Turning 33

I turned 33 on Tuesday!  I love my birthday!  Not sure why. 

 Because I love special attention and I love to be pampered???

Before Steve and I had kids----we had BIRTHDAY WEEKS.  It was fabulous.

Of course it was my idea.  We would get each other small gifts the entire week or celebrate the entire week.  Really, I think we only did this 1 year.  But, it was FUN!!!!!

**Steve and I after 10 years!!!**

Now, this is what my birthday looks like:

Get up...get kids to school

Go to the Y for Cycle (Rip and Ride---isn't that a fun name) Class

Go home, shower

Grandma comes to watch Paige....and then Jaden after Kindergarten

So I can go to lunch with a friend.

2 hour lunch with a friend----now this was a treat!!

run a few errands for Premier without kids!  Bonus!!

Home for dinner with the family----yummy chicken enchiladas that STEVE made

then, to Cold Stone for ice-cream!!

It was a fun day!

My kids kept asking me if it was my "real" birthday, as opposed to "birthday party day"!  

That was my REAL birthday.
Then, I get dinner out with Steve's family, Dinner with my family, and MARGARITAS with some girls next week!!  So---look, it was a birthday week!!  yeah!!!

Linda bought this cake at Sam's---it was SO CUTE and so very yummy!!!

Will Jaden ever smile normal???

So---what I got for my birthday!!  (pictures to come when it's all done!)

A NEW OFFICE!!!

First we got my grandma's piano moved out of my office to the basement, next a chair in my office (taken from Steve's office!), a new table today, moved a lamp from another room, added another cabinet from the store room, added a new sign that was in my store room,  a NEW RUG, and new office chair!!  OOHHH  LAAAAA LAAAAA!  I love it!!!!

I am going to make new curtains---or ask my mom to make me new curtains too! 

And, I want to put leopard tissue paper on one wall---to make it look like wall-paper!!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my office now.  It's like another room in the house!

Did I say I liked it?  Well, I DO!!!

Happy Birthday to me!!!!

Jaden turns 5!!

July 14 was a big day for our Little K-State boy!  He turned 5!!!!  What a big boy! 

 5 years old and going to Kindergarten!  

MONTHS ago Jaden requested a K-State birthday party! 

Great, I thought!!  That will be easy!!!!

The Birthday Boy!  Dressed in his K-State attire 

The Cake....

Yes, I made this one!  The plan was for Steve to do the Power-cat, but that didn't

happen.  It would have looked better if Steve had done it.  But, Jaden thought it was cool---

and that's all that matters!

I wonder what his WISH was?

A build-a-bear CAR, who knew...

Jaden picked this out MONTHS ago and we bought it when I had coupons for Build-a-bear.  When I buy gifts so far in advance, I always worry that the kids won't want it anymore.

But, he was THRILLED!!!

His pants are new too!! 

A K-State backpack for school!!  How COOL!!!!  

And,  a trash-can for his room!

Other gifts:  walkie-talkies, building blocks, money, stomp rocket, 

Tag book and case, and more!

The decorations!!

While Steve and I were getting last minute preparations made....the 3 kids found all the K-state things they could, around the house, and "decorated" the basement. 

They were SO VERY PROUD of their work!!!!

Our Crazy Boy!!

We always try to get a picture of the kids holding up how old they are.

Jaden kept saying, "I'm 6, I'm 6"  He would NOT hold up 5 fingers!!!

GOOF BALL!!!!!  But, we LOVE YOU LOTS!!!!!!!

Jaden----you are such a fun spirited boy.  You add laughter to our house on a daily basis.  We hope you will meet lots of new friends in Kindergarten.  You will have lots of friends because you are so sweet and you always think of others first!  You are such a great sharer and you LOVE LIFE!!!  We hope you will always be like this.

We love you sweet-heart!

First Days of School

Monday was the FIRST day of school --2nd grade--for Tyler

Tuesday was the FIRST day of school--Kindergarten-- for Jaden and

Wednesday was the FIRST day for Jaden to ride the bus!!!

It's been a week of FIRSTS!!!

Everyone is loving school thus far!  And, the boys have already met new friends!

Our school---

Explorer Elementary

Preview

First day of school--

Jaden was hesitant to go to class.  He didn't cry, but he didn't want me to leave.  He ended up walking Tyler to his class with us and then going back to his class.  Then, he walked right in and did just fine.

When I picked Jaden up from school, the very first thing he said was,

"SCHOOL IS AWESOME!!!!"

Good---let's hope we keep those thoughts all year!!!

2nd day of school---waiting for the bus

Bye mom----I'll miss you....

(I'm sure that's what he was thinking!!!!)

Getting off the bus---such a big kid now!!!

On Jaden's first day of school there was no bus services for Kindergarten.  So Steve and I took him.  Tyler wanted to ride in the car with us and take Jaden to class.  

So---after going to Jaden's class, we took Tyler to class!!!

And----Tyler wanted a picture with his teacher!

(Notice---Jaden did NOT get a picture with his teacher!!)

