Happy Halloween: the pilot, the princess and the dog

This halloween Nathan was an x-wing pilot from Star Wars and Laura was Rapunzel from Tangled and Noah was the dog that Nathan and Laura both were when they were around two.

This year they went trunk or treating at the church and it was such a pleasant experience. Bright, sunny and lots and lots and lots and lots of candy. The theme was toy mania (based around toy story 3) and all the cars (and owners) were decorated in theme. It was fun.

Things Nathan teaches Noah

To say Noah idolizes his big brother is probably an understatement but I don't know of any stronger language to convey how much this little boy loves his big brother NATE. He has his own way of saying it which just melts my heart. He always says it with enthusiasm that comes from deep within his heart - NATE!!!

So Nathan is often nice enough (without prodding even) to oblige the little one.

Noah with his little people book and Nathan with his Wimpy Kid book cuddled together in perfect harmony.





Nathan smiling because he really does enjoy being emulated and Noah thinking he is quite the big boy.












And then of course comes the "teaching" of the don't let mom get a good picture, put your hand up like this so we can ruin her moment.

Do the arm farts and burping lessons come next??

Oh well, at least I have these little moments to hold on to.

Future Assemblyman?

Nathan and his cub scout den visited the capitol this weekend. The tour guide is a past cub scout and achieved eagle scout so he was very into showing the boys them lots of cool stuff. All the boys thought they were very important using the microphone in the committee room and standing in front of the press podium underneath the spotlight.

Update: Nathan, Laura, Noah and School

I have been feeling pretty bad about the lack of blog action here and thought it was time for an update.

School is going very well. As of two weeks ago I was getting 600 out of 622 points for a percentage of 96.5 in the class. I think mister 102 should check but the last time I looked 96.5% was a very good "A". So I should be studying for my final on Friday but I am here, cleaning my house, doing laundry and blogging. I love, love, love this class and signed up for a psych class for the summer session. My thinking is if I have to just take it one class at a time I had better just keep plugging along. My parents have been wonderful with watching the kids and helping me study. My mom is a trooper trying to find creative ways for me to remember the nutrition info. My dad has been wonderful playing countless games with Laura on Friday mornings. The kids often tell me to stop the nutrition talk, but then ask questions about the health and energy of foods they are about to put into their mouths. Nathan even thanked me last week when he was sick to remind him to eat protein because he had forgotten that the protein helps fight colds with "the making of any bodies and white good cells". I tell you I just got tears in my eyes when he said that.

Nathan got glasses around Easter and LOVES them. He mentioned that he was glad he got lots of compliments on them because he was thinking of losing them. I choked back my gasp and said that is great honey. Picking them out was an adventure. He only liked the molded frames ones (that just happened to be the most expensive) because the other kind are pinchy. He is just getting so big now. I can't believe he is almost seven years old and only 20 days away from first grade ending. He still hasn't lost any teeth but the two bottom ones are coming in behind the baby ones. He is anxious to lose them as I think he might be the only one in class to not have lost a tooth! He is excited to plan his 'Lego Agents' birthday party and I am searching the web and blogs to find ideas and have been excited to put some energy into that when this class is over.

Laura is growing into quite the young lady. She is constantly wanting me to take her picture and seems to "pose" for every shot. I think I might have to check into the modeling thing, if only to pay for college! She is ever so helpful with me and mother's Noah sometimes a little too much. She is busy with painting, coloring and crafting. She loves to do her homework right along with Nathan and her handwriting seems to be the best in the family yet. She is determined to pick out her own (unmatched) clothes each day (much to my dream land of dressing a daughter) and still cries each and every time I try to comb her hair. I have lost the battle with the 100 some odd felt clips I have made her and moved onto hairbands to at least keep the curlies out of her face. They seem to be working, so even if I can't get the comb to it at least it looks messy cute. I will try and post some pictures of her creations. SHE picks out what she wants me to make so she calls them her creations. I am only too happy to oblige, even when it isn't what I would have picked so long as she is excited and wants to wear them.

Noah, sweet, Noah. I wish every single day that he just stop growing where he is. I am finding myself tearing up every day with something he does. He is in the next phase of Nathan hand me downs and it has put me into a whole other world of emotional mess-dom. As I was putting him down for the night in his crib he learned to pucker and make a kiss sound. I just melted and started crying. How cute is that sound? He and Laura have quite the bond going on, but he just gets so excited when Nathan is around. He wants to do everything the big kids do and mostly can. I fully expect him to be riding around on a bike after Nathan and Laura next month.

The kids have found a new love with Daddy in watching old cartoons. I have been meaning to write about this for a while now. All four of them crack me up, huddled around Mike's office computer screen watching, Bugs Bunny, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Secret Squirrel (Laura has the Morocco Mole voice down pact), Road Runner, Woody Woodpecker and so on and so on. My kids LOVE vintage cartoons. They laugh and laugh and laugh and I think it is great.

All, in all things are good. The kids are happy and that makes me happy. I have a whole new confidence from my class (college really is different when you want to be there). I hope to be better about blogging because I do so enjoy keeping up with the ones I follow.

