SUMMER TIME

Where did that school year go? WHO CARES???? I'm glad it's over and so are my babies! Bring on the summer!

2009 Holiday Newsletter!

Welcome to our first digital posting of the newsletter! We're hoping to save a few trees and carry on with our annual publication on-line! I started this blog last year, and am hoping to update it more frequently this year so please come back! You can also find me on facebook!

Wow! Whatta Show!

Shelby and I had a great time at the JB concert! Having to walk only two blocks away was a great bonus. The opening acts were really great ... Honor Society - a band of 4boys who were similar to the jb except not nearly as good! And Jordin Sparks, American Idol, who wore a black glove on her right hand, presumably to honor Michael Jackson. She also sang the song "smile" which is what Jermaine sang at the Memorial Service. She came back out later and did a couple of songs with the jonas brothers. she has a powerful voice! The Jonas Brothers were AMAZING! They have added some great lights to their show and also did a "right back at you, Taylor Swift" version of rain on the stage. And a surprising Trampoline was snuck in on the stage! The boys do act like little boys!

It took hours for my hearing to return to normal. Shelby was so cute taking their pictures and waving to them! I think she believed they could actually see her. Those boys must make their parents so proud...they are each extremely talented! I really love their music and the lyrics to their songs. I am so glad to have the chance to share this memory with my baby girl!

While momma is away....

After visiting the doctor AGAIN with Spencer, we were advised that it would be okay if Steve took him and the other fellas to the river for some fun while the girls are gone. His cough is still there but thankfully, he has been able to keep his foods down! They are doing what they love to do out there (play outside) in the early morning hours before it gets too hot...but then they head inside and watch all the stuff on TV that mommy doesn't allow! Sponge Bob scores again.

Shelby and I are getting ready now to go to the Jonas Brothers concert tonight. We have had some great fun and mommy/daughter bonding. How can you go wrong with shopping and a concert! She doesn't enjoy all the shopping that I love though, I noticed that she didn't stop to look at as many shoes as I did! :-)

Last Stop Before Leaving Town -- Urgent Care!

Spencer has been fighting a cold so I took him to urgent care just to double check to make sure we weren't dealing with some other freaky thing. After all, I am leaving town tomorrow. Thankfully, there were no symptoms requiring further attention so hopefully all will be well while I am gone.

Shelby and I packed up our stuff tonight and needless to say, we are both excited. She and I take a little trip together every summer and this is going to be super fun! We're going to check out the Mall of America and of course, her fav band is playing nearby so we scored some tickets to go see them as well!

Today we also drove to check out some nearby beach areas for some day camping this summer. The kids really love the boogie boarding thing and we're hoping to make several trips to the beach before the summer is done! It seems a shame to have the ocean at your fingertips and not enjoy it as much as you can!

Let Freedom Ring!

We have made the rounds today...starting with our local community parade this morning and then a little swim break and on to our baton twirler's parade in the heat of the day...and then a stop at home to pick up the swimmers and off to the show before the fireworks! Daddy got the motorhome in place so we were able to enjoy all the luxury of a/c...comfy seats...our own potty... We watched the twirlers do a fabulous show and then settled in the motor home where the windshield became our hi-def wide screen view of the fireworks display!

All in all, a good day....even with a few little attitudes that they'll regret someday when they're older!

I couldn't help but think about freedom and not necessarily in the "patriotic" way. I was thinking about the freedom a parent must give a child. Freedom to make choices and mistakes. Seems we are faced every day as parents with our own choices on how to teach the lessons they need to have to make the choices that result in the least damaging mistakes. Also, the parent's freedom from those mistakes....

Then I got a headache and realized that I miss diapers.

Hair It Is!

I have finally given in to my husband's requests to get the curls cut-off our littlest son who is *sometimes* mistaken for a girl by people who really should know better and who don't think before they speak. So, he made the journey the two brothers did before him to Antoine, Steve's own stylist (or should I say barber? groomer? designer?)... Mason played the shy card and made me work really hard to get some pictures and ended up walking out with his ziploc of saved-for-the-memory-box detached curls. I know that he is happy to have his hair "flat and not so messy", because he told me so! I asked him the night before we left, if he thought that he looked like a girl and he replied, "no, i think i look like an ordinary boy." Boy? Yes. Ordinary? NO!