pumpkins

Today was pumpkin carving day. 3 princess wanted princesses...so I found some templates online and Jon did his thing! Courtney spent a good 45 minutes cleaning out hers, she would take out just the seeds and leave all the gunk inside. She was bound and determined to get those seeds out though. I spent a good hour digging out the other two and then finally Courtney said she had enough and let me get the gunk out of hers. Jon spent around and hour and half carving...he did a fabulous job if I say so!

Ariel

Cinderella

Snow White

after we were all done Samantha set up a party for us. With beautiful colorings for decorations, drinks and snacks and musical chairs. Jon also played a rousing game of Chutes and Ladders! Good times!

hectic

Jon's in DC doing some work so it's just me (well my parents are here so they have helped a ton) I had signed up to volunteer at the school before Jon decided to go so thankfully my parents just got here because they were on Syd and Courtney duty while I worked. This morning was crazy. Sam has an infected hang nail that's pretty bad, bad enough that I took her to the doctor yesterday because it just wasnt healing so now she is on antibiotics and has to soak her toe 4 times a day (we'll probably just be doing 3 times with school and all) So this morning I woke her up at 6:30 so she could soak in the tube before the girls had to get up. It's such a pain that the twinks wont take baths together so I got Courtney up first and bathed. Let her soak for a few minutes while I woke Sydney up for her turn. It is so crazy trying to get them all dressed, fed, Sam's lunch made, shoes on and out the door by 7:40. Thankfully they all were in pretty good spirits this morning so really no melt downs...which we usually have at least one. We were out the door by 7:43. We saw Stacy, our neighbor with her boys walking to school so I asked if Sam could walk with them. Made it a lot easier then I took the twinks to school and they fought over my right hand the whole way into school. I tried to get one of them to hold the left but neither wanted to give up the right so they kept hitting and shoving each other which is totally embarrassing in front of everyone at school. Mrs. DeYager got Courtney distracted and all was well in her world but Sydney still held on to that right hand! Oi I wish those two would go back to being best friends in the morning!!

A picture

A couple weeks ago we went to the zoo and I was just going through my pictures on my phone and found this one. Classic Sam!
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Dinner tonight

Sam "I love this dinner so much mom. Thank you for making it!"
All it was spaghetti (Barilla whole grain) and a jar of sauce (Barilla mushroom red sauce) because I really didn't feel like cooking tonight!

I am tired because I volunteered at Sam's school all day today. Last week the nurse at the school sent a note home asking for volunteers and gave choices of days and times. The health bus is on campus where the check height, weight, scoliosis, hearing, sight, color blindness and depth perception. I said I could work anytime on Wednesday or Thursday which they took as I can work both days... Lesson Learned! It is kinda sad that with a school of I think 900 and she needed 20 each day that they couldn't get enough parents. Thankfully we live near Luke Air Force base and the guys need community service duties so we had a bunch of them helping out! Kids will be in bed by 8 tonight that's for sure!!

More Art

I was doing a little pick up this morning and found this awesome picture on the floor upside down...thankfully I didnt crumble it up. There was a ton of paper all over the place and I was doing a quick pick up. I love this one. The girl is cut out and glues onto the paper! She is getting to be such a good little artist!

Soccer

Samantha had a double header on Saturday morning. I took her to the 8 am game and the next one was at 10 so we went and got her Dad and sisters. She LOVES soccer and she is getting so good...so fun to watch! I think she made like 8 goals total and played some tough D!!

Chalk work

Sam showing off her mad art skills at school

Boy singers and girl singers

Today was our power hour gymnastics day up at Oasis. It starts at 1 and it is about a 25 minute drive from the house. Sydney was a little tired so she napped on the way up there. Courtney just talked talked and talked some more. We had a good time but the lady was new and she was a stickler for the rules. Everybody kept getting talked to about how they weren't suppose to do this or that. The kids still had a great time though. Courtney cried at one point because the big rope swing was off limits today and last week she spent a good 15 minutes playing on it. By the time it was all over they were good and exhausted which made for a rough car ride home. I even tried to talked to my mom on the phone but thy were screaming at eachother about what song they wanted to hear. They are like oil and water sometimes. Sydney wanted to listen to a boy sing so Courtney wanted a girl. So I put on a girl and Sydney screamed during the whole song then I switched it to a
boy and C screamed during the whole song! It was crazy loud so I didn't get to chat with my mom because of my loud unreasonable twinks! When we go home they were back to being the best of friends and we strolled on over to get Sam from school.

