Our Hill was on FIRE!

As if we are not already a little shell shocked from the October Wild Fires today a transformer blew and ignited our hill with flames. Thank goodness a neighbor was outside washing her car as she heard the noise and saw the flames instantly. She called 911 & the Fire Department and CDF where here within minutes.
I was on my way back from Costco and Joshua and I noticed from the freeway that there was a lot of smoke. It looked like the apartments below us could have been on fire. As I drove, the horns and blares of firetrucks led me to pull over. By the time I got home, we noticed that the fire men were on out on our hill! They got to it in plenty of time and because we had a rainy weekend, the fire didn't spread quickly.
All, I can say is thank you to those Firemen...they are TRUE HEROS!
Here is a close up picture of the firefighters on the hill:

Going BOW Crazy!

I am reading this book right now titled, "What Every Mom Needs," it is published by MOPS International. It's been a great book and it's reminding me that I still need take time to be the person I was before I had children... when time seemed unlimited. I used to be the person that found joy and relaxation in crafts, sewing, and baking. I rarely have time for any of that these days, so last night while Kevin went to work (yes, he had to go to work on a Saturday night on Memorial Day Weekend) I got out my ribbons and went for it! For over a year, I have been wanting to make bows. I have also wanted to make them and sell them on ebay along with my beaded socks. Here are my first few attempts. It took several hours to make three bows, but it kept me busy and I felt productive and I saved myself some $$ because I made them myself. I made one for The 4th of July, one to match Sophia's Leopard leggings, and the orange and brown one will match several of Sophia's outfits for this summer.

Second Cousins, or 1st Cousins Once Removed???

OK, now I need some serious genealogy classes. OK, my LDS friends should know this very well, but I have to google it and I still don't quite understand it all. My cousin came to visit with her husband and three girls. The three girls are my first cousins once removed. But, what are my first cousins once removed to my own kids? I have been telling my kids they are their cousins, but I know they must have an official genealogical name. All the genealogy terms are confusing. You try googling it and you'll get pyramids, family trees, etc. All fun to look at but very confusing. Any how, it was fun to see my first cousin Sara and her family and my kids had a BLAST with "their cousins." Here is a picture of Marissa, Joshua, Sophia, Tori, Calista, and Jordyn. Pretty good picture considering 5 out of the six are content. For your reading and thinking pleasure....below are the definitions of cousins.

Here is a definition of a cousin:
A cousin in English kinship terminology is a relative with whom one shares a common ancestor, but in modern usage the term is rarely used when referring to a relative in one's own line of descent, or where there is a more specific term to describe the relationship, e.g., brother, sister, aunt, uncle. The term blood relative can be used synonymously, and underlines the existence of a genetic link.

Here's where it gets complicated:

A system of degrees and removes is used to describe the relationship between the two cousins and the ancestor they have in common. The degree (first, second, third cousin, etc.) indicates the minimum number of generations between either cousin and the nearest common ancestor; the remove (once removed, twice removed, etc.) indicates the number of generations, if any, separating the two cousins from each other.

For example, a person with whom you share a grandparent is your first cousin; someone with whom you share a great-grandparent is a second cousin. Where your relationship to the nearest common ancestor is different from your cousin's relationship then the term "removed" is used to indicate this, for example the child of your first cousin is your first cousin once removed because there is a generation between you.

Hmmmm...maybe my first cousins once removed are Second Cousins to my kids. what do you think? I think I just may be trying to think too much!

More Sophia Sightings

We have been told that Sophia has been spotted in this month's (June 08) LUCKY Magazine pg. 118, and June 08's GLAMOUR Magazine (page 140 something). Some people have been asking if her ad is still around. They bought her out for 2 year usage, so we may see her out there a little longer. We won't complain about that! However, I have yet to find that nail polish she is advertising. If you see it, let me know. It sounds like good stuff!

The Poetry Party

Marissa's class has been studying and memorizing poems over the last couple months. Last night was the GRAND FINALE (The Poetry Party) where all the kids in the class shared their poems with their parents. Each child got to choose their own poem and bring their own props. It was their night to shine. I was amazed as to what these kids could memorize! I cannot even keep track of my keys (I'll save that for another BLOG), Sophia's bows, and her shoes these days and to even think about memorizing anything would certainly not be happening.
Marissa chose to memorize Shel Silverstein's poem, Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out. It was over 40 lines and she truly came through! Her teacher said that no one in her many years of teaching had done that poem and that she was very impressed. Here are some pictures of her with her piled high trash can saying her poem.

Third Grade Field Trip

On Tuesday I got to go on Marissa's field trip to the San Diego Zoo. We had a nice time and the kids had a blast. I had one that had a mind of her own and just liked to wander so that made it a bit stressful, but other than that our six group of girls had a fun time.

Moments with Kassidy

Oh my kids truly love our friend's dog Kassidy. We had the priveledge of watching Kassidy and Company this past weekend while they were up in LA for the weekend. Needless to say, our kids really want a dog now, even though we had a lot of FUN, it's going to be a while before we commit to that.

The Trio

I always think it's a cute idea to get the kids together for a picture UNTIL I actually try it. I don't always get the perfect Kodak Moments. I actually have to try many, many, many times to get a picture worth posting. This time I decided I may as well post one of my many FLOPS! Above it the first of many attempts. Finally, I got one decent one before the all melted down.

