So tonight Charlie had his birthday party! He got to invite some friends to a Rivercats game. When I called to get the tickets the sales lady suggested this section in the lawn seats that is contained by a fence and is full of lawn chairs and is only a dollar more than the lawn seats - only 20 people could sit there and since no one had signed up for we could use it with our group. I jumped at the chance, the boys were contained and couldn't get away and if they didn't stay in their seats it wasn't a big deal. How perfect was that for 8 year olds!

Well this turned out to be the best seat in the house!!!! Half an hour into the game an usher came up to John and asked if someone could join us. This man comes and sits in the far corner away from everyone. I looked back and just thought, who the heck is sitting with us, I thought we were the only who could sit in here, but since John is sitting a seat away I think he must be okay with it - especially since he had a HUGE grin on his face. After about 5 minutes I walk up to John to see what is going on and there is John just looking ecstatic! He looks at me and whispers - "That's Ricky Henderson!" at first I thought he was joking with me but the grin got bigger and bigger!!! For those of you who didn't know - Ricky was John's favorite ball player growing up. He was John's baseball hero as a kid!!! - he has tons of Ricky Henderson things and has told me stories about waiting for hours to get a signature on things. John said this will probably be his favorite kid birthday party EVER!!!

Apparently Ricky was driving through town and wanted to catch a little of the game. He came in a back gate near where we were sitting and asked John if he could join us. Ricky was so very nice, he signed Charlie's glove, took a picture with him & signed all the boys tickets - if I knew I was going to have that for them I would have skipped a party favor!!!

Now John & Charlie have new Ricky Henderson memorabilia to hang in the office and an incredible experience too! (does this mean I now have to rush out and get Charlie a new glove before his game tomorrow?)

no time to stop!

Stayed tuned for...

Baseball opening day
Baseball games
Easter festival
Easter
Charlie's birthday
Annie's Birthday

So this is funny little post - it is more to remind me what I need to sit down and post about so I don't forget!

The last month at our house has been so busy (when is it not) but this time everything is getting put on the back burner until I can get our house and lives a little under control. Last Friday I chaired a crab feed & auction for our elementary school at the country club for 250 guests -needless to say that I have been running around crazy! BUT... the event earned almost $20000 for the school so I would say it was a huge success.

Baby Blue Eyes!

Emily is getting so big so fast!!! She will give you the biggest smiles you could ever imagine and she is starting to giggle. She is sooo ticklish it is funny. If you tickle her tummy she scrunches up her legs and wiggles her head from side to side. There is something about this sweet little girl that is so engaging, she seems to have this really sweet and happy personality. Yesterday I was in the principals office at school (no one is in trouble - just talking about a fundraiser I am chairing in a few weeks) and I left her in the front office with the secretary & when I came out of the office there were 6 or 7 teachers/staff gathered around her and she was just sitting there smiling at all of them!

She got a new toy to play with - okay she just lays on the mat right now but she is starting to reach out to the toys!

Only once

Lately Audrey asks questions like rapid gunfire. For example, "can I have a drink, can I have a drink, mom, can I have a drink, mom, I want a drink, a drink" all of this in a 30 second period where I can't get her to stop long enough for me to say, sure. I am constantly telling her that if she asks me more than once the answer is no or to only ask once.

Well yesterday she was at her little easel drawing right by the back door & I was in the kitchen. Oreo wanted to come in so I asked her to open the door. She ignored me and about 5 minutes later I asked her to open the door again. She turned to me and said "no, I told you to only ask me one time, don't ask me more than once for something mama!"

I about fell over laughing!

St. Patty's Day

The kids out front looking for gold!

I love that Annie is at the corner looking for gold (it was only on the porch & driveway!)

