ugh, turning 40

Last week I turned the dreaded 4-0.  It wasn't nearly as traumatic as I thought it would be (or movies have led me to believe), but that might be because I really just avoided even thinking about the actual number!  Cammy came to visit and we celebrated with a spa day - massage, mani, and pedi.  Then, on recommendation of the nail tech, we went next door to the French bakery for lunch, and it was so good!  Cammy and I really classed the joint up by wearing our pedi flip flops over to the restaurant, and showed off our massage glows.

On Saturday night, we all went to Lupe Tortilla for birthday dinner, and sadly no one thought to tip off the waiter so that the hubs would have to cringe through a waiter-led round of "Happy Birthday!" The kids played in the sand box outside while we enjoyed some incredible fajitas.  Then, we went home for a Nothing Bundt Cakes carrot cake with extra cream cheese icing, and it was incredibly moist and delicious.

A milestone birthday,  good times had by all, and I'll ignore the whole 4-0 part!  ;)

111 months old (and the 1000th post!)

We've had a fun-packed month!  Britton is busy with school-related activities, including her GEMS Club (Girls Engineering, Math, and Science), she's playing the teacher in the fourth grade play in two weeks, and she's a student council representative.  Whew!  And somedays, she's doing more than one activity per day, so we have to keep the fridge calendar up-to-date so we know where she is.  

Yesterday, the hubs and I got to chaperone her field trip to the Outdoor Learning Center, where the kids went through science/nature stations, and also toured a pioneer school house.  As much as the hubs and I were gunning for the school house, they needed volunteers for the science center, so we helped out over there.  

Likes:  Halloween candy, ragdoll cats, playing with friends

Dislikes:  waiting for Daylight Savings time

cheetahs soccer!

Barrett is playing his first season of soccer this fall!  The season runs for eight weeks, and they practice once per week, then have a game on Saturdays.  It's been a slow warm-up for Barrett, as he loves the running and kicking the ball, but he isn't quite sure how this whole game works.  Luckily, no one is expecting the kids to do much more than have fun!

We had a parade for the first game!

Yay for #7!

barrett: 65 months old

Oh, this kid!  Barrett had his first soccer game yesterday, and it would definitely be an overstatement to say that he is loving soccer.  Granted, it's new and Barrett is still learning what he is supposed to be doing during the game, so he's holding back and not getting into the mix of youngsters all fighting it out over the ball.  It's adorable to watch kids this young play soccer, and maddening at the same time.  You know what I mean?

We're gearing up for Halloween around here!  Barrett likes playing dress up anyways (he's usually a police officer or a fire fighter), so we ordered his costume early.  He originally wanted to be a planet, but that's kind of a hard costume to pull off, so I suggested an astronaut.  Barrett loves his astronaut costume and helmet, and wears them both multiple times per week.  I hope the costume is still his top choice once Halloween comes around!

Likes:  drawing pictures of everything, painting, stealing Britton's slime

Dislikes:  when I yell too much during the soccer game (seriously, how will they know they are running to the wrong goal if no one tells them?)

110 months old

These kids keep me busy, so it seems I never get around to updating my posts until their monthly posts are due!  Britton has gotten busy this school year too, with her dance classes and piano lessons. But she also got into GEMS (Girls in Engineering, Math, and Science) Club, which meets monthly, and she also won her election for student council!  She's also auditioning for the fourth grade play - fingers crossed, because she learns if she made it next week.

We're gearing up for Halloween!  Britton is going to be a black cat this year, with her ballet leotard, a black tutu, cat ear headband, and a fake fur tail.  We are going to make the tail together this weekend - some fun sewing time!  

Likes:  painting with acrylic paints, anything crafting, riding her bike around the neighborhood, reading every book she can get her hands on

Dislikes:  only playing Yahtzee - Britton would love if we would play more Scattergories!

barrett: 64 months old

Barrett is fully engulfed in kindergarten now, and he seems to be enjoying himself.  Having been in preschool, he's a bit ahead of where they expect the kids to be, but that's giving him a chance to really understand the sight words and practice his reading.  He gets a kick out of me reading "Dick and Jane" books with my finger on each word, pointing out his sight words for him to read.  It's like "Mad Libs" bedtime reading!

I'm excited for Barrett to start soccer at the end of the month!  He enjoys having an activity, and I enjoy something tiring him out regularly!  The heat has been unbearable lately, and it seems that we spend all our time indoors, unless we are sprinting to the car or swimming in the pool.  

Likes:  playing with play doh, drawing anything and everything he loves - planets, soccer matches, people

Dislikes:  running out of tape when taping all his pictures on the walls because it makes him a "real artist"

109 months old

The new school year has hit us hard, and fourth grade is no joke!  I went to "Curriculum Night," and another mom and I discussed how this year just felt more "real" - the stakes seem higher somehow, and the handholding of younger grades is now gone.  This is the real deal, and the expectations are high.  Britton hasn't seemed to notice - she's still excited to go to school every day and loves homework.  

And Britton is reading more than ever, as her English/reading teacher encourages the kids to read upwards of 30-40 minutes per day in class.  She's made her way through tons of books this year, and especially enjoys ones that feature mermaids, unicorns, fairies, spirit animals, magical beings that live in the forest, sprites, witches, and fantasy.  We still read together every night, and I've found myself looking forward to the books and enjoying the stories as much as she does!

I feel like Britton is busier than ever this year, between the extra school work, plus continuing her piano lessons.  She's also doing dance class (ballet, tap, and jazz) weekly with two friends from the neighborhood.

Likes:  jumping in the pool in her clothes, cake pops

Dislikes:  the never-ending summer heat, practicing piano