Zichichi Family

Totally Random

2012-02-05T20:27:00.001-07:00

I was sick, Brynn was sick, Zeke was sick. Ashland has so far stayed healthy. Things are starting to get back to normal at home. When I was sick, I totally got behind with all the regular stuff at home. The girls were watching too many movies and not eating the greatest meals.

Winter outside time in Arizona, Ashland wears a jacket and flip flops and Brynn wears shorts sleeves with a fleece hat and mittens.

The girls watching Beauty and the Beast.

Ashland made this poster of herself at school.

I have not made waffles in over a year. I do not know what I did wrong, but they got stuck in the waffle iron. It took me over an hour to clean the waffle iron. :(

My little lemonade maker.

Dentist

2012-02-04T20:06:00.000-07:00

The girls had their 6 month visit to the dentist. Ashland loves to go to the dentist. She asks to go almost every Saturday. Brynn has been okay at the dentist, but she has not made it through a whole visit yet. Brynn did really well this time, she made it through the x-rays, check up and cleaning. Ashland was in another room by herself the whole time. Both girls have no cavities! Yippee!

Kindergarten (almost)

2012-02-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

It is official, we (almost) have a kindergarten. After a lot of discussion, we decided where we were going to send Ashland. She is all registered and ready to go in early August. I can't believe she will be in elementary school.

I also ordered her backpack already. It is tucked away in the closet so that it does not get ruined before school even starts.

"A" Mountain

2012-01-29T20:49:00.001-07:00

The family headed to Tempe for a late breakfast at Chompies. After a tasty breakfast, we went down to Tempe Town Lake and let the girls run around. We also walked to girls up A Mountain for their first time ever.

Beauty and the Beast 3D

2012-01-28T20:54:00.000-07:00

We met up with friends to see Beauty and the Beast in 3D. Afterwards, we played at the mall.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-25T21:01:00.000-07:00

Muffin Tin Monday

2012-01-23T20:59:00.000-07:00

I have not made the girls a muffin tin meal in quite some time. Today, they an asian theme, since it was Chinese New Year. The girls had blueberries, edamame, a fortune cookie, chow mein noodles, orange chicken and an egg roll.

Lillie's 5th Birthday Party- Barbie Style

2012-01-21T19:42:00.004-07:00

Lillie had her 5th birthday party today. She had a Barbie style theme. They had face-painting, hairstyling and nail painting. There was a Barbie photo box and a great dessert table. Thanks for a fun time!

Notes to Prince Charming

2012-01-20T21:08:00.000-07:00

The girls had the great idea of dressing up in dresses, dress up shoes and jewelry and writing notes to Prince Charming. They want Prince Charming to come over and hold their hand while they go ice skating. Ice skating at our house means wearing socks and gliding across the floor.

Read the Room

2012-01-19T09:06:00.000-07:00

Ashland learned how to "Read the Room" at school. Students go around the classroom and write words down that they find. Ashland now does this at home with her clipboard.

Sidewalk Chalk and Bubbles

2012-01-19T08:56:00.000-07:00

Ashland wrote on on sidewalk- Only Mom, Dad, Brynn, Ashland.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

Puzzle Card

2012-01-17T08:43:00.000-07:00

Uncle Todd and Aunt Elysia sent the girls a puzzle Christmas card. They had to put the puzzle together to read the message.

Starbucks Reward

2012-01-16T08:48:00.000-07:00

Ashland and Brynn were treated to a Starbucks hot chocolate. They went grocery shopping with me and they did not fight or whine the entire time. Yeah!

No More Crayons

2012-01-16T08:39:00.000-07:00

Both girls are not allowed to use crayons for one week. Poor Rapunzel was covered in crayons. Thank goodness we use washable crayons. The magic eraser took it right out.

Raina's Birthday

2012-01-15T08:35:00.000-07:00

Ashland and Brynn's preschool Raina had her birthday party at her house. There was a bouncy house, a pony ride, painting and lots of play time.

Making Messes Again

2012-01-15T08:22:00.000-07:00

The girls made a mess in Brynn's room and then refused to clean it up. Now, the girls are not allowed in each other's rooms. They can play in their own room, that way they are responsible for cleaning up their own mess. If they want to play together, they have to bring a toy out into the family room to play together.

