...And Baby Makes 5

Spontaneity {Sea World}

2011-09-17T17:14:00.009-04:00

If you know anything about you, you know that I'm a planner. I plan EVERYTHING...But I'm attempting to learn the beauty and excitement of being spontaneous. As a result, over Labor Day weekend I suggested an impromptu road trip to San Antonio for a little visit to Shamu. While we had a great time at Sea World we didn't really like San Antonio too much (too many people with no southern manners!).

It was also great that DJ got the opportunity to speak with one of the trainers at Sea World! He aspires to be a marine mammal trainer one day so he asked what he needed to study in college to make that happen! We also found out that Sea World has a summer camp for kid who love marine biology...Just like DJ :)

All in all we had a wonderful, spontaneous trip!

Fancy

2011-08-07T16:48:00.004-04:00

Evan is fancy. She loves nail polish, shoes, and (as of recently) wearing her hair down. Now, this poses a MAJOR problem because when she wears her hair down it gets super tangled and almost impossible to comb through without a fight.

I'm still pulling together some courage to attempt to cornrow her hair, so I tried a two-strand twist until then.

It didn't take very long, and with an iCarly marathon on Nick Evan stayed still and compliant. I'm not sure that I used the proper oil (I think I need something a bit more sticky), but I don't think it turned out too bad. Don't think it'll last very long though!

Lake Titans {Football}

2011-07-31T11:27:00.009-04:00

For the past two weeks the boys have spent four days a week at football camp for the Lake Titans. Originally, only DJ was supposed to play, but after a couple of days watching his brother practice Cameron couldn't take it any more, and wanted to join too!

I have to say that I was pretty nervous about the boys playing tackle football, but it has actually been really good for them! They are both showing more maturity and are getting along better. I also enjoy going to their practices. It seems that I'm becoming quite the southern football mom.

We also recently celebrated Dj's 9th birthday, and because we don't have any family here we planned a nice birthday dinner with make your own pizzas, cupcakes, and ice cream sundaes!

Wow! What a Year! {The List}

2011-07-02T19:50:00.011-04:00

My 31st birthday is tomorrow, so I figured that this would be a perfect time to revisit THE LIST and the progress I've made on it this past year. July 1st was also our anniversary of arriving in Louisiana, so it's an opportune time for reflection all away around.

I've made really good progress on my list. All in one year I've moved south, bought a new home, gotten a promotion (THE SHELF), and learned a lot about myself. I think I'm in love with being in my 30s and this has been possibly the best year yet!

As I look at the list today, there are things that definitely need revising. #11, #19, #20 are things that I no longer have any desire to do. Writing is the furthest thing from my mind right now, wearing red lipstick is just not who I am, and going to MI (up North or otherwise) gives me a headache. In the next few weeks I'm going to be revising this list so that it reflects who I am now.

35 before 35

1. own my own home (again)

2. spend my anniversary on a beach

3. finish my masters degree (DONE DONE DONE DONE!!!!!)

4. get THE SHELF

5. put THE SHELF in an office of my own

6. relocate to the South

7. decorate my living room

8. have a real dinner party

9. learn to French braid (Still room for improvement on this one ;)

10. make Thanksgiving dinner (Wasn't Thanksgiving, but I did make Damon a "Christmas" dinner, so I think this counts)

11. finish that third novel

12. take my kids to Disney World

13. go out on New Years Eve

14. celebrate homecoming at TSU

15. “Would Ya Like it” in the rain

16. Have date night once a week

17. Visit Washington DC

18. have a picnic with wine and cheese

19. wear red lipstick

20. go Up North

21. grow a plant

22. make a cake for a loved one’s birthday

23. restore a piece of furniture

24. attend a Broadway play (does not have to be in NY, although that’s a bonus)

25. get rid of all unnecessary debt

26. eat healthier

27. answer the question, “What’s wrong?” honestly, the first time.

28. institute a new family tradition

29. take a cooking class

30. Find the perfect school for Cameron

31. Learn to let go

32. Invest in great pics of the kids

33. Learn a new language

34. Renew my wedding vows

35.

We have been in our home a little over two weeks now and WE LOVE IT!

And although it occured to us AFTER we moved in that we don't have linen closets and the builders gave us sooo many problems with our sod, things have been going relatively smoothly. I was in full indoor decor mode when our SUV broke down and we had to get a new car.

Needless to say I have put the breaks on buying stuff for the house for a few weeks.

Since I posted last we visited Detroit... both Cameron and Evan took private swim lessons with one of the kinder teachers from my school, and we're just working on enjoying our summer before we are required to return to the daily grind. Pretty soon DJ will be starting his first season in tackle football, too.

Audubon Zoo {New Orleans}

2011-05-22T10:36:00.009-04:00

This Saturday, we took an impromptu drive down to New Orleans to visit the Audubon Zoo. When we first arrived in Louisiana last July we bought an Audubon Institute Membership but only got around to visiting the aquarium. We didn't know what we'd been missing! The Audubon Zoo is fantastic! It's full of great animals, a splash park, Dinosaur Adventure, snowball (Louisiana version of a snow cone) stands, and plenty of greenery to keep all the visitors and animals cool on all our HOT Louisiana days! The best part of this zoo is the live animal discussions. The zoo keepers come out to feed the animals and you get up close and personal with the wildlife. DJ, Cam, and Damon all touched an elephant and we all got SUPER close to a giraffe. The zoo keepers answer questions, too! If you're ever in the area it's definitely a MUST DO!

In other news...

The end of the school year is upon us!!! Damon, DJ, and Cam are all done on Monday and I'm finishing the year out on Tuesday. Both boys had a great school year making lots of friends and earning honor roll awards. DJ even earned a Leadership award and a Physical Fitness award signed by the President! We're proud parents :0)

On Thursday we'll be packing up and heading the 1,000+ miles to visit friends and family in Detroit. We're only staying for about a week because when we return we have to pack up and get ready to move.

Getting Close {House Progress}

2011-05-04T16:16:00.006-04:00

If you're my friend on Facebook, you've seen the almost daily picture updates on the house! We spoke with the builders agent recently and she stated that the hosue is ahead of schedule and we will probably be able to close 10 days early!! Anywho...Here's an update for all my non-FB friends

Exterior Colors

2011-04-29T11:18:00.008-04:00

The House is really coming along! I know I haven't updated the blog with pics in a while, but they'll be posted shortly. The builders are really working hard on the exterior {Hardy Plank, Stucco, Brick, and exterior paint}

Here's a sneak peak of the exterior colors we chose way back when...

Sherwin Williams Adaptive Shade

The Hardy Plank along the sides and back of the house

Sherwin Williams Cajun Red

Front doors (main door and balcony)

Sherwin Willams Nuance

Stucco Color

Sherwin Williams Enduring Bronze

Shutters and Garage Door

Spring Break {Destin}

2011-04-25T15:22:00.004-04:00

Spring Break started for us last Friday and the next day we headed out to Destin, FL for a little fin in the sun. Destin is about a 4.5 hour drive from The Red Stick, but totally worth it! We arrived at about 2pm, spent the night, and got up in the morning to hit the beach again before heading back home. We had a great time and have decided to make this little mini-vacay an annual Spring Break trip.

Wordless Wednesday {Big KIDS}

2011-04-06T07:09:00.002-04:00

House Updates and More School???

2011-04-01T07:52:00.005-04:00

Quite a bit has happend with the house since my last post. If you are my friend on Facebook you have seen the almost daily progress of the house. If you're not on Facebook here's an update on the house progress so far...

It's only been about 2 weeks since the foundation was laid. It's pretty exciting to see the progress and we make it a point to drive by each weekend to see how much has changed. Everything is going so quickly and we are already talking about packing up the things we don't use on a frequent basis.

Monday is our framing walk through...We're not sure what to expect, but we know that we'll be talking with the contractor about our custom built-ins.

In other news I think I have decided to go back to school...I know that I jsut finished my MAT, but I'm in a bit of a rut and my creative juices have been stagnant for some time. I have decided that I'm addicted to setting and reaching goals so I've created a new one, LOL! Photography! I'm seriously considering going for my Associates in Photography. I think it'll be a great way to do something for me that also has the potential to bring in extra cash.

I think I may need to update my 35 before 35

S/N: Aura from my FAVORITE blog had her baby! (You would swear I knew this woman, LOL)

We have forward movement

2011-03-13T11:49:00.005-04:00

On our weekly drive through our new subdivision we saw that progress is being made on our house! All the permits are in and they have started to prep for the foundation. Next week they'll be pouring the concrete and then 2.5 weeks later the framing should be complete.

Inspiration and Potty Training

2011-03-05T11:11:00.003-05:00

We're SUPER excited about our upcoming house building! Each weekend we drive over to the subdivision to check out the current home they're building that's like our floor plan. The workman ship is beautiful and it's fun seeing how everything is shaping up. We also noticed that they put out little flags on our lot to mark the property line. Within the next week or two they'll be starting on the foundation.

Because I'm a planner, I've decided to start compiling inspiration boards to help me sort out my ideas and have a vision as we visit furniture stores. I've only completed the playroom board, and things have already changed since then (I found some fab British Flag pillows that are must haves).

In other news...

Evan is officially, 100%, potty trained!!! I can't believe it myself, but it's true. She's wears panties 24/7 and accidents are far and few in between, even at bed time. It's great because we saves tons on diapers and pullups.

Picking and Choosing

2011-02-20T18:42:00.011-05:00

Today we made a visit to the builders office to select the colors for our home!

It was quite the HGTV experience! We sat down and chose tile, hardwood, granite, carpet, and interior and exterior paint and brick.

Granite

Tile

Exterior Brick

Cabinets

Wood Flooring

We also decided on a few must do upgrades

Backyard Fence

Mailbox (I know it sounds ridiculous, but they're special mailboxes)

Stainless Steel Fridge

They're also a few may do upgrades that we're still considering

Two built-in bookcases flanking the fireplace

18 inch tile (instead of 12 inch)

semi-gloss paint in high traffic areas

All the permits are in and within 3 weeks they'll be laying the foundation. We're too excited and plan to keep everyone updated as our adventure progresses.

#1

2011-02-13T09:42:00.011-05:00

In more house news, remember the home from my last blog post? Well, this is our land...

We've put down the deposit and have an appointment to pick out our colors and any extra amenities we want next Sunday. Needless to say, we're super excited! Can't wait to begin the planning process and can't wait to cross #1 off THE LIST!

and the search continues...

2011-02-06T17:35:00.005-05:00

Each Sunday, Damon and I load up the kids and head out to search for our next home. Today, we headed back out to a neighborhood we REALLY like (it has sidewalks) and took a sneak peak at a home currently being built.

Currently, it's a full-on construction zone, and someone already owns the one we looked at today. But they're laying the foundation for a new one in March and that home will be complete in late May. Putting a deposit on the home by the time the foundation is built will allow us to make all the decisions about flooring, tile, paint, etc. And it will allow us to save the home until our lease is up in July.

So...here are the specs (in comparison to our other front runner, house #2 from January blog post)

+ 2500 sq. ft., quality schools, beautiful neighborhood, sidewalks, hardwood, nice size yard, closer to my job, comes with stainless steel appliances, extra storage space under stairs, mud room, upstairs play room, ability to be customized, $3,000 to hold the house, $5,000 in closing costs because we're educators

- smaller bedrooms, smaller porch, lack of defined eating area

We're meeting up with our real estate agent on Wednesday to go over and speak with the builder's purchasing agent.

I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

House Hunters

2011-01-21T13:08:00.013-05:00

It didn't take long for Damon and I to realize that we love Baton Rouge. We're also SICK of being renters, so it's time for the house hunting to begin!

Damon and I are trying to ensure that we don't make the same mistake twice, so we're doing our research, working with an agent we have a personal relationship with, and taking advantage of all the programs we qualify for.

That's where the Rural Development Loan comes in.

The United States Department of Agriculture provides 100%, low interest, fixed rate mortgage loans for buyers looking for build or buy in a rural area. Well, if you are looking outside East Baton Rouge Parish, you're looking in a rural area!

When we purchased our first home all we knew is that we wanted 3 bedrooms...But this time, we're a little bit older, a little bit wiser, and definitely know what works for our family.

Here's our wishlist

4 bedrooms

Master bedroom with attached bath

All bedrooms on the same floor

Large, fenced backyard

Hardwood floors

2,000(+) Square Feet

In a quality school district

Here are a few front runners with their positives and negatives

+ Perfect size (2,600 sq.ft.), fenced in yard, and a HUGE master suite, near a cul-de-sac, two living areas

- Carpet throughout, three bedrooms on second floor, one bedroom of the first floor

+ BIG (2,900 sq. ft.), Huge Master Suite, tile in living area, Brand New, comes with Builders Warranty, Builder Pays $4,000 of closing costs, Large loft style study area with built-in desk and shelving, large bedrooms, front porch, gorgeous wraparound, covered back porch

- Master suite on first floor, 3 bedrooms on second floor, hardwood flooring only in hallway, smallish backyard, no fence

+ Good size (2,100 sq. ft.), hardwood floors, all rooms on the same floor, covered back porch with ceiling fan, fenced in yard, within walking distance to our High School of choice for the kids (yes, we're thinking that far ahead, LOL!)

We would love a bonus room for out of town guests, but it doesn't look like it's in the budget :(

Hopefully these homes will still be on the market when we begin to SERIOUSLY look in March. Our timing has to be right. We have to complete our rental agreement, so we're hoping to have be house by June!

Here's to hoping we find (nearly) everything we want!

Happy 2011 {THE LIST}

2011-01-01T10:33:00.010-05:00

It's a new year and I'm that much closer to 35! So, as we ring in 2011 I think it's only appropriate to do a little year in review and update everyone on my 35 before 35 progress.

2010 was a fantastic year for our family. We were afforded the opportunity to better our lives through new jobs and a new state of residence. While we do miss our family and friends back home we LOVE our new life in Louisiana and are excited about what's to come.

The kids are growing well and are achieving things we never thought possible. Although 2010 began REALLY rocky for Cam, the end shaped up to be pretty promising. He now has an additional ADHD diagnosis which we're managing through diet (lots of organic and no red dye 40) and 5mg of Focalin.

This January the boys will begin Basketball and we'll be taking lots of pictures.

We're also planning a 2 week long visit back home this summer (maybe around my birthday), and plan on buying a home down here in the country as well. The house hunt begins (in earnest) this Feb/March and we can't wait! We know what we're looking for, just hope out pocketbooks agree with our dreams.

Hope you all have a happy and prosperous 2011!

35 before 35

1. own my own home (again)

2. spend my anniversary on a beach

3. finish my masters degree (DONE DONE DONE DONE!!!!!)

4. get THE SHELF

5. put THE SHELF in an office of my own

6. relocate to the South

7. decorate my living room

8. have a real dinner party

9. learn to French braid (Still room for improvement on this one ;)

10. make Thanksgiving dinner (Wasn't Thanksgiving, but I did make Damon a "Christmas" dinner, so I think this counts)

11. finish that third novel

12. take my kids to Disney World

13. go out on New Years Eve

14. celebrate homecoming at TSU

15. “Would Ya Like it” in the rain

16. Have date night once a week

17. Visit Washington DC

18. have a picnic with wine and cheese

19. wear red lipstick

20. go Up North

21. grow a plant

22. make a cake for a loved one’s birthday

23. restore a piece of furniture

24. attend a Broadway play (does not have to be in NY, although that’s a bonus)

25. get rid of all unnecessary debt

26. eat healthier

27. answer the question, “What’s wrong?” honestly, the first time.

28. institute a new family tradition

29. take a cooking class

30. Find the perfect school for Cameron

31. Learn to let go

32. Invest in great pics of the kids

33. Learn a new language

34. Renew my wedding vows

35.

Turkey Day at the Wizarding World

2010-11-28T16:52:00.003-05:00

For Thanksgiving this year all five of us headed down to Orlando for a fab time and Universal Studios!

Before making it to Orlando, we stopped off at Panama City Beach for a little fun in the sun.

The next day we made our way to Orlando and the Nickolodeon Resort ( a kid's dream)!

On Turkey day we headed on over to THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER at Universal Studios and had a fantastic time! Everything was perfectly done and I definitely felt as if I was in the books!

All that Hair!

2010-11-14T12:34:00.016-05:00

Evan has a lot of hair...I mean a lot! Long gone are the days of Johnson and Johnson's baby shampoo. We have entered into full-on hair care regime.

Wash hair once a week with Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Shampoo

Condition Hair with Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Conditioner

Comb hair through with fingers or a wide tooth comb

Rinse out conditioner

Apply 100% pure Shea Butter from root to tip

Part and braid into two sections

Following this regime has helped her hair grow by leaps and bounds. The Shea Butter makes it soooo soft and shiny. I do have to note that some times I will co-wash her hair (wash with conditioner) if it's feeling a little rag tag.

When it's time to style I use a combination of water and conditioner spray and Bee Mine Curly Butter to achieve the desired style. I also use Just for Me Hair Milk (although I sometimes find this a bit thick).

Happy Styling!!!

Fall Fest and Updates

2010-11-13T07:52:00.003-05:00

Things have been pretty busy around here!

We've had emergency dentist appointments, a stomach virus, report cards, speech therapy (ALL three kids...), the end of football and soccer seasons, ballet and tap classes, crazy work schedules, new family pics, final semester in my master's program, and vacation planning in between.

All in all we're exhausted and very apologetic for the non-existent posts.

During Halloween weekend the boys' school held their annual fall festival. There were games, music, food, and crafts. We all had a great time!

Thanksgiving week we're headed out of Louisiana and off to Panama City Beach and Orlando for some rest and relaxation on the beach and SOOPER good times at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. This is a much deserved vacation and we cannot wait!

And the Countdown Begins!!!

2010-10-03T11:55:00.005-04:00

Vacation Countdown

WHO DAT!

2010-09-10T10:50:00.005-04:00

Football season in Louisiana is something like I've never seen before! Schools are invloved, stores, newspapers, restaurants...EVERYONE! I don't even like football, but the vibe in the city just sweeps you in and makes you a fan.

Today at the boys' school is NFL day. They will be participating in NFL themed activities in both the classroom and during PE, and were allowed to wear their favorite team's jersey along with their uniform shorts. DJ chose the Saints and Cameron wanted the Steelers but there wasn't a Pittsburg jersey to be found anywhere in a three parish area...So he opted for the Saints, too.

Evan got in on the fun with her Fleur de Lis dress and matching NO Saints bow!

The List {Updated}

2010-09-02T10:20:00.004-04:00

I am slowly, but surely making my way through my 35 before 35 list! I have accomplished so many new things (items 4,5,6 and 30, 31,and 32)! I'm also only one goal away from finishing compiling the list.

My J-O-B is going well and has been the driving force behind me accomplishing so many goals. I've got my office, my "SHELF", and was able to relocate south! As you can tell from all my previous posts Louisiana is FAB and there's a lot to see and do hear. It's DEFINITELY the best decision we've ever made.

35 before 35

1. own my own home (again)

2. spend my anniversary on a beach

3. finish my masters degree

4. get THE SHELF

5. put THE SHELF in an office of my own

6. relocate to the South

7. decorate my living room

8. have a real dinner party

9. learn to French braid

10. make Thanksgiving dinner

11. finish that third novel

12. take my kids to Disney World

13. go out on New Years Eve

14. celebrate homecoming at TSU

15. “Would Ya Like it” in the rain

16. Have date night once a week

17. Visit Washington DC

18. have a picnic with wine and cheese

19. wear red lipstick

20. go Up North

21. grow a plant

22. make a cake for a loved one’s birthday

23. restore a piece of furniture

24. attend a Broadway play (does not have to be in NY, although that’s a bonus)

25. get rid of all unnecessary debt

26. eat healthier

27. answer the question, “What’s wrong?” honestly, the first time.

28. institute a new family tradition

29. take a cooking class

30. Find the perfect school for Cameron

31. Learn to let go

32. Invest in great pics of the kids

33. Learn a new language

34. Renew my wedding vows

35.

Number 30-Find the Perfect School for Cameron- has been and on and off type thing. Last year when we placed him in Montessori we thought we had found the right environment for him...WE WERE WRONG. Montessori was way too free for Cam and he just took it as an excuse to do whatever he wanted. Now, he has an IEP and is in an Inclusion Classroom. He receives push-in services from a SPED teacher and para-pro and Pragmatic Language Services from a Speech Therapist.

Already wev've seen a MAJOR change in Cam's behavior and academics. He has only been to the office once and is currently receiving straight A's!!!

DJ is doing well too and we're seriously consierding having him tested for the gifted and talented program within the Praish they attend school.

Evan has moved up to the 2 year old room at daycare and with thatcomes potty training and Pull-Ups. I think she'll be much easier than the boys because she loves to take off her diaper.

Evan is 2!

2010-08-21T11:37:00.006-04:00

This Tuesday, Evan turned 2 years old! To celebrate her birthday we had cupcakes, ice cream, balloons, and a feather boa! I'm actually loving not having to plan huge parties and spend all that money. I think small to-dos are going to be a new family tradition.

We also spent the weekend showing my parents around Baton Rouge and trying to convince them to move here. We had a great time stuffing our faces with Gumbo at Don's and Pecan and Caramel French Toast at Another Broken Egg (I'm clearly going to be 300lbs before it's all over). We also visited Laura Plantation. Laura is an authentic Creole Plantation. The tour guides are FAB and you get the real history, not the romanticized version of the antebellum south.

Honey Island and New Orleans

2010-08-07T14:36:00.005-04:00

Sorry, for the looong time between posts. I've been so busy with work that the month between my birthday till now has just gotten away from me! I just got back from nearly two weeks in Grand Rapids for work and school starts Tuesday. No rest for the weary.

At the end of July DJ turned 8and we drove the hour to New Orleans to celebrate. Before we stopped at the Audubon Aquarium we hit Honey Island Swamp tours for a little trip down the bayou!

I am taking ANYONE who comes for a visit on a Swamp Tour! It was fabulous! We learned all about the bayou, saw alligators up close and personal, and heard about how Katrina affected the local swamps. Evan didn't care for the trip too much (she was terrified), but everyone else had a great time.

After that we headed into the city driving down Bourbon street and checking out the Superdome.

This summer was DJ and Cameron's first day camp experience. Surprisingly, Cameron had ZERO problems, but DJ was bullied a bit. Everything turned out fine, but it really drove home the point that DJ is growing up.

The Big Move {Part 2}

2010-07-05T09:40:00.013-04:00

We got a call the morning before our stuff was scheduled to arrive. The incompetent person on the other end said that our stuff wouldn't arrive till the 7th. 4 days late. Here's how we've been living.

But, we're trying to make lemons out of some pretty bitter lemonade. Yesterday I turned the big 3-0 and instead of moping, I realized all the things I have to be thankful for.

3 beautiful, rambunctious kids

a wonderful husband who adores me :)

a gorgeous home with enough spaces for all of us

a brand new (SECURE) job

fabulous parents who are also great grandparents

And after I was finished being thankful, we took ourselves on a mini plantation tour!

We went inside this plantation, Oak Valley. It's the one from the Beyonce' Deja Vu video, Interview with a vampire and many other things. We also drove by another plantation, but it was closed. I can't wait to go back and tour it because it doesn't look like it's been updated at all.

On the way home we drove down Highway 1 (does that mean it's the first highway ever? I'll have to look it up), and we saw plenty of alligators just hanging out in the swamp. DJ loved it!

Hopefully our stuff will be here on Wednesday, and then we'll be able to finish up with part 3!

The Big Move {Part 1}

2010-06-29T18:41:00.011-04:00

So, if you're friends with either Damon and I on Facebook you already know that we've started our journey to Baton Rouge. The movers arrived right on time early Monday morning and loaded all our belongings in about three hours. It was quite a nice experience having someone else pack up a truck and drive it to our destination. Stress free! As soon as the movers were finished, we packed up both cars and got on the road.

Our first stop was in Louisville (not much to discuss there), but today we stopped in Nashville! It's been about 8 years since we last visited and, wow, things have really changed. We took the kids by a few of our favorite places including Centennial Park, THE BEST Mexican food spot EVER, and of course, TSU! Damon and I had a fabulous time traveling down memory lane, and the kids had a great time getting to know the place we talk so much about. We also realized that Nashville is probably the place we really want to spend our days, so you never know...

Don't you just love the name of this Church??? Lol! It's a campus landmark. I had to get a picture.

Tomorrow we're off to Baton Rouge!!!

More updates and pics to come :)

Autism Speaks

2010-06-11T08:46:00.004-04:00

Well, we decided to get a full battery of testing done on Cameron. We just weren't satisfied with the hasty diagnosis the outside psychologist gave us, so we asked the school to retest. He got IQ, Autism, and Speech evaluations, and this Monday his IEP meeting was held. We found that Cam has a very high functioning form of Autism and a pragmatic speech disorder. Basically, he's socially awkward, and doesn't know how to behave or engage in conversation is social situations. This diagnosis is spot on and we're so happy that we finally know what's REALLY going on with him, and have an action plan to deal with his special needs. He now has an active IEP the outlines his hours for resource services (push-in or pull-out), social work, and speech. He's going to be very busy. The new Louisiana school will have 30 days to hold another IEP meeting to discuss and revise the current IEP, and then he'll get started! We're hoping to get one to one or VERY small group modifications put into his IEP, because he really needs someone standing over him to get his work done.

The positive side is that his IQ scores came back great! He scored above average (superior intelligence) in performance based tasks and mathematics!

On the home front we are packing up and getting ready to get out of MI. Only 17 more days to go.

Busy Weekend!

2010-05-24T09:59:00.009-04:00

This weekend we kept the boys VERY busy! On Saturday they visited my cousins' farm where they rode horses, fixed a fence, rode on tractors, collected eggs, and played with goats and kittens.

Sunday, we spent a fun-filled evening at The Joe for WWE- OVER THE LIMIT! Too much fun!

Goodbye Mitten, Hello Boot

2010-05-09T08:13:00.012-04:00

Goodbye, Michigan! You guys have NO IDEA how long I've been waiting to say that! We're moving to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at the end of June and couldn't be more nervous and excited at the same time. Jobs have been secured : (Damon will be teaching science at Central Middle School)

(I will be a Dean at Inspire Academy, the new school my company is opening in August)

The boys will be attending the primary school that funnels into Damon's school and we've sent down the application fee and deposit for our rental home.

This huge turn of events really makes a big dent in THE LIST.

35 before 35

1. own my own home (again)

2. spend my wedding anniversary on a beach

3. finish my masters degree

4. get THE SHELF

5. put THE SHELF in an office of my own

6. relocate to the South

7. decorate my living room

8. have a real dinner party

9. learn to French braid

10. make Thanksgiving dinner

11. finish that third novel

12. take my kids to Disney World

13. go out on New Years Eve

14. celebrate homecoming at TSU

15. “Would Ya Like it” in the rain

16. Have date night once a week

17. Visit Washington DC

18. have a picnic with wine and cheese

19. wear red lipstick

20. go Up North

21. grow a plant

22. make a cake for a loved one’s birthday

23. restore a piece of furniture

24. attend a Broadway play (does not have to be in NY, although that’s a bonus)

25. get rid of all unnecessary debt

26. eat healthier

27. answer the question, “What’s wrong?” honestly, the first time.

28. institute a new family tradition

29. take a cooking class

30. Find the perfect school for Cameron

31. Learn to let go

32. Invest in great pics of the kids

33.

34.

35.

Numbers 4 and 5 will also be crossed off, but I'm waiting until July (or whenever the school is finished) for those. Number 3 will be complete in December, and we hope to cross off Number 1 after a year of living in BR.

We've been so busy lately with cleaning up, throwing away, posting on Craigslist, and trying to finish out the school year strong. We still can't decide if we want to move ourselves of if we should stick with the company we've hired, and we're planning a get together for family and friends to say goodbye.

Cam=MJ

2010-05-05T06:32:00.000-04:00

Check out Cam's audition video.

