Happy Birthday Mom...

We hope you had a fabulous day!  We all love you as big as the beach!

Soccer mom...

I grew up playing soccer.  I started playing when I was 6 years old for a team called the Pink Panthers and ever since those early childhood days I have loved soccer and all that it entails.  I played for most of my childhood and into my high school years.  I was never the star of the team, but I really loved soccer. 

My very first soccer team...notice my dad.  He looks exactly like my little brother Jess! 

Gotta love the 80's!

(I am on the bottom left and my sister Heidi is on the bottom, 3rd one from the right)

The Firecrackers!

And my high school soccer days.

I started KJ in soccer lessons at the age of 3.  He played a couple of years and then told me that soccer wasn't really his 'thing'.  WHAT?!?  Not your 'thing'??  My whole pregnancy I had visions of being a soccer mom, I planned to always be the volunteer soccer coach just like my dad always was.  

I just didn't understand.  

Here is KJ at 3 years old!  He was so little!!!

Here he is at 6 years old.

KJ has since found a new sport that he really likes.  He has just started playing Lacrosse.  And I do have to admit, it is a FUN sport to watch and very similar to soccer, so I guess I will just have to become a Lacrosse mom for now!!  We have learned that Lacrosse is a very popular/competitive/BIG sport here in Fort Collins.  

Jack is more of an individual sports kind-of-guy.  We are thinking along the lines of karate, cross country/track, rock climbing, tennis, swimming, etc.  

He does have good form!!  

And loves to climb.

 I still have hope that my little Liv will be my soccer star!
She certainly has the strong legs to be a good sweeper! 

But, she may stick to ballet and gymnastics!

Slow down little one...

I wish so badly that I had the power to slow the hands of time and be able to enjoy these moments of my children's lives a little longer before they so quickly pass by.  I do admit that each new phase in their lives is just as fun and exciting as the last, I just wish it didn't pass by so rapidly.  Why do you ask am I writing this now?  My baby is now in preschool (Pre-K) 3 days a week.  I know that this is a great thing and people just don't understand why this makes me sad, but it has been over 9 years now that I've had at least one child at home with me at all times during the day.  Tugging on my leg, asking to play, telling me they love me, wanting to watch a cartoon, or asking for snacks and lunch.  I have always wanted to be a mother, and I know I always will be, but as my kids grow they don't seem to need me as much.  I guess I like to be needed.  Maybe I should see a therapist about that!!!  They are gaining their own set of life skills and independence and I know this is a fabulous and necessary thing and I am so proud of all of them.  I guess I have learned to realize that all those times I said, "BE QUIET, IT'S ALWAYS SO NOISY AROUND HERE!!!" are the times I miss.  I never, ever thought I would say that!  When Olivia is gone and the boys are at school all day, it is so quiet and I don't like it!  I'm sure I'll grow to like it, and maybe, just maybe, I'll be more organized and have a clean house.  But probably not!  This quiet is so new to me and I miss the noise of children.  So, while she is away, I find myself not wanting to stay at home where it is quiet.  I want to be running errands (which, I might add is much easier and faster without little ones.  But I am always feeling like I'm forgetting something when it's just me at the store), or listening to my music, or watching TV just so it's not so quiet.  I was beginning to think that I was going nuts because EVERYONE I have talked to about this keeps telling me that they are jealous, that they can't wait to have some alone time, and that I should just enjoy it.  I guess it's time I start a new hobby.  Time to find a new passion.  Time to find something that will keep me occupied.  Not something that will keep me busy, I'm always extremely busy, but something that keeps my mind working.  So if any of you mom's have any ideas, send them my way!  Until I do find a new passion, I will be anxious to hear the NOISE that comes after 3:30 in the afternoon and lasts until 8:30 at night.  

Here are some pictures of my sweet little one on her first day of school.  She was EXTREMELY excited to start school.  She was so ready.  She is my social little butterfly and hasn't ever met anyone she doesn't like or call her friend.  I am so glad that she isn't shy.  I'm so glad she is anxious to go to school and to learn and be social.  I love driving to pick her up and see her playing on the playground with her friends.  I love to see my kids happy.  

This was her choice of backpack.  

I wanted her to choose the cute polka-dot one, but here again is an example of her independence. :)

She did however ask me if I could just "drop her off at the door because I know where my class is" on the first day of school.  Um....NO....I don't think so!  She also had to pick out her own outfit, not the special one I bought her for her first day of school.  She didn't want to wear purple, she wanted black and pink, and she didn't want to wear her cute mary jane shoes, she wanted her Vans.  Oh boy.  She is my little independent/stubborn one.  And I'm not sure if one day I will love this trait or hate it!  

