New pictures

I had to use the outtake from our recent family photo session for a new header for our family website. It really just sums up our family right now. Mike and I are playing referee trying to help them and avoid them hurting each other. Nathan being protective. Laura trying to be mothering in her overbearing 2 year old way. And poor Noah just stuck in between all of this. This is just living in the every day lives of family Lacerda, which is what I want to capture with my little online journal.

Thank you so much to my dear friend Dusti for taking pictures of our family. I really wouldn't have any family photos if it weren't for her. She is so generous and caring and wonderful to give me this special gift. Her photos are wonderful and I will be sharing more soon - I am just trying to get our Christmas card done. She is right about the outtakes being the best shots! Thanks Dusti for being such a loving friend.

It's a flying saucer!

So, I got the famous exersaucer out for Noah to give the poor child a change of pace from the floor and bouncy seat. So, he is only three months old and should be four. So, he can't really hold himself up without the extra support of the blankets. So, he just looks so darn cute. Nathan and Laura loved this thing as babies and I have to say I loved being able to put them in something that allowed me to cook dinner. I just laughed when Laura dubbed it a 'flying saucer'! Nathan caught on and now moves the thing around the kitchen just like a flying saucer. Oh well, I wanted entertainment right?!?

Santa Claus is Coming to Town...

Every year the city of Roseville has a little neighborhood Santa tour at night. Usually Santa is escorted by a firetruck and tosses candy canes to kids in the street, but this year he got a POLICE escort. The kids really think this is neat to hear sirens and run outside to see what is happening. We live in a great area that is always doing things for the kids. It is something Mike and I look forward to each and every year.

that is a snow mobile you see...

Waiting for Santa to do a 'drive-by'

rubbing cold noses!

The girl has a sweet tooth!

Yes, my daughter has the biggest sweet tooth. This morning I caught her scooping the remaining syrup up with her hands and shoveling it into her mouth. It is not enough to simply use the syrup for her mini pancakes, no, she needs to get every last morsel. Yes, she did use the banana slices to further slop up any remains of syrupy goodness left. I yelled at her in shock and then had to crack a smile and pick up my camera because I am a scrapbooker after all and isn't this the kind of childhood memory that matters?!

A 'little' angel

Okay, is there anything better or more angelic than a sleeping baby?!? I say "little" because my sweet baby boy is almost three months old now and has been mistaken more than once for the likes of a SIX month old. Eiyiyi!!! I know he is bigger than Nathan and Laura were but he just melts my heart with his chubby little legs and cheeks. He is really smiling and giggling now and I just can't imagine our family without him!

Have a good checkpoint Daddy!

This is a popular saying at our house from the mind and mouth of little Laura. It came about because we try to wish Daddy to have a good appointment upon leaving the house and when he returns he taught Nathan to ask if he got a check. Laura has interpreted this now when he leaves to say 'Have a good checkpoint Daddy'! It just makes us all laugh!

My lonely corn cobs

I saw this cute little project in Family Fun magazine and wanted to give it a try with the kids for a Thanksgiving favor/table decoration. My idea was to have Nathan and Laura work on these while we were preparing the feast at my parents to keep them busy while we cooked but the plan didn't go as planned. My poor mom and dad ended up making these and I think they did a great job. My second plan was to bring them along to the Dobies when we were scheduled to have a feast with them on Saturday but since sickness ran through our house we had to cancel on them. So here they are, lonely little corn cobs filled with candy with no Thanksgiving feast to be a part of. I guess I will just have to have a little late night feast of my own to enjoy them!

