Princess Taylor is 6

On May 4th my Princess turned 6 years old. It's been a few weeks since this happened and while it gets a little each day it still is unfounded to me why time has to go so fast. On one hand it seems that the past 6 years have flown by on the other I try to imagine life before Taylor and it seems a world away. My Princess means the world to me and each and every day she amazes me at the young girl she is turning into. Almost a little too much at times, but really that is only the beginning, people have told me wait until she reaches her teenage years. Eek!

Posing with her cake at her party

Getting started on her presents

Taylor in true Taylor form, need I say more

Peace Out...Cub Scout!!!

Easter 2009

Tomorrow will be one month since Easter, which means it falls into my rule: "as long as it's less than a month ago it's still Blogable". I just hit the mark on this one.
Easter was yet another extremely busy Holiday filled with family and fun and food. This was Cody's first year understanding the Easter Bunny and he was very excited. Taylor enjoyed dying the eggs this year and took pride in making sure they were up to her standards.
The night before we did our traditional dying of Easter eggs, Easter morning was spent having breakfast with my parents and an egg hunt at their house. We followed that up with a visit to a local driving range that was hosting an Easter egg hunt for the kids. The day ended with a visit to Jeremy's parents for Easter dinner and the final egg hunt. Three egg hunts in one day equals Two tired kids and Two tired parents. Great fun, but happy to say that Easter 2009 is now behind us.

Stuffing eggs to take to school for the egg hunt

One for Cody, one for the eggs

This face says it all, that's my Taylor

It's got to be perfect
Concentrating

Easter morning loot

Egg Hunt at the driving range

Dinner Easter Egg Hunt

Peace Out...Cub Scout!!!

Happy Birthday Grandma

Today is my Grandma's birthday and although she may not be here physically I know she is here with us. The dimes on the floors over the years have proven that time and time again. God took Grandma way too soon from us but he does these things for a reason. I'm sure he just needed somebody up there to play bingo and blackjack with.

Grandma wanted nothing more than to be a Great Grandma and while the timing may not have worked out that she got to meet her great grandkids she did a wonderful job of sending down two angels in her place. I see traits of my Grandma in my kids that make me smile all the way from my head to my toes.

From Taylor's love of biscuits and gravy one morning at breakfast to being able to name any Elvis song on the radio (without ever being exposed to Elvis). Taylor is the angel that my Grandma sent down to help us deal with her passing.

Cody's traits are just starting to show and really shined a few weeks ago as we drove to school and he spotted a garage sale sign leftover from a weekend sale and got excited. Grandma would never let us pass a sign without making a u-turn in the middle of the road to go track down a garage sale.

Forever in our hearts and always in our minds...
Happy Birthday Grandma!!!
Peace Out...Cub Scout!!!

New Years Breakfast

What better way to start the New Year than with a home cooked breakfast? My mom is the big cooker on Sundays so I figured I would take advantage of New Years not being on Sunday and make breakfast. So I whipped up a quick little breakfast and returned the weekly favor to my mom by packaging her and my pops up some food and taking it over to their house. Our New Years breakfast: chocolate hazelnut pancakes, eggs, and bacon. Yummy!! And what New Years breakfast would be complete without special pancakes for the kids T for Taylor and C for Cody.

Peace Out...Cub Scout!!!

Happy New Year!!!

All day Taylor had been insisting on staying up until midnight to see the ball drop. She has been so excited for the New Year that she didn't get a nap in today...which meant only one thing...there is no way in the world she was going to make it to midnight. And on the rare chance she did make it she would be a complete brat by the time it did roll around.
So what's a parent to do...Well take advantage of being on the West Coast of course. Jeremy searched around to find a channel that would air the ball dropping at 9:00 California...12:00 New York time. So there we sat engrossed in the TV at a whopping 9:00 convincing Taylor that she made it to midnight. She was besides herself and very excited that Cody made it to and that they got to celebrate the New Year together as brother and sister.

Ten Minutes Left of 2008

Peace Out...Cub Scout!!!

Another Year...Another Dooney

Jeremy surprised me this year with a Dooney & Bourke bag. We had made a deal that Christmas this year would be our new furniture but we both broke that promise, I got him a GPS that he had been eyeing, so it's ok. Christmas time is always when I get my Dooney bags and this makes me love the Holidays even more. This year's bag is not just a purse though it's a tote bag perfect for holding everything I need on my daily train rides to and from work. This bag will hold it all, my lunch, knitting, wallet, and keys. So perfect and so cute. Add to the size and functionality that it is the 150th anniversary bag celebrating the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade and I would have to say that Jeremy did very well this year for Christmas. I'm so excited to go back to work and get to use my new bag...well not excited enough to cut my vacation short but you get the idea of how in love I with my new bag.

I took the picture from the internet because I don't feel like going and getting my camera, taking a pic an having to upload it.

But I had to show you a picture so you could just see how darn cute it is!!!!! :-)

Peace Out...Cub Scout!!!