Lap Top Lunches

2010-04-27T12:39:00.008-04:00

This morning, I was visiting one of my favorite blogs and her post on Bento Lunches blew me away and I just had to share. The US equivalent are called lap top lunches and I found a site where you can order the lunch pails AND get recipe ideas. This idea is perfect for both Cameron (who MUST eat healthy) or go into a sugar high and ultimately get suspended from school, and DH is is super picky and most of the time half of his lunch gets thrown away.

Doesn't this look fab? I will definitely be ordering some containers and meal planning with this web site next school year.

Updates

2010-04-15T20:36:00.007-04:00

Not much...Really. Had a great spring break, but it definitely wasn't long enough, and toward the end the kids were driving us bonkers! Evan had her first Easter egg hunt, and there we found out how anti-social she really is. Sorry the video is so grainy, I took it with our camera and not our video camera

Cam's had a rough transition getting back into the swing of things at school after the break. He just doesn't follow directions! It's so frustrating. We're constantly back and forth to the psychologist and it seems as if things are taking forever. We do have a prescription for an anti-depressant (it's what they give 5 year olds with ADHD), but it's still sitting in my purse. Damon and I were just not comfortable giving him anything at such a young age, but we were on the fence...Until we listened to this podcast. We found out the ADHD can't even be diagnosed until the age of 7 and they're trying to dope up my 5 year old. Cam is a young five who, in hindsight, wasn't ready for kinder and should have stayed in pre-school another year. So, no meds for him...at least not right now.
Things with THE SHELF are fantabulous...Moving slowly, but fantabulous! Still mums the word, but we're getting closer and I'm excited and nervous at the same time. I WILL have some news by the end of the month, but until then here's some pics of the house we want.

NO MORE BOTTLE

2010-03-28T14:01:00.006-04:00

No more bottle for Evan! We (on the spur of the moment) decided that time was up for Evan and her BFF Dr. Brown. So, we took it from her Saturday morning, and here it is Sunday afternoon and it's like it never existed. Now, it wasn't a smooth experience, but it was MUCH easier than transitioning the boys. She screamed...ALL morning, until we went to the mall to do a little shopping, but after that she was pretty much okay with it. She only woke up once last night (she averages about 3 times a night) and this morning sucked down breakfast like a vacuum and smiled when she saw her cup.

Next up...potty training!

FOOD INC.

2010-03-22T18:35:00.008-04:00

Have you guys watched this? It's gross...just gross. It'll make you change the way you eat. Now, since having viewed this documentary, Damon and I have decided to change the way we shop for groceries, how much we patronize fast food restaurants, and what we allow the kids to eat. Instead of regular old ground beef, we get organic...Instead of fruit snacks and fruit cups, we buy fresh fruit. We're still learning, and the boys are fighting us every inch of the way, but we are holding fast. Like right now, they are going to bed early because they are refusing to eat my delicious Hot and Spicy Tortilla Soup courtesy of Gina Neely.

And because of our new way of eating (and the fact that my mom got me a subscription to Family Circle) I've been cooking.

Here's my onion, spinach, and bacon tart. SOOOOOO good (although I skipped the onions for the kids). Even Cam cleaned his plate!

The picture below is of the uncooked tart. THe cooked version has cheese all over it and you can't really see anything.

Sidebar- Check out Evan in her Princess Cozy Coupe.

Lots of Work to Do!

2010-03-07T08:49:00.008-05:00

We've been pretty busy over here at Baby Makes Five and pretty sick. Evan has been to the doctor so many times this winter that she actually knows how to get on and off the scale all by herself, and is getting pretty used to the nebulizer too!

I've been busy with running her back and forth to the doctor, being sick myself, and doing tons of school work. Here's my MAT- Reading and Literacy program.

The bolded, blue classes are those I have completed, and everything else is waiting for me. Monday I begin Meeting the Needs of All Learners, which shouldn't be difficult. I LOVE this program because I only have to take one class every 7 weeks and there are no tests. Just papers, projects, and online discussions.

Start	End
*SEM1*	5/4/09	6/20/09	Teacher as Leader
	7/6/09	8/22/09	Understanding Teaching and Learning
			Capstone

SEM 2	9/7/09	10/24/09	Instructional Design
	11/2/09	12/19/09	Effective Assessment

SEM 3	1/11/10	2/27/10	Teacher as Researcher
	3/8/10	4/24/10	Meeting the Needs of All Students
			Capstone

SEM 4	5/3/10	6/19/10	Foundations of Reading and Literacy
	7/5/10	8/4/10	Assessment and Intervention for the Struggling Readers

SEM 5	9/6/10	10/23/10	Reading in the Content Areas
	11/1/10	12/18/10	The Reading/Writing Connection
			Capstone

I'm also embarking on another class (crazy, I know!). This on is through my company on leadership. Your name had to be given to the corporate office by the principal as a top performer, then they picked all the names out of a hat for get the final list of 22 participants (out of 150). I was REALLY happy to be chosen because I am never chosen for lottery stuff like that. So far we've had the first session and it was really great. I can't wait to see what the next sessions have in store.

On the job front things are moving along. I have some news, but can't share just yet. Too many eyes on the net. Look for a new post about our plans late March, early April!!!

Stuff I Love

2010-02-15T07:37:00.006-05:00

CLICK HERE to check out the pics of the kids. They're gorgeous!

I HIGHLY recommend this photographer for those of you in the area)

I'm tried of all the hum-drum "woe is me" postings. I had a great week and have recently made some new fabulous discoveries that I want to share.

Carol's Daughter

Now I've known about these products for a long time, but have never actually used any. I just couldn't see paying $18 for an 8oz. bottle of hair moisturizer...Well, that was before DJ decided to grow out his hair! While his hair is extremely curly, it is also EXTREMELY dry, and he's been walking around for the past couple of months looking like an orphan child and refusing a hair cut.

Since Damon and I are all about letting the kids be individuals and kind of do their own thing, we didn't cut his hair (too much0, but I did make it my personal quest to find the perfect product for his hair....Enter Carol's Daughter's Hair Milk.

This stuff is a miracle for curls in a bottle! It takes his dry, brittle hair and turns it into silky-soft perfectly defined curls. It smells like citrus and is all natural. Just wet the hair and run in though root to tip. I also tried it on Evan's hair and it removed all the frizz!

I'm also recommending the Carol's Daughter Mimosa Hair Honey. This is an all purpose hair moisturizer and works great as well. With Evan's hair I normally have to spray it with water every morning and add oil before styling, but with this stuff I just dipped her brush in water, add a tiny bit of Mimosa Hair Honey and turned out FABU!

The Dominican Blowout

My regular stylist was MIA so out of pure desperation I visited a Dominican Salon to get my hair washed, blown out and flat ironed. OMG!!!!! The result was THE BEST blow out and flat iron I've EVER had (can you tell my excitement from all the CAPS I'm using?) Even better than all that...letting my Latin Sistas into my head was only half the price of what I normally pay! Only $30.

Threading

I've been getting my brows threaded by the East Indian women for months now and I love it. As opposed to spending anywhere from $17 to $25 for waxing, I drop $10 every 3-4 weeks and get perfect brows in about 7 minutes. Yes, it hurts (HURTS) the first few times you go, but after awhile you get used to it, and remember, beauty is pain!

Same Song

2010-02-07T08:55:00.005-05:00

We're singing the same song this week. On Thursday I got a call from Cam's new school that he'd spit on someone so I FLEW up there and sat in on his class for a hour and a half. I LOVE the school, and still believe that Cam is in the perfect place, but he's still getting into the same type of trouble. Friday he threw a snowball at the teacher (among other things) and was suspended again. I tried to get an emergency appointment with the therapist, but it's a no go. Unless someone cancels we'll have to wait until Thursday.

We've been watching Cameron and taking mental notes about his behavior. It's obvious that he has NO impulse control. He knows all the rules but doesn't stop long enough to follow them. We're going to continue with the child study process at this new school so that he can get classified. Bottom line - he needs a parapro with him during work times so that he gets his assignments done and stop getting put out of school. We're going to try to have his psychologist fax over the paper work verifying that he has oppositional defiant disorder. That way it'll be in his file and then maybe at 504 plan can be put into place.

His new teacher says that he's in the middle to high range in his class of kinder and first graders, but she can't get him to focus long enough to really do anything. When I was there and made him sit with the small group and do the vowel assignment he finished in about 1.5 minutes with no help from anyone. That's pretty amazing considering how much school he's missed due to trips to the office and out of school suspensions.

We've been talking to him about making friends and bucket filling, and he's finally starting to open up about his feelings. He's been great this weekend about filling up our buckets by saying kind things and following directions, but who knows how this will translate when Monday rolls around.

As far as THE LIST is concerned I'm beginning to cross things off! I still think we've found the perfect school for Cam and in the event that we move after this school year he'll be in another public Montessori school wherever we end up. So, right now #29 is complete as is #31- Pics of the kids. Yesterday I reserved our session with a local custom family photographer. We'll be taking family pics next week and I can't wait! I've been wanting something done like this for a long time, but could never afford it. Now I can. These are not sit down, posey pictures...these are pics that will capture the kids' personalities in an environment they're comfortable in-HOME. Check out the photographer's work here.

The shelf is also coming into view. Things are really beginning to shape up nicely, and while I have a few different irons in the fire, my number one choice seems to be shaping up nicely. Here's another pic of our new possible city.

Lastly, just want to say a big THANK YOU to all of you who have been sending kind words, encouragement and prayers for Cameron. It's greatly appreciated and keep them coming! :)

These past two weeks...

