Party POOPER!

It is with much excitement that I report today's events - Cody pooped in the potty, breaking 2-3 month stand-off! I know it seems odd to be celebrating when a nearly 4yr. old boy uses the bathroom, but when you change & clean diapers, sheets, and underpants for 3 kids, it is a victory! Pictures from the Poop Party to follow soon...Yeah Cody!

Cody loves to take care of Charlie
Lindsey at the Museum on her day out with Mom & Dad (& no brothers!!!)

Our cutie - Charlie

Lindsey is in love with Diet Coke - I don't know how it happened, but I'm sure it knocks me out of the Mother of the Year competition!

-And Charlie wins favorite kid of the week- He is finally sleeping in his own room & beyond that he is just happy & very easy these days :)

I'm too tired to type much else- Just thought I would put a few fresh pictures up from the week. The good news is that I think we have all finally gotten rid of the nasty bug we've been trading back & forth- YEAH! So I'm hoping for a week free of sickness & for some poop to actually make it into the potty! Goals high & fingers crossed!

Growing Up Soet...

Growing up Soet...My brother-in-law Mike writes for this website - NothingToDeclare.org - He is the Principal Traveler. His latest article cracked me up! I have heard the stories of my Dukes of Hazard mother-in-law from both Steve & Mike several times, but this article brought it to life! Check it out:


http://nothingtodeclare.org/2008/05/22/the-principal-traveler-tales-from-the-baskseat/

*Sue does claim this was highly exaggerated for enterainment purposes

Lindsey! Lindsey! & even more Lindsey!

I've heard a few complaints about a lack of Lindsey on this Blog. I try - she just isn't the easiest of my kids to snap a good picture of. We tried twice to get her 2-yr. picture taken and finally we have given up. She cried, screamed, and thrashed the studio. For us she burrows her head down & runs the other direction usually. However there is new hope, just this week she surprised us a few times with a smile and "say cheese"! So here's to hoping to have many more Lindsey pictures in the weeks to come!

Big Daddy turns the BIG 60!

the kids celebrate with Big Daddy & lots of frosting!



Kenny's kids - Kort, Kris & the son he always wanted...Steve!

Friday was Big Daddy's 60th Birthday! The kids & I took the b-day cake that Cody made over to see Big Daddy at Centennial. The kids totally destroyed the cake and devoured mostly the frosting all while Big Daddy smiled proud! Later that evening we celebrated the big one again at Centennial with friends and family, minus the kids. Happy Birthday Kenny D!

Zoo Field Trip

Cody's class visited the John Ball Park Zoo last week. One of the other moms sent a disc home with the class of the MANY pictures she took of the kids. It was a dreary day & it drizzled on us the entire time, yet it was a fun trip. my favorite picture might be the one of us walking. I borrowed Sue's (my mother-in-law)rain jacket before we left & I matched 3 of the Grandmas that brought their grandkids to the zoo! I was pretty cool for sure!

Bob the Builder at the GRCM!

We had a fun time checking out the GR Children's Museum today. I think since about January I have been meaning to get there while the Bob the Builder exhibit was in town & we made it there just in time. Bob leaves June 1st. Mayeb we can make it back there one more time before Bob & his crew head back to Sunflower Crossings...

Cody the COW!

MOO! Cody was by far the cutest cow in the herd!

All of the afternoon pre-schoolers at Children's Workshop

Cody was the most enthusiatic waiver on the stage - even with an ear infection!

Cody & his grandparents - Big Daddy, PopPop, Gigi & Mimi


About a week ago Cody's school put on an end of the year show for everyone. I forgot to post my cute pictures from the "Day on the Farm" show and Cody has been waiting (less than patiently) for me to get them up. He loves to see our pictures on the puter! His first year of pre-school will wrap up on Friday with a teddy bear picnic party. We've had a great year with Miss Gloria & we loved the farm show almost as much as Cody loved having a big audience!