Making Lemonade

2012-01-12T08:17:00.000-07:00

Interview with 5 Year Old Ashland

2012-01-08T18:58:00.001-07:00

How old are you? 5
What color is your hair? blonde
What color are your eyes? blue
What is your favorite color? pink
What is your favorite toy? dress up
What is your favorite fruit?strawberries
What is your favorite tv show? Phineas and Ferb
What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? grilled cheese
What is your favorite outfit? any dress or skirt
What is your favorite game? Princess Memory
What is your favorite snack? fruit leather
What is your favorite animal? giraffe
What is your favorite song? Candy Cane Love
What is your favorite book? Strawberry Shortcake Snow White
What is your favorite cereal? Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Who is your best friend? Raina
What is your favorite thing to do outside? play tag
What is your favorite drink? hot chocolate
What is your favorite holiday? Christmas
What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Sprinkles (stuffed animal giraffe)
What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? eggs
What do you like to do with Daddy? color
What do you like to do with Mommy? paint
What do you want to be when you grow up? a mom and a dentist

Interview with 3 Year Old Brynn

2012-01-08T18:58:00.000-07:00

I found this idea on Pinterest! I love that site!

How old are you? 3
What color is your hair? blonde
What color are your eyes? blue
What is your favorite color? blue
What is your favorite toy? my monster truck (remote control car)
What is your favorite fruit? strawberries
What is your favorite tv show? Jake and the Neverland Pirates
What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? salad and grilled cheese
What is your favorite outfit? purple dress up outfit
What is your favorite game? puzzles
What is your favorite snack? granola bars
What is your favorite animal? Hello Kitty
What is your favorite song? ABC
What is your favorite book? The Very Hungry Caterpillar
What is your favorite cereal? Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Who is your best friend? Lillie
What is your favorite thing to do outside? play in the playhouse
What is your favorite drink? lemonade
What is your favorite holiday? Thanksgiving
What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Jingle (puppy stuffed animal)
What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? scrambled eggs
What do you like to do with Daddy? clean up leaves
What do you like to do with Mommy? draw pictures
What do you want to be when you grow up? princess

Stalling Tactics

2012-01-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

Our girls have all kinds of stalling tactics when they go to bed. Bathroom breaks. Water. Hugs. Story. Snuggling under the covers. There is a monster in my room. There is a bug in my room. I need to hug Daddy now. Picking out clothes. Fixing the covers. The "just want to tell you something."

They almost always ask for ice. In our house, that means the kind of ice that you give babies for teething. They don't need this at all. But, it was just one more thing to do. Every night.

Zeke said enough is enough. No more ice. We are making them throw all the ice away.

We gathered all the ice from the freezer and the girls looked for all the ice in their rooms. Zeke laid out a piece of newspaper and all the ice went on it. It all went into the trash.

Good-bye ice. We do not need you anymore.

Playdate at the Park

2012-01-03T19:14:00.000-07:00

Time for another playdate with our friends at the park.

A Year in Review

2012-01-02T21:27:00.000-07:00

January 2010- (163 pictures taken)
playing outside, going out to dinner, lots of tantrums, watching Daddy work, teeth cleaning, Grandpa Joe and Grandma Steph visit

February 2010- (203 pictures taken)
bike rides, playing dress up, Uncle Mark visits, making valentines, making treats, going to the mall

March 2010- (386 pictures taken)
making lemonade, Great Grandpa visits, Grandpa Wayne and Grandma Cleta visit, picnics, rainbow jello, Aunt Abbi and Uncle Mark visit, St. Patrick's Day

April 2010- (345 pictures taken)
Brynn in big girl panties, muffin tin meals, Easter, playdates, the McConn's visit

May 2010- (173 pictures taken)
splash pad, Mother's Day, playdates, Finding Nemo movie night, Ashland's preschool celebration

June 2010- (341 pictures taken)
Mommy's first trip away from the kids, tantrums in stores, Tuesday movies, snuggles, ballet class, parties, swimming, Father's Day

July 2010- (366 pictures taken)

watching movies to stay cool, indoor amusement parks, lots of playdates, trip to Wisconsin

August 2010- (68 pictures taken)
Sonic runs, more Brynn tantrums, back to school, bookstore visits, cleaning

September 2010- (184 pictures taken)
playing on Daddy's tablet, going to the library, looking for pirate treasure

October 2010- (372 pictures taken)
play time, fall fests, Grandpa Wayne visits, Halloween parties, Brynn's 3rd birthday, Halloween

November 2010- (292 pictures taken)
baby shower, Yosemite, Disneyland, Thanksgiving, ice cream treats

December 2010- (226 pictures taken)
Tempe Art Festival, visiting Santa, Ashland's 5th birthday, baking, Christmas

Jambo

2012-01-02T19:09:00.000-07:00

Ashland has been bugging me for over a month to go to Jambo. I bought passes through Group On and decided to go during winter break. The place was pretty empty when we got there, so they got to go on any ride that they wanted to. Both of the girls are outgoing, they will talk to anyone and ask other kiddos to play.

