So Sweet

Ella brought this home from school on Friday but I just found it in her bookbag with her progress report. Sniffle, sniffle...

My Sweet Boy

Silas just woke up and came downstairs...rushing to the potty. I asked "Do you have to go to the potty?" (duh)
He says in his sweet, baby voice, "yes - and then I'll hug you and kiss you" :-)

I just love him...

First Day of Summer Break!

Yesterday was the last day of school - wow this year went fast!

Ella had a fantastic year in kindergarten. I've forgotten how much they learn so quickly at that age. She also made a lot of friends this year and was invited to umpteen birthday parties for girls in her class. She is VERY excited about being a First grader!


They had a Clap Out for the 8th graders - the 7th graders, teachers and parents lined the hallways as the 8th graders toured the building one last time and we all clapped them out of the building (and they promptly locked the doors behind them). I can't even say "clap out" with out tearing up and getting mushy. They do it at our elementary school too for the 5th graders moving on to the 6th grade building. Seems like yesterday that we were clapping him out there...and now I have a HIGH SCHOOLER!

Lots of summer fun planned...the beach in June, zoo outings, camping...can't wait!!

Dentist Trip for Si

We are very used to the kids getting bumps, bruises, etc., especially Silas - he seems to be most like his father....(Mom or Dad J. - we might need to get your version of why you used to make Justin wear a helmet...).

Somehow during the last few days or week, Silas managed to bump a tooth and it started turning gray. I noticed it several days ago and got him in to see the dentist today. The good news is that there is no major damage and Si doesn't seem to have any pain. But there is definitely some kind of nerve damage so the tooth will stay gray and most likely get worse - so Photoshop will be my friend until he loses that tooth in a few years...
He also managed to run into his sister who was talking on the phone this evening and got another little bump on his head.


Silas was a major rock star at the dentist. He was momma's baby when we were going in, holding my hand and looking around. As soon as the dental hygienist came out into the lobby and called "Silas" - he was walking off with her - head up, shoulders back and strutting off. A total BIG BOY.

He did exactly as she asked, never squirmed or made a peep.




He even did awesome during the x-rays.

Ella and I sat and watched (and took pictures). Her turn is next week, just for a cleaning. Silas set a very good example for her!

Like Father Like Son...

But minus the hairy backside...

When you gotta go, you gotta go!

Race for the Cure and Chicago

Saturday, May 16 was my very first Race for the Cure. What an amazing, inspiring event. I have never seen so many people at an event like this!
I was on the Heather Pick team (with about 6,000 others!) so I got to wear the pink wig.

Me and Margie

Donna and me

Margie and Sarah

Wonderful walk and I'm already looking forward to next year's!

Immediately after the walk, I ran home, threw my bags together for a 4 day trip with Beth to Chicago to help Andrea out with baby Lucy while Tom was out of town. And OH, she is gorgeous!!

(yes, my ovaries are sending me subliminal messages about needing another baby...)

While I was gone, Justin held down the fort, and did a great job as usual.
He even gave Si a haircut, which was desperately needed.

Doesn't he look like such a big boy??
He's also getting very tall. I think he's going through a growth spurt because he's been sleeping almost 12 hours at night. Which means all those shorts and t-shirts I just bought him won't fit much longer!!

Remedy for Being Cold

Another Silas James moment today. I was pulling my sweater around me and said:

"oh, I'm cold"
"you're cold mommy?" he asked.
"yes, I'm cold"
"maybe you need to go poopy" he says.

1. Does a 3 year old know what sarcasm is and how to use it?
2. Do I really say that to them every time there is a bellyache, toothache, boo-boo?
3. Reminded me of Tim Hawkins talking about moms:

Mother's Day Pictures

Mother's Day was a beautiful day. Gorgeous, sunny weather. Justin took us to buy some supplies for 2 projects he wanted to help the kids make for Mother's Day. They painted ceramic pots - each kiddo making their very own. We also bought some flowers to go into the pots. The 2nd project was a cement handprint kit. Mason could barely get his handprint to fit (seems he's got ginormous hands for a 13 year old!). I enjoyed watching them, while taking pictures and drinking mimosas (my traditional Mother's Day drink :-)

Here's how the pots turned out - love them!
L to R: Ella's, Si's and Mason's

Mom and Dad came over for a visit that evening.
They gave her a pot too with their handprints on it.

