Firsts

FIRST smiles, the BEST! Our sweet lil sis is the happiest girl ever! Always has a smile for everyone. Here she is at 3 mo. and 4 mo. with some yummy CHEEKS that I kiss on all day long!

FIRST lost tooth! He's looking soooo grown up and thinks he's super cool (well he is).

FIRST baby GIRL blessing (back in Dec.) and it was so special because our little Mia got to wear the same dress her mama wore and many other family members including her Great-Great Grandpa in the Catholic church in Italy 102 years ago. Wow!! I was thrilled I got to use the dress for my own sweet daughter and it was just perfect. Thanks to ALL our family who came and made it a very special day!



Smiles for great-grammie.

FIRST fieldtrip for our former pre-school dropout. He's back in school and loving it! Woo hoo, mom gets a break from both boys twice a week!

And some random Ninja Turtles in the desert, why not? Fighting the evil, bad sage brush, their new favorite pastime in St. George.

Day of Love

7:30 am - wake up to: "Is it Valentine's Day? Happy Valentine's Day!"
Homemade cards shoved in my face. Exhausted but I smile.
Boys find and rip open their Valentine surprise from us.
Pink heart pancakes, bacon and red Gatorade.
Matching red polos on the handsome dudes and red ruffles and a bow (always) for sister.

Pick up Mr. Mason from school: "I got a princess sucker but I didn't want it 'cause it's for girls. I miss Christian 'cause I love him."
Paper from Mason's school reads: I love my mom because...she gets me food. Good to feel needed.
Pick up Christian from school: "Annie says she doesn't have a Valentine. My Valentine is the floor. I kissed the floor at school."
Boys dump out Valentines, trade them, share them, overload on sugar. Very happy boys.
Look down to see Mason giving lil sis a taste of his tootsie pop while she's in my arms. Yikes. Her mouth starts a watering.
Christian: "Mom, who's your Valentine?"
Me: "Dad, and you of course."

Impromptu crab legs for dinner. Boys actually try them and love them.
Mason: "It's DE-LEE-sious!"
Daddy and the kindergartner play some chess. Smart boy. Mason plays Ninja Turtles and I cuddle the snuggly babe.

Had a pre-Valentines date night with my hubs last night. We were the only ones in the restaurant. Tasty sushi rolls and private dining for 2. So nice. Followed by couples massages. No more tight, achy neck. Goodbye tension headache. Sooooo nice. Came home to sleeping kids. Silence. SOOOOO nice!

Great day celebrating love and family. xoxo

Holiday Recap

Since January is almost over, guess it's about time for a quick holiday recap. Doesn't Christmas seem like ages ago?? It was a very eventful holiday season as usual. We are so blessed to be surrounded by our great families and friends. I love love love Christmas time. Always wish it would slow down and last just a bit longer...and then it's over.

A visit with Father Christmas at Heritage Park, where Mr. Mason proudly signed the Naughty List and collected his piece of "coal" candy.


Dressed in our Christmas best.

Cousin Nativity - check out our 2 handsome dudes on the right (Shepherd & Wiseman) and our princess starred as the live baby Jesus, all swaddled in Mary's arms.

My oh my Santa is looking YOUNG this year!

It was another Star Wars Christmas at our house of course.
Jack the Elf even surprised the boys with a Star Wars bedroom, complete with a giant Darth and storm troopers on the wall. They were jumping on their beds singing the S.W. tune in their Darth Vader jammies. Happy Happy Boys!

Nana & Jace with our Christmas cutie

Christmas Morn PJ Pose

First doll for my little doll - they're even the same size.

Christmas eve jammies (this is becoming a familiar pose at our house - smiling boys with screaming sister in between). She really does love them, just not this close :)

School Bully

What to do when the school bully is another parent? And that angry parent is bullying me! Yes, that's right. I was attacked by another parent in the elementary school parking lot - a big, mean dad with some serious anger issues. And not once, but twice. Apparently he really had it out for me. I mean why wouldn't you want to attack an innocent mom picking up her kindergartner with a new baby and toddler in the minivan (yep, driving a minivan these days thanks to the in-laws). I must really look evil. He was pounding on my window and screaming about where I was parked and telling me he was going to write me a ticket (even writing down my license plate), although he's not a cop and has NO authority to do such a thing. Even the poor crossing guards were terrified. After trying to tell him off with no success, I had to roll up the windows and lock the doors and let him rant. He was throwing up his hands like a gangster calling me on across the parking lot (in front of his children no less). Classy guy. One phone call to my hubby was all it took to change the situation. The next day you bet he was there picking kiddo up from school and confronting "the bully." Several sidekicks also jumped in to surround the guy, including the principal. My adrenaline was rushing. Still don't think his anger issues have dissipated but let's just hope I can enter the school lot in peace without any further Jerry Springer incidents. Yikes.