2010-01-30T13:17:00.005-05:00

I think these past two weeks have been our most difficult as parents. Cameron has been suspended until Wednesday (AGAIN), and we're pretty much over it. After talking to Cameron about his behavior, we learned that students are picking with him, calling him "weirdo", and just making his first year of school a living hell.

So, I can tentatively cross number #29- Find the Perfect School for Cameron, off THE LIST! We've decided to pull him out of school and this Friday we found what we think may be the perfect place. On Monday he begins at a Montessori school. Montessori believes in freedom with limits and that's exactly what he needs. He's not the type of kid to do well in environments where he's forced to do things, so he kept getting in trouble for not working in a group or sitting on the carpet with his class, even though he already knew all the concepts they were going over.

At the new school, Cam can walk around, get out of his seat and sit on the floor ALONE, and they have a peace room where kids who have extra energy can use a sit and spin, or jump on a trampoline before going back to class! He can even wear house shoes all day long and EVERYTHING is hands on. After touring the school he immediately said he wanted to go there...this from the kid who tells us everyday that he hates school.

The same day he was suspended we ironically went to our first therapist appointment. This one was just for the parents where we talked about our concerns and what we want to see for him. Before we could even mention looking at other schools for Cam, the therapist suggested it, because his issues may be environmental. I guess we'll find out soon enough.

Here's a video of a Montessori classroom.

I also added #31 to the list- invest in timeless family photos of the children.

Busy, busy

2010-01-22T20:10:00.010-05:00

So...I broke my promise. I know I said that I would blog more, but I've just been too busy with school, work, and dealing with all things Cameron.

We've been to a Piston's game, the orthodontist (Dj's getting expanders), the doctor to discuss Cameron's behavior issues again (after he got suspended), and gymnastics (which DJ started, just as we consider taking Cameron out because he WILL NOT behave).

On the job front I'm still awaiting word on the southern jump off. They're having a hard time finding a principal, so things are kind of at a halt. Damon and I are exploring our options though, and none of them are in our home state.

Next week Damon and I will be seeing a family therapist in preparation for Cam's psychiatrist visit. This situation has been a MAJOR point of stress for us, and we're really at loss. Child Study stuff has started and they have put new interventions in place to see if they can help him. So far, they've been working at school, but...The doctor also suggested we give him benadryl before bed to help him sleep. We see a difference, so I guess that's progress.

I also learned to make a new dish. It doesn't have a fancy name, but it's cabbage with bacon...sooooo good.

Here are some pics of what we've been up to.

THE SHELF

2010-01-05T12:50:00.010-05:00

The Shelf is a little inside joke I have with my work crew. It's a symbol of success. Have you ever been into someones office and they have a shelf with all their accomplishments and accolades mounted to the wall? Well, that's what I want, my own shelf in my own office. In an effort to cross out numbers 4 and 5 from by 35 before 35 list. I'm reading this:

Mindset

The New Psychology of Success

This book was recommended to me by my principal because the president of our company loves it. It's all about understanding the mindsets of yourself and others so you can move up and accomplish your goals and fulfill your potential.

When I began my teaching career I never wanted THE SHELF. I never wanted to be anything more than a teacher, but when I was let go from my first full time teaching job something in me changed. In the first few month after that tragic event I thought that I was the WORLD's worst teacher and destined for failure. Then, as the new school year progressed, and I found my niche teaching reading, I realized that I wasn't the world's worst teacher, I had just been teaching at the world's worst school under the world's WORST principal! According to Carol Dweck, the author of Mindset, my mindset changed from fixed to growth.

As I began to have success in my position, I began to work harder, smarter, and better because THE SHELF came into view.

I'm nowhere close to being finished with the book (I think I have adult onset ADHD...either that or I'm completely addicted to TV), but I can see the benefit of understanding all the mindsets and how they affect your progress in life.

I'm also well on my way to crossing off list numbers 4 and 5. As I revealed a few blog posts back, I recently applied for a Dean Position at a school my company is opening in the south for the 2010-2011 school year. Deans are like mini assistant principals who observe teachers, evaluate them, and conduct weekly meetings. Being a Dean is what I REALLY want to do. Things are moving along slowly, but I did get a call about the job (this is progress because last year I applied for a Dean position at the new school we built just a couple of miles a way and NO ONE called)

By February I should know something, at least that's my hope, and maybe then I can make a trip to IKEA and cross #4 off THE LIST- get THE SHELF!

SIDEBAR- I've also updated the list with #30- Learn to let go

35 before 35

2009-12-30T15:29:00.010-05:00

In six shorts months I'll be 30 years old....30

And I'm not really sure how I feel about it. Initially I was excited because to me, turning thirity meant that I'd finally be a grown-up, but now I'm not conviced. There are so many things I wanted to do before I turned the big 3-0, but with only six months left I know they're not going to happen.

That's where the list comes in.

As I ring in twenty-ten I realize that I'm not getting any younger, and while I have SOOOOO many things to be thankful for there are still soooo many things I want to do in my life. I started making a 40 before 40 list, but that was just too depressing so instead I'm concentrating on 35. I'm still not done with the list, because 35 things that are feasible and realistic is not an easy undertaking, but I hope to finish it soon.

35 before 35

1. own my own home (again)

2. spend my wedding anniversary on a beach

3. finish my masters degree

4. get THE SHELF

5. put THE SHELF in an office of my own

5. relocate to the South

6. decorate my living room

7. have a real dinner party

8. learn to French braid

9. make Thanksgiving dinner

10. finish that third novel

11. take my kids to Disney World

12. go out on New Years Eve

13. celebrate homecoming at TSU

14. “Would Ya Like it” in the rain

15. Have date night once a week

16. Visit Washington DC

17. have a picnic with wine and cheese

18. wear red lipstick

19. go Up North

20. grow a plant

21. make a cake for a loved one’s birthday

22. restore a piece of furniture

23. attend a Broadway play (does not have to be in NY, although that’s a bonus)

24. get rid of all unnecessary debt

25. eat healthier

26. answer the question, “What’s wrong?” honestly, the first time.

27. institute a new family tradition

28. take a cooking class

29. Find the perfect school for Cameron

30. Learn to let go

31. Invest in great pics of the kids

32.

33.

34.

35.

Fantasy House Hunting

2009-12-27T15:28:00.008-05:00

So, if you know me at all, you know that I HATE the house we're currently renting. While it does have its positives, the negatives totally outweigh them. Here's a list:

1) TEENY-TINY BEDROOMS- we have absolutely no space to put all the crap in our room. We can't upgrade our bedroom furniture because the room is the size of a freakin' closet!

2) USELESS SPACE-in other parts of the house. We don't need a dining room or a formal living room so why do we have one? We're laid back, eat at the island, chill in the family room type people. It would be REALLY nice if the extra square footage had been added on to the bedrooms.

3) HIDEOUS circa 1985 BURGUNDY CARPET- I know you've seen it either in person or in pics from the blog and you agree with me. Why someone would actually pay for this color carpet is beyond me. And it makes the rooms look that much smaller! Did I mention we have micro bedrooms?

4) SORBET PEACH WALLS-in the kitchen, dining room, hall way and on the CEILING!!! Stop complaining and paint them you say? No! I will not paint them, I refuse to do anything to this house because I HATE IT HERE!

This is why I am fantasy house hunting.

Here's my new house in my new city where I'm going to get my new job with my new office. Notice the lack of burgundy flooring! There are 4 bedrooms (the boys cannot go another year sharing a room, because I will have to kill one of them), a HUGE yard for the playhouse I am going to force Damon to build. Check out the super porch! Perfect for late southern summer nights drinking sweet tea and laughing at all the people back in Michigan wearing jackets.

I really miss blogging!

2009-12-25T13:10:00.008-05:00

So I'm going to TRY to update more. We've just been so busy lately with work, school, grad school, gymnastics, and all the hours I spend watching General Hospital, One Life to Live, and the Young and the Restless (LOL) there's just not enough time in the day!

Anywho...I will be using this winter break to improve my culinary skills, with my first undertaking being collard greens. I'm posting my second batch, because while the first batch was good, this new batch that's going to Damon's fam's house for Christmas dinner is FIYA! They would probably taste even better with smoked turkey leg and I would have used one too, if I hadn't waited till 5 minutes before Kroger locked its doors on Christmas Eve to look for one. Beef Bacon was used instead.

I would post pics of the mac and cheese I made, but I REALLY screwed it up, so it's just not worth it. My next undertaking is candied yams. I'll post pics when I'm done.

And for cute factor here are some recent pics of my tribe.

GQ smooth and NOwhere to go
Running his mouth as usual!
YES, she's still on the bottle...

Evan in the kitchen

2009-12-23T11:36:00.006-05:00

Evan loves her new kitchen and so do we! It keeps her out of our real dishwasher, fridge, and cabinets and allows us to cook in piece. Now we're on the prowl for a set of toy food. We found a set that came with 120 pieces...NO. So we're looking for something smaller.

Fun times at the DIA

2009-12-20T12:52:00.006-05:00

Friday night Damon and I attended my school's annual Christmas party. This is the first year it was black tie and to say I was excited is a BIG understatement. We haven't been anywhere together where we had to dress up since prom (11 years ago)! The event was at the DIA and we also got to walk around and see all the art as apart of the party! The food was delicious and the company was great, too!

Saturday night Cameron went to his first sleep over all alone! At the gym where he takes gymnastics they held their annual end of the year sleep over. Both Damon and I were really worried that he wouldn't make it through the night, but he did and had a wonderful time participating in open gym, eating pizza, watching movies and eating popcorn. He can't wait till the next one.

