2010 in review

Firsts -

Our Family's first trip to DisneyLand

Our family's first trip to Yellowstone

Elyssa's first broken bone

Andrew's first broken bone

Brian's first documented broken bone

Gavin's first time in braces

Samuel's first time on the DisneyLand Railroad

First time my child grew taller than me

Brittany's first clogging concert

Ben's first time on a real BMX bike

Our first time seeing the Broadway Play "WICKED"

Mischief -

Don't ask...

...and the diagnosis is...

My DH and kids were playing touch football when my oldest son came home to show me his finger. It looked really gross so of course I got a picture. The doctor said his left ring finger was dislocated which caused a sprain. Also a piece of bone fractured.

Here's the x-ray of the fracture and dislocation - look for the tiny bone fragment left behind.

Here's his finger after the doctor relocated it. Hopefully the bone will heal normally.----------NEVER A DULL MOMENT IN OUR FAMILY ---------

Trick or Treat!

As usual, we waited until the very last possible day to carve pumpkins. I like to carve them the week before Halloween, but the week got away from me.

The baby thinks she is going to get to carve pumpkins, when actually she is going down for a nap -

Look at these guys hard at work -

TA DA!! The finished product -

Boo's is the haunted house, G's is the scary face, B's is the cyclops, and S's is the happy one.

Now it is time to go Trick-or-Treating -

Boo is a Knight, G is a Ninja Warrior, B is a skeleton, S is a Jack-o-Lantern, and E is an M&M candy.

I should have dressed S as a pirate since he walked around all week with a limp (pretending that he had a peg leg) and one eye closed saying Argh whenever he talked. He is my only 3 year old I haven't had to beg to get into a costume on Halloween.

Just before we went out it was raining. Luckily the weather cleared up and stayed relatively nice out. We stayed out for about 2 hours.

After uploading all the pictures from Halloween, I realized that my teenager was conspicuously absent from all the festivities. He didn't carve pumpkins because he was busy playing Yu-gi-oh with his friend, and he didn't go trick-or-treating because he was the designated door man (passing out candy to all the trick-or-treaters).

Congratulations!!!

Way to go G! For earning your Cub Scout Bear badge last night - And for earning the Builder of the Month Award for your HONESTY -

WE ARE SO PROUD OF ALL YOUR HARD WORK AND MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS!

XOXOXO,

Mom and Dad

Boys

Little B has been telling me that he is a "dirt bike head" for the past two years. He finally got a chance to prove it. My neighbor taught him the basics.

The Baby

My neighbor took these pictures of E for me. Here she is at 15 months old -
She is too adorable for words, so I'm just going to post the pictures -

More pics of my sweetie -

BIRTHDAY NEWS!

Boo turned ELEVEN!!!
Here's her on her new bike -

and her friends at her sewing birthday party -

the girls made yarn octupus dolls (assisted by Grandma L) and sewed together pillowcases.

First Day of School!

A loved all his classes especially photography where they played pictionary on the first day
Boo had a great time helping her teacher learn the phonograms
G was so happy to have his friend in his class

Little B was TOO EXCITED about going to Kindergarten, until he actually got there - then he was suddenly quiet, but didn't cling to me and found his seat and didn't even notice me leaving (sniff sniff) - Here he is with his best buddy - S and E had a fabulous time awaiting the siblings arrival home

It was especially wonderful to listen to the Father's blessings that DH gave to each of the children the night before school.

I can't say that having only two at home now has given me freedoms I only dreamed of since I have the most difficult two at home. S can't be in the same room with E, without causing her to cry for one reason or another. I can't get anything done because I'm ever vigilant in keeping the baby safe.

This moment...

one year old in her high chair eating cheerios

3 year old laying on the couch with a clothes hanger hanging from his big toe

5 year old at the table with a screw driver dismantling the Xbox (in his underwear)

9 year old watching the 15 year old play ninja wars on the computer

10 year old reading "Charlie Brown" on the trampoline in the back yard

Laundry piling up in the hallway

dishes piling up on the counter

myself trying to figure out how to be an effective parent

bad poetry, cute kids

Little B has learned so much,

He knows his ABC's and such.

He's been growing all the year through,

and now there isn't anything he can't do -

HAPPY PRESCHOOL GRADUATION LITTLE MAN!

Cast no more!

rough, awkward, heavy, stiff

helping bones heal

PINK

STINK

two weeks, too long

hurray, now the cast is gone!

See me?

See my nose,

my eyes, my throat?

runny, weepy, sore

my ears, ouchie ears,

doctor checks

now I take antibiotics

who's next?

Loving

Just loving my baby -

Pinewood derby

The results are in - G's standing was 4th place. Not bad for an ice-cream sandwich. Boo and A also raced their cars unofficially. They all did great. Here they are:

Today, Little B performed gymnastics at a nearby high school. He limped around on the stage because of his immunizations two days ago (that tetanus shot is still bothering him). After a few tricks he forgot his leg was supposed to hurt and did everything else just fine.

Baby's arm and other exciting happenings -

Boo performed in her first choir concert on Wednesday!
Earlier this year she told me she wanted to take voice lessons but never wants to sing in front of people. She started taking voice lessons and then signed up for choir at school. Now she just sang in front of hundreds of people! I am so proud of her!Baby E got her cast on Wednesday - PINK is her color! The doctor said she only has to have it on for two weeks! It is awesome that babies heal so quickly.
Here she is crawling despite the awkward cast -The next morning -

The cast has been signed by the whole neighborhood. Anyone else want to sign it?

Yesterday Little B, S, and E all got immunized -

I just don't understand this - the kids cried and got lollipops and bubbles, they cried again and got stickers and lunch at McDonalds. I comforted and held three crying kids and what did I get? Nodda!

S is going to pass up little B soon. S is in the 75th percentile in height and weight and little B is in the 15th percentile in weight and 25th in height. There are 2 years 2 months 3 lbs and 3 inches difference between them. E has finally gotten a clean bill of health with regards to her ear infections. No more antibiotics - Hurray!

Tonight is the long awaited much anticipated Pinewood Derby!

Even though G is the only cub scout in the family, Boo and A are making derby cars as well. It has been a time consuming undertaking getting three pinewood derby cars cut, sanded, painted, weighted and detailed. Last year, G won first place and the pressure is on to bring home another win. (Okay, really it is self-inflicted pressure because of my competitive nature). DH is having the kids do more of the work this time, so the cars may not even roll. We'll see. On another note, any one know if you can get lead poisining from melting split shot on a camp stove?