We had a snack lunch in the car, on the way home.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

New Year's Eve- Zichichi Style

2012-01-01T11:26:00.001-07:00

The girls are getting dressed up for our New Year's Eve dinner. Must have fancy dresses and lots of jewels.

Picture time!

We had an appetizer dinner in the dining room. We had egg rolls, cocktail meatballs, cheese, sausage, cracker, salsa, chips, grapes, fresh veggies and spinach and artichoke dip. No forks were allowed.

After dinner and bathtime, we got the girls all snug in their strollers and went for a long walk. The girls snacked on popcorn and wore glow bracelets.

Hello, 2012!

Puzzle Time

2011-12-30T11:08:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-28T16:54:00.000-07:00

Lunch

2011-12-27T16:52:00.000-07:00

I took the girls to IKEA for a free lunch and did a little shopping. This is one place that usually both of the girls will both eat all their food.

Christmas Playtime

2011-12-25T16:49:00.000-07:00

Zeke played Barbies with the girls.

Time to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas and have a snack.

Zeke playing with the map with Brynn.

A low-key and tasty Christmas dinner at home.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Christmas

2011-12-25T15:38:00.000-07:00

Even though the girls had a very rough Christmas Eve, Santa came to our house! But, Santa did not give some of the presents that were planned.

Brynn was refusing to eat her breakfast, so Zeke told her that she could eat her breakfast and then open presents or she did not have to eat and she would not be allowed to open presents. Brynn still did not eat. She had to sit out and watch Ashland open presents. She lasted two presents before she went back to eat her breakfast.

Family spoiled the girls with lots of presents. The girls have a bunch of new toys, which prompted me to go through all of their old toys.

We had to use the scissors out for many of the toys.

Even the doggies got a treat from Santa.

The girls got new electric toothbrushes, which they both love! Who knew they would love a toothbrush so much?

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T23:09:00.000-07:00

Christmas Eve was a horrible day. I care to not remember it ever again. The girls were SO BAD. Both of them would not listen, they were talking back, made a GIGANTIC mess, which they took 2 hours to clean up and they would not even stay in time out. We were not sure that Santa would even stop at our house.

For dinner, the girls has a picnic while watching a Barbie Christmas Carol.

Santa left a message for Ashland and Brynn. They loved watching Santa talk to them.Ashland has her serious look on her face as she listened to Santa.

Decorating Cookies

2011-12-23T18:40:00.000-07:00

After a trip to Costco and other errands, we decided to make some cookies for Santa. The girls helped make the dough, I rolled it out and the girls used the cookie cutters. I did not want frosting on the cookies (mostly because I do not like frosting), so the girls just added sprinkles and other decorations.

Notice the girls wearing their cute aprons? Grandma Cleta made them!

Yum...sweet success!

Playdate Party

2011-12-22T18:24:00.000-07:00

Kristie surprised Ashland with a playdate party for her birthday. Kristie made cupcake cones and she got some presents from her friends. Gracey, Ashland, Lillie, Russ and Brynn all played and ate lunch. Thanks for the party!

Gracey and Lillie made up a cheer for Ashland!

Pajama Day

2011-12-21T16:30:00.000-07:00

The girls had pajama day at school today. Brynn was a little upset about going to school in her pajamas, but when she saw Ashland wearing hers, she was okay with it.

A New Ornament

2011-12-20T18:13:00.000-07:00

Brynn made a reindeer ornament at the sitter's house. She could not wait to put it on the tree.

Family Christmas

2011-12-18T16:21:00.000-07:00

We had our family Christmas at Grandma Cleta's house. We had Mexican food and opened presents. I did not take any pictures! I do have a picture from my dad's cell phone. Grandma made everyone aprons. The girls and I have matching green/brown/blue ones. I also got pot holders. Zeke's apron has a denim/chef look. She did a great job on the aprons!

The girls also got these remote control cars.

Guess who plays with them the most?

A Bike Ride and a Movie

2011-12-18T16:05:00.000-07:00

Ashland got her new Barbie bike for her birthday, so Brynn now has Ashland's old Snow White bike.

The girls rode their bikes, played at the park and then we went to the movies together. We saw Puss in Boots.

