Oh Zachary!!!

Alright, first I'll start off with an apology. I'm always annoyed when I go to check up on a blog and they haven't updated it in a month...well, I didn't realize that it had been almost 2 months for me!! Sorry (to the 5 people that visit my blog ;) ).

Well, our dear Zachary is now 4!! I can't believe what a big boy he is. All of a sudden he looks taller, smiles more, occasionally busts a move and he cracks us up all the time with his crazy conversations!

A while ago (when Barbie and the magic of Pegasus was still big in our house) Zac and I were butting heads. Now, this isn't anything new... I'm sure most mothers of (then) three years old have this issue from time to time. After a long stretch of time outs for both of us Zac walked up to me slowly with this sweet, sorry look on his face. He started with a slow "Mom, I'm so sorry!" My heart started to melt...until he finished with:
"I'm sorry I lost your money, I just couldn't face you after that. That's why I've been living in the forbidden forest"
Yup! he apologized with a quote from a Barbie movie!

Josh and I struggle with keeping the boys in their own beds at night. If they aren't trying to sneak into our beds they are asleep on the hardwood floor beside our bed (where they are usually stepped on), on the laundry pile in the hallway, in front of heat vents...and the list goes on. A few weeks ago I was tossing and turning in bed. I couldn't get comfortable and I was sure it was Josh who had his elbow in my back. So, I was nudging him to move out of the way but he wouldn't budge. All of a sudden I hear this "annoyed" little voice say "ARGH! I'll go sleep in my OWN bed!" and off Zac marched.

Now, Zac LOVES movies, particularly Harry Potter movies. Last Saturday we had Zac's birthday party (a week late because he was sick for his birthday). He and Jacob were playing in his room when all of a sudden we heard Zac yelling "MY DAD'S NOT A DRUNK!! HE'S NOT!! HE'S NOT A DRUNK!!" followed by Jacob saying "I didn't say he was...what are you talking about?" Josh went down there to find out what was going on. He was (at random) quoting the 2nd or 3rd Harry potter where Harry screams that at his Aunt before she blows up like a balloon and floats away.

I'm sure he'll keep us laughing with more Zac-isms in the year to come. We sure love our sweet 4 year old and look forward to leaving the crazy toddler years behind us and watching him learn and grow. Today he starts his first day of Karate. He was pretty excited last week to meet his new teacher. He kept asking if she was his new Kung Fu Master? (it's Tae Kwon Do (spelling?)). We've been watching a lot of Kung Fu Panda lately.

From Boy to Man...

Our little Thomas LOVES to shave with his Dad! He has his own plastic "Curious George" razor with the foam soap (Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Rhodenizer). So this is just a little clip of our baby boy...growing up a little.

A Little Inspiration...

Well, last year I found a pattern for an applique Dinosaur quilt on line (and free at the time). Zac LOVES dinosaurs so I thought I would make him a new quilt for his bed (just in time for LAST Christmas or birthday). I finished 2 dinosaur blocks, realized what an under taking it was...especially when no one around you knows how to do it either. Last Friday, was my turn for our project group. I decided that I'd have the girls help me get started on the next couple squares. At the last moment I decided that a new type of interfacing was needed. BOY AM I GLAD! It made a world of difference! We were able to get all the pieces cut out and ironed into place on 2 patches. Then I realized how awful my first ones looked compared to the new and improved! So after the girls left, I was so excited that I kept going and made the first 2 all over again and finished the 5th pattern the next morning! WHEW!

Today I finished the block patches and just need to figure out my fabric for the Sashes and such. I think this year it's actually going to be DONE!
So, here are the pictures of the different patches. 5 Dino patches and 4 of the "block" patches...I'm still thinking about the green border though. All I can say is THANK YOU GIRLS!! for kicking me into gear!

Halloween Halloween Halloween!!!

It felt like Halloween lasted FOREVER this year! I'm ready to put the last of the candy in the garbage and never think of it again! (until next year of course). We weren't very original this year...we all fit into our "Incredibles" costumes from last year so we gave it one last go. This picture is from last year though, so you need to imagine everyone one year older. We did have our family pictures done in our costumes, but I was feeling guilty about just scanning the picture...so you get to use your imaginations a bit!

In no particular order, we had trick or treating and pizza at Josh's work (we forgot the camera- but how many pictures do you need of a family in red spandex!?). There was Elise's school party that closed up 30 minutes early, so we got all dressed up for nothing! Then the school parade of costumes (below).

We had Elise's Ballet party. Her class has 14 girls in it between the ages of 4 and 6.

They were cute though! The teacher set up Hula Hoops around the room with a picture of a ballet position. Each family stood at hoop and as the girls came around they had to show you the ballet position to get the treat... which is why Elise is standing the way she is.

Last but not least we had our church party. It was a decent turn out. One of the favorite games was the "bobbing for doughnuts". I never did try it out but Elise and Josh had a blast...



there you have it! I realize it's about 3 weeks over due.

Our First Time in Public...

...Well, that's what Josh told the couple taking the picture. It was our first time going to the Cider Mill and Apple Orchard. There are plenty around this area I guess, but it took us a year and a half to get to one! Thanks to Jeremy and the kids for inviting us to join them!
I was trying to get some pictures of all the kids together but the boys kept moving so fast (even while eating their apple doughnuts) that I'm surprised I could even get them in the same picture...

The kids had a blast running wild on the playground, wobbling their way through "The Black Hole" aka "the scare house" and ...

...picking apples in the orchard. The kids were so excited! We were told we could eat as much as we wanted while we picked. They were SO tasty! Elise and I each had one. Josh had 4!

Thomas nibbled here and there on quite a few different varieties. I think most of them came from the ground (we weren't always fast enough to stop him). Why pick one when they're just sitting there in plain view!

Zac HAD to have one in each hand!

We spent the rest of the time at the petting zoo and just goofing around.




I think Thomas is wondering if anyone else noticed the extra kid ... I'm not sure Who she is but she ended up in a few pictures!

Your Opinion Please...

Alright! When we were trying to decide what to order for our family pictures we were having a hard time deciding on Zac's head shot. There were so many different pictures of him, all with a different smile but all of them are "classic Zac" looks. He's always had that big, toothy grin that we love! So, we finally decided on one to have cropped in to make it a head shot but it didn't work out. Now we need to decide on a new one. Here are the options:

A.


B.


C.


Leave a comment and let us know your favorite!

Our Family Pictures:

Sleepy sleepy...

...Thomas! He doesn't do this often but we had a couple weeks where every time he was quiet he was asleep in some awkward place. Here are a few pictures of his "choice" nap spots:

I know, I know, the stroller isn't a shocker!
The laundry pile...

The couch. Thomas had come upstairs and grabbed a coloring book and crayon...the crayon is still in his hand! The book is underneath him. Check out the angle he's sleeping! That cannot be comfortable!

"Auntie Jenn" Part 2

Well, we couldn't go out on Jenn's actual birthday but we still needed to celebrate! So...we made cupcakes with homemade butter cream icing and sprinkles! I think the cupcakes were only there to hold up the inch thick icing *YUM*.
The cake mix wasn't too bad either!

As you can see, Elise enjoyed licking the beaters too!

Here's Jen trying her hand at the icing...looks pretty good to me!

To finish it all off we had a very off key (but joyful) singing of "Happy Birthday" Thanks Jenn for coming our way!! We miss you!

WARNING! a little catch up and a lot of pictures!

Well, This is WAY overdue (since this is from the middle of September). I was lucky enough to have my friend Jenn (bff since the first grade) come and spend her birthday week here in Michigan! I think we exhausted her (as seems to be the case with anyone that comes to visit us...hmmmm). We loved having her here and I think we had a little fun...and a LOT of shopping!

This is a little out of order but a couple days *after* her birthday we were able to go out for dinner (no kids). We went to a restaurant called "Fishbones". It was good food and just fun to get out and reminisce and laugh to the point of pain!
Jenn had the Sushi...I'm not a fish lover but she said it was awesome! (it looked good...accept for the fish)

During the week we ventured to the Zoo and had a little fun, the animals were all up close and personal so we got some good pictures. Zac HAD to have his picture taken...they make a cute picture though!

While at the Zoo we ventured into the Butterfly exhibit. Somehow in the *15* trips to the zoo we had never gone in! It isn't very big and you have to leave your strollers outside (maybe that's why we've never gone in...my boys would be free to roam!). Well, there were so many different Butterflies and they would land on some people. I took way too many pictures but here are a couple.

Here's Zac trying to get up close...

My boys are all about waking up our guests in the morning...Thomas loved cuddling with "Auntie Jenn".

This concludes Part one of our fun filled week. More to come!