FLOOR!

I'm starting to see the light at the end of the remodel.
Our house has been torn up since June. We just have a bit more to do to get the floor installed, then we can work on Base boards and we are in the home stretch. Hopefully I will get my house back soon. Jon has worked his butt off and I think he is awesome.

Cousins

On Sunday my brother and his wife had a little party to welcome the newest member of their family.
Baby Jack was born the end of June and weighed in at just over 5 pounds. Three months later he is still not much bigger than a minute but is the sweetest, happiest baby. We love him very much.




We love having cousins close by. the girls can always come up with something fun when they are together. This is Brianna, Zoe, and Carly 'Sleeping.'

We love Atticus. He is a little tank and has the best smile ever.
Woof!


Zoe and her baby brother. She is going to be a great sister.

It's back!

I just have to say that I'm so excited the Dancing with the starts comes back on tonight! Yay! I've loved this show from the very first season. I've always wanted to learn how to ballroom dance. Thank heavens for my DVR so I don't actually have to watch the whole show. I'm glad that the new seasons have begun. I've missed the Office and my Law and Orders. I'm not really interested in any of the new shows. It seems like some of our favorite shows havn't lasted. We loved Journyman, and Studio 60 and Rome and Deadwood. But they never last. I'd better get my next quilt started so I will have something to do while I watch.

Bribery or motivation

Brianna is in the first grade and about a month a go started having spelling tests. Jon and I happen to be to of the worst spellers on the planet, so I think I was probably more nervous for her first test than she was, especially the first week because I didn't really understand the note that was sent home explaining things and Brianna couldn't really tell me what was what either.
So now we know that spelling test are 3 parts; a spelling list, a sentence, and for some kids challenge words.
So three weeks ago Brianna came home with 100% + all the challenge words. I was so proud. Jon thought that this deserved a special treat and we told her we would go to dinner and that she could choose. She Chose 'the fire place,' (a Japaneses steak house where they cook at your table) A little more than we wanted to spend, but Daddy is a sucker and we went anyway.
A week later. Brianna comes home on Thursday and gets out her writing paper and pencil, sits at the table and says, "Mom, I'm ready," Normally homework time is a bit of a fight, so I said "why are you so excited to do homework?" She said, "I need to get 100% on my spelling test tomorrow because I want to go to Sizzler for dinner." She did get 100% but didn't get all the challenge words, but we decided it was still worthy of a Sizzler dinner.
So tonight, we are dining at Winger's, because She again Rocked her spelling test.
I'm so proud of how smart my little girl is, and I don't care if it is bribery it works and it gets Mom out of cooking.

To nap, or not to nap?

So Carly has reached that lovely age where she has out grown naps. The problem is that she really does still need them. So if I don't make her take a nap, she melts down around 5 and then follows me around the house crying and our lives are hell until we put her to bed. Or if I do make her take a nap she won't go to sleep and ends up wandering around the house and bugging me till 11 and eventually sleeping on my floor. So which is worse. It is my daily question.

How many years ago?

My friend did this on her Blog and it looked fun.



20 Years ago...



1. I was starting the 5th grade and in Mr. Lundberg's class. We all thought he was pervy so I was not excited.

2. I was at my peak of awkward adolescence and wore huge thick glasses and had bad hair.

3. I was also the only girl in my class who actually needed a bra and was mortified when Scott Wheeler flipped it one day.



15 Years ago....

(not a year my friend's blog asked about, but too important a year to not mention)



1. I was just starting my sophomore year in high school. I had just met a very cute boy, whom I had a huge crush on. A few months later I kissed him and we have been together ever since.

2. I got my driver's license . My first car was a huge burgundy Buick station wagon.

3. I had 2nd period Girls Chorus with 4 girls who became great friends. We had way too much fun in that class.



10 Years ago.....

1. Jon and I had been married for almost 2 years. and were planning a trip to Disneyland with our best friends.

2. We lived in a little apartment on Vine st. right next store to my best friend and her husband.

3. I was working at Joann Fabrics and really loving it.





5 Years ago.....

1. We were in the house we are in now. Our furnace had gone out and we didn't know how we were going to afford a new one.