We shall see.

 Her school is Very cool!  It was the old high-school in town (1931) so it has a gym, and old wood floors, I love it inside! 

Here is Olivia with her teacher, Mrs. Hunter.  She LOVES her! 

My little Jack-Jack turns 6...

It was an unordinary birthday this year for our little Jack.  He officially turned SIX years old in Witchita Kansas!  We drove down to Texas for the big Oregon football game and it just happened to land on Jack's birthday weekend so we tried to make it a fun trip for him.  He loves to stay in hotels, so he thought he was pretty cool.  This is the first year ever that he hasn't had breakfast in bed on his birthday.  We will be sure to do that for him tomorrow morning!  The reason he didn't is because we bid on a hotel on Priceline and got a smoking deal on a room at a fancy schmancy hotel (Hyatt Regency) and it really was super nice but the only problem with fancy hotels is that you don't get the typical Continental Breakfast.  You had to order room service or eat down in their fancy restaurant.  We didn't feel like paying $12 for toast, so we went down the street hoping to eat at an Ihop or something similar and Jack saw a Long John Silvers and wanted to go there.  Not my idea of a great 'breakfast' option, but it was his day so what-do-you-do.  We opened some of his gifts which really was perfect timing to help keep him occupied for our next 5 hours in the car!  He got a Nintendo DS game system and a few games.  His favorites being anything mario, sonic and the oldschool pac-man/galaga.  He's been talking about getting a Nintendo forever so he was very excited!  It was the perfect birthday present for a road trip birthday!

We got to my Aunt Lori and Uncle Scott's house in Allen, TX and they made pizza and watermelon for dinner.  Jack's favorite foods!  Then we had cupcakes, the kids did some swimming, and we opened some more birthday presents from family.  Despite the unusual birthday activities, he still had a great day.

I did get to go to his class with cupcake treats and we sang to him!

He feels a sense of entitlement now that he's 6.  He wants to dish up his own food and pour his own milk, he wants to cross the street by himself, he wants to wear a hat to school (even though they aren't supposed to), he doesn't want to put his clothes away, he only wants to wear character type shirts (which I hate), he wants to stay up late and watch movies, he wants to play his Nintendo when it's homework time, he wants to start karate and soccer, he wants to make his own school lunches, he doesn't want to wear his glasses, he wants to go to Disneyland to ride on the big kid rides, all because "I'm SIX now!"
What a neat and special little boy he is.  He has a certain quality about him that draws people to him.  Everyone who knows Jack, loves Jack.  What would I ever do without him?  He really is my favorite little six year old in the whole wide world.  There are times I'd like to pull my hair out and throw a temper-tantrum to compare to his, but he really does make my life complete.  I love him as big as the beach, he has stolen my heart.  

 

 We had to stop in Russell, Kansas on our way home to snap a couple of pictures of Jack! It is his middle name and his dad calls him Russell every now and then!  Yes, you read that right.  Jack Russell.  Like the dog.  It was the ONLY compromise Dan and I could come up with for boy names.  Dan is famous for liking really unusual names. His real name is Jackson so it doesn't look too funny at school or on his Birth Certificate!  Russell is a family name and I had to use it.  It is my Great-Grandma's maiden name and my dad's middle name.  Dan thinks it would be so cool one day to be a famous athlete with the name 'Jack Russell'.
(and my soon-to-be nephew will also be Russell. Jack thinks his cousin is being named after him!)
  It's such a great name!

Happy 6th Birthday little Jack!


PS---
We tried to get a 'state sign' picture when we would cross the border, but my camera isn't fast enough or there was always a semi truck blocking the picture.  Oh well.  Here are some that we did get!  Keaton was excited to have a sign with his name on it because there is never anything with his name on it!

I still love my Ducks...

Picture this....

Getting ready to go see our Ducks play in our green and yellow at my Aunt Lori's house in Allen, TX...

a sold out Dallas Cowboys stadium...

a super HOT day in Dallas, Texas...

singing the national anthem with over 80,000 die-hard football fans...

watching Puddles kick some tail in the mascot dance off 

(he really is the best mascot in the country, hands down)...

watching the game on the biggest, 

HUGEST (i know that isn't a word, but the screen really was that big) 

JUMBO screen I've ever seen...

Watching our family's favorite football (UofO) team play LSU...

With my favorite people...

And we lost.

But it was still a fun, exciting, HOT, kind of day.  A once-in-a-lifetime type of game.  Let's just hope this isn't an indication of how our season will go.  But even if it is...we still love our Ducks!  I have a feeling we will do fine even though our team is young this year.  

I'm ready for some football, how about you!?!