An Alligator and a Muffin

Christmas Morning

2011-12-31T15:20:00.003-06:00

Hooray, hooray! It's finally Christmas!
Santa came, and left fabulous presents!

Luken got a remote-controlled helicopter!

I didn't take pictures of the whole package-opening process, but here's the aftermath!

We had a fun day of presents and playing.

Merry Christmas to all!!!!!!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-31T15:09:00.003-06:00

On Christmas Eve morning, we had a special surprise for the kids! They had read their letter from Charlie, and knew we were going to run a special errand, but they didn't know what.

We sat them down on the couch and told them that we were about to go pick out....
Guinea Pigs!
They were so surprised and excited!

I had set up an appointment with a rescue organization in advance, and the kids got to meet several potential pairs. They chose Sunny and Gerry.

At home, we assembled their cage and introduced them to their new home.

The kids gave them some carrots and had some lap time.

We spent most of the day playing with them!

Later, we had a lovely dinner of Dungeoness Crab, and then the kids decorated cookies for Santa.

Then, as is our annual tradition, they got to open one present each - new PJ's!

Cuties in their snuggly PJ's!

A little more piggie time:

Then, setting out for Santa and his reindeer!

Soon, the kiddies were nestled all snug in their beds! :)

Charlie

2011-12-31T14:49:00.003-06:00

So, I mentioned in a couple of earlier posts that we had an elf this Christmas! He arrived at the beginning of December. There was a knock on the door, and we found a tin on the doorstep with a note on top!

The kids agreed to name him Charlie.

We found him in a new place each morning.
In a bowl of Clementines:

Up above the kitchen cabinets:

With the remote, a glass of milk, and a few pieces of candy:

Reading a family photo book:

Up in a wreath:

With a bunch of marshmallows and a Sharpie:

In Keeley's dollhouse with Olive, the Other Reindeer - having a spot of tea and a cupcake:

In Luken's PJ drawer, wearing a sock as a sleeping bag:

One morning, we found him in the CAR - he had gone to the store and brought back donuts for breakfast!!!

He took a guitar ornament off the tree and performed a concert for several of the kids' toys:

Trying to steal the coin left by the Tooth Fairy:

Watching clips from the movie Elf on YouTube:

Up at the top of the Christmas tree:

Clipped to the Christmas card display:

In Luken's backpack on the last day of school - he wanted to go to the school parties!

In the pantry on top of the box of Pop Tarts I had bought for a treat:

One night, the kids slept over next door while Todd and I went to his company's party. Charlie grabbed the binoculars and headed upstairs to see if he could see them out the window.

Trying to steal Keeley's Tooth Fairy money:

Hiding with the old iPhone we now use as an iPod Touch, playing ZoZo Bugs:

Reading a book Keeley had checked out from the library:

An important message!

Another important message - sent directly from Santa!!

On Christmas Eve, he was in Luken's stocking, with a letter for the kids:

And that was the last we saw of Charlie! We enjoyed having him as our guest for most of December!

Keeley in a Beautiful Dress!

2011-12-31T14:47:00.003-06:00

Grandma had bought a beautiful dress for Keeley, and a matching one for her Bitty Baby. We were heading over to a friend's house for dinner, and since K was bringing her doll, we got them all dressed up for the occasion.

Have you ever seen such a lovely sight?? :D

Another Visit with Cousin Alexa

2011-12-31T14:45:00.004-06:00

We were happy to welcome Cousin Alexa and her parents for another visit at the beginning of our Christmas break. They came over in the morning and played for a while, then we had lunch, and soon they had to take off and begin the long drive back home.

We always snap a pic of the kids all together on the couch. It's fun to watch them grow!

We're Losing Teeth Left and Right!

2011-12-31T14:43:00.004-06:00

Ms. Keeley also lost another tooth. #2 for her.

We had forgotten to put out the tooth and the pillow, and Charlie managed to take care of it while nobody was looking, but only so he could try to steal HER coin!! The nerve! :P

Kindergarten Gingerbread Night!

2011-12-31T14:39:00.003-06:00

Keeley and I went to her school's annual Kindergarten Gingerbread House Night! We had great fun with her classmates! Keeley enjoyed sneaking some frosting and candies. :P

This isn't my first rodeo, so I had prepared a decorating bag for our frosting, and it worked wonderfully!

This is only a small fraction of a percentage of the amount of people there!

With her sweet teacher, Ms. C. :)

The final product!

Keeley and her masterpiece. :D

Luken Lost ANOTHER Tooth!

2011-12-31T14:37:00.003-06:00

Another lost tooth!

The Tooth Fairy left another coin, and our elf, Charlie, tried to nab it!!

More on Charlie in a later post! ;)

A Special Ballet Performance

2011-12-31T14:33:00.005-06:00

Keeley's ballet class did a mini-recital for parents in early December at the end of that day's class. It was really fun to see her perform choreography with her fellow classmates! She did wonderfully, and seemed to really enjoy it!

A hug for their teacher at the end! :)

Christmas Decorating

2011-12-27T13:09:00.003-06:00

One of my favorite things about the holidays - decorating the tree!

We found the perfect tree to fit in our living room and set up for decorating!

Excited for their new ornaments!

A Clementine for Keeley (she has recently discovered a huge love for these, and can eat 5-10 in a day!!!)

A pepper grinder for Luken. This kid puts a TON of pepper on almost everything!

Placing them on the tree:

A Mudslide for mama. :D

Frank Sinatra Holiday station on Pandora.

Daddy explaining the significance of each ornament.

The dogs were enthralled.

Our toolbox. :D

Daddy always helps the kids put the star on top!

Not sure when Luken was attacked by an octopus during the process!!

Sweetness!!

And, more sweetness!

Breakfast with Santa

2011-12-27T12:33:00.003-06:00

This year, we decided to go to a Breakfast with Santa event for our annual visit with the big guy in red.

Unfortunately, I guess I wasn't quite clear enough with Ms. Keeley about EXACTLY what that meant, and as soon as she realized she wouldn't actually be sitting at a table with Santa, breaking bread, she burst into tears in such an unrecoverable way, that she refused to even visit with him when it was our turn. Lesson learned.

