Who knew turning four was so hard?

Ever since Sophie turned four, Tim and I have used it as leverage to help her take some responsibility and learn new skills. Unfortunately, it's only been twelve days and Sophie is ready to regress and take a step back to the good 'ol threes. I think "overkill" is the appropriate word to use in this case as Tim and I have used it for pretty much EVERYTHING. A few examples:

"Sophie, 4-year-olds no longer take baths and learn to take showers. Would you like to try tonight?" --This backfired as Sophie went to school the next day and polled her entire class. She returned home and reported that none of her classmates take showers; they still take baths. Good for them....and us.

"Sophie, 4-year-olds eat all of their dinner. You're four now, don't you want to grow big and strong?" --This didn't work when she was three, or two, or ever for that matter. We still struggle with the whole eating dinner thing.

"Sophie, 4-year-olds clean up their toys without complaining." --She's catching on. Four just isn't all it's cracked up to be and she's having second thoughts about this whole birthday business.

"Sophie, 4-year-olds don't whine and cry. Can you please stop and show me what a big girl you are?" --Complete breakdown mode. We've pushed the limit and she's so over being four.

Sophie responds by saying, "I DON'T WANT TO BE FOUR ANYMORE! I WANT TO BE THREE AGAIN!!!"

So far, the fours are treating us fabulously!!! (gulp...)

Mommy's Day

Tim and I celebrated my birthday by having a date night this evening. We started the date with dinner in Piedmont, a beautiful little town near Oakland. We ended up having dinner at Fenton's Creamery and then drove around and looked at all of the beautiful mansions in the area (I picked out several houses that I could easily picture myself living in). Afterward, we ventured over to Berkeley and had a couple of beers while watching the debate (we felt it was a fun place to watch it and be among smart people....I don't think any of it actually rubbed off though). I know, it seems I am celebrating my 51st birthday instead of my 31st, but I don't care because I had the greatest time!

It's hard to believe I've shared 13 birthdays with Tim. He's been there every step of the way for me and I cannot wait to enjoy this next year with him! To my Timmy, thanks for treating me to such a fun night and doing everything you could to make it my night to enjoy....you are the best.

Sophie's Birthday

The poor kids have a cold (again!), so we had to scale down Sophie's birthday party a bit. She still had a great time and ran around like crazy, but I could tell she was struggling a little with her energy. We made the most of it and made it through the weekend! Grammy is out visiting, so we are really enjoying our time with her. The kids absolutely love spending time with her and playing games all day!!!

Sophie was so excited to ride her new scooter around! Thank you Auntie Michelle!

No party is complete without a huge bounce house. This thing took over the backyard! Tim's co-worker was nice enough to provide it to us for free....gotta love that!

Noah hammin' it up for the camera!

Pleading the Fifth

A very nice student came into my office today. He works for our school newspaper and is writing an article for the next issue. He was searching for a teacher/counselor's quote on a certain subject and typically I dodge these kids (even though I love them) because they always misquote me. Case in point, the last time I was quoted they said I enjoyed horseback riding....the last time I was on a horse or even near one, I almost died of an asthma attack. That's how much I enjoy horseback riding. Anyway, the kid comes in and asks if I like to watch T.V. I think to myself, "Okay, this is easy." So I tell him, "Yes," I do watch T.V. And then....it got personal....

Student: Hi Mrs. Youngberg, I'm doing an article for the paper and was wondering if you watch T.V.

Me: Yeah. I watch T.V. (harmless, right?)

Student: Great! So, do you watch 90210?

Me: Uhhhhh. 9..0..2..what? Who me? No..no, I haven't caught an episode of 90210.

Student: Oh, so you don't know about 90210?

Me: Um, no....I don't. Is that all (as I am shifting uncomfortably in my chair)?

Student: Ok, thanks Mrs. Youngberg. I'll ask someone else.


