The Haro Family

Lucky To Have You

2008-11-20T15:15:00.004-06:00

Happy Birthday, My Sweets

Today, I celebrate you. You are so special to me and to many people who love & adore you!

Here's just a few reasons why I love you (in no particular order):

*You are my best friend.
*Your sense of humor gives me endless smiles.
*You are fun to be with.
*You still embrace your inner child.
*You make many personal sacrifices in behalf of your family.
*You are a sweet husband & I know how much you care about me.
*I admire how you honor your role as a father.
*You are always willing to help someone in need.
*You have so much love for our children.
*I love watching our children smile when you give them hugs, piggy-backs, wrestle, show interest in their stories (even when they’re long), & goof around with them.
*You are kind & generous (like letting all of our children sleep with us in our bed—even though you’re always pushed to the edge of the bed and you don’t end up getting a good night’s sleep).
*You always lose to “rock, paper, scissors” (Hooray for me!)
*I am so grateful for your sensitive qualities .
*Even though you’re competitive and sooo want to win, you’ll give up your bragging rights so your loved-one can feel all the glory.
*You have big muscles and a gentle hand.
*I adore your charming (and sometimes mischievous) smile.
*You know how to chill.
*You would do anything to protect your family.
*You work hard—and still keep going despite pain & sickness.
*You don’t complain about me spending your hard-earned money.
*Your foot rubs are heavenly.
*You have many unselfish qualities.
*I treasure our late-night talks.
*You are always willing to compromise.
*You are intelligent and you always want to do what's right.

Rob, my Sweets, I love you so much!

My Buddy

2008-11-13T23:59:00.008-06:00

Before we go out for an adventure at the park, my buddy Lily gives me a little gift.

How sweet.

Do I have it good, or what?

Hey little cutie, let me give you a token of my appreciation...

Smoooch!

Hooray, we're on our way to the park to play!

My mama will always have my heart...

...but she's sure pulling at my heartstrings.

Let me go first, Lily, I want to make sure these stairs aren't too dangerous. I don't want you to get a boo-boo.

Look what I can do.

Peek-A-Boo Jacob!

Mommy says it's time to go...it's naptime.

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Lily! You're the best buddy I could have ever wanted!

YMCA

2008-11-11T13:58:00.007-06:00

We love our YMCA. We went to their "Family Night" a while back where we enjoyed an evening of canoeing, wall climbing, bounce houses, rides, food, and archery. The night ended with a gathering around the bonefire. The YMCA has a huge campus with 2 lakes, a campground with cabins, a really fun pool with slides and fountains, and an indoor facility containing a workout gym, gymnasium, gymnastics room, and rooms for dance classes. The girls are in a gymnastics class together and they are on different soccer teams through the YMCA.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2008-10-23T16:43:00.011-05:00

The day started out like any other morning. Daddy was off to work & kids sent to school. Just me and Jacob at breakfast:

Me: “Jacob, do you want a banana?”
Jacob: “Yeaaa!” (as he throws his arms into the air with excitement)
So I give him one. He takes one bite and then throws the rest of the banana on the table.
Me: “Jacob, please don’t throw the banana. I want you to eat a little more, so please take another bite.”
Jacob: “NNNO!”

I pause for a moment. Hmmm…there’s something strangely familiar about this pattern that has developed over these past few months…let’s see: Mommy says Yes, 2 year-old says NO…Duh, I’ve been through this twice before! My mother is a wise woman, and she gave me valuable advice when Kaylee was 2: “Pay now, or pay more later!” I may not have been the best negotiator the first two rounds of parenting—I’ve made many mistakes. But third time’s a charm, right?

Jacob is even more stubborn than my other two. Now I know what I’ve got to do… it’s time for…THE STANDOFF!

Me: “Jacob, do you want to watch TV?”
Jacob: “Yeaaa!!”
Me: “Ok, I’ll let you watch TV after you eat another bite of your banana.”
Jacob: “Nooo!”

