Bethleham Village

Ahhh. Both kids are napping, I'm done Christmas shopping (I think - you never know what will pop up in the next week), and my housekeeper is coming today. Yeah - I love a clean house! Today is a good day!


This weekend we stayed busy doing all the fun December-kind of things. Friday nite we went to the Presbyterian church across the street from our neighborhood to their "Bethleham Village." I was SO impressed - they had llama rides, pony rides, a petting zoo, a live nativity, crafts for the kids, and refreshments. All for FREE! It was so fun! We ended up running into so many people from our ward....the Mormons take over the Presbyterian Christmas party! Ok, that wasn't as funny now that I typed it. But I found it fairly humorous at the time. What can I say? I'm easily amused!


Here is Caden and Chaz waiting for the llama rides. Thanks for the picture, Tammy!

Saturday nite was our ward's Christmas party....and we also did a Bethleham Village-theme. The food was good and we had fun. It's always fun to hang out with friends. Since I'm in nursery now, I have to leave sacrament mtg. before it ends, and stay in nursery until all the kids are picked up, so I miss chatting with everyone. Ah, well, that's what girls' nite out is for, right? (which was Thursday...and very much needed!) Santa showed up at the party, so hopefully Pix with Santa are forthcoming. I'll warn you now...Soleil was SCREAMING when I sat her down on Santa's lap. Hopefully she'll do better this week. I plan on taking the kids to do the mall Santa pictures. Wish me luck.
Why I didn't get any pictures of the cute party, I do not know. I was entirely focused on getting a picture of Soleil's first pigtails! Can you see them? Little wisps of blonde hair. And this picture also debutes my new hairstyle...I tried bangs. What do you think?










Saturday we made a gingerbread house. (Thank you Costco, for the premade sets!) Caden totally got into it. Soleil liked throwing the candy all around the kitchen. I think this will have to become a Bramwell tradition. (not the throwing of the candy. the building of the gingerbread house!)
Tonite we are going to a stake member's home that completely decorates their entire house for Christmas and has an open house every nite complete with Santa, little toys for the kids to take home, cider and cookies, and lots of fun decorations. Fun pictures to follow!

One of those days

It was one of those days. It really started out yesterday afternoon with Caden getting a fever and acting quite lethargic. I gave him some Tylenol and after his nap he seemed a lot better. Fast forward to this morning. We had just finished breakfast, which today for Caden meant all the marshmallows out of his Lucky Charms (bad mom, I know), when Caden coughed. Then threw up. All over himself, the Laz E Boy, his beloved blankets...you get the picture. I scurried around trying to bathe him, throw his blankets into the wash, and spot-treat the chair. Get him dressed, teeth brushed (not even the 3 year olds like the taste of vomit much), and settled in with a movie. Finally get everything taken care. Ok, breathe. Now Soleil wants a snack...no big deal right? After she's done, I'm getting her out of her chair and have her steadied with one arm when she loses her balance? throws herself back? still not sure what she did, but she falls back and goes down on the back of her head on the wood floor and electric train set underneath the tree. I finally get her calmed down...no bruises that I can see. Phew. I did get to talk to my dear cousin today. That was a highlight. Of course Soleil crashed into the coffee table and bonked her head, in the same spot as before, so our conversation was cut short. Congrats on Logan, Jill! I promise 2 kids does get easier....just don't put too much into this post! Usually the kids will nap at the same time in the afternoon, but today Soleil skipped her morning nap, which meant she went down at 11, which meant she woke up right when Caden went down for his nap. No break, and this mama NEEDS her breaks. I did finally squeeze in a shower and Hot Pocket at 12:30. Thankfully I did have an easy dinner planned...only to discover that the meat had gone bad. Had it really been over a week since I bought it? Breakfast burritos as Plan B!

I did try to put Soleil down for a second, really late nap, but 30 minutes of her crying/talking to herself/singing convinced me she wasn't going to fall asleep. (early bedtime anyone?) I walked into her room to find her half out of her shirt. This is the second time she's undressed herself during nap time. The first time she took off her pants. I thought it was so funny - here's a picture.

After the frustrating and sometimes scary day I had with these two, this reminded me why I do this day in and day out. And love it - for the most part. (I could do without the vomit.)

