THE YAGER FAMILY

Mexico!

2011-06-26T14:58:00.007-07:00

Last weekend the kids and I went with my parents to Mexico! Thanks mom and dad!
We can't wait to go back. In no particular order, and with apologies for what is sure to be a million pictures... enjoy!

Forgive me!

2011-06-26T14:49:00.004-07:00

I could go on and on about how I've been busy and how posting (on either blog, frankly) has had to take a back seat sometimes.

But who has the time.

I've missed two 20th posts.

The first one... Shyla's bday. I can give up 20th posts now and then, but I can NOT ignore my beautiful and spunky niece's 2nd birthday! (Errr... at least not for more than 2 months. And, to be fair, I didn't ignore it in real life. Just in the bloggy world).

So... Shyla May turned 2 in May!

We celebrated for about a week, with a small gathering at Shyla's home (that she generously shares with Kendra and Stevie and baby Harper who is due soon!!!), as well as a friends and family park birthday party.

Shyla, of course, was the star.

Mmm cake.

Shyla is kinda upset here, but I still love this pic of my sister and her first born.

Me, Kendra, and Harper :)

We love you Shyla!

20th!

2011-04-21T14:15:00.002-07:00

Happy 20th!
Last weekend, the kids spent the night at my parents' house one evening.
The next morning, I was able to get in a run as I jogged the 5 miles from my house to theirs. Which means they had to drive us all home. Thanks again mom and dad!
My parents clearly really wore the kids out!

Zac's blankie.
My friend Kim makes these. He has about 17. He loves one. The "ball blankie." Kim even made him a new "ball blankie" with the same fabric. Sadly, he knows the difference and only wants the original. Which is falling apart due to 2 years of abuse. Also? I clearly do NOT sew. Or at least not well.
Look at my girl crossing her little legs!
Finally, the kids have rediscovered their Disney ears. Correction - Lilly has rediscovered hers and Zacs hat, and makes Zac wear his.
He hates hats. But he'll wear these, for HER only.
I love that.
She also feeds him, like he's a baby.
I'm undecided on how I feel about that. Cute? yes. Messy? very. Necessary? no.
But... back to "cute"...
Happy happy 20th!

Trip to the fire station

2011-04-11T14:04:00.003-07:00

This is Lilly's face when I told her we were going to visit my friend at the Fire Station:

Ok, actually that's a reenactment. But it's pretty much accurate.

I have a friend named Jeff. He is actually a friend of my cousin, Miguel. I met Jeff and his beautiful wife, Christie, and their children when Miguel was in town.
Jeff is a firefighter at the station right down the street. We pass it every day on the way to and from the kids school.

A couple of months ago, I posted something on Facebook about Zac loving fire trucks. Jeff offered to show us around and let the kids explore the station and the trucks.

This weekend, we were finally able to take him up on this offer. We saw their living area, their kitchen (which is being redone, so they grill a lot), their workout room, their tiny bedrooms, and their computer/work offices. But, the highlight of the show was the trucks!

Zac was initially hesitant, and didn't really want to do anything but look. Lilly was not so shy. She enjoyed climbing and sitting in the trucks.

Zac warmed up and really liked opening and closing (read: SLAMMING) the fire engine and ambulance doors.

I mostly enjoyed being the dorky mom who was taking pictures. And possibly jumping in and out of the ambulance. Possibly.

The kids walked away with temporary tattoos, "hand balloons" made from rubber gloves, and (hopefully) a knowledge that there are "good guys" in our community who are there to help us, and who we need to appreciate.

(Yesterday, we appreciated them by bringing Rice Crispy Treats.)
(We also appreciated ourselves by making extras to keep.)
They spent the afternoon playing "fire-girl and fire-boy." Apparently "fire-boy" is a little OCD about his parking lot.
And, an unrelated but SUPER DUPER CUTE picture of hugs. I'm thinking this one is frame-able, yes?

Thanks again, Jeff, for showing us around the station!

The 20th... on time!

2011-03-20T12:11:00.002-07:00

The 20th again... and this time, I'm on time with the post!
(You can thank my mom, and her never ending harassment.)

This first photo was taken on the morning of St. Patrick's Day. We clearly had not done hair yet (sheesh, Lilly!), but the kids were very excited that some mischievous leprechauns had visited us overnight. They gave us each kisses, which we knew because they left green hearts on our hands. They also turned our milk green and our pancakes green. It was pretty silly, to say the least.

The weather has been gorgeous, which means lots of outside playtime! This, of course, leads to scrapes and bruises.
My parents are redoing their living room, so my dad thought it would be funny to pretend he was a picture of himself, using this huge frame. Once the kids figured out it was him, they wanted to pretend they were a picture too.
Yesterday, Lilly got to go to her friend, Olivia's, birthday party. I was so proud of her writing (and drawing) on the card she picked out.
Ready to party!
Handsome boy! Kendra was so nice and volunteered to watch Zac while I took Lilly to the party! Thanks sister!
Lilly had a blast at the party, and was very well behaved. Also, she rocked the pinata!
And, today. We have done NOTHING but play outside this morning, up until nap/rest time. We played in the backyard, then took the bike and scooter for a spin around the neighborhood. Then, back to the backyard. They wanted to take another walk, this time without their vehicles.
Oh My God Aren't They Cute Holding Hands!?!

Please know that they held hands for all of 12 seconds. Still, it was super cute, and I caught some on camera. Win!

Busy days

2011-03-12T19:26:00.003-07:00

We've been busy around here, but I figured it was time for a post! It's just kind of a random assortment...
First, look at this sunset from tonight. Lilly asked me to take a picture of it, and who can say no to that?

A couple of weeks ago we went to Phoenix and had a great time visiting my friends Kim and Matt and little girl Kaylie, then going to transportation Day and having a fun evening with Natalie and her family and Laura and her family. Whew it was a busy weekend.
While there, we went to Hot Dog On A Stick, and Lilly got this hat!
Speaking of Lilly, she went on her birthday date with Kendra and Stevie the other day. I could copy pictures from her blog and repost them, but I think I'll just send you over there. Click HERE to see that post. She had a blast!

This is a picture of Zac throwing a fit in the grocery store the other day. It didn't last long, but I snapped the picture to show his first girlfriend one day.

Here is a much more flattering picture of my little man.
The kids and I have made a habit of getting bagels for breakfast about twice a month or so. I love bagels, they love bagels, plus it's good practice of restaurant manners. Here's a couple pics from our last breakfast date.

Last night, the kids spent the night at my parents' house. After running early this morning, I drove up to see them finishing their walk. Lilly walked Bruski the whole way! She's getting so big.

It's finally nice enough to take evening walks after dinner! Also, finally we can do so sans stroller! The other day, I snapped this picture.