So, I take him upstairs, turn on the TV to his favorite station (so he can see what’s on, of course), and then I take him into my bedroom, close the door, sit in front of it, and the standoff begins…

It’s 7:15am and Jacob is freaking out because he can hear the TV from my bedroom.
Me: “Do you want to watch TV?”
Jacob: “Yes.”
Me: “Then you need to take a bite of your banana first and then you can watch TV.”
Jacob: “Noooooo!”

I knew I was in for the long haul. After 30 minutes of our standoff, nothing had changed, except that the banana was starting to get ugly. He’s crying and I’m about to break-down myself. I start thinking: “What did I get myself into? We could be here all day. My To-Do List is long. I know that I can’t back-off, Jacob would discover my weakness and he would have the upper-hand.

I learned this the hard way…A few months ago in the summer, I told Jessi that her privilege of playing outside was going to be taken away the next day as a consequence of her disobedience. As my feisty little 6 year-old marched up the stairs she replied to me in her infamous sassy tone, “No I won’t, you’ll forget!” I just about lost it. But you know what? She was right. Too many times I hadn’t followed through—mostly because I’ve been too worn-out to remember.

My mom says it’s pay-back for all the times I wore her out with MY stubbornness. Well, consider the dues paid, ‘cause things are changing around here. I believe in giving my children choices, so I’ll choose my battles wisely. Yes, the banana issue is minor, but I’m seizing the opportunity to teach my little cowboy about consequences and rewards.

But on this battleground, things aren’t looking so good. Now it’s 8:00am and I’m about ready to surrender. No, what am I thinking! I can’t give up now—there’s too much at stake. I continue to negotiate, but he’s obstinate…

I can’t help but to giggle a little inside as I see the humor in it all—this was me at age 2. I was a force to be reckoned with. As the second of 8 children, I was “The Great Debater” in our household, and I really wore my parents out. My parents were angels for dealing with my persistence. They are the best anyone could ever ask for.

As 8:15am rolls around, he knows I’m serious.

At 8:30am Jacob finally gives in and takes a bite! I can’t believe it, I actually WON! We celebrate with praise & hugs.

I sit him down on the couch to watch TV with his best friends Binky and Blanky, give him more hugs and tell him how proud I am of him for making a good choice. He’s happy again…and then I start to think: “Oh no, have I scarred him for the rest of his life? Was I too mean? Will he ever eat a banana again?”

An hour later I go downstairs and start to peel a banana for myself. Jacob follows me and says, “A nana”, which means he wants one too…

...But this time he actually ate it.

Final score: Jacob-won, Mom-won.

In My Daughter's Eyes

2008-10-11T02:13:00.009-05:00

My little girl is growing up. Rob and I remember when Kaylee was a newborn, as she lay in between us in our bed, we would talk about how happy and grateful we were to have her in our life. We couldn’t wait to find out how her personality would blossom. We are truly blessed to have Kaylee for a daughter. She is incredibly loving, sweet, generous, sensitive, fun to be with, adventurous, obedient, unselfish, kind to everyone, confident, patient, loyal, and has a strong desire to do the right thing. Kaylee is a friend to everyone, no matter who they are. She enjoys reading, make crafts out of “nature”, sew, ride her bike, daydream, put on “plays” with her siblings, go on thrilling roller coasters, sing & dance, play games, laugh, be Jessi’s “school teacher”, draw, rock climb, cuddle with her cat Pokey, make pots on her pottery wheel. I feel so loved when she says that she misses me while she’s at school and wants to spend more time with me…I’m cherishing this because she might change her mind when she becomes a teenager. She is one very special girl, so pure and simple. She is a joy to be with. Oh, how I love and adore my sweet Kaylee!

You Are My Sunshine

2008-09-24T15:51:00.038-05:00

Happy Birthday my sweet Jessi! I can't believe my little girl is already 6 years old! There are so many things I adore about you, but I'll name just a few:

I Love...

