Parker and grandpa went on lots of rides together - she kind of has a thing for him.

And James has a thing for being a pirate. Arrrrgh matey!

Me and my sisters and mom - this picture makes me happy.

Yay - and finally Meg, Pauly and Zoey showed up after an unexpected overnight in Newark (and lots of vomiting) - youch.

Cami and Curt both flew in on Friday so they were there, too.

When I say that james does funny faces like Connor used too - this is what I mean.

CA - San Diego Zoo

2011-03-08T14:39:00.006-05:00

The thing about the San Diego Zoo is that it makes all other zoos pale in comparison. Not only does it have every cool animal - but it has like 15 of each of them.

Cute things I remember about this day:
-Nicki carried Dallas around in sling almost all day. She is a good snuggler.
-James insisted that aunt ashley and only aunt ashley push him in the stroller. Good thing she had help taking care of her own kids because james was definitely monopolizing her.
-We took a double decker bus tour around the zoo so we could see everything. It was pretty awesome.
-I could have stayed and watched the baby hippo swimming with its mom for hours and hours.
-The kids basically ran everywhere, for miles, especially Parker - and that's when I knew they would definitely last at Disneyland.

Jamesy making his panda and kitty kiss.

CA - the mechanized museum

2011-03-08T14:07:00.005-05:00

I wasn't very excited to go, but even I had fun climbing on old Marine vehicles and pretending to shoot really big guns.

We had the place to ourselves so we basically battled it out.

And look at all these cute close-ups of the family.

CA the beach

2011-03-08T13:44:00.004-05:00

The kids were basically in the water up to their waists before the adults even got over the hill to see that they had gone in. And it definitely was not warm enough to swim.

They started like this...

Then stripped down.

Keep in mind we had no change of clothes for them or towels.

Dallas stayed in the car keeping grandpa warm.

Grandma helps at school

2011-02-17T18:25:00.004-05:00

I usually help out in Ian's class on Monday mornings but while Grandma Clay was here Ian let me know that he would prefer that she help out in his class - so I brought her along.

I'm so glad because she took pictures of lots of fun things at school and Ian felt so lucky to have her there with him.

She even found some of his artwork in the halls.

Off to Astoria and my favorite new video

2011-02-17T13:49:00.007-05:00

This was such a fun trip to Astoria - maybe it was because my kids are old enough that I don't have to worry about them as much - or maybe it was because they were so loving with their great grandparents. They wanted to be on their laps nonstop and couldn't stop giving them kisses. It was very sweet.

Showing off how big they have gotten.

A trip to their favorite park.

Have I ever told you that I love tire swings? Why don't they still put those in parks?

More love for grandpa.

They even saved some sweetness for me.

Thanks for having us Grandma and Grandpa.

This is a video of ian getting off the tire swing.

Grandma Clay

2011-02-17T13:25:00.006-05:00

I love this picture because it just shows exactly what having my mom around is like. She is full of energy, and fun and lots of love.

We were so excited to celebrate her birthday while she was here (I don't think I have been around to do that since high school) and I tried to spoil her but she fought it pretty hard. I did at least make half of her delicious vanilla butter cream and coconut covered cake filled with raspberries. Happy Birthday Mom!

We also did lots of visiting, shopping, sewing, playing games and, in general, enjoying being together. Ian cried himself to sleep last night asking why Grandma had to leave.

The best part was watching her enjoy the kids and spend time with them. They love her.

XOXO

2011-02-14T02:13:00.001-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

In Addition to the post card (above) we also made mustaches and lips with suckers for our friends and family. Here are the Leonard cousins with theirs, but my very favorite photos of them are found here.

Anniversary

2011-02-02T13:36:00.003-05:00

Together forever. Nine down.....

Littles in suit coats

2011-02-01T00:26:00.002-05:00

are so charming. Even if I had to beg them to wear them.

Star wars on the brain

2011-01-15T17:28:00.003-05:00

Me: Why is your brother crying?
Ian: I didn't cheat. I just stole. You can steal light sabers, you know.

Ian: Mom, what about (if) it was the Seahawks vs. the Cardinals on Hoth. And the Seahawks were taking down the Cardinal's ATATs and Matt Hasselbeck was Luke Skywalker.

