Why I don't shop at IKEA

We went to IKEA this afternoon (ok people, I still shop there occasionally....we have mostly grown up furniture now so leave me alone) in hopes to find some new storage options for the kids' toys. I'm tired of looking at them and dealing with an overflowing toy box and unorganized set of shelves/cubbies. After must angst, Tim and I finally decide on two shelving units and seem confident in our choice. Of course, before we check out we decide to stroll through the "scratch and dent" area and find the Taj Mahal of shelves. I think this unit could store all of their toys plus the actual children and Tim was all about buying it. I couldn't imagine where it would fit, while Tim was ready to rearrange the whole house to make this thing work. On top of it, we found another shelving unit to match Sophie's room and both were very good prices.

Long story short, we sat in the "scratch and dent" area for a good half hour debating our decision. We felt like we were in the middle of an actual IKEA commercial the way we were just sitting on a couch debating our next purchase. It ended up being too exhausting for us to figure out, so we made the entire trip to IKEA and walked out with $9.00 worth of plastic bins. This just goes to show that given enough time, Tim and I are able to talk ourselves out of anything. And now I'm left searching online for shelving/storage......love it.

Happy Birthday Papa!!!

We hope you have a great day! We love you very much!

Ballerina

Sophie has started ballet class for this year and she is way too excited for it. I'm trying not to sound negative because I am very happy and excited for her too, but unfortunately, she is not nearly as excited about soccer. I ended up making a deal with her, telling her she can't do ballet this year unless she gives soccer a fair chance. So, she thought long and hard and finally decided she'd give soccer a try, but she pretty much guaranteed she wasn't going to like it. That doesn't start until March, so I have time to encourage her!

As for me, I'm trying not to take it too personally because I was the EXACT same way when I was young and I ended up loving sports. Now if she tries to convince me cheerleaders are athletes too, we might start having serious issues.

Elmo!

Here's Noah blowing out the candle on his birthday cake. Doesn't he look like a big kid in this picture? I still can't believe he's two!

Our friend, Becky, baked this amazing Elmo cake. We were in such awe of it, I didn't want anyone to eat it! I think she needs to quit her day job and start a cake decorating business! Thanks Becky!

Proud

"Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more."

--President Obama

Happy Birthday Noah!!!

It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating his first birthday!

His favorite blankie.

His first trip to Disneyland and enjoying one of the rides with Daddy!

Halloween 2008

He's growing so fast!!!


It is so hard to believe my little guy is now 2-years-old! I remember the days when his feet were too small for even the tiniest socks and now he runs around smelling his stinky feet! So much has happened in a year and it has been such a fun year to watch him grow. He is as active as can be and continues to love to run around, wrestle, and play ball. He screams with excitement when football is on the TV (something Daddy taught him) and he's got quite an arm himself. He is communicating so well and using his words all the time. He is so cute when he asks for help, always saying, "Help me!" Sophie and him are really forming a wonderful bond. They squabble from time to time, like all siblings, but for the most part they love to play together and are learning the concept of sharing. Noah knows how to get what he wants, especially from his sister!

Noah continues to be a human garbage disposal, pretty much eating everything in sight. There are rare days when he runs around so much he doesn't want to eat, but most days he is shoveling it down with me left wondering where he puts it all! He continues to be a fantastic sleeper (thank goodness he gets this from his Daddy!) and napper. If he is up during the night, he always has a good reason (i.e. he's sick). Other than that, you can always count on him to take advantage of sleep time!

My love for my little guy grows every single day. He warms my heart every time I think about him and his beautiful smile. I look forward to what this next year brings and I pray it is as happy and healthy as this past year. Happy Birthday Noah! We love you!

Cardio Class

Here's Tim working out to Wii Fit. Sophie and Noah are also joining in on the fun! First of all, this is why I work out after the kids are in bed. Second, I just love how you can do the Wii Fit in anything (or in Tim's case....in his boxers!).

How dare they?

We were driving around the other day and I noticed one of the elementary schools had a sign that said, "Kindergarten Registration: Pick up your packets now!" Not only did this sign scare the crap out of me, it also managed to tick me off. Really? Are you asking me to prepare for next school year in JANUARY? I realize I am also employed by this district, but seriously, how am I supposed to mentally prepare for my first child to enter Kindergarten NOW? I've been dreading this day since the moment the doctor placed her in my arms and now they just nonchalantly place a sign in front of the school telling me the time has arrived. No warning, no easing my way into it, no sessions of therapy to help me cope.

Forget the fact that my child is in love with school and completely ready; I'm not ready and that is what this issue is really about! I checked with her elementary school and it seems they will start this "packet" business in a few weeks. Great....turn the faucet on now. I think I need a support group.

(Not So) Nice Weekend

I spent the last hour trying to sign on so I could write a post about how I have nothing to post. But instead, Blogger decided to freak me out and tell me I needed to do things like "clear my cache" and "delete cookies" and wouldn't let me in unless I completed these tasks. Finally, after "enabling" something, I'm here. Now that I am finally able to log on, I figured I'd continue my post about nothing, which is kind of actually about something now. Have I confused you?

We had a nice weekend, minus the fact that our kids were complete monsters. Apparently, my definition of 'nice' has many varying degrees. First of all, we had beautiful weather. It almost reached 70 on Saturday and we were well over 70 on Sunday. The sun was bright, not a cloud in the sky; we even hit the beach to get some fresh air and throw the ball around for Sierra. The kids played outside most of the day and ran around like crazy. I think their Spring fever caused them to forget how to listen, disobey everything we say, and fight with each other like cats and dogs. There was no peace and quiet for Tim and me. We might as well have had referee shirts on this weekend because it feels like that's all we've been doing.....well, that and handing out threats left and right. In the kids' defense (which is nice of me considering the way they behaved), they are a little under the weather with the sniffles, so maybe that's why they were completely out of their mind. Then again......

Anyway, we made the most of the nice weather and Tim and I are hoping the kids have a good week. Noah celebrates his 2nd birthday this coming Friday so we are very excited about that! He is saying he is two now because we have been practicing with him, but he's still struggling with showing his age with his fingers. If you ask him to do that, his fingers will tell you he's three, but we hope to get that down by this Friday! Anyway, we are excited to celebrate his birthday in Reno next weekend and Sophie's excited to treat him to Chuck E. Cheese this Friday!

One Step Too Far

I like to think I'm a supportive wife. I encourage Tim to have fun and do things that make him happy. I've endured the past 17 Sundays where Tim falls into a coma with his laptop in front of him while watching football game after football game after football game. I figure his enjoyment with this is like my efforts with blogging and Facebook.

But then a box came to our home, and inside of it was this trophy. Yes, Tim won in his league at work and what did he decide to do with his winnings? Well, he managed to make a deal with his friend (who was playing in the championship against him) that they would split the money and use a good portion of it to purchase what you see above. According to Tim, "It's pretty sweet" because it has 16 nameplates on the side of it so it will be passed around for the next SIXTEEN years. Tim is so excited to put this in his office (you didn't think I'd let him display it in the house, did you? Notice how it's even sitting on his tool bench before it is transported to work?), he even purchased a little light to shine on it from above while it sits on his shelf.

It's hard to get mad at Tim when he acts like a giddy 10-year-old who just came home after winning the championship game. I think maybe this trophy came just in time to help him heal from the heartbreaking Fiesta Bowl! Until next season!!!!