On the home front we have been dealing with A LOT of illness this winter (it's not even technically winter yet!). About a month ago all three kids had H1N1, then two weeks later Evan was tested for pneumonia, and then this week they've been battling runny noses and fever!

On the job front the school year is FLYING by and I've applied for a position with my company in the Dirty South for the 2010-2011 school year. Here's the pic of the old capitol building there. Isn't it beauteeful? More details to come. When I know something, you'll know something.

Cameron's new past time

2009-12-04T22:28:00.005-05:00

In an effort to give Cameron something that he enjoys, we enrolled him in gymnastics. He expressed interest after some students from the gym came to our school to put on a performance during morning assembly. Last Friday was his first day, and he did...well, he did ok. He didn't follow directions a couple of times, and got into a mini-fight with one of the other boys in his class but other than that it went well. This week's class was amazing! Cameron followed all the directions of his coach (until the ornament making activity), and had a great time. He had the chance to work on the rings, bars, practice back flips, cartwheels, and front flips on the trampoline.

In other news, we have decided to put Cameron through the child study process. We are still having major school and home behavior issues, and are pretty much at a loss. Both Damon and I don't really think that his actions are "normal" 5 year old things, so it's time to call in the experts. We've also scheduled an appointment with his pediatrician to discuss ADHD or an emotional impairment. STRESSFUL!!!

The SPED teacher and the school social worker recommended some booksd that may help us understand and deal with Cam a little better, The Explosive Child and Your Defiant Child

My Urban Toddler

2009-11-08T17:16:00.011-05:00

Yesterday Evan, Cam, and I met up with some friends to hang out at My Urban Toddler. It's a cute little place set up like a downtown area with a market, theater, library, art museum, fire station, and something else that I can't remember. A great time was had by all and both Cameron and Evan can't wait to go again.

Halloween

2009-11-07T09:26:00.008-05:00

Lions Game

2009-11-07T09:21:00.003-05:00

Look at what Evan can do!

2009-10-04T10:20:00.003-04:00

The First Day of School and Monday Night Raw

2009-09-08T17:37:00.005-04:00

The first day of school was a success! It was pretty hectic trying to get all four kids ready and out the door by 6:45am, but with planning and organization I managed to pull it off without a hitch.

All three kids were really excited to start the new year, and Cameron was the most excited. I was a bit nervous about how he was going to behave, but he got glowing reports from his Kinder teacher (DJ's old teacher) and the aftercare teachers who were used to the wild and free Cameron of last year.

DJ also received a great report, and Kayla was good overall, but has some things she needs to work on.

After school, I sat all three kids down in my room and we worked on homework and had computer time. Great Day!!!!

Last Monday DJ finally got to experience his 7th birthday present with a trip to WWE Monday Night Raw. Although I was initially a little skeptical about going but it really was a great time! I highly recommend it for a family outing!

Evan's 1st Birthday!

2009-08-16T10:54:00.003-04:00

Evan;s 1st birthday party was yesterday and we all had a great time! Evan held up pretty well, although she was exhausted the entire time! She's not officially 1 until tomorrow (Monday), but she doesn't know the difference.

Current Faves:

~Spending her time playing with her big brothers, DJ and Cameron
~Eating table food (she hates baby food and spits it out every time)
~Going outside
~Not drinking from a cup *tear*

Milestones:

~She can stand unassisted for about a minute before she plops down on her butt, but probably won't walk for at least another month.
~Evan can say, Daddy, DJ, Eat, Hi, and Up

Stats:
~ Her 1 year check up isn't until Thursday, so I'll update then

11 months old

2009-07-24T08:54:00.005-04:00

Well, Evan has been 11 months old for a little while now, but I'm just getting around to posting.

She is growing by leaps and bounds, getting her own little personality (complete with attitude), and it seems as if she's working pretty hard to catch up to the babies her age.

She's a crawling pro, has learned to get up the stairs unassisted, can cruise from one piece of furniture to another, and can stand on her own for about 3.5 seconds.

Evan loves to cause havoc and party when she's supposed to be sleeping and is GREAT at following directions. If she's doing something you don't want her to and tell her to stop, she will immediately and then claps her hands! However, her absolute favorite thing to do is to play with her brothers! She loves crawling into their room and hanging out. She follows them around too! If she's awake and they're still asleep she will crawl to their bedroom door and knock. It's the funniest thing!

Last week we began the transition to whole milk and so far so good. By her first birthday she'll be completely off formula if all goes well! We're still trying to get her to use the sippy cup. She knows how, but just refuses.

On Wednesday we took her to the doctor and found out that she has a congenital rib deformity called funnel chest. It causes her breathing to be labored and makes her snore like a 400lb. trucker! Her pediatrician said that it will most likely not be a problem, but I'm not convinced. She will be seeing a specialist within the next few months so we can find out what, if any, further steps need to be taken. If you look at the picture you will be able to see the way her chest dips in at the breastbone. Below that, the bottom of her ribs stick out and make her stomach look bigger as a result. If the problem does not correct itself, surgery is an option when she reaches 2 or 3 years old. My mother (being the #1 Lola that she is) has already located the top doc. in the nation for this type of surgery. I'm praying that it doesn't come to that though.

Stay tuned for pics from DJ's 7th birthday party. I can't believe he's already 7, seems like just yesterday I was heading to the hospital for his delivery.

Bonus Post: Blast from the Past

2009-06-30T18:49:00.005-04:00

DJ AND KAYLA AT 10 MONTHS...THE SAME AGE AS EVAN!

DJ AND KAYLA AT ABOUT 17 MONTHS OLD

Evan and her Cup

2009-06-30T15:11:00.003-04:00

Chicago

2009-06-21T07:11:00.003-04:00

We're back from our short vacation in Chicago! We went to visit the Museum of Science and Industry and Shedd Aquarium. We had a great time visiting the museums, Navy Pier, Hyde Park, and driving around downtown, and the Chicago neighborhoods. Damon and I can't wait to go back...ALONE, so that we can really hang out and not have to stop for spankings and nap time, LOL! We have also decided that we would like to strike it rich so we can move into a downtown Chicago condo.

There are a TON of pics below. Enjoy.

Busy Week

2009-06-17T08:27:00.004-04:00

Even though school is officially out we're having a busy week around here! Kayla has officially moved in and is transitioning really well. She got a new bed, bike, and learned how to ride without training wheels in a span of two days. I also managed to secure her a place in summer school at my building with a phenomenal reading teacher who diagnosed Kayla's weaknesses in about thirty-minutes (vowel sounds!!!). Kayla will be in her class for the first half of summer school and then will move to working in a small group with the best special education teacher EVER! No, Kayla has not been classified as SPED, but working with the SPED teacher will give her small group, individualized instruction. Basically, Kayla won't get much of a break, but she really can't afford one either, especially if she's going to go to 2nd grade and not be retained.

Cameron started tennis on Tuesday and loves it! He even made a friend (excitement). He goes every Tuesday and Thursday for the next three weeks, then the summer flag football season will begin.

Friday we're heading out on a mini-vacay. Of course we'll post all the pics and give you a blow by blow when we return.

P.S. EVAN SAID "MAMA" FOR THE FIRST TIME YESTERDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our Little Graduate

2009-06-13T08:03:00.002-04:00

DADADA

2009-06-03T12:37:00.003-04:00

It's official. Evan now has the ability to say Dada on demand. About a month and a half ago it was reported that she said it at daycare, but it was a fluke. She now says it for everything! I picked her up this morning and she patted my arm and said Dada, lol! It was cute.

Cam's bike ride

2009-05-31T20:08:00.005-04:00

***** Explicit lyrics

Way behind...

2009-05-30T10:49:00.006-04:00

in posts that is . Sorry it's been so long, but we've been pretty busy around here. The school year is coming to an end, Damon is switching jobs :), Cameron is preparing for his preschool graduation, there's football practice every Thursday and games every Sunday, I'm in grad school, and Evan is still adorable.

*** Dj is well on his way to another all 4 report card, and has perfect attendance! What a scholar. I can't believe he'll be going into the second grade already. It really does seem like he was just born!

***Cam's school/behavior issues have begun to rear their ugly heads again. It's becoming evident that he's having some kind of issue that's lending itself to his behavior problems. We're going to be making an appointment with his pediatrician to find out if there's anything we can do. The problems have also started to trickle into flag football. He fights on the field when another kid takes his flag. It's sad and hilarious all at the same time.

***Evan is wrapping her her first "school year" at daycare. We're taking her out for the summer so that we can spend some time, save dome dough, and keep her from getting a runny nose every few days! She's also crawling (finally) and yesterday we caught her standing up in her bed! Yay, for milestones. Still no "dada" or "mama", but she does say what I consider to be "Hey" and wave on a regular basis.

****Kayla was over last weekend and things went well. I was able to evaluate her and found that her teacher speaks in hyperbole. She can't read, but she's not nearly as bad as the teacher made her out to be, and the suggestion of ADD was hilarious! If that child has ADD my kids need straight jackets! Anyway, we've decided to put her into the school Damon will be teaching at next year. She'll go into the novice 2nd grad class and work on remedial skills, until she's ready for grade level concepts.

Here are a couple of cute pics of the boys until I have time to do something better.

Wow...