Our kids are at such a fun age. They still believe in Fairy's, Santa Claus and Leprechauns! I have been so busy I almost forgot to do things for St. Patrick's day but the night before I pulled a few tricks out of my sleeve. I went outside and gathered a ton of rocks and spray painted them gold. John and I sprinkled them in the front entry way and down the front porch and drive. The kids were so excited to find it, they all took some to school to share the gold with their friends. I tried to dye the toilet water green but forgot that I have cleaner tablets in the tanks and it bleached out all the color!

We did have corned beef & cabbage for dinner. John has always told me he didn't like it but I made it anyway (I did have a back up plan in case no one would eat it) but much to my surprise EVERYONE (John & all the kids) LOVED IT!!!! Okay, not the cabbage but the corned beef, carrots & potatoes. I am so excited, I know that sounds silly, but I have always love corned beef and never made it because I always assumed no one else would eat it. In the past I would try to get myself invited to may parents near St. Patrick's day on a day I knew John couldn't come so my mom would make it for me!

I also made these tasty little treats - Rainbow cupcakes! (I copied the idea -but really could they be any cuter!)

February - a whirlwind of a month!

I could write the usual - Where did the month go - but the reality is I know right where it went! With 4 kids - one a 12 week old, a husband, planning a crab feed & auction, homework, art club, ballet for both girls, preschool, church, basketball for Charlie & John, homework club, boy scouts, Girl scouts, Pinewood derby, selling girl scout cookies, House guests for a weekend, valentines day, Valentine class parties, PTA meetings, play dates, painting & decorating the play room, dr's appointments, having Linus the 2nd grade guinea pig for a weekend, both cars in the shop, repair appointments for the dryer & microwave, working in both classrooms each week, babysitting swaps so I can work in classrooms, sleepovers, 2 school holidays, a week of minimum days for Charlie and oh yeah not to mention cooking, cleaning, laundry and driving the kids to all those things! That is where the month went!!!

Now some of those highlights ~ Charlie had his pinewood derby earlier this month and he came in 2nd in his pack! We are so proud of him and his enthusiasm. He was just as excited for all the other boys as he was for himself. Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Courtney came over for dinner and to cheer him on with us. He and John had a great time building his car! They designed it and John got a new work bench so they had a great time working together!

Annie has been selling girl scout cookies this month and was so cute in front of our little market with her troop! How cute are those little daisy girls! She and I have a new little tradition, while Audrey is at ballet each Wednesday morning we go next door to the little coffee shop and get hot chocolate and muffins and sit and visit. She is so cute and seems to treasure these times with me still. She is growing up into such a sweet little girl!

Audrey has been loving preschool. All the kids in her class are three and it has been so good for her. She comes home and talks about all her friends and Ms. Carrie. She has just blossomed in the last 2 months it seems from a little toddler to a big girl! She has started the funniest habit ever - when ever we go somewhere she packs a purse. Who knows what you are going to find in it. Last week at Johns basketball game all of a sudden I realize all the kids (I mean like 8 kids - not just mine) have string cheese. I look into her purse and there must have been 4 granola bars, 4 or 5 gogurts, half a pack of sliced American cheese, 2 refrigerator magnets, a chip clip bag and my favorite a check book (one from my purse)! She was prepared for everything - how can you not adore her!

We had a low key valentines at home! I made heart shaped french toast and then later that afternoon my good friend Cindy and her family came and stayed for a few days. We had heart shaped Pizza and pink cupcakes. Then we got to do our favorite thing and sit and talk for 2 days! The following day was holiday and it was BEAUTIFUL outside. Charlie played outside on his bike from 9 in the morning until 5 when I made him come in for dinner! Cindy and I took all the kids to the park at lunch time for picnic and we went on a long walk along the river with all the kids.

Charlie has been playing basketball again this year and LOVES it. I think it is his favorite sport and he is so good at it! He makes tons of baskets and he is really good about passing to his teammates as well. And on defense he is a little stud! He has this yell he does as he is trying to block shots that makes me laugh. We were at Walmart after one of his games and a dad and son on the other team walks by and I hear the dad say to the son, that is the kid on the other team who had 20 points! We are so proud of him.

