I'm alive!!!

Yes, I know it's been a while, sorry. We had a good summer, the Princess & I took a few trips to Ptld to see Nammy & Papa, but other than those, we stayed pretty close to home. We all enjoyed our time in the pool & just hanging out with friends. I don't think there were more than 3 days total when we didn't have "extras" hanging out with us. We had tons of laughs & made some good memories.

Today is the day we (ok, *I*) have been looking forward to... the 1st day of school!!! I love having the kids home, but at the same time, I love the schedule we have to be on during school. I love the early bedtimes, the structure we have back in our days. I love being able to work in the classrooms.

We did our "traditional" Father's Blessings last night with the boys after we had a nice BBQ in the backyard. All 4 kiddos were in bed by 8:30 (we're going for earlier tonight) & this morning was nice & easy. It's so hard for me to believe Bonez is an 8th grader & C-Man is starting 6th. Where has the time gone? How can they all be getting older when I'm not?

I made the boys stand by "the tree" this morning before catching the bus, unfortunately, the sun was in their eyes, so the pics aren't the best, but oh well, at least I got them!

Funny thing about Bubby... since he doesn't attend the neighborhood school, I have to take him every morning. I knew I would want to walk him in today, so after the other 2 left for the bus, I jumped in the shower to get myself ready (Heaven forbid I show up without a shower first lol). I got all done & was doing Roo's hair after her shower & the next thing I knew, it was 8:48. HOLY COW, school starts at 8:50!!! Yep, Bubby was "late" on the first day of school!!! Luckily, I found a semi close parking spot & we ran in. Turns out, he has a sub today, his teacher had an emergency of some kind & couldn't make it. I know Bubs was disappointed about that, but I'm hoping he has a good day anyway!

Ok, here are a few of the pics I snapped before they all took off.

I had to force them to let me take one of them together lol:
Bonez, 8th grade:
C-Man, 6th grade:
Bubby, 2nd grade:


The Princess & I are loving the nice, quiet, clean house, but I'm excited for the boys to get home so I can hear all about their days. It's days like this that I LOVE being a stay at home mom!!! I wouldn't want to miss this for anything in the world! I have the best job ever! (remind me of this in a month or so when I'm sick of getting up so early).

Ok, I have to tell this funny story real quick... so C-Man's teacher from last year is a HUGE Celtics fan, C, of course, is NOT. This was a major "thing" for them last year, anyway, when the Lakers won the Championship, C announced then & there, that on the first day of school, he was going "All Laker" & then was going to walk into Mrs. W's class to "just say hi & rub it in". Well, he kept his word & wore Laker clothes, including his shoes! He's going with me to pick up Bub's today so he can go see her. Funny kid!!!

Kids+sun+water= FUN!

This is how my kids decided to entertain themselves in the 98 degree weather today (Ok, not sure exactly how hot it got, it was 98 when Prince Charming was on his way home at 5:30 tonight)...









What they don't know is that tomorrow, it's MY turn! LOL

Princess Roo's hair...

Ok, so I found a super cool idea on a hair blog I follow (Yes, I follow hair blogs, does this surprise you?! LOL) anyway, Jenn had an idea on there that I thought sounded like a TON of fun. She usually has great step by step instructions WITH pictures to go with her super cute hairstyles. This time, she decided to NOT add any pics, just give instructions, then it was up to us to "figure it out". After we "figured it out", she wanted us to post our "interpretation" of HER style on our blog.

After Roo got out of the shower, I got busy & this is what I came up with. It's very simple, but cute (I think so anyway) & I love it. We will definitely do this again.

Here are a few pics.

Front


Side


Back/Top


Front/ her just being silly


Top



Thanks Jenn, this was super fun!

Mom, Mindy, Renae...

These pics are for you, pics of the "Star" in Princess Roo's hair for the 4th...

This is how it was when I first did it & yes I know it's crooked & no, I didn't fix it, I left it that way all day!


This is how it looked when we went out that night to watch the fireworks...

This is a "bonus" pic, just because I love it & think it's cute...



(Bonez isn't in this because he was with his BFF for the weekend.) Hope you all had a WONDERFUL 4th of July!

**Disclaimer** I can't take credit for coming up with this idea, I found it on a blog & then went from there with it.

Ahhh, livin the good life!

Ok, so I got in trouble from my mom (guess you never really outgrow that, no matter how old you are). She "scolded" me for not updating regularly enough for her liking. Guess it doesn't matter that I'm spending my days hanging out with my kids, HER grandkids. LOL

So Mom, this one's for you... a look at what we've been doing to fill our long hot days.

My "little" Drummer boy, since the drums aren't set up here at the house, he uses whatever is available to practice...(he's using the arm of the couch & the side table)

My "Big" Drummer boy at the Ward Talent Show...
Like Father, Like Son, Ward Talent Show...
Bonez again...
The Princess & C-Man, she was playing dress up LOL...
She HAD to be out there even though it was a complete DOWNPOUR!
Daddy finished the new backboard & even though it was pouring, they all had to "try it out", crazy boys!
B showin he can dunk!
Me & my girl!  My new haircut!!!
Introducing, B's band (minus 1): Double Standard

So there ya go Mom, what's been keepin me away from the computer.  Enjoy!

