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!