…your sense of humor

...your fun personality

...your sweetness

...your big bear hugs

...your energy

...your enthusiasm

...your willingness to try new things

...how you're a sweet big sister to your brother

...how you and Kaylee are best buds

...the way you entertain us all with your singing and dancing

...that you have no shame about hangin' out in your undies

...your sensitivity

...how your blanky takes you to your happy place

...your adventurous spirit

...your sense of style

...how you adore dressing up

...how you don't get mad--you get even

...how your smile lights up the room

...how you're our little superhero (you'll beat up the kid that's mean to your sister)

...your independence

...your ability to sleep anywhere

...how you're not afraid to do things on your own

...how even when you drive me crazy, I still think you're adorable

...your sense of wonder

...your cuteness
...that you're you!

My Wish For You

2008-09-18T09:16:00.027-05:00

Jacob…
I wish that you could stay little for a long time--you're just so cute. You are now 2 years old and there are so many things I adore about you, but I’ll name just a few…

I LOVE…
your hugs & kisses.

...how everything makes you giddy.

...when I get home from the store and your face lights up as you run to me and exclaim, “Mama!” like you haven’t seen me for months.

...your puppy-dog brown eyes, your sweet smile, and your squishy little bum.

...the way your binky and blanket-smelling puts you into a trance.

...your sense of humor.

...how you take off your diaper every chance you get and run around in your birthday suit (I guess it was appropriate for this day—your birthday)!

...your quite stubbornness and determination.

...how you take your frustrations out on your own body (head-bang the tile floor, bite your hand, and clench your fists and shake). We’re grateful that you take it out on someone else…

...when you say “Heee-Yaaa!” as you beat up Daddy (and unsuspecting guests) with your kicks and karate chops.

...how you squat in the corner when you need to “take care of business”.

...how you love to sing and dance with Barney and Elmo.

...the innocent look on your face when you’ve just been caught doing something naughty.

...how you snuggle up next to Daddy when you get scared in the middle of the night.
...how you stand there and grin as you protest doing something you don’t want to do.

...that you love to rock out.

...how much you LOVE balls.
...your endless amount of energy and enthusiasm.

...how you adore your sisters (even when they dress you up).

...your curiosity.

...how you cultivate your artistic side.
...your independence.

...how you don’t let a soggy diaper bring you down.

...how you try to understand Mommy by putting yourself in her shoes.

...that you’re you.

Back In The Day

2008-09-04T15:56:00.012-05:00

Tagged.

About 20 years ago…I was 14 years old. I was in 8th grade at Redwood Middle School, (Thousand Oaks, CA) and my best friend was Heather Bagley (Buell). We spent every day together doing things like talking about boys, laying out by the pool, listening to New Kids On The Block & Bobby Brown, choreographing hip hop dances, making brownies, going to dances, sleepovers, and going TPing with our friends Dan & Brian…....and on one particular TP adventure, the boys picked us up on their bikes at 2am and we rode about 3 miles to our friend’s house (Jodi) with bags of TP stuff. We trashed her house with TP and confetti (cause that’s what good friends do) and then took off when her neighbor caught us. We dodged the cops and then celebrated our victory at Foster’s Donuts. On Monday at school when we saw our friend Jodi, we were expecting to see her grin and say something like: “Hey that was a good one”. But no, she was fuming mad. Apparently, she was out of town for the weekend and her elderly deaf parents woke up the next morning to the TP mess and had to clean it all up. Oops. We felt like the biggest idiots. She agreed and didn’t talk to us for over a month. Good times.

15 years ago…I was 19 years old. I moved to Provo, Utah that fall to experience the college life (without actually going to college of course because I needed a break after HS) and I lived in BYU housing (the Glenwood) with Heather and 5 other roommates. I bought my first car (a Nissan Sentra baby!), got a perm (who knows why), worked full time in a call center, Dear-Johned my missionary, made lots of friends, and was living the sweet college life until a psycho stalker wouldn’t leave me alone, so I moved back to Thousand Oaks in June. Then I worked at the Broadway department store at the Oaks mall, went on trips with my friends (like San Francisco & camping at the beach), broke off an engagement, and then went skydiving to commemorate my freedom.
10 years ago…I was 24 years old. Rob and I had been married for 2 years. After our 3-month adventure in Las Vegas, we moved to Orem, Utah while Rob went to UVSC full time and worked full time, and I was an instructor at Dallas Roberts Academy (a cosmetology school). That summer we went to Lake Powell with my family. While driving there (10 hours), I had to pee so many times that we had to pull over every 20 minutes (where I could go behind a desert bush on the side of the highway). Ya, that was fun. After thinking that I had a urinary track infection, I realized that I was pregnant with our first child, Kaylee. While Rob and I were on a wave runner in the middle of the lake, I whispered the good news in his ear. He was thrilled. What a fun memory that was for us as we thought about how excited we were to have children…

