A gigantic hat

Sam and her Daddy watched the Good Night Show last night and they showed how to make a gigantic hat. This afternoon they made one. It was suppose to be made out of a brown paper bag but I've been using the reusable grocery bags lately and if I forget them I always get plastic to pick up Barley bombs!

For Better or Worse

I was wrong the todays Sunday strip was the last one...brought tears to my eyes!

Peter Piper Pizza

Kims kids were off yesterday (except the highschooler) so we went to Peter Piper Pizza for there lunch bufett. Its like a Chuck e cheese but with much bettter pizza. The best part is that kids 3 and under are FREE. I just had to buy them drinks. so for $15 dollars we got all we could eat pizza, drinks and tokens! Not bad!! The girls spent a good 20 minutes pretending to drive.

After pizza I took the kids home, cleaned up the car and drove to Yuma with Kim and her kids. Her kids are spending the weekend with their dad in San Diego and Yuma is the half way mark. Kim and I went to Cocopah Indian Casino for and all you can eat Seafood buffett (two buffetts in one day-Kim is starting a hard core diet today in a radio station contest so it was her 'last' meal!) and we played some 'wheel of fortune' slots and black jack! Kim pretty much broke even and I gave the Indians $20. Fun times!

they get in EVERYTHING

they love to play with the cans of food in the pantry! They are getting pretty good at putting them away too!!

For Better or Worse

Today is the last day of one of my favorite comic strips 'For Better or Worse' starting Monday she is starting the whole strip over again back when Michael and Elizabeth were babies! Check out the US News and World Report article there is even a youtube of her telling why she is doing it!

clean room

Jessica & Jack came over this afternoon to play. They ended up staying for dinner, swim and a movie. Jack watch Terminator 3 with Jon downstairs (it was on tv) but Sam couldnt watch anything until her room was clean. She asked Jessica to help and wow they did a great job! so they got to watch the new Ariel (Little Mermaid) movie upstairs.

poop

Considering the girls are 20 months old I find it pretty lucky that we went that long without one of them pooping in the tub. One of them did it today- dont know which one because all of a sudden I looked down and there was a ton of poop in there with both of the girls splashing as happy as can be. (I think it was Syd though) It happened to be a day when they dumped every bath toy that they owned in the tub too...used a lot of bleach solution...now the toys and the tub are the cleanest they've been since we moved in!

Sams room

As you can see Sams room is a mess. She drives me crazy with all the clothes she gets out and tries on then throws on the floor. So yesterday I told we are not turning the tv on until all her clothes are put a way and her books put back on the shelf! So she and her sisters have been playing in there most of the morning making even a bigger mess. It has been quiet in the house without the tv on but I dont know whats worse....the tv or the big mess~

Thats 7 pairs of Sams underwear and 1 swim suit around Syds neck!

Sam sure loves her Courtney

Courtney was sitting so nice playing the piano when Syd came along and pushed her off so she could play! She is such a big bully to her sister sometimes!

damn sink

Courtney and Sydney love the sinks...if I dont keep the bathroom doors shut they figure a way to get up and in them...Courtney is always the fastest one. Sam came running down and yelled "the babies are in the bathroom" and sure enough Courtney is soaking wet sitting in the sink while Syds sink is on and she is trying to figure out how to get up! UGH!!!

Dress up

Sam was a little sad that she wasnt the horse and Courtney was tired of being the horse!

UGH!

My morning...

It started out great. Kim called me at 7:45 am to see if I could meet her and her sister at Starbucks which I did. It was nice to sit and enjoy a cup of Joe without the kids and having a conversation that isnt interupted every 5 minutes! When I got home all the girls were eating scramble eggs and bagels. It was a cool morning so the twins played outside but I wasnt thinking, it rained hard last night so the crab was full of water, Sydney thought that was great fun. Courtney didnt get as wet but they needed to bathe because of all the sand so into the tub they went. The bathroom had a funky stench in it so while they were bathing I was mopping and cleaning. I got them all dressed again and was outside trying to figure out this keypad for our garage door opener. (still havent got that to work!) I came back into the house and here's how I found Courtney and Sydney...

At least I got there before Sydney crawled in...Courtney was the only one that needed changing! They sure love sinks!

