Mud Football

Yes, here in our Stake, they have a tradition this time of year: They flood a farmer's field and play in the mud. DisGUSting! I think Darren had as much fun as the kids-- Courtney gave him a good smear of mud across the forehead (or, as Darren calls it, his fivehead).
Muddy buddies, Alexander & Cole. Very tasty!
Fabulous. Just fabulous. Can't wait for laundry time!
Darren is a real bully! He pelted Alexander right in the face (love the safety goggles touch from Alexander). Not fun! He is really crying in this picture.
The culprit and the wounded mud war hero...
Our little mud Mermaid.
Yikes!

He DID Delete It!

What a stinker... he won't delete this Birthday blog, or he'll be making his own dinner for a month! (which means he'll be fasting)

Not much sleep for the Birthday Boy! He worked until midnight, then was up at 4am to drive to the job site. Happy Birthday, babe! You look so tired!
Our friends brought over some fun Birthday blowers. Let's just say that after an hour, they became "outside toys."
It's a... sock! Poor Darren got mostly clothes & shoes for his Birthday. The kids dressed in their Red Sox attire, in honor of Darren's fav team.

Darren wanted a set of dominoes, and his wish came true. We played a couple of rounds, ate some red velvet cake, and had a fun & simple evening with the kids. We love you tons, Darren!

Feeling Pretty Super...

I imagine that's why it's called Super Saturday. Since last Saturday, I might have gained the Scatterbrained Woman super power, I can't be sure. That's what it feels like. Here are the masterpieces:

A scripture tote made from a place mat

My 1st attempt at jewelry making

This cute Patriotic scrap page

The 2nd Ward was kind enough to invite us 7th Warders for their fun day. Thanks, gals! You're Sooooopah!

First Day of School

Despite my desperate attempts to avoid it, the first day of school finally came. The kids were so excited and probably weirded out by Mom's sudden bursts of tears in the week previous to this.

Here they are, my little uniformed darlings. Uniforms are fun for boys, but a bit boring/man-ish for little girls.
Courtney, who refers to herself as "the very smart Pre-K girl."

Here's XanderMan, who has grown a ton and is very excited to get back to friends & school. His teacher from last year (who is awesome) decided to move up a grade with her kids, so that will be great to have her again. He has promised to watch out for his little Sis.

Scrap Room

This painting project has been in the works for awhile-- Darren & I just had to get brave enough to try it. I'm going for the Ooh-la-la theme and will post more pics as it gets decorated. We painted pink on pink and then I cut the brown circles out of vinyl. It is even cuter in person-- you have to be in the room to get the full effect:) Darren's still not sold on the idea of curtains and lamps with pom pom tassels. I guess I'd worry if he thought that was "cute."
I saw something similar in Pottery Barn Kids & had to try it!

Summer Sanity-- Part 3

It is nice just to get OUT of the house in the summer. With gas prices climbing like mad, we are a bit limited to where we go out here in the 'Copa. The kids & I plan one big town outing during the week. We love going to the kids' movies at Harkins, and always have lunch and kid-friendly shopping. Another daytime outing we enjoy is going to the library. OK, I can seriously count on two hands the number of times I've eaten at McDonald's. The BIG deal here last week was that the 'Copa finally got one! The kids have been begging to go.
One of the reasons I detest going to these places is... I'm a germ-a-phob. I can't stand to have my kids on public play equipment. It totally creeps me out. I figured I'd let them go a few times while it's new and relatively germ-free. (Although they were doused in hand sanitizer/soap & water the minute we got home).

Summer Sanity-- Part 2

I had the kids paint some craft sticks awhile back, and write a responsibility on each one. When they accomplish one, they get to turn it over to the painted side. We have some fun ones, too. My favorite is "Hugs!"
I just ask about their job jars, instead of being a broken record multiple times during the day. The kids have enjoyed it, and we get things accomplished during the day!

Up to My Eyeballs in Tulle (Again)

Last year I picked up a new hobby-- making tutus! I know, it's totally random, but I have fun making them for Courtney, photographers, boutiques, dance classes, friends & family.

It had been awhile since I made one, so it was fun to pull out my stuff and create!
My little business is called Sugar & Spice Posh Tutus. This design is called "Sweetheart."

School Kickoff Party

The kids' school held a super fun party this afternoon. I didn't think that a party @ the park sounded fun in 105 degree weather, but they had lots of water slides, games, a rock wall & treats to keep the kids cool. They're so excited for school! Grassy, muddy, soggy & loving it.
Slide man, slide!
Courtney's cute little legs kept slipping out from under her. It took lots of concentration.

Summer Sanity--Part 1

Being without a schedule in the summer just calls out... CHAOS! When the kids are bored with lots of energy to spare, things get a little crazy.

So... I pulled out my old Tae-Bo video (from the 90's, I know) and asked the kids if they wanted to do it with me. Surprisingly, they said YES! It is so hilarious, and they beg to do it every morning. It burns off a lot of energy & gives me some great workout buddies:)

One, Two, Kick, PUNCH!

Cool Down

The Last Week

OK, I'm having a Mommy meltdown. This is the last week I have with my kids before they go to school. We have had such a good time together this summer. The kids have their moments, but I love watching and hearing them play together.

