Taste-tested...Kid NOT approved!

I was on the phone with my mom and the kids were going crazy so I couldn't hear...what do I do when that happens? The same thing every mom does...hide in the bathroom and finish up the conversation.
While I was in there, I heard Cohen on the other side of the door SCREAMING. I thought...that doesn't sound so good so we wrapped the conversation up a little quicker and I went out to see what was up. I checked his head, nothing. Checked his fingers, nothing. Checked his legs and toes, nothing. He is crying hysterically and I can't find anything wrong.
So I'm rocking him and trying to find something that might be causing all these tears....and then I saw it....and smelled it. He had gotten into the fridge and opened up and taste-tested a bottle of Tabasco sauce. Poor kid....nothing a good popsicle wouldn't help, though.

Weekend at Moms

Mike was off at Hoopfest '09 this past weekend so the kids and I took advantage and spent the weekend up at my moms, since my dad was scheduled to be at harvest and my sister and Mal dropped my three nieces off with my mom. My dad ended up coming home with a sore neck and a terrific harvest under his belt, so we were blessed by his company, as well.
It was so great to just send the kids into the pool, sip tea and hang out with my mom. We had some yummy food, some toasty sun and yummy peach tea. It was so relaxing and even though 7 kids can be kinda crazy at times, the twins did so well with the pool that I was just enjoying the chance to relax.
The twins have really turned a corner this past week, and I think that they are finally calming down and listening a little better. They are a little less scary and I've been able to breath this past week...and that says a lot since this past week also included a dentist visit with all four kids by myself, and I actually got complimented on how well behaved they were and how "that says a lot" about my parenting- which means so much to me...it has just been such a great week...I've waited so long for a good week...
*sigh* soooo relaxed!

10 years

With all of life's chaos, I forgot to post that Mike and I met exactly 10 years ago last Thursday. It was a busy day for us and, even though I was looking forward to posting some flashback pictures, it ended up completely escaping my thoughts that night.
So... without further ado, cheers to ten years!

A Dying Heart

Ethans head is against my chest.
Ethan: "Mom...I can hear your heart!"
Me: "OH! What's it saying?"
Ethan looks up at me: "It says your dying."

Fathers Day '09

The twins daycare made a Fathers Day T-shirt with the kids hands and names on it. Very cute!
Cohen proudly presented daddy with his and Chezneys present. Mike modeling his new shirt...

Danissa made a fake pot with a flower in it and it has a clip to hold pictures, and then Ethan made a bookmark with his picture on it.

LOVES for daddy!!!

Misc. Info/Pictures

Since Fathers Day was filled with a whole lot of laziness, here are some pictures over the last few days I thought I would share:
First picture: Cohen stuck in my parents cooler that we borrowed for camping....

This was some interior designing by Ethan Dad and the Gang washing the truck after their 4x4ing trip

"Camping"

We set out last night for a short camping trip in a friends in-laws grassy yard. The property overlooks the Columbia River so it was just beautiful! The twins had a few interesting incidences with the lake (Thanks to Jenny for getting her clothes wet to pull a floundering, but life-jacketed Chezney out!) and then there was the time when Cohen was wading out into the water and made it all the way to the dock and was clinging to it asking for help... (again with a lifejacket) and once when Cohen disappeared and was found at the lake (without the lifejacket)...but all in all, it was really fun.
This one is our little community area....they played music (like "Who Let The Dogs Out) and everyone danced....The Chicken Dance...my kids did not participate. LOL

Danissa showing how much she does not want to participate in ANY dancing...

Carisa not letting Danissa opt out of a good dance...

And then there was Emma, who totally got her groove on...

Cohen on a scooter...

Mike and Brian playing Ladder Ball

FLY Swatter

The twins have been really afraid of flies. They see them and yell "S-ider! S-ider!" (spider, spider!) Chezney is especially terrified of them. So, a few weeks ago we had a few fat flies that had wandered into our house and couldn't fly anymore. I took the twins over and showed them that I could touch it and it wouldn't do anything...all it did was try to get away.

They thought this was pretty funny and pretty soon they were trying to touch it themselves. I left them to that and not long later, Chezney brought me a played-to-death fly.

Daycare Drop-off

Our drop-off routine has changed in the mornings. Now that the kids are out of school, instead of going to the school and then the twins daycare, I go to the twins daycare, and then the older two kiddos daycare.
It's so cute to hear the conversation in my car at the first drop off...
Chezney: "Bye Dasa!"
Cohen: "Bye!"
Danissa and Ethan: "Bye babies!"
Danissa: "I love you!"
Cohen: "Yuv ooo!"
Chezney: "Love ooo!"
Cohen: "Bye bye!"
This continues over and over till the door is finally shut and the babies and I are on our way to the front door...very cute!

Picnic Dinner

On Sunday, we took the kids for a picnic dinner up past Leavenworth. We started out at Nason Creek and were eaten alive by mosquito's and didn't like the twins by the fast swollen creek, so we decided to head to Lake Wenatchee, where they played on toys and the waves that rivaled being at the ocean. All in all, it was pretty fun!

