First T-ball Season!!

Another sport through the city is done!! yeah!!
T-ball was so much fun! I do have to say this, I felt so distant from Drew when he did it. I am not sure whether or not it was the fact that there were 3 other mom's from my mom's club there to chat with or that the kids were so far away. Either way, Drew had a great time and enjoyed hitting the ball off of the 't' and attempting to catch ground balls.
Attending Drew's last practice (aka his game/award ceremony) was nana, auntie chow, & grandma! He did very well at first base (auntie chow thought he should have caught and ran after balls....I am not sure she knows how to play first base, haha) and even hit a ball into a hole. Here are two pictures that my friend Michelle sent me...I did not have my memory card on pic day!!!! argh!

A New Blog

http://farnesfamilyfour.blogspot.com/

Smith Girl #2 has created a family blog. So go ahead and read it:)

Fallen Behind

Thinking that I would have enough time to post my 'Monday Meetings' was soooo wishful at best!! Also, Tackle Tuesday posts have fallen as well. Thank you Meg for posting and reminding me that I really do need to do this. I NEED to do this because blogging keeps me sane. I hate to admit it, but my life has gotten a tad out of control and I do need time to just sit....blogging is my time. Between trips, birthdays, family days, baby showers, swim lessons, movie nights, weddings, trying to see friends, ballet, t-ball and now the start of soccer, two more trips and pre-k events starting....I am spent!! Days have just flowed together and today was my breaking point....crying in the grocery store. I have been pushing myself and just trying to get to the store to get some formula in between leaving a ranch and heading to the Fair...well, come on...I am just crazy!!!

My patience is low, my house is filthy, and the kids are driving my nutty!!! AWWW to vent. I do feel a little better!! So here they are.....



SWIM LESSONS!!!! Since I thought of my Tackle and did not write about it...I will tell you the after thoughts.
Drew has had swim lessons before with Keeli and just a few with the YMCA, but this year he is ready, or at least he needs to be.
Emma....different story! She is very shy and loved being with Keeli, but not the Y. She is my challenge. Or at least I thought she would be.
Drew yelled, cried, screamed the moment I told him that he was starting swim lessons. Emma was so excited and even yelled, "I am a big girl and am going to swim!"
Yea right! By he time we got to Suzie's both kids did not want to swim, Drew wanted to stay in the car, and I was going to cancel the entire thing. However, with the help of Suzie, Conner and the amazing Elisabeth, all was well with Drew. Then....Emma! Man she can be a pain! I mean this is the nicest way, but MAN!!! When it was her turn she screamed, hit, and I could barely get her dress off! The ending with Em was some as Drew's...but her SCREAMS!!! So girly loud!!

Meet The BiBi's



#1- AKA, paci, plug, buggy, sucky, and so on.
#2- I am sorry for parents whose children hate them and for those parents that think they do not need to have them. It helps prevent against SIDS and is the biggest life savor!!
#3- All three of our kids loved them.
#4- As much as other people may hate the fact that we use bibi's, when the kids are crying those that hate them always ask for them:)

With the above being said.....

#5- We ALWAYS have to carry them!!! I have been through so many that I should have invested in the stock.
#6- Emma still uses one.....I say it is like her crack! I hope she does not smoke when she is older...haha.
#7- Watch out when you have babies at a hospital nowadays. Most do not provide them.
#8- There is really no other way to get my kids to calm down without one.

With all of that being said....

#9- I can not go a day without one.
#10- I would cry if I did not have these little pieces of plastic in my life.

Monday Meetings

I was thinking, "why don't I start my own day of the week on the blog to post something about our lives." There are various blogs dedicate to themes. For example the 'Tackle Tuesdays' and 'Wordless Wednesdays.'
Today I am going to start, 'Monday Meetings.'

Meet Sam



Sam belongs to Drew.
Sam is Drew's only toy that he can not live without.
Sam has been around since I got pregnant with Emma. Given to him by Auntie Chow.
Sam has no clothes.
Sam has been tossed, dropped, soaked with water, soaked with pee, and written on.
Sam must go with Drew to spend the night at anyone's house. But it is okay if Drew forgets.
Sam may not be touched by Em, but it is okay for Lilly:)
Sam is named after Sara 2's brother Sam.
Sam went with us to see Toy Story 3 and Drew smiled at him when Andy held Woody, maybe Sam is his Woody. That does not sound right!! hahaha
Sam has never been lost.
Sam must never be lost. There will never be another Sam:)

Crazy fun times!!!!