Then, tonight, I took these closeups since both kids had haircuts today!
Zac looking handsome:

And Lilly with her beautiful bangs.

Happy Spring!

She's 4!!! (You know, it's a 20th post!)

2011-02-22T19:05:00.009-07:00

She. Is. Four.
I know this goes without saying, but I really, really can't believe she is four. Sunday was her real birthday, plus her party day. Always nice to have a "two-fer."

We started with breakfast at my parents' house. Lilly insisted on wearing the same dress that she wore last year. I should put some "flashback" photos here, but there are too many. So... you really should click HERE to see last year's post. Seriously. Do it. I'll wait.

Back? Pretty amazing huh? Anyhow, Lilly wore the same dress, but with leggings and boots. Add a similar, but new, tiara, and we have our birthday girl. What can I say? The girl loves accessorizing!

Shya and Zac enjoyed breakfast too!

Lilly loved her new scooter from Jeremy. I think it was the hit! Speaking of "hitting"... looks like a collision occurred. Hmmm... she seems pretty happy about it though! Silly!

More pics from the breakfast! (Somehow, I missed pics of Jeremy and of my mom. But Kendra took pics on her good camera, so I'm hoping there are some there!)

My "ghetto fabulous" sister.

Like mother like son.

After breakfast, we came home to rest. Then, a quick wardrobe change. This picture shows her new tiara. That's right, it was a "two tiara day." This one had the number 4 on it, which she really wanted.

And this shows her adorable dress, and Zac yawning in the background, which I'm sure he'll do often while his sister shows off new outfits.

And... we were off to Peter Piper Pizza! I had hoped to have her party at our house again, but turns out age 4 is when kids start having, like, opinions and stuff. Lilly asked months ago to have her party at PPP, so we went with it.

She got to make her own pizza (with help from daddy)

She had a really cool princess cake.

After tons of playing, pizza, cake, and fun, it was time to head home. This was the scene minutes after getting home.

God I love her.

After she woke up we had some snacks and explored our new toys! We were also very excited to chat with grandma and grandpa Yager, Aunt Jenn and Uncle John that evening.
Birthdays are the best!

Here are a few bonus pictures of Zac and Shyla, from Monday, when daycare was closed, so I took the day off and stayed home with all three kids. It was SO much fun, and very exhausting!

Happy happy birthday to my sweet sweet girl. I'm in awe of her.

Oh my WORD they are good looking kids

2011-02-12T08:20:00.005-07:00

There really is no better title for this brief post.
I mean, look at this girl!

And could this little guy be any more handsome?
(Although, Zac... what is with "the smolder" look?? ha!)

And look... just LOOK at Shyla May!!!

DARN these are good looking kiddos!

(Loving that Kendra has a new fancy schmancy camera that she's learning to use for gorgeous pictures!)

20th - yep, late again!

2011-01-22T14:35:00.005-07:00

I'm not even going to bother apologizing. I'm busy. Ha!

I did manage to snap one great pic on the 20th! When Zac didn't want to wake up, Lilly asked to get into his crib with him. Then, she laid down and he decided it was ok to get up after all!

You'll notice... we're still VERY into our blankies (specifically this baseball blankie) and our thumb.

These two were taken at breakfast today. More about that at Vicarious Chelsea on Monday.

Last weekend, my great friend Andrea came to town from las Vegas! Here she is with the kids at Sabino Canyon. We had lots of great time with the kids...

... and without. My parents watched the kids on Saturday night so that Andrea and I could go to dinner with friends and then enjoy wine, chocolate, and a chick flick!
Finally, a fun shot of all three 20th babies!

Time is flying.

Just some random...

2011-01-02T15:52:00.004-07:00

Just a few random pictures...

Lilly and Zac playing outside today.

(I took this picture on my iPhone. Then I plugged it into the Instragram application, and created this version. Do you love it? I do.)

Lilly painting my nails, yesterday. Look at her focus!
My cousin Miguel trying to coax Zac to sleep the other night, so that we didn't have to leave (we were there for dinner). This did not go well. BUT to Zac's credit, it was 9pm and he usually goes to sleep at 7. They had both been very well behaved!
Happy New Year! Here's to a great 2011!

Christmas... ish

2010-12-29T08:04:00.008-07:00

This could be titled "Really long post about Christmas and the days both before and after this wonderful season." But that seemed a little wordy.

First of all, I truly hope you all had absolutely wonderful holidays.

Growing up, Christmas was always absolutely magical; it was more than just presents. It was anticipation, and lights, and love and warmth... I could go on and on.

This year, with the kids at such amazing ages, I felt a lot of pressure to make Christmas really, really MAGICAL... like my parents always did. After at least one mini break down, I was reminded that it is the simple things that make it magical to children.

So... we got down to the serious business of decorating cookies!

Um, wow Zac... that is quite a lot of sprinkles. But, you know what... go to town big boy!

Beautiful Lilly. Simply beautiful. Oh, and the cookie is nice too.

(And, yes, that is her Dora Halloween mask next to her. She still wears it. A lot. Creeeeepy!)

I don't have any pictures, but we also walked through Winterhaven, a neighborhood here that goes ALL OUT for Christmas lights. I wanted to take the kids, but wasn't sure when, so when my godfather told me that they always have a party where they meet at his house and walk there (he lives very close... duh), then go back for dinner and treats, I was IN. The kids did great during the walk. They were so well behaved and excited about the lights. It was a FUN evening!

We had a very busy Christmas Eve. In addition to decorating gingerbread cookies for Santa, we made Peanut Butter Balls (Lilly's favorite and, coincidentally, Santa loves them too). We also made a crock pot of chili, a homemade spinach lasagna, corn bread, banana bread, and salad (with fresh Pomegranate seeds... making the kitchen look like a crime scene!)

We also took a break to wrap some presents. Oh, and to play with wrapping paper.

We had decorated the tree earlier in the week, but we had to add some finishing touches.
We also had to leave out Reindeer Food. You know, so the Reindeer have a snack while waiting for Santa.

CUP your hand Zac! Just like feeding the ducks!

Yep, flip flops on Christmas Eve. Love AZ!

We had Christmas Eve dinner with my parents, Aunt Sherry, Cousins Miguel, Sofia, and Megan. Good food, good drink, great company!
We ALMOST forgot to leave the milk and cookies for Santa! Thank goodness we remembered. He ate almost everything, and even left a note!
He also filled Lilly and Zac's stockings!

Christmas morning was amazing. Lilly woke up around 7:30, allowing me to sleep in. I had actually woken up around 7 but stayed in the bedroom because I wanted her to discover the tree on her own. At 7:30 I heard her door open, heard a couple of steps, and then... the most wonderful sound...

The best way I can describe it is Hushed Excitement. She was whispering, but excitedly talking about how "SANTA CAME." The sound of her sucking in her breath in excitement brings tears to my eyes. For her, magic had happened.

