The Adventures of Syd and Sam

Our house...

2009-12-24T13:16:00.000-08:00

Things are really moving along!

The front

The back.

The north side.

Most recent picture...

2009-12-14T15:28:00.000-08:00

The rain is slowing things down a bit, but here's what the house looked like on Friday.

Our New House

2009-12-10T14:01:00.000-08:00

We realize that most of our out of town friends don't even know that we are building a new house. So, here's a recap of what's been going on so far...We purchased a 1.13 acre lot in Sutter in August. It had lots of junk and some old almond trees on it.

We cleaned it up, cleared it out and left some of the almond trees.

Built a pad...

Poured some concrete...

Built a raised foundation...

Built some walls...

And in between, we've been making LOTS of decisions! We plan to move into our new house in March. We are all very excited and can't wait! We'll post more pictures as things progress...

Conversations with Syd and Sam

2009-09-09T15:25:00.000-07:00

* While walking through the WinCo parking lot, Sydney saw an old station wagon with wood paneling on the sides. Her eyes got really big and she said, "Mommy, that car is made of wood. I've never seen a car made out of wood before! Did they have wooden cars when you were my age? Did they have cars when you were my age?"

*While walking along the sidewalk in front of Raleys, Sydney saw a woman talking on a pay phone. "What is she doing Mommy?" She's talking on the phone. "Why does that phone have a string on it? I explained that some phones have cords. I also explained the concept of a pay phone. "Why doesn't she just use the phone in her purse?"

*While sitting at the dinner table..."Mommy, I need to send Landon (Warta) a wedding invitation." Why? "Cuz I am going to marry him and lots of people are going to come watch and when we're all done, I'm gonna be Sydney Warta!" Note that Sydney has never been to a wedding or seen a wedding...she just seems to have figured it all out somehow!

*Sam: "I Bam and I THREE!" while holding up five fingers.

*Sydney was drawing on the Magna Doodle. She had me draw her a picture of a girl and then she wanted to put makeup on her and complete the finishing touches. When I came back to her room, her drawing was complete. The girl had little dots all over her face. I asked if she gave the girl freckles. Sydney's reply, "No, Mommy! That's a picture of you! Those are boo-boo's (pimples) all over your face!" I feel so loved... :o)

*Sam came out of Sydney's room, dressed in full Snow White attire...matching dress, purse, crown and high heels. I told him he looked so beautiful. His response, putting his purse free hand on his hip: "Mommy, I not byooiful, I a handsome princess!"

Back to School!

2009-09-09T15:07:00.000-07:00

School started last week. Both kids are now attending preschool at Jack & Jill. Sydney goes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and Sam goes on Tuesday and Thursday. They both love it!

After Sam's first day of school, we found out the answer to the question: "Can we fit three booster seats in the back seat of our car?" Yes, we can! (with lots of effort!) Hunter came with us to McDonalds. A fun way to celebrate a great first day!

Sam is 3!

2009-09-09T14:49:00.000-07:00

Sam turned 3 on August 20th. He had a Scooby Doo birthay party. He had been planning it for months...he wanted a Scooby Doo cake and a Scooby Doo pinata and he wanted all his friends to come play. Sam's wish came true! He had so much fun!

The Great Outdoors...

2009-05-06T13:15:00.000-07:00

Wait....I better make that "The Great Backyard..."

I heard the back door close earlier today and went to investigate. Once again, I discovered Sam, pulling down his pants, getting ready to pee on the bushes! If only I had captured the look on his face when he was finished. He was so proud of himself and told me all about what he peed on. Yesterday I found him walking backwards as he peed, yelling, "It's chasing me!"

Now I realize that you could have gone the rest of your life without ever having seen these pictures. In fact, I never thought I'd post a picture on the blog of my kid peeing. But, it has all been so stinkin' funny, that I just had to share. Friends warned me that once Sam peed outside, it was all over. They were right! They can now feel free to say, "I told you so!" Sam will wake up at 2am and need to go pee, but refuse to go in the toilet. So yes, I have taken Sam outside in the middle of the night so he could stand at the edge of the back porch and pee in the grass. Yet another one of those things I never thought I'd do... I guarantee you that I'll have more fun "pee stories" to tell you in the future. So stay tuned... :o)

Wedding Bells...

2009-04-23T15:56:00.000-07:00

You may recall that Sydney has her future all planned out...she is going to marry Austin after she finishes college and then they are going to have babies. Well, the other day she was very insistent that we go to the grocery store (WinCo). I asked her why she wanted to go to the grocery store so bad. Her response, "I have to go buy a wedding dress! I'm gonna marry Austin next week, after I finish college!" I called Lisa, Austin's mom and told her about Sydney's plan. Austin was ok with the whole thing, as long as he got a lolly pop! Wouldn't that just be something if she really did marry Austin some day?

Sam is potty trained!

2009-04-23T15:46:00.001-07:00

A friend gave me some information on a potty training technique that worked for her two year old. It required that I stay by Sam's side for at least three days, so I decided to try it over Easter vacation so that I wouldn't have to bring Syd to school. It actually took more like five days of not leaving the house...at all! But, it worked. Sam threw all of his diapers into a garbage bag and only wore underwear for this process...no diapers or pull-ups allowed. The first few days were rough! Lots of messes to clean up! By day three, he was really starting to get it and by day five, he was doing great! He wakes up dry every morning and if he needs to go potty during the night, he just calls for me and I help him. He is doing so well! I am so proud of him! But, it makes me a little sad, too. He's growing up so fast!

Oh, one more thing...he got to pee outside (on a bush) for the first time the other day. You should have seen his face! Sydney was really irritated that I made her go in the house. She wanted to know why her pee pee didn't have a "hose like Sam's."

Easter

2009-04-23T15:25:00.001-07:00

The kids had lots of Easter fun! They dyed eggs at Sydney's preschool. This was their first time, since I haven't been brave enough to do it at home yet! Sam refused to use a spoon...he found that putting your fingers into the dye was way more fun!They decorated cupcakes at school, too. I don't know if Sydney had enough topping on hers...Sam just kept eating the frosting. We attended a family gathering the day before Easter. We saw lots of family and the kids had an Easter egg hunt. I made bunny cupcakes. They turned out really cute!

My "big" kids.

Sydney was really excited to see what was inside the eggs she had gathered.

So was Sam!

Easter morning.
We went to Aunt Mary's house in the afternoon. We had lots of good food, got to visit with lots of people and the kids found LOTS of eggs!

Update

2009-04-09T14:57:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been slacking on the blog lately. I discovered Facebook and have been playing around with that site instead. Also, we started potty training Sam this week. He threw all his diapers into a garbage bag and hasn't worn one since Sunday. We still clean up occasional accidents and wet sheets, but he's really getting it...I don't expect that it will be much longer before he's trained.

The Bahamas

2009-04-09T14:20:00.001-07:00

We went to the Bahamas for a week at the end of March. My mom moved in and took care of the kids (thanks Mom!!!). We had a nice, relaxing time and really enjoyed spending time alone together...that doesn't happen very often! It was pretty windy most of the time, so we didn't go in the water very often, but the wind kept us from being too hot.

The view from our hotel room.

The house with the orange roof belongs to Michael Jordan and the white one belongs to Oprah Winfrey.

We went on a powerboat to some other outer islands.
We stopped at one island that was inhabited by iguanas. We fed them grapes. It was in interesting experience!
Then, we arrived at an island where we spent the remainder of the day. There were sharks and stingrays everywhere. They had been throwing dead fish into the water to attract them. I got in the water and fed the stingrays. I wasn't very interested in feeding the sharks!

This wild pig lived on the island. It was kind of weird having a pig walk across the beach...

Some views from that island. It was really beautiful...the pictures don't do it justice.

Happy Birthday Sydney!!!

2009-03-30T15:20:00.001-07:00

Sydney, 1 year

Sydney, 2 yearsSydney, 3 years

Sydney turned four on March 16th. These pictures are being posted a little late due to our vacation soon after her party (photos to follow). Sydney had a Disney Princess party...her favorite princess is Cinderella. So, I decided that I would try to make a Cinderella cake. Little did I know, that by the time I bought all the supplies, it would not only cost double what the store-bought one would, it would also take hours to make and decorate! But, seeing the look on her face when she saw her cake was worth it. She said, "Oh, Mommy...she's beautiful!" Sydney and her friend Lauren. They go to preschool together.Me and my princess. Sydney had fun opening presents. She got LOTS of princess stuff!