Luken was very excited for his visit, though!

We ate our pancake breakfast after Luken chatted with Santa, then set off to discover the other fun at the event.

Writing a letter to Santa!

Keeley, who was fresh off her trauma and embarrassment, opted to simply thank Santa for last year's gifts. :)

Luken knew just what to write!

A stuffed Grapple Grounder (from How To Train Your Dragon?)
A remote-controlled hellicopter

Keeley mailed hers off to the North Pole! (I'm sure Luken did, too. Just did not capture that moment on film!)

They did a few other crafts, including making a bracelet, and getting some reindeer food to set out on Christmas Eve!

Aside from the early confusion with Keeley, it was a nice visit, and I'm sure things will go more smoothly next year. :D

Hot Chocolate Picnic!

2011-12-27T11:29:00.002-06:00

Here's some holiday fun! I surprised the kids one day after school with a hot chocolate picnic. :) I wanted to get some photos for the December page of our annual photo calendar. Here's the full shoot!!

Love, love, LOVE this one!!

I also brought some candy canes!

Since the kids were SOOOOO good for me, I let 'em go crazy in a pile of leaves they had spotted. :D

I asked for evil-face:

We had such fun on this shoot!!!

Merry Christmas!

The Coolest Houseguest EVER!

2011-12-05T09:26:00.004-06:00

Over Thanksgiving break, we had the opportunity to pet-sit for a friend. Not an ordinary pet.... a Bearded Dragon! How cool is that?

Duke was so much fun to have around. Every morning, we would feed him.

Here's Keeley, making a salad for him!

Luken prepared a bowl of mealworms each morning.

And here's Duke, happily waiting for his room service delivery. :D

It was so fun to watch him eat.

He also gets a fresh batch of live crickets every day! He loves to hunt for them.
The cricket-delivery-system is quite slick - they live in a plastic handled habitat with four tubes inside. Apparently, they like to climb up, but not down. When you slide one of the tubes out and hold it inside Duke's home, you shake the tube, and crickets fall out!

Luken and his visitor buddy.

Duke made Thanksgiving break so much fun!

Luken's Belt Test

2011-12-05T09:16:00.003-06:00

Luken has been taking Krav Maga classes since this past July. The youth program emphasizes self-defense, fitness, and life skills, and we have learned SO much already! (Todd is taking adult classes, and I took a womens' self-defense seminar, as well. Great program!)

But, on to Luken and his belt test. This is his first one, and he did great! Here are a few photos:

Congratulatory hand shake from Mr. Tim!

Way to go, Mr. Yellow Stripe Luken!!

Kindergarten Thanksgiving Program

2011-12-05T09:08:00.003-06:00

The kids' school puts on a Kindergarten Thanksgiving program each year, and it is sooooooooo darn cute!

They wear paper costumes (which I helped make this year!) They sing 4 or 5 songs, which they practice, practice, and practice some more!

Unfortunately, we were seated fairly far back, and once the program begins, it's a sea of hands holding cameras, so I did the best I could. Good thing I brought my long lens!!

With her Daddy after the program. :O)

The prettiest, sweetest Pilgrim in the whole bunch!

Wonderful job, Keeley, and all of Kindergarten!

Jump Ropin' and Hula Hoopin'

2011-12-05T08:57:00.003-06:00

Recently, Luken was preparing to take his belt test for his martial arts class. Part of the test included completing a circuit of physical activites. One of those was jump roping. Since he hasn't had much opportunity to jump rope, we thought we would practice. One afternoon, we spent some time out front doing just that. Keeley decided to bring her hula hoop out, as well!

Keeley has become quite the accomplished hula-hooper, and Luken is steadily improving his jump-roping skills. :D

Letters to the Kids

2011-12-05T08:46:00.003-06:00

In November, the school sent home paper "feathers," and asked the parents to write letters to their children, detailing what they love about them. How sweet!! They were to be attached to a turkey display at school.

Here is our letter to Luken:

Here is our letter to Keeley:

We loved this opportunity to sit down and write love letters to our kids!

Soccer Trophy

2011-12-05T08:38:00.002-06:00

At the end of the season, Luken and his teammates each received a really gorgeous trophy!

It looks great on display up in his room!

Way to go, Luken!

Keeley's Positive Referral

2011-11-04T10:55:00.003-05:00

In October, Keeley was recommended for a Positive Referral award by her teacher, Ms. C. This is a big deal, as not many students get this reward. I believe it is just one boy and one girl from each GRADE each month. :)

In early October, we had parent-teacher conferences, and Ms. C. told me that she had recommended her for the award. A week or so later, I received a call from the Assistant Principal that Keeley had received the award, and Keeley and another boy from her class were in the office picking out a new toy each!

She also mentioned that the awards would be announced at morning assembly on November 4.

Here is her certificate, signed by the Assistant Principal.

This morning was the assembly day. Keeley was SO excited about getting to go up on stage in front of everyone and have them all clapping for her!
Once all the kids were in the auditorium, she seemed worried and upset, so I asked her teacher to check on her. She was nervous because the other little boy in her class wasn't at school yet, and she was obviously relying on him for familiarity, and was NOT pleased at the prospect of making the trek on her own. Fortunately, Ms. C. found him, and Keeley's face lit up!

Once the names were announced, Keeley went up with confidence, a wave, and a smile!
I have video that is too large to post on here, but I took a few photos after the assembly, when the award recipients took a group photo.

Here is Keeley with her fellow award-winning classmate.

And, here is a quick snap of the whole group. You can see that this is a small group in a school of 800+, so it's quite an honor to receive this award!

We are so proud of our beautiful, kind, smart, hard-working Keeley!

Walking Wednesday

2011-11-02T20:35:00.001-05:00

The kids' school is promoting walking to school by having "Walking Wednesdays." We enjoy our walks in the morning! Sometimes the kids scooter, like this morning. :)

Halloween!!

2011-11-01T11:48:00.005-05:00

Halloween - so much fun!! Dressing up! Trick-or-Treating! Handing out candy! Whee!

This year, Luken wanted to be Batman!

So, Keeley opted to be a Bat Girl!

