Friday, April 25, 2008

My toothless cutie...

Sarah lost her front tooth yesterday. She pulled it out herself (yep, she did...she's not like her brothers! lol). I feel like it instantly made her look older and sound even cuter! If this adorable photo isn't enough, check out the envelope she put her tooth in for the tooth fairy. I almost laughed out loud when I saw it in her dimly lit room last night. "It's your lucky night!" Seriously, could that be any cuter? She never ceases to entertain with what she says and draws!

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

I proudly present Andrew as...



PA WOODPECKER!


How fun to see Andrew and his fellow classmates perform tonight. They have been working for weeks on their production of "The Ugly Duckling" and "The Ugly Woodpecker." These kids did such a good job....all lines were remembered, the costumes and sets were wonderful and the songs were oh, so cute. I especially loved the reggae rendition of the theme song. ;) I was really surprised...they had three kids do full song solos and they could really sing! Natacia (pictured with Andrew) was one of the soloist and did a great job. Andrew was "impeccable" as "Pa Woodpecker." I was even impressed with his dance moves! Andrew always works so hard to be prepared and it shows...he did a fantastic job tonight!

Monday, April 21, 2008

Another project down...










(before & after)

...one step closer to doing the kitchen. This last week, I painted the cabinets in my kids bathroom. My whole goal is to make it to the kitchen, but I have to practice in other smaller areas of the house first! I lightly sanded, primed and painted white. Then I added glaze (Ralph Lauren Teastain), wiped off the glaze...leaving in the knots and edges. Finished off with two coats of polyurethane. The was much faster than the cabinets I stripped and re-stained. I am really pleased with the results...a couple things I want to tweak when I do the kitchen, though. Not the best pictures, the lighting in the bathroom is horrible. Hopefully you will get the idea! I wish I had infinite energy to do projects and the ability to keep the house maintained while doing them. Alas, the laundry and dishes don't do themselves and they quickly call me back from my HGTV daydream! ;)

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Good News....Bad News

Good news first. Remember that debate Josh participated in a couple weeks ago? Well, yesterday, he and his partner competed at the district level and.....they took 1st place!! They will be heading to the STATE competition next Friday! Isn't that cool??! He was especially excited about getting a trophy. It has been so exciting to see him excel in this and I am so proud of him.Now the bad news. Anyone that knows Josh knows his two big loves are Basketball (the Celtics) and Baseball (Red Sox). Baseball season is here and no one could be more excited, committed and dedicated to the sport than Josh. On Monday night (only his 2nd game of the season), the pitcher threw a very fast, wild pitch that hit Josh squarely on his right arm. Despite his pain, he finished the game. For the last two days, we've been watching it; just thinking it was badly bruised. However, when the swelling persisted and with a game looming tonight, I knew I had to take him in just to make sure. I honestly thought the doctor would say, "yea, it's bruised pretty good, but he can play." I thought we'd be giving him the "sometimes you play when it hurts talk." Boy, was I shocked to find out it was BROKEN! Yep, the ulna is broken. They call it a "nightstick" break (as if a cop hit you on the arm w/ his stick). Josh immediately knew what this meant. His season was pretty much shot...maybe he will be back for the last couple games. He has been fighting back tears all day long...not because of pain (he's hardly complained all week), but because he's missing out on playing. Without any hesitation, he wanted to suit up and cheer on his team from the bench tonight. Josh will be wearing a splint until they cast it next week. It is a toss up between green (Celtics) and red (Red Sox). I think he'll go for the green to cheer on the Celtics through the play-offs! Josh is such a great kid. Despite his disappointment, he still keeps his chin up!

Monday, April 14, 2008

WooHooooo Andrew has conquered the bike!!!!

Way to go Andrew....congratulations, bud!! If you are wondering why the bike is so small it's because it is. Yes, that is a moderately big child on a small bike. This day has been a loong time coming for Andrew! I am the first to admit that we aren't the most outdoor-sy family....our hobbies tend towards the eating out arena. I'm not too proud of that. That being said, we have been working on the bike for that last couple of summers with Andrew. It seemed that the longer it was taking, the greater his fear and frustration became. Last month he came to me almost in tears. He fearfully said, "We are having a bike day at scouts next month." My heart ached for him. A couple weeks ago we had a day of nice, warm weather and he consented to give the bike a try. Almost magically, he rode forward and away from my guiding hand! (I'm thinking the increased scooter use helped him find his "center" better) He was still quite wobbly, but we were thrilled nonetheless! The last couple weeks have been cold (and even snowy), so we haven't been able to get back out. Yesterday was just gorgeous so we headed out for a family walk and bike ride (see, I am trying to do better with the family! lol). Andrew did so well and had so much fun! It is wonderful to see his face burst with self confidence as he has finally conquered the bike! :)
(I love his look of concentration in the picture on the left...too cute!)

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Good Coke....Good Friends

Ohh alright, even though they didn't have Pepsi for Kerri ;), it still was good coke, but the friends are the best! How fun that Kerri was working in Park City and Jackie and I could meet her for dinner. We had such a great time hanging out...something I wish we could do more often! I love these girls so much and am so glad they are part of my life!

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

MOM STIRKES BACK

So apparently the spoken word (and oft repeated word) has no effect on my children. As a result this sign will be greeting them as they return home from school today. Maybe the printed word will have more impact. Wish me luck.

Friday, April 4, 2008

Who knew?


When I started scrapbooking and paper crafting more seriously for magazines a couple years ago, who knew that I'd have the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people. By far, that has been the best and most lasting aspect of this hobby. While my creativity/productivity in this area of my life has gone to the wayside for the time being, the friendships have not. Last night I had the opportunity to go to dinner with some great friends that I've worked with while doing design work for Paper Crafts magazine. I had such a wonderful time as we easily laughed and chatted the night away. I am so grateful for this hobby that brought me these as well as many other friends! :) Thanks and love to you all....Alisa, Heather, Jennafer, Sue and Valerie!

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Big Girl Bed

One of those bittersweet milestones. No crib means our "baby" is not so much of one anymore. Wow. Where does the time go? My emotions aside, (after all this isn't supposed to be about me) Jenna is very excited to be sharing a big bed with her sister. Sarah? Not so much, but this is how it's going to be. A queen bed for my two little princesses! Now, if she was just pottytrained.