5 years ago…I was 29 years old. We had moved back to Thousand Oaks and then ventured off to Gilbert, Arizona, where we spent a year trying to find ourselves. Our second daughter, Jessi, was born there and then we moved back to Thousand Oaks 4 days later. I know. We were nuts, but we missed the gang back home. We moved into the Greenhill Apartments where we had so much fun with lots of our friends who lived there. 5 years and a son later (Jacob, now age 2), our 2 bedroom apartment got smaller by the minute, so we thought of a new adventure…

Today…we are living in Texas, Yep, thought we’d never move so far away from CA, but here we are in Leander and we love it. After 11 years of marriage, 4 states, 10 moves, and 3 kids, we were ready to put in our roots. Aside from having to pull OUT our roots from our flower garden already cause I don’t have a green thumb, we are finally getting settled here after 7 months. It feels just like home to us now (except that we’re missing our loved-ones back in CA). We’ve made good friends here (I’m trying to resist saying “Ya’ll”) and we’re hoping to recruit friends and family to move out here (Yes, we DO have a plan for all of you). I promise we’ll stay…anyone taking bets?

I tag everyone who reads this. I DARE you to do it...

People Watching

2008-08-23T22:47:00.024-05:00

Rob and I went to a minor league baseball game in Round Rock a few weeks ago. We had more fun people-watching than watching the game itself.

This young dude was sitting to the front and side of us. We tried to get a good picture on our phone (which was hilarious trying not to get caught), but we couldn’t get a full view of his mustache…it was waxed and curled up on the ends like the cowboys used to wear them like 150 years ago. Talk about making a fashion statement!

Jessi with her buddy Lily. Such sweet friends.

They love to play together, especially pretend (Jessi plays the mama, of course)

Jessi & Jacob are so much alike--they are both little firecrackers, very sensitive, emotional, fun, full of energy, & so loving.

Don't ask.

Kaylee and her friend Zambrana have been inseparable this past month. They have been sleeping over at each other’s homes for two nights at a time, spending almost every day and night together. Amazingly, they don’t get tired of being with each other.

Kaylee and I were on our way to the swimming hole on the San Gabriel River.

We took the kids to a splash park just a few miles from our home. It was a cloudy day, but it was very refreshing on this warm summer day.

Fun in the fountain

Jacob’s diaper is bulging from water consumption. Elmo is on his little bum—his favorite character.

“Back, back!” Jacob says when he wants a piggy-back ride.

Nothing complements army fatigues better than a good pair of heels.

Oh, look how sweet. Jacob sits with Mommy as she reads a story…for like 30 seconds. He can’t sit still for very long cause he’s always looking for adventure (like a crayon & a wall to draw on).

The San Gabriel River is about 2 blocks from our home. If you walk about ¼ mile up the side of the river, you can find dinosaur tracks! They are so cool. I think that they are raptor tracks, but they could also be from a baby T-Rex. There are 11 consecutive tracks of this dino! There are also other dinosaur tracks, but it is hard to tell what kind they are.

The awesome Sheppard family came along with us to see the tracks. Kaylee, Zambrana, Jessi, Jacob, & Bennett Sheppard are playing in the river.

Here is Rob and Christian Sheppard with his daughter Emma. She's such a trooper—even though she is blind, Emma is a great hiker! She always wears a smile and her sweet & happy personality brightens everyone’s day. It was so fun to have Christian hang out with us while his wife Tera and their kids were visiting family in Washington.