Caden's 3rd birthday and Day Out with Thomas

Caden turned 3 on Thanksgiving this year, so we had his birthday party a little early. (Naturally I am late posting.) We held it at Kidsville, an indoor playground for kids. We - I - did a "Cars" theme; notice the cake. It was great; we had a party host directing and keeping track of everything (he's the one helping Caden play pin the tail). I just made sure everyone ate as much as possible and had a good time. (the two are directly related, right?) Some pictures from the fun, compliments of my friend Liz:













The next weekend Thomas the Tank Engine came to town. (When I say town, I mean an hour + drive north.) We loaded up early - it was so foggy I could hardly see. But it cleared up and we had fun riding Thomas, playing with all the trains, and eating carnival foood.

Tagged...

Ah, crap. I got tagged....three times. Here goes...
The rules: A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning. B. Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves. C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
1. I love Dr Pepper. The sound of the can opening is only a slight second to the sound of my children laughing. That is how much happiness I get from drinking a nice, cold DP. I know this is sad. I have tried to beat my addiction, only with limited short-term success. Hey - this problem is genetic! My family has been drinking DP since it was introduced to the public in 1905. My great-grandma took a big glass of Dr Pepper to work with her everyday. I know, still sad.
2. I have lots of family. Seriously. In our 5 years together, Scott still hasn't met all my family. Because of a few divorces in my family, I have 7 siblings, 4 parents, 7 living grandparents, 25 aunts and uncles, and so many cousins, it'll make your head spin (I think first cousins number at about 60). I cannot fathom what it's like for those people without a lot of family. Boring, kind of sad, but definately cheaper...do you have any idea how much I spend at Hallmark in a given month? (And this isn't even counting Scott's family!)
3. I love to travel. I have been to every state except Alaska. Thankfully the kids travel pretty well, so we log a lot of frequent flier miles, especially since none of the aforementioned family lives close. So far my favorite places are London and Hawaii. I'd like to explore mainland Europe and Australia, and have to mark Alaska off my list.
4. I love to white-water raft. Rafting is a family tradition - we go every Memorial Day weekend to the same spot in Idaho, and then try to go on a 5- or 7-day long trip sometime in the summer. You get all sorts of people out on the water, but away from the hustle and bustle, you also get the best out of people. Some of my favorite memories are on the river. All of my family loves it too - my stepdad's favorite joke about my boyfriends was that if he could stay in the raft, then he was ok. (Yes, he even said that same joke at my wedding luncheon!) We didn't get to go this last summer, and I truely missed it. I can't wait for Caden to get old enough to take him down his first wavetrain. This is a love I hope to pass onto my kids.
5. I love to dance. I started when I was 3 and danced into college. In high school, I loved having the house to myself so I could turn on the big stereo and use the windows as my mirror and dance, dance, dance. I trained in all types of dance - ballet and jazz were my favorite. I miss dancing. I really miss my dancer's body! ;->
6. I am an organizer. There is a certain thrill I get from clearing off my desk, finishing my to-do list, making a new file. So far I have refrained from buying a label-maker; I'm seriously afraid I'll go to crazy with it. Example: we just had Caden's birthday party (pix and a post forthcoming), and I had to go through the toy room and take out old toys to make room for the new ones. When the time comes for me to go back to work, becoming a professional organizer holds quite a bit of appeal for me.
Whew - enough soul-searching for tonight! I tag Star, Jill, Lisa, Tammy, Chanel and Amy.
Hope you enjoyed!

Family Picture Gallery

We had our annual family pictures taken Tuesday, this year on the beach. We used the same photographer from last year, Molly, since she did such an excellent job. (Shout out to Amy who told me about Molly!) I was a little worried about how the kids would do at the beach. Would they just want to be in the water the entire time? Would they both immediately get covered in wet, sticky sand? The day of the pictures it was cold (San Diego cold), overcast, and both kids were cranky and tired. I was actually worried that Molly didn't get any good shots. I mean, Caden REFUSED to look at the camera and smile. Threat, bribes, nothing worked. Scott and I were completely frazzled on the drive home. Then Molly emailed me the picture gallery.....if you are interested, check out http://mollyhilton.com/BramwellSlideshow/. The pictures will only be posted till Monday. Turn up the music....and grab the Kleenex. Seriously.
P.S. No comments about how my butt looks. I will not be purchasing those pictures, and would take them out of the gallery if I could.

Pumpkin Patch and Halloween

I really need to catch this blog up - so this post will get me through October and hopefully caught up.
We went (almost a month ago!) to Bates Nut Farm with our neighbors for some hay rides and photo ops. It was so much fun! Definately a tradition in the making!

Caden and Brennan started a game of King of the Pumpkin. They had so much fun climbing up and pushing each other off. Ah...boys will be boys.

And now for Halloween!

Jen inspired me with her cute themed Halloween pictures from years' past, so I convinced Scott to also do a theme. I originally wanted Caden to be a BYU football player and Soleil a BYU cheerleader, but apparently so did every other BYU alumni. The bookstore was sold out of the cheerleader outfit for weeks, but I think we came up with a great alternative.

Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, Captain Hook, and Tiger Lily!!

Seriously, have you seen a cuter Peter Pan??? And Soleil killed me in her little Tinkerbell outfit...trying to crawl with all that toile and satin...too funny!!

Peter Pan LOVES Halloween - totally got into trick-or-treating. We went around the neighborhood with Spiderman and his dad, Don Ho, and Spiderman didn't want to get out of the wagon. Peter Pan got so much candy that we had to empty part of his bag into Spiderman's so he could keep going. Good thing too, cause Spiderman needed something in his bag!

(Ok, so looking at the pictures, I needed to pin up my apron. It looks like I'm pregnant. Oh well - and I'm not!!)

This was my first time trick-or-treating with Caden. It was so much fun! We left a bowl of candy out - and I wondered if the first kids that came would empty it out - until we started going and noticed that that's what most houses did too. Made me feel better. Anyways, Caden got quite a stash that Scott was kind enough to take to work the next day so as not to tempt me. Hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween too!

Happy 1st Birthday, Baby Girl!!

Soleil turned 1! Ok, she turned 1 two weeks ago, so I stink at promptly blogging. Sorry. I figured I had to get this up before Caden's birthday party this weekend. Then I'd really be behind. Since her birthday was in the middle of the firestorm, we celebrated low-key with our neighbors, presents and cupcakes. Not that a 1 year old needs much more! I can't believe Soleil is one already. Wow, that was a quick year! Since this is supposed to be somewhat of a journal, I thought I'd list some Soleil-isms. She growing up so quickly, if I don't write them down, they'll be gone and forgotten.

Moves: while she still isn't walking, this girl can MOVE!! Maybe that's why she's not walking yet; she is an incredibly fast crawler. And the apple doesn't fall far from the tree - whenever Soleil hears music, she starts dancing! I love it! Already I'm having images of her in black leotards with pink tights, her hair piled into a bun, and practicing her plies in the reflection of our fireplace. While I don't want to ever push my kids into a sport of activity they aren't interested in, I REALLY hope Soleil dances. I loved dancing so much - still do. Too bad there's not a class for has-been, used-to-dance moms with a little extra baby weight to work off. But this post isn't about me....Anyways, Soleil is just starting to stand unassisted for a few seconds, so I think she'll be walking in no time. Which means she'll be into more stuff than now, if that's possible. I got so used to Caden - he wasn't interested in the cupboard under my bathroom sink. I can't keep her outta there! Hmm...maybe because that's where my makeup is. She is a girl; maybe she's already wanting to get dolled-up!

Foods: Soleil didn't stay interested in baby food for long. She has always wanted to feed herself - as long as it's not on a spoon. No yogurt or applesauce or oatmeal. Favorites of hers are fruit leather, bananas, any kind of cookie (seriously, this apple hit the tree on the way down!), pancakes and waffles (although I try to give it to her sans syrup, justify it as healthier somehow), peas (she squishes them, then eats them), quesadillas, chicken nuggets, lunch meat, hot dogs, and she just tried PB&J for the first time and loved it! I wish this were a healthier list. Sigh.

Words and Gestures: she definately babbles a lot. Not much is coherent. She does say hi and wave - so cute! Caden and I were singing "Ring Around the Rosy" in the car today, and she sang along with us in her own little language. She also has been giving lots of sideways thumbs-up's. Don't know where she got that gesture, but she sticks out her thumb then holds her hand like she's giving "daps." Cute until she sticks her thumb up your nose or into your eye, just hopefully not in that order.

She has been good at sleeping through the night lately -YEAH - although now that I typed this, she'll have a horrible night tonight. Murphy's law. I'm actually surprised at how great she's been sleeping - she, like Caden, is a late teether. She got her first tooth just in time for our New York trip a month ago, and is getting 3 more teeth right now. Her poor gums look so sore, but she never complains. That's another great thing about this precious girl. She is the happiest baby! She smiles all the time and rarely cries or is upset. And this girl is TOUGH! Maybe this is how most second kids are, but she puts up with a lot from Caden without complaint. I don't think Caden would act the same if the roles were reversed. That's another reason why I can't wait for her to walk. Then she can really stand on her own! ;->

This little girl brings me so much joy! She is so fun and loving. I am so thankful for her and her sweet personality. And I'm so excited to watch her grow up and into the wonderful person I know she'll be.