How CUTE are they???!!!

Keeley's dress lit up!

Some fun scenes from our trick-or-treating.

These people had a projection TV and screen set up on their lawn so they wouldn't miss a minute of football. :P

Blow-up haunted house.

After the kids were all tuckered out from walking around the neighborhood, they took over the duty of passing out of candy to other trick-or-treaters. :)

Luken'sssssss Birthhhhhhhday Paaaaarty!

2011-11-01T11:10:00.003-05:00

Luken has been so excited to have a Zooniversity birthday party for a LONG time!

The invitesssss...

Luken decorated the front door and the inside of the house!

We started the party by having our guests each decorate a picture frame with some zoo animals and creepy crawlies.

Photobomber Jacob!! LOL!

Soon, the zookeeper arrived with Luken's 6 choice animals, and the party really got started!

Going over the rules.

Learning about the first animal.

The Red Eye Crocodile Skink - "Bullseye"

As the Birthday Child, Luken had a special chair next to the zookeeper, and he got to hold every animal!

Close-up!

Next animal was Apalachicola Kingsnake - "Kink"

Then, the African Burrowing Bullfrog - "Sampson"

When he grows up, he'll be as big as a dinner plate!

Next up, the Bearded Dragon - "Velcro"

He's sticky. :)

Then they met the Frilled Dragon - "Draco"

Everyone got a chance to touch every animal, as she showed them around the room.

Close-up of Draco!

The grand finale, biggest, coolest animal Luken picked was the Columbian Red-Tailed Boa, who is 7 feet long, and 40 pounds!

The kids practicing opening their mouths as wide as a snake can!

Luken got to hold half of that heavy snake, and show her around.

After the presentation, each child got to pose like this for a picture with Velcro. :)

Sadly, then we had to say goodbye to the animals, but the party continued. Time for CAKE!

Of course, I had to come up with some kind of cool snake! I used colored rolled fondant to fashion a snake, modelled after one of Luken's toys.

All the decorations were made from fondant, and the cake was chocolate with chocolate frosting. I ground up some chocolate cookies to make "dirt." I thought it turned out pretty cute!

We also made some vanilla cupcakes, and sprinkled bug candies on top. :D

Time for candles!

After cake, Luken opened his presents! He got some very cool stuff from his really wonderful group of friends!

Later, the cutest partygoer helped herself to another cupcake. :)

Grandma taught her how to care for her baby doll. Aren't they so sweet?

The party was a success, and I think a good time was had by all! Thank you to all our guests for coming and celebrating Luken!

Some More Soccer

2011-11-01T11:09:00.000-05:00

We are in full swing of soccer season here, and Luken has had games most Saturdays. Both sets of grandparents were able to attend games during their visits! I brought my camera to the most recent game. :)

Luken is #8

Here, he's dribbling towards the goal...

He's so close..... and then.... Grandma stands up. ;)

Aw, man, so close, but the ball bounced off the goal.

More playing.

Halftime!

A teammate.

Another teammate, ready to kick!

Keeley and Grandpa were very busy on the sidelines, playing patty cake! :)

Great game, Barcelona!

More Presents!

2011-11-01T10:49:00.000-05:00

After my dad and step-mom flew back home, Todd's parents arrived for a visit the next day! It was time for celebration #2! That means more presents, you know!

Grandma and Grandpa had presents for both kids, and they were kind of big, so we went for the "close your eyes" approach!
;

Surprise!!

An American Girl Bitty Baby changing table for Keeley.
A skateboard and a Nintendo DS game for Luken.
Cool dude!
;

;

Lucky, happy kiddos!

Luken is 8!

2011-11-01T10:37:00.000-05:00

October 17, 2011 marked the day our little boy turned EIGHT!

Here's the big guy, ready to tear into some presents!

Since Grandpa and Gram were visiting, and Daddy was at work, Luken got to open some presents after school!

And Keeley was given a new book, too!

Grandpa reads.

Luken Legos.

Soon after, we headed to Luken's martial arts class, followed by dinner at Luken's favorite restaurant. (Earlier in the day, we had brought McDonalds lunch for Luken at school, and he got to share cupcakes with his class in the afternoon. Fun stuff!)

When we got home again later that evening, Luken opened his presents from Mom and Dad.

Hex Bugs!

Keeley got one, as well!

A warm-up sweatshirt for soccer!

Then, they played for a bit!

All too soon, it was late, and time for bed! Happy Birthday, Luken!! We love you soooooo much!

Painting Pumpkins

2011-11-01T10:19:00.003-05:00

It's Fall! So many fun activities this time of year, and such beautiful weather!!

This October was very busy! My dad and step-mom came for a visit right before Luken's birthday, and we spent one afternoon decorating some pumpkins. :)

Gram helps Keeley.

Luken paints some bloooooooood on his! Spooky!

Sweet girl!

To add a girly touch, Keeley used some glitter. :)

And, on a totally unrelated note, Luken earned the right to take the team soccer trophy home for a week for doing really well at practice one night! Way to go, Luken!!!!

My Pumpkin in the Pumpkins

2011-10-14T09:54:00.003-05:00

Keeley's first field trip - woohoo!

The Kindergarten class goes on a field trip to a pumpkin patch every fall. Keeley was so excited to finally get to ride the bus. You know, no seat belts and all. ;)

Parents have to get themselves to there, and we all just follow the buses there.

They ate lunch right away, then we had them pose for a class photo.

Then we played in the pumpkin patch, went on a hayride, and fed some cows and goats!

It was a beautiful day, and I had so much fun being with my girl on her first field trip! :)

Two-wheelin' Keeley!

2011-09-25T14:47:00.004-05:00

Once the HOT weather finally broke, we were able to get out and get back to working on teaching Keeley to ride her bike. This past week she had a breakthrough and is now riding on her own! We still need to work on starting and stopping on her own, but she will ride around and turn and is just LOVING it!!

This morning we rode all the way to the park!

Happy brother!

Like I said, we still need to work on stopping. Keeley will ride into the grass and just bail out. Sometimes she gets a scrape. Then it must be examined. :D

OK, let's work on starting up!

Riding home from the park.