Tera Sheppard and her son Cooper. Tera is such a great friend. We can hang out for hours and talk about anything. She is hilarious—her blog is so fun.

Boy or girl? Neither, folks. It’s my bloat-baby. I can't even believe I'm posting this, but I am amazed by my bulging belly. Ok, I had a little bean dip, but come on! Unbelievable. This happens often and I always get asked when my due date is. Gals, I'm sure you can relate. It’s not fair…guys don’t have this problem!

Caught Blue-Handed

2008-08-16T13:20:00.012-05:00

This morning…

Jacob: “Teeth, teeth!”
Me: “Do you want to brush your teeth?”
Jacob: “Yeah!”

So I help him brush as he holds the toothpaste tube…
Me: “That’s Wall-E on your toothpaste.”
Jacob: “Waa-wee?”
Me: “Yes, Wall-E”
Jacob: “Oh, Waa-wee!”

When we’re done brushing…
Me: “Say bye to Wall-E”
Jacob: “Bye-bye Waa-wee!”

And I put the toothpaste away (well, on my bathroom counter--away from little hands and far away from a chair to step on)

Then the phone rings…

I get this feeling…it’s too quiet…where’s Jacob…Oh, no…

I go straight to my bedroom (his favorite place of mischief) to find him in the corner COVERED with blue toothpaste. Yep, that's blue dye #1 painted all over the walls and smeared in the carpet. I'm speechless.

Jacob: “Waa-wee”

This is also what he has been up to lately:
Kissing the neighbor

Talking out of turn

Jumping in the water with his clothes on

Conspiring

Hiding

Playing with his food...

Yeah!

But he's my sweet little Bubba and I sure love him tons!

Do I Get Paid For This?

2008-07-29T00:54:00.027-05:00

House cleaning is a "Catch 22". It seems that the more I clean, the more messes are made while I’m cleaning. I tidy up the house almost every day, but Monday is the real deal (get all the dirty work done in one day so we can do other things the rest of the week). The girls have 5 chores each to do on cleaning day along with their 2 daily chores, and they work along with me for part of the day.

Today I cleaned continuously from morning until 7:30pm! No exaggeration. The girls slowly did their jobs during the day (while contributing to more mess) while I cleaned up the disasters that Jacob created while I was cleaning the house. Here’s just a few examples of Jacob’s adventures in his quest for entertainment:

1. He drew on the walls of my bedroom with crayon (his artwork can now be found in almost every room in the house).
2. He squirted half a bottle of hand soap on the carpet by my bedroom door (can you pick up on the pattern here?).
3. While sitting on the bathroom floor, he covered himself with shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.
4. He scattered Cheerios and dried fruit all over the bed and floor (including the soggy Cheerios from his sippie cup that leaked all over the bed).
5. While Jacob was playing with the broom, he scuffed our newly painted walls with big black streaks from the metal end of the broom.
6. While I wasn't looking of course, he threw his cooked peas ALL over the kitchen floor (and half of them were stepped-on before I noticed the mess).
7. During the dishwasher cycle, he pushed "Heated Dry" button off, resulting in soaking wet dishes that I now get to dry by hand (and leaving them in the dishwasher for a few days doesn't dry them either--I've tried that already when this has happened many times before).
8. He came downstairs smelling pretty. I couldn't figure out what it was, so I let that one go...for sanity reasons.

Do you think poor little Jacob was attention-deprived or what?! I feel so guilty for having to spend so much time cleaning, but I also feel so guilty when I don’t get the toilet-scrubbing kind of stuff done. Let me tell ya, I despise cleaning. I don't do a thorough job most of the time because I just can't get it all done. Even when I do, it's dirty again in like 10 seconds.

Oh, and the girls put some of their dirty clothes into the rinse cycle of the washer, a glass bowl filled with chicken pot pie broke all over the kitchen floor during dinner (I won’t mention who did that—he feels guilty enough), and a I discovered a big mound of dirty kitty litter mixed with spilled water on the floor (not a pretty combination, but my daughter did her best to try to clean the cat box).

