school, school, school...

This is where I work, eat, and practically sleep these days. Things are good, but I'm not keeping up with anything else. Thank you Shane for doing the laundry last weekend, I apologize for the filthy house and sink-full of dishes!! :( Back to school is hard for mommy, but GREAT too!! Caydree is also with me at school, and liking it so far. She is in the kinder-readiness program, with only 3 other kids so far, so we will see how it starts to pan out! Her teachers are Ms. Sylvia and Ms. Sarah. She plays hard, doesn't nap as well, gets to go to the library and computer lab, and eats lunch from the cafeteria. BIG changes for my little girl.

Mr. Man is way too much to handle...been walking like a maniac for more than a month now...into everything, and is the boyest of boys I know!! ;) I'll put some new videos on here to share just how fun he is these days! Not talking yet, but makes lots of noise. Just waiting for the words to come flooding out, but for now the facial expressions, screaming, and head shaking will have to do!

4th of July...vacation in Washington

So, apparently, I'm not very good about staying on top of this. :( I'm posting some 4th of July pics from our trip to Washington to visit Uncle Aaron, Aunt Stephanie and cousin Caleb. We had a great time, despite the lack of schedule and being out of our "element"!

I love my family!

Here we are with Uncle Aaron, Aunt Stephanie, and cousin Caleb!

Mommy and Caydree at Lake Cushman...self-taken. ;)

Calder in the water, trying to eat the rocks...yum!

Caydree on the boat with her noodle!

Sister at the playground...

Little man and mommy after a wet afternoon in the fountain!

Trying on mommy's sunglasses on the ferry ride to Seattle!

With daddy on the deck riding to Seattle...

Mommy and Caydree at the Seattle Center, riding the carousel.

The group...at Pike's Place Market...watch for flying fish!

Great view of the fireworks from Port Orchard at Aunt Stephanie's parents...thanks!!

Getting ready for the fireworks, but tuckered himself out and missed them all!

It wouldn't be the 4th of July without some sparkler action!

Some new pictures...

This was our first "get in the sand" beach trip...and maybe mommy's last. What a pain!

Don't really know how much sand we left at the beach, lots in the mouth and lots in the diaper, but he had a great time.

We went to San Diego to watch the Rock and Roll Marathon, waiting to see Nikki, Jessica and Stacy...it was windy and kept lifting the comb-over up!

Caydree on her first pony ride at the Temecula Balloon and Wine Festival. She will also tell you she got to pet a llama (her favorite) and that we bought some of her favorite dip for bread (balsamic vinegar flavored with fig)...she is our interesting girl.

Here is little man watching the band Vertical Horizon at his first real concert! The Gin Blossoms also played that night, and he loved it. (Balloon and Wine Festival)

Mommy finally couldn't stand the comb-over anymore and cut it off. It was about an inch and a half that I actually trimmed...yes, I admit to using "product" on him now!

POOL TIME!

1st time at the pool for the summer! Caydree, Nicelle and Calder going for a swim!

Even got a smile from the girl...love her!

This was the only picture he actually looked at me for...all the others he is just having a blast in his swim float. ;) He loved the water!!

The video clip is from Father's Day, but sorry daddy, has nothing to do with you. This happens daily in our house, Calder can't get enough of Caydree, and she is becoming quite the entertainer! All I can say is that I LOVE my kids...

summer...thought I would have more time?! HA...

So, school ended, summer began, and the extra time I thought I'd have is nowhere to be found. I just want to give BIG props to all the amazing stay home moms I know...the fact that you love what you do, and manage to do it without killing anyone is seriously something I envy! This is why I am a working mom...LOVE my kids, love being home, but all day, everyday is just too much for me.