Group shot with most of the kids. Most of them aren't even looking at the camera... :o) Sydney, getting her last look at the cake before I took it apart and cut into it.
Getting ready to blow out her candle.
One of Sydney's favorite toys was a Fur Real cat. She has been asking for a (real) kitty, so this is keeping her happy for the time being.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SYDNEY! WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

Sam

2009-03-13T09:36:00.000-07:00

Ok, so the other day I blogged about things Sydney has been saying. But, Sam has been cracking me up, too! So, here are a few quotes from the past few days...

-Sam walks around singing, "A dweem is a wish you heart makes when you fass asweep..." (from Cinderella) It is just the sweetest thing...

-Sam has been very resistant to potty training lately, so we've been talking about how he can't wear a diaper to school...and Sam REALLY wants to go to school. So, the other day, I asked him what he gets to do when he doesn't wear a diaper anymore. His response: "Me get go to ballet!" Not quite the response I was looking for... But, it's better than when he responds, "Me get wear panties!"

-Almost every time I ask Sam what his name is and about half the time that other people ask him, he responds, "I Mommy's Boy." When he does decides to say his real name, he says "I Bam!"

-Sam recognizes every Disney princess and likes to point them out and shout their name. Sydney has taught him well!

-Sam refuses to drink out of a pink or purple cup. He says, "No! That's Dydney's cup, no Sam's cup...I a boy, no a girl!" Thanks again Sydney for telling Sam that pink and purple are only for girls...

-I found him running into the couches head first and asked him what he was doing. His response: "I a montmer truck and I cwashing! Vroom Vroom!"

-Sam came into the house from playing outside and with a great big smile on his face, announced, "I poopy! Hurry Mommy, clean me...I stinky boy."

-Sam was dumping out container after container of toys. I asked him what he was doing. He replied, "Making a mess."

Sydney

2009-03-10T14:20:00.000-07:00

My sweet little girl is going to be FOUR on March 16th! Time sure flies when you're really busy (and having fun). The following quotes are directly from Sydney...things she has been asking and saying lately...

-"After I'm four, do I get to wear a bra?"

-"I like my curly hair, Mommy. When I get really big like you, will my hair look like yours? I don't want my hair to look like yours Mommy."

-"Sam's not in charge, right Mommy?" No, he's not. "See Sam! I'm in charge, not you!"

-In response to my asking what she was doing..."Oh, I'm just beating up my little brother. It's ok."

-"Daddies go to work...Mommies stay home and babysit." I responded that my job was to take care of her, her brother and Daddy. "But you don't bring home any money for my piggy bank and you don't work in an office, so you don't work."

-"Mommy, can you put Sam back in your tummy? I think he'll still fit."

-"Mommy, I'm not going to be a ballerina when I grow up any more...it hurts too much to put my hair in a bun. But, I'm still gonna marry Austin and have babies after I go to college."

-"Daddies have hair on their face...Mommies just have skin and some boo-boos." (referring to acne)

-John asked Sydney, "You think you know everything, don't you?" Sydney's answer, "Yes."

-"Mommy, I want to have a Disney Princess birthday party. And it has to be a Disney Princess party, not just a regular princess party."

-"Mommy, why is Jesus always walking across the road?" (referring to the local East Indian men in their flowing garments and long beards) "Isn't Jesus in our hearts? How did he get out?"

-"Mommy, my bottom hurts, can you kiss it?"

-After I served her mac n cheese for lunch, she said, "Mommy, this isn't healthy food for me...I think you better give me some chicken dinosaurs or french fries instead."

-"Poop!" (then falls to the ground in a fit of laughter)

-Her general responses to the question, "Why did you do that?" are "Because I wanted to" or "Because I like to."

A Visit with Grandma Alice

2009-03-01T16:22:00.001-08:00

The day after we arrived in Fort Bragg, we made the three hour drive to Eureka to visit John's Grandma Alice and Aunt Mary Lee. It was a very long, curvy drive...luckily Sydney mastered the use of a "barf bag" after her experience on the way to Fort Bragg! :o)Mary Lee made us lunch and we had a nice visit with her and with Grandma Alice. It had been quite a long time since we had seen either one of them.John and his grandma.The kids with Mary Lee. The kids had big hugs for Grandma "Awice" when it was time to go.

Fort Bragg

2009-03-01T15:57:00.001-08:00

We went to Fort Bragg a couple weeks ago. Our friends Jimmy and Lisa and their boys, Austin and Hunter joined us there. We had such a great time!The kids loved looking at the ocean.Sam showed us how far he could throw!Little rock climbers! Fun at the beach...

A note from John...

Sydney running across the beach...

The kids got to fly a kite for the first time.

The tide was really low one day, so we went exploring... we found star fish and anemones.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-15T12:17:00.000-08:00

Sydney's preschool class had a Valentine's Day party on Thursday. Sam got to come, too. They exchanged valentines, made crafts and got to decorate their own heart shaped sugar cookie to eat. Notice how thick the frosting and decorations are on Syd's cookie!Sam had a grin on his face pretty much the entire time he was eating his cookie.

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Our church had an "I Still Do-Wop" on Valentines Day. Lots of people dressed up in 50's attire. It was lots of fun!

The guys posing in front of a 50's car. (Jimmy, John, Tim, Geoff)
The girls in their poodle skirts. (Leah, Casey, Lisa, Jamie)

Hanging out...

2009-02-04T14:07:00.000-08:00

I was in the garage, taking care of the laundry. When I came back in the house, it was quiet...too quiet. I was sure that those little stinkers were up to no good. But, to my pleasant surprise, I found this...Sam was sitting in Sydney's lap, snuggled under her Tinkerbell blanket. They were watching Jungle Book (again!). They were actually touching eachother without fighting and even sharing a blanket. If only evey day could be like that!
After taking pictures, I snuggled with them and joined in with my rendition of "Bare Necessities."

Pajama Party

2009-02-04T13:52:00.001-08:00

There was a pajama party at Sydney's preschool last week. I was scheduled to help and brought Sam with me. The kids and I all wore our pajamas to school. The kids brought a blanket, pillow and stuffed animal, too. They made necklaces out of cereal and all the kids got to help make fresh squeezed orange juice. Guess who got to be the parent in charge of squeezing the juice, manually? Sam usually stays with me when I'm working in the classroom, but this time I sent him with Sydney and she made sure that he went with her to each station during the day. He did really well...he stayed in his seat and did a good job of following the directions. I was really proud of him! He's getting to be such a big boy!There were kids all over the floor, watching a movie. Sam made sure that he was always next to his sister.There was a yummy breakfast of sausage, french toast sticks, bananas and fresh squeezed orange juice. The walk back to the car (which was parked down the block) was very interesting...we got lots of strange looks as we walked down the sidewalk at 11:45am in our pajamas!

Poop!

2009-01-19T15:32:00.000-08:00

I bet that title got your attention, didn't it...

I was working out in the yard this morning, while the kids played in their sandbox. As I was pulling weeds, the distinct, pungent aroma of cat poop assaulted my nose. I started laughing to myself as many thoughts randomly went through my head. Not that cat poop is all that funny, it was just the thought that once you become a parent, your life seems to revolve around that smelly substance called "poop."

When you have a baby, one of the first things the nurses and/or lactation consultants talk to you about is how many times your baby should be pooping per day, along with color and consistency. If your baby fails to produce the correct number of dirty diapers, you worry. You actually look forward to dirty diapers! You examine the contents quite thoroughly...is it the right color...is it too runny...is it too hard...wait! is my baby pooping too much? Then, it's "How did that poop shoot all the way up the baby's back?" You get through the infant stage and things seem to even out...you feel like you've got a handle on your baby's frequency, color and consistency.

But, then they start eating solid food and you get to start all over again! Some foods cause massive blow outs, while others cause major constipation. You hear all kinds of things from all kinds of well meaning people. Most advice just contradicts everything you just heard from the last person. You start to just plain dread your baby's poop. They always have a nasty diaper just before you are supposed to go somewhere or make one right when you arrive. And who hasn't been caught off guard, away from home with no extra outfit? You carry lots of diapers and wipes and those scented bags to put the little stink bombs into so that you don't pollute the entire building with the smell.