Disaster Adverted

Me (Joy) and my cousin: 1986
Cohen: 2009

Smart Radio

*Positive Life Radio playing in the background
Ethan: "Hey!!! That radio knows all the songs that I know!"

3-on-3 addition

For those of you (teammates) that want to see/download all the 3-on-3 pictures or slideshow, it's at http://albums.phanfare.com/5227844 (I suggest seeing the pictures with the slideshow...the music makes it kinda cool...!)

3-on-3

Mike was in a 3-on-3 tournament today as a preparation for Hoopfest in two weeks. His team did pretty well, making it to the third round and the kids and I had a good time coming to cheer, take pictures, and eat and drink anything cool ;)

Cousin Adoration

I thought I'd take a quick unscheduled photo op with my nephews...
My kids had other ideas...

I think it eventually worked itself out though....

A Nose Towel

Last night, while laying in bed, Chezney had a runny nose and wanted to wipe it. She yelled out "Mamma...nose towel! Nose towel, mamma!"

It happened again....

Either Mike didn't get the door shut all the way this morning or Cohen and Chezney have finally learned how to open the front door.
I was doing Danissa's hair in the bathroom, getting us ready to head to work/daycare, and when we came out, the front door was wide open. I went running out and, fortunately, found them in my car. Chezney was just starting to open the drivers door to get out, so I'm glad I came out when I did. It took me a good while to stop shaking and calm down. I just can't handle their toddler-hood. This is the only time in my life as a parent that I have ever wished that my kids get older faster....

Cinnamon Roll Mystery

I made cinnamon rolls for breakfast today. The instructions said to put 9 in a 9x13 pan even though the bag came with 12. So, I followed the instructions and put the remaining 3 back in the freezer (which I think all 12 could have fit...).
Later today, I found the cinnamon roll bag on the kitchen floor with NO cinnamon rolls left inside. What would someone do with frozen cinnamon rolls? WELL...my guess is they were taken outside to "rise"!
So, I went in search of the three missing rolls in the backyard. I found one rising on the patio, and found half of one in a laundry basket they had drug out there, and the other half of that one in the grass. Where could the third one be? I searched and searched and then I found a clue. Little Chezney had cinnamon all over her face and dress...could it be that she ate a whole raw cinnamon roll? I think, yes...

Closet Monkeys

What do the twins do when they are bored? The make a mess in my closet, of course! They were swinging on the pole and then eventually Cohen fell out of the closet when his feet caught on some shoes ;)

Lazy Sunday

I spent the day reading Readers Digest, playing with my kids, pampering my lawn, walked 2 miles at the track (pushing the stroller) and took a 2 hour nap. Can Sunday get better than that? We even had French Toast for breakfast =)

You Can't Have Your Cake And Eat It, Too.

Today was Kinderprep Graduation as well as Danissa's last day of 1st grade. I organized the BBQ for the Kinderprep celebration that was scheduled to be today from 11-1. For some reason, around 10, I started thinking that the BBQ started at 12. At about 10:50, I realized I was wrong, ran the kids to the car, ran to Costco to pick up the cake and plates and then ran to the school. I finally made it to the school at 11:30....just in time to miss the actually "ceremony" but still get to eat and have the kids play some games.
So, we had the cake, but I missed Ethans graduation...and so did Ethan. Poor kid. At least he doesn't realize that he missed out on anything.

Sand N Sun Part I

Okay...so not so much sand, but definately sun! We had a blast at Rotary Park and I just happened to have my camera so *yipee* LOL (be sure to see both parts because I picked my favorite two pics of each kiddo!)

Sand N Sun Part II

Fanning the Flame

I'm already super paranoid about Cohen now...and the kid just keeps finding ways to hurt himself or make himself look like a poor neglected child. It's stressing me out! Here's the latest:

He was swinging on his tummy and tipped forward into the gravel in the backyard. He came into the house with a bloody lip and spitting out a few pieces of gravel. As the day has worn on, the spots on his face have increased....lovely!

Milk'n It

Cohen has had a severe diaper rash for days and it just keeps getting worse. Some days seem better than others, but they are all in the category of bad.
A gal told me today that she had a friend that emptied an entire gallon of milk into a her child's bath and her child's diaper rash was gone the next day.
So tonight, Cohen was in the tub and I decided to try it. I got a whole gallon of milk and dumped it into the bathtub water.
Do you know what milk looks like when it's being dumped into water?
It looks like a big white scary cloud coming toward you....at least it did to Cohen. Picture a child screaming and shaking and trying to reach the farthest edge of the tub possible to avoid said cloud...then picture a cat trying to get out of the tub. Combine the two and you have Cohen. Not good at all....
I had to pin him in the tub and we'll see if that trama will cure the rash, or just regress his fear of water back to point A....

Clothing Optional

Just a few backyard pictures....