Add in the usual daily toddler temper tantrums, 7 meals to prepare, quarrels, phone calls, and trying to accomplish the tasks on my daily To-Do List—I had myself a typical cleaning day. After dinner I took the kids swimming until 9pm, then bathed them and put them to bed (after the 7th meal of course).
This is my mug shot at the end of this exhausting day. I'm sporting an air-dried style that looks like a wig or something (not. enough. strength. to. blowdry.)

The kids finally went to bed at 10:30pm, and I continued on with my cleaning. It is almost 1am and I’m still doing laundry (only 4 more loads to go!) Now I am trying to unwind. As I sum up my day in this blog entry, I am serenaded by background noise of rapid gunfire from Rob’s army shoot ‘em up game (you X-Box wives know what I mean). I guess it's an appropriate finale to the battle I’ve been in all day. I need a vacation…I guess a trip to the grocery store ALONE will have to do for now.

Summer Fun

2008-07-18T12:20:00.018-05:00

Jacob in his favorite outfit...again. He insists on carrying a ball with him wherever he goes.

He loves to throw balls. He has good aim too--it usally hits me in the face.
Jake loves to chase his sisters, tackle them, then karate kick them when they're down. Thanks to Daddy for teaching the little guy these smooth moves.

"Super Pokey"

I took the girls to 'Austin's Park' and they had a blast. For one price, the kids enjoyed an all-you-can-eat pizza and salad bar, video arcade games, rides, minature golf, etc.

They rock climbed about 12 times...

They went on this ride about 30 times...

They enjoyed the bumper boats...

...and they got drenched! Jessi got upset because her chonies got soaked. Kaylee loved it.

They LOVED laser tag and played about 9 times.

It's amazing how kids thrive on spinning rides. The tea cup ride was a favorite.

Pooped out. Jake fell asleep while eating his lunch.

I took on a faux paint project in the family room...
6 colors and 3 days later, it was finally finished. Rob said he would like that done throughout the rest of the house. I said 'not unless you pay me like a million dollars'.

Jake has recently realized how afraid of the dark he is (especially the shadows created from the night light on the walls). Rob and I took turns sitting in his room with him until he fell asleep. Rob fell asleep before Jake did, so he joined him.

Oh, our sleepless little Jake. He woke me up at 2am. I tried everything, but I couldn't get him back to sleep. When I asked him if he was hungry, he lit up with excitement. So we sat on the kitchen floor together and shared a PB & J sandwich.

Nothing makes you smile like PB & J.

Kaylee and her friend Tyler have spent almost every day together this summer. They like to ride their bikes, play wii, and play games together.

They had fun playing minature golf.

Jessi taking Jacob for a little ride. Yes, that's Jessi in her underware. She's got the same clothing issues as Jacob. Two peas in a pod, those two.

A beautiful rainbow appeared after a light summer shower. What joy it brought them, as it was the first rainbow they had ever seen!

It's Alright To Be A Redneck...

2008-07-06T00:10:00.018-05:00

Our first 4th of July experience in our neck of the woods...

Even the armadillos party hard.

We parked our car at the high school and took a shuttle bus to a local golf course where the city's "Liberty Fest" took place. These booths were giving away free gifts for the kids, including snow cones...

Jacob spilled most of it on his white shirt. He was soaked, so I did what any good mother in redneck country would do...

I took off his shirt, hung it on a tree to dry, and let him show off his little little beer belly.

FYI: snow cone syrup stains skin.

(Now he can join the fans at a football game)

The kids had fun on the slides and bounce houses. It gave me a few minutes of rest between chasing Jacob all over the place.

Kaylee lit up like a sparkler when she saw her 3rd grade teacher in line for the snow cones. Her sweet and animated teacher showed so much excitement to see her. It was the highlight of Kaylee's night.

As we watched the fireworks, Jessi wasn't very happy about the loud booms as she covered her ears. On the other hand, Jacob was thrilled.

When the fireworks ended, we waited in line for 1 1/2 hours for one of the buses to take us back to our car.