One Tired Mom

I started a new blog...don't worry I won't be stopping this one at all.. This blog is going to be more about me...maybe parenting stuff, political stuff, my obsession now on natural foods...blah blah blah. Sometime I just feel like writing what's on my mind that day and it just doesnt feel right putting it on the family blog. Maybe someone will comment or not...It's all good! It's called One Tired Mom and can be found at http://momof3girlys.blogspot.com/

the long walk home

Today Jon had a meeting around the same time we need to pick Sam up from school. I am so thankful that I dont have to bring the twins to pick her up everyday because it then becomes a long process. I put the girls in the big stroller and promptly realized I should pump up the tires but I didnt give myself enough time to do that so I go one done that really needed it. It makes it so much heavier when the tires are properly pumped up. I tried to run the whole way and about half way there it started raining. It was not fun. Finally we made it to Sam's classroom and then the fun really began. First Courtney wanted to sit in the front seat of the stroller since Syd rode it on the way to school. Samantha didnt really fit in the back seats so she walked most of the way. At one point Sydney started hitting Courtney and Samantha got in on the action too. They were not getting along at all. Screaming and fighting the whole way home. Not listening to me at all. I was embarrassed at the way they were acting and then when we were close to home I told them that they lost their privilege to go visit a neighbor...in hindsight I shouldnt have said this because then Sam went hysterical, Screaming the high pitched scream and crying "give me another chance" It was completely bizarre. I couldnt calm her down and there was no way we were going to go visit anyone now! She just couldnt understand why. The minute we walked into the house though they have all been the best of friends and right now they are sitting outside on the grass looking up at the clouds and eating a snack of cheese and crackers with water that Sam made for them. I have no clue how they can go from wildly to hysterical to perfect children but they do...and it's the moments like this that I am so happy to be a mom!

Courtney stayed in her Pj's all day...at one point she did put on a dress up dress (over her jammies though!)

poor Daddy

For some reason Sydney doesn't like Jon. She won't let him do anything for her. Only me! She screams and cries and say's "I don't like you go away." It's really sad and very hard on me since I have to be the one to help her do everything. At first he would just do it (like get her a drink of water) but then she'd throw a fit and cry and it takes for ever to calm her down. We have no idea what's going on with her and why she is doing it. Jon tries to do the fun things for her thinking that maybe she'll come around (liek get her an ice cream cone or push her on the swing) but she refuses to take things from him. It's weird. Hopefully it's a faze that she will get over with soon...for all of our sakes!

painters

The girls spent some time painting today. We ran out of the good Tempura paint but Jon found this paint in a box...it's finger paint but they wanted to use paintbrushes...perfect and super easy to clean!!

ZOO

On Saturday we headed over to the PHX ZOO. With the kids off school all last week we kept saying we would take them so finally Saturday was the day...I had got up at 5:15 to help work at the MOPs consignment sale at the church so I was tired but was a trooper and had a great time! The splash areas were open so the kids spent a great deal of time playing in the water.

a monkey above us!!

Courtney

Samantha

Sydney

I know the twinks need their bangs cut but I am trying to grow them out now. We are at that stage where I really want to cut them but in a couple more months they will be able to put them behind there ears. Patience! They are usually really good about wearing barrettes but for some reason they didnt want to wear them to the zoo!

For some reason every time we go by this frog the kids make me take their picture!

and we ended it with a ride on the Merry Go Round...It took Courtney a few times to see me so Jon had to help her find me!

Always a great day at the Zoo

A new look

I was messing around w the layout pages tonight and I thought I'd change it up a bit...Everybody loves jelly beans! (I personally like the the black ones!)

