Birthday Wishes and Caviar Dreams...

Ok, my mother-in-law made the suggestion I write about Paul and I once in a while...so here's something about me! With my 27th birthday fast approaching, I ponder what a birthday should mean as I cross the threshold into my "late 20's". If you can get me any of the presents below, I would be eternally grateful!

Birthday Wishes:

1. To live in the moment with my children, aware of them and how wonderful and complex their personalities during each minute of the day.

2. More sleep, 7 hours a night would be wonderful. Ideally, at least one day a week where I can awaken naturally, instead of to the sound of Ashton kicking his door or Kate thumping me on the head.

3. I wish to learn to sew this winter. As a mother of young children, sewing seems like a great tool to stow in the "Mommy toolbox". I want to make a quilt before I am 30, knit a WEARABLE scarf before I am 29 and make homemade Angel/Devil costumes for Ashton, Kate and Angelique this year.

4. Improve my cooking and learn to bake! I want to learn to chop/slice/dice without band-aids being involved and bake confections that do not double as blunt objects.

5. Read more books. Have more dates with my husband. Drink more wine. Watch more movies on my AFI Top 100 of All time List. Go to the gym more. Take bubble baths. Practice yoga twice a week. Begin to study for the LSAT. Hang out with my friends.(More ME time I guess)

Just a Little Off the Top Please!

Why oh why did I choose the morning of school picture day to attempt my 1st home haircut on Ashton? Maybe it was exhaustion taking the wheel for the little hour between getting them to school and going back to sleep...who knows? Sadly, it was Ashton's bangs that paid the hefty price of an attempt at saving some dough. (See photo)

I will say that I think the short bangs makes him look like photos I've seen of my mother at a young age.

The good of the disastrous attempt at saving money is during the emergency trip to Supercuts where Kate was able to get her 1st hair cut! She is a born "girl", trying out all the products while we waited, sitting very still during the cut, being into the whole experience! While not much did come off, her style is a bit evened out now and most of the flips are gone (can't quite call them curls, as they really didn't make it past the first bend).

It's a good thing that we immediately when on to get their photos snapped at school, as when we returned home the first thing Kate did after getting out of the car is fall flat on her face, giving herself a really horrible looking scrape/bump about a golfball size. The tough part was that today she took her class picture and will forever be immortalized as the rough and tumble girl of Room 1.

Also, Ashton has developed a GREAT friendship with Richard, our 4-year-old rough and tumble neighbor. Yesterday Ashton headed off to Richard's backyard to play while I made dinner and through the opened window I heard two bumpy sounding "Woah woah woah woah woah -- HAHAHAH!"s. When I walked quickly over to see what was going on, I witnessed the naked happiness that riding a big wheels down a bumpy hill only a 3 year old could share with his best bud.

Ashton further cemented their BFF status by insisting I buy for him not the blue croc-like shoes I thought would match most of his clothes, but the fire-engine red Lighting McQueen shoes that Richard also was the proud owner of. (See photo below)

I am so happy Richard and his family moved on to our street, they are going to have such a great summer together! Now...if only a little girl would move in!

They're Baaaaaaaack...

Ashton and Kate arrived safe and, well, not really sound home last night. Well, I take that back. They arrived with their sound turned all the way up! Man, they can whine and dine with the best of them after a fun-filled weekend of excitement. They were excited about the new garage space (see video and photo below) and were waaaaaaaaay too amp'd up to make it to bed on time. But honestly, as much as I miss sleeping-in, I wouldn't trade a dream for a single smile or hug from them.

Ashton is also doing well with potty-training, he is at the point where he well just get up and go when the urge hits him. Woohooooooooooooooooooooo! In acheiving this progress, I do think Grandma fanned the flames of what I thought was his dying chocolate addiction - giving 1 candy each time a sucessful bathroom trip was made. I thought I had it all worked out, 1 sticker on a chart every time he went, giving him a candy or toy when he had amassed 5 stickers. I will happily give up this battle to win the war on dirty diapers, along with acknowldting it is a grandparent's right to spoil their grandchildren. (Also, BTW, according to Grandma Ashton's favorite book is - Click Clack, Moo by Doreen Corwin, Illustrated by Betsy Corwin.)

I was very excited to go visit with baby Gavin yesterday. Teresa semmed to be feeling better after the complications from the C-section and Scotty was busy mowing the grass when I arrived. I got to visit very briefly with Teresa's mother, who sadly leaves today.

The little blue-eyed Angel is a GREAT baby, not a cry uttered during any part of my visit! He is looking more like a handsome version of his father every day, but has his mommy's mouth. He is turning out to be quite the strong man, holding his head up when propped on my chest. Also, he tried very hard to push me away upon the great realization I had no milk to give. (Smart little booger he is!) Teresa gave me a great photo of Kate practicing her mothering skills with him and I just know they will bond together in the years to come, being the two youngest around here. I plan to put the photo of Kate & Gavin in Kate's bedroom and the photo of Gavin in Ashton's. I am so glad the kids have cousins around to grow-up with!

Ashton Learns to Park His Car

MOVIE! MOVIE! DOUBLE CLICK TO PLAY!

Color, Color, Color!

Since the kids are on Spring Break from preschool this week, I am trying to keep their days structured as much as I can by coming up with themes. In honor of Angelique, today was Color Color Color day! (She always says that when she uses crayons.) Check out our snack of Fruity Cheerios (which we separated into groups and took turns feeding each other) and the science of Gatorade!

Also, Ashton's found a new way to amuse himself while we run errands, he looks for colors all around him. Oh, to be a child again, finding wonder in everyday things - "Look Mommy, that door is BLUE!" or "Here comes a RED car!" (We even dyed Ashton's oatmeal and bath water GREEN with food coloring!)

I hope that Kate begins to take interest and decides now is a good time to learn to express herself in ways that don't involve tantrums or hitting. Actually, I think it's working! She's starting to understand communication is great! Tonight when I read her bedtime stories, she said the word "Door" many times and pointed to the doors in the pictures. I am so proud of what a good big brother Ashton has become recently and how nice they are becoming with each other! One minute he's teaching her to say door, the next minute he's demanding we give Kate a lollipop after removing a sliver from her foot, never asking for one himself. And Kate, she minds him and takes care of him just as well, always picking up his belongings and bringing him sippy cups.

MOVIE! MOVIE! DOUBLE CLICK TO PLAY!