Ashland's Birthday Dinner

2011-12-17T15:48:00.000-07:00

We planned Ashland's birthday dinner for the weekend, when we have more time. Ashland got to pick the restaurant. She said she wanted to go to the restaurant that you can put peanuts on the floor. Texas Roadhouse for dinner!

Grandpa Wayne joined us for dinner.

Grandma Cleta had "fixed" Sprinkles (Ashland's favorite stuffed animal), so he just had to come to the restaurant. Ashland also brought her Hello Kitty that Brynn got her for her birthday.

Ashland rode the saddle and got her "Yeehaw!" for her birthday.

After dinner, Grandpa came over and spoiled the girls with presents. Ashland and Brynn got a TON of new movies.

Ashland got her new Barbie bike for her birthday from Grandpa.

Grandpa got Brynn her own Tag reader. Now the girls can share all the Tag books!

We also got Teddy Takes Requests. It is a little player piano that plays many different songs, based on the hat that Teddy is wearing. My grandpa, Puka, has one of these. The girls always listen to it every time we are at his house.

Errands

2011-12-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

Brynn came with me to get some shopping done. Ashland stayed home with Daddy. Brynn wanted to have her picture taken with the mannequins.

A Note

2011-12-15T22:28:00.000-07:00

Ashland told me that she left me a note by the coffee maker, to make sure that I saw it. It justs says I love mom. I love it!

Ashland's Birthday

2011-12-14T22:23:00.000-07:00

Ashland brought Dunkin' Donuts to school for her birthday treat today. Santa Claus even made a surprise visit to her school, too! The preschoolers all got presents from Santa, took pictures, ate milk and cookies and sang Christmas carols.

After work, I picked the girls up from preschool and we drove back near my work for pizza. The elementary school that I work at was having their monthly pizza fundraiser and I had to participate. We picked up our pizza and headed home. Grandma Cleta came over to eat dinner with us. She brought a chocolate birthday cake and presents for Ashland. Grandma Cleta made Barbie clothes for Ashland's Barbies. (I will have to post pictures of the Barbie clothes later, because I did not take any pictures.)

After Brynn went to bed, we let Ashland open a few of her presents. She got new clothes and some new Tag books from us. Ken and Jodi got her a new outfit. She still has a few presents left to open.

Happy Birthday, Ashland!

2011-12-14T21:59:00.000-07:00

Ashland opened her birthday outfit early in the morning. Ashland knew that she was getting a new outfit for her birthday. She brought her present into my bathroom and opened it while I was getting ready for work. She was really excited to get her birthday shirt and tutu.

Brynn was not happy that she did not get a present. She threw a little fit.

Ashland's Birthday Outfit

2011-12-13T21:50:00.000-07:00

Almost 5

2011-12-12T05:30:00.000-07:00

In two days, this little sassy girl will be five years old. Ashland is Little Miss Sassy, a chatterbox and a loveable little girl that knows how to push my buttons. Zeke says that she is a little Tara. As much as I hate to admit it, she is. That is why I think we butt heads all the time now. I am not looking forward to the teenage years. Ashland can be really helpful and sweet, but a second later she is a real pistol. She is pretty stubborn and wants to be in charge all the time. I would think she would like to have a little sister to boss around, but Brynn stands up to her and is stubborn, too.

As my girls have grown, my respect and love for my own parents has grown. I do not know how my parents did it. They had four kids. We only have two and that is enough!

Visiting Santa

2011-12-11T20:08:00.001-07:00

Today, we visited the Bass Pro Shop for the first time. We walked around the store, visited Santa and ate lunch.

Zeke tested out the heated, massage chair.

We went around on the Merry-Go-Round. By the way, Ashland almost missed out on this because she was misbehaving again.

The Elf Left a Message

2011-12-10T20:20:00.000-07:00

Flower must have found some gummy letter candy in our pantry. She left the girls a message.

Be good, girls! Flower is telling Santa everything!

No Playdate for These Girls

2011-12-10T19:55:00.000-07:00

Ashland and Brynn had an extremely rough couple of days. They are fighting nonstop, talking back, spending too much time in time out and not listening. Ashland even broke some Christmas ornaments and the Christmas tree. We do not know how she even did it, but most of the tree does not light up anymore. Zeke said that I needed to take the ornaments off and he would see if he could figure out what she did.

Anyways, both kids woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. They were awful. I kept reminding them about their playdate party. Usually, I can just tell threaten them and tell them they will not be able to go, but that was not working. I did not want to do it, but we decided to not let them go. They were very upset. I hope that this will help them to understand that they need to be respectful and listen to Mommy and Daddy.

