Halloween 2011

This year was a little more organized than last year, since we have been here a year now! I can't believe we have lived in Florida of a year. I am lovin the life, and I think everyone else is as well. Not too many complaints.

Our "Angel" and Mario

a little blurry, boy is it continually getting hard to get pictures of her. I wasn't even out the door and she was gone. A month before she didn't want to go trick or treating, than a week before she wanted this elaborate costume that I just could not muster up before Halloween. So she went with the Dark Angel. The shoes (mine) lasted about 15 minutes.

His school parade. The kids were only allowed to dress as story book characters, so I frantically stitched this supper man outfit, which he now wears as pajamas. Turns out he could have worn his supper mario outfit

Austin and his best bud Josh the robot

The 2 neighbor girls that val went with. There was a boy in the mix, however he didn't want to get in the photo.
I caught this one photo as they were passing. Sara (prisoner) and Amanda (witch), came home way before Valerie and Jarrad Sara's brother. Jarrad's mom had to go searching for them because trick or treat was over and they still were not home.
Around here there is a dentist office that buys candy back for $1/1lb. they send the candy to the troops and less in our house. I am not sure but I think i missed it, if not I will be heading over on Monday with lots of candy:)

t-ball

Well t-ball is almost over and I am finally getting some pictures up. He is having a good time, but doing t-ball 2 times a week and biking 2 times a week is enough to send me over the edge. Daddy is enjoying the assistant coach part and next year he wants to actually be head coach.

It's been a while

Finding the time to blog is rough...we'll figure it out. In the mean time here are some photos of the kids the last few months. They are growing so fast!


Valerie helping me make sure my fixed lens works

Austin started t-ball, it's a little different down here, it's almost like they are grooming them to be all star players


Savannah enjoying watching Austin bike. Valerie has been out of commission with her wrist

Where does time go?

You think it would be easy to just sit and update the blog. Really how hard is it, apparently too hard. Well, now on to what is new. Austin had his birthday party and the only thing we got were videos, so I will have to download them to share. I think he had a really good time. He especially loved daddy as Bowser and hitting him with water balloons at the end of the "Mario World" we created.

Austin also started t-ball last week. He seems to like it, it's getting tiring traveling to do everything, but he is having fun non the less. His first game is next Thursday. I'm not sure who is more excited, Daddy or Austin. They are quit serious around here when it comes to T-ball. Austin had to go to evaluations, then they had a draft. After the kids were picked, he started practice 2 times a week, with homework (yea you read right homework). Nothing major, just learning where all the pl ayes are SUPPOSE to be. SUPPOSE to be, come on they are 5! I always though Austin was pretty good, the when I went to his first practice, some of the other kids, blew him out of the water. It's like these dad's have been grooming them for this. Now don't get me wrong, Austin is pretty good, t-ball is just not his primary focus in life. He is doing great in biking, he is standing up around the track for almost the entire time (a hug feat for him). He hasn't had a race in a little while. But he has moved up in the rankings for his age.

Valerie, Valerie, Valerie. Well all I can really say is I do believe we hit the teenage years. She is taking sometime off from biking for a little. We are trying to regroup, and find a happy medium. I love that girl to death, but I think we are TO much a like sometimes. She's growing like a weed and is taller than me and has bigger feet now. It was nice the other day, I went in my closet and I had new shoes. Ones she had barley worn and of course I liked, because I had to approve the purchase. Score for mommy! Her grades are doing great this year. She just got her interims yesterday and all except 1 grads were A's. We are just working through some things to get her back on track with the home life.

Savannah, she is a riot. In the last week she has dumped pain on the floor 2 times. Both times while someone is right next to her "watching her". She has learned what the corner is and even put herself there 2 weeks ago. She too is growing fast. I think it is safe to say she will be taller than me as well. Yesterday I put her in her room for a nap, I went to my sewing room and on the monitor I heard a very excited little girl yell I did it, I did it. I thought did she climb out of her crib? But I heard more talking and thought no, she would have come out. Then about 5 minutes later, I heard her calling for me (I shut my door because I am loud). I open my door to find her on the steps. Trying not to laugh, I picked her back up, put her back in the crib and said sternly stay here, don't get out, night night. A little while later a big thunder cracked (she is terrified of thunder), and as I was opening the door, she is screaming at the top of her lungs lunging into me. So this week it looks like we are switching to a toddler bed. I am so not ready.

Joepa is home with us now. The last time Bob and Mary came we asked if they could let Joepa stay. Everyone here is very happy, but I am sure he is missed in Altoona

Austin can tie his shoes!

This past week school started and it got me thinking...I remembered that Valerie was tying her shoes when she went to kindergarden, but Austin had not attemted to tie a shoe. Pretty much all we wear are flip flops. So I went on a hunt for the web-site I used for Valerie, and boy was it hard to find.

With Valerie, I tired for 3 days and then went to the internet and found this great web page. Once Valerie watched it only 1 time she was tying her shoes. I was getting upset because I could not find it for Austin. But after 2 days of searching I found it. We spent 2 nights about 30minutes without the video, then we watched the video and for the most part he got it!

We started out with him tying my shoe, then I got him longer laces for his shoes and now he is off. The 2 days he had school last week he tied his shoes. I go behind him and double knot them to help them stay.

The school year has began

This week was back to school week for us. I defanitly had mixed emotions about it all the way around. There were times where I could not wait for school to start and then there were times the thought of it made me tear up. But it has come and I know it will be a good year.

Valerie started Monday, and apparently it's not cool to have your picture taken on the first day anymore...but I will do it anyway:) She had orientation last Friday which was pretty nice. WE got to meet the teachers and do a trial for her first day.This is the first year the school is trying block scheduling. They have 3 classes a day and lunch. Each class last 2 regular periods, so she has classes every other day. I think it will work out nice and help with the homework.

Austin has his first day of school today. Only 5 kids went to school each day Monday - Thursday, then on Friday the entire class goes. It went off without a hitch. Except I was the only mom at the Boo Hoo breakfast crying. We biked today and will most likely bike every day from now on. It only takes us 10 minutes to bike and it takes about 25minutes to drop them off in the car. Austin's orientation was Friday. He got to meet his teacher and Rob and I got to spend money on PTO, lunches, spirt shirt and such. He really wont be buying lunch, but they offer ice cream on Friday's only and I thought it would be nice for him to have a little something at the end of the week. He enjoyed it, and talked about his day way more than Valerie ever did.

my baby is 2

So today my baby is 2. It went by so fast. Yesterday we threw her a little party while Rob's mom and step-dad were in town. We had a few people from the neiborhood come to play. The kids had a good time.

She is getting so big I can't believe how fast she is learning and growing.