Ian and James making their star wars guys talk to each other:
James: Hi want to play?
Ian: Yeah.
James: Do you have a jet pack?
Ian: Yeah.
James: Can you not shoot me?
Ian: Yeah.
James: Can you fly?
Ian: Yeah.
James: Let's go. Do you have a light saber?
Ian: No.
James: You can get a blue one from Bespin Luke.
Ian: K let's fly into the play room.

I love overhearing stuff like that.

Sledding

2011-01-04T18:40:00.002-05:00

It has been unusually cold here so the snow is holding out.

It is all over

2011-01-03T00:03:00.005-05:00

I'm so sad that school starts tomorrow. It has been such a fun break and I love having no schedule and I LOVE having Curt home so much. I'm not quite ready to get back to real life.

This is what we did:

Not to mention the snow. This day was filled mostly with Ian throwing snowballs at the sliding glass door (and James and me warm inside).

And the park.

Last night in the car Ian and James were having a conversation about fast animals.
Ian: Yeah, like a cheetah.
James: What? Cheetos don't have legs!

Merry Christmas weekend

2010-12-27T01:01:00.007-05:00

The WA Leonard cousins in their Christmas Eve finest. Jack (8), Tommy (11), Ian (5), Karina (15), Helena (2), katie (13), Luke (5), James (3).

Christmas Eve eve:
1. The Harry Potter Exhibit. Brilliant.
2. The Gingerbread Exhibit. Brilliant.
3. The Christmas Merry-go-round downtown. Kind of cold.

Christmas Eve:
1. Wrapping presents.
2. Dinner, presents and the Christmas story at Amy/Eric Leonards. So yummy I can't stop thinking about it.
3. Decorating cookies for Santa and leaving the reindeer treats.

Christmas:
1. Waiting for the boys to wake up so we can watch their excitement as they go downstairs. Seriously - 7:15? - they are still amateurs.
2. Lots of squeals of delight.
3. Lots of recycling.
4. Raspberry scones for breakfast.
5. Lots of playing with toys.
6. Grandma Leonard's house for Christmas dinner.
(Ian loved showing off his new mustache and told everyone it was from his aunt the tickle monster - I told him he looked like his Grandpa Clay at 35)

The day after Christmas:
1. So happy to play with all their new stuff. It is like they never want to leave the house again. (Dev and Con - they are reading the Star Wars book in the tent.)

Merry Christmas! Wishing you all the very, very best.

Ian's Christmas Concert

2010-12-19T18:28:00.002-05:00

The ward party picture

2010-12-19T17:50:00.004-05:00

Here they are with the Mr. and Mrs. and I didn't even have to force James to sit on her lap.

Good guys and bad guys

2010-12-19T17:28:00.003-05:00

Should I be worried that Ian's favorites are always the bad guys?

The other day he walked in the room with his face painted like this and asked me if he looked like Darth Maul. Hmnn kind of. And stop drawing on your face with markers. And awesome hair do.

The Nutcracker

2010-12-14T00:28:00.004-05:00

I took Ian and Josie this year. Ian insisted that he had never seen it until he saw the battle of the toy soldiers and the mouse army. No one could forget the Sendak Mouse King. He only asked when it would be over a couple of times. Josie, on the other hand, loved every second and so did I.

3 (yesterday)

2010-12-12T16:32:00.010-05:00

Happy Birthday to James. He is three. And an angel. (No, not really.)

We started out the day opening presents - which is a great way to start out any day.
Then we headed to Tacoma to meet the Penrods for a Chuck E Cheese lunch and some fun.

Then to the Santa train to tell him all about the fun stuff we want for Christmas. Ian went first because he has a lot to say.

James thought is was magical and horrifying all at once, especially when Santa had us stand up so the whole train could sing him the Happy Birthday Song.

But he took the candy cane anyway.

After the cold and rainy train ride, we had cookies and hot chocolate around a warm, wood stove.

Then home for some candles, cupcakes, friends, more presents and lots of cute three-year-old smiles from the birthday boy. Love that kid.