She ran into the bedroom to explain that Santa had come and brought "lots and lots of presents!"

We pretty much immediately ran in to Zac's room and told him the great news. Then, we had to examine the tree.

After the four of us opened gifts, we headed to my parent's house. Turns out, Santa had been there too! Then off to my grandparent's where, you guessed it, Santa had been! My goodness!

I apparently did not get any good pictures of the rest of the day, as I was too wrapped up in the good times. We stayed in PJs all day!

We got home around 2, and had the rest of the afternoon to rest and play with all of our new toys. Santa sure was good to us!

A couple of days later, when I woke Zac up from his nap, I saw this:

FLUFFY hair Zac!

So we decided it was haircut time. Jeremy met us at the salon, where Lilly got her FIRST HAIRCUT! That's right... Zac has had 3 or 4, but Lilly had never had a haircut. She never wanted one, but this time she agreed (I never wanted to fight her on it... I knew she'd come around).

What a big girl!

Zac's turn! This was a first for him too... the first time he sat all by himself (not on my lap!) for a haircut!

Zac looks worried because, well, he was worried. But, he's a pro.

So... whew! It has been a busy couple of days. Now, mommy is trying to clean up Christmas while the kids are busy fighting over toys. Sigh. These are not the moments I remember from my childhood, but I'm sure they happened too. I pray that Lilly and Zac remember only the magic of Christmas.

A couple of side notes:

Again, I wish a very merry Christmas to everyone, especially the Yagers in California who we didn't get to spend Christmas with. We were thinking about you, and the kids thank you for the wonderful gifts. Merry Christmas. We love you.

Also, there has been some sadness this season as well. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who are hurting and dealing with the loss of a loved one during this time, or any, time of year.

OMG Zac is TWO!!!

2010-12-22T19:39:00.007-07:00

I know this post is a few days late, but I have been fighting with internet and computers.

Um, people? Zackary is two. Hard it believe, right? But, apparently, it's true. Weird, since I'm pretty sure I gave birth to him, like, last week.

I am now mom to a 2 year old and a 3 year old. Wowzers.

Anyhow, we had a party for him the day before his birthday! Complete with CAR CAKE!

Here are the three 20th kids enjoying their bagels at the party!

(Zac, age 2 - duh. Shyla, age 19 months. Lilly, 2 months shy of 4!)

Presents!

And... cake time!

This looks like he was screaming, and he WAS... but a fun laughing scream. This kid had a blast!

Brother/sister hugs!

Suzanne was nice enough to attempt to get a picture of me with my birthday boy! This one turned out pretty good...

But THIS one is my absolute favorite!

Two is such a wonderful age! Zac didn't really know it was his birthday ahead of time, but he really knew that HE was in the spotlight that day. Which makes my heart very happy.

A few other odds and ends about Zac, at age two -

He is learning more and more words. Every day he surprises me.

He still loves his blankie. And when he has his blankie, he sucks his thumb.

He loves trucks, cars, busses, and dinosaurs.

He is not too cool to wear his sister's headbands, tiaras, or high heels.

He loves his mommy (Lilly was always more of a daddy's girl).

He loves fruit, and only barely tolerates veggies (again, opposite of Lilly).

He shares ~ when he wants to!

He loves all books.

He goes to bed around 7 and wakes up around 6:30 or 7.

He looks darn cute in a tshirt and diaper.

He kinda wants to potty train, though I'm temped to hold off just a little longer.

He gives the very, very, very best hugs this mommy could ever ask for.

I. Am. Blessed.

~ ~ ~

In other news... Lilly had her school Christmas presentation last week as well! Try as I might, I never get a good picture of these things! But, here she is as we were getting ready to go!

Also, my cousin Miguel and his girlfriend Sofia arrived from Portugal for a month! They came over, with my aunt Sherry, on the evening after Zac's party. It was so good to see them, and I can't wait to spend more time with them this month!

Thankful for THEM

2010-12-02T14:44:00.003-07:00

I didn't blog on Thanksgiving, but I am SO thankful for these little angels. They play together every day, sometimes more nicely than others! Check out this series of pics I managed to get on Thanksgiving!

Of course, they both came up laughing! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

Adventures on the 20th!

2010-11-22T19:16:00.003-07:00

November 20th came and went... but not without a few pics!

Sorry for the poor photography, but here is Lilly all bundled up after bath.

And Zac being silly under his crib. He looks little here, to me, but he is getting SO big!

Many of you have heard this story, but the other day he tried to change his own diaper. He needed a change and rather than getting me, he went into his room, climbed onto his changing table and started pulling wipes out of the container. Thank goodness I walked in right then!

Another very exciting thing happened on the 20th... girls night! Laura, Natalie, Karen and I planned (via many, many color coded emails) an absolutely wonderful Ladies Night Out!

Here we are, ready to start our night!

We started at Arizona Inn for cocktails.

After drinks, we went to Feast for a delish dinner and North for, well, more drinks and a ton of great girl talk. So much to be thankful for. Girls, thank you so much for a wonderful night. Thank you to Michael for driving us around. Thank you to my fab babysitters for taking good care of my kids. Looking for another girls night soon!

Just another day in paradise

2010-11-06T16:20:00.002-07:00

Just a quick post, because I don't always put pics up here as much as I should. Today I participated in the CATwalk 10k, where two big things happened.

First, the kids had what I believe is their first experience with teenage babysitting. I "hired" two teenage girls from my school (and related to my AP) to watch the kids, at the U of A while I ran. The girls were pros and the kids had a blast.

Second, the kids got to see Wilma again! I LOVE that Zac isn't as afraid of huge dressed up animals as he used to be. Wait, is that a good thing? Regardless, they were so excited!

Then, we came home and had lunch. I let the kids eat at their play table.

Then, off to nap.

That is all.

Halloween Part 2

2010-11-03T20:36:00.003-07:00

Yep, that title definitely sounds like a horror movie.
So, here are a whole plethora of pics from Friday's Halloween Festvial at school and Halloween night. For a chuckle and a run down of the costume making process, check out Vicarious Chelsea by clicking HERE. (Bonus? Stevie and my dad dressed up, and their pics are there too)

Halloween Festival: We really {really} tried to get a good picture of Pebbles and Bam Bam together.

Key word? Tried.

"Dora" won some cupcakes at the cake walk, under uncle Stevie's leadership. Stevie won the rest of the cakes, I believe. Seriously. He won a lot.

Yep, we actually let Zac play with a club, and we lived to talk about it.

Saturday, we didn't dress up. Instead, we just hammed it up for the camera.

I LOVE this pic of them playing together.

Sunday? Back to costumes. We had the traditional dinner and cul-de-sac party at my parents' house, complete with trick or treating and plenty of goodies.