We MADE it to, Marissa's Open House

Marissa's Open House was at school last night. Bless her little heart, we had to be there at 5:15 so that she could perform her musical piece on her recorder with all the 3rd Grade Classes. I just have to ask, "Why does everything these days have to be a drawn out saga?" We made it on time, but just as we are about to leave, I notice that Sophia is just covered with STICKY white rice along with her dinner. You see, right now she really wants to feed herself on her own. Why I allow her to do this on a night we need to run out the dorr, I have NO idea! Well, I do know why and it was because I needed to run upstairs to get ready myself. I always seem to pay for it somehow. When I came downstairs, I saw her all covered with rice and just wanted to cry because we needed to get out the door, then I laughed because she looked like a rice bowl attacked her. It seemed as every bit of her face was covered in rice. As she is grinning from ear to ear I knew that I just needed to let it go. I thought about getting the camera out and taking her picture (then I would have something exciting to BLOG), but it was already in the car so it would actually make it to Open House. Then I figured since I had little time to get to school, that I'd better get my jaw off the floor and start moving. So....I got her out of her high chair thinking this rice would magically fall off, but I was wrong.....now I truly know why they call it "STICKY RICE." So, it was off to the tub!
Oh well, it's never quick and easy getting anywhere these days. It's next to impossible to get everything I need to do done. As organized as "I think" I am, God often reminds me that I need to call on Him to get through those times. We made it to Open House in the nick of time and Kevin arrived shortly thereafter. Here are some pictures of Marissa in her classroom, sharing the work she so proudly displayed.

Sophia's last....Crazy 8

Sophia's last Crazy 8 photo shoot was up on www.crazy8.com today. It was a fun stretch of seeing Sophia as the poster baby for Gymboree's new Clothing stores called, Crazy 8. Sophia auditioned for the print work last June when she was barely starting to sit up. She got the job and even got called back 4 more times. This last shoot was in February. I just found out from Sophia's agent that they replaced her because she has outgrown the size they needed her for. It's been a fun last year seeing her pictures in the stores and on their web site. It was fun for her to be the first poster baby for a new store and to top it off, it is a GYMBOREE store....you all know how much I love Gymboree!
Here are some pictures of the other lines she modeled:

The Many Faces of Joshua

I usually do all of our pictures at JcPenney because they always have great coupons and I have a portrait membership there. They ALWAYS do a super job! Check these fun pictures out. They really captured all of Joshua's expressions. As you can see, he had fun during this picture session.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mommy's out there reading this. Although motherhood can be very difficult and tiring at times, I really do enjoy being a Mom! Kevin often reminds me that I am doing the job I ALWAYS wanted and dreamed to do. That is true and I am very thankful to have three healthy children and a supportive husband.
Today my family made my day EXTRA special by giving me handmade cards, gifts, and taking me to my favorite restaurant after church : "The Cheesecake Factory" for lunch. After that we went to UTC to walk around and I got to go into all my favorite stores. We even popped into See's Candy and I got a Scotchmellow. It doesn't get much better than that! Thank you Kevin and Kiddos for making Mother's Day so special!

Joshua's Last Swim Lesson

Joshua did very well with his swim lessons these last six weeks. He's a pretty strong willed little guy so we got our monies worth with him. Joshua thought he could manipulate the instructor and not do what was asked of him. Well, Damon saw through that rather quickly. He knew what Joshua was capable of, and really pushed him. After 18 lessons, he was swimming like a pro. Well, not really a pro, but I am now feeling more comfortable with him in the water and he too is more confident in his skills. Hopefully he doesn't lose what he learned before we really start swimming this summer.

Off to the Strawberry Fields....

This weekend Kevin thought it might be fun to take the kids to an Organic Farm in Pauma Valley. Marissa has mentioned a few times recently that she might want to be a farmer someday. We told her that may not be a bad idea as she is our vegetarian and she could have some excellent produce if she planted her own.
They were having a Strawberry Festival this weekend and allowed people into the fields to pick their own strawberries.
We all had a fun time picking in eatting the stawberries right off the plant. Even Sophia got ihto the spirit and picked her very own pint of berries.
They weather was PERFECT and the berries were super. We could'nt think of a more perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

And.....he's OFF!

Joshua has been so motivated these days to learn how to ride his bike. Kevin has been taking him out every now and then, and he insists on riding without the training wheels. He gets additional practice when we walk with our friend Jeanie around Discovery Lake. She so kindly holds onto his shirt while he pedals around the lake. She gets a good workout as I push Sophia in the stroller behind them. He's been getting so close to taking off and riding on his own. Well, this afternoon was the day he took off! I was so excited to see him come around the corner on his own so I started shouting...."You're doing it, YEAH, you're riding your bike on your own!" I ran in to get the video camera and when I came out to film him, I noticed he has an audience watching him now. The neighbors were clapping and cheering him on as he made his 4th lap around the block. Marissa could hardly stand it, so even she decided to run with him around the block. Here are a couple pictures of him as he's enjoying his 1st bike ride.

PS- Well, needless to say Marissa was happy for her brother as he now knows how to ride his bike, but now she is DETERMINED to ride her bike also. We have been trying to motivate her for years to get on and ride. Well, today she told her dad she was GOING to ride that bike by the end of the day....sure enough, after a 1/2 hour, she too was riding her bike around the block. She needs some more practice, but in a few days she too will have it mastered! We are so proud of our little ones!