Things I love about Jamesy at 3:
- He giggles while he is playing tag with his brother.
- He insists on playing duck duck goose as our activity every family night.
- He is obsessed with Boba Fett and Lightning McQueen.
- Nothing makes him happier than having "lone time" to play with his toys in peace (he actually asks Ian to leave).
- He LOVES Target. If it were up to him we would go daily. I think he might choose that over going to the park or to a play date.
- He is always aware of where we are in the car and what turns we should be making.
- He is getting to be very affectionate and he tells me I am the best mom ever. Who wouldn't love that.
- He is so fun to buy presents for because he is so excited to open them, screams "this is my favorite" when he does and plays with everything he gets. Christmas is going to be fun.
- He like to put his arms around me and put cover his hands with my hair. He says because my hair is warm.
- He takes my face in both hands and pulls me in for a kiss - on the cheek - he doesn't like lip kissing.

The tree

2010-12-11T02:01:00.005-05:00

Tuesday night we were off to the tree farm to pick out a tree.

There was a huge snowman that blew snow out of his...mustache?

Both boys are so excited about Christmas - but Ian seems to be at the perfect age where he really believes in the magic of Christmas and is also starting to understand the meaning of Christmas. Somehow it makes it even more magical to me.

Me: Ian what else is on your Christmas list for Santa?
Ian: I don't know, maybe Lego Star Wars II.
Me: I didn't know they had that, have you seen it?
Ian: Mom! Santa can make anything - he could even make Lego Star Wars three, four and five.
Me: That sounds like a lot of work, maybe we should stick to things that already exist.

Ian's Star Wars fantasy

2010-12-09T00:41:00.003-05:00

Ian: Mom if James gives me his three dollars I will have 40 dollars and then I will only need 60 more to buy the AT AT.
Me: Well if you asked Santa for it, maybe he will bring it for you and you won't have to buy one.
Ian: Mom, the movie had five.

Wishful thinking, little one.

Scott and Doris

2010-12-08T12:13:00.003-05:00

I really, truly, wish this wasn't the ONLY picture we have of Scott and Doris' trip. We had so much fun hanging out with them and wish they didn't live quite so far away (Hong Kong). Hopefully we can visit them soon...

I met the baby!

2010-12-08T11:22:00.007-05:00

Last weekend I went to San Diego all by myself to meet this sweet little girl. She is totally a snuggler, and darling and perfect.

And to play with this crazy little girl. She comes up with some of the funniest things I have ever heard.

And to do lots of holiday crafting and shopping with this sister. It was dreamy.

Oh, and of course, to go to Legoland (I actually felt a little guilty being there without my boys - they would have loved it).

Loved the palm trees and the poinsettias.

And Santa in a swim suit???

We hit the beach on my way to the airport.

Unfortunately, James got the 24 hour flu while I was gone and made the awesome boys weekend they had planned "not awesome" (according to Ian). Thanks for taking care of our sick boys Curty. And thanks for the ticket mom and dad!

This Thanksgiving...

2010-11-28T17:39:00.003-05:00

I was really thankful for child slaves.

Especially the kind that clean up after themselves.

Actually, I have a million things I am grateful for this year - but those two boys seem to make everything else pale in comparison. They are the best gifts I have ever been given.

Tuesday snow

2010-11-24T01:04:00.002-05:00

Was all about this:

And then this:

No school today or tomorrow - happy thanksgiving vacation to us!

Monday snow

2010-11-22T18:16:00.004-05:00

Today felt like the kind of winter day that I love - cancelled school, hot chocolate, sledding and snowballs. I know it seems like overkill , but we don't get winter here like this very often - especially not in November.

p.s. it turns out that sledding with one adult and two littles is a LOT of work. Maybe we will go again tonight with some help...

Sunday snow

2010-11-21T17:48:00.004-05:00

Today we woke up to snow. It made me happy - it turned my boys in to giggling, hyper, maniacs. They were so, so excited. James asked if it was Christmas. If only there was enough to build a snowman (it is still snowing - I guess we will wait and see).

.

Looks like it is a little hard for James to bend over in his fat suit.

Asking me if he can throw a snowball at me.

Yo Gabba Gabba

2010-11-18T17:28:00.003-05:00

Saturday we went to see Yo Gabba Gabba live at the Tacoma Dome. It was crazy - lots of singing, dancing, balloons and the Biz - we even got to go meet the characters at the after party. Thanks Kristyn and Jon for the tickets!
We also had the Henries come stay with us for the holiday weekend and go with us to the show - it always amazes me how much our kids love each other even though they don't get to see each other that often. Kind of like cousins.