They finally get old enough to start using the potty. Now, you just have to the wipe their bottom, which is far better than digging that nasty stuff out of all their chubby little creases. The only problem: they want to wipe themselves now...they want to help! Now there is poop on the toilet, the kid, on you and on other random places. You start to plan things, like outings or naps, around when your child poops, so that you won't have to deal with this somewhere other than home.

You get together with friends...what subject always comes up? POOP! It is absolutely amazing how is becomes a topic of conversation, even when the kids aren't around. Somehow, it just makes its way into the conversation. You have to be careful around friends that don't have kids, since they don't share the same enthusiasm about the subject. They really don't want to know about the latest blow out, the best remedy for constipation or any other poop related topic. But, it sure is amusing to gross them out! Poop even comes up at dinner. John will ask me about my day and somehow, almost every night, something comes up about poop, rather it be human or animal. It's a good thing that he's used to it and can continue to eat his dinner. However, it is good to note that it is best not to talk about diarrhea while eating refried beans...

So, my kids are getting older. I still wipe both their bottoms, but the mess factor is decreasing a great deal. But, now I have to worry more about them stepping or sitting in poop! Before they can play in the backyard, I have to get a shovel and pick up all of Taco's poop. The kids wander around the yard, pointing out each little pile, making sure that I don't miss any. I'm always pretty sure that I've got it all, but my darling little Sam always manages to find that one last pile and inadvertently step in it. Then, he tries to get it off of his shoe and/or take his shoe off before notifying me of the situation. Which leads to poop in a whole lot more places than just his shoes. There is bird poop on the swing set, so I have to get a rag and wipe it off. We don't own a cat, but apparently our yard is the neighborhood litter box...there is cat poop in all the planters, in the garden, you can smell it pretty much everywhere. The sandbox has a lid, so that there is at least one area of dirt for the kids to play in that doesn't come with little surprises! Both of the kids have found what I like to call "kitty roca" in the dirt and both of them, at some time or another have actually handed it to me. Lots and lots of soap later, I hope that this last lecture about not picking up poop will stick! When Sydney was maybe two years old, she pretended to eat poop, which led to a long discussion about why we don't eat poop. To this day, if you talk about poop in front of her, she says, "Don't eat poop. It makes you sick!"

So you may wonder, how is it that I smelled cat poop, started laughing and then decided to write all about poop? Well, I had already wiped two bottoms (better make that three) this morning, had picked up mushy little piles of dog poop, cleaned it off of two Diego shoes, wiped bird poop off the slide and a swing and was having to smell cat poop while I pulled weeds. And it was only 11am. I knew that there was so much more poop in store for me!

Ok, I'm done. I'm all "pooped" out!

One last question: What are we all going to talk about after our kids are grown up?

Happy New Year!

2009-01-08T16:14:00.000-08:00

Sydney and Sam's 2nd Annual New Year's Eve Party was lots of fun! We celebrated at 9pm EST, which works out well for the kids' (and parents') bed times. There was lots of yummy food, fun games for the kids and a whole lot of NOISE! Make sure you watch the videos at the bottom of this post...

"Jingle All the Way"

2009-01-06T11:12:00.000-08:00

Sydney's rendition of "Jingle Bells."

My Little "Santa"

2009-01-06T10:59:00.000-08:00

You have to listen to "Santa" Sam!

Christmas Day

2009-01-06T10:32:00.000-08:00

We got up Christmas morning and opened more presents! Sam loved his new puppy.Sydney had been adamant for weeks that she didn't like Santa Claus and that she didn't want him to come to her house. She changed her mind when she opened the "Sleeping Beauty" movie that she had been begging for...Santa scored a few points with that one.We had fun opening our stockings.Daddy being silly!This plate was my favorite gift. Sydney made it at school. We thought she did such a nice job!Next, we headed to Mimi and Grandpa's house. Sydney and Sam took turns wearing the Santa hat and saying, "Ho Ho Ho!"We opened more gifts. The work bench was a hit. We put it out in the garage and the kids "work" in the garage with Daddy.After naps, we headed to Aunt Connie and Uncle Ron's house. We got to visit with lots of family. The kids really liked playing with baby Dylan. Sydney loved holding him.

Christmas Eve

2009-01-06T10:15:00.001-08:00

We spent Christmas Eve at Aunt Mary and Uncle Steven's house.Sam with Great Grandpa Bob and Great Grandma Fran.Katie helped Sydney get "all dressed up!"Sydney heard that it was time to open presents...Sam, opening his Elmo Live! He loved it!He gave Elmo a big hug after he was removed from the box. Sydney got a digital camera, which she loves. "Mommy, it's pink, just for Sydney!"Sam's new horse was also a big hit. All the kids were anxious to try it out!

Funny Stuff our Kids Do and Say...

2009-01-05T09:38:00.000-08:00

(Note: Christmas and New Years pictures coming soon...)

**I was working in the kitchen and turned to find Sydney on all fours, with her bottom in the air. I asked her what she was doing. "My bottom really itches Mommy...I'm waiting for you to scratch it!"

**Sydney: "Mommy, eat me!" (She wanted me to nibble on her.)

**Sam: "Mommy, need cream on my assh." (rash)

**Syd and Sam love to have tea parties with a cute, pink Barbie tea set. They both dress in tutus (Sydney always puts the blue one on Sam, "since he's a boy.") and wear headbands and necklaces. (Yes, Daddy is so proud!) They sip tea, with "lots of cream and sugar so it tastes better." When Sam gets tired of the game, he brushes his arm across the table and sends all the dishes flying. Sydney then gets very "fusterated," and a game of cat and mouse ensues...

Elf Dance

2008-12-18T21:44:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Christmas Cookies

2008-12-15T16:22:00.001-08:00

Sydney has really been wanting to make sugar cookies. So, today was the day...the day that we made sugar cookies...the day that made me say, "What was I thinking?"We rolled out the dough.Sam found that it was much more exciting to just poke holes in the dough with the end of his rolling pin.We used cookie cutters to cut out shapes... Sam used the cookie cutters to chop his dough into tiny bits and then used his arm to sweep them off the table and onto the floor...Taco cleaned it all up!They were fun to look through...and fun to chew on, too!Sydney was very serious about her job as cookie baker and was very possessive of her rolling pin.As the last pan of cookies went into the oven, Sydney dusted the flour off of her hands and asked what we needed to do next.Sam was in the play room, taking a break.Time to decorate! Please note that they each frosted one cookie and then I took over the frosting duties. They were licking the knife, their fingers, the cookies...it was just one big germ fest. Sam would put his hand down for Taco to lick and then go back to cookie decorating. I broke into fits of laughter several times throughout this process...it was just sooooo gross!Sydney deemed herself "sprinkle girl" and put sprinkles on every cookie. She made sure that there were enough sprinkles to cover all the frosting (and the table).Sam took bites out of several cookies...licked the frosting off others...then put them back on the plate. Cookie, anyone? If you look closely, you will see the disaster that was our table.
Sydney just finished telling me that she wasn't eating any cookies...she wasn't sure how all that frosting got on her face...or how that partial cookie got into her hand...Sam must have done it.

***BELOW ARE SOME VIDEOS OF OUR LITTLE COOKIE ADVENTURE...
I have video of them licking the knife, the sprinkle container, etc...but I figured just hearing about it was enough to gross some of you out...Enjoy!

I threw them both into the bathtub after this little project! It took me about an hour to get the mess cleaned up. But, we sure did have fun!

Christmas Tree Hunting, sort of...

2008-12-11T21:02:00.000-08:00

Some friends invited us to go Christmas tree hunting with them last week. We are "fake" tree people and just take ours out of the box each year, complete with lights. But, we thought it would be fun to take the kids to the mountains. We are so glad that we went! We all had a blast! In fact, we had so much fun that we talked about actually getting a real tree next year. The kids really enjoyed walking through the woods, climbing over logs and getting really dirty. Thanks Tim and Casey for inviting us!The group.
Us.

Syd and Sam, yelling "applesauce!"