Little Dribbler's Camp

This was a BIG week for Bubby, he got to go to his very first camp & boy was he EXCITED!!! Last week, the older 2 went to a basketball camp put on by the high school they will be attending eventually, Bubs was SO bummed that he wasn't old enough to go. The last day of camp, the boys were handed a flyer for a Little Dribbler's camp for younger kids starting this week. Of course, D just "HAD" to go. I won't go into all of the details, but... Bubby now has the nick name of "Kobe". He was the youngest (or one of) at the camp, it was for 2nd -5th graders. They did all sorts of fun games, dribbling relays, scrimmages, Bump, etc.

Last day of camp, he was put "up" to play against/with the oldest kids in camp in their scrimmage, he TOTALLY rocked... here is he going in for a lay up & yep, he scored!


Dribbling relays...


The coaches gave out a "Gatorade Award" for the "winner" of each day's contest. Bubby came home after the first day (none awarded that day) bound & determined he would win the following day.  He was so cute, once the weather cooled down a bit, he was outside practicing hard, working on both shooting & dribbling.  The first "contest" was for dribbling. I ended up showing up just as they were wrapping up for the day & they were announcing the winners (1 for each age group), well, Bubby was the winner!!! The funny thing is... they all call him KOBE! The kids were told each day, what the following contest would be.  When he found out it would be Free Throws, he stayed outside long after bedtime practicing, "Mom, just let me make 10 in a row, then I'll come in... Coach said we have to practice..."  (I let him get to 5 in a row, then made him came in cause Coach ALSO told them to get a good night sleep!)  So, we go back for the next day of camp & today's contest was "Free Throws". Well, once again, Bubby came out on top. Not only that, he made it to the championship round & was the ONLY one to make 10/10!!! The next best was 8/10 & that was one of the older boys. It was SO cute, when they called his name, they called him Kobe again & the kids started chanting. HILARIOUS! His grin lit up the entire gym! Ok, so fast forward to the last day of camp... the last contest was to be the winner of "BUMP". Once again, he won the entire thing & got to bring home a Gatorade!


Getting his "Gatorade" on the last day...


Coming off the court with his Gatorade, his candy & his big fat lip!


Bubby liked to get to camp early, so he could shoot around before camp actually started. Yesterday, he, & some of the others that were there, decided to "practice" Bump before the big "contest". BOTH games that I watched, not only did Bubby win, but he knocked out the coach!!! He later told me that when they were actually playing (contest), he was the ONLY camper left, so it was him & all the counselors!!! Yeah, he obviously got to bring home the Gatorade for that one!

Camp is now over, but the memories he has (even though it's "just" a daycamp") will stay with him. I am so glad we found out about this & were able to get him in. I think it will be a high light of his entire summer! I hope he continues to LOVE & enjoy the sport, he has some real talent & I would love to see him improve his "moves". Bubby has that total competitive drive that makes him a "force to be reckoned with" both on & off the court. He is so much fun to watch, & I can't wait to see where it takes him. I love you Bubs & am so proud of you, you set a goal & worked hard to achieve that. CONGRATS my little "Kobe"!

Another "new" family member...

Yes, I know it's been a while, I'm sorry! If it makes you feel any better though, I've been hanging out with my kiddos & having fun with them.

Anyway, last week, once again, during our family bonding show of "WipeOut", Bubby let me convince him to cut his hair. Once he finally agreed, we rushed upstairs before he changed his mind for good.

Here are the "before" shots...



I was in such a hurry to get it cut, I completely forgot about taking "during" shots, sorry! I did get some cute "After" shots right as he got out of the shower (he had to wash off those pesky hairs from his shoulders & neck).





I can't get over how different he looks. I love it though & it's so nice, esp since he is spending so much time in the pool.

Another Give Away is going on...

Check out this fun giveaway... ***clicky***. We love sleep overs here, so of course, I would love to win, but seriously, go check her out.


Here's another one I found on one of my favorite hair blogs, "The Princess & Her Hair". Now, honestly, I don't really want anyone else to enter, that will lower MY chances to win, yet, here I am trying to "share the wealth" with you. This give away is for some of the CUTEST shoes out there! The coolest part, they now make them in even bigger sizes! IF you don't have someone in your family that these would fit, you can be generous & "share the wealth" (assuming you win & I don't) with ME, I guarantee, MY Princess would wear them! Anyway, here's the link again... ***clicky***

What are you still doing here? Go check these out!

A new family member?

