Birthdays!

Sorry it's been one whole month since my last post. :) Nothing exciting is going on...

Did you know that there are more August birthdays than any other month? 9% of babies are born this month. In my family, we have only two (3 in Jan., 2 in Feb., 2 in Mar., 1 in April, 4 in May, 3 in June, 1 in July, 0 in Sept., 3 in Oct., 0 in November, and 3 in Dec.), but that's not the point. Anyway...my cousin Bobby turned 12 (!) on the 5th and my baby brother turned 21 on 8/9/10. :) Speaking of which, on the news there was a baby girl (Ella Rose) born on 8/9/10 @ 11:12 pm. The pointed out that her weight was 2 ounces higher than needed to be 6# 7 oz on 8/9/10 @ 11:12 pm. Way off track...

Okay, so August birth's = highest month, why? 9 months after winter. It's cold and people have nothing better to do. :D

We've been invited to a lot of birthday parties lately. We were just at one yesterday, it was at a cool pizza place in Beaverton. The little girl had a Barbie-themed party and was turning...6, I believe. :) My husband and I are firm believers that children (ours included) have too many toys, so we try to find alternative gifts. Usually we opt for books or clothes, but kids can even have too many clothes (never too many books). I stopped at Target on our way and got a Hello Kitty backpack, binder, folder, and notepad, as well as a pack of Crayola markers and colored pencils. I threw it all and some tissue paper into a reusable shopping bag (cheaper and more practical than a gift bag) and hoped she was in school or starting school this year. :)

I've already started thinking about Christmas gifts...I have 4 nephews and 1 niece, I would like to make their gifts, but what to make? My oldest nephew is going to be 9 soon, and the youngest is 4 months. I think I'll be making this (http://skiptomylou.wordpress.com/2007/11/29/hooded-towel-tutorial/) for the younger ones (my almost 5 year old niece and all the "babies").

Man this post is all over the place. Here are some pictures from yesterday.

Getting ready to go have some fun: :)

Cute little carousel that was free to ride as much as you wanted:

Mini Ferris Wheel set up in the corner (also free of charge):

Andrew is in this yellow one with three other little ones from the party:

Being made to finally exit, they'd been in there for a long time. Andrew would have stayed if there were not other children waiting for a ride.
Giant ball pit: (There were two hoops in here, but they were so high that even I had trouble making the shot, I don't know how they expected the children to do it...)

Finally going home...:

Lil' Miss Charlotte is 18 months!

Lil' Miss Charlotte Renee, aka Moo-moo, was born 18 months ago, today. :( She's growing up so FAST!

Okay, so doctor appointment today: Weight: 26 lbs 12 oz 82%
Height: 33.3 inches 91%
Head: 19.4 inches 98%

She got 3 vaccines: DTAP, Hep A and PCV13.


We talked about a dimple on her tush (at base of spine) and her broken toe nail. She told me that because the dimple (hole) is closed, there are no worries. And I should super glue her toe nail on until it can grow out a little. LOL
We also talked about the AAP recommendations to keep children rear-facing until 2 yrs. I switched her back around, because a broken leg is better than a broken spine.

So, question for all of you...my pediatrician said that at 18 months they should know about 6 words...Charlotte knows at least 20 (I have a list)...what's your tots vocabulary like?
Pictures of today's adventures (she looks like a grape! LOL):

Summer days are here...finally!

To start with, I just want to laugh about the fact that I have more followers than I have posts. :D

We've been keeping cool in the backyard. The kids are crazy. They would rather be naked in a bucket, than in their swim suits in the pool. Whatever...

These first 2 photos are ones Chris took...notice Charlotte's swim top? It's only a 12 month, but that's not the issue. Chris couldn't figure out the straps and so it was put on backwards! LOL Daddies...

Last week sometime, I took this video of Charlotte and Andrew in the pool:

Poor girl! Big brother is so mean sometimes!

Yesterday, Missy Moo took off her sandals and burnt her feet on the hot concrete. I need to find her some watersocks. She kept saying (her new word) "oowwweee" whenever she walked.

I also took these photos of Charlotte yesterday after cleaning her up from the outdoor water activities, she is such a cutie!

Quick OT: I made grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch today using my waffle iron! It worked really well, and you don't need to use butter, just a spray of non-stick cooking spray. It was quick and yummy!

4th of July!

The fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. Why? I don't know. Seriously! I hated fireworks growing up (actually until about the time Andrew was born...). I would fight the dogs for the prime spot under the bed in the house while the rest of my family, all 8 of them, were outside trying to light the countryside on fire. And that's not even why I hated fireworks, because let me tell you, between our neighbors and ourselves we did light the country side on fire a few times. Each was very memorable...ANYWAY, back on topic. Oh, fireworks, yeah, they were just too loud for me. :)

One part of the 4th from my childhood, that I can't wait to do with my kids was the 4th of July parade. It was just us kids and our bikes but we'd decorate them, and ride in a row in front of my parent's house. This probably only happened once or twice, and it may not of even been the 4th, but that's how I'm going to do it with my kids. (If any of my siblings are reading, what do you remember of this???)

A quick trip through July 4th's of my past:
2003: Lake Sacajawea, Longview, WA -- This is the night that Chris and I officially started dating. :) He met me at the lake after he got off work at 10 pm. I was there with my family. (I lost my shoes in the confusion of leaving and had to drive home bare foot, LOL.) Afterwards, Chris came to my house and brought me some T-Bell, beginning my obsession and love of the place.

2004: No clue...siblings? Any ideas where I was 6 years ago? LOL

2005: Seaside, OR -- BIG MISTAKE There were too many people, too close together...AND they were lighting off fireworks everywhere! They were falling over in the sand and shooting at other people. We went back to our car and watched the fireworks from there.

2006: Ft. Vancouver -- We went to check it out because our friends, from Fusion Bubble Tea, had a booth set up. We didn't stay for the fireworks. A large dry, dusty field FILLED with people and me roughly 6 months pregnant...not fun.

2007: Lake Sacajawea in Longview, WA -- They have a HUGE fireworks show at nightfall, and vendors, live music, and activities going all day (some all week). I loved getting elephant ears, cotton candy, and all those other yummy "carnival" foods.

2008: Esther Short Park, Vancouver, WA -- We got there just in time for the fireworks. Andrew wasn't too interested. We played in the water. I was preggo with missy moo.

2009: Home, Battle Ground, WA -- We started the celebration at my friend Terri's house with a bar-b-que. It was a blast! Then we went home and I tried convincing ANYBODY to come outside and watch the fireworks that my idiot neighbors blow all their money on (not the same neighbors mentioned below :), they had just moved next door, and we didn't know them yet). But Chris and the kids watched Toy Story or something. I amused myself with the 'fireworks' setting on my camera.

2010: Home, Battle Ground, WA -- We invited our lovely neighbors, The "G" family over for a bar-b-que (the only neighbors we like and talk to, LOL). It was too cold to swim or play with the water balloons like I had planned, but that didn't stop my kids from swimming before the neighbors arrived. We had hot dogs, hamburgers, fruit salad, chips and homemade apple pie (my first time!) w/whipping cream that I actually whipped from cream! I made a tutu for Miss Charlotte to wear. The kids played with glow sticks from the dollar store, pop-its, and those little plastic things, that you pull the string and streamers of confetti pop out (?).

Wow! This post turned out to be REALLY long. Sorry! ;)