They were going to have a playdate Christmas party with all their friends. They were ready to go and even in their pajamas for the party. The best part was that Kristie sent me pictures that I showed to the girls, so they could see what they were missing. I do not think the girls thought that we would go through with this decision, hopefully they will only need to be reminded of missing out on fun things and they will get in line!

Flower, the Elf

2011-12-05T05:30:00.000-07:00

Flower, our elf, is getting into some mischief.

Tempe Art Festival

2011-12-04T21:50:00.001-07:00

We all went to check on some things for Zeke's work, went out to breakfast and walked around at the Tempe Art Festival. We all took a late afternoon nap and had a relaxing evening at home. It was pretty cold out today, we turned our heat on!

Decorating

2011-12-03T21:39:00.000-07:00

The girls decorated the tree today. I barely helped, the girls did almost everything. I did move some of the ornaments from the bottom and placed them near the top.

Flower, our Elf, was so excited that both girls took a nap today! She left them a tiny note and Christmas pajamas.

Time for Preschool

2011-11-27T20:47:00.001-07:00

Brynn is starting preschool tomorrow! She will be going 3 days a week, the other 2 days she will still go to the babysitter. Ashland and Brynn will be in the same class together. I am really worried about them being together, but we will see how they do! Brynn is very excited, she has been asking when she will go to school for months now. Even Ashland is excited to introduce all her friends and her teachers to her sister.

Elf on the Shelf

2011-11-27T20:29:00.001-07:00

The girls now have Elf on the Shelf. It just showed up on our front porch this morning. The girls brought it into the house and we read the story together. The girls named the elf, Flower. Zeke absolutely hates the name and is now convinced the elf must be a girl, because no boy would have the name, Flower. Anyways, Flower will now be flying back to the North Pole every night to report to Santa on the girls' behavior.

Tempe Fantasy of Lights Parade

2011-11-26T20:13:00.000-07:00

We started the holiday season by taking the girls to the Tempe Fantasy of Lights Parade. We packed up some Thanksgiving leftovers and snacks and found a spot on the curb on Mill Avenue.

Afterwards, we had to make a bathroom stop for the girls. We went to a local McDonald's and has some ice cream, too.

A Night Out

2011-11-25T20:24:00.000-07:00

A bunch of friends and I stayed overnight at a local hotel. We hung out, went out to dinner and visited a few bars. It was a lot of good food, drinks and full of laughs. Thanks for the fun-filled time!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T21:39:00.001-07:00

We had a low-key Thanksgiving. We watched the Macy's Day Parade, ate our Thanksgiving meal at lunch time, had rest time, went for a walk, played at the park and ate dinner.

Ashland Cut Her Own Hair

2011-11-21T20:35:00.000-07:00

I know that everyone goes through this phase of wanting to cut their own hair. This is why at our house, scissors are kept away from the kids. The scissors that the kids are allowed to use can't cut hair or clothes. At school today, Ashland cut her hair. On both sides. She is growing her bangs out and I thought she cut her bangs. No, she cut on the side, it almost looks like layers in her hair. When I asked her why she did it, she said that she wanted to show everyone what she would look like with short hair. She also thought that I could glue it back on with glue stick.

I am very grateful because her hair does not look that bad. I know lots of little kids that have given themselves pretty bad haircuts. I know that Ashland's does not look that bad. She does know that it was a very bad choice and I hope she never does it again.

After Vacation

2011-11-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

After going on vacation, we had a ton of laundry and cleaning to do. It took the entire weekend to try to catch up.

More Disneyland

2011-11-14T21:05:00.000-07:00

It's a Small World. There was absolutely no wait, we walked right on. Brynn and I sat in the front row and Ashland and Zeke sat right behind us. Brynn would not let go of the handlebar the entire time.

Storybook Land.

Riding the carousel.

Dumbo

We stopped to grab a late lunch. Brynn fell asleep while Zeke was getting our food.

After we had eaten, we were walking around and found Woody and Jessie. Ashland screamed with excitement as she ran up to them.

Ashland rode Big Thunder Mountain with me. Brynn had fallen asleep and Zeke stayed with her.

We headed into Toon Town and woke Brynn up. We visited with Mickey and Minnie.

We watched the parade and then stopped in Downtown Disney to get the girls a new toy. Brynn picked a Belle doll and Ashland picked an Ariel baby doll. We walked back to the car, changed the girls into their pajamas and headed home. We pulled into our driveway at 2:45 a.m. The girls did sleep a lot on the way home. I, amazingly, stayed awake. We get the girls in bed and unloaded the car. Then it was back up at 5:00 to get ready for work. That was a rough day, but lots of coffee helped me make it through the day. Totally worth it!