I was trying to get Sam to look at the camera, so I asked him where the camera was...he showed me!

Sam hanging out on a log.

Syd eating a big turkey sandwich.

Sydney posing...Sam not cooperating.

Audrey and Sydney drinking hot chocolate.

Better late than never...

2008-12-11T20:55:00.000-08:00

Ok, it's 11 days into the month of December and I am finally posting a couple of pictures from Thanksgiving. It has been really busy around here...but, when isn't it? We had Thanksgiving at our house this year. Everything turned out very well and we had a fun time. The kids all piled on the couch with Grandpa Larry at the end of the evening. There are about twenty different shots, but only these two turned out very well. There was always a kid making a goofy face, picking a nose, etc.

Conversations with Syd and Sam

2008-11-24T11:02:00.001-08:00

It had been quiet for far too long, which indicated that my "little stinkers" were up to something. There was no giggling, no fighting, no noise of any kind... I walked through the house and found them back in my bedroom. They were sitting on the bed, with every book from my nightstand around them. The jackets were taken off all the hard bound books and thrown onto the floor. Sydney was looking intently at the book in her lap and Sam was stacking them up like blocks. The following conversation then took place...I typed it exactly like they said it.

Mom: "What are you guys doing?"
Sam: "I dunno..."
Syd: "I'm reading your Bibles. I am finding all the "s"es. (Sydney is obsessed with finding every "s" she can...she even watches the ending credits of a movie and watches for them on the screen.)
Mom: "You guys know you're not supposed to play with Mommy's books. Please put them away now."
Sam: "No, Mommy...I weeding you ible."
Syd: "Yeah, I'm gonna read Sam a story from your Bible, ok? In the beginning, God creation the heavens and the earf... Jesus is the Christ, he is God's son...Bless are those who hear the word of God and keep it! See Mommy...I told you I could read!" (with a big grin on her face)
Sam: (while clapping) "Yay Nyney!" He then bowed his head and said, "Me pay. Thank you Gob food. Amen."

I have to say the kid's won this one! Sydney was reciting Bible verses she memorized for Gophers (a preschool Bible class she goes to on Wednesday nights) and Sam was "paying." I don't actually keep our Bibles on the night stand since the kids can rip the pages so easily, so they were just pretending that they were Bibles. The funniest part of the story: Sydney was "reading" from the Dr. Oz book, "You: On a Diet" and it was upside down...

Needless to say, they didn't get in trouble this time. We just picked all the books up together and went to find a "real" Bible.

Sydney's First School Picture

2008-11-20T16:40:00.000-08:00

We just got Sydney's very first preschool pictures back. I didn't know what to expect, so I didn't order very many...I'll be filling out that reorder form soon! The original picture looks nicer than the computer scanned version, but you get the idea...

Good movie

2008-11-20T07:26:00.001-08:00

John and I borrowed a movie from my aunt a couple weeks ago. We finally watched it the other day and it was really good! It was called "August Rush." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5ab6RtA-KE

Chili Recipe

2008-11-13T15:47:00.000-08:00

I tried a new chili recipe last night. It turned out really good! I just threw everything in the crock pot and let it cook all day. It was a little too soupy, so I added an extra can of black and an extra can of kidney beans and liked it even better. I made cornbread muffins to go along with it.

Click on this link for the recipe: http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=50504

Veteran's Day

2008-11-11T16:33:00.000-08:00

I took the kids to the Veteran's Day Parade in Marysville today. They really enjoyed it! My friend Lisa and her boys, Austin and Hunter joined us. Grandma Billie, Aunt Michele and cousins Maycie and Roah also met us there.

Syd was really excited to see the horses. Austin and Hunter

Sam wasn't sure what to think about all those loud sirens!

Sydney, waving to the people on the floats.

The cousins...

Check out the goggles on that little dog!

A group of Beale Air Force guys ran up and took a picture with us and a few other people sitting near us. The kids really thought that was neat!

It's been one year...

2008-11-10T08:04:00.001-08:00

I started this blog in November of last year. Can you believe it has been a year already? There are 76 blog entries! It has been such a fun way to share what's been going on with our family! We'll have to try and beat last year's total and make even more blog entries this year!

Disco!

2008-11-07T17:14:00.000-08:00

We attended a 1970's disco surprise party for our friend Leah's 30th birthday. Most people dressed in disco clothing and had a great time laughing at eachother!John and I won the "Grooviest Guy" and "Grooviest Girl" costume contest.Here's the birthday girl and her hubby, Geoff, sporting 'fro's.

We had lots of fun playing Twister. Not to brag or anything...

but, I was the Twister champion. :-)

Those in costume posed for a group photo.Charlie's Angels...

Disney on Ice

2008-11-07T17:05:00.000-08:00

My mom, Sydney and I went to "Disney on Ice: 100 Years of Magic" on November 1st. We went out to breakfast and then to the 11am show. We lucked out this year and got tickets just five rows up from the ice. Sydney was soooooo.... excited!She got a snow cone and popcorn and was good to go!

Tinker Bell and Peter Pan

2008-11-07T16:17:00.000-08:00

Syd and Sam were Tinker Bell and Peter Pan this year. Sydney's wings kept drooping and Sam kept throwing his hat on the ground, but they were really cute in their costumes, with or without the extras! Sydney kept asking me why she couldn't fly since she had wings on her back...First, we visited Mimi and Grandpa Larry.

Then, we went to visit Uncle Roah, Aunt Michele, Roah and Maycie. Roah was an alien and Maycie was Abby Cadabby. Sam couldn't stop staring at Roah!
Finally, we ended up at Grandma Billie and Grandpa Frank's house for dinner and trick or treating. Aunt Bobbie, Great Grandma Mabel, Uncle Frankie, Aunt Laura and cousin Frank were all there, too! Frank was Spider Man.

Who needs candy when you can have CAKE (and ice cream)!

We're back!

2008-11-07T16:16:00.001-08:00

Hi - we have had no phone or internet for the past few days, but the "cable guy" came out and took care of the problem today. Halloween costume pictures will be up soon!

Pumpkin Carving

2008-11-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

We all had a great time carving pumpkins. This year Sam was able to help out a little more, mostly by making more mess, but he loved every minute of it! The kids had fun scooping out all the pumpkin goop!

Between the pumpkin farm and Aunt Bobbie's garden, we had five pumpkins this year.This one is my favorite. I traced each kid's hand and carved it out. Sydney's hand is on the left and Sam's is on the right. There isn't that much difference in size anymore!

Party Time!

2008-11-03T08:04:00.000-08:00

Sydney's preschool had a Halloween party on Thursday. Sam got to come, too, which just made his day. He had such a great time at "Nyney's cool" (aka Sydney's school).Sydney played dress up and then helped Sam give his baby a bath (in the washing machine!).They got to go trick-or-treating all around the school, both outside and inside.They helped make pumpkin muffins. They played games.They had their faces painted.

They made crafts.

They played with play-dough.

They had a musical parade all around the backyard. I bet the neighbors were wondering...

They played and played...

It will be very interesting to see how Sam behaves when we drop Sydney off at school on Tuesday and he has to leave with me! He had so much fun...at the end of the day, he asked me, "Sam go Nyney cool too Mama?" I told him not until he turns three...he just gave me a look like "we'll see about that!"

Parents Night

2008-10-31T08:10:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was Parents Night at Sydney's dance school. Usually, parents are not allowed in the classroom and instead, sit in the lobby and watch the class on a video screen. But, this time, we got to sit in her ballet class and watch. We were really impressed! The teacher would direct the students in French and they all understood. This explains why lately, when I ask Syd a question, she sometimes answers, "Oui."

Bishop's Pumpkin Farm (Trip #2)

2008-10-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

Four days after our first trip to the pumpkin farm, we went again with Grandma Billie. We went on a Monday morning, so there were very few school groups and we pretty much had the place to ourselves. The kids wanted to go on the train ride first, of course. Then we headed off to the petting zoo...this is the goat that wouldn't stop bugging Sydney.They were both really excited that they got to brush the goats.Look! Three "kids" in the barn!A trip to Bishop's just isn't complete without watching the chicken show and pig races. Sydney had fun playing in a wooden train...

And in the school bus!