Cute little t-shirt

My very good, sweet friend Donna made this adorable shirt for Noah. I just laughed out loud when she told me about it. I think it is a hoot and Nathan and Laura have been totally cracking up about it too. She made another really cute one that I don't have a picture of yet but will soon.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I have been really sentimental about Nathan's first Thanksgiving back in Nov of 2003, look at us now! What once was old is new again...what a diffence 5 years makes!
We celebrated Thanksgiving this year on black Friday. My brother, his fiance, her son and her parents came to dinner at my mom and dad's house. It was a long day but the food was yummy and the company was good. My dad's mom and dad were there also to enjoy the day. I was very sentimental about Noah's first Thanksgiving - it totally took me back to the first one with Nathan. I had to put this really cute outfit on Noah. I am just surprised that my littlest one is the biggest one! Nathan was 4 months old in Nov of 2003 and Noah sits about 2 1/2 months in Nov 2008 but looks even bigger than Nathan did. I am amazed at how much I have aged as well - shocking what 5 years and 3 kids will do to your face - ugh!

The undershirt

Oh my darling daughter! I recently purchased undershirts for both Nathan and Laura explaining that they will help keep their chest nice and warm during this cold weather. Every time Laura puts one on or changes clothes, it is announced 'Look Mommy, this is my undershirt, it keeps my boobies warm!' I have to really hide the smile and laughter.

Little Mommy Cuddle and Coo Dolly

So yesterday I was at Wal-Mart doing some grocery and misc shopping and Laura happened upon this doll with my mom. This doll cries and coos and moves and gurgles and you get the point. You put the pacifier or bottle in the mouth to soothe it. Laura decides she has to have this doll and I am like no way, maybe for Christmas but not today. So I cave and at least let her carry the thing around the store. She is up and down the aisles of the store talking and being mommy to this thing and making everyone, including me and my mom laugh out loud.

Laura says: 'It's okay, it's okay, I'm here.....I know, I know, I know it's hard but I am here to take care of you.....I am a good mommy......Noah, Noah, Noah (singing)......Mommy, my baby has to take a nap, she has to take a nap right now so be quiet!.......I love this baby

Needless to say, my mom is buying the doll for her for Christmas, but to actually hear some of the things she was saying had everyone around us in stitches. One lady even commented that if we didn't buy the thing for her she would! My only concern is all of the things she seems to be repeating that she hears me say - and I promise I don't go around saying 'I am a good mommy' out loud to my children. Oh my sweet daughter!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today was a busy day preparing food for Thanksgiving but we did manage to celebrate and have a great day. I got lots of phone calls from friends and family and fun presents. Mike started the day with a wonderful surprise breakfast of french toast - my favorite - and ended the night with a very nice mushy card. Dusti brought me some more of the fabulous pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Those are such a treat. I had a favorite dinner and topped it off with a huge slice of coconut cake (six layers of cake with custard between each filling, whipped cream frosting and toasted coconut adorned on the edges - man o man was that good!) It was a very good day and I am one lucky totally blessed girl!

A week in review

It started last Sunday with a wonderful birthday breakfast with friends. Jodi, Heather and I all have November birthdays so a group of six friends shared a very yummy breakfast. I received green tangerines gift cards that I promptly took advantage of to get a ribbon holder I have been wanted for a long time. Shelley and the kids arrived late Saturday night for a visit and she watched the kids while I was at my birthday breakfast. We went to the Galleria to meet up with her brother from Marysville and let me just say that the mall on a weekend day is not a good idea. While I worked on the gift for Nathan's coach, Laura sat and kept me company and she asked to play with the eyelets and I am convinced there is some hard wiring thing that makes certain people match things by color. I just had to take a picture of what she did with her drawing and putting the colored eyelets just so on the matching colored parts of her drawing. I am amazed by this kind of stuff because it is what I have done my whole life! So anyway, I did finish Nathan's coach gift for his end of the season soccer party. It was so fun to see the kids one last time all together. They really had fun playing soccer. The funniest thing about the bobble head trophies is that the kids actually thought they were like models of themselves - saying 'look at his hair it looks just like me and look at me smiling'. Just too cute!

Monday was fairly low key, just some running around and school for Nathan. I took a sewing class in the evening to help me with my pajama Christmas gifts. It was fun to get out and sew again.