My camera has been hiding all month - this is the only picture in my November folder....hmn I'll have to see what I can do about that.

Bye Bye binky

2010-11-03T00:46:00.002-04:00

Today the binky fairy came and took away James' binky and left him a new Lightning McQueen car. He was really excited about the car and ready to give up his binky.
Tonight it took him an hour and a half to fall alseep. I was so desperate I let him have strawberry milk in bed and I finally ended up laying with him until he fell asleep. All I could think was - please can he have his binky back? But he couldn't, because apparently the binky fairy already gave them to baby Dallas.
I did hear some pretty cute things in his bed, like "Mom, is I'm a boy?", "I need a kiss on my cheek", and "is it free (3) o'clock?".
I hope I can make it.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T17:46:00.004-04:00

And happy 39th Anniversary to my mom and dad, who, since becoming empty-nesters, have become (even more) totally inseparable, and ridiculously lovey. You guys are cute but stop pretending life is better without us around.

The kids did a lot of handing out candy tonight. James liked to tell people "you are scary" or "I like your costume" in his little voice. It was pretty cute.

He is sweet

2010-10-31T17:29:00.002-04:00

Friday I had a parent/teacher conference for Ian. Miss Taylor said that he is kind and friends with everyone in the class. That made me proud. I just want my kids to be happy, and kind (and smart, and really really funny).

If you are wondering where that gouge out of his cheek came from - that was from his sweet little brother who attacked him after being teased too much. We are working on that...

Cat in the Hat corn maze

2010-10-31T17:02:00.003-04:00

Think lots of mud, kids running around like crazy, and wishing the weather would stay like this forever...

We had to find 5 mailboxes each with a part of the Cat in the Hat's hat and then solve a riddle about how they fit together.

The prize for getting the riddle right was a real live gold fish. I guess now we have pets.

Halloween I

2010-10-24T00:31:00.005-04:00

Yay for Halloween parties! Admittedly, it was a bit stressful getting costumes completed more than a week before Halloween,especially when you make the mistake of reading your kids Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone too close to Halloween and your 5 yr old insists, insists, insists on being Fluffy the 3-headed dog. Actually, I think I might be being punished for making them go as skeletons, which were really pajamas, last year (best/easiest costumes ever).
Here they are being scary.

In addition to picking their own costumes - this was also the first year for face paint.

We went to the church for a Halloween Carnival and Trunk-or-treat.

Ian, Kinley, James and Maya - checking out what they got at the trunk-or-treat and totally taking advantage of the fact that we weren't paying attention to how much candy they were inhaling.

When I was young my dad used to take a "tax" of our Halloween candy when we came in from trick-or-treating - I'm just realizing how brilliant that is...

Pumpkin Carving Party

2010-10-23T11:19:00.005-04:00

Last night we had some friends over to carve pumpkins. We do the carving out in the garage and the eating and chatting in the house. It works our pretty well.
Here is Ian's first drawing of what to carve. We had to talk him into making it a bit bigger.

The kids and their pumpkins.

Jamesy's feet after hanging out in the garage for a while - the kids mostly road bikes around the garage while the adults carved.

I have been waiting to make this "House of Boo" since I picked up What's New, Cupcake earlier this year.

And my favorite fall treat - hot caramel apple cider with whip cream.

Ian talks on the phone

2010-10-21T14:02:00.003-04:00

This morning Ian asked to call my dad. The phone call went something like this:
5-10 minutes - talking about various football teams; Ian says he likes the Seahawks because they are two of his favorite colors, and his dad really likes them, and his mom kind of does. He also likes the Cowboys and the Cardinals.
5-10 minutes - telling at least 15 completely random knock knock jokes about whatever is in his line of vision. For example: knock knock. Who's there? Shoes. Shoe's who? Shoes swimming, ha ha ha.
Additional conversation starters:
Grandpa do you know how old I am?
Did you know that baby Dallas came out of Aunt Ashley this morning?

My Dad was incredibly patient and must have really needed a break from work. Besides - the only thing any of us can think about today is baby Dallas - welcome to the family, little one.

