Happy Honeymoon Greg and Jessica!

Greg and Jessica leave tomorrow morning for their long awaited honeymoon! Sadly Jessica woke up sick with the flu this morning, poor girl. She's been throwing up and we are just crossing our fingers she'll feel better by tomorrow-not getting sick at least. The two are heading down to Playa Del Carmen in Mexico, and I couldn't be more envious-I really think I need a nice tropical vacation, and stat! Have a great time you guys!!

Here are some pictures from a couple weekends ago when Sydney had a fun slumber party with Geg and Dess-e-ca. (yes she finally calls Jessica by her name, sometimes. She still prefers CaCa.) So yes I post a lot on this blog, but there are so many pictures I don't post that I mean to post. These are some of them. Today Sydney told me, "I love Geg, I love Ca Ca." It was so cute, she just adores these two. I don't know what's going to happen when they have their own kids-I have a feeling Sydney is going to be jealous when the time comes. Hopefully not, but she is so clingy with these two that I think it's going to be hard for her to share.

Anyway-here we go-some pics from their fun day:

Cuddle time with Greg

Giving the baby a binky



















Think she has fun or what???

Pics from earlier in the week

Here are some pictures from earlier this week at school-

This is a typical activity for Sydney. She grabs a baby doll, takes off their clothes (see them in the basket?) and pushes the cart around. Sometimes she even has the red phone to her ear while pushing the cart around. Oh boy.

Sydney loves this thing-we pull it out whenever the kids can't play outside. She of course loves to climb up the ladder and slide. Then when she gets bored of the regular ladder she climbs up the side-where it's not meant to be a ladder. She's our little monkey.

Gimme your hand Cole!

How cute are these two? Giving each other a hug

The three musketeers

Yesterday we checked out the library storytime right next to Lisa's house, and it was great! The librarian read stories, but also had the kids do the hokey pokey and other songs and even did a craft at the end! We had a blast and we'll continue going to this storytime.


Afterwards we went to Samantha's house to play and eat lunch. Her house (like how it's hers and not her parents? hehe) has a great playroom upstairs which Sydney LOVES! The petal cottage with all the goods is the best. She has a ton of other toys too so the kids always really enjoy playing at Samantha's. Well that, and the racetrack downstairs. It's not really a racetrack but the kids love to run around it.


Sydney in her element-she is going to be such a good mommy one day! (Many, many years from now, like 28.) I love this cottage, I keep thinking about selling the bus to get this for Syd.

Samantha is such a good big sister to little Jake! She is very protective too and doesn't let anyone get too close.

These make great hats!
All the kids had to kiss little Jacob goodbye and goodnight!

Apparently this is how boys do it-head taps instead of kisses

Close your eyes Grandma O!

Sydney loves to climb up daddy, walk on our backs while we are squatting down (without holding on to anything), stand on daddy's shoulders when he is sitting down (again not holding on) be lifted the ceiling, flipped around, tossed around, you name-she loves it. This kid has balance and I think we need to put her into gymnastics! She is our little daredevil.

Here's her latest thing-Anthony holds on to her feet and ankles and lifts her up quite high while she balances. It's actually a lot harder than it looks. Future gymnast or cheerleader? Very possible, her balance is amazing! I'll have to post some of our acrobatic videos one of these days, they are pretty impressive.

Ickey Mouse!

It's official!
I booked our Disneyland trip today for March and I am so excited! We got such a great deal so that makes it even better.

Almost a year ago Anthony was going to Denver for a work thing. We decided it'd be fun if Sydney and I went also so I bought us airline tickets. Well the business trip was cancelled and we were given a credit for the airline tickets that expire in one year, which is April 17th of this year. Basically if we don't use these tickets by April we lose out, almost $700 worth. Yikes. (for future reference the refundable tickets are a very good option.)

Anyway, Anthony and I have been talking the past couple of months on whether we can afford to take a trip, should we just lose out on the money, etc. I started researching where Delta goes non-stop because really, when you have a toddler you don't want to be flying for 6 hours with numerous connecting flights to get to a destination that normally takes two. (San Fran is my example.) Basically we could do L.A. or Salt Lake City. Hmm, no brainer.
I started researching this whole priceline.com thing and although I have done it before, I didn't really get it. I read online that people were paying under $50 a night for Anaheim 3 star hotels. Long story short we are staying in a very nice hotel down the road from Disney for $46 a night. Compared to the $133 a night I was prepared to shell out, this is amazing! Our airfare is only $75 after the credit, and Disneyland is offering a 5 day pass for the price of 3. These people are practically giving us this stuff for free!