I even got to meet baby Sadie, Beth's teeny tiny baby girl. Adorable!

All in all it was a great time!

Halloween 2010 - part one!

2010-11-01T20:55:00.003-07:00

When I sat down to post about Halloween, I realized that there is just too much for one post. So, I'm splitting it into two (or three!) separate posts.
Part one - Pumpkin carving!
Last weekend we went to Buckalew Farms to get pumpkins! Kendra, Stevie and I ran a 5K first, then it was time to hit the pumpkin patch!

We picked out two perfect pumpkins. Then, this past week, it was time for some serious carving. This is all daddy's department, and the kids were excited to help.

Zac was especially fond of getting messy.

Lilly had to take a ballerina break.

WOW dada!

Pumpkin carving success!

I love watching Jeremy show off his mad pumpkin carvin' skills with the kiddos.

Stay tuned for Halloween part 2 (sounds like a Horror movie doesn't it. Wait, I think it is a horror movie. I promise the only thing scary about the next Halloween post is the poor photography).

Won't you vote for me?

2010-10-27T16:14:00.000-07:00

So, I have never asked friends, readers, or followers to vote for me. For anything. I never even ran for student council, or homecoming, or anything.

Wait, I may have ran for student council once, but it was in grade school so it doesn't count. Right?

Anyhow... for fun I decided to put my name in to win a blogging gig. It's called the Good Mood Gig, and I would get paid (squeeeeee) to blog for six months. I tend to look at the positive side of things more often than not and, once I've had my coffee, am usually in a good mood. I think I'd really enjoy this gig!

So... if you're not too busy to click HERE and then click vote, I would really appreciate it. Yep, it requires a grand total of TWO clicks of your mouse. Oh, but you can vote every single day until November 10.

Oh, and if I'm in the top 20, then I have to get to make a video as part of my application. And it will be posted online. Isn't the possible embarrassment reason enough for you to take the time to click that mouse twice? Yeah, I thought so.

Ok... in case you don't want to scroll back up (because, after all, I promised only two clicks. No scrolling), HERE is the link again.

Thank you!!!!!

Happy Birthday Kendra and Stevie!

2010-10-26T15:45:00.003-07:00

Kendra's birthday was last Saturday, and Stevie's is today. In honor of the birthdays of two of my most favorite people, I found the most attractive, professional, perfect picture of the two of them together with their lovely daughter, Shyla. I love you all!!

(PS I totally stole this pic from Kendra's Facebook page. So, it's not THAT mean)

The 20th!

2010-10-22T17:32:00.002-07:00

Happy 20th!!!

What? It's not the 20th? It's the 22nd already!!! Well, this post was supposed to go out two days ago... forgive me?

A couple of days ago we had a playdate with Aubrey, since we missed her birthday party while we were in Disneyland. These two girls don't have any fun together at all, do they?

On the 20th (the true 20th), I always try to take a pic of Lilly and Zackary together. Not an easy feat these days.

So, I figure I'll get a pic of just him. Sadly, he does NOT sit still long enough to look at the camera! (Especially when he has a truck book near by. Remember the dino books? He's forgotten all about them for now. Now, we're all about trucks)

Ha! So I'll get a pic while he sleeps! Seriously... look at that face!

And I love that he commonly sleeps with one or two feet outside of the crib. *love*

Happy 20th to Shyla May too, of course!

The kids and I are having movie/game night tonight while Jer is at work. Can't wait!

Oh, and my marathon? It rocked. Well, it was HARD but it also rocked. I put up a post or two about it on my other blog... and I'm posting some cute "Lillyisms" tonight (grandma and grandpa Yager especially should check it this one out! So... head on over ... VICARIOUS CHELSEA and scroll through the latest posts.

Disneyland 2010!

2010-10-09T12:34:00.007-07:00

So... did I mention that we went to DISNEYLAND this past week??
Consider this the first (exhausted) effort to post pictures. There will be more, I'm sure. I need to get some from Kendra (who put together a great Disneyland post you can check out HERE) and continue going through the ones on my camera and phone.
But... for now... may I present you... DISNEYLAND 2010!

Cast of characters: my parents, my sister and her family, our family (yes, including Jeremy who almost never gets to go anywhere with us due to work!), Dan and Erin, and guest appearances by Greg, Scott, Darlene, and adorble little Seth.

We arrived to Aneheim on Sunday, early afternoon. We had an adjourning room with Kendra and her family, so we checked it out and walked around town a little bit. Then... the first of many, many big moments... Mickey and Minney Mouse called Lilly on the phone! Lilly happened to be eating pizza at the time, which was all she could tell them about. Still, it was so exciting!
We also all got presents of Mickey and Minnie that evening (THANKS Dan and Erin!).

The next day, was Day 1 in the park! We ended up spending 2 and 1/2 days in the parks from our 3 day pass. Monday was Disneyland, Tuesday was mostly California Adventure, Wednesday it rained so we (Yagers) skipped and day and instead spent Thursday at Disneyland until noon, then hit the road to come home. Here, in no particular order, are park pics!

Forgacs clan!

Dad takin' down the aliens!

Lilly on the L!

Jer and I on the Matterhorn!

It was drizzly, but perfect!

Teacups!

(Lilly saaid this ride was "AWKWARD" ... meaning "awesome")

Thank you SO much to grandma and grandpa for an amazing trip!

Dancing at the parade!

All 3 kiddos got mouse ears, of course!

Rides! (btw "Rides" is Zac's latest word)

Action figures!

Army men!

Mickey Mouse ice cream!

Running and playing!

Resting!

Scott and Darlene at dinner

(not pictured - their son Seth and buddy Greg)!

Lilly and Daddy in Goofy's house.

Toontown!

Long chat with Cinderella!

SO much is not pictured, including many many rides, many many "moments," meeting many many characters, many many hugs, a few whiny moments (but, really, only a few)... the list goes on and on!

This trip was amazing and we have so many wonderful memories. The looks on their faces... priceless.

The 20th!

2010-09-20T20:12:00.003-07:00

How is it possibly the 20th already?

Lilly... today you are 3 years and 7 months old. You are independent and outspoken. You are very chatty and very animated. You like to be Dora more often than Lilly, but sometimes you prefer to be Diego or "older Dora." You love your brother, but you start asking around 6pm when he's going to bed. You also wake up earlier on weekends than during the week. We need to discuss that, at your leisure.

Zac... today you are 1 year and 9 months old. You are also independent and outspoken. You are learning new words daily, and you now love reading and books. Your favorite animal, by far, is the dinosaur. You are testing. Testing everyone and everything. You frustrate easily, and loudly. And yet every night we cuddle before you go to bed. You are truly a very sweet and caring boy.

