Fever, we have fever!

The weekend is here again, alas! Monday, I was off with Mackie and Schuyler since they were on spring break. Us girls did a little shopping and got some good deals! I found Schuyler some yellow pants that roll into capris, a yellow shirt with white stripes, and some slide on shoes that are yellow with white stripes. How perfect for my little sunshine! Mack got some similar shoes in all white and a cute pink shirt that says addicted to love with some new jeans (with adjustable waiste)! Most of our purchases came from Old Navy and a few GAP deals too! The most I paid for any one item was 9.00 - gotta love that!

Tuesday, Schuyler came down with a low grade fever. She finally returned to school yesterday and appears to be on the mend.

Eli is getting yet another molar! He has also learned to "kick" the ball as well as "hit" a golf ball. He has a wicked back swing and has already knicked Mackie once. Since Daddy putts in the house I can't really say too much = ) He wasn't too interested in te whole Easter thing. He was content with letting his older sisters find the Easter Eggs as long as he got the chocolate.

Here is a little sneak peak of Mr. D who just might be the happiest and smiliest 6 month old I have ever photographed. C - here's just a little sneak peak for you!

Have a good weekend all!

Happy Easter 2008!

A couple of things I have been wanting to blog about. Last week I got to witness a great thing. Schuyler playing Pokino with her great grandma and her papa. It was my grandpa who taught me how to play cards and I have so many wonderful memories of playing with him. It's great to see her in the making of similar memories = )

The second thing I witnessed was something I hope to never see again. As we were at church last week, a man 2 rows back and across the isle grabbed his chest as many other members rushed to him. Mark gave me Eli and he went to assist in getting him to the church lobby. I don't know this man personally other than he is the father to one of the members. I will call her "A". "A" is wonderful woman who is a child care provider for teachers. I remember one Christmas program, probably 2 years ago, where Mack was starting to get restless. "A" was sitting behind us and just took Mack and entertained her. I said she didn't have to but she insisted. I'm afraid this man probably had a heart attack. He was probably there to watch his grandson in the Easter program. I think he is probably okay but it was a terrible thing to witness. It really hit home with me and as tears were rolling down my face I sent a prayer up to God and kissed my little boy. Life truly is fragile.

Lightening things up again, guess who will be Schuyler's assistance soccer coach? That would be me!! Can't wait. Also, 2 weeks ago Schuyler got to go bowling for the first time. She went with her kindergarten class and got her first official spare!!

To everyone out there, hope you have a happy Easter. I had a great e-mail from a friend (H - that's you) on remembering what Easter is about. Not only did Jesus sacrifice for us, but a father sacrificed his son as well.

Magnolia's

Last night Mark and I had a wonderful and romantic evening out for my bday. We went to a new (or newer) restaurant in the Haymarket called Magnolia's. It came highly recommended from several people so we thought we would give it a try. All the ladies are given a fresh rose which you take to your table and then is your's to take home. (We went for a drink afterwards and I forgot mine there = ( The whole experience was great. The atmosphere is very nice - romantic like and the service was excellent. The menu has a nice selection of items although the steak is very pricey - 36$ for prime rib. We did NOT get this! But, I believe it's top quality Black Angus Beef. Anyhow, I chose the blackened salmon and Mark had shrimp scampi. Mine was perfectly cooked - almost melted in my mouth. Even Mark, who is NOT a seafood man, liked it. We both had the Lobster Bisque (sp) soup - again Mark stepping outside of his comfort zone. And, as a Birthday Bonus, we shared a free piece of turtle cheesecake! All in all, a delightful evening.

I would like to give some thanks to my mom and mother-in-law. Mom, thank you for the beautiful baby wrap for my newborn shoots. It worked great! I'll post pics some time. Bev, thank you for watching our kids and giving Mark and I an opportunity to get out!

As for the kids, Eli got a nasty fat lip on Wednesday. We were at the park and he wanted to go down the slide. So, I put him at the top and Schuyler and Mack were ready to catch him at the bottom. Well, that would have been great had he not decided to go down face first!! Ouch! I got blood all over my white shirt and white vest (always happens when wearing white). Not to mention we had walked to the park and I didn't have my cell. Luckily, I had a kleenex to help with the bleeding and after a little cudding, he was ready to go it again. This time, I went down with him!!

The kids have their Easter program this weekend along with and Easter egg hunt.

And, we all know I can't post with out including a picture. This is the sweet baby I photographed last weekend. He will be Eli's friend = ) Who could possibly resist that sweet little face and grin!

Beautiful Bride Miss K

Here are a couple of pics of my beautiful friend and her handsome husband. These 2 are one of the cutest couples. You can tell they are absolutely enthralled with each by their interactions. K - thanks for letting me capture your wedding. Here are a few for you guys to peak at...

I have started spring cleaning. Maybe I'm hoping if I start spring cleaning then spring will come soon! It feels good, almost cleansing! My home is thanking me too. It looks so much better to de-clutter. I got to see my bro this weekend and hang out with him, which was nice. Schuyler even beat him at a game or 2 of bowling on the Wii. I'm telling you, she's quite the little bowler.

Need a laugh, I've got some funny stories. I admit, we have got sucked into the American Idol show and occasionaly watch it. The girls have begun to play American Idol with their dolls and each other. This is what I witnessed the other night: Schuyler, "Okay, Mckenzie, you can pretend to be Anna. You can start singing". McKenzie starts singing some made up song about horses. Schuyler interrupts in the midst of her singing, "Okay, I've heard enough. I like it but the end wasn't very good and it was a little pitchy. But, I think you're good enough to move on". Now, does that sound like anyone to you. Maybe a little Simon Cowell (sp)?

