Saying Goodbye

The kids had to say goodbye to one of their friends this past month. Sam moved to San Diego and the kids, especially Noah took it a little hard. At least we had one last fun play date and a nice lunch at the new Round Table in town before he left. It just gives us one more reason to visit Southern California.

Someday My Prince Will Come

Sometimes Noah can be such a nice big brother - other times he can be so mean. Well here is a picture of him being sweet. Zoe was playing with her dress up clothes and the veil, gloves, and ring she got with her new Cinderella's wedding book. Noah decided she needed a prince and went to his closet and got out one of his white shirts and ties. I don't know many big brothers who will play dress up and dolls with their little sister, but I'm so glad he is one of them. I love it that they can be best friends most of the time. Other dress up fun...Firefighter Noah and his Firefighter Monkey "George"... Sleeping Beauty Zoe and Princess Bear "Aurora"...

Feed the Birds

We had another exciting story time at the local library. We learned all about birds and then made bird feeders out of pine cones, peanut butter, and birdseed. The kids had a lot of fun with the messy craft and I was so happy that the mess wasn't at my house. We hung them up as soon as we got home, but haven't seen any birds using them yet. I think it is still too cold.

Zoe's bird feeder....

Noah's bird feeder, I think he picked out one of the largest pine cones....

Happy Birthday Zoe!

Zoe's birthday fell on a Sunday this year. Daddy had church obligations the day before and the day after, so we kept things simple. We had a nice steak dinner (I think Zoe only ate the cucumbers) and then had a few friends over for cake and ice cream.

Zoe requested a My Little Pony Cake. I think it turned out okay. This is my interpretation of her favorite pony "Scootaloo". Here is the birthday girl waiting for the song to be complete...
Trying to blow out the candles after the were re-lit. Noah and Jenna were a little too eager and did it for her. In the end I ended up "helping" her. She doesn't quiet get the concept, I guess we need to work on it before next year.

The party guests eagerly waiting for cake and ice cream.

The following morning Zoe had her 3 year check up. She now weighs 28 lbs. and is 34 1/4 inches tall. Still small, but at least on the growth chart. I think her big attitude, independence, and determination make up for her small stature. I am so proud of her on deciding to be a "big girl" and say goodbye to the diaper. She decided it was time to use the potty all on her own and this time around potty training was a breeze.

A,B,C's and 1,2,3's

Look who started Preschool.....

Yep, that's my baby girl. I can't believe she is getting to be such a big girl and less dependent on me. Where has all the time gone?

Noah and Zoe both go to preschool one day a week which gives me about 2 hours all to myself. Let's just say it is heaven. I love my kids, but am really enjoying the time by myself. It helps that they both look forward to it every week and most often get up and dressed all by themselves. Weekly homework is a bit of a challenge, but it is nice that we can make it a family affair. Their teacher has been dealing with medical issues, so school hasn't been as regular as I would like it to be, but I am glad to have this free resource available to me.

Dinner and a Movie

I am tired of Daddy always being the "fun parent" and getting credit for making creative and fun meals. So, I decided to do something about it.

The kids really wanted to see "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs," so I picked it up at the local Redbox the day it came out. I decided lets make it fun and eat Spaghetti and Meatballs before the flick. Since I'm not the Italian chef of the family, I decided to cheat and use bottled sauce.

A few pictures before dinner, to record this special event....

Let's just say things didn't turn out so great. The kids hated my dinner...their Dad has turned them into pasta snobs. At least they enjoyed the movie. Maybe I'll have better luck next time.

-----------------------------------------------------------

In hopes to redeem myself from the spaghetti flop, I decided to make muffins when the kids watched the new Imagination Movers Muffin Man episode. This time around I was a hit and the kids loved it. I guess I better stick to baking and leave the pasta up to Dan.

Happy New Year!

We survived another year. We tried to make this New Year's Eve as memorable as last year's (with Grandma Sandi) so we had our own little party. Look at this spread all the necessities of a good party chips, dips, salsa, cocktail weenies, olives, cheese log, and veggie tray. We watched "Night at the Museum 2" and then toasted the East Coast New Year.

Daddy even let them do confetti party poppers inside the house. We managed to have a lot of fun even without the cousins and the kids were in bed at a decent time. Got to love satellite TV.