We have had TONS of rain this month but we have also had some beautiful days as well. We have tried to spend those sunny days at park. It is the perfect time of year for our park because the snakes aren't out yet so the kids can play in the tree forts and bushes. The kids love being outside with all their friends and I love that I have so many great girl friends out here that have kids and we can get together and visit and let our kids run free at the park.

I wouldn't normally put up that both cars were in the shop but my van has been great! The check engine light came on for the first time in almost 3 years with a minor problem and then John on the other hand was coming back from a date with Annie and had a minor fender bender with a piece of re-bar on the side of the road. The picture below is of him removing it from the undercarriage of his car - I didn't get a picture of the 20 feet of barbed wire attached to it as well. Luckily no one was hurt other than the truck (it took over 2 weeks to fix and has to go back in next week after a few more parts come in!)

Emily is still an amazing baby! I feel so blessed with her sweet little personality. She sleeps all night still and even naps great during the day! She is at that smiley stage where anytime you interact with her she is all smiles. She may have the cutest smile ever - she scrunches up her little hands to her chin and tilts her head and then gives you the most beautiful little toothless grin you could imagine. She is starting to recognize her sisters and Charlie and will smile when she hears and sees them. I love that as her mom all I have to do is smile or pick her up and she is happy and content. I am still amazed that she is a red head! I was shocked when we had Annie and she had red hair - Emily is going to have hair just as red if not redder! Right now she is just curled up asleep in my arms as I type. John and Charlie are off playing basketball & the older girls are playing with some friends. We started a babysitting co-op on Saturday nights with some friends, we each take turns having the kids at our house on Saturday night and then other weeks we drop of our kids and get an adult evening. See how lucky I am!

As I look ahead to March I want to bury my head in the sand already, it may be busier than February. Baseball practice starts Monday - Charlie has 2 practices a week and Annie 1. The crab feed/Auction I am chairing is April 9th so we are at the countdown for that, John is gone for 4 or 5 days early this month, and we still have everything else going on!

(here are some pictures from the month no particular order and there are a lot of them - Audrey dropped our camera and it isn't working so that is on the to do list for the month too!)

Charlie's Class Valentines Day Party


Smiley Emily


Charlie at the pinewood derby & getting his tropy!



Annie's Valentines day party


Emily ready for Church


Audrey & Emily at Charlie's Basket ball game!
Charlie Playing ball - he was awarded MVP for his Team!!!!




Annie & Charlie with Linus (no we are not getting a guinea pig!!!)


Audrey talking to Uncle Brett on the phone (she wants to call him everyday)



Audrey with her Valentines Lollipop!


The kids got mousetrap as a valentines present!


Could she be any cuter?


Working on the pinewood derby car


John's Truck!

You just have to laugh!

You know my life is kind of a comedy sometimes. Yesterday John and I got a babysitter and were going to spend the afternoon/evening on a date ~ really our first one since Emily came. Well it started out lots of fun. John and I headed towards Jackson and were going to go into the little antique shops in Sutter Creek that we drive by all the time and never go in because we have all the kids with us. Then we were going to go out to dinner and then John was going to play ball for a bit while I ran a few errands!

Well we park the truck, load Emily into my front pack and head off for the downtown and the stores. We walk by this really old jail and we are joking about something and laughing and I am not paying attention to where I am going and next thing you know I step off the curb and end up on the ground (EMILY IS FINE)!!!! Before I can even get up I know something is wrong with my foot and sure enough it looks like a baseball is coming off my ankle. John goes and gets the truck and we head to the emergency room. Since we are so far from Sacto we just go to the hospital in Jackson. After x-rays it is just badly sprained and I have to stay off it for a few days. Really all in all it wasn't a bad place to have it happen, we were in an out of the hospital in Jackson in less than an hour and a half, and we had dinner in the car on the way home. The kids and John have been so sweet and have been taking care of everything. And if nothing else I get a few forced days of relaxing and sitting and holding Emily!