I have been so behind with blogging that I thought I would just add a few pics from our crazy fun summer!!!

The kids went bowling for the first time together. Well, I should really write that Drew bowled for both of them and Em just danced and jumped all around! It was very funny and killed a few hours before heading to our fav place, Costco.





Mad Dog's birthday party! Madison is 3 weeks older than Emma and they are destined to be BFF's. Maybe Drew will marry Madison..haha. Anyways, to see the girls grow together, have the need to always wear dresses, love princesses, and show love to each other is just the best thing. I am very lucky to have the 'Z' family in my life!





Palm Springs was a blast. Hot yes, but still a very cheap blast in a very beautiful Villa with two ladies that I am getting to know and their kids that I just adore! Drinks while in the pool, girls BBQin, kids that get along so well meant us mommies had a great time. I also need to mention that there was no doing laundry, vacuuming, or dusting! The only real eventful thing that happened was the earthquake...all of the kids in the pool and me in this pit feeding Lilly was not the best of times. It was memorial:)
On the way home we went to two places I have wanted to visit for years; Hadley's and The Dino's. The Dino's is not the correct name for the attraction, but that is what I have always called them and I do not care what they are really called, haha. Anyways, they are the Dino's that were featured in the movie, "Pee Wee Big Adventure," and since I use to live in beautiful 29 palms they always smile when I pass them on the freeway. The picture of Em looking like she is being tortured is her wanting to leave the Dino's, but I am not the type of parent who leaves...she got over it after awhile (when we left!). The other stop was Hadley's. My parents, sisters and I love Hadley's. I use to go there all of the time with Tyler when he was a baby and bringing my kids was yet another memory I will have of the dessert!













A County Fair. When my friend told me about this 'fair' I really thought the kids would see (of course, no touching) some farm animals, however there were no animals or anything like that. Then I realized where I live which is not really a place for farm animals or hay and embraced the old cars and PARK! I capitalized 'PARK' because the minute the kids saw it that was all they could talk about.
Finally, after looking at vendors and getting a snow cone the kids went to the park with Nana. I have to say Nana looked like she had a great time with Em:)




This first pic is probably one of my favorite EVER! I just wish I had gotten the correct lighting. Em was standing at the door as Derek and Drew were driving off to see their first movie together, "The Last AirBender," and all she could say was, "mommy we go to Disneyland and see princess now?" It was one of those things that kids do/say when a sibling gets to do something special and I was cracking up. Now every time a commercial comes on for that movie Em talks about princesses:) The second pic is of Drew leaving to watch the movie....yes, Derek sooo laughed at me for taking a pic. I only wish I had one of them leaving in the Expoler with their hands hanging out of the windows.



The background to the next set of pictures is this.... One day I walked into the dance academy that Emma attends and this gal looks at me and I look at her and these words come out, "I know you." I swear the city I live in is so small, yet you would never assume that growing up here. So the gal I knew was Tami. I went to high school with her and it is a crack up to get to know her all over again. We gossip (bad I know) about people from high school and have gotten to know each other as adults. And when DeAnne's daughter joined the academy...well, we just talk and talk. Here are a few pictures from Katilyn's 2nd birthday party.

I am burnt!

Here we go with the beach again, but it never gets old!! I got a phone call from my MIL at 12:06 saying many of the fam were going to the beach and I was out the door by 1:00!! I did have plans for later on that day, but with Derek at work I had no one to watch the kiddies and thought...what the heck let's go the beach!

Cupcakes Anyone???

If you like these....


Or these...


then go here http://cupcakeblake.showitsite.com/

I have used Mrs. Blake for a few events and EVERYONE has LOVED her creations. Yummy, so go and get some!!!

Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day!

Thank you the 18th Century for having the courage to make America!

Lilly Bug

She is just too cute and think all should see her:) **just mute my playlist**