How can you get mad at this face???

We had run into Walgreens and each of the girls picked a little tube of lipstick as a treat (so no this isn't mom's hot pink!). Anyway, the girls had gone up stairs to play with it and when Audrey came down this is the result - not to mention the walls and carpet she got as well - at least it all came off!!!

September Happenings

So with all my good intentions to update my blog it hasn't been happening. Needless to say life has been a little busy here!!!!!

We are back in the swing of things full speed it seems. The kids have been in school for 7 weeks now and we are adjusting to a new schedule.

Charlie has started a theater group and they are doing the Jungle Book the weekend of November 14th (mark your calendars!). He is Monkey #2 and is having a great time. He has had a little bit of a hard time adjusting to 2nd grade but we think it is all starting to work out. Cub Scouts started last week and he is now a Wolf Cub.

Annie is LOVING kindergarten. She comes home on Monday and does all of her homework the first hour then spends the rest of the week asking me to make her more. Ballet started up again and she is doing just a ballet class this year (no tap combo). She really seems to enjoy it and is coming home and showing us what she has learned! She starts Daisy Scouts next week and super excited - stay tuned you will all get a request for buying Girl Scout cookies come this spring.





Audrey has adjusted really well to having the kids back in school. She is such a good little girl - although she is almost 3 and has decided she can do everything "all by meself" as she says! She started Ballet earlier this month and I have to admit she is adorable. There is nothing cuter than a little 3 year old in her leotard and tutu!

I have been BUSY to say the least, between the kids, taxi driving, PTA, etc it never seems to slow down.



How can I mention the fall with out mentioning it is the start of College Football! At our house as most of you know we cheer for the Gators so the kids have loved donning their cheer leading costumes and shirts & love our little gator day parties. Annie has really gotten in to helping me in the kitchen and asks me early in the week what we will be making.

Two weeks ago now John's mom & brother came for a visit. It was nice to get to spend time with them and the kids loved having them here. Brett is actually staying on with us for a few more weeks and the kids are in seventh heaven. I will admit it has been nice to be able to ask someone to just watch the kids for 15 minutes to run to the little market or if Audrey is asleep at bus stop time Brett has gotten the older kids for me!

Well Audrey has a little friend over and they have been playing so good together that I was able to finally update our blog... I am sure there is more to come.

Trip to the coast. - Beware lots of picts!

As a short last hurrah before school started we took the kids to the coast for a few days. On Friday we took them to the Santa Cruz Board walk. They had so much fun - I hadn't been since I was a teenager and was shocked at how crowded it was. The kids had the best time playing games and riding on the rides.






That afternoon we went back to our hotel. John found us a great place in San Jose that was a suite. It had 2 bedrooms, a living room/dinning room and a full kitchen. It had a pool with a bbq area and then there was a breakfast buffet that was perfect with the kids. We spent the evening swimming and playing in pool all together.

The next day we did the funnest thing with the kids. We took them to the Gilroy Gardens. I had never been there, it used to be called the Bonfante Gardens and was originally a horticulture park. Anyway, it is the perfect place to take kids 9 and under. The park was beautiful and clean with rides geared towards younger kids. There was no fried food and vendors every 10 ft. There were water play grounds and normal jungle gyms to play at. There was a banana ride (like a giant boat that goes back and forth) that Charlie must have done 20 times. Because it is geared for younger kids and a little on the expensive side the park wasn't crowded at all - there were almost no lines and if there were any it was maybe a 2 or 3 minute wait. We all had a great day and are looking forward to going back!

Homework........ Boy vs. Girl

So having 2 children in school for 3 weeks now I have noticed there is a huge difference between Charlie & Annie!

Charlie hates homework! I am not saying that like oh it's cute he doesn't want to do his homework - I mean he really, extremely, passionately dislikes having to do homework. Really who can blame him, he is gone from between 7 and 7:30 depending on if he rides the bus or not and doesn't get home until after 2:30. It is hot outside (it has been hovering near and above 100 here for 2 weeks now) and he is tired, bored with doing school work, would rather play or he has an after school activity. Not to mention there is WAY more homework in 2ND grade than 1st.

Annie on the other hand LOVES homework. Seriously, she does the entire packet sent home on Monday afternoon, then for the rest of the week asks me to make her more homework. She has gone through the dozen or so practice workbooks I had around, she loves it when I print worksheets off the computer for her and if I don't do that she gets out paper and practices letters! I am not sure if this is just new and novel for her but I don't ever remember Charlie wanting to do all his homework in kindergarten in one sitting then asking for more! Really I think it might be a difference between boys and girls!!!!!

Letter D....

Annie & I were walking down the stairs before school today and she was telling me all about the letter D. She said "Mommy, it has a straight line then a big, fat, baby belly, just like you!"

Oh how I love her today!!!!!!!