Bishop's Pumpkin Farm (Trip #1)

2008-10-23T09:43:00.001-07:00

Sydney had her first school field trip last week. Sydney was so excited to go to Bishop's Pumpkin Farm with all of her "Jack and Jill Preschool friends and their mommies."First, we went on a train ride. Both kids loved it!Sydney got to pick out her first pumpkin. The past few years, we've skipped the hay ride out to the pumpkin patch and just bought pumpkins at the store...I remembered why, as I was holding Sam, the diaper bag, two dirty pumpkins and holding Sydney's hand...and then had to walk across the pumpkin patch (trying not to trip over any vines) making my way back to the wagon! :0)Sydney pulled Sam onto her lap on the way back to the farm. Her reason: "I don't want my little brutter to fall out and bump his noggin."Sam enjoyed playing on the tractors.The kids loved the chicken show and pig races. Sydney sat by her good friend, Lauren.The kids all had a snack and some fresh apple cider before heading off to the petting zoo. Sydney wasn't sure what to think about the goats that were tall enough to look her right in the eye. Sam ran straight for the barn and poked his head out, playing peek-a-boo with the animals.

I took this while on the other side of the chicken coop. Sam was yelling "Cocka-doo-doo" to the chickens. (Note that he stepped in his fair share of cockadoodoo, too!)

Our Pumpkin

2008-10-22T12:21:00.001-07:00

John's office had a "non-carving" pumpkin decorating contest. I searched the internet for a creative idea and decided to try this one...using pieces cut out of magazines to make a face. I found eyes, a nose, mouth, ears, eyebrows, hair and even a hair clip. To finish it off, I used a pair of Sydney's Dora stick-on earrings. The project took far longer than I had planned, but was very fun! There were lots of very creative entries. No word yet on who won the contest...

Sam and Daddy

2008-10-22T09:13:00.001-07:00

I took this picture of Sam the other day at the pumpkin patch (more pictures to follow). There was something about this picture that reminded me of John's baby pictures. So, I went digging through his old album and found some pictures of John at around 18 months old. I couldn't find any at age two, but close enough... There is no doubt that Sam takes after John. John even had curly hair!

Squeaky clean!

2008-10-07T13:58:00.000-07:00

After painting all morning, it was time for a bath. They turned the water a very strange color, with all that paint on their skin and hair. Aren't they the cutest little frog and hippo?

They had fun with the mirror...making faces, jumping around, kissing, etc. It was really cute.

Fun with Paint!

2008-10-07T13:26:00.000-07:00

The kids were very excited when I told them that we were going outside to paint. But, after they got their aprons on and actually got to touch paint, they could barely contain themselves!

Sam got purple paint all over his face and up his nose. This led to a discussion about NOT picking your nose! There's still a hint of purple each time I wipe his nose...Sydney painted her hand and made handprints all over the paper. Then, she decided that Sam needed to make footprints... Then, Sam decided that he needed to wash his feet...in the rinse water for the painbrushes! Of course, he tipped the bowl of hideously colored water all over himself. We were done painting soon after...

Pillow Fight!

2008-10-07T13:16:00.000-07:00

I was in the kitchen, cleaning up after dinner, when I heard a whole lot of commotion. I went to investigate and found pillows from the couches in the playroom flying through the air!
Sam got knocked down and needed some love.

Fun in the Play Room

2008-10-01T15:02:00.000-07:00

The kids and I were hanging out in the play room the other day. Sydney got this look on her face all of a sudden...like a light bulb should have appeared over her head... She said, "Mommy, let's make videos with the camera. I'll sing for you and you can put it on the computer!" I took several videos, but for some reason only the one below will upload correctly. You'll notice that she's out of breath throughout most of the song...she sang about six or seven other songs before this one, all while running and jumping around the room!

Something blue...

2008-09-19T14:06:00.001-07:00

Sam went to the doctor today. He has been complaining that his right ear hurts and has been poking his finger inside. So, the doctor took a look inside. She pulled back, with a puzzled look on her face and then looked inside again. She said, "All I see is blue..." She asked me about anything blue he had eaten or touched...but, I couldn't think of anything. Then, she had me take a look with her instrument. I quickly recognized the pattern of the blue object inside Sam's ear as a bead to the bracelet that Sam broke the other day. Sydney was wearing it around the house and Sam decided that he wanted it. When he tried to pull it off of Syd's wrist, it broke and beads flew everywhere. Apparently, Sam decided that he'd save the bead to play with later, huh?

The doctor layed Sam down on a table and shone a very bright light onto his ear. It took three of us to hold him down, while the doctor tried to get the bead out with forceps. The bead was slippery and completely round, so was very difficult to grasp. The doctor was about to give up and send us to an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist to extract the bead. But, she tried one last time, with a different instrument and was able to pop the bead out. I threw the bead away and told Sam not to put things in his ear again. He said, "Ok, Mommy, no put ear." Sydney's response to all this..."Hey, where did my bead go? I want it back! Do you have any more in there?"

Never a dull moment...

Fort Bragg

2008-09-16T15:47:00.000-07:00

We went to Fort Bragg and had a great time! Uncle Roah, Aunt Michele and cousins Maycie and Roah came, too! The cousins had lots of fun playing together.

We went to Ten Mile Beach. The sand was perfect for making a sand castle. We all worked on the castle together. Actually, it was more like a mountain with a moat around it... Young Roah even built a bridge across the moat.

Sam got buried in sand up to his waist by Daddy, Maycie and Sydney.This is what Sam looked like by the end of our time at the beach. This picture only shows his face...notice that there is a fine dusting of sand everywhere! Well, the rest of his body looked exactly the same...and I mean every part of his body! It took lots of soap and an outdoor shower to get it off and even then, we kept finding it in strange places for the next few days. Maycie, Sam and Sydney watched Dora the Explorer on Daddy's laptop one morning. Notice that Sam has his hand on Maycie's knee...I thought that was so cute. Daddy and Sam, standing on the bluff, looking out at the "o-hen" (aka ocean).Sydney had lots of fun exploring everywhere. She especially loved any pile of dirt or interesting rock she could find. Notice that her upper lip looks a little funny...this was actually two days after she took the phrase, "hit the deck" to a whole new level. Michele and I went to the grocery store on Friday and when we came back, Sydney had a very fat lip, skin missing and dried blood on her face and clothes. No one actually saw what happened, but it had something to do with a skateboard and Syd landing on the deck, face first...Sam had lots of fun throwing rocks into the ocean...well ok, towards the ocean.You may have noticed that there are more pictures of Sam than Sydney on this post. Well, that's because every time she saw the camera pointed at her, she did this...it looks a little more like a grimace than a smile, but at least she tries!

Updates...

2008-09-12T14:02:00.001-07:00

Things have been a little crazy lately. There are several things I will blog about as soon as I get a chance to upload all the pictures from the camera to the computer, edit them and choose which ones to post. But, here is a list of things that have occurred since my last post:

*Sam pooped in the potty (maybe a little too much information, but hey, that's big news around here!) Don't worry...I didn't take any pictures! :o)

*We went to Fort Bragg for four days and had a great time! I think the kids still have a little sand in their ears...

*Sydney took her first ballet lesson. She absolutely loved it! The dance studio has a very Christian atmosphere. There are Bible verses painted on the walls and the kids pray at the end of class.

*Sydney counted to 30. Way to go, Sydney!

*Sam counted to 10. Way to go, Sam!

*Funniest Syd and Sam conversation this week: While playing, Sydney said to Sam, "You go, girl!" Sam's reply: "Me boy Nyney!" Sydney: "Ok, you go, boy!" All she meant was for him to go away from where she was playing, but it was so funny to hear that phrase come out of her mouth!

*I joined Baby Boot Camp a couple weeks ago. It is a fitness program that incorporates pushing your kids in a stroller. It's an hour of walking, jogging, toning and resistance training. Oh yeah, and the last ten minutes or so of class is dedicated to making your abs and glutes burn like they have never burned before!

*Mommy has been sick and miserable for the past four days. The kids DO NOT care...they still expect the same level of attention and enthusiasm that they normally get.

Feet!

2008-09-03T13:20:00.001-07:00

"Small feet...big feet...here come pig feet. His feet...her feet...fuzzy fur feet. In the house and on the street, how many different feet you meet!" (from "The Foot Book," by Dr. Seuss)Sydney wears a size 10 shoe.