Tuesday was Nathan's first parent teacher conference. I wasn't surprised by anything she said he needs work on - the most notable is that he does not consistently exert his best effort - no kidding! He is doing well and she enjoys having him in class so that was nice to hear. She did comment that she doesn't quite have him figured out yet and she is not always sure when he is joking but lets a smile crack every now and then and we talked about how Nathan gets his sarcastic humor from his daddy! Uncle Ken stopped by to visit dad while he was doing our yard work and it was good to see him. I just had to share the picture of Laura sweeping in her little Nemo shirt. I then got to go out for another birthday meal with friends. This time we went to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. The food was amazing. I had not been in a few years and I don't remember the food being that wonderful. I had the nicest night out I have had in a long while. The friends were good, the food was good and the dessert was really good. Dusti made me her famous (okay maybe only to me, Annie and Laura) pumpkin cupcakes. OMG - I am telling you I could eat dangerous amounts of them at one time. They were soooo good! I am one lucky girl to have such good friends!

Wednesday was just a busy house day. I snapped the cute little moment of Nathan 'reading' to Laura and Noah.

Thursday is Nathan's sharing day at school and every week he seems to want to bring some new lego creation. He got these really cool sets for his birthday that are three in one things where you can make three different things and we are going through them one by one. We are known in his class as the lego king and lego queen. It sure does take me back to my childhood where I would have to put together my brother Joey's lego sets.

Friday was a really busy day. Nathan had to be at school at 8:30 as opposed to 12 noon for the fall feast for his kindergarten class and my mom was sweet enough to come over and stay with Laura and Noah so I could help. Nathan had recently asked the teacher if his mom was ever going to come to his class so this was just in time. It was something he has been talking about for weeks. The morning class were the pilgrims and the afternoon class the indians. Nathan's indian name was 'Lightning War'. The kids were so darn cute dressed up in their pilgrim and Indian costumes. They had prepared food earlier in the week. They were told they didn't have to eat everything but had to at least try it all. They had mini corn muffins, beef jerky, chicken stew, pumpkin pie and apple juice. Nathan had a classmate birthday party in the evening so it was a late night. Once I figure out how to get the photos out of my phone I will post pics of his costume.

It was a full week and this weekend will be laundry, laundry and more laundry with some house cleaning and Thanksgiving prep thrown in. If I am brave enough maybe a trip to see the new Disney movie Bolt.

Superstar Soccer

Nathan has really enjoyed playing soccer. His team is the Superstars and he is just having a ball. This is the second time he got to play goalie, which is his favorite. He is not concerned with winning or losing - 'it is just about having fun mom'. I am glad he is coming out of his shell more and enjoying things for the pure enjoyment of them. He is just growing up way too fast for this mommy!

Happy Birthday Bup!

This was the night we celebrated my mom's birthday. The kids had movie night and I got some shots of Noah in the cutest hat I have ever seen. My mom and dad's neighbor made this for a baby shower gift and I just think it is the cutest!

The candy sort

This is something I thought Nathan would do but it is the work of Laura. Since Halloween she keeps taking her candy out to look at and keeps sorting it into piles she wants to eat first, second with which meals and so on. She is quite serious about her sweets. Into and out of the bucket they go. Thank goodness my friend Keri sent out a message about sending candy to the troops because I was not sure how I was going to get them to part with all that candy!

Happy Halloween!

Chris, Joni, Jaylyn and Jayce made the trip up to trick or treat with us. I just love seeing them and the kids always have a blast together. The night started a little rocky with Nathan not wanting to wear his costume. I mean really I paid I don't even want to say how much for the stinkin' costume, satchel and whip to make my life stress free this Halloween and he doesn't want to wear it!?! This from the kid who dresses up in costumes every single pickin' day and today of all days when you are supposed to wear a costume he doesn't want to?!! Well, after severe threatening he put it on and they were off. They didn't go to that many houses but they sure did get a lot of candy. They wanted to get back home so they could pass candy out. They were so cute setting up chairs and waiting by the door. We had a great dinner with great friends and we love them so much. It was a fun night the kids keep talking about daily, we want to go trick or treating again with Jaylyn and Jayce.