We are SO PROUD of our little girl! She is having a BIG week, don't you think? :D

Keeley's First Lost Tooth!

2011-09-25T14:41:00.003-05:00

The dentist warned us that her bottom teeth were getting wiggly, and that it wouldn't be much longer before Keeley started losing teeth!

Earlier this week, one bottom tooth was precariously loose! Keeley hung on to it for several days, not ready to have it pulled out. On Thursday morning, she finally allowed it to be pulled out, though it didn't take much tugging. :D

Check it out!

She was happy to get to use my Tooth Fairy pillow from when I was a little girl!!!

At bedtime, she and the pillow got all tucked in!

So happy and excited!

In the morning, she showed off the gold coin the Tooth Fairy left in exchange for the tooth!

Such a big girl!!!

Luken's First Soccer Game

2011-09-25T14:30:00.003-05:00

A TON of pictures from Luken's first game!

The next week, Luken scored a GOAL! I didn't have my camera that day, but I assure you, it was spectacular! :D

Labor Day Weekend at Lake Texoma

2011-09-25T14:19:00.003-05:00

Todd's parents were in town over Labor Day weekend to visit some friends, and they invited us to spend a day with them up at Lake Texoma. Jan and JC have a home up there, and we had a great day visiting and boating and fishing!

On the boat with Grandpa.

A nice little beach across the lake.

This is the life!

Then, Jan took the kids on a golf cart ride to buy some worms for fishing!

Examining her new worm friends.

Being sweet.

Being goofy.

Handsome boy.

Ready to go fishing!

Going for a ride!

JC helping Luken.

Got one!

Got one, too!

Catch...

... and release!

That's no fish tale!

Proud girl!

Later, the kids got to watch Diary of a Wimpy Kid and cuddle up on the couch!

True enough!

The house, from the back.

Looking out from the porch.

We really enjoyed our day up at the lake playing, visiting, and catching up!

Luken at Soccer Practice

2011-09-25T14:15:00.003-05:00

This year, Luken decided to give soccer a try, and was able to join a team with one of his best buddies, Wesley.

The coach sometimes holds practice in his backyard, and has the kiddos play a 2-on-2 tournament. I thought I'd shoot some pictures one night!

It was so hottttttt!

Cooling off!

Keeley had to give that a try, too. :P

Then she did some being cute. :D

Keeley's First Homework

2011-09-25T14:13:00.001-05:00

Keeley is excited to be a big kid now, complete with homework assignments!

Here she is, busily working!

A 2nd Grader and a Kindergartener

2011-09-25T14:06:00.003-05:00

On September 22, I officially became the mom of TWO grade-schoolers!

Look at these gorgeous kiddos, all spiffed up for their first day of school!

Keeley was SOOO excited to get to start riding in Daddy's car!

Traditional picture in front of the school sign!

Sweet big brother walking little sis' into the building. :D

Walking into Pod 1!

Putting her backpack up.

Finding a seat.

With Ms. C!

Settling in, and ready for us to say goodbye! (*sniff*)

Luken, putting his backpack up.

Happy, confident 2nd-grader!

In class with Mrs. F.

Both kids had a GREAT day, and Keeley absolutely loves Kindergarten! The ONLY thing she doesn't like is how LONG the day is, but she is having a wonderful time at school!

Luken loves his teacher, as well, and happy to be back at it!

Playing at the Pool!

2011-09-25T14:03:00.002-05:00

It's always fun when Daddy comes with us to the pool!

A Morning at the Wildlife Museum

2011-09-25T13:59:00.004-05:00

We hadn't been to The Heard in a while, so we drove out one late summer morning to see what was new!

A lady was training a Lemur to target a little red ball.

Here is a cool insect friend!

The butterfly habitat was cool!

Inside, they had an exhibit about nocturnal animals. Here are some bat ears to try out!

Keeley had fun experimenting with the echo exhibit. :)

Eggsperiments!

2011-09-25T13:55:00.003-05:00

One summer day, I set the kids up with one dozen eggs each, to learn how to crack eggs, and separate them, too. :)

Since we had a bunch of egg whites, we decided to whip them up into merengue, and bake up some cookies. :)

Sampling the results! Thumbs up!

The Kid Car Wash

2011-09-25T13:53:00.003-05:00

More water play. Anything to help beat the heat from the summer!

The kids asked if they could wash Daddy's car, so he set them up to scrub away!

This requires Gatorade, apparently...

Amazing what qualifies as fun when you're young. ;)

Water Balloon Fight!

2011-09-25T13:50:00.002-05:00

On one of the many, many, many super-hot summer days, the kids had a little water balloon fight. :D

Keeley's Last Summer Soccer Game

2011-09-25T13:47:00.002-05:00

Just a few pics of the last game!

Happy to receive her participation trophy!

Family Photos

2011-09-07T11:59:00.003-05:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, we had some family photos done while we were in California. Our photographer was Ben Davidson.

Here are our favorites!

Our trip to California, Part 6

2011-09-07T11:42:00.003-05:00

The next day, we had to pack up and head home. We enjoyed a calm and quiet morning, taking in the beautiful view one last time before saying goodbye.

The kids were, once again, great on the flight.

We got home and collapsed into bed!

It was a fantastic, and very busy trip, and we loved every minute. :)

Our trip to California, Part 5

2011-09-07T11:20:00.003-05:00

On the 5th, Todd and I made our escape, and left the kids with Grandma and Grandpa. We headed into San Francisco. Just us!!

We spent a lot of time walking around downtown - we stayed at the Westin St. Francis on Union Square. We hoofed it down to the Ferry Building, and wandered throughout before deciding on something delicious for lunch from Il Cane Rosso. We also got some macaroons from Miette. It was a foodie paradise. I didn't want to leave...

We ate our sandwich outside on the patio, overlooking the water. It was beautiful!

Here's a cool octopus mosaic we saw on the wall.

A neat glass octopus inside an art shop.

Later, we got dressed up a little and met Todd's aunt and uncle, Louise and Keith, for dinner. We went to one of their favorite Italian restaurants. After dinner, we visited some more at their house, and then headed back to our hotel.