Guess, what? Her mommy does, too!

Our shoes come from different aisles

and we sure wear different styles.

Sydney loves her toenails to be hot pink

and says that her feet never stink!

She convinced Mommy to paint her toes pink, too

It sure was fun globbing on that pink goo!

So, here are some pictures of Sydney and Mommy's feet

with some of the hottest pink toenails you ever did meet.

Sydney's feet look so much like mine. We even have the same bent toe. You'll notice that a third foot appeared...Sam couldn't miss out on the "foot pisher" (aka foot picture). Sam likes to have his toenails painted, too...I just paint them clear.

Conversations with Sydney

2008-08-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

Sydney was helping me apply lotion to her body after a bath. She always likes to rub lotion on her tummy. As she was rubbing her tummy she said, "Mommy, when my gets bigger I'm gonna have a baby in my tummy, just like I was in your tummy." I told her she has to grow up, finish college and get married first. Sydney replied, "I'm gonna marry Audrey." I told her she needs to marry a boy, not a girl. She replied, "Ok, then I'll marry Frankie." I told her that she couldn't marry her cousin either. Finally, she said, "Ok, then I'll marry my friend Austin." I told her that would be ok. Then, she said, "Mommy, when I have a baby, I'll be the mommy and you'll be the gramma and Daddy will be the grampa and my husband will be the daddy and I'll be the wife." She said that last sentence with a big, beaming smile, like she had everything all figured out. Watch out Austin! Sydney has plans for you!

Sam's 2 year checkup

2008-08-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

Sam saw the doctor yesterday. He's doing very well.

Weight: 31 pounds
Height: 35 inches

Just a little side note: Sydney was also 35 inches at her 2 yr checkup, but weighed 35 pounds. She has pretty much stayed at about one pound per inch. Right now she is 40 inches and 40 pounds.

San Francisco

2008-08-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

We dropped the kids off with Grandma and Grandpa early Sunday morning and headed to San Francisco. We went to a SF Giants game that afternoon. It was the first time that we'd been to AT&T Park and my first time at a professional baseball game. We had a lot of fun!Later that day, we went to Fisherman's Wharf and then on a sunset cruise of the bay. It was windy and cold, but the wind kept the fog away, so we were able to get a really nice view. On Monday, we drove around San Francisco, visiting Coit Tower and having breakfast in Ghirardelli Square, followed by a drive down the windy Lombard Street and a drive through Golden Gate Park. Then, we went to Point Bonita, where John proposed to me six years ago (on my 25th birthday). It was fun, remembering how he proposed, my response and talking about all the feelings/emotions we were having the last time we stood at that spot. I sure am glad that I said, "YES!" John is a wonderful husband!

Sam's Birthday Party

2008-08-27T07:41:00.001-07:00

We had Sam's 2nd birthday party on Saturday, with a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme. Audrey and Sydney in their matching Tinkerbell dresses and mouse ears.Sam figured out the present opening thing very quickly!Sam decided that it would be really fun to eat his cake like a doggie. He incorporated his hands later, but started off with just his mouth/face.Pinata time! Below is a video of Sam eating his cake. I've watched it several times because it is so cute! I missed most of the eating cake "like a doggie" by the time I thought to record it, but you still get the idea.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAM!

2008-08-20T20:55:00.000-07:00

Our friend Lisa and her two boys, Austin and Hunter joined us on a trip to Fairytale Town and The Sacramento Zoo. We started at Fairytale Town, where the kids played on lots of equipment, saw lots of animals and had an absolutely wonderful time!

After lunch, we went across the street to The Zoo. Sam got to see his favorite animals - giraffes and turtles (or tortoises in this case). He calls them "jaffs" and "tuttles."

We went to the gift shop after we'd seen all the animals. Sydney and Sam got to pick out a toy for Sam's birthday (and for being good during our outing). Sydney picked a big, long stuffed snake. Sam picked...yep, you guessed it...a giraffe and a turtle. He already has stuffed giraffes and turtles, but there was no changing his mind. Sydney kept kissing her snake and commenting on how pretty it was...yes, that's my girl...anything to do with dirt, bugs and/or reptiles. Sam kept showing me his new animals and then he would make them "kiss" by putting their faces together and making kissing noises.

Daddy brought home pizza for dinner, which is one of Sam's favorite foods.
After dinner, Sam got to open his birthday present from Mommy, Daddy and Sydney.A Sesame Street flip open sofa! He was so excited...he plopped his little bottom right down on the sofa, a big grin plastered on his face. Then he looked over at Sydney and patted the spot next to him, asking her to join him. It was very cute.Then, he folded out the sofa to make a bed. He didn't stay down long...he had too much fun switching it from a sofa into a bed and back again! Next, we sang "Happy Birthday" to Sam and he (with Daddy's help) blew out his candle. Sam didn't want a fork...he decided to eat caveman style!

Happy Birthday Sam! We love you so much! You are such a sweet little boy!

One day old.

One year old.

Happy Birthday to My Wonderful Husband!

2008-08-17T21:54:00.000-07:00

John turned 41 years old today. We had family over to celebrate.We took this picture of ourselves...just being cheezy!John blew out all of the candles with a single breath. I made the ice cream cake...not too bad for my first try.Sam, the little wild man.

Ewww! Gross!

2008-08-12T12:23:00.001-07:00

The following occurred on the way to drop Sydney off at preschool this morning:

Syd: Mommy, I have a booger on my finger! (waving her finger back and forth)
Mom: Ok, hold on and I'll get you a Kleenex (as I frantically search behind my seat for the box)
Syd: That's ok Mommy...I already ate it!
Mom: Oh, Sydney that is really gross! (holding back my gag reflex)
Syd: It tasted just like a mushroom!

Note: This led to quite a discussion on why we DO NOT eat boogers!

The Nevada County Fair

2008-08-11T08:21:00.001-07:00

We went to the Nevada County Fair yesterday. Uncle Roah, Aunt Michele and cousins Maycie and Roah came, too. We had lots of fun, but sure needed a bath afterwards! Lots and lots of fine red dirt!Sam put on his hat and sunglasses and was ready to go!The merry go round...Sydney's favorite ride! Sydney wanted to ride the "princess" horse and Sam wanted the "Zeeba."The kids loved watching the miniature dog races. Afterwards, there was a 20 minute playtime with the cute little dogs. Sydney and Maycie really liked the poodle. Sam would sit down on the grass and wait for dogs to come to him. But, once they did, he usually got (playfully) attacked!

The Yuba-Sutter Fair

2008-08-05T14:37:00.000-07:00

We went to the Yuba-Sutter Fair on Friday, which was Kids' Day. We met Aunt Bobbie and Cousin Frank there, too. The kids had a blast on all the rides! We had only planned on staying for two hours, but ended up staying for four!

They had a large area filled with things for kids to do. Of course, Sydney and Sam went straight for the dirt, sat down in it and stayed there. Good thing, too, since a reporter for the Appeal-Democrat happened to be standing nearby, took their picture and asked for their information. And guess who was on the front page of the newspaper Saturday morning...Sydney and Sam, playing in the sand!

Sydney insisted on holding Frankie's hand whenever we were walking. Her reason: "My don't want you to get losed."

The Weekend

2008-07-28T14:09:00.000-07:00

We got the kids some Superman/Supergirl capes at Discovery Kingdom. They love to run around the house and make the capes fly behind them.Notice that Supergirl has pink high heels on to match her cape.Superman chased and chased and eventually caught Supergirl! Sydney likes to use pretzel sticks to make herself kitty cat whiskers. Mommy taught her how to use them to look like a walrus, too...they just kept falling out before I could snap the picture!
Sam had three full length pretzel sticks in his mouth and when I asked him to take them out, he just leaned his head, smiled and pretended that they weren't there.
Cousins Maycie and Roah came over last night. The kids had a great time together. They all squeezed into the sandbox and only dumped a few pounds of sand on eachother's head.

Overheard...