Zoo Boo

2010-10-17T15:25:00.003-04:00

It was supposed to be Halloweeny and scary at the zoo so we decided to stop on our way down to Mim's blessing in Olympia on Saturday. It was pretty much just the regular zoo with some pumpkins in the exhibits. Good thing the zoo is fun no matter what. Especially when you get to wear capes/dress up (we are not even nearly finished with the real costumes).

And you get to see the mascot of your new soccer team: the Seals.
And it is cold enough that you get to see lots of animals that you have never seen before because it is usually hot and they are sleeping. Besides the arctic fox, we also got to see the tiger and the tiger cubs, and the clouded leopards.

I guess the sun was in their eyes...

Pumpkin Season

2010-10-13T00:18:00.003-04:00

means it is time to hit the pumpkin patches.

We went to Scholz Farm with the Thortons.

Cute Tailyn hanging out in the wheel barrows.

No kidding - Ian got bit by a miniature horse as soon as we got there - good thing he is tough.

Spooky Scary

2010-10-06T15:59:00.003-04:00

Lately the boys want to tell me every time they are being nice to each other. They yell at me like something really bad is happening and when I see them they are hugging and kissing each other and giggling. It is nice, don't get me wrong - but I would kind of like that to be the norm... These are their new halloween shirts (they picked out the design and I made them). James says he really likes his shirt really much!

The boys and I were crafting today.

2010-10-02T01:46:00.003-04:00

I actually kept my shirt on.

Napping

2010-10-01T16:29:00.003-04:00

James has been transitioning out of naps for a while now - but every couple of days he gets super tired and I find him asleep randomly all over the house (as long as Ian isn't home).

For my brother David in Iraq

2010-09-29T12:18:00.002-04:00

This is all he gets of the boys for now - so I was thinking that I would make a concerted effort to blog more often and keep him entertained.
So here it goes - the blog for the day: A bit about James
- He calls his front his booty and his back his bum. I CANNOT convince him otherwise.
- He says" Sorry mama, sorry mama, sorry mama" when he does something wrong.
- He makes really goofy faces and rolls his eyes around trying to be funny (think connor at that age).
- He runs and jump tackles his brother from behind (and his brother almost always deserves it).
- He will only say family prayer at night kneeling underneath me and snuggling me.
- He listens to and loves all Ian's chapter books.
- He tells me I should put his bunny up to my ear like he does. When I say "no, it smells" he says - "but this side doesn't smell".
- He subsists on candy and strawberry milk.

I still call him my baby. I shouldn't but I do.

Glorious Fall Days

2010-09-25T23:19:00.003-04:00

Saturday was one of them. We went to Gas Works Park in Seattle and had a picnic lunch overlooking Lake Union and the city.

There are lots of pipes and crazy stuff for the kids to play on.

The view was pretty fantastic. Ian said his Grandpa Clay would like the sailboats.

Then they both rolled down a really big hill.

We just happened to finish reading The BFG in the car that day so we went to see this not so friendly giant under the bridge (it is actually called the Troll under the bridge). It was really dirty and kind of smelled but Ian thought it was fun to play on.

Please bless we have some more sunny days before winter is really here.

Vacation ruined my baby

2010-09-14T11:33:00.004-04:00

James has been really attached to me ever since we went to NY for a month. I think maybe he just doesn't adapt to change as well as some. He seemed to be doing a bit better but the other night he was sitting on my lap looking through old blog posts and pictures of himself (a favorite pastime for both of my children) and we came across a family picture where he was sitting on Curt's lap and all the sudden he says, "No! I want to be on mama's lap" and then a picture of Parker pushing him in a stroller and he says "No! I want mama to push my stroller." So now he doesn't even want to be away from me in pictures. Definitely regressing...

On the other hand, I picked Ian up from school yesterday and he said, "Mom, the second day was even better than the first!"

Momentous

2010-09-08T23:15:00.007-04:00

Today Ian started school. I know I thought it was a big deal last year when he started preschool - but this is a REAL school, all day long (Monday, Wednesday, every other Friday), with a cafeteria and a gym and a library and two playgrounds. So, to me, it is kind of a big thing. He has been looking forward to it ever since we met his teacher last week. Yesterday he came screaming in to my room in the morning saying "I start school tomorrow - only one more sleep until I go!)

