Heating up

It is heating up here is sunny Arizona, so we decided to go out for ice cream after dinner tonight!

Zac is just now to the point where he can sit at a little table at eat a little dish of his very own ice cream. He. Loved. It.

Can you tell?

Lilly is still working on teaching him all kids of things... like making funny faces.

Ahhh good times!

I love summer! What is your favorite (or least favorite?) part of SUMMER?!?

Thankful Through Thursday!

One of the {many} things I'm thankful for this week, is watching my children teach each other. Lilly teaches Zackary a lot. He is always watching her and imitating what he sees. This week, I asked if they wanted to take a bath together. At first, she didn't want to because she hates {HATES} getting splashed. At all. Always has. Zac, however, loves {LOVES} splashing. But, I told her that I thought he would be good and not splash her. Really not sure what gave me that crazy idea, but she went for it, so in we went... and she taught him to splash himself, but not her!

Here comes the great part... ready for it...

After a little bit of washing and playing, he spashed her a little, and she grinned... next thing I knew they were both {yes, BOTH} splashing like crazy. Laughing and splashing and laughing some more.

He taught her to enjoy a little water play!

I didn't get a good picture of the splashing because there was so much water... plus, I was enjoying the moment.

Another funny story - Zac has had to have eye drops this week. A kid in his class had pink eye, and Zac's eye started getting a little goopy {yes, that's the technical term}, so we got drops mostly as a precaution.

Lilly used to get some eye infections. We would get the drops, take a deep breath, and hold her down, squeeze as much as we could into her thrashing face and hope a drop or so made it to her eye. Needless to say, I was thrilled at the prospect of doing this with Zac.

So, I took a deep breath, laid him down, and got one drop in eye one before he could react. YES!

He blinked.

And looked up at me.

So, I tried for eye two.

You know that thing you do when you know you have to have an eye drop? Where your reflexes are trying to close your eye but you know it should stay open, so it's mostly open and you're really, really trying? Yep, that's what my 15 month old did! 3 days of drops, and he kept his darned eyes open every time. A couple times he even giggled right after the drop went in, then opened for more. Who does that?

Zac does.
He also brings his sister all her toys. And other people too - if he sees something that he thinks is yours, he'll bring it to you, even if he really wants to play with it. Then, he'll probably ask me for more eye drops or something equally uncomfortable and invasive.

And not to leave Lilly out... she has been doing so well with bedtime, but she still usually comes out once or twice and asks for something. Water, bathroom, maybe a book or toy. I accommodate her and then get her back to bed. Everytime she starts with "I need help with something," which is code for "I need an excuse to get up." No worries, I play along a time or two and then she is out.

Tonight, on "take 2" she came out and said {and I quote}, "Mommy. I need something with help."

I asked her to repeat herself and got the same "I need something with help." I asked if she meant that she needed help with something, and I got the cutest little sheepish grin and "yeah... that were silly!"

Ahhh kids say {and do} the darndest things! And I'm thankful for every last one of them.

One more sidenote... happy Tax Day! Are you done with your taxes? I am! Mailed them in quite a while ago in fact. Have I gotten my {sizeable} refund yet, you ask? NO! Why, you ask? Because I'm a moron who didn't notice that my account number for direct deposit was missing one digit. Our tax guy says they'll figure it out and mail me a check. I'm pretty sure that the money has been deposited into some stranger's account and they have already spent the money on something stupid. Or, something not stupid that I want. Like shoes. Beautiful, high heeled, pointy shoes that are on someone elses feet. argh!

At least Starbucks is giving free coffee today if you bring in a refillable mug. Did you know that? If not... GO! Go now! I'll be there, for sure! Good thing it's free, too, since some stranger with a funny short account number has all my money!

Race For The Cure

Had a great time at the Race For The Cure this weekend!

I'm not running as much as I was for a while - just no time/opportunity. So, it was so nice to get out and run! I guess once a week isn't soooo bad.

A huge thanks to mom for going and walking with the kids so I could run. It is really... REALLY... appreciated!

Stepping back.

Boy oh boy this is a crazy time! Spring in general, plus Spring as a teacher... two young children... poor economy and scary outlook for education... plus countless other stresses. Hectic doesn't begin to describe it.
I have a pile of books on my bedside. Good books. Books that will make me think. And wonder. And contemplate. And, think some more.
I just can't get into a single one of them! ha! So, I'm trading them in! Stashing them aside for later. I went "shopping" at my parents house today (tried to get to the library, but it wasn't happening), and came home with a pile of books that, shallwesay, will not make me feel smart.
I'm so ok with that.
(I must say, I don't know anything about any of these books. If I am wrong and one of them makes me think too much... grrrr!)
Just in case I have a momentary twinge of guilt over shoving really good books under my bed, I have one of these at the ready!
(It's a Cosmo. Not strong. But in a super cute glass that Natalie gave me for my birthday!)

And, let's not forget those who help me keep it all together! No amount of stress can take away my smile when I see these two!