2008-07-24T11:08:00.000-07:00

THE CASTLE GAME

Syd: "Ok Sam, let's play the castle game!"
Sam: "Ok Nyney."
Syd: "I'll be the queen and you can be my knight in shining armor. Ok, buddy?"
Sam: "Ok Nyney."
Syd: "No, Sam! You call me 'Your Highness,' not Sydney! I'm the queen!"
Sam: "No Nyney!"
Syd: "Now you're in trouble! You're not my knight anymore...now you're the mean witch!"
Sam: "Mmmooommmyyy! Nyney no nice!"
Syd: "Yes my am! He just has to do what my say and then my am a beautiful princess...no, wait...my am a beautiful queen. Right, buddy?"
Sam: "Ugh!" (while he pushes that beautiful queen right down onto her bottom! He then proceeds to run as fast as he can, laughing all the way!)
Syd: "My think he needs to be turned into a frog."

GAME OVER

Discovery Kingdom

2008-07-17T08:12:00.000-07:00

We went to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (formerly Marine World) yesterday. This was the kids' first trip to an amusement park and we weren't sure how it would go. But after yesterday's experience, we are already talking about going back in a couple months. They had so much fun! We arrived at the park around 10:15am and didn't leave until about 5:30pm. Syd's only nap was the ten minute walk to the car and Sam slept for about one hour in the middle of the day. They were having so much fun with all the things to do that they never really got the chance to get cranky.

Sydney went on lots of rides, including her all time favorite merry go round. Sam went on some rides, too...he just had to be with one of us since he didn't meet the height requirements. The kids liked Butterfly Garden, but they weren't quite sure if they liked all those "bugs" flying around.Sam cannot sit still. In a 15 minute show, he might actually sit on the bleachers for five minutes. He crawled all over the place and usually ended up sitting where your feet are supposed to go. Note: this confirmed our suspicion that Sam is not ready to go to the movies yet!Sam took a nap during the Looney Tunes Show.Sam woke up and was ready for more rides!Sydney took Daddy and Sam for a safari ride.

The final show of our day was the Killer Whale. Sam liked the big "ish."

Happy Birthday Anne and Michele

2008-07-15T14:44:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Anne and Michele's birthday on Saturday night. We went out for dinner and then came back to our house to continue the festivities. It was complete with cake, gifts...a pillow fight...a wrestling match... and the messiest cupcake eating face you ever did see!

Peek A Boo...

2008-07-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

I See You!

Our Little Ballerina to Be...

2008-07-11T16:40:00.000-07:00

Sydney has been telling us for quite some time that, "My want to go to ballerina lessons so my can be a ballerina." We agreed to sign her up for lessons through YC Parks and Rec in the fall. But, in the meantime, I bought her a tutu and she already had little ballet slippers. So, she prances all around the house, practicing.

Sam is her biggest fan!

The "Tickle Monster" Strikes Again!

2008-07-11T16:32:00.000-07:00

Sydney was being attacked by the Tickle Monster. Sam was trying to save her by "tic tic" ing the Monster.

Happy Fourth of July! (The Finale)

2008-07-05T16:16:00.000-07:00

We topped off our fun-filled day with a gathering at the Warta home. They have a beautiful backyard and the weather was perfect. We all had such a great time! The kids played and played and we had a chance to visit with everyone. We ate until we were ready to pop and then ate a little more. Sydney and Sam got to try sparklers for the first time. Sam got to try one, but after his attempts to put out the flame with his hand and then trying to chase down the sparks flying off of the other kids' sparklers, he was strapped into a booster seat and given a popsicle, where he could safely watch. They really enjoyed the fireworks...they even clapped and cheered. We got home late and everyone fell into bed exhausted from all the day's activities. But, boy did we have fun!!!

Happy Fourth of July! (Part 2)

2008-07-05T16:04:00.001-07:00

After the parade, we headed to Ellis Lake to see Grandma Billie (my mom). She was working at the Cardboard Boat Races. We hung out for a while and watched kids build their boats. We weren't able to stay for the races because they interfered too much with nap time. But, that's OK...our trip to the lake held two of the kids' favorite things...lots of dirt and lots of ducks. Sam wanted to go right into the water to see the "Quack Quacks." He got pretty mad when I wouldn't let him get closer, so he sat down on the cement to watch the ducks get fed and would inch forward on his bottom every so often, peeking over his shoulder to see if I had noticed...that little stinker! Sydney pretty much stayed in a big pile of sand/dirt for most of the time...that little girl is definitely not afraid to get dirty.

Happy Fourth of July! (Part 1)

2008-07-05T15:40:00.000-07:00

We started off the day by joining in the Fourth of July Children's Parade. We spent quite a while decorating the wagon for the kids to ride in. However, it was quite breezy and the flags kept hitting Sam...so he took matters into his own hands and tore them off! John and I wore some silly, but festive felt hats. You will notice that not one picture of me in one of those hats appears on this blog! But, notice the picture of Sam wearing my hat and pointing his finger like Uncle Sam...I thought that was really funny!

Two Little Monkeys...

2008-06-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

At some point of almost every day, the kids jump on Sydney's bed while she sings "Five Little Monkeys" at the top of her lungs. I'm usually close by, yelling "Be careful!" Their response is usually ignoring me or saying "Ok, Mommy" while they smack into eachother, the wall or both! On the night that I took these particular pictures, they were ready for bed, just finishing their nightly snack of Cheerios and milk when Sam ran into Syd's room, threw himself onto her bed and started jumping as fast and as high as he could, while yelling, "Dyney! Wa are you?" And so the fun began... When they were hot and tired and sweaty, they plopped down onto Sydney's pillow and finished their snack.

Making Rainbows

2008-06-27T10:36:00.000-07:00

Sydney was watching the Baby First Channel last week and they were showing how to make rainbows out of cereal. She bugged me for days about buying Froot Loops so we could "make the rainbow project togetter." So, here's how you do it...

FRUIT RAINBOWS

What you need: Froot Loops (or generic equivalent), flour and water, cotton balls, Q-tips, construction paper (large size), markers, lots of paper towels and/or wipes to clean up messes and hands

Directions: Use markers to draw a large rainbow on a piece of contruction paper. Separate cereal by color. Mix flour and water together to make paste the consistency of thin oatmeal. Use Q-tips like a paintbrush to apply paste to the color/line of the rainbow that you are working on. Place cereal one at a time on the paste, patting lightly to keep in place. After all the colors are finished, place paste at the end of each side of the rainbow and in a few places in the "sky." Apply cotton balls, pulled slightly apart onto the paste to make clouds.

Note: The paste makes the paper wet, so to prevent the paper from pasting itself to the table, I put some wax paper under the project while it dried.

Above: Sydney pulling cereal apart. I bought generic cereal and later wished that I had just spent the extra money on real Froot Loops. Most of the cereal was stuck in large clumps and we had to try to break them apart without crushing the circles. It added quite a bit of time to the project.

Below: Sydney would sneak cereal into her mouth every so often. She thought she was being so sneaky! This was the first time she had tried this type of cereal and she asked if she could have "Froot Woops" now instead of Cheerios. I told her, "No way!"

Mommy, take my "pitcher!"

2008-06-27T10:25:00.000-07:00

Sydney loves to have her picture taken. She will put on a hat or necklace, or will do something that she thinks is picture-worthy and yells, "Mmmmmooooooommmmyyyy! Come take my 'pitcher'!" Her latest photo shoot included her Sacramento Zoo hat. I took about 30 pictures, but when I quit she cried and said that she wasn't done looking pretty yet. Silly girl!

Daddy and the Kids

2008-06-23T17:09:00.000-07:00

I finally had Daddy and both kids all together in one spot the other night, so I tried to get a nice picture of the three of them. Of course, getting all three of them to look at me at the same time was impossible! Sydney couldn't move very much because she was getting her nightly breathing treatment, but Sam was crawling all over the place, trying to get a wrestling match started.