2. I had my wisdom teeth out. The surgeon botched it and I still have no feeling on the right side of my tongue.

3. I got pregnant with my second baby. I miscarried several months later.



3 Years ago......

1. Carly was still a newborn and Brianna had just started Preschool.

2. We had just bought our Van. It was the first bran new car I had ever had.

3. My Bompy fell and broke his arm. I would drive uptown at least twice a week to check on him and make him lunch. A very stressful time but I wouldn't trade it for the world.



1 year ago.....

1. Brianna had started kindergarten and I was wondering how to entertain a 2 year-old for several hours a day.

2. I started doing more sewing for other people, and realized how much I love to create my own 'fashion.'

3. Jon and I celebrated 11 years of marriage and left both girls with Grandma for the first time overnight.



Today......

1. We went to church. Brianna gave a talk. She talked about our Bompy and did a great job.

2. We worked on getting the living room ready to paint and installed new lights.

3. We went on a walk, then came home and made cookies.



Tomorrow.....

1. Jon took the day of so we could finish painting the living room.

2. Carly has dance class in the morning. She is too cute in her little tap shoes.

3. We will go visit Grandma Fay.



Next Year.

1. We will work on our yard which has suffered greatly this summer.

2. We hope to vacation at a beach house with my brother and sister and their families.

3. We will have been married 13 years. Crazy.

First Day

Today was Carly's first day of Preschool and as you can see she was very, very excited to go.
She is going to the same school Brianna went to. We are very lucky to have found Miss Marla.
She picked out her Ariel back pack.
She got to play with Play-dough and was not at all sad to see Daddy and Mommy go.
(Daddy and Mommy went out to lunch after we dropped her off.)
She had a great day! She even had a little homework to do when she got home.

Cookies!

You may be wondering what this picture has to do with making cookies but in our house it is a very important step in making cookies.
I have great memories of baking with my mom and little brother. I even remember a time when Rob and I tried to make them ourselves. My Mom wasn't very happy. My friends have even told me that they remember making cookies at our house so it is no surprise that it is one of my favorite things to do with my girls. When we were remodeling the kitchen Carly would ask me everyday if we could make cookies. When we moved the stove back in place Carly came down the stairs and said, "Mommy, the stove is back! we can make cookies.!" And we did.
So what does the above picture have to do with making cookies? Well we here is the cookie recipe we follow at our house.
2 sticks of Margarine (one for Carly, one for Brianna)
3/4 c brown sugar (Carly puts one in, Brianna puts one in, Carly puts one in.)
3/4 c sugar(Brianna, Carly, Brianna)
1tsp vanilla (added 1/2 tsp at a time)
2 eggs (Brianna cracks one I pick out the shells, then Carly holds my hand while I crack the other one.)
Cream these together. This is the most important step. While I am creaming these together the girls stand in the middle of the kitchen and spin. I'm not sure why but it definitely makes the cookies taste better.
Lick the beaters
2 1/2 c flour (added a 1/2 c at a time.)
2 pinches of salt
1 tsp of baking soda (1/2 tsp at a time)
Carly then mixes the dry ingredients with her little wooden spoon.
Brianna mixes
Chocolate chips
Mommy mixes
Eat dough
Bake what ever is left for 8-10 min at 350

One day Carly and I made cookies while Brianna was at school, and she just couldn't understand why we needed 2 sticks of margarine if Bri wasn't there.

I hope my Girls will have good memories of Cookies too.

Bliss

Carly helps Brianna groom the horse before the lesson.

We went and watched Brianna at her riding lessons last week. I have to say I was a little nervous seeing her up so high on that big horse and when she started to trot my heart skipped a beat. But, Brianna is so confident and completely happy on her horse.



Carly loves to climb on the fence to watch her sister.
Carly's Horse Springy

Hijacked

This past Christmas we bought the girls their own little digital camera's but for some reason they still prefer mine. It's always interesting to download and see what they have been up to. They are very silly little girls.