I even got them to pose for a picture together for me!

Such love bugs!

Happy Mother's Day - 2009

Love to all the mom's - mine especially - on this beautiful day!

I made a small thank you for my kids too...

Perspective

It's all about perspective - even laundry can be art...

Like a....

Funky photo

...or even poetry in the form of a Haiku:

Laundry Haiku -

I'm about to drown
in the mound of dirty clothes
That sits on my floor.

Okay, mostly, it's just a huge ass pile of smelly, stained clothes that ogles you from across the room, much like the old drunk guy at the bar that gives you that creepy feeling...

Looking Spiffy!

My oldest "baby" went to his first semi-formal dance at school last night. I dropped him and his friend Kyle off - there were some really decked out girls there!

These are some sharp - dressed - boys!

Mason has spent all morning texting a girl name Alexis that he met last night...so apparently they all had a fun time!

Prune Juice

How funny is it that Silas is sitting on the toilet and yells out to me
"Mom! I think I need some of that prune juice...I'm having problems going potty!"

I take a small cup in, he takes a sip and then - BAM (imagine a palm-slap to the forehead) - he's healed!!

Cinco de Mayo

It was a nice evening on Cinco de Mayo and since I still needed some shots for my shutter speed assignment, I decided to break out the camera.

There wasn't a lot of movement with Ella in the hammock but she
certainly looked cute

Silas and the other kids were running around, throwing balls,
playing golf - so I was able to get some "action" shots.

Justin was working (the Baker's room and garage addition officially kicked off today!) and Mason was hitting golf balls with my dad so it was just me, Ella and Si. We invaded the neighbor's and hung out with a margarita or two...

Jodi was kind enough to feed Si some tomato soup (one of his all-time favorites)
which he somehow got sloshed into his hair...

and began dripping down his forehead which he wasn't thrilled about.

Silas is getting to be a big-boy. He has never been able to say "vanilla" - he has always called it "va-ella" and then gets a kick out of it because it has his sister's name in it. Last week he said he can now say "vanilla" the right way. Makes me sad :-(

When I Get Big...

Silas informed me this morning that...

"when I get big I'm going to buy my underwear at K-Mart and I'm going to have a big pee-pee and my underwear will have a hole in it and I am going to go pee-pee out of the hole". And he said all that without taking a breath of air.

He also informed my mom a couple weeks ago that his pee looks like chicken noodle soup (but without the noodles I hope) - he called her in to see it.

And while I'm divulging info, I should also mention yesterday's ride home from Kelly's. I hear the kids in the back, talking funny - accents or something. Somewhat British sounding. Just being goofy. Silas likes to copy Ella (and that often makes her mad) and I hear Ella say something to him, then says it again, and again...until finally I realize that she is calling him a "Smart Ass" but with a British accent. "Smaaaat Auss" is how it sounded until I asked her what she was saying, to which she clearly replied: SMART ASS. She has clearly been watching too much Benny Hill....

Shutterbug

On the weekends, I've been devoting a lot of time to my photography class. I have the camera out constantly. I have over 300 pictures of every flower, bird, blade of grass in my yard...practicing aperture, depth, shutter, etc. I've also been getting a lot of the kids as they run around and play.

I think they are getting TOO used to seeing the camera because
they always have that "cheese" look on their face

Miss Boo

I got very bored taking pictures around the house and yard,
so I dragged the family to Darby Creek Nursery's open house last weekend.

This week's assignment is on Shutter Speed...so I need to get me some good water - wind - movement shots. Fun stuff!