Ok - sorry for the sappiness. It had to be said. P.S. This picture is her first "ponytail." If you look closely at the top of her head, you can see it. A little wisp of hair.

Safe in San Diego

It has been a crazy, scary few days here in San Diego with all the fires. Thankfully we never had to evacuate, but the fires got within a couple of miles of us, so we were packed and ready if needed. An experience like this really makes you take stock of what is important. If we would have only had time to get us and the kids out, that would have been fine. Hard, but everything in the house, and including the house, are just things. But since we were on the edge about evacuating for a few days, I had a lot of time to mull over what to pack. There are the obvious things like important documents, photo albums, diaries. But then there are the baby books - located in a different place that any album (which themselves are spread throughout the house). Or our wedding video. And how easy is it to fit a 20x24 framed picture in the van? The insane organizer in me is disappointed that it would have been hard for us to assemble all the "irreplaceables" throughout our house. I'm making a PowerPoint list of everything we would want to grab and sticking that list in our 72 hour kits, just in case there is a next time.

Thankfully no one we know lost their home in the fires. I do feel horrible for those who did. How misplaced they must feel! Our stake is having a meeting tonight trying to house displaced members. Since we have an extra bedroom, I'm sure we'll have some house guests for awhile. I'll let you know!

And since no post is truly complete without a picture, here is all the ash that is piled up outside of our garage. I'll be power-washing for a month as the ash continues to settle!

The 3rd Decade

So I'm 30 now. That age has always sounded so old to me. Officially settled down. Not like I haven't been "settled down" for the last few years...married, 2 kids, minivan, mortgage...but somehow I always took solace in the fact that I was still in my twenties. No longer. I am a 30 year old, minivan-driving, suburban, stay at home mom. Wow, that happened fast. Did I really graduate from high school 12 years ago? Freshman year at ASU doesn't seem like that long ago.

Well at least I've lived to see 30. I consider that an accomplishment in it's own right. But what have I really achieved in my 30 years on this earth? I have a college degree, that's good. I married a wonderful (and older!) man who puts up with my crap. That's even better. Plus I have 2 hilarious, loving kids. I've been to Hawaii 4 times, Europe once, Mexico too many times to count, and all over the continential U.S. I have dear friends near and far, and so much family that in the 4 1/2 years of marriage, Scott has only begun to meet them all. (scary, isn't it?) And I'm healthy. I have to list that, because even with all that this body has gone through, I can still get frustrated at it/me. I need to remind myself of where I could be instead of complaining about where I am. If only I could lay off the Dr. Pepper....

Turning 30 is supposed to be a milestone, but frankly I don't feel any different. I don't feel 30. And thankfully, I don't look it either. Vain, I know, but hey - there'd better be one advantage to having extremely oily skin! Besides, when I'm out with the kids, I get comments fairly often about how young I must have been when I started having kids. Ha - by Mormon standards, I started late at 27. Maybe it's the next decade that you feel it AND look it. I'll let you know in 10 years.

This weekend I went out with the Girlfriends for my birthday dinner. This time the conversation didn't seem so rushed to me. Maybe that's because we had just gone out last month and had talked for hours. With no kids to distract us, it always seems like we just talk and talk as fast as possible to get it all out until next time. Maybe we should just go out once a month - get all that "talk" out. One of the Girlfriends, Amy, is moving. I am sad."Only 30 minutes away," she says. I'm holding you to the occasional Tuesdays, Amy. That and beach playdates.

Here's a pix from Friday nite. Aren't the Girlfriends gorgeous! (And yes, that is 3 huge desserts we shared!) Thanks, girls!

New York City

Forgive my delay in posting about our fabulous trip. Let's get down to business.

We went to the Letterman show last Thursday. We sat in the front row and were even on TV....for a split second. Of course I noticed the camera on me, so I very nerdly (is that a word?) waved. If you'd like to see our Letterman debut, come to my house. I have it TiVo'ed. I really wish the second picture turned out. I'm posting it anyways. All around the city there are these guys selling bus tours. (I highly recommend doing the tour if you are going to NYC. Great and cheap way to see everything, and since it's hop-on, hop-off, you can use it in lieu of a taxi.) Scott and I bought our tickets from these 2 Jamaican gentlemen. They learned it was my birthday and insisted on singing to me. Loudly. With lots of movement - if you know what I mean. It was great!