2009-05-16T08:33:00.003-04:00

On Thursday I left work a little early to attend parent teacher conferences at Kayla's school. I knew that she was having problems, possibly failing, but I didn't know the extent of the issues. Now I do. After sitting down with her teacher and reviewing her latest progress report I mortified to say the least. 50% in math, 23% in reading, and 18% in writing. I nearly cried once the conference was over. Needless to say I'm retaining her in 1st grade. . There's no point in watching her struggle in 2nd grade, when she's still lacking Kinder skills. We're going to be working with her military style this summer, but 2 months is not enough time to make up 2 years worth for missed academics. I'm the reading and writing front line and Damon will be math. I'm going to be pulling Kinder and 1st grade curriculum and we'll start with the basics- letter and number recognition, then moving on to phonemic awareness.

I'm just hoping a spot at my school opens up for her, so I don't have to enroll her down the street at the new school my company is building. But, we'll see.

A lot of Changes

2009-05-12T12:02:00.004-04:00

There will be a lot of changes for us in the near future. The look of this blog will be changing, Cameron will be graduating from Pre-School, and we will be adding to our happy family. That's right people I'm.....NOT PREGNANT. Lol! Gotcha didn't I??? Ahh, I just crack myself up.

We will be adding another member to our family at the end of June though. Damon and I have decided to seek guardianship of my little cousin, Kayla. You loyal readers may remember her from this summer from the post ironically titled- And Baby Makes 6??? She's 6 years old and adorable, just in need of some TLC. We've decided to file for limited guardianship, which means that she'll live with us until her mother finishes school, gets a job, and a place to live.

The boys are really excited about the idea and keep asking can she come today. We're waiting until the end of June so that she can finish out the school year where she is and we can get the house ready for another person and file the appropriate paperwork. Right now we're in the planning stages, enrolling in school, and pricing everything she need (bed, toys, uniforms, bike, etc.)Taking donations by the way. Our purse straps are going to be pretty tight from here on out (Just Kidding, unless you're going to do it). LOL!

Stay Tuned...

Mother Son Luau

2009-05-09T09:34:00.010-04:00

Yesterday, DJ, Cameron, and I attended the Mother Son Luau at our school. We dressed in our Hawaiian gear, ate snacks, and Danced a grand total of three times. Once to the ChaCha Silde, once to the Cupid Shuffle, and once to a slow song I can't remember. The other hour and fifty minutes were spent watching all the boys in the gym running back and forth at full speed sweating like donkeys, telling DJ to stop crying because he lost at limbo, and chasing Cameron out of the bathroom. Fun times.

In more Evan news....

She now has 2 teeth!

STD Conversation

2009-05-08T06:19:00.005-04:00

Yesterday we received a report the Cam had been trying to kiss girls in Pre-School. I spoke with him about it and he assured he wouldn't do it again. I thought that was sufficient, but I made silly mistake of telling his father. Damon tells Cameron that if he kisses girls his lips will get warts and his mohawk will fall off. I was like WTH, but I couldn't stop laughing. He's only 4, so I think it's a little early for an STD conversation, don't you? lol!

The Rams and The Cardinals

2009-04-26T15:20:00.002-04:00

8 months

2009-04-17T09:39:00.005-04:00

Ms. Evan is 8 months! She's growing up so fast and is beginning to get into a ton of stuff. Baby proofing is necessary. Evan sits up extremely well now and is even attempting to push up into a sitting position all on her own. Crawling is only a few weeks away, too! She loves to destroy anything in her path (especially paper) and a 1st tooth has popped through the surface.

Evan is quickly becoming a daddy's girl and loves for her big brothers to play with her and make her laugh.

On a different front I'm excited to seriously begin my Masters program May 4th. I'm going for my MAT in Reading and Literacy and it's going to be great learning things that I can apply right away in the classroom. Another bonus is that it's totally online.

Another Cameron Quote

2009-04-10T18:45:00.003-04:00

A few minutes ago I asked Cameron not to put the popcorn bowl on his head, and as he frequently does, he asked me why?

I got irritated and told him, because I said so.

He stopped what he was doing, looked at me, and said, "Mom, that means nothing to me."

What is wrong with this child??? LOL!

Are you ready for some footballllll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-04-04T19:23:00.008-04:00

The boys are all signed up for spring football through the NFL youth flag football league. Practice starts in a couple weeks and today we headed out and got the boys their cleats and mouth pieces (I mean how many more teeth can Cameron lose??)

Cameron couldn't wait to try them on so Coach Dad took the boys out for a little two-hand touch on the front lawn to get ready for the upcoming season.

But, Mom...

2009-03-30T17:59:00.003-04:00

I was talking to Cameron a little while ago and he was telling me the names of all his friends. He listed some names, and then said that "Judy", (names have been changed to protect the innocent) was fat.

I said, "Cameron, that is not nice!" and he responds with...

"But, Mom, it's a sight word!"

Too funny!!!!

Stuff I Love

2009-03-24T20:36:00.011-04:00

So...I'm sick of talking about my kids therefore I'm going to talk about me.

It is widely known that I am really a TV addicted child who just happens to have 3 kids and a husband so I thought it would be fun to do a post of my faviorite things.

Here we go...

General Hospital

When I was a little girl I used to watch all of the ABC soaps with my grandma, but GH is the only one I stayed with. I love, love, love it. I must get my daily dose, and if I don't, I become mean. It's definitely my me time.

Books

I love all kinds of books, but my all time faves are:
Excellent book. I could read it 100 times and never get tired of it.

I love all the books in the HP series. Actually I love any and everything Harry Potter, but the movies don't hold a candle to the genius of the books.

Pure silliness! But, like I said, I'm really a 13 year old so it makes perfect sense that I love this series.

Technology

Another sick addiction of mine. I have been an active member of the BBC boards since my pregnancy with Evan and I'm still an active member. Can't go a day without logging on.

The best $400.00 Ive ever spent

I must have my ear buds with me at all times. How else can I listen to my Podcasts?

Can't blog without my Mac Book!!!!!

What a difference a week makes...

2009-03-16T06:46:00.007-04:00

Last week was the first time that Evan could sit up unassisted for any lengthy period of time. She was still really wobbly and her back definitely wasn't straight. THIS week however, Evan is sitting up like a pro. Check her out!

I've also been busy being creative this weekend. Having a girl has really gotten my crafty side going. To date I have made scrapbook pages, tutus, leg warmers, and hair clips.

Next month the boys will be starting Flag Football and Damon will be coaching! He's a bit nervous, because although he watches football, he doesn't have any experience in coaching football. I think he'll be contacting someone soon for a few helpful hints.

Look What Evan can do!

2009-03-08T10:51:00.004-04:00

Before and After

2009-03-01T14:53:00.007-05:00

BEFORE

AFTER

Harry Potter

2009-02-26T18:34:00.003-05:00

Can't wait to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm a dork, I know and I'm okay with it.

Kalahari 2009

2009-02-21T15:04:00.004-05:00

Half B-Day and Other Stuff

2009-02-19T18:12:00.007-05:00

On the 17th Evan celebrated her half-b-day! I really can't believe that she's already six months old. Her check-up was today and we're happy to report that she is happy and healthy. Evan weighs in at 14 pounds 6 ounces and is quickly closing in on the 50th percentile (that's our goal!). She's in the 80th percentile for height, but Damon can't remember exactly how long she is.

Evan enjoys playing with her brothers, taking pictures, laughing, smiling, chatting with mommy and daddy, bouncing in her excersaucer, and putting any and everything in her mouth. We're working on sitting up independently and will be moving up to stage 2 foods soon.

Cameron and DJ are doing well. We've started to track Cam's behavior with a sticker chart and it's working wonders. He has issues with following directions and aggression and since we've started using the chart, the problems have been cut in half! He'll also be seeing the counselor at school once a week where they'll discuss how to deal with anger and practice following directions.

Since DJ has been potty-trained we've had a major bed-wetting issue. It's a great week when he can go at least 2 nights dry. Sad, but true. Today DJ visited the doctor so we can hopefully nip this issue in the bud. He gave a sample and was tested for diabetes (he's fine, just a precaution). When Damon mentioned that we were considering buying a bed wetting sensor our wonderful pediatrician whipped out a free one and gave it to us. Horray! We're going to have DJ begin wearing it tonight. Surprisingly he' pretty excited about the thing because it's red (his favorite color), but he's worried that he won't hear the beeping. We'll see how it goes. Keep your fingers crossed for a dry morning.

New Video and the Park

2009-02-08T11:56:00.008-05:00

We took back our old Video camera and got a tiny HD one.
Check on the video of Evan gobbling down some sweet potatoes.

We just got back from the cold, muddy park, but the kids had a great time. I hope this nice, sunny weather is a sign of things to come.

2009-02-01T15:12:00.003-05:00

I spent the better part of the day today taking pics of Evan. It's so fun to dress her up and snap shots of her. Damon laughs at me, but he doesn't get it...having a girl so so much fun.

Evan can officially hold her bottle and it's fabulous. She loves her formula so it's a load off my back not having to hold a bottle in her mouth all day long. She also rolled over today for the first time in about a month and a half, so I think she's realized that it's something she's supposed to be doing. She's trying to sit up on her own as well, but she still has a ways to go before that skill is mastered.

Out with the Old

2009-01-26T06:31:00.007-05:00

This weekend, with Evan being sick the the stomach flu, we still had a very busy weekend. We traveled to Kalamazoo to see Damon's sister play basketball, had a great time at a friend's sons B-day skating party, and then shopping! I got a ton of summer things for Evan from Old Navy. They were already 50% off, then I received another 50% off of the orange tag price. I got stuff for $1.50-$2.00.