Shyla... I don't have a picture of you from this week. That means it's time to take more pictures. Today you are 1 year and 4 months old. You are really starting to hold you own with Zac. The tubes in your ears mean you haven't had any infections lately, which is wonderful. I do wish you would stop crying every time your mommy takes Pancake for a walk though. Your daddy isn't that bad.

In other news... Jeremy took me out on a date last night! Naturally, I forgot the camera and my phone took only a grainy picture because of the lighting. Still, it was a wonderful dinner at Curuso's. Delicious food and good conversation. Thank you so much to my mom for watching the kids. And, thank you to my handsome hubby for a great evening!

Happy 20th!

Busy couple of weeks!

2010-09-15T19:42:00.007-07:00

So, some of you may be wondering where we've been lately. Well let-me-tell-you it has been busy around here!

Last weekend (Labor Day) 3 of my closest girlfriends from high school and I headed up to my parent's cabin in Pinetop! We put 12 people (7 adults plus 5 kids) in one cabin and we Had. A. Blast. I'm going to be REALLY lazy and post just a couple of pics, then point you in Natalie's direction... her blog posts about the weekend were amazing, and worth checking out. But first... the four of us!

And Zac... busy busy busy like always.

Lilly - hamming it up, like always!

Natalie and Spencer both had birthdays while we were there too which made the weekend even more special! (Spencer was happier than this picture shows most of the weekend.)

It was seriously a great trip, and I hope we can do it again soon. If I could change anything, it would only be having Jeremy be able to come with us. Poor guy was working, of course. BUT we have a trip planned soon where he is NOT working and he WILL be with us (um, and therefore he'll get in some pictures!) and we can't wait!

So... for more Pinetop pics and stories, check out Natalie's blog post about it, HERE.

And, if you really want a good laugh, check out pics of Natalie's birthday's from high school... HERE!

So, that was labor day weekend. Awesome!

Then, a 5 day work week turned into 4, which is great but super busy.

Finally, Saturday again. My school had our first annual decathlon, complete with relay race, badminton, bean bag toss and other cool games. I did not take pictures being that I was in a headed match. Which my team won by the way.

Julia did get a great pic of the kids during breakfast afterwards though. Aren't they cute??

This is after they got to play in the kindergarten classroom but before they got to play on the playground. Oh, and before Lilly got to sing "ABC's" and "Twinkle Twinkle" into the microphone in our Multi Purpose Room. It was a great day!

Sunday, we were back on the road up to Spencer's 3rd birthday party in Phoenix. Natalie, of course, outdid herself. And, a special thanks to Natalie's parents for insisting that I let them watch the kids (they were playing outside) while I went inside to catch up with my friends and enjoy myself. SO NICE!

Whew. I'm tired just thinking about it. SO much fun and SO busy. I have about 137 loads of laundry to fold... so I guess I should give it an attempt. I'll post again soon!

Just the kids!

2010-08-30T15:35:00.003-07:00

Boy oh boy between work and now Lasik, I have been really struggling to find time and balance! For now, here are a couple pics of some really cute kids!

Here they are, ready to go somewhere.
They are so cute on the bike together! Funny - Lilly got SO mad when she couldn't wear this halter top to school today because it was dirty. She has the exact same one in orange, which was only barely (and grumpyly) acceptable. Boy oh boy do we have our hands full!

The 20th!

2010-08-20T20:22:00.003-07:00

Happy 20th!

Boy oh boy have I been a bad blogger lately. School started up and I have been beyond busy. It's great though, I'm learning a lot.

Anyhow, on to the message of the day... The 20TH!

My sincere apologies if you have seen these pics. I do plan on getting better, again, about taking and posting pics. For now though, my friends, these will have to do. These were not taken on the exact 20th... but pretty close.

Lilly had a crown, so Zac had to have a crown. His may or may not look more like a chef's hat, but whatever.

Zac and Shyla in the tunnel! Shyla had tubes put in her ears yesterday, so we are all hoping for NO MORE EAR INFECTIONS! Poor little thing! And her poor mommy and daddy too!

Love these kids!

Happy Birthday Mommy!

2010-08-01T20:54:00.002-07:00

Friday was my mom's birthday!

So, we had the traditional loud and chaotic party at my parents' house on Saturday.

I forgot my camera, naturally, so I snapped some pics on my phone. This first picture is of my dad at his seat at the table. Notice... no table. My family is nuts.

You thought THAT was nuts, check out my mom's birthday cake!

The bottom layer was a frozen Snickers cake - slightly melted.

The middle is a half eaten hamburger.

The top is a cupcake with a toy popsicle sticking out of it.

I blame Stevie.

Time to blow out the candle!

Mom, happy birthday!

I'm so sorry that you always have to do all the work at parties. Even your own. And I'm sorry that your cake was... well... see above.

Thank you for being the best mom and grandma. We love you so much!

BBQ and Swimming ... Sorta!

2010-07-24T20:26:00.000-07:00

So, this actually happened LAST WEEKEND but I am a bad, bad blogger and am just now getting to it.

In my defense, last week was my first week back to work.

At a new job.

At a new school.

Enough said.

Throw in the 20th, and the need for a post then (love love love the 20th), and additional blogging just wasn't happening.

Anyhow, last weekend we went to a pool party/BBQ with my three closest friends from high school! The four of us have been getting together again, as often as possible.

I think we decided on at least 4 times a year, right ladies?

Anyhow, Laura and Josh were the hosts with the most, and we swam (um, for 4 minutes in between storms, but whatever), ate delicious food, and had hilarious conversation!

Lilly and Zac played together a bit! Warms my heart every. Single. Time.
With Tyler! (We were all sure Tyler was going to jump off the swing at any given point)
Water play with Sara!

As bad as I have been at blogging, I was an even worse photographer and that pretty much sums up the pictures I took.

The next morning, we all went to breakfast, where I actually got a picture of Spencer, eating next to Lilly.

And one of this lovely little number. Just jelly people, just jelly.

A HUGE congratulations to my dear friend Jeannette and her hubby Aaron who had their little bundle of joy either late last night or early this morning. Eleanor is about 2 months premature and so very tiny, but from what I hear she is doing just great. I can't wait to meet her soon! I'm saying prayers tonight that little Ellie stays healthy, gains weight, and gets to go home sometime soon - when she's ready.

The 20th!

2010-07-20T20:32:00.002-07:00

This 20th really snuck up on me!
Happy, happy 20th to these 3 beautiful children!

Lilly, today you are 3 years and 5 months old. You already have your 4th birthday party planned (Diego theme) and, in fact, your 5th (Ariel). I am so, so proud of you every day.
Zac, today you are 1 year and 7 months old. Your new haircut makes you even more handsome, if that were possible. You are sweet and so funny... and truthfully I am counting down the days until "the ones" are done because you, my friend, are a handful!
Shyla, you are finally letting your mommy and daddy get a little sleep, which is so kind of you. You are also eating with significantly less "horrible food face." And, you dance like your grandpa, but way, way cuter.