Playing at the park

After dinner tonight we headed to the park. It was only 92* out so it wasnt to hot to be outside. A monsoon is coming in this evening and cooled it down a bit. Jon walked the girls down in the wagon while I drove the van in case it started raining while we were there. (it didnt) Barley got to come along this way to. The park is to far for him to walk to. He's getting so old and since we've been here he hasnt really walked at all. I tried one day but the ground was so hot on his paws that he didnt get very far before he jsut stopped!

Syd blowing ya a kiss~

Big Hugs

clean teeth

All the girls were playing upstairs in Sams room, at least thats where I left them. I was downstairs and I heard the water running, never a good sound. I ran upstairs to see what was up. Syd and Court decided it was time to brush teeth. Both of the sinks were on full throttle. Sydneys sink was too hot for her to sit in it while Courtney figured out how to make it nice and warmy! They are also wearing Sams clothes. Sam took off what they wearing and put on her dresses on them. You cant leave them for too long!

Sydney

 
I bought these pjs when we were in WA at this cheap little kids clothing place at the mall. They were like $3 and they fit perfectly the first night but then I washed them! She still is so cute...love the way she is sucking on her bice tonight!

Good Morning COURTNEY!

Sydney always wakes up first usually around 7:15. This morning was no different. Jon got up and played with her. I ended up getting up about a little while later. After I got all ready I went and checked on Courtney. She usually doesnt make any noise when she wakes up, she just lays playing with dollys or books until we open the door for her. I opened the door quietly, I never know if she is awake or not, and she was sitting there alright with her sog monster of her diaper in her hands and about 10 clean shirts thrown over her bed, happy as can be! I picked her up and she was sitting in pee! Good Morning, Courtney!

finger painting!

I broke down today and bought some finger paints. I hadnt wanted to because its such a pain to have to clean everything up but I shouldnt deprive the kids of such a fun activity because of my laziness. Courtney missed out because she napped for a long time but I am sure we will be doing it again very soon. Sam thought it was so much fun and wanted to get it all out again when Court finally did wake up!

swim playgroup

This morning we headed over to a West Valley Playgroup swim party! We all had Tons of fun even though Syd dint look like she had that much fun she really did!!

junk food

The one thing I hate most about Jon going to SF everyother week is the dishes. He leaves at 5 am one day and doesnt return until around 11 pm the next day so thats 6 meals and around 2 to 3 snacks too. Lots of dishes and I have to do them all. Tonight I jsut didnt feel like doing dishes so I packed the kids up and went to del taco for their Thursday night special "3 chicken soft tacos for $2" We got 6 tacos, fries, nachos, 3 drinks and a vanilla shake. Oh so healthy!!

taps

We live a few miles from the Luke Air Base. It's pretty cool to watch the fighter jets fly around all the time. They usually fly in pairs really close together. It's pretty amazing! We are on the south end of the base so it's not as loud as I thought it would be since the planes can be loud but all the landing strip is on the north side of the base so we dont get that much noise. I read the other day in the little community paper that they turned the volume up on there scheduled bugle times. Since I usually wear earplugs I have never heard it but at 7 am this morning I was awaken with 'taps.' They also have a 5pm and 9pm song but it's to noisy around here at that time to hear it.

Ikea

After swim lessons today (sam swam about 10 feet on her back all by herself today) the girls and I made a trip to the Ikea in Tempe. Sam wanted to go in their play place which made it so much easier to get some shopping done since the twins were strapped in to the double stroller. My main goal was a table for art projects and such. I have been looking at Craigslist but havent found much and the ones I do find have already been spoken for. This blue table was only $35 and I think it will be perfect. I did buy two more green chairs ($15) plus I found a few other goodies for the house. When I was all paid for a nice man helped me push my cart out. He said he has three kids himself and thought I looked like I needed some help, his wife pushed there cart to there car. (Sam was still in the play place too) I always think its nice when people help eachother out! After I was done loading the car up we went back in, got Sam and went to the diner. They have the best deals there. Today they gave out a free drink with purchase, I ended up getting 3 kids meals and I had chicken alfredo with garlic bread and a salad and it came to $10. What a bargain. After we ate I told Sam she could get an ice cream cone (frozen yogurt but she thoguht it was ice cream) I got two, one for her and one for me and the twins. We ended up getting rather large cones and it took Sam about 25 minutes to eat the whole damn thing! She wouldnt share it all, I use to be able to lick the drips away for her but she was not going to let me have any of it so she took care of it drips and all! She was in absolute heaven!