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-16T16:00:00.000-07:00

Father's Day came and went and I never did get that perfect picture of John and the kids to post on the blog...the kids were sleeping, one of them was crying, it was nap time, it was time to go, "oh no! I forgot the camera..." Just another typical busy day. Daddy didn't get to relax very much and didn't get pampered very much either. But, his response to my apology at the end of the day... talking about how much love he gets from us every day and that he doesn't need a holiday to make him feel special. The kids and I are so blessed to have such a wonderful, understanding, hard-working, loving father/husband.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-06-09T07:43:00.000-07:00

I turned 31 on Saturday, but Saturday wasn't the only day we celebrated. It was a four day event! On Thursday, we went to dinner and then to The Phantom of the Opera at Broadway Sacramento. On Friday, I got a manicure, we got an ice cream cone and then went to see Indiana Jones. On Saturday, we went to the Sacramento Zoo, I got a massage, we went to dinner and a few minutes after we got back, friends surprised me and we had yummy ice cream cake...that sneaky John had it all planned! On Sunday, we went to my parents' house for Mexican food and chocolate cake. I'd have to say that this was a really nice birthday...I feel really spoiled! Thanks everyone!

We took a train ride (in the caboose) at the zoo!

Swimming Lessons

2008-06-05T15:38:00.001-07:00

The kids just finished their first week of swimming lessons; they have one more week to go. Sam and I are in the Parent and Me class and Sydney is in Level 1. This is Sydney's first year taking lessons without me in the water with her. She is doing great and absolutely loves it! She wants to put her swimsuit on two hours before we leave! Oh, did I mention that the lessons are at 9am and it has been freezing?!Sydney before we left for the first day of lessons. When lessons are over, they both get snuggled up in their towel.

Fun at Caper Acres

2008-05-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

We went to Caper Acres park in Chico on Saturday. It was a cool, windy, drizzly day, but that didn't stop us from having a great time! There were underground tunnels, slides, swings, a sand box, a castle and lots of other things to climb on and through. It didn't take the kids long to pass out in the car when the fun was over!

Jewelry and Tractors

2008-05-23T06:50:00.000-07:00

Sam and I went to Target after we dropped Sydney off at preschool yesterday. I found some fun stuff in the dollar section. Sydney got Dora jewelry - stick on earrings, a bracelet, a necklace and rings. She was so excited and was prancing around the house like a princess and looking at herself in the mirror. Sam picked out a tractor and a plastic pig that grunts. They were having lots of fun with their new stuff when Sam came up to Sydney and decided that he wanted her bracelet. He pulled on it so hard that it broke and little pink beads flew all over the room. He ended up with the Dora charm in his hand, which he victoriously held up in the air, shouting, "DORA!" About 10 minutes later, when Sydney finally stopped crying, she agreed to forgive her brother and then quickly asked if we could go shopping for a new bracelet that wouldn't break.

Overheard...

2008-05-20T17:00:00.001-07:00

Sydney and Sam were playing in the play room earlier today while I was working in the kitchen. Sydney tends to get rather bossy with her little brother, probably because he is the only person she has found that will do everything she says... Today was no exception! Here is the conversation I heard between the two of them...

Syd: "Sit, Sam, sit!"
Sam: "OK Nyney"
Syd: "Good boy! Now lay down! Come on, lay down!"
Sam: "OK Nyney"
Syd: "Good boy! That's my good little buddy. Now give me that toy. Thank you, Sam."
Sam: "Elcoom" (aka welcome)

Right now, Sam thinks this is a fun game...it will be interesting to hear how the conversation changes as he figures things out...

Fun in the Sun!

2008-05-18T17:27:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't noticed...it has been REALLY HOT! It has been between 100-102 degrees the past few days, so the kids have been cooling off by playing in their pool and with a giant beach ball sprinkler. Mommy joins in the fun, too...just to supervise, of course! :-)

The Circus Came to Town!

2008-05-15T15:39:00.001-07:00

We went to Circus Gatti at the Fairgrounds on Tuesday night. The kids had a great time!

We ate lots of popcorn. Sam loved it!

Sydney clapped and cheered throughout the two hours of performances.

Sam got tired of having to stay in one place for so long...so we had to bribe him with a lollipop. It worked! The kids loved the elephants and the horses.

Mother's Day

2008-05-15T15:27:00.000-07:00

We had lots of fun on Mother's Day. We had family from both sides come over for a BBQ. Sydney and Sam really enjoyed playing with cousins Roah and Maycie and seeing lots of relatives.

Silly kids

2008-05-09T07:41:00.000-07:00

Sydney and Sam had a bath, got their pajamas on and had their nightly snack of Cheerios and milk. Last night, they decided that the recliner would be a fun place to enjoy their snack.They hugged...They kissed...Sam started being silly, trying his best to get the chair all to himself... Sam won...

Having fun...

2008-04-28T16:35:00.001-07:00

Sam has taken quite an interest in beads lately. In fact, he found every single strand and put them all around his neck at once! Then, he saw me with the camera and said, "cheeeeeeeese!" which is why his mouth looks so funny!

Sydney decided that she wanted to look just like her daddy today. So, she got one of his hats and wore it all around the house. The only problem is that if she took her hand off of it, it fell down onto her nose and she couldn't see. Her response: "My just need to keep eatin' my dinner so my will grow a bigger head!"

Sydney's "New" Rocking Chair

2008-04-14T21:09:00.000-07:00

My grandparents gave me a rocking chair for Christmas when I was 1 1/2 years old. My Grandpa Bob actually made the chair and he must have done a really good job since it has survived all these years. It was really neat to be able to give the chair to Sydney a couple weeks ago. She was so excited! She sat right down and rocked as hard and fast as she could, all the while saying, "You got me a new rocking chair?...thank you, Mommy, thank you!" I told her that Grandpa Bob had made the chair for me when I was a little girl and showed her where my name was on the chair. She looked at me and said, "It says Jamie, but it is Sydney's chair...Grandpa Bob gave it to me...thank you, Grandpa Bob!" She still doesn't accept that the chair used to be mine...she just shows HER new rocking chair to everyone that comes over.

Upside down and all around!

2008-04-14T21:04:00.000-07:00

One of Syd and Sam's favorite things to do is to go between my legs and then look up at me upside down. They laugh like crazy the whole time. So, I decided to have the camera ready this time...they are so cute, even upside down!

Happy Easter

2008-04-14T16:15:00.000-07:00

Easter was a fun and busy day this year! We started off the day with church and then an Easter egg hunt with cousins Maycie and Roah. Later, lots more family members arrived and we had another Easter egg hunt with cousin Frankie.

Happy 3rd Birthday Sydney!

2008-04-14T15:29:00.001-07:00

Our little girl turned three years old on March 16th. She had a Tinker Bell party, which is all she could talk about for weeks before and for weeks after the party. Sydney sat in her Tinker Bell chair to open presents. She just sat there and waited for us to bring the presents to her. We got her a kitchen for her birthday. It was a hit with all the kids.

This is Sydney trying to hold her leg up like Tinker Bell when she flies around.

Sam ate cake until he was about to pop!

We had a Tinker Bell pinata, too.

First Haircuts

2008-04-14T15:07:00.000-07:00

Sam had his very first haircut on March 13th. (I did trim around his ears once, but that doesn't count.) He was quite squirmy in the chair, but a lollipop helped quite a bit. He wasn't a big fan of the whole experience, but his hair sure did look better when he was done.I trim Sydney's hair once in a while, but she asked, "Mommy, can my get my hair cut at a hair cut store like my friends do?" So, she got her hair cut, too. She sat perfectly still and was very serious. Sydney dressed up for the occasion, insisting on wearing a dress, tights and her black shoes. After her haircut, she twirled around and said, "My a princess now!"

Fun! Fun! Fun!

2008-04-14T14:49:00.000-07:00

We got a swing set and a bounce house the beginning of March. The kids have a blast playing on their new equipment!

Sunglasses!

2008-03-04T10:33:00.000-08:00

Sydney and Sam got new sunglasses. They wear them all the time, even inside the house.

Sam is 18 months old today!

2008-02-20T22:13:00.001-08:00

It's hard to believe that our baby boy is 1 1/2 years old.

Sam loves to play at the park...

and to play at home...
and finally goes to sleep once he's exhausted himself!

Disney on Ice

2008-02-18T13:07:00.000-08:00

We went to see Disney on Ice: Princess Wishes last week. Sydney loved every minute of it! She was dancing and waving and clapping and jumping... Her favorite part of the whole show was having Tinkerbell come out between each performance. Sydney REALLY likes Tinkerbell.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T11:33:00.000-08:00

Every morning, our curly-haired kids wake up with a serious 'fro. Today was no exception! Although, I think Sam wins the 'fro contest today...