Bringing all that new stuff home made me feel like I needed to do a bit of purging, so I cleaned out Evan's closet and drawers and came up with a lot of clothing that's way too small for her, took pics of the items and posted them for sale on Craigslist.

It's a little sad going through all the clothes and trying to sell them to someone else, but I know that I'll never have anymore children and all of the clothes are like brand new. I could bear to get rid of her coming home outfit though.

Bonus Post-Fabulous Commerical

2009-01-17T10:54:00.003-05:00

Pony Tails

2009-01-16T15:46:00.005-05:00

Look at Evan! Only 5 months old and already has enough hair for pony tails. By the time she's about 7-8 months she's going to need them all the time (not just for blog pics).

Evan is also learning to hold her bottle, making kissing noises, and taking off her socks.

Tonight we decided to try jar food with her...organic peas and she loved it.

Sick Visit

2009-01-05T16:55:00.005-05:00

Try to ignore the smiling baby in the pics...Evan is indeed sick. She got a cold from big brother DJ and now she's coughing and snotting up a storm. Normally, I wouldn't worry about a silly little cold, but upper respiratory infections are going around and those can be super bad for babies. So, I took a half day today and took Evan to the doctor. For the most part she's fine, no breathing treatments necessary, just a ordinary cold.

The doctor gave us a script for infant cough medicine, a trial size of saline nose spray, told us to keep the house humidity at 45% (how in the world am I supposed to measure house humidity????) and she should get better within a week.

The Night the Lights Went Out

2008-12-28T14:51:00.002-05:00

Yesterday afternoon the lights went out and what was supposed to take 6 hours to fix took 10! It began as a brown-out where the lights were dim and we couldn't watch TV or cook (horray!), but eventually it turned into a full-blown blackout. Luckily we had a flashlight and two little boys with crazy imaginations. They told "scary" stories that involved a man getting his arm eaten off by a 100lb. hippo.

As a black-out bonus Evan slept 11 hours straight! Fabulous!!!!!

4 years and 4 months

2008-12-23T09:05:00.006-05:00

Yesterday both Cameron and Evan had check-ups at the doctor complete with shots! I have a few facts about each.
Weight: 41lbs. Height. 41in. Cameron loves to watch his big brother play video games, working with his hands and completing puzzles. His favorite website is Starfall and he loves to rhyme words and dance. Cameron lost another tooth prematurely yesterday, but all is well.

Weight: 12lbs. 14oz. which is very surprising to me. I thought she was at least 15lbs. I mean look at those chubby cheeks and she's got rolls of fat for days! Length: 24.5 in. Evan loves to lay on her tummy, watch her brothers, and chew on her hands. A few days ago we got an Exersaucer and she loves it! It's helping her grab and batting reflex and allowing her to "play" with her big brothers.

BREAKING NEWS!!!!!

2008-12-20T08:01:00.003-05:00

I'm interrupting this week's regular blog update for a breaking news alert...

EVAN IS CUTTING A TOOTH!!!!!

Now back to your regularly scheduled web surfing.

First Foods and Great Pics

2008-12-19T08:27:00.009-05:00

Last night Evan got her first taste of real food. Well, if you consider organic (thanks Tamona) whole grain rice cereal in a soupy consistency "real food". She did pretty well, but definitely let me know when she was full by turning her head and sticking out her tongue.
BTW-Bumbo's work for feeding much better the bouncy seats.

Here are a couple of great pics for your viewing pleasure.

CHEFS CAMERON AND DAMON FRYING UP SOME CAT FISH. YUMMO!!!

DJ ON HIS WAY TO THE WINTER PROGRAM

CAM BEING GANGSTA (SCARY!)

Holidays????????

2008-12-14T11:03:00.003-05:00

So, lately Christmas has been a major topic of discussion at our house. We really don't celebrate it, but in past tears we have always gotten the boys a gift a piece. This year seems to be a bit different though. DJ and Cam are older and they're being sucked into the marketing machine that is the holiday season. They want a tree, and stockings and ten thousand presents that they probably don't deserve.

I feel bad that I'm not allowing them to really participate, as I do have fond memories of trimming trees and presents from my Grandma's, but I just can't do it. No tree and no stockings here, it's totally against who I am. Now, I can see myself bending on the gift thing. I mean who doesn't like to buy their kids stuff and see their little faces when they open them up. Damon doesn't want to spend a ton of money though (that goes against who he is), but I'm hoping he'll have a change of heart by the end of the week.

Here's the shopping list thus far:

DJ- Sonic learning game for his Didj, complete series of Roscoe Riley's Rules Books, and a big Bakugun.

Cam-New Leapster game, sight word early reader books, and a big Bakugun.

Evan-Exercauser, and I don't know what else?????

Happy Baby

2008-12-06T09:43:00.004-05:00

Evan is such a happy baby. She's always smiling (much more than DJ or Cameron ever did) and yesterday she gave us her first giggle!!! A full blown laugh is right around the corner. She also rolled over from her tummy to her back for the first time last night. I'm hoping to catch it on video to share with everyone.

She also thinks that she's a big girl and loves to sit up. Now, she can't sit up on her own (unless she's resting on her huge belly), but if you hold her up she's pretty happy. If she's laying down and doesn't want to be she'll raise her head and try to lift herself up into a sitting position. Her head is just too big to be successful.

In shopping news, they opened a Buy Buy Baby pretty close to my house, so the other night I went out and got Evan a car seat cover. It's just like Babies R Us but they don't have as many clothes and they're a tad more expensive. They have cute stuff that I haven't seen in regular stores, like those Robeez shoes, Taggies blankets and Loopa Bowls, but other than that I think I'll stick to Carter's outlet and Burlington.

Photography

2008-11-29T23:08:00.005-05:00

So, I have a new hobby and I'm really excited about it. Photography. I figure since my kids are so cute I can use them as models and entertain myself by taking picture after picture of them. Yesterday I used my regular old digital camera to shoot, but today I went over to my moms and got their SLR. The difference is amazing and I really don't want to give them their camera back. Anyway, take a look at the pics and please let me know what you think.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T08:07:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was Thanksgiving and we had a great time. We started the day off my joining my aunt and little cousins (both are the same age as DJ) at the parade. After that we stopped my Grandma's for some DELICIOUS grub, and then over to Damon's aunts for desert and conversation.

Check out our slide show below.

Just a General Update

2008-11-23T08:47:00.007-05:00

Just thought I would give everyone a general update as nothing really exciting has been happening around here.

Evan- is sleeping in her crib!!!!! This makes me very happy because during my pregnancy I swore that I wasn't going to co-sleep, but you know how it is at 3am...the nursery seems like it's five miles away.

We're also battling a horrible case of cradle cap. I mean her hair is caked with grossness. Following the advice of couple of my Baby Center moms I got this stuff from Wal-mart called Cradle Cap Care. So far so good. The flakes are lifting and I actually see scalp!

Cameron has started his sessions at the Children's Center and loves them! He goes every two weeks and we're hoping that it will help some of the issues he's having.

On the education front we've seen a lot of growth since Cameron has changed schools. The phonics is really starting to click for him and we think he'll be ready for sight words soon.

DJ is being DJ, begging for gifts and money that he doesn't deserve, arguing with his brother and getting great grades in school.

A New Look

2008-11-16T19:32:00.004-05:00

That's right folks, Evan's got her ears pierced! I waited as long as I possibly could and today we got them done. I gave her Tylenol ahead of time and he was great, only cried for a second.

Doesn't she look fab???

Cameron's 4th B-Day

2008-11-08T16:27:00.003-05:00

Cameron's 4th b-day is actually tomorrow, but because I'm taking a trip for work tomorrow, we celebrated today. I really can't believe he's already 4, he acts like he's 20. Take a peek at the pictures.

A Conversation with Evan

2008-11-07T19:10:00.004-05:00

As you all know, Evan is a preemie and preemie's take FOREVER to meet their milestones. She's now smiling socially (has been for a few weeks now) and she is just recently beginning to coo. Check it out, we just had a complete conversation.

ALL I CAN SAY IS, "WOW!"

2008-11-06T18:58:00.003-05:00

Yes it's taken me a couple of days to make this post because I am still in shock. I am ecstatic beyond words that Barack Obama is our new president-elect. I finally feel as if I belong in this country or as Damon said, America is finally FUBU (for us, by us). The election of Barack Obama is monumentous and I feel so blessed that my two boys were able to witness history and see that they too, can be anything they want to be.

WE DID IT, WE DID IT, WE DID IT, DID IT, DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

VOTE TOMORROW!

2008-11-03T18:14:00.002-05:00

Halloween

2008-11-01T10:29:00.007-04:00

Ok...so we don't normally celebrate Halloween, but Cameron's pre-shcool and Evan's daycare both requested that the kids bring in their costumes. Now, we could have been all like "No" and let our kids be odd balls, but that's out cold so we went to Target and picked up their costumes (and of course one for DJ). The boys went candy-begging around the neighborhood while Evan and I passed out candy (mostly to greedy teenagers and adults) and then we went to the mall to trick or treat there.

All in all the kids had a good time and Damon and I have decided that it's all harmless fun.

Talent Show

2008-10-26T06:55:00.005-04:00

This weekend Damon, the boys and I went to the I-Max and took advantage of their $5.00 movie special. We saw The Magic of Flight and it was great. Afterwards, we went back to my parents where DJ, Cam and Kayla put on a talent show.

Here's a pic of Evan wearing my favorite onesie. It says:

If you think I'm cute
You should see my mom

I love it!