In the morning, we wandered around some more, and grabbed breakfast.

A little later, we met up with Carol and the kids at Ghirardelli Square for some chocolate fun!

Watching the chocolate-making process!

Enjoying some deliciousness. :D

(Keeley got a pretty bad sunburn on the 4th, and you can really see it here. :( )

Looking at the fountain outside.

Next up was the California Academy of Sciences, where we met up with Grandpa and Gram once again.

They had a snakes and lizards exhibit, where they didn't allow any photos.

The building also houses the Steinhart Aquarium, yay!

We enjoyed watching the Coconut Octopus.

Giant Pacific Octopus!

Oh, no! Octopus enemies!

Then we got to see a neat presentation on snakes.

The kids got to take an up-close look.

Once we were thoroughly exhausted (again... or is it still?) we headed out to spend our last evening with Don and Carol.

Our trip to California, Part 4

2011-09-07T11:16:00.004-05:00

The next day was the 4th of July, and we got up early and drove back across to the East Bay to Clayton, to watch the parade.

We have some friends there, and spent the day at their home visiting, swimming, and playing a little baseball. It was a great day, and the kids had a lot of fun together.

Boys playing baseball.

Beautiful swimming pool.

Girl time!

After another full day, we headed back to Don and Carol's, and once again, fell into bed.

Our trip to California, Part 3

2011-09-07T11:01:00.004-05:00

The next morning, the kids did some exploring around the property. This house is situated on some acreage, and overlooks a beautiful reservoir! There are dogs and chickens and a bunny, and the neighbors have ponies!

First, breakfast of champions.... only at Grandma's!! :P

What a view, huh?? :D

Todd, demonstrating his bullwhipping skills!

Learning to walk over a cattle guard. Yes, there are many, many cows around!

Keeley found a bug friend!

Checking the chicken house for eggs!

More bugs.

More egg-checking.

Woohoo!!

Nap time. ;)

Saying hello to the ponies.

The bunny wasn't particularly friendly that day.

Then Carol took us to her school and gave us the tour! We started in the science room, and the kids made a new friend.

When we got back, we all cleaned up and got pretty, as we had a photographer come out to the house to do family photos. Todd's sister and her family came up, as well. After photos, we got comfy again, and had some food. Carol had cooked and cooked and cooked in advance, and Don grilled up some chicken.

After eating, it was time to make a fire for roasting marshmallows!

Cool tree.

Beautiful girl.

Amazing view.

Hammock fun!

More fire.

Cousin Chris.

Since we were all together, we celebrated cousin Kirsten's birthday!

Luken enjoyed the binoculars.

S'mores!

It was a beautiful and fun night!

Our trip to California, Part 2

2011-09-07T10:49:00.003-05:00

OK, finally getting back to it! It's been a busy summer!

The next morning, we headed downtown to have breakfast at Downtown Bakery & Creamery.

They have also been featured on Food Network, for their Donut Muffins. We HAD to try some, and they didn't dissapoint!

Look at all the yum!

We also went over to the farmers' market.

Keeley and Gram picked up some beautiful flowers.

Luken did some being cute and preppy. :D

We took some time to take some group photos on the plaza, too. :)

On our way back to the house, Todd and I drove the kids past the house I lived in until about 7th grade. It doesn't look nearly as nice today as it did back then!
Yikes!

Back at the house, we visited some more until it was time to head back out and over to Clayton, where Todd grew up. Some of his grade school friends were having a get-together at the iconic pizza joint in town.
Friends!

We also drove past Todd's childhood home.

Then it was back to Don and Carol's to fall into bed!

Our trip to California, Part 1

2011-07-21T10:00:00.002-05:00

After a 3-year absence (has it REALLY been that long??!!) - we booked a trip to California for a visit. :)

We left on June 30, and flew Virgin America to SFO.

Todd and the kids looking out to spot our plane.

The flight was really cool. Each seat has its own television monitor, and you can also order food and drinks from a touch screen menu!

The kids enjoyed watching Nickelodeon and Disney channels, and had a fun snack box.

I got to have a cheese and fruit platter and a glass of wine!! :D

The kids did great on the flight. Once on the ground, we picked up our rental car and headed north to the house where Don and Carol are living while doing a long-term housesitting gig.

I was super happy when I saw "my" bridge. :D

Before we headed to the house, we had to stop for dinner - Amici's pizza, of course! YUM!

We settled in at the house and then hit the hay until morning.

On the 1st, we headed up still more north to spend some time in my hometown of Healdsburg, CA with my dad and step-mom.

There, I learned that my dad can catch lizards with a long piece of grass tied with a slipknot!! The kids thought this was the greatest, and enjoyed having "pet" lizards for a little while. :D

They have beautiful blue bellies!

The yard.

My sweet girl. ;)

Looking for another lizard, so they wouldn't have to share.

Soon, we were hungry. Todd and I wanted to try the Jimtown Store, which had been featured on Food Network.

It was delicious!

Then we headed back to downtown Healdsburg to do some walking around and have some gelato at Powell's Sweet Shoppe, where they have more candy than you can imagine!!

They have some really weird stuff!

And an amazing case full of truffles!!!

After that, we visited a local art shop where Candy has some of her artwork displayed and for sale!!

Isn't that so neat?!

Then, the kids needed a place to run around a bit, so we headed out of downtown and to a park.

Here is the field where my high school plays football, and also where my HS graduation was held. :)

The park is right next to it.

Spinnnnnnnninnnnnnggggggg!

It was pretty hot, so we headed home after a bit.

My dad wanted to make pasta with the kids, so they got to it.

Enjoying the final result.

Then they needed some dessert, so we gave them some It's-It ice cream sandwiches. Soooooo yum!! Todd and I both love them. We figured if they each had their own, neither would finish, and we could have the rest. We were right, ha!!!

We enjoyed some evening hour time on the deck in the back yard for a while.

Grandpa and Luken played some croquet. :)

Then it was time for beddy-bye, and that ended the first full day of our trip! :)

At last.... ballet!!!

2011-06-28T10:20:00.003-05:00

Ms. Keeley is so excited to FINALLY be able to take ballet!
She was going to start back in February, but fractured her collarbone instead. :(

Anyway, she is taking a short summer ballet/tap class, and she is absolutely loving it!!