Disneyland

2011-11-14T15:56:00.000-07:00

I do not know who was more excited, me or the girls. We have never been to Disneyland before (Zeke has been to Disneyland, when he was little). We went out to breakfast at Denny's and then headed over to the park. We did not tell the girls until we were right outside the park.Ashland knew exactly what we were talking about, but Brynn did not. They were extremely excited once we got into the park.

This was the first ride we went on. I do not know that name of it (Astro Orbiter, maybe?) , but Brynn said this was her favorite ride.

Waiting in line for Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. Ashland loved this ride.

The longest we waited was for the princesses, 60 minutes. It was well worth it. The girls were so excited and loved talking to them.

I was really impressed by the princesses. They seemed happy to talk with the girls and held their hands and posed so nicely.

Snack time.

A Huge Surprise

2011-11-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

We kept a huge secret! The drive from Yosemite is a long one, about 13 hours. We thought that we would leave Yosemite on Sunday and drive to Anaheim and stay the night. That way, we would go to Disneyland on Monday and drive home Monday night. We did not want the girls to know about it, so we kept the secret from everyone. We got to Anaheim and checked into our hotel. We were right across the street from California Adventure, which Ashland thought was a carnival. After we checked into the hotel, we walked to Downtown Disney. We walked around and had dinner.

The girls got balloon animals.

Our room was a suite style, with the girls having their own room with a bunk bed.

More Yosemite

2011-11-12T14:47:00.000-07:00

We walked over the Ahwahnee Hotel. Zeke proposed to me on this weekend 7 years ago, in this very spot. Ashland took a picture of us, in the same spot.

Hanging out with the cousins.

Aunt Shelley and a preggo Aunt Nicole with Brynn.

Grandpa Joe hanging out with the girls.

Brynn played shy around a lot of the family. She was a cling on throughout the vacation.

Family Photo

Brynn

2011-11-12T14:38:00.000-07:00

Brynn has little tantrums no matter where she is. She did have several throughout our trip. Here she was having a fit because she dropped a mitten on the ground. I picked it up, she did not notice that I picked it up and she threw a fit. What did I do? I took pictures.

Yosemite National Park

2011-11-11T18:38:00.000-07:00

We go to Yosemite National Park, usually on Veteran's Day weekend, with Zeke's family. It is a pretty relaxing vacation; we go for walks, breathe in the fresh air, eat a lot and hang out with family.

Half Dome with fog.

I think this is hilarious. Zeke was carrying Brynn on his shoulders and I was behind him with Ashland.

Yosemite, Here We Come!

2011-11-10T18:19:00.000-07:00

We are headed to Yosemite National Park, to visit with family. We had planned to leave at about 6:00 p.m., so that we would miss the traffic in Phoenix. I got home from work with the girls at 4:30 and Zeke said that we had to leave by 5:15 to pick up chains for the tires. We really did get out of the house by 5:15, I fed the kiddos and loaded the car while Zeke packed for himself and worked on the computer. We usually drive late into the night, to try to get a little more than halfway there. We were going to stop right around Visalia, but the girls were wide awake. (I don't remember what time that was, but way too early in the morning.) Instead of getting a room for a few hours (since we thought the girls would just run around), we drove straight to Yosemite. I did fall asleep on the way and then would wake up for a bit. Zeke drove the entire way, I don't drive in the mountains, I get carsick. We pulled into the parking lot of the Yosemite Lodge at 6:00 a.m. We checked in and went to our room. We rested for about 2 hours and then headed to breakfast.

These pictures were taken at 6:00 a.m.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-10T18:10:00.000-07:00

Baby Shower/Playdate

2011-11-05T17:40:00.000-07:00

We had a baby shower/playdate party for our friend, Danice.

The best part was when all the kiddos were chugging apple juice in bottles.

Diaper Wreath

2011-11-05T11:20:00.000-07:00

I made my first diaper wreath for a baby shower today. It even has bows all around it that can be used for the baby girl.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T21:40:00.000-07:00

Ashland was a ladybug and Brynn was Minnie Mouse this year. I thought that Ashland would want to trick-or-treat as long as we did last year, but I ended up taking both her and Brynn for a little bit and then Ashland wanted to go home. She stayed home with Zeke to hand out candy. Brynn and I went out again. Ashland had not been feeling well and I think that is why she wanted to go home.

Let's go trick-or-treating, Mom!

The girls in their Halloween pajamas, helping to hand out candy.

