in the kitchen

have i mentioned how much russell loves to cook...

(see his shopping cart off to the right... it's all about food for this kid!)

dirty or clean, i just love his feet

another day in the kitchen:
same hat, same apron!

playing with the sunday comics and her silly putty

celebrating memorial day

Russ had to work on Memorial Day so we spent the Sunday before at my parent's house for a cookout. My dad cooked ribs on the grill, my mom made her fried rice, I made a pasta salad and Celena made a festive Red White and Blue pie. All of it was delicious. It was a beautiful day and a nice way to celebrate and honor the people who fought and died for our country, the real reason for the holiday.

leave it to my mom to get all the holiday props!

the clan hanging out back:

anthony & natalie: russell helping make coffee:

On Memorial Day Monday I took the kids to Pump It Up, a bounce house warehouse. They were doing special things for the holiday like airbrush tattoos, snacks and crafts. The kids had a blast and surprisingly, it wasn't as crowded as I had anticipated so it wasn't that bad for me either :)

my camera takes horrible pics inside because it's so dark, and there's so much movement, but here's a video i took of the kids going down one of the slides:

HOPE YOU ALL HAD AN ENJOYABLE MEMORIAL DAY WITH YOUR LOVED ONES!

growing up too fast

One Year Down, 12 to go...

Natalie is a pre-school graduate.

I cannot believe how fast the school year flew by. Thinking back to the very first day I sent her off to school seems like AGES ago, but at the same time it feels like it happened just yesterday. When did she get so big, so grown up, so smart, so beautiful. We are so proud of her.

When Natalie started Pre-K, she was quite ahead and very smart academically. However, we got many reports back from her teachers stating that her interaction in the class, during lessons/activities, and with her peers, was was definitely lacking. Natalie worked very hard throughout the year and overcame those obstacles. Towards the end of the year, her teachers told me how well she had improved and was now playing and interacting with her friends and having fun together. I was able to witness the improvement during my visits and volunteering throughout the year. Despite her initial inability to "connect," her teachers found remarkable how well she was able to absorb all of the information when it appeared as if she wasn't even paying attention. They also expressed how full of joy and content she was, stating that she always saw the good in everything and everyone . Natalie's sweetness, spunk, and happy spirit definitely won them over! She certainly has her way with people.

I am so thankful that she was able to attend our church's school. St. Joseph's has proven to be such a wonderful faith-based school, with caring teachers, down to earth people and great facilities.

Natalie will be attending Kindergarten there next year. KINDERGARTEN?! Really, where does the time go?

Next year it will be Russell's turn in Pre-K. As far as I know he will be in the same class that Natalie was in, with the same teachers. We're looking forward to seeing what a year in school will do for him, because if it's anything like what it did for Natalie, we're in for another great year!

Enjoy these pictures from Natalie's End of the Year Program on 5/24/10:

our little graduate:

showing off the quilt she worked on in class for months:

russell was extremely shy for the first 10 minutes:

Natalie with her teachers, showing off the gifts she painted for them:

grandma & grandpa celebrated with us too :)

and finally, a picture of Natalie on her very first day of school:

August 2009

what a difference a school year makes!

while the cat's away, the mice will play!

two weekends ago, i was helping on another rachel's vineyard retreat. while i was gone russ spent the entire weekend with the kids playing outside. he turned our backyard into somewhat of an amusement park. the kids spent a lot of time in the pool that weekend. as a result of this, russell ended up with an ear infection. but from what i hear, i think it was worth it for him.

here are some pics that russ snapped on behalf of my absence...

enjoying a treat from the ice cream truck:

(i'm so glad daddy thought about napkins...)

part of the backyard set-up:

walking the neighbor's dog:

(we're going to have to cave in soon, my kids LOVE animals!)

being innovative:

man, i missed out on some good times!

natalie's last week of school

natalie's last day of school was on May 21. it was a busy week for us, especially since i wasn't going to be home that weekend, but i really wanted to make it to her class for the last two special events.

on thursday, they had "water day". there were pools, sprinklers, a slip-n-slide, shaving cream tables, a water table a bubble station, and more-- all set up... it was like heaven for these pre-schoolers! i had the privilege of sweating my butt off while i helped with set up and clean up, but in between all of that i was able to watch these adorable kids have the time of their lives.

on friday, they had an end of the year party and birthday celebration for all of the kids whose birthdays fell in the summer. there was pizza and cupcakes, free time to do whatever they wanted, and best of all -- RUSSELL COULD COME!!! natalie was so excited about that. when i got there, her teacher told me how natalie wouldn't stop talking about her brother coming to her class. and of course, once he got there, and after they ate, they both went their separate ways. go figure!

russell gravitated straight to the kitchen area first...that is, until he spotted the cars

natalie and evelyn playing princesses in the castle

home from school:

dinner at mom and dad's

even though we go there practically once a week for dinner, each time is still special.

special for me in the sense that i don't have to cook -- and special for my mom because i know she misses cooking for her kids! lol

the truth of the matter is, it's all about the grandkids. natalie and russell just melt their hearts.
i think they have that affect on a lot of people...

the hostesses with the mostesses: