The last day

It is with a heavy heart that I compose my last blog of the summer... as tomorrow is the first day of the new school year - for teachers anyway. I can't stand the thought of leaving Zoe all day instead of being home with her. At least I have my summers and breaks... it makes up for it partly. She is at a wonderful Christian woman's home with my friends' kids so that is a great plus!

On another note, Hayden gets to hang out with me tomorrow... which is fun to see him, but I know he'll be a little bored. And he starts fourth grade. Holy. Cow.

Adios summer. Hola... ug... work.

Smiles

Although Zoe smiles continuously, it's rarely captured on film. She doesn't have the patience to wait for pictures. However, I got some and had to share!

Grandma

Great Grandma

The good ol' days

Hayden got a new cookie cookbook the other day when his Grandma Kathy took him and Zoe to the bookstore. It's a fun outing she likes to take them on occasionally. Today we used it and made cookies. And by the way, I hardly make cookies because they are messy and frankly they just don't turn out. I feel like I have slighted my children in that area since I remember all the fresh cookies my mom would bake and think that all kids need that memory. So, Hayden and I set out to make some regular Chocolate Chip Cookies. I got to use my Kitchen Aid Mixer that I got for a wedding present... It's been used about 2x a year. Hayden did most of the work, including fishing out the egg shell that got mixed in. And, I have to tell you.... those cookies turned out fabulous. We couldn't stop eating them. So, for your enjoyment and because I was so proud of us , I've included the recipe. Enjoy.

Friends

"I get to go see my friends!" said Zoe with complete excitement after hearing she was going to Cynthia's (her sitter's) on Wednesday. How cute that at two years old she recognizes that those little people are friends. So we prayed for them tonight, along with Cynthia and of course the cat. He's always in our prayers for some reason.

Date Night

So... this summer Jonathan and I have been fortunate enough to have had quite a few date nights. It always consists of one of our moms (which is another fortunate thing when they ask to watch the kids) watching the kids while we have dinner and a movie (movies are great because we have the $1 refill cups and free popcorn shirt). Last night we split the healthy salmon at Claim Jumper and saw the new Batman. Killer movie! It was so enjoyable... dates start off feeling like old times, before the kids came and less worries... but then we start talking about them and the feeling goes away. It's a good feeling though that is replaced. What a fabulous husband I have!

On Cloud Nine

Hayden made it ... he's now 9 years old and has had more birthday parties for this birthday alone than any kid has ever had... I'm sure of it. He is a joy in our lives and we can't wait for all the things he will accomplish this year in fourth grade. And since I used to teach fourth grade and thought those kids were "big", he seems huge now! Here are some highlights of his parties.

(Zoe just wanted to eat cake!)

And this too, shall pass

(Zoe eating leftover Mentos from the Mentos Geysers)

Even though the summers in Phoenix are on a good day, unbearable, I have come to cherish them. It's my chance to be a stay at home mom, to marvel in spending quality time with my beautiful daughter and energetic Hayden. I'm able to experience hanging out in the mornings drinking my coffee, that I reheat at least three times, with no where to go. I can use the restroom whenever I want, eat lunch for as long as I want, where my flip flops all day long, and only referee two children... which is actually more challenging at times than my classroom of 25.

I LOVE being home in the summers!! Zoe has had some great accomplishments this summer... she now uses the potty for #1 AND #2 regularly using only a diaper at night (BTW, my mom read about a hormone that children develop between the ages of 2 and 7 that once they get it they can "hold it" all night long...still waiting), stays in her bed at night getting up only once, and went without a binky for 5 entire days. I know... September 1st is the new anti-binky attempt. This time I will prevail! It's amazing how fast children grow up. I can remember, as I'm sure all can, every minute of her birth and that it only seems like yesterday. Time passes so quickly and it's a blur at some points along the way. I wish that I had a video camera that captured everything... so if the feeling arises to relive the past, so to speak, I could watch it.

I want to remember...

• Zoe's curly hair
• her raspy voice (hopefully it goes away)
• her smell
• the way she comes in our bed early in the morning
• the way she zooms on her tricycle through the house (temporarily, until the heat resides)
• when she says "oh, my gosh" and "do I look cute?" and tells the cat to stop whining
• when we sing together at bed time
• her prayers
• how delicate and pudgy her hands are
• her cute toddler body
• how she hides in her hands and expects us not to see her
• her beautiful smile
• outrageous excitement over sprinkles
  
• and so many more things...

Happy Birthday Hayden

I can't believe Hayden is turning 9 today. When I met him, he was actually just starting to walk! He was adorable then, and still super cute now. And, I can't believe that he's actually starting 4th grade this year. Oh my gosh, I feel so old.

Yesterday was Hayden's special day (since this weekend is busy with parties) so he chose dinner at Black Angus. I'm not sure why, because we never go there and he hardly ate his steak. But, nonetheless, that's where he chose, and that's where we went. He was an angel, and Zoe was Zoe, running off 30 minutes of nap.

Then, we made our way to the bowling alley. Even though smoking is prohibited, it still wreaks of stale cigarette smoke and body odor. We were ready for an adventure. Hayden was awesome and has a future as a bowler, while Jonathan and I have a future only watching bowling. But who does that, anyway? Zoe used the ramps and bumpers and manged to hit more pins than me. Next time I might use the bumpers.
Hayden... I'm so amazed that you are so grown up now, and I'm so blessed to have you in my life, or rather in our lives. You brighten our days with your smile, sense of humor, love for Zoe, love of torturing Zoe, giddy laugh, sense of style, and silly grin. We are all so proud of you and what you have accomplished. Congratulations on turning 9... the last year of single digits. We love you!!