Pumpkin Carving

2011-10-30T21:14:00.000-07:00

The girls did not like pulling the insides out of the pumpkin. They thought it was really gross. I ended up cleaning the pumpkins and Zeke carved them.

Do you see Brynn standing butt naked in the background vacuuming? Funny stuff!

The girls had a Halloween themed meal. Eyeballs (black grapes), chili with bat cheese, vampire blood (ketchup), skeleton bones, yogurt with Halloween sprinkles and mummy dogs.

Outlet Shopping

2011-10-29T21:02:00.000-07:00

We went outlet shopping and the girls were taking a break.

Coloring Masks

2011-10-28T20:59:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-26T21:35:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Jodi and Ken

2011-10-25T20:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the Strawberry Shortcake Doll!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Brynn!

2011-10-25T20:56:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to our baby, Brynn!

Peter Piper

2011-10-24T20:48:00.000-07:00

Grandpa took us to Peter Piper for Brynn's birthday celebration.

We came home and had rainbow cupcakes.

Happy Birthday, Brynn!

2011-10-23T21:26:00.000-07:00

Brynn's birthday is on Tuesday, but we decided to celebrate it early, since Grandpa is in town.

Ashland got Brynn a little ghost for her birthday. Last night, Ashland ran into her room and shut the door. When Zeke went to check on her, she told him that she was making Brynn a present for her birthday. We thought it was so sweet, Zeke took her to the store to get Brynn a little something.

Brynn opening her birthday outfit.

Brynn got a helmet and scooter from us.

Brynn got clothes from Grandpa Joe and Grandma Steph.

She got legos and a baby doll from Grandpa Wayne and Grandma Cleta.

Zeke and Ashland played legos, as Brynn played with her new doll.

We ate lunch outside. We had quessadillas, rainbow fruit and yogurt covered rainbow pretzels.

We also went to Peter Piper Pizza for dinner/play time and had cupcakes at home. I will post pictures soon!

Rainbow Pancakes

2011-10-23T20:55:00.002-07:00

The girls helped me make rainbow pancakes for breakfast.

Halloween Party

2011-10-22T20:45:00.000-07:00

Gracey had a Halloween party. It was a lot of fun! The kids both took naps after the party!!

Grandpa is Here!

2011-10-22T20:34:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Wayne is in town for Brynn's birthday. We went out to breakfast and watched the airplanes.

Date Night

2011-10-21T20:48:00.000-07:00

Grandpa babysat the girls while Zeke and I went out on a date! We saw a movie. Thanks, Grandpa!

Brynn's Birthday Outfit

2011-10-18T16:48:00.000-07:00

For Brynn's birthday, I ordered her a birthday shirt. She is also getting a tutu. I made her wand. I still need to make her birthday bows.

Shopping and Eating

2011-10-16T20:28:00.000-07:00

We went to the mall today. We window shopped and rode the train. After shopping, we went out to lunch at Dilly's Deli.

Girly Girls

2011-10-16T20:19:00.000-07:00

Making Pizza

2011-10-15T20:23:00.000-07:00

Ashland helped make pizza.

Playdate at the Park

2011-10-14T20:11:00.000-07:00

We met our friends at the park to play and eat lunch.

Hanging Out at Home

2011-10-13T20:56:00.000-07:00

Today I decided that it was pajama day! Ashland was sick and now Brynn has it. Ashland never had a fever, but Brynn does. We are hanging out at home in our pajamas, cooking, playing and watching movies. The girls also helped me go through their clothes. Brynn is wearing 3T, which meant we are getting rid of the 2T and Ashland is now wearing a 5 or 5T (I really do not know the difference). Ashland's 4T clothes got packed up for Brynn. Neither girl took a nap, I made them go in their rooms, but no napping happened today.

The girls played outside in their pajamas.

I was picking up the dog poop when Ashland stepped in some before I could get to it. Ashland can always find the one piece that is not picked up yet. I am tired of cleaning the poop off her shoes. I told her that she needed to do it. I know, mean mommy, that is me. She cleaned it up and Brynn was the supervisor.

My pajama day was put on hold when Zeke called and needed something from Home Depot for work. I made the girls get dressed quickly and I got dressed. I took them to Home Depot and drove out to San Tan Valley to drop his stuff off. We stopped at a drive thru Starbucks on the way home.

Getting ready to make kale chips, I thought they were good. Zeke hated them.

I made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies for breakfast.

We bought a big bag of plums from Fresh and Easy for 98 cents. There was no way we were going to eat them all before they went bad. I made homemade fruit leather. I used this recipe.