Knitting Time - Sweater Vest

A few months back, well not that long ago since I've really just learned how to knit, I started on a Christmas vest for Cody. I got down to the final part, the neckband and armbands but then got sidetracked with a million and one other things and didn't get around to finishing it. What better motivation though that waiting until the last minute and cranking this baby out. Yes, I finished it the evening of Christmas Eve. But the main thing is that it is done and I'm totally loving it. There are a few parts that I'm not thrilled with but it's my first sweater so I'm giving myself a little bit of leeway. Next one better be perfect though.

Peace Out...Cub Scout!!!

Christmas Morning

Christmas morning was everything I had hoped for and more. The kids loved everything and were in such a great mood all day long. The Holidays are always such a tough time and make for a very very long day for little ones. However, this year we avoided all drama, fights, and tantrums. Taylor & Cody got along wonderfully, enjoyed each and every one of their gifts. Taylor had a few favorites Puppy Grows, her vacuum cleaner, and sewing machine. Cody only had eyes for his fire station.

Cody beat sister to the living room...then stopped and just stared

Taylor giving loves to Puppy Grows

Cody & his beloved Fire Station

A quick pose before the unwrapping begins

Taylor & Cody after they opened up the gifts they got for each other. They were so excited to pick out presents they thought were perfect for each of them and open them up together.

Peace Out...Cub Scout!!!

Santa Claus Has Stopped By

Looks like Taylor & Cody were good this year. Santa has stopped by the house and dropped off some goodies while the kids were fast asleep in their beds. He filled the stockings making sure to get them new slippers just like every year. Also Santa brought Taylor & Cody their special requests….Puppy Grows & Knows Your Name for Taylor and a Fire Station for Cody. Santa decided to throw a little something special in to, a bounce house for Taylor & Cody to enjoy all year long. Santa must have been a busy little bee because the furniture had to be moved all around for everything to fit in the living room. Mommy is sitting here waiting for Taylor & Cody to wake up. I can’t wait to see the looks on their face…this is what being a parent is all about!!!

Peace Out...Cub Scout!!!

Letter to Santa

Anybody that has been to our house in the last 6 weeks or so knows the rules...No eating or drinking on the new couch. I never realized the effects though that this rule had on the kids until a couple of days ago when I had a conversation with Taylor. We were talking about leaving out cookies & milk for Santa on Christmas Eve so he has something to recharge himself after such a long night. Taylor then proceeded to let me know that with the milk & cookies she needed to leave Santa a letter. Ah, so sweet I thought!! Until she told me what she wanted to write on the letter. See for yourself the letter that was left with the milk & cookies tonight.

Yes!! She is totally my daughter.

Peace Out...Cub Scout!!!

Christmas Eve Tradition

Taylor’s first Christmas I started a tradition that every Christmas Eve she would get to open just one present from mommy & daddy. This present was new Christmas pajamas so she would look cute the next morning opening up her Christmas presents. J This tradition has continued through the years and something that of course was started with Cody also. Each year after we get home from my mom and dads house the kids sit down open up their present, take a bath, get nice and cozy in their new pj’s, and get ready for bedtime so Santa can come visit.

Peace Out...Cub Scout!!!

Christmas Celebration #2

Christmas Eve is always the time that we celebrate with my family. This year my sister was with her husband’s family but my mom, dad, Jeremy, the kids and I all gathered on Christmas Eve to keep the tradition going. Typically we have prime rib but this year opted for a much simpler meal, one of everyone’s favorites, my mom’s tacos. And what Jeremy thinks are the best brownies ever for dessert. After we were finished eating the kids opened up their presents. A ton of pajamas, clothes, and toys later they were each down to their last present. Taylor & Cody opened up their last present at the same time and were excited to finally get their portable DVD players that they have wanted for months.

Taylor & her Gourmet Cupcake Maker Cody & his firetruck step stool

Excited over pajamas

Peace Out...Cub Scout!!!

Christmas Celebration #1

Today started the first of 5 Family Christmas Celebrations that will take place over the next few days. Last weekend we went to a friend’s house for our annual Christmas celebration which really kicked off the Holiday season for the kids. But in true “mommy brain” fashion I forgot the camera so no pics from there. Today was my mom’s extended family and we celebrated at our house. The kids got some cool toys from family and it was a nice relaxing time. It is always great to see family and spend time catching up. It seems that these days everyone is always so busy and the times of just sitting together talking are far and few between.

The kids and some of their stuff

Peace Out...Cub Scout!!!

Metrolink Holiday Express

Each year the local train, Metrolink, goes all out for the Holidays and decorates the train in a ton of lights. They take this train to the different stations and put on a show for the kids. Taylor went a few years ago and last year we started up the tradition by taking both of the kids. They had so much fun last year Jeremy & I decided that we would make sure that we braved the cold each year and took them to see the special train with lights.

Waiting for the show to start

Completely engrossed in the show

During the show
Peace Out...Cub Scout!!!