Three Little Ones

So I sorta promised in a comment on a friend's blog that I would post some outtakes of my three little ones. I am really starting to dread trying to take pictures of the three of them together. It just seems like it will never come together. I guess I have to get good at head swapping in photoshop. I will admit that these outtakes tell the real story and I guess that is what I should be thankful for. So Maggie, this is for you....

It starts out like this...

Then quickly turns to this...

Then there's always the ones that start like this...

Where this is as good as it gets...

Not quite as cute as hers with Brennon crying, but I will have to dig one of those up to share later.

Where does the word 'vowel' come from Mommy?

How do I love being a mom? The kids actually said to me last week. "Mom, you know everything" How did I manage to pull off that facade I will never know. And, yes, I explained that I don't know everything but that was very nice to think I do.

So Nathan asked a couple of days ago about the word vowel. He wanted to know why it was called vowel and who came up with the idea to name the word vowel. I seriously looked totally dumbfounded. One, because I totally don't have any idea what the answer is. And, two, because I totally don't have any idea where he gets these ideas from.

So, according to Wikipedia on the internet (thank goodness for the internet)...

The word vowel comes from the Latin word vocalis, meaning "speaking", because in most languages words and thus speech are not possible without vowels. Vowel is commonly used to mean both vowel sounds and the written symbols that represent them

Isn't that interesting?? Aren't you glad you know that now?

This reminds me of my friend Maggie's Snapple facts. I miss her posts of Snapple facts. They made me feel smarter in some weird quirky off the wall knowledge way. I will have to ask her about any recent Snapple facts.

Project 365 - Day 354

The kids wanted to make their OWN lunch today. Okay I say. For some time now I have been cutting the crust off of their bread (partly because they always leave it behind and partly because it doesn't fit into Nathan's lunch with the crust, but I digress). Nathan was so excited to see the heel of the bread left and wanted to use it for his lunch. He requested I take a picture (please ignore the enormous amount of carbs with the chips and pirate's booty - at least there was a mandarin orange).

Not to be out done was little Laura. Although she couldn't decide what she wanted exactly and so you see two sandwiches. One with turkey and cheese, the other with honey and peanut butter. She too wanted two kinds of chips but didn't take as many. She was supposed to eat the mini oreos AFTER the lunch but I was apparently taking advantage of my duties being replaced a little too much and came back to see not only had she not eaten the sandwich but she ate the cookies and not just the cookies only the INSIDES of the oreos. Well, at least she ate the mandarin orange.

I gotta love these moments. They will not last long so I had better remember them.

Project 365 - Day 352

Today I got to work in Nathan's classroom and one of the stations was cookie decorating. Nathan was taking great care to decorate his little gingerbread guy. They got to munch on their goodies a bit later and I was so pleased to be able to share in the christmas joy in his classroom.

A Christmas Story by Nathan

Nathan is exploring all kinds of things lately. He is really into reading everything he can and making up stories even more than usual. So tonight he is an author and tomorrow plans on being an illustrator. I wrote everything as he narrated it. I think it is perfect.

Here it is.

Santa Forgets by Nathan Lacerda

Santa woke up form bed on Christmas Eve. He looked at the clock. He saw what time it is. And then he shouted "Oh my, I'm late!"

He put his boots on. Then he put his red pants on. Then he put his shirt on. Then he put his jacket on. Then he put on his hat. An then he rushed to the factory.

Mrs. Claus said "You are late!" So, he got his sleigh all ready to go. He took off. "Oh my, I forgot Rudolf!"

"It's foggy. I can't go without Rudolf!"

So he gone back but he didn't know the way back home.

So he called Mrs. Claus and then Mrs. Claus flew on Rudolf. She setted up Rudolf and then Mrs. Claus got into the sleigh. Then Santa Claus said "How silly I am, I forgot Rudolf."

So they delivered the presents together.

The End

Nathan's 6th Birthday!

So here are some birthday pictures (finally). Obviously, the Star Wars theme was in full effect. I made lightsabers for the kids as party props and favors. They were a huge hit. Each kid picked their lightsaber upon arrival to be used in the Jedi Obstacle course training.


The birthday boy with his lightsaber.



The menu...and yes I do know I need help. Have I mentioned the home for the craftily insane, I will be there someday I am sure.

The cupcakes were a sad affair. Although my uber friend Dusti helped me with the fondant I really let her down with this one. I was supposed to make the lightsabers a week in advance so they could dry and stiffen and I just didn't get around to completing them on time so the night before I finished and this is not enough time for fondant to dry out and thus I have bendy lightsabers, but the kids didn't mind. I feel so bad I let her down, she is truly awesome and I was so grateful for her help. I still liked them even though they weren't perfect.

Each child got a certificate to take home.

This was the 'save the earth' meteor shower game where they had to destroy the meteors with their lightsabers. Thank you Lisa and Madison for picking up all the broken balloon pieces - I have the best friends.

Here is one of the straight lightsabers.

