Updates in a Nutshell

I can't bore all of you with the chaos I like to call "life," but who really knew there was no such thing as overtime in parenting.....it's just ALL THE TIME. Anyway, we have been a busy family with softball season, birthdays, activities, and part-time jobs. I mean, I can't even schedule in a pedicure for myself....what is up with that? Thankfully, I might have one more week before flip-flop season might be here to stay. But until then, I'm rockin' half blue nail polish from Easter because that's how I roll.

• Nancy got a part-time job at the mall near our house. I think her employer doesn't understand child labor laws and Nancy is having a hard time asserting this to them. So, I think I just might be making an anonymous phone call to the Dept. of Labor and filing a complaint on their a$$. I don't encourage quitting, but let's be real here.....she still only has her permit and I am ready to throw my chauffeur cap out the window.
• Sophie is now pitching in softball. It's an entirely new level of worry where our measure of success is getting through the inning without INJURING any batters. She's doing great so far and absolutely loves it. Tim and I are doing our best to stay engaged during games that last longer than my college day double headers. 
• Tim's work is busier than ever. He is seriously burning the candle at both ends and I am just trying to make it to summer break before one of us has a breakdown. Thankfully, we are managing and getting through it, but let's not count the number of times I did NOT cook dinner last week. Let's not go there. Please. 
• Noah keeps insisting on growing. I don't understand how he can grow so much in such little time. The other day he was wearing pants that could easily be mistaken for capris. Unfortunately for him, the Urkel look is not a good one for him and I am in desperate need of warm weather to arrive so he can just wear his basketball shorts day in and day out. Until then, his ankles are enjoying the fresh air.
• I am busy with work creating the master schedule for next school year. With a school as large as a small college (2500 students), I am ready to pull my hair out.....or at least all the greys. It's a good challenge for me, but every once in a while I wonder who the hell agreed to do this in the first place. Oh...right.....I did.

Daddy's Birthday Weekend!

We celebrated Tim's birthday this weekend and in good 'ol Tim fashion, he wanted to do everything the kids wanted to do! So, we had lots of fun at Dave and Busters, ate lots of delicious goodies, and spent the weekend enjoying time with the kids. All in all, it was a wonderful birthday and we feel so lucky to have such a fun and loving husband and daddy! We love you!

Another visit from the Tooth Fairy!

After what seemed like weeks of a loose tooth, Sophie finally lost her front tooth! There were moments when I was tempted to just yank the thing out of her mouth, but I let it be and it dangled there for what seemed like forever. Here she is showing it off with her Auntie Michelle! So adorable and I love her cute little lisp!

Junior Prom 2011

Nancy had her Junior Prom this past weekend. She had a wonderful time and I counted my blessings she came home before curfew and safe and sound. Who knew Tim and I would be stressing over this event as early as we have, but we spent the last couple of weeks doing a lot of investigating, comparing, and maybe just a little bit of healthy threatening was thrown in there too. I had absolutely NO IDEA what a reasonable curfew time was.....all I knew was Nancy was NOT going to be "spending the night" at a friend's house. Because we all know nothing good happens from spending the night at a "friend's" house on prom night. Personally, I don't think anything good can possibly happen after midnight, but I loosened up a little knowing it was prom and we felt good about our decision.

So, right before prom, Tim and I had one last talk with Nancy.....allow me to summarize:

"You WILL be home by curfew."
"You WILL NOT drink or be with anyone who does. If I smell a drop of alcohol on you when you come home, you will have severe consequences (i.e. say good-bye to your car, phone, sunlight, and everything else that will give you any sort of freedom)."
----Insert a few more "WILL NOT" directives here.
and lastly, "Have a great time!"

Now that we have a teenager and pretty much just got our youngest out of diapers.....I am sad to inform all of you that we (meaning all parents) will NEVER sleep soundly again. Once they start going out, we start sleeping with one eye open. We watch the late news, we keep all phones next to us on the nightstand, and we never fully fall asleep until we know everyone is home safely in their beds. Thankfully, Nancy has a great head on her shoulders and also has great friends. She said prom was a very memorable and fun night and we are equally happy for her.

 Nancy and the girls getting ready at the house.

Easter 2011

We were so excited to have Grammy and Goppie with us to celebrate Easter this year! They came into town on Thursday and we were pretty much non-stop the entire time they were here! Between visiting the city and the Exploratorium, trips to the park, Easter service, the egg hunt and brunch at Tim's club, we had a fantastic time. As usual, the time spent with the grandparents went way too fast, but we truly did enjoy it and tried to make the most out of the time they were here. Here are a few pictures from the wonderful long weekend!