We are all so lucky to have you three angels in our lives! Happy 20th

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2010-07-19T20:22:00.003-07:00

Today is my dad's birthday.
Happy Birthday Daddy!
We had a party yesterday to celebrate. Lilly, of course, had to help blow out the candles.

Zac got to spend some time with Uncle Pete.

But he clearly hated the cake.

The party crew! Well, some of us. Stevie had wondered off and Jeremy was minutes away from arriving after work.

And, again, the birthday boy himself.

Wishing my dad a really, really h appy birthday. I don't know what I'd do without you daddy! I love you!

Sunday Swim!

2010-07-13T20:37:00.002-07:00

On Sunday, the kids and cousin Shyla enjoyed a nice swim. Notice the tiny swim pool? About 20 feet to the left, not shown, is a real in-ground pool. Mom and I did NOT have the energy to put on our own suits and take 3 kids "real swimming," so thank goodness for this pool. It took a little convincing, to Lilly only, but they were happy campers.... errr swimmers.... once they were in!

The 3 cousins!

Shyla didn't last long in the pool... she went exploring!

Lilly and Zac played like crazy... and WITH eachother!

(makes mommy's heart so happy!)
Time for some belly action!

Bathing beauty.

I love love love it when they play together so well! Hope you are all having a sunny, swimmy, smilie summer like we are!

A week already?!?

2010-07-10T19:21:00.005-07:00

Um, it has been a week since I updated this blog. Sorry!
We have been busy, and I am exhausted. Yet again, this will be an update of our week with very little clever writing. Maybe one day I'll be clever again?

The 4th of July was great! The kids were decked out and had a blast.

The rest of the week flew by!

Today, we took Zac to get his very first true haircut! He actually did remarkably well for a shall-we-say very cautious and yet energetic young man. He sat on my lap and was interested but not grumpy about the things around him. He didn't love the water in the face, but otherwise things went well. And, GREAT NEWS! Turns out, he is still quite handsome under that big mop of hair he had going on!

What a handsome devil!

After the haircut (Lilly decided she didn't want one. She has never had one. I would love for her to get a trim just for the experience and I think it would help her hair be a bit more healthy and springy. But, not today) I took the kids to see Clifford The Big Red Dog at the U of A. First, we had to do some coloring.

Then, we had stories, songs, and activities for about 45 minutes, followed by a LONG line to actually meet Clifford.

Lilly loved him and Zac was interested and not at all afraid. No great pictures, but at least he wasn't screaming (Zac, that is. I didn't expect Clifford to start screaming randomly).

Next, we headed over to Kendra and Stevie's new home, into which they are in the process of moving. We played with the piano, the water table, each other, and plenty of off-limit moving stuff. It was fun and exhausting.

Ah yes, and we ate some yogurt.

What will tomorrow hold???

2 big days

2010-07-03T19:35:00.006-07:00

I have two great days to tell you about today!

1. Thursday.
Lilly had been going through a bit of a regression in regards to potty training. Last week she had at least one accident every day! I busted out the incentive (is that just a fancy word for "bribery"?) of going to Chuck E Cheese if she had 5 "no accident days" in a row.
It took her a couple of days to start remembering, but then she was off. Her 5th "no accident day" was actually Wednesday, but we decided we would go to Chuck E Cheese on Thursday. Here are some pics!

Lilly enjoying pizza (with cheese) with daddy.

Zac checking out (and loving) the big puppet dancer thingys.

Rides!

Our little fireman!

Together!

Miss. Jessica and her son, Cain, joined us for a bit!

Love it!

Special thanks to Lilly for having no accidents (and none since then either... keep those fingers crossed), and my mom for attending (and financing) the big event!\

2. Friday.

Friday was a pre-planned "Mommy-Daughter Day." I was so excited. I had spent some one-on-one time with Zac lately, and it was Lilly's turn! We talked about it all week!

Friday morning, we dropped Zac off at school, and returned home to get ready for our day! We got a great big bag together, and we were off!

Lilly was READY to go (I love this picture)

We started out at Bruggers Bagels where we, shockingly, ate bagels. Just sitting and talking to my little girl makes my heart so happy! We have the most fun (crazy, silly, entertaining, creative...) conversations!

Next, we stopped by grandpa's office to visit and get free lollipops.

Off to Target for some swimsuit shopping (we both struck out).

And to Bison Witches for lunch with Suzanne and Soren!

Suzanne and Soren hamming it up!

Me and my girl!

After lunch, we hugged goodbye...

At this point, Lilly told me she was tired and wanted to go home to rest. So, we did. We stopped on the way and picked up a couple movies, though. We got home and hit the couch with our movies!

Movies!

After resting with our movies (we watched half of each, so basically one movie), we headed back out!

Lilly had discovered that one of her barbie's was missing her clothing, and we couldn't find it anywhere! So, I told her that we would look for barbie clothing at the store. I was thinking the dollar store, but they didn't have any. So, we shopped at a couple of places and ended up getting a new barbie for Lilly and she helped pick out a new toy for Zac.

Next, we stopped at McDonalds for an ice cream cone!

By this time, we missed Zac terribly so we headed over to pick him up! When we got home, it was playtime!

New toys!

(Um, yes, if you look in the background you can tell that the last thing in the world these kids need are more toys. This is my reminder that it is time to put together a bag or two to giveaway!)

We played and played all evening, and we all slept soundly last night! What a day!

Happy Happy Happy 4th of July tomorrow. A heartfelt "Thank you" to all our service men and women, past and present, for allowing us to experience freedom. I am truly thankful.

Boring post, exciting life!

2010-06-30T19:32:00.003-07:00

I'm not feeling very "inspired," which is why there has been a shortage of posts lately. Still, I have cute pictures to share. So here ya go!
I've been so lucky to spend a bit more time with my beautiful niece, Shyla, this summer. She is growing so fast, and I love being the one who is totally allowed to spoil her!

Zac is up to his normal "get sick so I get to stay home and play with mommy" antics. He had an ear infection (didn't complain, but doc found it during his well-baby appointment), which got worse when he resisted the antibiotics. So, new meds and a couple extra days with mommy. His timing, honestly, was bad. But once he started feeling better we had some serious F.U.N.

Um, except for when I was trying to get him to STOP CLIMBING ON THE FURNITURE!

Lilly and I are looking forward to a "mommy - daughter day" on Friday!

Where she may or may not bring "doggy Lilly" which, as you can tell, is Lilly wearing slippers on her hands and feet. And she barks. LOVE her imagination!

One of the greatest things about summer break is spending more time with my sis too. Isn't she amazing?!?

And here she is with her goofy husband. It takes more "takes" to get a semi-normal picture of him than it does the kids. Seriously! The face!