He even had to bring his own lunch (I actually made chocolate chip cookies last night to put in his lunch - he didn't really notice).

His brother was a little sad to see him go. I wish I could say that James and I did something really fun together while he was gone, but mostly I just canned peaches for the entire 6 hours.
We bought them bunk beds and put them in the same room together. Most nights have been great but tonight they cannot seem to go to sleep, despite my threatening them, and I can hear them kicking the walls and giggling.

One of the reasons I am so excited for Ian is because we waived him in to a school district that has a special program for kids that have birthdays from September-December, so they are the older kids that missed the cut-off for Kindergarten this year. We went back and forth over and over again about whether we should send him to school this year, since he just barely turned five, but this program is the same amount of time as regular kindergarten and teaches the same curriculum so it pretty much seems perfect. The only thing is that we have to drive him to school and he has been begging me to ride the bus.

Rainier View Trail

2010-09-05T02:24:00.004-04:00

Unfortunately this was not the view in the direction of mt. rainier - this side was pretty sunny.

This was the view from the top towards Mount Rainier. We could barely see the trees below us - let alone a view of the mountain. The kids thought it was cool to be in a cloud.

Luckiest mom ever.

Last chance before school starts beach day

2010-09-04T11:29:00.005-04:00

Yesterday we got together with a few of our favorite families at a nearby lake for a picnic and swimming. The kids LOVED being at a lake again.

They had some swimming races.

And lots of playing in the sand. Why do kids love sand so much?

And it was just hot enough that the moms could sit in the sun but not really need to go in the water (mostly because of the sign saying caution: swimmers itch). I am already feeling sentimental for summer - we went to Ian's back to school night on Thursday and school starting makes the end of summer seem so final.

The blackberry trail

2010-09-02T12:52:00.007-04:00

Blackberries grow wild here, and they are everywhere - it is one of my favorite things about WA. Yesterday we took the kids to a bike trail that is lined with blackberry bushes - so they got to ride, we got to pick and everyone got to eat lots and lots of blackberries.

Wyatt found a baby snake that they all took turns holding. It kind of made me want to throw up. I almost stepped on one while I was picking and I almost couldn't pick anymore.

Josie and Ian with sweaty bike helmet hair.

I think we ended up going at least 2 or 3 miles and afterward we all went back to my house for homeade ice cream pops. I found the recipe here.

Can't wait to make my favorite new cobbler recipe with the berries tonight.

(Little) boys night out

2010-08-30T15:05:00.008-04:00

Saturday Ian went with 8 boys and 3 adults to a Sounders game for his friend Wyatt's birthday party. They pretty much partied until 12am.
They went to the game in a limo.

Got their hair painted and ate cotton candy. Thankfully it fully washed out - I was little nervous.

Celebrating the win.

The birthday boy asleep on the way home.

I was nervous letting my 5 year old go without me (actually it was one of those moments when you realize your child is old enough to do something and it changes everything, like I relinquished something that night) but clearly it was worth it. Thanks Reddings for taking care of my kid and for showing him a good time!

On another note - memorable quotes from Ian this week:
Me: Ian what do you want to be for Halloween?
Ian: A snowman, with real snow on me.

Ian: Mom, I need to take my shirt off.
Me: Why?
Ian: I'm burning! I'm going to burn up in 10 seconds.

At least he isn't dramatic.

The Lego Truck

2010-08-27T19:22:00.006-04:00

Today we went to the Seattle Center to check out the Lego truck. We weren't sure what to expect but basically it was Lego marketing some new games they have developed. Kind of fun, but not that fun.

Something we didn't expect was that the kids would have more fun watching the glass elevator in the food court than playing the Lego games.

Then we walked over to the fountain and let the kids play for an hour.

This is Ian "not" getting wet for the car ride home.

It was pretty obvious when James was ready to go.