Tonight we started and new ritual. Well I am hoping it stays...This house is so dang big that the toys are getting a little out of hand and after a big day of playing there seems to be a toy (and a shoe-all the girls have a shoe fetish) in every corner of the house. So before Sam gets to watch any of her 'Goodnight Show' or get a book read to her she has to have her room clean. She did an excellent job. I did make all the girls clean up the toys in the living room before we headed up for baths and after bath they all helped clean up the loft area. It's amazing how quickly the place can look like a tornado hit to how much a ten minute tidy can clean.

no pictures

It's funny I didnt take out the camera once this weekend so I didnt blog.
Saturday was a lazy day. Jon was still at his bachelor party and I didnt feel like doing much of anything except watch the Olympics. We did go to church. The church we have been going to has a couple Saturday night services that are the same as Sundays service so I thought we'd check it out plus they are trying to get more people to go to those services so it was an all you can eat pizza buffett with yummy paradise bakery cookies! Jon got home in time to tuck all the babies in!
Sunday we shopped...the dollar tree, (Sams favorite store) Kohl's (mommys favorite store) and Costco! Then in the afternoon Kims kids came over and watched all the kids while Jon, I, Kim and Mike went to see 'Tropic Thunder' (very funny movie) and went to a sushi restaurant that had 'happy hour' all day on Sundays--$2.25 beers and $5 buck apps!
All and all it was a pretty darn good weekend!

potty training

I really want to start this process with at least Courtney. When we were in WA she went pee on the toilet 3 times for my mom but I am in a quandry on what to do. I cant leave the bathroom door opened or they think its a place to play! It happens EVERY SINGLE TIME! Twice today it was left opened and the first time they were in there letting one of Samanthas barbies swim around in the toilet. And just now I was in folding laundry and when I came out they all were in there. Samantha too. They floor was soaked, Syd was soaked and wet toilet paper everywhere! The sad thing is Barley dog drinks out of the toilet because I cant leave a bowl out for him or the girls play in that too. It use to work great but ever since they figured out what a fun room the bathroom is the door is shut now he has to scratch it to let us know he's thirsty!

Girls being girls

Syds napping part 2

Well today Jon is gone* and she only napped for around an hour so maybe it's not the noise after all...ugh!!

*Jon is off at a bachelor party this weekend. Two days of golf, drinking and red meat!

Syds napping

This past week Syd has been napping like crap and we just couldnt figure it out...well I did today. Jon moved his office into the office we made for him last week. It is directly below Syds room. As you can see we havent yet painted the walls. It was originally meant to be a formal living room but we (meaning we paid a contractor to do it) walled it up and put on some french doors (our doors from our closets in the master bedroom- we were never going to use them) We made the office originally thinking my neice Alyssa was going to move in but she decided to stay in Seattle and keep working for Nordstrom up there. He has been working in the spare room up until last Weds or Thursday, right when Syd starting napping like crap. WELL today she woke up after about 60 minutes right when Jon jumped on a conference call and started talking. When I went in to get the crying Syd I could hear what Jon was saying clear as a bell. No wonder she's been waking up. It's really like she is in the room with him. So this weekend he's moving back to the spare room and the office is now becoming the spare room/downstairs playroom! (Courtney on the other had has been napping for the past 3 hours and 15 minutes!)

First Day of Pre-school

Today was Sams first official day of school. She was so excited. I was a little shocked at the outfit she picked out. I for sure thought she would have picked out a dress! After we gave the snacks to the teachers (Mrs. De Yager and Mrs. Seabreeze) ...

Sam found her way to the coloring table. I left her there. She was totally happy!
She was really excited to see me and Sydney but wanted to know where Courtney was. I am hoping in the future not to take either. It's a mad house in the parking lot. It is also a K-8 school and a lot of classes get out at 3!

She has to wait in her square for me to sign her out before she can leave. It was hard but they all stood there! There are 3 girls and 3 boys in the class and Sam said "one girls name is Emily just like my friend Emily you know Emily and Jack" very cute! She said her favorite part of the day was music. She got to play the cymbals and they sang a song "about a lamb!"

Here she is in front of her door. Her name is by the door knob (its on the lamb) But she had to stand in from of this door because of the lady bug and flowers! Here is the pretty picture she drew at the beginning of class...she sure doesnt like boys!