We are also making cookie dough bites.

I also have dinner in the crockpot.

Library and Art Time

2011-10-12T16:33:00.000-07:00

We went to the library today.

The girls also worked on some foam art sticker art projects.

Lunch time.

The girls posing with the scarecrow before we went for a walk.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T13:38:00.001-07:00

Playdate

2011-10-11T15:41:00.000-07:00

Elese came over for a playdate today. I was horrible about taking pictures. The three girls played outside, painted and had snack. Thanks for playing with us, Elese and Kelly!

Errands

2011-10-10T23:50:00.000-07:00

Today I needed to get some work done on my car (90,000 mile tune up). We only have one car that the kids can go in, which can be a huge pain in the rear sometimes. My appointment was at 8, I dropped off the car, put Brynn in her stroller and Ashland walked. We walked to a Chick-fil-A for breakfast. That restaurant is always very clean and the girls played after eating for about an hour.

Ashland continued to walk as we went to a bunch of stores to pass the time. Both the girls got a new necklace and bracelet from the Dollar Store.

We ended up eating lunch at McDonald's because my car was taking longer than planned.

We are back, waiting for the car. The girls were extremely well behaved, in spite of waiting for our car to be done until 4! We missed naptime too!

Vertuccio Farms

2011-10-09T13:27:00.000-07:00

We headed to the Fall Festival at Vertuccio Farms. We went through the corn maze, which was an Angry Birds theme. I thought the corn maze was harder than last year. We did not even get to all the checkpoints. Oh well, it was still fun.

Hop along ponies were a new addition to the festival this year. This was absolutely hilarious to watch, the kids kept falling over and Zeke was trying to see how high he could jump.

The giant air pillow was also new this year. The girls and Zeke jumped for a pretty long time. We were trying to tire the kids out.

Swing time!

The girls are learning about plants.

I rode on the train with the girls.

Playing games with Daddy.

Ashland and Brynn milked the cow.

Pumpkin time!

Fall Break

2011-10-08T15:17:00.000-07:00

It is wonderful having a week off from work! The girls and I have been keeping busy. We have been enjoying the nice weather. We have been going for walks, eating our meals outside and sleeping until 6:00 am.

Girls and I went shopping at Fresh and Easy. They wanted to carry the bags.

The girls helped Daddy wash his truck.

The girls playing in their clubhouse. Ashland is pretending to be Rapunzel and Brynn is Mother Gothel. The jumprope is used for the long hair and see how Brynn is climbing up the hair?

Eating dinner outside.

Working on art projects at home. The girls made candleholders. They have also painted a ton of pictures and worked on lots of cutting and glueing.

Homemade Gifts

2011-10-06T15:05:00.000-07:00

Brynn helped me make chocolate covered pretzels for her sitter and for Ashland's teachers. Ashland was not allowed to help, since she had gotten in trouble and not helping was part of her punishment. The pretzels were super easy to make and we will have to do it again!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-05T15:01:00.000-07:00

Time Apart

2011-10-02T14:25:00.001-07:00

Brynn always asks to go in Zeke's truck. Ashland ran errands with me, while Brynn went with Daddy. We are trying to have alone time with the girls, to help their constant arguing.

My Little Helper

2011-10-02T14:20:00.003-07:00

Our weekends are full of cleaning. Ashland has been very helpful today.

Beauty and the Beast

2011-10-01T23:17:00.000-07:00

We saw Beauty and the Beast at the Hale Theater with a bunch of our playdate friends. Normally, Ashland would be wearing a dress, but she got in trouble at school the previous day. She loves to wear dresses, so that was part of her punishment.

After the show, we took pictures with the actors.

Ashland told me she had to go to the bathroom. I told her to wait a minute. I was getting Brynn into her carseat and Ashland pulled down her pants and went in the paring lot. I guess she really had to go.

We went out to lunch at our our regular pizza joint. We love spending time with our friends!

Pinterest Love

2011-09-24T21:26:00.002-07:00

I love Pinterest. I have pinned way too many things! But, I love it! I have been making a lot of things that I have found on that website. One thing was pumpkin muffins. Totally simple, just two ingredients. The whole family enjoyed these muffins.

Another thing I made recently was a menu board. I write on it with expo marker the menu plan for the week.

Friday Night Movie

2011-09-23T20:33:00.000-07:00

Tonight the girls and I watched the Princess and the Frog. The girls wore their tiaras that they made this summer with Grandma Cleta. They also each had a frog beanie baby.