Binky Monster

Wow! So, I mentioned that Zoe's attitude was improving when it came to her binkies.... WRONG! Wednesday night we got home from dinner and she started her tantrum before we even made it into the house. We dragged her in and plopped her on her bed ... and it got even worse. She was thrashing, crying, yelling, sounding like some sick Pterodactyl, and reminding us of some strange possessed creature. Jonathan stared at her then looked and at me and said, "This is odd." Honestly, I wish we would have video taped it because it was an amazing tantrum. Now, as two year olds go we know tantrums exist. But this... this was like a scene from the Exorcist. She wasn't improving, she was getting worse. And, she hadn't been napping since the binkies disappeared so perhaps that played a part in her episodes. So, what did we do, you ask? Yes... we caved and gave her a binky (binkie?). No... no judging allowed! We'll try again in a month or two, but she totally wasn't ready and who knows how long she would have continued with these tantrums... In hindsight, we should have took the binkies when she was much younger and may not have noticed as much.

Leslie mentioned reading a story where a mom wanted to figure out why her kid thought binkies were so great... so she tried one. Ha! I guess don't knock it until you try it. Well, I haven't tried one... yet.

WT Fort

We completed our second room of wood floors... and our last room. With the help from none other than my parents! What a lot of work and garbage. However, the kids found a use for the leftover wood boxes.... a fort in our driveway. It's official, we definitely don't fit in in this neighborhood. Ha!

Out with the old, in with the new

Hayden is SOOOO excited for his upcoming birthday. He started cleaning out his room today, saying the toys took up too much space. Secretly, I think he's hoping to get more toys and is just making room for them. Hmmm.... good for him.... the eternal pessimist is thinking positively.... only 3 more days....

Binkie Withdrawls

Wow... no one mentioned the monster that is lurking under the sweet exterior of a two year old that only emerges when their binkie is taken away. Ok, sweet exterior and two year old don't really go together, but I swear Zoe was one until her binkies were carried off to binkie land by the Binkie Fairy. She's perfectly fine during the day, but when it comes time for naps she squirms and screams and downright refuses to nap... sometimes not falling asleep until 2. Then bedtime... wow! She does the same thing, but once we leave the room she starts yelling for someone to lay with her. It's slowly improving, though. I saw this comic and thought how great it would be... a patch for binkie withdrawls. Ha!

Directed by Hayden

Inspired by Kim, I thought I would post one of Hayden's videos. This one, unlike the others of the cat eating, is actually kind of funny. He must have done it right before bed time since Zoe has one of her coveted binkies... working on those as I said before... Hayden's trying to get her to do something, anything, and ... well... we think it's funny.

An apple a day...

Zoe loves going to the doctor for some reason... and with her bouts with asthma and other things, she's been there quite a few times. He also makes her a balloon with his rubber glove when he's finished, so that may be part of the reason. Just yesterday we introduced her to the dentist... her very first visit. You should have seen her... she was a pro at it. It may have helped that the staff was awesome... West Valley Pediatric Dentistry...or that she got to watch TV while in the chair, or that she wore some pretty rockin' glasses. All in all, she did fabulous and was so excited to show off her teeth. No cavities!!

Hmmm... some sad news though.... and I knew it was coming. The demise of the binky is upon us. I knew she should be done with it by now, but then with the move I didn't want to change more things. The Binky Fairy has visited us a few times, however I'm not sure she gets the picture that her binkies are not coming back. We'll see...

Tutu to Church?

Well... it happened. The tutu made it to church, but not the panties. Zoe made it out of the house withOUT her "unders" on, but WITH a tutu on under her dress. How did that get by me, you ask? No idea... her dress looked a little poofy, but then again, it was a new dress. I went to pick her up out of her car seat at church and lo and behold, there was a little extra, but not enough under that pretty dress. Ha! I warned the nursery crew and when I picked her up she had a pull-up on. Apparently she'd been flashing and showing off her tutu. It's a very short tutu. Thank you to the parents who gave up a pull-up!

Typical day....

Zoe found a bug today and said, "Buggie hurt, he need band-aid". She proceeded to get out one of her coveted Spongebob Band-aids and wrap the "buggie" up in it. Then proclaimed, "All better!" LOL. Later she ended up flushing it down the toilet so it could swim. Hmmm...

Jonathan took the kids swimming and guess who stripped this time... Hayden. Really? And there are golfers out there... guess they got a show today. Ha ha. It's like clothes are repelled off their skin.

Red Hot

Here are a couple pictures of our Red Hat Extravaganza in Orlando... where the heat and humidity where less than enjoyable, but the company made up for it. We made it to Downtown Disney one day so I bought some stuff and pretended I actually made it to Disney World. I purchased some ornaments from Disney's Christmas shop, and contemplated having one of them personalized with "Almost made it... 2008". Hopefully we'll get our Disney trip on in December... this time to Disneyland where it'll be much cheaper. Check out my Flickr page for more pictures. :)

Uggg

With today being the first of July, it hit me that I have to go back to work this month! Oh my gosh... I'm sorry to all of you who don't get to experience the time off and luxury of spending time at home and doing everything and nothing all at once. I love it! It makes the pay of a teacher not so bad. And I get to pretend I'm a stay at home mom for a couple months. It also hit me that I have to go to my new classroom and unpack all the boxes since I doubt someone will do it for me. Ha ha... Uggg...