Wiped out...we didn't get home until almost midnight, but we had fun (well, some of us).

Liar Liar, Pants On Fire

2008-06-27T01:16:00.003-05:00

Yes, my pants have been on fire, but today I have doused the flames (partially).

Up until this point, my 9 year-old daughter has been a faithful believer in the fairy, the elves, the jolly old man, the feisty green dude, and the big bunny. I knew that the moment of having to reveal the big secret to her would need to come soon, but I put it off for as long as I could.

This past year, Kaylee has repeatedly asked MANY in-depth questions about these mysterious characters. I struggled with trying to come up with a logical explanation for every question. With every answer I gave, I seriously felt like I was deceiving her big-time, but I also wanted to keep the magic alive. What do you say when your child asks you questions like: “What church does the Easter Bunny belong to? Does Heavenly Father give them their magical powers?” Some kids figure out the truth at age 5 (usually from a mean neighbor kid), and others hold out just a little too long (and find out that they are the only kid in class who still believes). I wanted to be the one to break the news to her.

So why did I do it today? Well, yesterday we pulled out her loose tooth (notice in the picture how happily she displays her tooth with anticipation for the tooth fairy to visit). Unfortunately, the tooth fairy’s schedule got a little backed-up last night and she didn’t get a chance to leave a monetary gift for our little sweetheart. When Kaylee realized this the next morning, she took it well (knowing that the fairy would for sure return with a gift the next night because it had happened to her once before). So all day today she asked me a bazillion questions about the tooth fairy. Maybe the heat really got to me or something because I no longer had the energy to lie to her anymore. We sat down alone together and had “the talk”.

As I tenderly broke the devastating news to her that her favorite characters were not real, Kaylee’s jaw dropped in total disbelief. Then she asked, “Did you just find out?!”

Oh, our sweet Kaylee. How I love her innocence.

She then asked, “Does Daddy know yet?” I just about lost it. I had to turn away to gain my composure. After explaining everything and sharing some funny stories, the little tears she shed were soon replaced with the exciting realization that now she is in on the big “secret”. She is thrilled with the idea that she can help make the magic fun for her siblings.

As I step back and look at the momentous meaning of this event, my heart aches because I took a piece of her innocence away and she will never experience the holidays the same way ever again. It’s so bitter-sweet to think about how much she’s growing up. I am happy she is maturing, yet wanting to keep her my baby at the same time. I didn’t expect this moment to be so sad for me…and eventually I will have to break the hearts of two more sweet little believers.

We Are Family

2008-06-23T22:48:00.020-05:00

We had so much fun at our family reunion in St. George. The week flew by too fast. I miss everyone so much already!

Here is our whole clan (except for Rob & Jack who couldn't come because they had to work).

My sisters, brother, Mom & Dad

All of Grammy & Grampy's grandkids

We hiked in Snow Canyon...

Me and my girls

We went to Zions National Park. The scenery was beautiful, but pushing a stroller on dirt hiking trails was not super-duper fun... not to mention trying to rationalize with a toddler who wanted to do things his way.

Jacob didn't get his way and he was ready to take it out on somebody.

"Bug-Eyes"--I don't get it, but some can pull it off (like my cute sister to whom these belong).

Looks like fun, huh? Yea, that was my room that turned into "Romper Room". The cousins did this all week...I had to make up my bed like 12 times. I wondered why they designated my room to be their party headquarters, but then I realized who the ring-leader was (can you guess who the little girl in pink is?). I actually didn't mind very much--it was great to see the cousins having fun together.

Groovin' with Aunt Lindy.

Happy 11th Birthday Pokey! Doesn't her little cake look mouth-watering?

Jacob's first real "dude" haircut. Just look at his pose...he thinks he's so cool. Now the ladies will take him seriously.

Something's just not right when your daughter creates a times table test for you to take because she thinks you need to learn how to multiply again.

"Mom, it's a good thing you have me around so I can help you with your math," Kaylee says.

When she hands me the test she says, "You are lucky because I won’t time you, but you can’t take longer than 5 minutes. If you get 100% I will give you a big bear hug, if you get 90% I will give you a regular hug, and if you get 80% I will give you half of a regular hug.”