I am so excited, I think Anthony is starting to get excited, and Sydney keeps talking about Ickey Mouse. I know, I know...she probably won't remember the trip when she gets older, she will probably be afraid of some of the rides but we'll have a blast. They have a ton of toddler things there, and our hotel has an indoor pool so I am sure we'll spend a lot of time there too. I haven't been to Disneyland since I was 9 so I can't even imagine how different it is now.

Ickey Mouse here we come...in March!

The Negotiator

Whenever a fun activity is ending we give Sydney a 5 minute, 2 minute and 1 minute warning. Five more minutes until naptime, two more minutes until we get out of the bathtub, one more minute until we leave the park, etc. This makes the transition very easy-we have learned our lesson on this one!


Sydney has started negotiating with us on this. When time is up she looks at us with those big blue eyes and says, "2 minutes....peas?" When there is one minute left she asks for two minutes. It's pretty funny, but also makes us a bit nervous for what is to come. If she is negotiating already on this, what will she be like in ten years? Clothes, car keys, curfew? eek.


The negotiator trying for one more minute:

Here are a couple funny pics of Sydney from last night. Yes my child walks around the house half undressed quite often.

We've got a 22 pounder!

Yesterday we went to the doctor because Sydney has been complaining that her legs hurt. Now sometimes I know she does this for attention or because she wants us to kiss it and make it better. But sometimes she really does seem to be in pain. She even woke up in the middle of the night a few nights ago complaining her leg hurt.
The doctor checked her out and decided to do a blood test to see if that shows anything. She is a bit puzzled because normally kids don't have growing pains until they get older. We'll see what that produces and keep monitoring Sydney's legs. She hasn't complained since we went to the doctor, so maybe it will stop now after her traumatic experience with the blood draw.

The good news is she grew an inch and a quarter in the past four months! She also gained a pound and a few ounces, topping out at 22 pounds and 34 1/4 tall. I was so sure she actually made it on the weight chart with this whopping weight but nope, still not on there. Her height is in the 25th percentile.
I just checked my baby book since Sydney and I were almost identical in height and weight at two years old. Well, at 2 1/2 I was the same exact height as Syd is now, but I weighed 25 3/4, so I gained nearly 5 lbs in six months. Hmm. Never mind for the big excitement of Sydney gaining over a pound this past six months. Guess we're back to bribing her to take 4 more bites with M&M's! (You think I'm kidding right?)

Anthony had the day off yesterday so after the doctor appointment we played at the park and had a nice dinner. I actually forgot my camera at home which was a real shocker I know! No pictures to post.

Rocker chick

When Sydney was still in my belly she loved to rock out to AC/DC "Shook me all night long." Every single time I heard this song in the car she'd start kicking like crazy. I am pretty sure she was rocking out in the belly.

These days one of her favorite songs is, "Do Do Do Da Da Da" by the Police. Perhaps it's because she knows all the words but she asks for it all the time. Today we were watching Ellen and Heart was on performing "Baracuda." My rocker girl started rocking out, it was so hilarious. I guess my girl is a classic rock girl!


Here she is rocking out to "Baracuda"

Today's funny

I forgot to mention-today at the library Cole's grandma dropped him off with us while she looked for a place to park. I sat Cole on my lap and said, "Sit here Cole." (He loves to explore.) Samantha didn't see Cole on my lap and yelled out, "Cole! Cole!" She was looking around for Cole, afraid he walked off. We showed her where he was and she was fine. A minute later Cole went to stand up and Sydney immediately grabbed his arm and pulled him down, and he stayed. It was the funniest thing, like he had two more mommies taking care of him. This poor kid doesn't have a chance, with all these girls keeping him in line! Haha.

