Tires

The highlight of today was getting new tires for the van!  (If you classify spending money on boring necessities a 'highlight.'  I can think of a LOT more fun ways to spend that kind of money.)

We're in the middle of the never-ending-sitter-search.  Our summer sitter is moving back to Michigan next week, so we're in the middle of an intense search for the right person.  Keep your fingers crossed for us--it's a little stressful around here right now!!!

Doughnuts and elephants and salsa...oh my!

The big day started with doughnuts for breakfast (with candles, of course!), then Brent and the boys came to see me at the office for a bit while Sophie was at preschool.  Afterwards, Brent took the kids to the zoo for a Happy Meal picnic lunch!  Apparently the animals were all pretty active--especially the penguins--and the kids loved it.  Sophie kept asking to see the elephants and the giraffes.  They love the zoo so much! 

We took the boys out to dinner for their favorite--chips & salsa!  Kelly, Roger, Becky & Aaron joined us, too!  (Which I'm pretty sure they regret, because...)  See the salsa bowl in front of Sophie?  Shortly after this picture was taken, Graham took a tumble off of his chair.  Before his aerial-back-handspring-with-a-stuck-landing took place, he somehow hit the edge of Sophie's salsa bowl and sent it FLYING.  Half of it went down her face and into her lap, and the other half went ALL over the walls (with some splatters on Becky's white shirt--sorry Becky!).  MUCH CRYING ENSUED.  Sophie was completely appalled because "Brother did this to me!" and Graham was just shocked and startled.  (Blake, however?  Glanced at them and kept eating.  I wish I had a replay of the event!  That might have been the funniest part!)  We joked afterwards that we would never have guessed that the amount of salsa in that small bowl could cover so much ground!  Apparently you CAN paint an entire room with just a quart.

Graham was SO embarrassed (but not hurt, thank goodness!), so we had to get pretty silly to bring him back around.  Sophie was playing in her sour cream, and thought she was grossing us out with it.  We were actually laughing at the finger she was using (she didn't know that, of course...and yes, we really ARE that immature), which made her try even harder to get us messy...



This look is too much (and how did she get sour cream on her forehead?!)!!!

All in all, they had a good birthday!  

Happy 3rd birthday, Blake & Graham!!!

Can this be possible?! Our boys are THREE today! It's flown by! I was (semi)joking the other day that I feel like the past three years have been such a blur, and we're just now to the point where we can peek our heads out of the cave and look around. What a three years it has been!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLAKE!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRAHAM!!!

The night before you were born (whoa belly!):

You loved to sleep right next to each other from the very beginning:

Proud big sister!

You've always played right next to each other, too:

Best friends:

Giggling boys:

Into mischief!

And here you are at THREE!

Gentlemen, you have blessed us beyond words. Both of you have such sweet hearts and outgoing personalities. You are crazy about each other and are your sister's biggest fans.

Blake, your favorite food is pasta, you love your koala bear, and are so laid back and snuggly. Lately you like to go outside at night and look at the stars. You are such a gentleman, wanting to help carry even the heaviest items.

Graham, your favorite foods are fruits and vegetables, you love your Pooh bear, and have more energy than we could have imagined! You are so social, and from a distance start shouting 'Hi friends!' to anyone within earshot.

We love you, we love you, we love you!!!

XOXOXO

Pampered Chef Deep Dish Covered Baker

I got a fun new toy for the kitchen--the Pampered Chef Deep Dish Covered Baker. It's glazed on the outside and stoneware on the inside. I was hesitant about it, because stoneware seems like it would dry the food out and would be a nightmare to clean, but I was wrong. The best part about it is that it cooks in the oven OR the microwave! Tonight we had a pork loin cooked in the microwave, and the pan was a cinch to clean up! (I have to admit that the loin I bought was WAY too lean, and I should have marinated it. The other half that I cooked in the crockpot was dry as a bone, and it was more moist in this baker. I can't wait to try the smaller Hormel seasoned pork loins next time, I bet they'll be awesome.) You can bake cakes, cobblers, etc. in the microwave--I can't wait to get it figured out!

After it cooked in the microwave for about 30 minutes. I had used a dry rub (and no water), and worried that it would scorch--lots of juice in there, though!

You don't use soap on it--just hot water, so this is AFTER the roast was removed and I cleaned it up! It was a CINCH.

Spangles finale #1

I can't believe it's been a year already since Brent did his first overnight at Spangles to win a free weekly Spangles meal for a year! Today he used his last meal...see how sad he is?! He still has a while left on the second book, though. It will be a very sad day for him when that book runs out, though!

(Please pardon his shirt...some guys from work got him that because they know we have cats, and he wears it all the time! He loves cats--don't call PETA.)

The kids and I were painting earlier today, and Sophie asked me to paint her some different shapes. She has the sweetest heart, and after each shape she said "Good job!" After we were done, I started cleaning up and noticed that my page was gone. Worrying about it laying face down on the carpet somewhere, I went looking for it...and found it on the fridge. That sweet girl put MY picture on the fridge. (Warm fuzzy, warm fuzzy!!!)

Visit with Leslie's family

My friend Leslie was here with her husband and 3 kids today, and it was so great to spend some time with them. They brought us this adorable ghost! Check it out--it's kid-sized boots and jeans (the boots are filled with concrete), then the rest of the body is made of PVC material and styrofoam. Too cute! She said I should put it on the porch, but I think it might go next to the fireplace. (Blake is NOT a fan of it, and gives a wide berth as he goes by. If he doesn't warm up to it soon, it might have to go on the porch for fear of traumatizing the poor boy!)

Our three kids spent most of the day on the trampoline with Leslie's three kids. They all wore themselves out! I have to admit that I was skeptical about getting the trampoline in the beginning, but it was such a hit today that I have to give Brent credit for the idea!

Sophie spent the first half of the day in a princess costume getting ready for the 'princess tea' birthday party she was invited to, but the party was cancelled! :-( The mom got sick, so hopefully it will be rescheduled soon--I think it will be adorable to see all of the little girls dressed up! Luckily Leslie's crew came when they did, and Sophie forgot all about being sad about the party.

(p.s., I got the laundry caught up today--SUCCESS!)

TGIF

Woo hoo for weekends! I'm hoping to get caught up on laundry/cleaning/meal planning, etc. this weekend. Sophie has a 'princess tea birthday party' to attend tomorrow, and we have good friends coming up from Oklahoma City for the day. We're really looking forward to their visit!

Hmmmmm...I thought this 'blog-post-a-day' thing was a good idea, but it makes me realize how boring things can be around here on a daily basis...(crickets chirping)...Ummm, we went to Sam's tonight...(chirp)...and bought a cake for our friends' visit tomorrow...(chirp)...and Sophie is sneaking down the stairs as I type this because she officially thinks she belongs in bed with me when Brent is working...my own fault, I know...(chirp)...

Wait--here's something cute! I often call the kids "Sugar" when addressing them, and tonight at Sam's Sophie asked for something. Blake said "No, Sugar" but when he says it, it sounds like "No, Chigger." Cute!

Soooo...that's about it...(chirp)...I'm off to research new mops on Amazon because mine broke tonight...(chirp)...does that count as exciting??