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

2008-06-05T12:38:00.005-05:00

Jacob & Lily are buddies

These two little neighbors love to be together. At just 2 months apart, their eyes light up when they see each other every morning before our walks. Lily's mother Alli and I giggle as we see these little cuties hold hands, share their treats, play together at the park, and give hugs & kisses. So adorable.

Low Rider

2008-05-31T01:21:00.012-05:00

Jacob enjoyed the extra breeze on this warm spring day. He hasn't been wearing much clothing lately--it's totally saving on the laundry.

Another reason why the diaper outfit works well.

Yep, should have just been in his diaper. I know, what was I thinking!

I should have put him in clothes that day...the girls got a hold of him while he was mesmerized with Barney...by the time I arrived at the scene it was too late...all dignity gone.

I put him in his army fatigues to help make him feel like a dude again. After the fairy-humiliation wore off, it was back to body slamming like a good little boy should do.

Kaylee made it up to him with horsey rides.

Like peas and carrots.

Drama

2008-05-20T23:52:00.015-05:00

The other day when my girls came home from school, I asked them the usual, "How was your day?"

Kaylee beamed as she said, "Mom, I had the BEST day EVER! I passed my test and I got an award for Math!"

"Awesome!" I said and gave her a big hug. Wow, I thought. A motherhood pay-day.

I wanted to continue my excitement for her, but now it was Jessi's turn to shine...

"And how was your day, dear?" I asked my little sunshine.
"I had the WORST day EVER!" she said as she bowed her head and scowled. "I spit in my friend's eye, called her a liar and then the teacher put me in Time-Out!"

Trying hard to contain my composure (this kind of stuff has become quite hilarious to me over the years), I put my arm around her in loving concern and said, "ok, so why did you spit in your friend's eye?"

Apparently, Jessi's saliva shot out of her mouth and landed in her friend's eye as she said the word "friends" during a heated debate with her classmate about "what friends are supposed to do". As she told me the rest of her Pre-K drama, I had no words. I just had to leave the room before I really lost it.

Summertime!

Rob's family came to visit us last week and we did a few fun things around town. We ate at a restaurant called the Oasis that overlooks Lake Travis in Austin (about 20 min. away from our home). This restaurant has 7 levels--what a gorgeous view!

We went to Zilker Park in Austin. Barton Springs is a beautiful natural spring inside the park. We look forward to swimming in this giant "pool". We took a fun little train ride around the park. Then the kids played on the playground, ate snow cones, and enjoyed their flower and dog-shaped balloons that a clown made for them. We had a fun day.

The kids enjoyed the day at our community pool. The 6 different water fountains keep them entertained for hours.

Just Like Daddy

2008-05-03T00:41:00.010-05:00

Jacob practices combing his hair just like Daddy. Oh, how cute...until he decides to jump on Mommy's hair chair while admiring himself in the mirror, and then falls head-first onto the tile below. After two minutes of trying to comfort him, our builder shows up to do a big follow-up inspection of our home. About 10 minutes into the inspection, the lady inquires about the golf-ball sized goose egg on his forehead (which I hadn't noticed yet). Along with the numerous other bruises and cuts he had on him from previous run-ins with the floor and wall, I looked like one responsible mother. A few days before this spill, he tripped and chipped his tooth on our tile. Just moments after that, he tripped again and bit through his lip. Oh, I know, this is only the beginning...

Jacob (our little Robby) likes to jump and "fly" off the couch. We just hope that his super-hero ideas won't lead to setting his room on fire, like his daddy did (amongst many other mischievous stunts he pulled off) while playing "Superman". How ironic that Jacob's new cape was gift from Rob's mother. I'm sure she was thinking, "it's payback time".

The girls run from "The Evil Fairy". Poor Jacob, the labels he gets because he's the little guy. Come on, does he look dangerous to you? Ok, his bites leave pretty good marks and the baseball bat hits to the head hurt pretty bad. But besides that, he's just a sweet little boy.