Seriously, does this kid think I'm going to confess my love for the new 90210 (you mean with Annie and Dixon, and Ethan and Silver....that 90210?) and allow him to put that in print, with quotations no less? Little does this kid know that not only do I watch 90210, it is scheduled on my DVR and I freaking LOVE it. I was a serious die hard of the original and I am seriously hooked on the new one. I quickly ran to my friend next door and confessed that I flat out lied to this kid because I didn't want to admit my addiction to the show. I'm ok with admitting to my peers that I watch all the teen shows, but I am definitely not ready to share my adoration for 90210 or The Hills, or Brooke Knows Best. Or Real World/Road Rules Challenges or...do I need to go on?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SOPHIA!!!

Our little girl is four years old today. Other than being the best four years of my life, it has also been the fastest four years! I can vividly remember the excitement Tim and I felt the day she entered our lives. Since then, she has kept us entertained and on our toes! She is still in love with princesses, claiming Cinderella as her favorite. She loves to play with her brother and has the best protective instinct when she is with him. She enjoys riding her bike, swimming, playing with her friends, and playing dress-up. She is a fantastic singer (she takes after Mommy...kinda). She is incredibly inquisitive and has never won a game of "Who can be the quietest longest." I don't think she'll ever be good at that game! She loves to laugh at Daddy's jokes and is quite the jokester herself! She is kind, thoughtful, caring, and funny. Most of all, she is beautiful both inside and out.

Happy Birthday Sophie! Mommy, Daddy, Noah, and Sierra love you so much!

The Best Wake-up Call

At least a few mornings a week, Sophie hears Tim getting ready to leave for work (around 4:30 am). Typically, she'll watch him leave from the driveway and then she comes into our room and asks if she can lay with me. Usually, I just let out a moan and pat the bed as a cue for her to join me. She'll fall back asleep and we wake up together. As of late, and probably because her 4th birthday is upon us, I've been really taking the time to enjoy these mornings with my little Sophie. I know there will be a day when I will have to drag her out of bed to go to school, but until then, I am loving the morning hours I get to spend cuddling with her. She didn't come into my room the other day and a part of me was almost sad....and tempted to go in her room! It always surprises me how I am so tired at the end of the day that I am just so ready to put the kids to bed....and yet every morning, I am anxious for them to rise....

Game Day!!!

Go Buckeyes!!! Beat USC!!!

Bad Day?

Today can easily be tallied as a bad day. I don't think anyone would argue with me on this one...of course, it's not quite over so I'm hesitant to blog about it, but I'm willing to take my chances at this point (seriously, what the heck?). I think Tim and I will be going down with the kids at 7:30! Basically, these are some of the "special" moments we had today.

**Sophie decides to run through the house and exclaim, "It's snowing!" As she is doing this, she is freely squeezing baby powder into the air creating a huge cloud of....well....powder. The whole living room is redecorated in white. (Cough, cough)

**Sophie chokes on a Spree while we're in the car leaving the mall. I practically break my leg while jumping into the back seat while Tim slams on the brakes and runs over to perform the Heimlich. Thank God (really, thank God) she was able to dislodge it on her own and the Heimlich was not necessary. We are all extremely traumatized from the event (actually, Sophie is fine...Mommy and Daddy are desperate for some Xanax though).

**Noah is playing in the backyard while Daddy is on the phone. Noah becomes increasingly interested in dog poop. He decides to closely inspect the dog poop.

**Noah spills a full glass of water onto Mommy and Daddy's bed. It seems like gallons.

You might wonder who the heck was supervising these kids.....we are too, but believe it or not, these are the types of things that happen when you turn your head for one millisecond!

This only happens to the second child

Noah got his arm stuck in the facemask part of the helmet and was screaming for help. Like the good mom that I am, I ran to get the camera and get a couple of pictures before actually helping the kid out. These are the types of things the poor second child must deal with!!!

Called Out

I received several subliminal, yet threatening messages from Grammy and Goppie. Apparently, I am not blogging nearly enough, particularly not posting enough pictures of the grandkids. They appropriately called me out on my slacking and lack of motivation, so I would like to formally apologize to them. Sorry!!! Geesh! Here's some recent pics!!!

He has a mouth full of teeth and he is proud to show off his pearly whites!

My goofy kids!