The studio has large windows into each room, but they are a weird 2-way kind of mirrored window, so the photo quality is horrible. Oh, well!!

Outside the room, switching into tap shoes.

Before the tap portion started up, I snuck in to snap a couple of quick photos.

Here's Luken, looking through the window at his cute little sis!!

Getting a stamp on her hand at the end of class.

Showing off her stamp.

I asked her to sneak back into the room with me for a few more photos. :)

That's all I have for now... I hope to get some better photos later this summer. :)

Soccer Practice

2011-06-13T08:22:00.006-05:00

Keeley's soccer team has been having practice once a week, and I thought I'd bring my camera along to the last one, as it's outdoors, which is more ideal for photos!

This time, Todd came prepared to help out, and had some fun drills for the girls to do!

Before practice, he took Keeley out to get some new shoes, and some cute pink shorts, as well. Doesn't she look so very cute????!!!!

Keeley got pretty frustrated during one drill (and she was already starting out overtired...) and melted down for a bit.

She took a long water break, and then got back in it for a super fun drill called, "Kick the Coach!"

The girls all thought that one was fantastic! :P

Soccer sweetie. :)

This drill was called "Score a Goal!"

Too cute.

Receiving instruction.

(It's so cute that soccer balls double as seating!)

Keeley and her friend have lots of silly times together!

Time for a scrimmage!

And some more silliness.

After practice, our family went over to have a picnic dinner at an outdoor shopping complex across the way, where they play live music every Friday evening. There are some steep grass hills there, and kids were sledding down them on flattened cardboard boxes. We had so much fun, but we were so hot and tired when we finally got home! We hit the showers, and put those tired kids to bed!

The next day, Keeley's team had their second soccer game, and they won that one, as well! It's so fun watching them! (I left the camera home for that game - just wanted to watch!)

Roller Skating Fun!

2011-06-07T14:24:00.003-05:00

Last weekend, Keeley's very good friend, Hailey, had her 5th birthday party at a skating rink in a neighboring city.

Keeley had been there a couple of times before, and Luken once. Both kiddos were invited to the party. :)

The kids were raring to go when we got there. Once they were all laced up into their skates, they wanted to get right onto the rink. I didn't set them up with trainers right away (they are two planes of pvc piping on wheels,) as I wanted to see if they could skate without them. Both kids did really well! They both fell many, many times (and have the bruises to prove it!), but they both stuck with it and kept trying and trying!

Keeley stuck mostly to the smaller side rink, but Luken braved the big rink with the big kids!

Unfortunately, the air circulation in there wasn't very good, especially in the back on the small rink, and Keeley was a sweaty mess!

There's Luken!

They had sooooooo much fun, and can't wait to go back! We'll just dress a little more comfortably next time! :P

Meet the Golden Girls!

2011-06-07T14:04:00.004-05:00

Ms. Keeley has expressed an interest in playing soccer, so we signed her up for an indoor summer league. Yes, indoor. This is Texas. There is a great sports complex just a few miles from our house that offers a TON of different activities, all indoor, and this is such an awesome option for summer!

Last week, we found out our team assignment, and it turns out that the coach lives just up the street, and I used to play in a neighborhood Keno group with his wife a few years ago, when Luken was still pretty itty bitty. This is a fun reason and time to reconnect, and their little girl will be heading off to Kindergarten with Keeley in the fall. :D

The team name is Golden Girls, and we have a sweet bunch of girls on the team! Several of them are real go-getters.

Their first game was this past Saturday. There is one regulation-sized soccer field in one section of the building, and they have sectioned it off into 4 small fields, and it is all surrounded by a wall of plexiglass. This makes for a less-than-ideal photographing situation, but I did my best!

Keeley chose jersey #5, because she is 5 years old. :)

Goooooooo Golden Girls!!!

The games are 4-on-4, no goalies, and substitutions are on the fly.
Here is Ms. Keeley during a rest.

She spied me looking at her, and flashed a sweet smile! :)

Woohoo! She got in on the action!

At halftime, Luken played waterboy. :)

I switched to a different vantage point.

Gooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllll!

Here comes another one!

After 2 20-minute halves, the game was over. Our Golden Girls had scored 20 goals!!!!! Wow!

Here is a proud Daddy with his sweet soccer player!

Cutie!

Enjoying some celebratory Dippin' Dots. Yum. :)

That's it for game 1. We are enjoying watching Keeley learn to play. In that first game, she didn't get in there and kick the ball a whole lot, but she ran and ran and kept up with everyone just fine. I think once she gets a bit more comfortable with the whole concept, she'll be kicking away!

Keeley's Hello KIT-TEA birthday party!

2011-05-16T14:17:00.005-05:00

This year, Keeley had her first real "big deal" birthday party!

She had selected a Hello Kitty tea party theme AGES ago, and had stuck to that decision, so we went with it!

I designed invitations and sent them out to her school and neighborhood friends!

Here is the cake!

I found inspiration on the internet for some decorations, and I think it all turned out pretty well!

At the end of the party, each girl got to take home one of the flower decorations as their favor!

After all the girls had arrived, I had them sit down at the table for tea.
The tea the dress-up tea party place had used was a big hit with the girls, so I used the same stuff for our party. (Lipton iced tea mix - raspberry.)
I even had the sugar cubes. FUN!

Keeley enjoyed using, alternately, her spoon and her finger for "drinking" her tea. :P

Then she moved on to ingesting the sugar cubes directly. This was a big theme with the girls. ;)

After I got my cutesy tea pictures, I turned the girls loose to help themselves to some yummy snacks, and then they all went off to play for a while.

Then I wrangled them back up by promising CAKE!! (Works every time, hehe!)

They were all making her laugh while they sang, and shouted out "Eat more chicken!"

All the candles are blown out! Let's eat!

After cake, the kids all went off to play some more, until Keeley came back down and requested to play the "pin the bow on Hello Kitty's head" game.
She went first, and it's clear she was not totally blindfolded! :P

After that, each girl got to sit down and make a personalized beaded bracelet.

Then, Keeley was anxious to open all the lovely gifts her sweet friends had brought!

Hailey made this card for Keeley all by herself, and it was really sweet!

Then, off for some more playing. Some of the girls did dress-up!

It was a perfectly gorgeous day, and we were able to have all the windows open, and the kids were free to play indoors or out. They all seemed to have a nice time playing together, and all the mommies were able to visit and eat a little cake.

I want to thank Todd so very much for all his help with the party! He was always helping keep things moving along, and working to clean up after us, as well as helping get the house ready beforehand. There wasn't a whole lot of work to do after it was over! I love you!

Thanks so much to all of Keeley's sweet and generous friends for making her party so much fun and memorable! She had a fantastic time!

Luken, the bird of prey.

2011-05-16T14:03:00.003-05:00

Luken's 1st grade class put on a musical performance last week.
It was a wild animal-theme, and each class was assigned to dress up as a certain animal.

Luken's class were "birds of prey." Hmmm.... not quite sure how to do that one!

They were to dress in browns and blacks, so we had that covered. Then, I remembered I have some face painting crayons, and figured I could come up with something. Google to the rescue!

Unfortunately, I ran tight on time, as an air-conditioner repairman was at the house when we were having dinner and getting ready, so it came down to the last few minutes, and this is what I came up with!

Scary bird!!

Ms. Keeley wanted in on the fun, so I turned her into a little kitty!

Luken's performance was very cute. I didn't get any pictures or video, as there is literally a sea of hands holding cameras in the way, so I decided to sit back and just focus on the moment and watching the kids. They sang songs like "Raptor Rap" and "Never Polka with a Porcupine." Just really cute!! <3

Princess for a day!

2011-05-16T13:45:00.003-05:00

Keeley and her friend Haley got to experience life as princesses for a day!
One of the recent Mamapedia deals was 50% off a dress-up tea party, so we bought the voucher and made a day of it!

We started out with lunch at Chick Fil A, and then headed to the shop.

The girls started out playing dress-up with a ridiculous amount of choices. There were 2 racks filled with costumes, a bucketfull of shoes, and there were purses, boas, tiaras, gloves, and more!!

Checking out her beautiful self in the mirror!

Ariel.

Gloves.

And Minnie Mouse ears!

Beautiful girls!

Have you ever seen anything so lovely??????

Then they got to have a tea party!

Complete with sugar cubes, yum!

The girls had brought their dolls along, and they tended to them, as well. How cute!

They got to pick out some cupcakes!

They did "Cheers!"

Here, they were dressed as twins!

Then they had make-overs!

Eyeshadow, blush, and lipstick!

Examining the results!

So beautiful!

Hair and nails were next!

They each to to pick a ring, too!

Up-do's with LOTS of glitter!

(We're still trying to get it ALL washed out!)

Admiring her beauty. :)

Striking a proper princess pose!

One last outfit change!

It was SOOOO much fun! The girls really enjoyed being so fussed over. Since it was mid-week, the place was empty except for us, so it was a private party for 2! It really was a grand time, and the girls hope to do it again!

Keeley is FIVE!

2011-05-16T13:40:00.002-05:00

She is growing up!

I got a special birthday outfit for her to wear on the big day!

She and I had a girly day - Todd was at work and Luken at school, so it was the two of us. We ran a bunch of errands to prepare for her birthday party, had lunch at McDonalds, and played at the mall play area. :)

I made breakfast for dinner, and she opened the remaining birthday gifts from us.

Happy Birthday, sweet Keeley! We love you so very much, and are awfully proud of you!

Keeley's birthday celebration!!!!

2011-05-16T13:21:00.004-05:00

Keeley's birthday is on May 9, and this year, that fell on a Monday. So, we decided to do the bulk of our family celebration on Sunday, the 8th. That also happened to be Mother's Day, so we started the day out at a lovely brunch, and then came home to celebrate our girl!!

We were able to have a video call with (Grandma and Grandpa) Don and Carol while Keeley opened her gifts from them, so I didn't shoot any photos of that, but here are Luken and Keeley playing in the box of packing peanuts!

I'm not sure what was going on with the feet here. :P

Luken being grumpy as Keeley tried to pack him up!!

Then she opened her gifts from Bicycle Grandpa and Gram (Lynn and Candy).
A kite!

A pretty dress!

A book!

Luken was pretty sad about it not being HIS day. Poor dude. He was getting a little testy. However, we have made it a tradition to give a "Happy Big Brother" day gift to him on Keeley's birthday (and vice versa). I hadn't wrapped his, so I thought I'd be funny and ask him to help me get something out that was stuck in my rainboot. :P

It was a Rock Band Green Day game for the Wii. The kid LOVES Green Day!

Then, I asked for his help in revealing Keeley's big gift from us, as it was too large to be wrapped.

A big girl bicycle!!!

We took the kids out for a spin!

We are attempting to teach Keeley to ride without training wheels right out of the gate. She's going straight from tricycle to this bike, so here's hoping!!

Luken challenged Daddy to a race!

Daddy won!

It was hot, and the kids got grumpy, so we headed back home.

A little later, the kids and I baked a cake, and then they decorated it.

LOTS of sprinkles!!

Keeley chose her favorite restaurant for dinner, and then we came home to sing "Happy Birthday" and dig into that cake!!

Birthdays are so fun!!

Field Day, 2011

2011-05-16T13:04:00.005-05:00

It's May, so it must be Field Day!

This year, the kids were treated to beautiful weather! Last year was a bit hotter.

Also, the kids were wearing cool tie-dyed t-shirts this year. They looked great!

When we arrived at the school to observe, we found Luken looking like this:

So pensive... ;)

On to some events!

I thought broad jump was a standing jump, but these kiddos decided to get running starts!

Luken worked hard in the relay race!

This event was so fun to watch!

Javelin throw:

Dizzy relays are always fun to watch, too!

Luken and his friend, Sam, had a good time in the three-legged-race!

And fell down a lot.

The sack race is always a fun one!

Luken was WORN OUT after all that!!

I can't wait until next year, when Keeley will also be participating! Though, I'll have to split my time between them.

