Merry Christmas

Ok, I know I'm WWWWWAAAAAAYYYYY behind.......like not even through Halloween yet, but I thought I would post some recent pictures from our trip.

Roman's whole family in Chicago

us (Cameron is with Roman, Carter is with Julie)

Sidney had soooo much fun playing with her cousins.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Boy, have we been busy lately.....to say the least. I just haven't been able to keep up! I have so many pictures to post, including the boys "big boy beds" - which would explain for a lot of the lack of sleep lately. The kids are keeping me hopping these days.......not a moments rest. I hope to get caught up after the holidays.
We hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Decorating Pumpkins

Sidney had fun decorating her pumpkins......and her brothers....and each and every one we got!

Stickers, paint, ribbons, hair bands.......and the final touch........some lip gloss

glamorizing her pumpkins

The Pumpkin Patch - The First Trip

Ok, so it's been a little while......just busy, and REALLY tired lately.....I was almost caught up, but then got side tracked......this year we took two trips to the pumpkin farm....one with the MOMS Club and one with Sidney's school. This is the trip with the club. It was REALLY hot that day......almost 100 degrees, in October!

the kids having fun in the straw pit right by where you enter.....I still remember the pictures of Sidney at this park/farm from when she was only about 9 months old.

Carter was having a hard time picking just the right pumpkin

Cameron's too pooped out to decide

the boys.....being boys.....playing in the dirt

Ryan and Sidney going through the straw maze

Awwww......too sweet......Ryan was comforting Sidney after she got a HUGE scratch all the way up her arm. These two have been friends since they were babies.

the boys were having fun in the bounce house......that is, until they bonked into each other and Cameron got a gushing bloody nose.

They all had fun though........that's what counts, right?

My Dancing Fools

My kids love music......and they love to dance....

Cameron's not sure if he can dance......but he's sure trying!

the kids.....just dancing around, having fun.

Decorating Pumpkins

The kids usually have so much fun doing a gingerbread house for Christmas, so I when I saw this one for Halloween I thought that they would love it.

I was gone one day at an all day scrapbooking event and it got done.........but as you can see.......not by 2 & 4 y.o.s.......it looks nice, but the idea was for the KIDS to have fun doing it.

The boys were coloring with the dauber pens while Sidney painted the first of many pumpkins to come.

Sidney felt that her pumpkins needed to glamorize a little bit more.

Playing in the Garage

Now that it's getting a little bit cooler these days, the kids always want me to back the van out of the garage so they can ride their bikes in there......I turn the music on for them too and then I can maybe actually make dinner or get something done....... of course, there usually seems to be a lot of fighting too......Sidney wants the boys to do just what she says, but they just want to ride and have fun!

they love going around and around

it's like they're a team......synchronized biking

the kids love boxes too.......I got this box from a friend, to hopefully ship the kids bikes up to WA again next summer since the other boxes got destroyed........they were having fun climbing in and playing peek-a-boo

My Sister's Birthday

October is a big Birthday month in our family......It's my Mom's, sister's and was my Grandma's and my other Grandpa's birthday, as well as a cousin. We celebrated Jenn's birthday at my Mom's house a few weeks ago.

Jenn and her two girls, along with Sidney.......I always laugh to myself when I say "the blond ones.....they're not mine." My sister and brother both had lighter hair when we were younger......I've always been dark.

Sidney and Kendall are being rock stars while Maddie looks on as Jenn reads her cards

LOVE that smile!!

Cameron

He's getting a lot better with not having the paci unless it's nap time or bed time......unless of course he gets hurt. Their vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds too!

this smile and his cute little sing-songy voice, when he says "OK Mommy" just melt me

playing in the hall......they have recently taken to liking to sit on all of their toys

We had Sunday dinner at my Mom's house a couple of weeks ago and ever since then Cameron asks me almost every day to go to Grandma and Papa's house......they have all my brother's old matchbox cars and they LOVE playing with them!

I thought this was too cute......he had gotten his clothes all wet....so I took them off.....he was having so much fun : )

Carter

The boys are growing by leaps and bounds these days.....physically and mentally.......I just can't believe how big they are when I lay them down to change them....I know I've said it before....but they are definitely not babies any more......we've had several people ask us if they are 4 yo.....they won't even be 3 until January........ They are almost as tall as Sidney.

all tuckered out.....I just thought this was too cute!

he actually put the pillow on top of himself during his nap......my goofy guy!

my poor little sick guy.......the kids have been taking turns and have been sick for like a month! Dare I say.......they all seem to be doing ok now......Sidney and one of the boys do have a little cough in the mornings.....but it doesn't seem to stick around.

ok, this one is kind of blurry......but this is just sooooo Carter.......he LOVES running cars and playing with anything on the coffee table.....he even loves jumping off of it (much to Mommy's objection)

More Class Time

I got to volunteer in Sidney's class again..........

the girls were having a baking party..........making cupcakes and birthday cakes for each other.

"happy birthday to you"

they all love to run around.....what child doesn't?

Soccer in the field

Now that it's cooling off in the evenings we take the kids and the dog to the grass field at the end of our development........they all love to run around and get some energy out.

All the kids are chasing after the ball

Daisy doesn't care to chase after the ball, she likes to chase the birds and run wild

KICK!

run, run, run

Father's Night

The first Father's night of the year this year.....only got a couple of pics, but they looked like they had fun.

Sidney and Daddy

Yeah.......swinging is fun!!!