Great-Grandma Bert

We had a very busy week with the passing and funeral of the kids' Great-Grandma Bert (Steve's grandma). She died shortly before Mother's Day and her funeral took place last Thursday. Steve's grandma was such a special woman and that really showed when nearly the entire family got back to GR to attend the funeral & a family dinner afterward and talked fondly of their favorite Bert memories. I can't believe how much she touched me & also taught me considering that I only met her 6-7 years ago when she was already 85 years old. Her class & impeccable style will always be what I remember most about her.

Playdates at the park

The kids had some fun at the park this week with their friends the Doumas - Kaden, Emmy, & Perry. I think this was probably Perry's first day out to the park with buds. Quite a few people commented on how tiny he seemed sitting next to Charlie. It's fun to have a great friend with kids that match up so well! Let's hope that the sun and warm weather come back to GR for good so we can keep getting out! I suppse if it stays cold that means we'll have to meet up for doughnuts...Darn!

Cody's newest buddy!

Aunt Barb (Soet) sent over the best present for Cody - a dinosaur costume! When he's not wearing it, it rides in Lindsey's seat, sleeps with him and watches him at school...He LOVES it! Thanks to Barb for sharing it with us!

Mama's Day pics-

Mom & Charlie on his first Mother's Day

Mom & the "big kids"

Gigi & the hula-hooping crew

Mimi & her yummy cookies from the kids

Happy Mother's Day!

I'll post some pictures from our Mother's Day later on, but I thought I'd show everybody my Mother's Day themed doctored shot of Charlie in case anyone else wants to waste time on this really cool picture website - picnik.com

I heard about it through a friend of a friend and I have had some fun playing around with our pictures. The pre-3 baby Kristen would have stayed up late at night dinking around with this site, but I'm too tired for that these days/nights. Still, it is a lot of fun and free so check it out!

Happy Mother's Day - K

Ole!

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone! We went to a JL Cinco de Mayo party last week & I thought I would post a few pictures from our life on the rare occasion that we were out with adults!

I've been tagged!

I've been tagged...& I'm actaully going to cut, paste, & fill this thing out!


Tagged by Angie.
maybe i should get more sleep at night, or just hire a nanny!
i love the smell of clean clothes
people would say that i "have my hands full"!
i don’t understand why the the dog always barks the second I get the third kid to sleep...
when i wake up in the morning I am usually tired, but ambitous.
i lost my willpower to cut back on junk food.
life is a challenge, an adventure, exciting & a blessing!
my past has molded me into a stronger, calmer & more tolerant person (thanks to having 3 young kids)
i get annoyed when I realize I have 3 kids in diapers *-in fairness to Cody, he is partially trained...
I love to be out with my husband for dinner at Blue Water.
dogs... My first baby was a wiener dog & deep down I still love him!
cats ...too furry.
tomorrow ....is a new challenge to survive & conquer.
i have low tolerance for ...rude people, biting, & mall playgrounds.
i’m totally terrified of ... taking another trip to the ER with the kids.
i wonder why I am taking this much time to fill this out!
never in my life did i ...need a vacation getaway more!
high school ..... was high school & thankfully I will never have to go back!
when i’m nervous I get a stomach ache & then eat junk!
one time I ...went to my favorite restaurant for chips & cheese 4 times in one week! (It was just about the last week of my last pregnancy & I couldn't do much else. Plus the cheese is my favorite!)
take my advice: never go to bed angry or expect Steve to remember anything said or done after 8pm.
i'm almost always thinking about Cody, Lindsey, & Charlie.
i’m addicted to lists, taking pictures & scrapbooking, little craft projects, mindless tv, the internet, and my weekly People magazine.
i want someone to tell me I get a day off!

I'll tag Laurie & Annie because I'm sure anything they respond will be funny!

Finally caught a smile!

I have been trying and trying to catch Charlie smiling in a picture. After a very loud and trying first 2 months, Charlie has come around! He is now happy & smiling, baby talking and napping well too! It is such a relief! We're still up a few times during the night, but once in awhile he spoils me by sleeping all of the way through. I can't even complain about getting up since I am at least getting larger chunks of sleep again. The biggest difference is just having him seem happy! You gotta love baby smiles!