This is Ground Zero. We poked the camera through a hole in the fence to get this picture. After 6 years, this is all that's happened.

We are huge Office fans, so I had to get Scott in front of the Dunder Mifflin sign. I should have bought him a Dwight bobblehead.

This is the view from our hotel room on the 42nd floor. We stayed right in Times Square. Had to be in all the action.
This is me doing what I do best. It's been so long since I've shopped without kids...I loved it. Why Scott took a picture of me shopping, I'm not sure. Maybe to document what I spent. Yes, I bought almost everything in my arms....and then some. ;->

Perfect Angels....Or Devils??

Tomorrow we leave early a.m. to go to New York. I am so excited! We are dropping the kids off at Scott's parent's house in Maryland, going to a Philly playoff game with a college friend of mine (the Phillies might be playing the Padres that day, depending on if the Padres win tonite. Go Padres! We want to cheer you on in Philly!) (Ok, I know it's sad that I know this much about baseball.), then onto the Big Apple. We will sleep in (maybe, depending on Scott...he hates sleeping in and I love it), go shopping (that is NOT a maybe!), go see Wicked, and, mark your calendars, go to the Dave Letterman show on Oct. 4th. Everyone TiVo Dave that nite, and keep your eyes out for Scott and I. I'm so excited....getting tickets is quite the process involving answering a Dave trivia question. Good thing my aunt and uncle went last month...I asked my aunt what her trivia question was...and I basically got the same one. Whew! I love Dave, but he's on too late here. Maybe in a few years when sleep isn't such a precious commodity we'll watch him and Leno more often.

Hopefully the kids will be good for Barry and Linda. Soleil is (of course!) getting her first tooth now. She slept through the night last night; I'm hoping that becomes a habit. Caden loves his grandparents so I have no worries about him.

Ok, Jen just stopped by with vacay goodies. How cute is she?? Thank you! I will enjoy it all immensely!! You are too awesome, girl!

I know everyone gets on to see pictures, so I added a couple of the kids. I actually like these pictures of Caden and Soleil. They are looking at the camera and smiling, which as all you parents know, is a feat unto itself. The last picture is what I do not want to come back too. I know we are just starting the sibling rivalry/teasing/physical tortue stuff and we have years of it to come, but maybe the kids will miss us so much, they'll be perfect angels. At least for the 5 hour plane ride home? A girl can dream....

Alright. Enough rambling. I have to continue the all-day process of packing. I will leave you with this thought (directed at the San Diego Girlfriends): my 30th birthday is next week. When and where are we going to dinner? Discuss.....

Girls' Day Out

I got the best present from my husband and got to run away for a day with some girlfriends. Amy, Chanel and I went downtown on Saturday for some shopping, spa-ing, and lots of eating! We stayed at the ultra-hip W Hotel- so hip, in fact, that the lobby turned into a nightclub, much to our surprise. Good thing we were on the 17th floor so the bass thumping wasn't too loud! It was so nice to indulge ourselves. While I did miss my family, it was nice to have a break from the dirty diaper routine and get to enjoy some nice, leisurely meals with some great adult conversation. Can't wait to do it again! Thanks Chanel and Amy! And special thanks to Scott for taking over with the kids so I could go play! I love you, hunny!



Starting the day off at the W Hotel


Us out on the town
Pretty dinner at Laurel (gotta love Amy's hand position!)


Us in Laurel's lobby (gorgeous!), yummy desserts - without the hands

Are we ready for potty training??

Awhile ago, we bought Caden a little toilet for the impending journey known as potty training. I haven't been in any hurry to go there yet. I mean, Caden and Soleil are finally wearing the same size diapers! Anyways, we had the toilet, never used, in the guest bathroom, until we had guests stay. (This is the Bramwell Bed and Breakfast!) Being the wonderful host that I am, I tucked the still-pristine toilet away in Caden's closet. These poor guests don't want to stub their toe on the kid potty during a late-nite pee break, do they? Fast-forward to this morning. While Caden is getting dressed, he pulls out the toilet, asks to take off his diaper, and proceeds to pee into the toilet!!! I WAS SO EXCITED!!! (I know it's sad that a 2 year old's pee excites me so.) I didn't even mind that it was slightly weird that all this occurred in his bedroom. So I showed him how to wipe (little boys wipe after peeing, right? I seriously need a handbook!) and happily whisked the toilet away to sanitize and sterilize. Needless to say, this was a moment NOT to catch on film, but thought I would share anyways. Little boy underroos, here I come. Ok, moms of potty-trained kids.....how do I do this? I've heard of letting them walk around naked for a week (staying at home, obviously) while they figure this out. And buying tons of underwear and throwing them out when dirtied instead of trying to clean them. I need suggestions!!!

Go Big Blue!!

This is how I need to position myself for all photographs. Just my head showing. We went up to LA for the BYU v UCLA game. It was hot and the drive was long, but it was fun. That will be the last game we take the kids to for a long time. Caden LOVES to go to the Padres games, but this game didn't hold his attention like baseball. Maybe it's because we always have rockin' seats at the Padres, and as you can see, we were up the stadium a bit here, maybe he just likes baseball more than football (fine from my mommy perspective!), maybe it was just too hot. He and Soleil both squirmed the entire time. Well, at least I know to get a babysitter for next month's game in San Diego!

Eatin', swimmin' and boatin'...then back to reality

We just got back from our annual trip out east for Labor Day at Scott's family's lake house. So much fun, as always. Since we hadn't been back to HdG (Scott's hometown) in over a year and a half, we stopped there first for a couple of days. We hung out with Scott's best friend, Jason, and his family. Jason and Amy are so fun - and have the cutest 4 blonde girls you have ever seen. Their third girl, Caroline (in the purple shirt), is exactly Caden's age, so of course we've already started the matchmaking efforts. She is as white-blond as Caden....if they do end up together, their kids would have no chance of pigmentation! And how cute do their names go together too, Caden and Caroline. Just like Scott and Sunshine. Eww...that was too sugary sweet. Anyways, what do you do in Maryland in the summer? Eat crabs!! Or, if you are under 6, eat chicken nuggets.

Then it was onto North Carolina to the lake house for more good eatin', swimmin' and boatin'. (This is the South, folks, drop your g's.) Caden got to play with his cousins, Soleil got cooed over by everyone, I got to read a book, and Scott got to hang out with his family. I was fiddling around with the camera trying different setting with 3 of Scott's nieces - this was self-portrait. My arms aren't long enough to get everyone's faces in the frame. And the next picture is Scott and Caden on the pontoon boat with Grandma. Caden fell asleep about 30 seconds later. Scott's aunt is a FANTASTIC cook, so I now also have to lose the 5 pounds I gained there. And that is in addition to the my-baby-is-10-months-old-now-and-I-still-haven't-lost-that-weight weight. This is a sad admission, but it's my goal to not eat fast food for the month of September. I am totally addicted to french fries. Think I can do it? So far, so good. 6 days down, 24 to go. This morning was the first swim class I started with a couple of friends. Now I know I can't run a marathon. Heck, I have enough self-awareness to know I can't run a mile. (I HATE running!) But I've always considered myself a fairly strong swimmer. Until today. Jen and Tammy must have both lapped me 3 or 4 times. Excuses: because of the previously mentioned vacation, I missed the first 3 classes, so they are 3 classes stronger! I also forgot goggles and a swim cap, so my hair was in my face and my eyes were stinging! Lame excuses, I know. Jen and Tammy CAN both run marathons (and do!) so I know I've got my work cut out for me just to try and keep up with them. Hey, maybe I really will lose some weight before our big trip to NYC next month. That's right - Scott and I are going to the Big Apple next month for my 30 birthday!! (childless, of course!) I am so excited! We are staying in Times Square, going to see Wicked, and will for sure be dropping by the diamond district! ;-> So if anyone has suggestions on what to do/what not to do in NYC, I'd much appreciate them! Ok, Sunshine out!

Check out my Slide Show!

Break from swimming

I've tried a couple of swim lessons for Caden the last couple of days, so we've been in the pool a lot lately. I love it, Caden asks to swim everyday, even Soleil likes swimming in her floatie. Good times. Anyways, a bunch of us were at the pool on Monday, getting one last before-school swim day in since school started here yesterday (can you believe that?? it's so early! not that the school year affects our family much yet!) My good friend Jen, who is a great photographer, shot a couple of pictures of Caden. I thought this one was excellent. He was taking a break from swimming and getting a snack. He took a really good nap that day! (Another reason why I love to go to the pool...wear the kids out!) I just love this picture! Thanks, Jen!

Caden and Miles

This weekend Caden had a friend, Miles, over. What a day these two had - lounging around in pj's until noon, then eating cereal half-naked for lunch. (What can I say, I know how to throw a party!!)