Story #2. Mark flipped the channel to ESPN on Sunday. All of the sudden, "STOP! I like that show. That's what I want to be", says our little Mack! Low and behold, the national cheerleading competition was on. She immediately ran back to her room and grabbed the pom-poms and starting imitating every move. "It has both dance and gymnastics. I NEED to take dance and gymnastics". Much to my dismay, I may have a future cheerleader on my hands!

I have a 2 newborns this weekend. They are cousins. Two sisters each had a child within 1 week of each other. They both had boys and the one is going to Eli's infant only provider.

Who's ready for spring?

Anybody? I think our whole house is ready for spring to come, all for different reasons. Schuyler can't wait to get outside and play soccer, daddy's itching to golf, Eli loves mud and puddles, Mackie's ready to ride her bike and trike, and I'm just tired of looking at my walls = )

This past weekend spring showed a hint of itself. The kids went wild on Sunday. I think Schuyler went through 2 outfits. Somehow she managed to cake herself with mud = ) Actually, Eli did too! Schuyler tested out the swings, sandbox, bicycle (after I put the chain back on), and of course was rounding up any willing soul to play soccer in our mud-pit of a front yard. (The backyard is even worse). One lady who was walking her dog even made the comment, "She reminds me of myself when I was young. I was always hard on my clothes but I loved to be outside. Still do". Secretly, I love that Schuyler is enjoying soccer and getting so dirty. Even though it irritates Mark who feels like she is ripping up the front yard. The yard will grow back and you can't tell me he didn't rip up his front yard when he was a little boy= ) Eli is perfectly content chasing any type of ball around and splashing in puddles. Once he found them, you couldn't keep the boy away.

Eli had a tough week. He's still working on some teeth. His daycare provider said he was a little unbalanced on Friday. So much so, he fell into a door and got a nice black and blue eye. Then, on Saturday, he woke up with his eyes crusted. He managed to take a spill while trying to climb onto the kitchen table so he added a cut, fat lip to his injuries. Ends up poor boy had a sinus infection. He most likely had pressure from his teeth and pressure from sinuses. No wonder he had balance issues.

In between the catfights, I've been observing some real sweetness between the girls. The other night, I found them cuddled on the couch laying together watching TV. They seriously didn't move for an hour (they were watching a movie). I also saw Schuyler cry for the first time during a movie. She said it was a happy cry. Poor girl gets her sappiness from her mom. It was "Rescue Dog" or something. She wants to buys it= )

Ones last thing on my lengthy post, last week was Parent's night at school. The kids could show parents some of the different work they do during the day. Schuyler is learning multiplication and can add thousands. McKenzie is working on her sound book. Mr. Tim said that Schuyler is extremely hard working and very determined. She doesn't do something b/c a teacher tells her to or b/c other kids other doing it, she does it for herself. That's cool! McKenzie has typically been easily distracted by friends and is very social. She is now starting to dig in the work and is not as distracted by friends. That's cool, too!

Here are 2 recent ones of the girls. The last is from this summer and I game it a vintage feel. I wasn't sure of it at first but it's really growing on me.

Good help comes in small sizes!

Look who wants to be part of the action! Not a surprise. I'm still constantly amazed at how different he is from the girls. I understand that every child is different but I'm also a believer that boys and girls are different! He loves when they vacuum or the sound of the saw or pounding. He continues to climb! He has learned to climb onto the kitchen table. There really is no child proofing in his case!

We had a great Valentine's day! Mark made dinner, shrimp and noodles, and we enjoyed it by candlelight with the kids. I was also the first to experience the whirlpool bath, although I did have 2 intruders = ) Then I got to pay bills. That part wasn't so fun!

I am enjoying the day with the kids as none of them have daycare! Things are actually relaxing.

Progress...

Yes, progress continues on the bathroom and we are all still alive! See picture #1 below.

If you are ever contemplating any type of remodel, there are some things you should keep in mind.

• Don't even bother dusting. No matter how often you try, there will always be a thin layer of dust, of thick layer depending on the work being done.


• Tiredness for both! Dad for doing the labor and mom for trying to maintain house, entertain kids, break up fights, etc... My next point relates to this.


• The only time you will see your spouse and have time to actually talk it sometime around 11 or midnight when you are both dead dog tired and don't have enough energy to talk.


• Household chores will fall behind. Dishes pile up so just use paper plates! Laundry also falls behind, do enough so people have clean undies.


• Noise will be at an all time loudness at times. Think tile saw, screaming toddler who wants your attention, and two girls cat fighting!


• Leaving the house is mandatory sometimes. It's best, for the workers and the kids = )


• Specifically relating to bathroom, kids do prefer baths to showers. At least ours.

The below picture should some it up. Eli getting bathed in the sink next to a pile of dirty dishes!

All sarcasm aside. It is looking so nice!! And, all in all, it's okay. I think we are hoping to be done on the 13th!

Today was a snow day! We all stayed home in the a.m. and then took Eli to his daycare in the afternoon. The girls and I went sledding. I was a little leary because Mack is a fare weather child. However, today I saw a side I've never seen. She LOVED the snow. When I thought the hill might be to big or she was going too fast, nope. Sheer excitement on her face. Schuyler has always loved sledding so I new she would have a blast. She saw one of her good friends there which made it that much more special. We were there for 2 hrs!!! I think we will sleep well tonight.

Here is a recent one of Eli...