We went to my grandparents' house the other night for Chop Souie night. Yum! Grandma and grandpa are so wonderful!

I was TIRED this day, and it shows, but I kind of love this picture of Zac.

Boring post, but nothing boring going on in real life. Hope you're all staying cool!

Ode to Lucky Wishbone!

2010-06-24T19:31:00.000-07:00

My good friend Natalie read my blog yesterday and reminded me that I had forgotten to mention that our Father's Day Dinner was Lucky Wishbone.
What is Lucky Wishbone you ask?
Wait?!? Why do you ask that? Do you live under a rock?!?
The ONLY excuse you have for not knowing the wonderful, greasy, deliciousness of Lucky Wishbone is if you're not from around here.
(You have to say that with an old man accent... "You're not from around these parts, is ya?")
Anyhow, I apologize for my oversight! Here is lucky wishbone in all it's finest!

Lucky Wishbone consists of a few very important things.

-Steak Fingers (fried steak strips)

-Shrimp Fingers (fried shrimp)

-Chicken Fingers (fried... you get it right? Though these are not a necessity for me. Steak and shrimp... yes.)

-Lucky Wishbone Sauce (Pay extra to get tons. You'll want it)

-Toast (Thick Texas Toast, but barely toasted and drenched in butter)

-Jalepeno Poppers (Just in case you haven't had enough fried food at this point)

It. Is. Delicious.

That's all. That is my whole post for today. I love Lucky Wishbone. Oh, and they in no way compensated me for this post. Why would they need me to advertise for them on my silly blog? They are "A Tucson Tradition" after all. Still, if some fingers, sauce, toast and poppers landed on my doorstop today, I'd be a happy, happy lady. Hint hint! No? Ok...

A belated 20th

2010-06-23T20:52:00.004-07:00

Would you believe that I posted this on the 20th, only to have aliens come down and delete it???

No?

Ok, that didn't happen.

I've been a bad, bad blogger lately.

Thing is, I've been busy. I'll try be better.

So... the 20th! This month, the 20th was on Father's Day! Happy Father's Day to all the daddies out there!

In honor of the 20th, we tried to take a picture of the three kids together. Imagine the chaos! Here was the winner:

And, some outtakes:

HAHAHA!
Now, Father's Day. Sadly, Jeremy had to work. We were able to spend some time with him in the morninng, but this picture was from a few days earlier.

Also, sadly, my dad got a flat tire on his way back from fish camp, so he didn't make it home until Father's Day was pretty much over.
Stevie was there though! As the only father at dinner, he was asked to look "fatherly" at the cake. This is what he came up with.

And, here is Kendra showing him how to do it correctly.

I am SO lucky to have my dad as my dad. He tells me how it is and how it should be, while protecting me every step of the way. I love you dad!

What we're up to!

2010-06-17T18:54:00.004-07:00

So, what have we been up to since returning to AZ? SO MUCH!

First of all, it has been my week to teach summer school. The neat thing is that Kendra and I have both been teaching this week - me in the morning and her in the afternoon. Monday, as I brought the students to her, she handed off Shyla to me. I got to spend the whole afternoon with this little angel, PLUS we did a mini makeover consisting of pigtails!

Tuesday... Andrea arrived from Las Vegas! I am SO excited that she is here and we are able to catch up and hang out and just BE.

Zac has a crush on her I think.

And Lilly LOVES her too!
Wednesday I got a call from daycare saying that Zac was sick. So Andrea and I picked him up as soon as we could after work, and kept him home today too.

Thank goodness Andrea was here! She was able to babysit Zac, at my work, while I taught summer school. Since he was feeling so much better, we were able to bring Shyla home in the afternoon too.

Those crazy cousins played so hard!

Tupperware is always fun!

Then, resting for a brief second.

Back to playing like crazy, this time in Andrea's bed.

I'm tired just thinking about how hard they played today!

Lilly, meanwhile, had water day at school today. Isn't she a flirt?

Kendra came over after teaching, and my mom picked up food and came over after work. We all ate El Molinito and had more playtime!

All three kids had baths (no pictures, creepos - if you're not a creepo and want to see 'em, lemme know!), and we had some book reading and calm playtime.

Aren't Lilly and Shyla cute?!?

I think Zac is feeling much better, and will go back to daycare tomorrow. Andrea and I get the whole day to hang out, since summer school is over! I'm very excited!

Until next time...

Where in the world are the Yagers?

2010-06-09T20:59:00.004-07:00

Long post... beware!

Where in the world are the Yagers??
Right back home, where we should be!
Where have we been? Globe trotting!
Ok, I might be using the term "globe trotting" very loosely. But, the kids and I (Jeremy had to stay home to work) have been traveling! Here is a very brief run-down of our last couple weeks!

First, we went to Phoenix. Kendra and Stevie are SO generous and cashed in some of their "points" for two villas at Kierland Resort. Am I using the "cashing in" and "points" terms correctly? I don't even know. Regardless, we got to spend three nights there with them where we played, ate, swam, walked, played, whined, and laughed. A. Lot.

The cousins bathed together.

Naps were taken. Hats were worn.

Walks were taken. Laughs were shared.

Pack mules were packed. Mommies smiled.
Other highlights of the trip:
Lots of swim time including a lazy river, which Lilly wouldn't go on. I didn't dare bring my camera to anything water related.
My good friend Karen's little boy turned one - they live in Phoenix and the kids and I got to go to their party, where Zac got soaked (again!) at the water table and proceeded to smash frosting all over me. Birthday boy Tyler smashed cake into his mommy, and good times were had by all.
Mom got a flat tire on the way back from dinner, leading Lilly to YELL in the Safeway Parking lot "WILL SOMEBODY FIX MY GRANDMA'S TIRE" over and over (and over) again.
The people in the elevator who forgot to push the button, waited, and almost left when the doors opened again. I'm giggling to myself thinking about it!
A beautiful run overlooking a gorgeous golf course.

Day 4 - time to go to Sacramento!

No pictures of the flight, but you can use your imagination.
Me. Lilly. Zac. 2 huge checked bags. My purse, with laptop smashed inside. Huge carryon with snacks, toys, diapers, etc. Lilly's backpack with more toys and snacks. 1 double stroller. 1 ErgoBaby carrier. Lots of stress.
Zac = wiggle worm.
Lilly = pee pee monster.
Mommy = needing a drink.
Still, people (in general) are wonderful and understanding and helpful. We made it to Sac and were immediately greeted by Grandpa Yager!

We had such a great trip, and the pictures are still a bit unorganized, so here is a sampling.

Grandma and granpa spoil us all!

Great pictures on green, green grass.

Nana and Marg had us over one night!

We saw so many great friends!

Auntie Jenn and Uncle Jon were around as much as possible!

Goofy grandpa

Great meals and family time!

And good 'ol Zac... leaving his messy mark all over CA!