No birthday party of ours would be complete without a 'pin-the-tail-on-something'. Unlike last year's night before slam to come up with something I knew better and came up with 'The search for R2-D2'. I was surprised that all the kids wanted to take their R2-D2 pictures home with them.

My sweet, sweet little boy. We have a saying now, he's not A baby but he's MY baby. My wonderful friends Annie and Shelley took pictures during the whole party and I am so thankful I have such loving, thoughtful friends. I am truly blessed to have them and be a mommy to three special kids.

The party after the party yielded a special brother/sister moment!

Project 365 - Day 191

The 6th birthday invite. Every year I get more and more carried away with the invitations. I just can't seem to help myself. I try. I really, really try. I bought stuff to make plain old invitations and then it hit me that I can make paper lightsabers with a pull out slide with all the party details and it wouldn't take that long. I just love making unique paper things. I am obsessed and I know this. I only do this for myself. I know people just throw them away but I am happy with myself that I get to keep one forever and ever. I am seriously behind since these went out a few days ago and the party is next Saturday. Oh well, I feel better with them being handmade and now all I have to worry about is the favors, games, decor and food. No biggie, I will get it done, even if it is at the last minute.

Anyway, Nathan was ever so pleased and he was very excited to note that I did red and blue lightsabers (the dark side and the good side). I didn't have the heart to tell him I just chose red and blue because that is what I had on hand. Letting him think I am cooler than I really am is okay with me even if it is shameful. At least there is no ribbon. But rest assured my crafty friends - I didn't give up that easily. A six year old boy doesn't appreciate ribbon but he can get on board with the look of stitching. Yes, I used my sewing machine to make the handle looking things and sewed the pocket to hold the lightsaber part that you can pull out. So, I can actually complete a craft project without ribbon, thread is second best.

I will try and get better close-ups of the invite but my camera and photography skills are seriously lacking so we will see how it goes when I can get outside and try to get some close ups.

Fourth of July Photos

As I stated in my picture of the day we had a very nice Fourth of July at my parents. Everything was very low key and my dad and mom bought a small kit of fireworks for the kids. They loved watching the fireworks - even the ones that didn't really work.

Laura was very unsure of holding a stick of fire in her hand and just kept saying 'is this okay?'

On the other side of the coin, Nathan wanted one for each hand but he kept holding his breath so he wouldn't inhale 'the yucky smell'.

These little bags of gun powder were a HUGE hit. That is all they kept wanting to do - throw these little bags of stuff on the ground to get a spark and a noise.

Summer Days

So here are some shots of how we have been enjoying our summer. I have been trying to stay at home and am really working on trying to simplify my life. I am trying to follow the rule of making everything have a place so that it can be put away and I am trying to follow the rule of if it takes less than 30 seconds to complete or put away to do it now and not put it off. BUT that is just way off the subject of these photos isn't it?

Here is my boy Noah, growing up waay too fast - have I talked about that? Yeah, I know but look at him. He is looking less and less like a baby these days and more and more like a toddler. He is crawling all over the place now and boy is he fast. He is now into drawers and has the cutest little laugh/giggle thing that he does to show he is just tickled to be getting into things.

So here is little Noah wanting to be with the big kids...

That smile is pure joy to me. He just loves with every ounce of his being.

I started doing this squinty eye thing with him a while back. It started as winking and telling him 'I love you' and then turned to me squinting my eyes at him to see if he would do it back. He caught on very quickly and now this has turned into our little "i love you". He will flash a squinty eye thing at any moment during the day - totally random and totally funny. He also started doing this for the camera as "his pose".

Now he is doing it to Nathan...

Back at me for the camera...

You can almost here the giggle can't you...

"Are you still looking at me mom?"

Now, isn't that light much better? I have no idea what I did or didn't do but the joy and adoration in his little baby face is all I need.

Nathan has become increasingly harder and harder to get photos of. When he does look at the camera he does this doggie thing they learned in school because he was a "retriever" in his kindergarten class and they often posed for pictures with goofy faces. GREAT - just what I needed right. I thought I should at least stop deleting these irritating pictures because at some point I will be able to use them against him when he is older. I know, I need help.

Here he is, just Nathan. I swear this one needs to stop growing too. He is no longer a little boy and just keeps looking older and older to me every time I look at him. We have had our battles lately but I am looking for new and fun ways to deal with him every day and most days if I turn things into a game or let's try that again a different way it turns out pretty good.

This is pretty much how Laura likes to enjoy the pool. She is not as rough as Nathan and enjoys doing her own thing, her own way, in her own time. Gee, should I be concerned how the teenage years will be? Please don't burst my bubble or I will have daily nightmares.

She finally let me take a picture of her face. Mind you I can't seem to get her to wear a clip so her hair won't be in her face but that is another post and example of her super strong will. She is another one that just keeps on growing, despite my pleas. She is looking less and less like a toddler and more and more like a little girl and I am just so proud that she is the way she is. Now matter how difficult it may be at times I do love her sweet soul.

I was lucky enough to capture these little lovey moments between them. Both Nathan and Laura adore Noah and obviously the feeling is mutual.

Is that the look of love or what?