 Arriving at Tim's club on Easter Sunday....a little chilly that day, but it didn't dampen anyone's mood!

Sophie was soooo excited to start the Easter Egg hunt! Thankfully, the weather cooperated and they were still able to hold it outside!

 Here's Noah telling us how many he's found so far!

 Daddy and Sophie goofing around

 Sophia and Noah in their Easter attire.

 Nancy, Sophia, and Noah hanging out before brunch.

 Sophie and Nancy patiently waiting for the beautiful feast!

Unfortunately, Noah wanted NOTHING to do with the Easter Bunny. Sophie, on the other hand, practically wanted to take him home!

Tim's Big Day

Last night we attended Tim's Grand Opening of his new facility. It is finally complete and now the next phase of construction begins in a matter of days on the golf course. We arrived before 5pm and members started rolling in shortly after, walked around, and checked out the beautiful new place. I could tell Tim was a bit nervous, partly because he couldn't sit still but mostly because he told me he felt like throwing up!

After about an hour, the members gathered and Tim gave an incredible speech and introduced the kids and me to the membership. He is such a natural and so charismatic. No one would ever know he was nervous the way he spoke with such ease, cracked some very funny jokes, and kept the members engaged. In all honesty, I had all intentions of taking pictures during his speech, but I was too interested in what he had to say that I forgot! Needless to say, I was beaming with pride and admiration, and completely enjoying his moment. Seeing him in his element and witnessing the passion he has for what he does was such a great reminder of how lucky we are. Lucky that we have both found our calling; lucky that we both love what we do for a living and truly enjoy our careers. Sure, some days are good and some are bad, but last night was a great example and reminder for Tim that hard work can and does pay off. Congratulations Tim! What a great night!

 Members are beginning to arrive and check out the shop.

 Champagne, beer, and appetizers on hand.

 Speech time!

 Tim's office.....finally!

 Nancy and Sophie taking a rest.

Noah is ready for a real tractor!

Working it Out

Sophie and Noah are 6 and 4, which also means they argue CONSTANTLY. They love each other to death, but they can go from best friends playing happily together to WWIII in 2.5 seconds. Lately, when one of them comes to me and tattles, I typically start asking them questions like, "Really? S/He did that? What do you think I should tell her/him? (wait for response)....Hmmm. Well, that sounds pretty good. Why don't YOU tell her/him that?" And then they do....and then they get along for two more seconds and start fighting again. That's when I usually tell them to "Work it out." I really want them to quit bugging me about their petty arguments learn to express their feelings and develop some conflict resolution skills, but this recent conversation didn't work out so well:

Sophie and Noah are taking a bath and start arguing. They go back and forth for what seems like forever and finally Noah seeks some help.

Noah: DADDY! Sophie keeps bothering me and (fill in the blank with whatever annoying thing most kids do) 


Daddy: Okay, thanks Noah.


Sophie (to Noah): (smirking) How'd that work out for you, Noah?

Noah: (silent, but definitely ready to do something that would end with him in the corner)


Don't worry, though. I'm sure they were hugging and singing Kumbaya within moments after this interaction. Gotta love it.

Spring Break 2011

We had a great week off as a family and, naturally, it went by faster than ever! We spent most of the week in Reno hanging out, enjoying the snow, and I especially enjoyed quite a bit of retail therapy! I'm definitely not looking forward to returning to work tomorrow since it is typically one of the busiest times of the school year for me. But, I'm taking deep breaths and doing my best to have a positive attitude....it's not working. Let's just say the countdown has begun!!! Here's a few pics from our heavenly week:

We were home for a couple of days before leaving for our Reno trip. I made sure to keep the kids busy with crafts and friends!

 Sophie, with her bunny ears, and her good friend, Gracie.

 Taking a quick break from our drive to Tahoe. Took a few pictures with a view of the lake in the background.

 Noah smiling after dodging one of many snowballs thrown at him!

 Sophie getting ready to attack Daddy with a snowball!

Auntie Michelle and kids taking a quick breather so I could take a picture! Meanwhile, Daddy was busy making more snowballs!

Opening Day At-Bat

Okay, okay.....I know she's batting from the right side. We're working on it!

Opening Day 2011

The rain finally decided to take a break and we were able to get Sophie's first softball game in! She did fantastic and was excited to play with her friends again. This year, it's a little more exciting since the girls are no longer hitting off a tee, but are now hitting live pitching (from the coaches). Sophie did great and had two good hits! Go Dolphins!