Cinco Cinco Cinco

2010-08-25T17:51:00.010-04:00

Last week my sweet Ian turned 5 and this week I am still taking advantage of saying things like - "you need to do (fill in the word) because you are a big 5 year old now". I wonder how long that will last. Things I love about Ian at 5:
He is full of sweetness. He is just an all-around kind, easy child.
He would rather skip dessert and eat a cucumber. He didn't even eat one of his birthday cupcakes.
He is getting so independent - I hardly felt like his mom at the lake this summer - he was so busy having fun and hanging out with his cousins. That part also makes me a little sad.
He is handsome. And he still lets me dress him in whatever I want. Please bless that that last forever.
He pretty much will be friends with anyone he meets.
He refuse to admit to being tired, ever, even if his eyes are closing while he says it.
He makes amazing art work and tapes it to every door in our house. We are lucky that way.

This week we finally got to celebrate with another slip-and-slide party. This year was robot themed. Robot cupcakes.

Robot lollipop holder.

Robots for the kids to decorate.

Some yummy food.

An excited birthday boy.

Lots of crazy slip-and-sliders.

And a few very cute non slip-and-sliders.

Stella modeling the dress I made for her.

A few more action shots.

It seemed like the kids could play on the slip and slide forever, we had to turn off the water to get them to stop. Thank you, again, Grandma Leonard for having and letting us use the most perfect slip-and-slide party house ever! We love you.

And to prolong the party - Marisa drove up from Portland for the party and had a sleepover at our house afterward.

Wouldn't it be awesome if my mom sent me some lake pictures so I could post them?

Chris August

2010-08-25T17:32:00.003-04:00

Last weekend my cousin Chris (from Texas) and his band played in Bonney Lake. It was totally bizarre that the show was actually 10 minutes from our house and so so good to see Chris. Family - you can buy his stuff here.

Owasco

2010-08-19T10:35:00.003-04:00

It is always hard coming home from a month at the lake - especially this year because the weather was so perfect and for some reason I seemed to appreciate a lot of the little things I sometimes take for granted - like how fun it is to be able to see all the family, and how ideal the house is on the water, surrounded by trees and a creek - it is a little boys dream.

Pictures to come - I didn't get copies before I left...

My Highlights:
Meeting Zoey. Holding Zoey. Seeing what great parents Meg and Paul are.
Relaxing on the beach - it NEVER gets old to me.
Cami's Surprise visit.
Seeing my grandma, aunts, uncles and cousins.
Tubing - for some reason it was extra fun this year.
The Carrington's reception.
Our getaway to Mirbeau - so completely dreamy (thanks Nicki - you are the best!).
Hiking the falls at filmore glen.
Sewing with Ashley and my mom - so much more fun that way.
Bunkle Wank - Ian's nickname for Uncle Hank. I think it will stick.
Seeing my kids enjoy the lake and watching my family love them to death.

Ian's Highlights:
The water trampoline. Throwing people off and doing rolls down the slide.
Swimming literally 8 hours a day - sometimes he only got out for lunch and dinner.
Playing with his cousins - Devon and Connor are so loving and good with him, Ian has no idea that they are both almost twice his age.
Sleepovers and the drive in with aunt Nicki.
Tubing like a mad man - with the big kids and the adults.
Knee boarding for the first time.
Doing projects with Grandpa, especially ones on the tractor - he always asked to stay home with him when we left to run errands..
His birthday party.
Riding on the boat (he had a favorite spot right in the front) and on the waverunner.
Going to the creek with the boys and catching salamanders.
Marshmallow roasting and sparklers after dinners at Grandma Betty's house.
One day James said he wanted to go home and Ian looked at him and said "this is home".

James' highlights:
Swimming in the water (took him a while to get used to it but once he did he loved it).
Goggles.
Playing with Parker - they were so cute and so naughty sometimes.
Playing in the hottub.
Playing at Mickey Park - a brand new playset my parents finished right before we got there.
Driving his cars up and down the deck.
Telling everyone "no" when they asked for kisses. So charming.
The puppies.

Lowlights:
James throwing up on me 4 times on the airplane.
Ian got swimmer's ear.
The frozen cakeballs that I couldn't stop eating.

Thanks mom and dad for another great summer - love you guys!

Visitors from Texas

2010-07-19T17:35:00.004-04:00

The Leonard and the McKinney kids back together for a few hours of playful bliss. They are all getting so big.

And the Andersons road tripped it all the way here from Houston. They rock.