not sure

I'm not sure what makes me more nervous... audrey's posing or andrew's face in the background.

Can someone please find me the "stop growing" pill for her?!! How did she learn to pose like that and how do we make it stop??? Seriously, she's not even 5 yet!!!

open your eyes, andrew!!!

Look at me and open your eyes... "cheese"

NO, your EYES!!! open your EYES!!!... "cheese"

ANDREW, OPEN YOUR EYES!!! YOU'RE OPENING YOUR MOUTH AND CLOSING YOUR EYES!!! OPEN YOUR EYES!!!
















Ohhhh, my eyes... close my mouth and open my eyes!!! Oh... I can do that.

















Jack: seriously, mom, this is what I have to live up to?!!!

cooking with audrey

Audrey got a really cool "cooking for girls" cookbook from her friend Sarah for Christmas. We actually 'got' it when we visited Sarah in August :) Well, we finally made one of the deserts... merangue strawberry thingies :) I know that's not what they're really called, I'm just too lazy to go look. The 'cookies' are egg white and sugar, whipped until stiff peaks and then baked for an hour. Then, you sandwich two together with whipped cream and strawberries inbetween. They were really yummy. I'm working on my patience, cooking with her... it's hard. She's sweet though and loves to help mom in the kitchen.

Two days later, she helped me make freezer jam and strawberry bread. Of course, with the jam, the only thing she can do is mix the strawberries and sugar/gelatin for 3 minutes. She only lasted about 1.1 minutes :)

pool fun in the backyard.

So, think back to the summer of 2006... Audrey wasn't even 1yrs old yet! My mom came to visit us and bought Audrey a brand new baby pool! I loved it b/c it was one that folded into this small circle and hung on the wall. No plastic pool to either store during the winter or throw away only to buy a new one next year!

Well, we didn't think we'd still be using it! The kids look utterly ridiculous in this thing. I don't think they could both sit down in it if they tried!

And, Jack just looks scared. "are you putting me in that thing with those crazy kids, mom?"

Totally having fun... but in about 5 minutes, Andrew is going to pee in the pool. Seriously... 30m total of play time and then we empty it out... sorry kids, maybe next time Andrew won't pee in the pool???

quotes

I really need to start documenting Andrew...

yesterday, while playing in the backyard in a swimsuit. "Daddy, I don't have a shirt on. I have a belly on!!!!"

yes, you certainly have a belly on... you're trying to look JUST like Boppy :)

pics to follow.

strawberry picking, three kids?

First day of summer vacation... we joined a few friends from MOPS strawberry picking! Three kids strawberry picking?! well, if it went really bad, I could just buy them for $1 more than picking them myself :) That doesn't sound so bad?!

First stop, Einstein (or is that Einstien?) bagels for some carbohydrates and coffee! Andrew seems more excited than the rest of us. Maybe he got the coffee??

Audrey's just as excited as she looks here. She didn't really know any of the kids here, and that actually bothered her for the first time. I guess she's getting older??? bummer.

They are cute, aren't they??? This was about 2.5 minutes before they were ready to leave. Andrew never put more than 3 strawberries in his quart basket. Then, he's promptly eat them, even the yellow ones. Audrey filled hers MAYBE half-way... and they were done.

Family picture... too bad you can't see Jack's face. Oops... and, if you look closely, his right leg is stuck under his body. Double oops... he did start squawking, I didn't know why until I took him out :)

last picture of the day: he was done! no, mommy, I don't want to pick any more strawberries! I want to go home. take me home and get me some milk!!

Uh, yeah, I guess it's time to go.

cupcakes

we went to the farmers market last weekend: not much to buy yet... just some peas, strawberries, coffee (yes, it's in season) and steak!!! Afterwards, we went to the cupcake shop in bentonville square and bought the kids 1 cupcake a peice for a measly $6.50!!! These are the cupcakes we probably expected at aunt kathie's shower :) boy were they pretty cupcakes.

the kids didn't like them very much, so mommy enjoyed the leftovers and went for a run later :)

red velvet for audrey, because it was pink w/ pretty white frosting.

oreo cookie for drew, because, well, we don't actually know why :)

I doubt we'll be going back there soon. OR, if we do go, mommy's going to pick the ones she knows the kids will like (or ones that she know she will like when they don't)

audrey's last day of preschool

So, Audrey didn't have a "graduation"... whick I'm fine with, really. I've never been a big fan of the "graduation". Yes, it's cute... maybe I'd be a better fan if we had family around to share it with? I doubt it though.

Audrey's school here is super cute. She instantly made friends with Amanda and Adelaide, pretty much b/c their names start with A too. Never mind the Aiden and Ashton who were also in her class. Poor Tee and Sybel... the other little girls who names did NOT start with A. And then there's Zachary... on the other end of the alphabet.

The group pic is of Amanda and her brother and sister (Ava and David, Jack and Andrew's age) and next to Adelaide is Mabel, Adelaide's sister.

We hope to keep in touch with them, at least over the summer. Neither little girl will be going to Kindergarten with Audrey. Amanda's at the grade-school with the traditional calendar and Adelaide's heading to pre-kindergarten next year b/c her birthday isn't until October... she lives in Rogers anyway. Bummer... I'd be completely fine if these two were in Audrey's life through grade school. I guess we'll just hope for the best when kindergarten starts August 2nd. Yes, I think that's 9 weeks away. A short, yet long 9 weeks. She's heading to the grade school on a "year 'round" schedule. They only get 6 weeks of for summer and get quite a few breaks all school year long.

jack

So, he's 11 months now. And, we found out he's no longer allergic to wheat. Grandparents have been screaming for some pics of him, they haven't seen him since 1/31 or 4/1, depending on the grandparent :)

I actually think Jack looks more like my dad than Andrew does!!!




wow, these crackers are good!!! why haven't you given me these things before?!!! really... salt, buttery flakey-ness.



It'll probably be awhile before posting again.... this is the easiest way to distribute pics right now though!