Playing with Playdough

The kids actually at sat down a while back and played together ................for a few minutes at least.........

of course, this did not allow any time for Mommy to get anything done, as they kept needing help........but they had fun : )

I found this "My Little Pony" set at a consignment sale and brought it out awhile ago.....she loves it!

the boys like using the little tools and making shapes.

the pony, Cameron just said "Sidney's horse"

Roman had made this the day before....and it was still intact

Bringing Home A School Friend

This year the kids in the class get to bring home dolls......there is a boy and girl.......Sidney got to take home the girl, Missy at the beginning of the school year.

I was in the class that day too, so Grandma was watching the boys.......everyone got a chance to hold the doll.

Sidney had fun......and we got to do a write up about her adventures.

Kendall was hanging out for awhile too

the girls were having fun playing with Daisy too.

"Tee Hee"

Fun in Class

The school year has just started it seems and I've had the chance to volunteer in Sidney's classroom twice already. I love being there and seeing what they are doing and watching her interact with the other kids and get to do all kinds of activities and fun projects. She loves school : )!

Sidney love, Love, LOVES to paint.......well, any art project she can get messy doing! I had a hard time getting the other kids over to paint as Sidney and Kendall did not want to stop painting.

The girls were playing house during free time with another little girl that was in their class last year......Sidney is the cat, I think Kendall was the Momma.

story/share time.....Sidney has been playing with this little girl a lot this year.......they were in class together last year, but now they seem like best buds.

The kids all love to lay down during story time. Kendall was laying on the teachers lap....it was so cute. One of their regular teachers was out that day, so that gal that does lunch bunch came in to help.......she has 7 of her own kids (including a set of twins), that have gone to preschool at our church too.

Story Time

We had story time a while ago at a friend's house with the MOMS Club.....

I thought it was so cute......the girls were all in dress-up and having fun! Sidney always LOVES getting together with her friend J, whom she's known since before she was 1. Every time I tell her that one of her "old playgroup friends" will be there she gets so excited : )

Another Special Thank You

I'm still working on editing some recent pics......and have been trying to upload some CD's to load on my iPod that I've had for months..........I joined the gym (a three month membership) and need to catch up with the times.........Man, is it time consuming....and I've only done a few CD's.....there just never seems to be enough hours in the day.....and my kids always want to climb all over me (I guess I shouldn't complain about the loves, but it makes it hard to get anything done.)

Anyway..........My Mom watched the boys the other day, while I took Sidney on a fieldtrip with her school..........needless to say, the house was trashed! I had warned her, as we've been on the go a lot lately and I just haven't had the time (or the energy) to work on the house much. When I got home I couldn't believe how much she had gotten done....and played with the boys here and there too! The last of the laundry was folded, all the clutter in the kitchen (my piles - which I had to resort, but hey, at least it looks good, huh?), she even scrubbed the lid to our kitchen garbage can! I couldn't believe how clean it is!!!! I wipe it all the time with a Lysol wipe and I think I've actually hand washed it before, but it never seemed to really come clean......I'll have to get my Mom's secret, because it looks brand new : ) THANK YOU MOM!!!!
It inspired me to get quite a bit more done around the house yesterday.......and cut down a little on the overwhelming feelings.........but it seemed the more I looked around and did things, the longer the list of things to do got! I was in a mode, and working on sorting things well into the night (and catching up on SYTYCD & The Biggest Loser), and of course, when Mommy goes to bed late then the kids seem to be up at night......Sidney was up from 4:30-5:15am and then up at 6:30am........and amazingly, the boys slept until 10:10am! Man, oh man, why couldn't Sidney sleep in too? (especially since she usually does when she's in our bed)
Oh, I thought I would share too that Sidney is doing really well in the morning, making her bed and opening her curtains without anyone even asking her! After all Mommy's requests.......one day she just decided to start doing it!

The MOM

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this is just too funny......I haven't had time to work on any pictures, but I thought I'd share this. I hope you enjoy it......the kids love watching it again, and again and again.....

Busy, Busy, Busy

Wow, I can't believe it's almost Halloween already?! We have been busy this fall......we have something almost every morning. Sidney has school 3 days a week and I've already volunteered in her class twice so far (and took the paint shirts home to wash them) and we did a VIP poster for Sidney that they put up in the class............each child gets to be the VIP for two weeks......completely separate from when their birthday is. Coming up this week.............a field trip! Combine that with two separate playgroups, the boys story/craft class, Sidney's dance class, now Sidney's cheer class, the boys soccer class and various other seasonal activities and we barely have any time to sit still! It's a mixed blessing........the kids like to be on the go and get out and do things...........but it makes it hard for me to keep up on the things around the house........add to that that Sidney and Carter had a cold for over a week........and now Cameron has the flu. I have a bunch of pics I haven't even edited yet, and more that need to be uploaded too................I just haven't had the time (and am too tired - like usual)...............I'm not sure when things will slow down, but I'll try to keep up to date as much as possible.

On a side note............I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to my Step-Dad, Greg, (Papa to the kids) for doing most of the over-seeding on our back yard!!!! Mommy and the kids will be soooooo happy when our nice, even, green grass comes in...............(and the lovely fertilizer smell is gone : )

The Boys

Random pics of the boys.....

I thought this was too cute! Carter LOVES these look and find books......he was just kickin' back, laying on the floor looking at his book..............all on his own.

Cameron......my cutie!

Ice cream..........YUM!!!! (Cameron)

cars & trucks...........all shapes and sizes

Carter and those fingers.......I'm convinced that this is why he is ALWAYS the first one to get sick.....on a good note though......the dentist said that so far his teeth still look ok...........Cameron, on the other hand, wants his paci ALL the time......and it is effecting his bite.......he has a large gap between his upper jaw and his lower jaw......BUT, she said that it can fix itself if we take the paci away.........sooooooo, we have been really limiting it to just bed time (and naps).......he fusses some times, but he's doing fairly well without it........