Chicks and bunnies!!

2011-05-16T11:40:00.004-05:00

Time for a slew of new posts while I catch the blog up on all of our goings-on!!

In April, Keeley and her friend Haley went to a local petting farm for an Easter event. They had SOOOO much fun petting little baby chicks and bunnies and other animals! Keeley really is such an animal-lover - especially soft, holdable animals. :D

We're pretty sure this was the actual Easter Bunny! ;)

Sweet girls!

They found a friend! :D

Super soft Chinchilla.

There was an egg hunt!

Keeley was so very enamored with the baby chicks. Haley was growing tired, and ready to leave. Here she is with the cool stuffed bunny she WON at the event!!

A little bunny time before we had to leave!

The event was then over, and it was time to go home and dream of chicks and bunnies and Easter!!

Bluebonnets, 2011!

2011-04-11T20:47:00.007-05:00

We've had a very warm spring, and the bluebonnets have bloomed early this year!

The kids have grown accustomed to the routine, and they really worked well with me this year! And, Todd was an awesome assistant. I'm quite happy with this year's photos!

Without further ado...

Part of the deal every year is that the kids get to play in the big tree once I've gotten the shots I wanted! It has become part of the tradition... :)

Then, they usually take off running, and I get some cute shots of them hand-in-hand.

At this point, he takes off, and she yells, "Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuken!!!!!!!"

Aren't my kids just the sweetest, most gorgeous children in the universe????

OMD

2011-04-04T10:58:00.008-05:00

Here is a post that has nothing whatsoever to do with Luken or Keeley, save that they were having fun at home with their new babysitter! :)

I have been a big fan of OMD, or fully, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, since I was about 12 years old. Most people know of them from their hit from the soundtrack to Pretty in Pink, called If You Leave. They had been around a long while before that, and continued making music for well after, as well. I've been following them on Facebook for a while, and knew they had put out a new album called History of Modern, and had been touring in Europe, but only dreamed they might come to the US, as it had been 20-something years since they were last here, and they never were as popular here as overseas.

However, much to my delight, one morning in January I read their latest status announcing a US tour in March! And they were coming to Dallas! Not only that, but they were offering a certain amount of VIP passes which included entry to the soundcheck and an opportunity to meet the band! Woohoo!! Perfect birthday present for me!

Sunday, March 20th was the day of the show, and it was a beautiful day! We got ready to go, the sitter was right on time, and we were off to Dallas!

When they opened the doors for us, we walked into the venue and saw the band already playing and tinkering with settings. There were probably only 50 or 60 people there, and we had no problem finding an excellent spot to stand and watch.

(Thanks to my neighbor, Kelli, for letting me borrow her little point-and-shoot camera, as I was not lugging my big camera along for a concert!)

It was really cool to hear snippets of all the songs, and see how they fine-tuned their setup, as well as their banter between band members and crew members. Once they were satisfied with their soundcheck, it was time for the meet-and-greet. We all lined up, and took our turns chatting for a moment or two, having various things signed, and getting a quick photo snapped by a venue employee. It was really amazing to get to meet the members and shake their hands, and thank them for so much music that has been in high rotation on the soundtrack to my life!!

Of course, Todd was with me. :) Even though he's a more guitar-driven rock kind of guy, I think he enjoyed the experience! Once our turn was over, we headed out to stash our swag in the car. As part of the package, we received the new CD, a T-shirt, a bag, and a tour book. We had some time before the doors opened for the actual show, so we went next door to grab some dinner at Snuffer's.

Self portrait!!

Time to line up for the show! A man in front of me was trying to take a photo of himself out front, so I offered to snap a photo of him in front of the marquis, and then he offered the same for me. :)

Our VIP stickers also afforded us priority entry back into the show, and we were ready to grab a prime spot! We hustled in and decided to go ahead and stand in the very front row! Neither of us have ever been in the front row for a concert before. The opening act, Oh Land, was doing a soundcheck as we walked in.

A little later, the show opened!

Oh Land played for about 25 minutes, and then we had another 45 minutes before OMD came on. There were two large screens up on either side of the stage, and on one side, they showed their Twitter feed. The tweet on the bottom cracked me up!

The other screen rotated information about upcoming shows as well as some other advertisements. I was excited to see this one, as it's the music forum owned by some good friends of ours!!

While we waited, we anxiously kept an eye on the score of the Arizona-Texas basketball game, and were thrilled to see AZ had won 70-69. Go Cats!

Finally, it was time for the SHOW!! The band came out and the crowd cheered! By then, the reportedly sold-out show seemed pretty full - the venue holds around 1,100people, and it was awesome to look back behind me and see ALL of them!

(Those are Todd's hands clapping!)

The lead singer is known for his windmill wacky dancing. :D

Then they performed my favorite song of all time, (Forever) Live and Die, which was fantastic!

Sax solo!

When they played If You Leave, somebody threw a dress up onstage.

I later read on the band's website forum that a fan had bought a pink "prom" dress at a thrift store as a humorous homage to Pretty in Pink. :D

A slower song.

Did I mention that during the whole performance, I could have reached out and untied the singer's shoes?? :D And at times, he was practically above me, and I could see a tiny scar under his chin, probably from some childhood injury.

Also, though I have already forgotten the precise moments of these highlight events, I also got to experience: Hand slap from the lead singer; Being sung directly to; And ME singing directly into the microphone!!!! Unfortunately, the set had to come to an end, and the show was over. :( We waited around for a bit and watched the crew break the set down, as we were at the back of the crowd to get out. One crew member took the set list off of the keyboard, and brought it over to hand out, and the crazy lady next to me got it, very excitedly. :P Todd caught the eye of another crew member and asked if there was another, and he nodded that there was, so he took it off the drums and walked it right over to Todd! Like nothing! How cool is that? My hubby, my hero. <3

We finally headed out and got into the car to drive home. I took my shoes off and my feet were sooo happy! I'd been standing on them in heels for the better portion of 7 hours. It was so worth it, though! Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime, top-life-moments kind of night! I'm a lucky girl!

Here's a link to the Granada's Facebook OMD album, if you care to see more photos!

Can you spot me in this one?? :D