Prayer

Samantha is singing in the Christmas program this year at church. Last week was the first practice and since it was during fall break only 4 kids showed up (& two were in the same family!) Today was the first real practice and now there are 25 kids singing. They are singing 4 songs and Sam pretty much has them down. At the end of class the teacher asked if any body wanted to lead in prayer and to my shock Samantha was the only one to raise her hand. She lead the group in prayer "Thank you God for bringing us here and thank you for helping us sing good" she got to use the microphone so she was very happy. I was shocked I so would have never done anything like that. One of the moms said we must be doing something right at home.

Something to make you chuckle

Courtney is eating macaroni and cheese. Her dad says "use a spoon" she says "nah, I don't like to" reaches in and grabs a few noodles and takes off. She doesn't have the best table manners today!

Napping on the couch

Courtney

Power Hour at Oasis Gymnastics

I have been taking the twinks to Power Hour at Oasis Gymnastics for the past couple of months. They love it and it's fun cheap entertainment for them. The only sad thing about it is that it's during school hours for Sam and she really wants to go. This week they are on Fall Break so she go to go. They all had a blast!

Sam jumping on the trampoline before she was told that it's off limits to the youngin's

Courtney loves the rope swing

so does Sam!
Syd did one swing and wanted off right away!

Jon brought my ipod and we realized there is free wifi there!

Lava?

Sam asked today "Can lava beat ice?" Jon and I said it could, it would turn it to water. She then asked if lava could beat water. We said it depended on how much water, if it goes into the ocean it would turn to rock but if if was just a cup of water the lava would turn it to steam. Then she asked if lava could beat the sun when Sydney quickly answered "No, the sun is powerful!" That Syd surprises us sometimes!

Syd is a mommas girl!

Sydney doesn't want her Daddy to do anything for her especially in the morning. It's really hard on me. She screams and throws things if her dad tries to help out. I am the only one who can get her cereal, pour her milk, make her smoothie, dress her, give a bath. It is driving me nuts. I love her to death but come on I have 2 other kids who want some attention in the morning too. If I walkk away from Sydney she cries and whines and it puts me in a really bad mood! I can't wait for this "stage" to end!
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more masterpieces

by Sam

She said her Dad is giving her a thumbs up because she cleaned the house so well...it certainly wasn't a snap shot of today though!

Blairs

Last night my cousin Ryan and his wife Monica and son Carter (they live in Portland) along with Jim and Jill came over. The girls are in love with Carter. At one point Sydney even asked to put a timer on Carter so she can play wiht him by herself. He and Courtney kept huggging and kissing and making Sydney jealous! Good times!! Ryan had to go over and play for a bit so they would all play together...

stuffed animals

The other day a bin that holds stuffed animals came flying down the stairs..my first thought was all those stuffed animals covering the floor upstairs...I went upstairs and this is what I found!

Courtney and cleaning....

Courtney hates cleaning. She does everything in her power to get out of it. Today is a big cleaning day and I sent the girls upstairs while I worked on some stuff downstairs. Sydney went right to work and cleaned her room. She even made her bed. And no complaining. Sam and Courtney complained the whole time. Courtney kept coming on downstairs and I told her that everything is going to leave her room unless she picks it up. She refused. She absolutely wouldnt even try to. I told her the only things that will be left in her room is her bed and her clothes; she said fine! Sam was thinking that sounded like a great idea because she thought it was going to all go in Syds room but once she realized it was going away for real she cleaned. The funny thing is once I went up and started picking up Courts stuff Courtney helped me! So now Courtney doesnt have any toys and Sydney got a bookshelf full of books. I wonder what tonight's going to be like once Courtney realizes she has no books to look or no stuffed animals to snuggle! Mean mom!!

Soccer

Samantha had her best soccer game ever today. She was really into it. She loves to play defense. The minute the other team gets the ball she runs down and gets in front of the goal! Once she gets to the age where they start having goalies I can totally see her in that position. She is also really good at dribbling the ball down the field. She did about 5 break aways and ended up with 3 goals! Way to go Sam! It's so fun to watch! My phone was dead and I brought the wrong size of batteries for the video camera so no pictures today....sorry!

Syds drawings

I found this on the floor today...

It's me, Samantha, Sydney and Courtney.

this was on the other side it's Sydney and me...she said I was sleeping thats why I didnt have a face.