Today's activity

Today we met up with the posse for storytime at the library. It was packed! Apparently it's a very popular event in Mill Creek as we had to park waaayyyy up the street. The highlight of course was the parachute at the end:


Stopping at the park for a little playtime on the way out

Baby Jacob



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Or maybe the highlight was Mexican food afterwards? Lucky for me my friends enjoy Mexican food as much as I do.
Here's a funny video of the girls at La Palmera:

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Here's a happy Sydney with her own mail! Every day we get our mail and Sydney even reminds me to get the mail when we drive by the mailboxes but the mail is always for us, not Sydney. Today Sydney received the cutest card from her Greg and Jessica and she was so excited. She kept saying, "So nice" and I read the card to her several times.
I think I am going to start mailing her letters every week since she thought it was so special to receive her own mail.

Happy Birthday Carli!

Happy Birthday to one of my dearest friends Carli!

This year we celebrate 25 years of friendship, how can that be? We certainly can't be that old, can we?

Happy Birthday to the girl who threw the best slumber parties as a kid. The girl who read the writing on the chalkboard to me in the 4th grade when I couldn't see the board and was too self conscious to wear my glasses. The girl who was the safest driver around town and always went 5 miles under the speed limit when she got her license. The girl who was my science partner in high school and helped me achieve my first and only A- in science ever. The thoughtful woman who remembers every birthday and holiday with a card. The woman who worked so incredibly hard to achieve a PhD and is now a Dean at a college-this still amazes me! The mom who is a wonderful mom and role model to her daughter Gracie and the friend who is a true friend to her friends and will always be one of my dearest.

Love you Car, have a wonderful day today. :)

My grocery store is famous!

One of my favorite shows is Take Home Chef , it's a good show and it probably helps the star of the show is an Australian cutie pie. The show goes like this-Curtis Stone (Australian cutie pie) goes to upscale grocery stores and surprises unsuspecting shoppers, offers to help them shop, go back to their place and cook for them. What's funny is he always picks the cute young women shopping too. Typical guy huh? Okay I know I don't really cook but for some reason I really like the show. Plus I love seeing the people's houses and kitchens, especially when they don't know someone is coming over! And it's on during Sydney's nap, that is why I started watching it in the first place.

Anyway I was watching today while Sydney was napping and I noticed the Central Market they were filming in looked very familiar. Sure enough they showed the outside of the store and showed Curtis and the shopper driving right by the library (the one we were at today in fact) along with the road I drive on often. Curtis Stone was 4 miles away from me filming and I had no idea! I just thought it was super cool. We don't frequent Central Market for normal shopping trips, but we do head there for good meat and produce a couple times a month. I think I am going to have to start brushing my hair and cleaning my kitchen before I head to the grocery store in the future, haha.

Outside time!

Yesterday Sydney and I braved the cold weather (30 degrees) and played outside for a bit. She was so cold but she was outside and had a fun time. It was a fun 25 minutes.

100% concentration on the ladder
I don't know why this looks blue
Look mommy, frozen rocks!
After we went inside we put on our warm slippers and hung out near the fireplace to warm up. Here's Sydney with her bears-or as she calls them, her "brown beers." I think she's Canadian. Here's a ballet picture from yesterday morning. Nana and Papa came to watch Sydney and they enjoyed watching the girls dance. Here is Sydney with Lauren. This little girl is such a crack up and usually runs around the place, normally in front of the mirror watching herself. She loves to grab Sydney's hands for a little ring around the rosie before class starts.

Haircut!

Today Sydney got a haircut! I was waiting until Grandma O came up because she does the best cuts and Sydney does really well for her but it just couldn't wait any longer.
Check this out-need I say more???


She was a bit nervous at first but she did really well and kept saying, "Haircut" while watching the cut in the mirror.



Afterwards we made a kitchen stop on the way out-the girl loves her kitchens. The stylists and owners didn't mind so we stayed a bit. Anyone else notice her bangs are crooked though? Just noticing it now while looking at the pictures. Sydney was squirming a bit when she was finishing so it was a tough job. Gram-o can make any necessary corrections upon her arrival in two weeks.
Afterwards goofing off at home

No, bunny hop!

We had Papa and Nana over for dinner tonight. Sydney had so much fun coloring and playing with Papa and Nana. Of course it was also tickle and wrestle time with Papa, she just loves that.

Nana tickling Sydney!
Papa's turn!
Papa reading the soccer book to Sydney.
Sydney loves to be read to-she was ready to go night night.

This was too funny-Sydney was doing the bunny hop and Papa stopped her to tickle her. She wasn't having it, told Papa no and went back to her hopping. Silly girl!





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