Well, goodnight all... some silly non-thought provoking book is calling my name!

Thankful Through Thursday!

Do we eat too much pizza? This was tonight, and it looks remarkably similar to our last pizza picture. Still, I'd like to point out that 1. I served it will tomatoes and cucumbers. These kids LOVE tomatoes and cucumbers.2. It was English muffin pizza - whole grain english muffins with sauce, cheese, and olives. Not too bad right?Don't judge!

Zac loves Peek-A-Boo! He loves that he has the control now to put a blanket over his eyes, giggle while I "look for him," and then reveal his face. I love that I can see his smile in this picture - he gets SO excited!
Lilly just HAD to try on this too-small jacket tonight. Shyla, this one is coming your way next winter!
This was from a couple days ago. Zac loves this book!
And Lilly loves cupcakes!
(Don't forget... tomatoes and cucumbers tonight. Good, wholesome veggies. Just sayin')
Naked (or, almost naked) Zac loves to beat on his own belly.

Thankful.

Easter 2010!

Ok, yes this post is about Easter. But... it is now Monday, and I have just had a wonderful evening with my kids, and have to share this:
Lilly watches cartoons while I give Zac a bath. It's just the best and easiest way - she refuses to bathe with him since he splashes like crazy, so it works for us.
After his bath, I get him all "buttered up" with oil and lotion and butt cream, and into nice warm pj's. At this point I usually pick him up, turn off the light, tell him (oh, maybe 100 times or so) how much I adore him, and plop him into bed. Tonight though, I picked him up and had barely started declaring my love when he wiggled right out of my arms. I let him down and watched him hightail it out of his room. Curious, I followed him. Without hesitation, he walked right up to Lilly and waved at her (usually, she says goodnight and that she loves him before bath. Thinking back, I had forgotten that step tonight). She, without hesitation, said goodnight and then put her hand up and said "high five!" He completed the high five, they hugged, and she went back to her show while he walked right past me and back into his bedroom.
It. Was. Classic.
No matter how hectic or long or tiring my day is... I know I am so lucky with these two kids!

Ok, on to Easter!
This year, I got to go to sunrise mass with my parents. It was so lovely. Maybe next year I'll think about taking the kids, but this year it was just us and I loved it.
A bonus was that my parents had picked me up and so after mass I got to jog home. An early morning jog offered a perfect continuation of prayer and reflection, and I appreciated every minute of it.

Then, it was time for Easter to begin! I made a pull-a-part breakfast pastry, and we discovered that the Easter bunny had paid us a visit!
Lilly and Zac each got a little basket with some toys and plastic eggs. Lilly had jelly beans...

... and Zac had animal crackers...

Next, it was time for the egg hunt!

We played and hung out for a while, then it was off to grandma and grandpa's house! More baskets!

This is the ONLY picture of my mom I have from the night :(

Shyla loved her basket too!

Aren't they just the cutest family?And I like this pic of my sis, dad and I too!

Finally, it was time for another egg hunt!

Isn't Lilly's dress adorable? Grandma and Grandpa Yager sent it for her birthday, and I hid it so that she wouldn't wear it until Easter! ha!

My sweet kids...

And our attempt at getting a picture of all 3!
So... there actually were other people there, but I did not take pictures of anything except the basket opening and egg hunting. It was SO good to see my grandparents and their friends, my aunt Nannette and uncle Pete, aunt Sherry and cousin Megan, and good friends Jeannette and Aaron. We had such fun, yummy food, and lots of laughs.

Easter prep

Time to get the Easter eggs ready! This was Lilly's first year really being able to participate in coloring eggs.
We did the first batch at my parents'. Even Zac got to help, a little.

And Shyla May too!

Then, we had to color eggs at our house.

Ta-Da!
Hope everyone has a great Easter tomorrow!

Thankful Through Thursday!

Here it is, Thursday again...
These first two pictures are of Zac, trying to do a bit more than he can do quite yet and getting frustrated. This particular goal was to carry two tubs of playdough and two blankies at the same time. He struggled with this for ever, and I just grabbed my camera at the end.
Here, he was trying to put the tubs on the blankies so that he can carry them more easily.

and some obvious anger that it wasn't working out just right! Bless his heart!

Isn't he a doll?
And Lilly. Backpack - check. Phone - check. Tutu - check. Looks like we're ready for Trader Joes and the park!

First brownies, now pizza! She has been on quite a cooking kick! I guess I need to figure out some more healthy foods for us to cook together. I swear we usually eat better than this!
Anyhow, we were telling stories one night and made one up about a princess who loved pizza, so we decided to "make our own." Yes, it's in quotes because I used Boboli and sauce from a jar.
Here we are cheesing it up!

Lilly decided on olives and mushrooms. Between her and Zac snacking on the toppings, we're lucky any ended up on the pizza!

Delicious! I'm pretty sure we actually had the crust upside down, but whatever... pizza is pizza is pizza in my book!

Happy Thursday.

I. Am. Thankful.