Baby Foto Op

Our sweet lil sis looking WAY too grown up at 8 weeks old (last month). Loved our Fotofly shoot. They were awesome!

Can you tell we're not having any fun at all with our little princess?? And I am not obsessed with her either. Okay, I lied. Totally obsessed.

ho ho ho & poopy pants

Christmas came and went in a hurry as usual. Always wish it would just SLOW down a little. Here is the first of many holiday recaps, let's start with our annual Festival of Trees visit with Mr. Clause himself...always gets us in the holiday spirit.

Mason willingly agreed to hop onto his lap when he saw the big basket of candy canes. Christian very intently told Santa his wish list. And sweet lil Mia filled her pants on Santa's lap. That's right, bright red in the face, flared nostrils and grunting. Santa didn't seem to mind, look at him lovin' on my sweet baby.


Mom needed to join in the fun.

tiny parts

oh how i love these tiny parts...just can't get enough of my sweet, oh so yummy babycakes.

please stay tiny awhile longer...don't get big so fast

Mason-isms of late

Our INTENSE 3 year-old continues to test our patience and entertain us at the same time. Good thing he is so dang cute. Here are some of his latest sayings and doings:
When put on the timeout chair recently, he lost it, hitting and kicking the chair and spitting at it while yelling "bad chair, bad, bad chair!" Apparently it was the chair's fault he was naughty?? We just tried to keep a straight face. Hilarious!
"Hey, where dat baby at" and "where's MY baby!" Still obsessed with his sister.
"You're rude!" he yells me all day when he doesn't get his way. And "if you say another word mom, I won't be your best friend." Then he tells me he loves me at least 3 times a day as well so that makes up for it (most of the time).
When I'm feeding the babe, he pulls her blanket to a point over her head, "I want her to be a jedi."
He says all the time: "okay, whatever..."
When you ask him why he doesn't go to school anymore (yes, he's a preschool dropout), his many responses:
"I have to take care of my sister because mom doesn't
know how."
"because it's dumb"
"because I'm too little, I will go when I'm REALLY big"

When the elf on a shelf came to our house and we explained he would get coal if he was naughty, he responded with a crusty look on his face: "Oh yeah, well I will spit on the coal!" And clearly the "elf is watching" threats are not working, when he hits his brother he tells us "the elf was looking the other way." He has it all figured out!

While out to lunch with friends awhile ago, he attempted to walk out of the restaurant with a sharp steak knife shoved in his belt loop - apparently his Peter Pan sword needed a replacement. The weapons obsession continues...he sleeps with his light saber and cuddles up with it like a teddy bear. He watches the original Star Wars movies daily and acts out the parts with his guys, repeating all the lines. He knows ALL the characters but not his ABC's. Guess we need to work on that :)

Mr. Mason constantly entertains and loves to TEASE, putting on one of many masks whenever anyone comes to the door. In fact, if mom or dad walk in the house and he doesn't have his trooper or Darth Vader mask on in time to "scare us," he has a melt down.

He is actually kicking and screaming and rolling on the floor as I type this. No surprise. Oh the joys...I love him dearly and pray for PATIENCE daily.

Halloween and the Babe

Been feeling like a crazy person most days. The hubs has had pneumonia for over a month now and has been on oxygen for the past 3 weeks. Just lovely. Add that to a very demanding toddler and new baby and zero sleep and there you go, CRAZY TOWN at our house. It looks like a bomb went off all the time. There is no time for cleaning up and no place to put anything. Total chaos I tell ya. The darling babycakes is totally worth it of course. She is so sweet and yummy. I just kiss on her all day long. She has been a really good baby too, not much screaming and sleeping pretty long stretches for her age. Can't complain.

Halloween was a blur, it happened and the kids enjoyed it but I wish I could have been more present to say the least. Mason did his usual daily costume all week - Darth Vader, Ninja Turtle and Peter Pan (anyone with a weapon). Christian made an awesome Luigi and Mia was a cuddly leopard and even made a Minnie Mouse attempt (in a very large costume).

It seemed like a good idea at the time but poor Mia did not agree. She looks TERRIFIED.

Someone else wanted a turn of course. Pumpkin potty??

Cousin time at Gardner's Village. Love me some witches and shopping.

3 cute little girlie cousins all within 3 months. So fun!

Luigi & Peter Pan ready to trick or treat. After 10 or so houses, Mason came back to "scare all the kids" while Christian continued with friends til he could barely carry his bag. Such a fun, fun holiday with kiddos! We LOVE it!

Cutest lil Owl

Off to church

Playing dress ups with my little dollface. LOVE LOVE LOVE her.