When Tyler got home from school this day, I asked him what his favorite part of the day was and he said...getting his picture taken with his teacher!   He's so cute!!

Tyler's new friend--Harrison

Jaden's new friend--Dominique and some "girl"---we haven't learned anyone else's names yet.

So--2 more weeks for Paige and then she gets to start Pre-school!!

My Baby?

When we put "our baby" Paige to sleep....she does NOT go right to sleep.  She is usually the LAST one to sleep at night.  Tyler falls asleep immediately after praying, sometimes before we get out of his room. 

 Jaden will call for us a few times, but is usually out pretty quick.

And, then there's Paige.

We hear her playing with her Barbie's, getting up to turn on music, yelling for us....

sometimes just to say, "I LOVE YOU MOM/DAD, GOOD NIGHT!!!!!" as loud as she can!!!

And, then we yell back, "We love you more...Now go to sleep!!"

And, we yell  "Get back in Bed"/ "Go to Sleep"/etc/etc

A few months ago....I went to check on Paige, and this is what I found....

She had emptied her wooden baby cradle and laid down in it, covered herself up 

AND ACTUALLY WENT TO SLEEP!!!! 

This was for naps, so I let her sleep there.  I didn't really think she would sleep there very long.
But, she napped the ENTIRE time curled up in this old wooden doll bed.

(This was my grandma's wooden doll bed or someones.  It's an old bed my mom gave me for her to use).

But, I cannot believe she actually slept in it!!!!

At our house----as long as you sleep, I don't care WHERE!!!!!

So, after I saw her, I had to sneak out, grab my camera, and get back in the room without waking her.

She did open her eyes as I was taking the picture, but went right back to sleep!!

Steve gets so mad at me because I do stupid things like take their pictures or try to move the kids while they are sleeping and then I usually wake them up!!  But, luckily...she went right back to sleep---

if she even really woke up!!!

Paige will always be our "LITTLE BABY!!!"

The Farm

This is the 2nd year Jeremy and Sydney came to Kansas for 2 weeks during the summer.

And, this is the 2nd year ALL the cousins have gone to Dwayne and Genny's Farm.

All 7 grandkids get to take turns driving the tractor!!

This year the thrill was driving over a "bridge" (for lack of a better word)---

it would SHAKE the trailer and just CRACK EVERYONE UP!!!!!

It's just FUN hanging out with our cousins!!!

These 2 have so much fun together!!!

Even Mason gets to drive the tractor.

"ME TOO" -- MY TURN"--there's no leaving him out!!

This is something my kids look forward to now!!!  Experiencing the Farm!!!

July 4th

Last year several families hung out at the community pool ALL DAY on the 4th.  

The guys golfed in the AM, then they met us at the pool for lunch.
Swam all day.

Kids took naps---I stayed at the pool

Then, everyone went to Wilkinson's for a BBQ and Fireworks!!

SO---we are all planning for the same fun!

But, instead.....this year.....

IT RAINED AND RAINED AND RAINED AND RAINED!!!!

What a bummer!

The rain did quit long enough to do fireworks and eat at Wilkinson's!! 

 But, no relaxing at the pool this year.

Not sure about Tyler's face!!

He's probably saying---"uh, don't take my picture!"

Tyler and Braedan

Paige, Leah, MaryKate

Last year Brian Thompson bought a role of 8,000 firecrackers!  WOW!!!

This year, Brian Wilkinson bought 16,000!  WOW times 2.

This is the roll, it's just a big joke now.  I hope they don't go for more next year.  It's sort of funny---but after 6 straight minutes of CRACK CRACK CRACK!!!!!  You are ready for it to STOP!!

And, it leads to the kids doing this....

This is the only firecracker that makes the kids hold their ears----it's just SO LONG

Jaden being Jaden!!!

Watching the show...

Pump It Up

With Jaden and Paige only 11 months apart in age (and birthdays 3 weeks apart) it is easy to have a Birthday Party together!!  I tried this year to have separate parties for them...but as they were making their guest lists....the same names keep repeating!!  SO---I asked them if they wanted to do a b-day party together!  YES!!!  OH YEAH!!!!!  There was no quarreling about this idea!


In fact---Tyler was mad and threw a "tyler fit" because he wanted to share his b-day party with someone.  Oh man---if he only knew it really was NOT cool to share a b-day party!


But, until Jaden and Paige think it's un-cool, I guess we'll just go with it and do the party together!!


So, this year we went to Pump It Up.  It's a bit expensive (and I wouldn't do a party there again). But, when you can share the party between 2 kids, it makes the cost better!

The BIRTHDAY BUDDIES!

The PARTY GUESTS--

Mary Kate Wagoner, Leah/Hallie Wilkinson, Emmi/Levi Harden, 

Alexis/Braxton/Braeden Thompson, Kendall Nusz

(our cousins--Syd and Jeremy and Taylor and Mason came later)

Not sure why they have such straight faces

Hopefully all their b-day wishes come true!