My little dancers

I was on my way out the door one night for a jewelry show---and this is what I left behind!!

YES---that is JADEN in Paige's new ballet tutu!  (Look at him pointing his toes out!)

My Grandma Balzer would say---look at those cute legs.  She loved legs!  Isn't that funny!

Jaden loves to play dress-up with Paige.  And, Paige is into dancing right now---

which means Jaden gets to play "dance" with her.

As I was running out the door, I told Steve to grab the camera!  It was TOO FUNNY!

I can't believe he really took pictures .  Steve doesn't really like when the boys dress up like this!

Paige gets a PONY!!!!

Yes, Paige is SO HAPPY!!  

Unbelievably excited!  You wouldn't believe it...

You would have thought we BOUGHT her a REAL PONY!

But instead....

Her hair is long enough for a PONY!!!!!!!!

(Pony-tail that is!)

I have kept Paige's hair fairly short, super cute, and stacked up in the back.  I really liked it!

But, she KEEPS asking for LONG hair so she can have a pony tail!

And, finally, we can have a pony!!!  And, boy did that make Paige's day.  We still have to barrette the sides back because they don't quite stay, but it's still pretty cute on her!!

I know this picture has nothing to do with her pony-tail, but I just think her little hands look so cute!! 

She's helping me pick the dead sticks out of the flowers!!

So--we'll see how long before I can cut her hair again :) 

It just hangs in her face and doesn't "do much" for her (wow---That sounded just like my mom!  Scary!!)

But, for now....a pony-tail makes her HAPPY---so we'll go with it... for awhile at least!!!

Paige goes to Pre-school

Paige finally started Pre-school.  She had mixed feelings about starting school.  She SAID she wanted to go to school, but I know deep down (not even really too far down) she was fine just staying home with me.  However, she was a bit lost without "her boys" (as she calls them) home with her.

I am going to have 3 mornings to myself!
My struggle is----what to do with the time.  Wednesday mornings I am going to have bible study---so that takes up 1 of the 3 days she is gone.  So, the other two mornings are sacred.....do I work out, do I clean, do I do laundry, do I work Premier, do I read, blog, do I......  I just haven't gotten into a routine yet.  

All dressed up for her first day.  I am pretty sure Paige is the only girl who had tulle under her dress for the first day of school.   It might have been a bit dressy, but my philosophy is---she has it, let her where it.  In a few months it won't fit her anymore!!!

The pre-school wants you to have a regular sized back-pack....

but it's as big as Paige!!

Speaking of size----

Paige went for her 4 year old well child check and came out in the 1 1/2 percentile for weight.  Yes, 1.5.  98.5% of 4 year olds weigh more than her!!!  She is growing along her own personal growth chart, so they are not worried.  But, WOW, she is little.  I guess SOMEONE has to be at the bottom of the scale to make it a "scale" !!!   I do try to get her to eat extra though!!!

Leah Wilkinson and Eli Denning--

We will carpool with these friends this year!!  YEAH!!

Ms. Ginger!!  We have heard she is FABULOUS and we are excited to have her as Paige's teacher!

Steve and I both took Paige her first day.  She gave me a great big bear hug before entering her class.  Then, I stayed to watch around the corner and she started crying after she hung up her name-tag.  OH NO.....

But, she quit, we left, and she had a GREAT day.

When we picked her up she said, "I just cried for one little bit"!!
I'd call that a SUCCESSFUL first day of school!

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!!!"