Yes, my baby is going to school! I was glad when I found out Courtney would miss the birthday cut-off for starting Kindergarten, so I'd have her home with me for an extra year. BUT Miss Courtney has been reading for months now, so I just can't hold her back. The charter school we have our kids in has a 1/2 day Pre-K that she's been accepted to, so at least I'll have her here with me for half the day.

So think of me next Monday-- mascara running down my cheeks, puffy eyes, camera in hand...

I'm off to enjoy this last week we have together!

Future Olympians

The kids have totally gotten into the olympics this summer (thanks to Darren). They have been using our area rug as their practice floor for gymnastics, and we have been pretty entertained! I caught Courtney on video...

Saturday at Dodgers and White Sox Spring Training

Whenever Darren works a Saturday he brings Alexander along to hang out at the job site. This project is especially fun for Alexander to visit since it will be the Spring Training home of some of our favorite "former" Red Sox Players: Nomar Garciaparra, Derek Lowe, and Manny Ramirez. Go Dodgers?!

Look out Bob the Builder!!

Alexander with the new stadium in the background (the blue crane is on home plate).

Fresh grass on one of the practice fields.

Our House

Well, almost. When we went up to visit Idaho last summer, we were looking around for a home (since we were toying with the idea of moving there). We came around the corner of this street, and there it was. Darren said, "There's your house!"

I LOVED it! I told my Dad to go check it out for us and he did... he & my Mom fell in love with it, too! THEY BOUGHT IT! We are happy for them, and it suits them perfectly.

Baby Carter

We got a treat up in Idaho. Our newest nephew was born early, so we got to meet him! He was so tiny and absolutely darling!

The proud Papa-- my brother Ryan (going a little "Grey Poupon" for the camera) and Carter
The sweet Mama, Melissa. She is doing great at being a first-time Mom. Ryan & Melissa were so good to share their baby with us! Of course, the kids wanted to bring their new cousin home with them.
Alexander kept saying "how cute" the baby was. Look at all that hair! Sporting a Mohawk at two weeks-- stylin'! He is such a handsome little guy!

My Sister's Home!

My beautiful sister, Rebecca, returned home from her misison in June. (I just found our missing SD card--yea!). She served in the Cherry Hill, New Jersey mission. It's so good to have her back! My Father, Rebecca & My Mother
Rebecca sporting her darling dimples and holding her new nephew, Carter.
Rebecca is SO much fun and we always laugh way too much when we're together (the silliness never stops). We love her bunches & are so proud of the great missionary she is!

(I'm hoping she's gonna cut the cake with that knife)

Basketball Super Star

Alexander did AWESOME this season of basketball. Mr. All Star hit double-digits in today's game! Quite the athlete.
What form! He is getting so tall. I tried to get some action shots during the game, but Alexander was too speedy!
Our good friend Pat did a fantastic job coaching this season. Darren was able to be assistant coach and it was so fun to see him interact with the kids. Alexander loved playing on a team with so many of his friends.

Soft Garlic Breadsticks

I really enjoy making recipes I've acquired from loved ones and friends throughout the years. Each time I prepare one, it's a trip down memory lane. Whenever I make my Great Grandma Peck's rolls, I remember her house and how it always smelled of fresh baked bread and canned sweet pickles. Or when I make my friend Susanna's Candy Bar Cake, I somehow start talking with a Southern accent. There's the preface to my new blog section: Recipes!

Our family fell in love with those new breadsticks you just heat & eat from the freezer section of the store. I have been on a quest to find a really good breadstick recipe ever since. The breadsticks we made as kids resembled dried up playdough, and I wanted something super soft and yummy. I found it this Sunday! It's from allrecipes.com (for the most part).

Ingredients

1 1/8 cups warm water

2 TBS olive or canola oil

3 TBS grated Parmesan cheese

2 TBS sugar

3 tsp garlic powder (I used garlic salt, then reduced the regular salt)

1 1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp minced basil

3 cups flour

2 tsp active dry yeast

Place ingredients in breadmaker, in the order listed. Select the dough setting, and start the machine. When cycle is completed (I just let mine run for 10-20 minutes), turn dough on a lightly floured surface. Divide into 20 portions, shape into balls, then roll each into a 9 inch rope. Place on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 40 minutes, or until doubled in size. Bake @ 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Brush warm breadsticks with butter.

Yum of the Year!

A little bribery for the kids today... I promised them if they were good while we shopped, they could pick a drink @ Sonic. Yes, here in the AZ summer we love our slushies! This advertisement caught my eye, and we had to try it. It is soooo good... cinnamon carmel crunchy yumminess!

Organized Shmorganized...

I was going a little stir-crazy at home last week, and as I was looking through blogs of other Moms to get inspired, I came across this website called www.organizedmom.net (thanks to my friend Natalie up in Utah). Inspiration found! They have this cool free trial software that totally organizes your schedule, tasks, goals, journaling, finances, recipes, shopping lists.. it's way fun! In keeping with that theme, I've set up a 30-45 minute time each day to accomplish certain household chores. I'm the type that typically pulls a marathon stunt trying to get the house all clean at once. It's exhausting! So, with this schedule, the house is deep cleaned bit by bit throughout the week.
Yes, it's true. I never thought I'd be a Coupon Mom, but I've acquiesced. I'm by no means hard core, but if I can find a bargain, I'm all over it. I've been Q-ing for 4 months now and am really amazed at the savings through the Grocery Game. My Q's got a new home-- it's an alphabetized binder and is so much easier than the "baggie method" I was doing before. Spent $72, saved $120 today!