Pirate Maddox's Third Birthday!

I can't believe he is already three!!! He is my baby, and we definitely don't treat him like he is three! When he takes naps, I tell Sav, Berk, and friends to be quiet because "the baby" is sleeping! I REALLY DO! Anyway, he is three, and I guess I need to start treating him like he is.

For Maddox's third birthday, he wanted to go to Pirate Island with his best friend, Blake, so we invited our good friends, Jim and Megan and their kids to come with us! The kids are all great friends, so they all had a blast! They put us in a pirate cove, where there were two tables, so the kids sat at their own and felt so cool! I made pirate goodie bags with chocolate pirate gold and eye patches, and pirate cupcakes that turned out pretty cute, and we ate pizza until we were stuffed.

We played arcade games 'til we dropped, and Maddox fell asleep on the way home. He has said every day since, "I am going to Pirate Island next time!" Not quite sure what that means, but I assume it means he LOVED it!

We love our little Maddox, and can't imagine life without our stubborn, cuddly, determined, smart little boy! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAD!!!

Soccer Boy

Berkley is the kind of kid that does his best at whatever he is doing. It is one thing that I really admire in him. Soccer is no exception. He runs until his face is bright red, and he is gasping for air, and then runs some more. I LOVE watching him play, but Mike and I have had to tag team bringing him to soccer games, because Savanna has ballet the same two days of the week, so I don't get to see him as much as I'd like to. Here are some pictures I took at his last game.

First Day of Kindergarten and Savanna's Broken Arm!

Berkley was so excited for the first day of kindergarten, and counted down the days. He laid out his clothes the night before, and put his backpack by the front door. Him and Savanna are as different as night and day, and sending him to kindergarten was nothing but exciting. It was a relief, since sending Savanna to kindergarten was one of the hardest things I have ever done! He is such a smart kid, and is always ready for an adventure, so I was so confident that he would love it...and he did! Before he left, I asked him if he was sure he wanted to go to school, because he could stay at home with me for the rest of his life. He laughed at me, and gave me a hug. He went to school with two of his best friends, Meg and Halle, and they ran the whole way, without stopping, leaving us moms in their dust, and never looking back! We walked up to make sure they had gotten there, and then walked home. Maddox kept saying he wanted his buddy back and was sad all morning. We picked a happy Berkley up after school, and are excited for an awesome first year of school for him. Oh, and did I mention I am room mom in BOTH of my kids' classes! Wish me luck!!!

Part Two - Savannas Broken Arm


Savanna and Berkley were riding their scooters home (downhill) from school, and they always get going so fast, that this was inevitable. I had just got done telling them to slowdown, so the crash actually made me mad that nobody was listening to me, and to be honest, I wasn't super sympathetic at first. I wanted to say, "See, that's what happens when you guys ignore me!" but chose to keep my yapper shut, because I knew I would regret it. She broke two bones, and to make a long story short, she is loving all the attention her cast brings, and even gets to type on her teacher's laptop in class. I can't wait for the stink that will come from her arm in a few weeks, and am prepared to douse her in perfume and lotion when the time comes. These pictures were taken right before ballet yesterday. I am making her go, even though she can't dance very well, because she wants to try out for Nutcracker again this year.

First Day of Third Grade!

I can't believe Savanna is in third grade! She was so excited the night before, that she couldn't fall asleep, and was awake before I was the first day of school. She walked up to our new elementary school (that is literally five houses up the street) with her good buddy Max. Her teacher is from Sugar City (right next to Rexburg) so we already love her. She seems like she is going to be an amazing teacher! One down, one to go. Berkley will start Kindergarten on Wednesday, and is counting down the days!

Rexburg

We try to go to Rexburg more than once every summer, but this summer it only happened once! Jenny and Lilly were up from D.C. and we were so excited to get to spend time with them. We did a picnic and ice cream with Great-Gran , planted a garden with Grandpa, played with the goats, had hot dog roasts, had a cabin sleep-over in the forest, played with cousins and just chilled!

Rocco: Gotta Love Him!

Saying Rocco is a good sport is a gross understatement. The dog takes so much mauling. Yesterday I watched as Maddox put his Buzz Lightyear spinner up to Rocco's face, and turned it on so it hit Rocco over and over again. Rocco would flinch every time the spinner hit him in the face, but never ran away. He loves any attention he can get. Here are some Rocco pics I have:Rocco as a Backpack

Savanna makes tutus and sews outfits for him. He endures it.

When cousin Lilly calls, she wants to talk to her favorite cousin, Rocco.

He will stay in any position you put him in.

He has his own pack-n-play, for when we vacation, and Maddox thinks it's the party place. (Notice the Rocco Pottery Barn stocking behind him...thanks Sarah!)

WE LOVE OUR DOG!!!

Annie

My new goal is to blog every other day, so I can someday slurp it all into a book for a journal. So here goes:

I feel like I don't give my oldest the credit she deserves. When we are at the grocery store, Savanna is close by, with the list in hand, while her two younger brothers are running around yelling, tearing stuff off the shelves and throwing stuff into the cart. She will even run across the entire Smiths Marketplace, and carry Maddox back to me kicking and screaming, when I am ready to abandon the cart, and call it a day. Whenever I hear either of the boys cry, and she is at home, I find her holding and loving them, and making sure they are OK. Even her school teachers thank me for her, because she is so kind at school to the kids who don't have friends. I love that she is the justice police, and will stick up for anyone who is being treated wrongly. I love that she will do anything to help out in the house when I am feeling overwhelmed. I love that I can often find her in her room, singing Michael Jackon's Thriller album at the top of her lungs, and that she is an appreciator of all things musical. I love how she always has something nice to say about people, even when they are mean to her. She will always give second chances, and forgives easily. I love that she loves animals, and even wants to protect insects from harm. I love that she loves to nurture kids younger than her, and tries to make them feel special. I love, I love, I love... She is AMAZING and I feel lucky every day that I get to be her mom, and learn from her. I love my little Annie!