So, we're in the middle of watching "Wipeout" as a family last night. Bonez is sitting next to me & we start chatting & he informs us that his BFF got his hair "pretty much shaved". I guess M had a deal with his parents that if he got to keep his hair long during the school year, (with only trims throughout), he would get it cut short for the summer. I made a comment to Bonez & asked if he was going to do the same. He just said "sure". I seriously thought he was kidding. I asked a few more times & he just kept saying "yeah, I guess you can cut it, I don't care..." We ended up going up stairs before he changed his mind & I totally cut his hair. LOL

He has had "long" hair since 4th grade, this is DEFINITELY going to take some getting used to, but you know, I think I'm going to really like it!

Here are his "before", "during" & "after" shots.









He doesn't even look the same! It has been so long since I've seen him with short hair, it's like having a "new" family member. He's pretty cute & a great "kid", so we've decided to keep him!

Princess funnies...

Yeah, I know it's been a while, sorry. Ok, I HAVE to share this.

So tonight, the Princess was sitting on my lap & we were talking/playing. She had her little hands on each side of my face & when this conversation took place...

Princess: "Mommy, what is dat"
Me: "A freckle"
Princess: "That's not a freckle, it's a POLKA DOT!"

I laughed SO hard, I then said

"Oh Roo, what am I gonna do with you?"
She looks up at me & says "You're gonna put me ni night!"

Hilarious! I was laughing so hard I was crying!

I called my mom to tell her, knowing she would get a kick out of it. I hung up with "Nammy" & Roo looks at me & says "Who was dat, dat Nammy?" I told her yes, that was Nammy. She then says "Nammy was my mommy, now she your mommy!"

I'm tellin you, this little girl CRACKS ME UP!!!

The best investment!

We have decided the best investment we've made for the kids is our new pool. Seriously, they have had more fun in this than we ever imagined! I love that my boys want to stay home & love to hang out here. I love that their friends like to come here to hang out. I love that there is entertainment in our back yard & that I don't have to load everything up to go to a neighborhood pool with a friend's key card. I love that we now have a partially finished deck out there that I can put my comfy chair on so I can get some sun & take some pics. I'm now officially, ready for school to be out so summer can start!

Prince Charming came home yesterday & headed out to clean the pool. Of course, Princess & I decided to "help" (Ummm, I set up my chairs on the deck & then watched him). After the pool was all pretty & clean, we headed out front to wash both cars. At this point, it was HOT, but almost time to go pick the boys up. That didn't stop Prince Charming from jumping into the pool to cool off! Since he was going in, the Princess decided SHE needed to get in also. She was a little hesitant at first, but knowing she was safe in daddy's arms helped & it wasn't long before she was off on her own having a BLAST!







Once the boys all got home, the jumped in to join the fun. The 2 older boys had friends over & they all took turns jumping in & learning how to do back flips off the deck. We had 8 people in there at once & never once did it feel crowded at all. I can't wait to spend my days out in the cool clear water! Ahhh, summer is almost here!

School Talent Show

Last night Bubby was in his school Talent Show. He had come home a few weeks ago, all excited telling us all about his "talent". We tried so hard to convince him to do something else, nope, he would have nothing to do with changing. He knew exactly what he wanted to do & that's what he was doing, end of story! He had his "Plan of Action" all written up & he was ready to go. He had tryouts & was excited that he "made it" (They all did lol). So, last night was the big night. He got all ready & off we went, camera & video camera in hand. We had not seen him practice, but he assured us he was ready!

When his time came, he walked right up on stage, went to the microphone, introduced himself & explained what he would be doing.


He showed off his basketball skills. He did different passes (he had his BFF up there with him for this part to help). He did crossovers, dribbling etc.




Next up, he showed how he could dribble behind his back, & also between his legs. At this point, the audience started cheering & clapping for him. He stopped what he was doing, walked right back up to that microphone & announced (quite loudly) "I'M NOT DONE YET". He then waited patiently for everyone to quiet back down, then he went back & finished what he was trying to show us when he was so "rudely" interrupted. LOL He finished off by spinning the ball on his finger. Needless to say, he got a big ol loud applause after that!

The funniest part was it was SO Bubby to "tell it like it is". When it was all over, everyone kept talking about him & his "I'M NOT DONE YET" comment, he just didn't understand why everyone was making such a big deal about it. THAT was the best part!!!




It ended up being a great night with plenty of entertainment & lots of laughs! I think Bub's "talent" will be long remembered, & not just because of his basketball skills either! Funny little boy!

Post 1 of 6

I know, I've been slackin on the blog front, sorry!  Things have been insanely crazy here.  Instead of taking the time to write everything out, I decided to post tons of pics in 6 different posts, that way, you can kind of get a glimpse of what we've been up to (this way, you don't have to read all the boring stuff either). ;)

Last Friday, the Princess got to attend her very first "real" birthday party for a friend.  She was SO excited.  Her & I headed to Target on Thurs so she could pick out the gift.  I think she had just as much fun picking things out as she did at the actual party. 

Here she is as we're getting ready to leave...

"Come on Mom, I can't be late!"


"It's too heavy!"