Friday, October 11, 2013

First Day Of School!

Kindergarten!  The first two are in school :-0.  The twins have been attending for the past six weeks!  Thought I would be excited the first day.... I was!  No tears on either end - mine or theirs!  
The added joy to this significant event is that Uncle Brooke was here to share it!!  He was in Detroit for work.  He spent a couple of nights with us enjoying the end of summer.  He fixed bikes- Liam's, Kate's, even the neighbor boys. He also helped them learn to ride, witnessing Liam's first successful go at riding with NO training wheels and Kate's first time riding a two wheel bike with training wheels!  All the kids were impressed with the tools he carried in the back of his truck.
We made the end of the day super special by baking my Aunt Loise's giant sugar cookies from scratch.  I have fond memories of enjoying her sugar cookies she sent to us in empty brad bags.  " they are as big as our heads" the kids exclaimed.  





The kids even got to ride the bus!  Well, they took a bus ride anyway, not on the first day of school but 5 days before!  Compliments of a friend who drives a school bus for a living, how cool is that?!!

Bring On The Bread!


Bring on the zucchini bread!!!


 One of the reasons I love to garden is the fresh vegetables and herbs available to us ALL summer.  Our garden was great this year, the abundant rained helped us out!
We had okra, greens, tomatoes, green beans, snap peas, radishes, & my fave- zucchini.




I love to make zucchini bread.  It is a pastime my mom and I would do together, bake!  That must be why I love to bake so much, that and I love to eat it ;)

It is SO EASY TO MAKE.  It is also an easy way to put a smile on someone's face.  I have given out lots of z bread this summer.  My sis and her family all love it!  Even her hubby who does not usually like baked goods and dessert!!
Enjoy your summer bounty, pumpkin bread is next!

Summers firsts



Well summer is officially over :(.
It is time to reminisce, we had so many FIRSTS this year that we ahve to share with you.
First time fishing with Grandpa Garrett and EVERYONE CAUGHT THEIR FIRST FISH!

First time golfing


First time attending a tigers baseball game


First time attending an airshow



First time kayaking

It was a FUN summer, we are sad to see it go but are looking forward to fall!

Friday, August 16, 2013

Butterflies 3rd Birthday






Our day started with the requested breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes.  Yep, she has my sweet tooth!
 Then came a few presents (Lots of lip balm of the princess and Barbie variety) . Applied on one happy set of lips as witnessed above!
 Off to the barn on a birthday adventure of  horseback riding with my neighbor. We helped brush and saddle "Flyer".
   Butterfly was a little nervous so she just sat on the horse.  Her siblings and I all went for a ride.
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We enjoyed feeding the dozen chickens, riding the bike horse & cart, swinging
And getting dirty!!






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After a two hour nap, we then got the party started! Chuckie Cheese with some friends.

A piƱata, cake, & presents.....which of course you have to try on before hitting the sack!

The first day of being 3!!!!! Pretty FUN.




Sunday, August 11, 2013

The First Lost tooth In Our Family

Do you remember how sore it was to wiggle your loose tooth when you were trying to get it out as a child?  The anticipation of what lay under your pillow the next morning after you placed your tooth there the night before?  We are reminded of those experiences, as Sweet Pea has lost her first tooth!!


It all started with her complaining of soreness behind her baby teeth.  We looked and found there was a ridge/ shelf present.  Strange, we'd never come across something like this.   A few days later a tooth popped through the ridge!  What, two rows of teeth now !
Uh oh, this is too early! Kids loose teeth when they are 6-7 not 5 yrs old!!  I called my sister Aka Ruby Red Slippers.... she explained she had the same experience as a child and the baby teeth had to be pulled.  Uuugh! Off to the dentist we went.


"Normal". Was the diagnosis, for girls that is.  Boys loose teeth a bit later, 5 is just fine for a girl.  Lo and behold that tooth in question started loosening just around the time of the dental visit.  Yay, no pulling required!  Just "wiggle, wiggle, wiggle that tooth" was the treatment.  

2 weeks later, after numerous applications of custom cotton candy flavored numbing medication provided by our dentist, the tooth was hanging by a thread.  Wednesday August 7th Sweet Pea awoke without a tooth!  She presented her toothless grin to Scarecrow wondering where her tooth was!  Did she swallow it during sleep?  Was it lost on the floor?  Turns out it was right in her bed!! 


 
We asked what she was hoping for from the tooth fairy..... "A dollar!!" was MUCH hoped for.  That next morning, two dollar bills were left under her pillow where her tooth had been.  She was ecstatic, you will know what I mean if you can just picture when I am excited and multiply that x 1000!  She carried the cash around all day until I suggested she put it her Hello Kitty wallet for safe keeping.  Now we just have to find the wallet ;)
 

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

The Fab Four

I know it has been well over a year since my last post, I was pleased to see my blog is still here!  Not sure if there are blog police but I have not been cited for missing blogs.  I made a pact with a great friend to blog every two weeks, so here goes!
Oh where to begin... Well how about some of the biggest news, a new baby !
Not so new anymore he is 11 months old.


  Where does the time go?  Well, most of mine is doled out to the Fab Four - kids that is.
Our sweet boy had a slow start, ending up in NICU for a few days with underdeveloped lungs.
He  has been catching up ever since. A bit of a snail at the start but he will turn into a spider once those legs get crawling!  He is sitting for now which is fine with me, the less chasing I have to do!
Happy, content, giggly, Roley poly is a good way to describe our fourth.  He is carried almost everywhere indoors by his 5 1/2 yr old sister.



This same sister ( Sweet Pea) received her first pair of glasses on April after a screening at school detected farsightedness.  Those are purple glasses with sparkling stars on the side she picked out!
A mild amblyopia "lazy eye" was detected which has not improved with glasses.  A consult today revealed weekly vision therapy and daily patching will be needed.

Little Sprout has taken off with his Lego building abilities.  I bought some for Christmas, not realizing there are certain ages on the boxes.  Of course I got him Legos that were too difficult, Spider man, how could I go wrong?  Well Scarecrow had to put it together.
 Soon it was all taken apart and some amazing creations are coming out of those Legos, fighter jets, houses, guns, amazing!

Our little Butterfly has been participating in swim lessons.  She adores her teacher miss Amanda and talks of her often. She was so happy with her first ribbon which was lesson number 3 "no tears I was brave and overcame my fears!"  She is still working on the concept of pulling with her arms  and usually just does her "super girl glide" while sinking!



Life sure is busy with four, we call this the final four.
 I did have some longings for another baby when our littlest was six months along still at a snails pace... but we have concluded our family is complete.  It sure makes me thankful when I take time to reflect on our four amazing blessings! They do grow and change so much, blogging is a wonderful way to remember and capture that!!!
 We will share our summer highlights next time around.