So, in the few minutes I have while naps overlap:

• Calder is standing unassisted for long stretches of time, and in the last few days has gotten his 2nd bottom tooth
• Caydree finished up at her in home day care, and will be coming to the kindergarten readiness program at my school next year
• had our "cleft team" meeting for Calder and they told us not to anticipate his palate surgery until Sept.
• I am changing grade levels, and will be working with one of my best friends and one of the most amazing teachers I know, Nicole, in 5th grade next year!
• we cleaned up our garage enough to buy an elliptical and start working out...although Shane has been much better about it than I
• went to the Temecula balloon and wine festival, Calder saw his 1st live concert and Caydree got her 1st pony ride
• we wallpapered the kid's bathroom with a surfboard border...finally
• Calder experienced the beach for the 1st time by eating it...sand must taste yummy?I

I will upload some pictures later, for some reason blogger is not letting me right now!

videos...

Cute clips of little man...I need to start being a bit pickier about what I video, but he sure is funny!

Pictures and things...

May Fun

Mr. Man eating, mixed veggies with a side of toes.

Mommy and Calder playing at the park for Kylie's birthday.

Caydree rescuing some animals at Kylie's party!

Calder standing all by himself. He's become quite the brave little boy!

Sister playing in the yard...love the smile...

Brother's first tooth!

new stuff...

So, I told myself that I would try to post on here every week, and now I am noticing that it's not really working out that way. Hopefully, once school is out in the next 2 weeks, I will have a little more time on my hands, and will be able to update here rather than FB. I threw a couple of pictures and video up on there from the weekend, so I will try to add some here too.

We had a busy 3 day weekend, did some stuff around the house, had wonderful friends over, bbq'd with family, played in the sprinklers, shopped for new clothes, got new brakes on the truck, and hung the surfboard border in the bathroom..I know, finally...right mom?! LOL. Pretty productive.

Calder is now getting brave and standing "on his own"...doesn't really want to hold on anymore! He's gotten very good at falling/getting down from standing, and when the coffee table isn't in the way it's all good! ;) He's already seen many a "bonk" and I'm sure we will be in for many more. He is ALL boy...well, except for the fact that he quite often plays with sister's toys...girly ones...but that's not really his fault. He especially loves the babies and this one little barbie mermaid doll...pretty funny!

He also got his first tooth about a week ago, bottom middle left. The right one looks like it is just ready to pop out any time, but nothing yet. He wants more and more to feed himself, and I finally gave in and started the puffs. He loved the yogurt melts, and I figured as long as they dissolve, why not try some other ones.? I feel like he'd eat the whole can if I let him, and we have to watch sister, as she likes to give him "lots and lots" at once, which he also eats, all at once! Too funny, he's not a big fruit kid, at least with baby food. But I did try a new one the other night, seems to be his very favorite...vegetable risotto and cheese. Yes, they make this as a baby food, and it cracks me up that this would be his favorite. He has good taste!

He is so very close to talking, I can't stand it. He will occasionally make some "ma, ma, ma" sounds...but nothing really directed at me yet, I can tell he is just experimenting. He does a lot of yelling, at Wally, the vacuum, mamma and pappa's dog Sarah...he tells them exactly what he's thinking! He shakes his head no, for lots of things...he seems to love the reaction we give him, so now that he's figured it out, he's doing it a lot! His personality is just so fun, he is sillier and more smiley than Caydree was, so it is fun to see that develop. He will laugh at just about anything, loves to dance, and can't get enough of his sister!

We have our big cleft team meeting this week on the 3rd, so I am anxiously waiting to hear what they will say about a surgery date...fingers crossed for mid July.

Caydree is just as sassy as ever...she is finishing up her last 2 weeks at Ms. Linda's family home daycare. Next year she will be coming to my school site for a kindergarten readiness program. I'm looking forward to having here there, but I know it will be a big transition for her, and that she will miss her normal routine, and friends. I guess that is how life will be from now on, she's going to be 4, and mommy just doesn't want to let go yet! Every time I turn around she seems older, and as much as I love it, it's just hard to believe!

I will continue this tomorrow, and put some pictures and video up...but for now, I've got bottles to make, and need to sleep! Nighty-night!