Some highlights:

Surviving the flight. Said it before, but I'm saying it again.

Stroller Strides with Kim - great workout!

Family dinners - not sure if grandma and grandpa were prepared to DUCK when Zac throws food.

Library Storytime. Enough said.

Dinner and Nana and Marg's - always a good time.

Visiting Norwood (my old school). Something so special about that place.

Sushi with Jenn! LOVE you Jenn!

BBQ in the park with friends - I love and miss you guys so much!
Shopping with Auntie Margie!

Gorgeous, and HILLY, morning runs.

Car breaking down in Vacaville :( Turned into an "adventure day," but bummed to miss the graduation party we were going to.

Pizza picnic outside.

Lake Folsom picnic.

I could go on and on.

The flight home was even longer, with a 2 hour layover in Vegas. But, we survived with wonderful memories of a great trip.

So thankful to grandma and grandpa Yager, and all of our family and friends!

If you're still reading... thanks!

2 very different kids.

2010-05-30T13:25:00.005-07:00

Picture day!
Ahhh... just look at Lilly... what a beautiful smile!

And, one where she looks a little more serious. Thoughtful, even.
And, a nice posed full body shot. What a sweetie!

Zac's turn!

Are. You. Kidding. Me?

Maybe if we give him a ball to play with...
Surely he'll be happy with his friends and teacher...
That's my boy.

Funny how that mean old camera lady clearly tried to torture him, while doing no such harm to Lilly.

I LOVE how different they are. I wish he didn't think every stranger was out to get him, but I still love that they have their own unique personalities.

Thankful Through Thursday!

2010-05-27T05:36:00.002-07:00

What makes you thankful this week?

1. I am thankful that it is almost summer break! This is a page from a book that one of my students wrote. I am thankful that they think I am a good teacher, and that they listen enough to know that I love the word "Bazinga."

2. I am thankful that Lilly wants to be a doctor! Ha! Actually, I just loved seeing this at her school the other day. I'm thankful that she has options and free thought. And, a doctor in the family wouldn't be bad! Better than, say, a "Man on an airplane" or a "Fire engine."

3. I am thankful that one of the things that makes Lilly happy is playing with me! Granted, most responses are pretty similar on this page, but at least I rank higher than "Chicken Nuggets."

Link up! Write about what makes you thankful or happy today, and link up here! Or, you can of course still leave a comment!

Odds and ends!

2010-05-25T08:48:00.001-07:00

Hi all! Just a couple random pics that I wanted to share...

My friend Stephanie (Metropolitan Mama) shared with me her recipe for Peanut Butter Balls last week. So, Lilly and I tried them out. They were a HIT! Now, Lilly asks for them every other day!
Here she is, making them the first time. Things I love about this picture include: that dress (Yep, she's wearing it, again), that hair, that face, that mess. Love, love, love!

The next day, enjoying the fruits of her labors!

Zac STILL does not like peanut butter. I thought the peanut butter balls might entice him... or at least he wouldn't realize what it was since they were dredged in powdered sugar, dark cocoa, or crushed pretzels. He wanted one but as soon as it got NEAR him he shook "NO," and wouldn't touch it. Crazy!

So, here is a picture of him eating something else instead... maybe a waffle?

And, one of him dismembering the "gumball tree" that he made at school. He loves throwing things away (especially when it is something he is ALLOWED to throw in the trash), so he tore each gumball off and threw it away, came to get a hug, then went back for the next gumball. Pretty cute!

One more, Lilly and Zac in baskets. Sadly, the new rule is that we can't climb in the baskets, because Zac leaned back and almost fell, which scared me. Yes, I shoulda seen it coming. But they were so darn cute!

I love that he wants to do everything she does. I hate that it frustrates him when he can't.

I love that she cheers him on.

I love when they share, and hate when they fight.

These are all things that go along with being siblings... such special times and experiences!

Shyla's First Birthday Party!

2010-05-23T20:34:00.002-07:00

As you all know (if you read my last post), Shyla has officially turned one. My sis and Stevie threw one heck of a bash at my parent's house this weekend. Here is the birthday girl with her beautiful mommy:

Let's get right to the cake! Shyla is, apparently, not a huge fan of cupcakes bigger than her head. Was it the cupcake? The size? Or all the people? Whatever it was, she was not liking it. I like the look on my sister's face here. To me, it simply says, "really???"

And, the infamous Castle Cake! Why infamous? I'm glad you asked! Our mom made me a castle cake one year when I was a kid. Kendra never got one. Why? Because they love me more, I figure. Oh, or Kendra was the second child. Whatever the reason, it has been a bone of contention ever since. So, it was only fitting that Shyla got one for her first. Turned out darn good, huh?

The happy family with Grandma Forgacs... not sure why she is threatening the happy family with a knife, but it made for a great photo opp!

Had to include one of Lilly, eating her cake and cone... I get lost in her beauty sometimes...

This was, of course, after she blew out Shyla's candle on it's way to the birthday girl. THAT was a priceless moment.

Where are the pics of Zac? I have no idea! That boy is constant motion, and managed to get left out of every picture!

One more pic of grandma and grandpa:

Not grandma and grandpa you say? Well, funny, because Lilly accidently called Kendra grandma twice and Stevie grandpa once. So, let's compare Kendra and Stevie to, well, older people.

~ Kendra has a bad habit of saying "Wipper Snapper."

~ Kendra is drinking coffee here, at 6:30pm.

~ Stevie was making his "grandpa face," (I think he was laughing through it though...)

That's all... apparently Kendra is more of a grandma than Stevie is a grandpa, but they are married and therefore one can bring the other down.

HA!

All in all it was one darn good party, and I am just thrilled to have such a beautiful one year old niece!

Shyla turns one!

2010-05-20T10:19:00.005-07:00

Oh. My. Gosh.
It is the 20th. AND Thursday.
But that's not all... it is an even extra special 20th because today... ladies and gentlemen... is SHYLA MAY'S FIRST BIRTHDAY!

Happy Happy Birthday Shyla! And, happy baby-birthday to Kendra and Stevie, who have embraced parenthood absolutely amazingly. You guys are inspirational (and sleep deprived... sorry!) parents.
Love you all!

One great weekend!

2010-05-16T19:37:00.004-07:00

What a weekend!
Saturday started off with the basics - breakfast and running some errands. The kids were happy and in good moods, and all was good.
After nap, I took them over to my parents house, where they engage in activities such as the following:

Lilly and grandpa climbing.

Zac and grandma enjoying a treat.

They spent the night over there so that Jeremy and I could go to a BBQ at my good friend Stephanie's house. Let me give you just a quick background on me and Stephanie. We met in preschool. Yep, age 3. Best friends through Junior High. Sometime around high school we lost touch - we went to different high schools and this was before facebook, email or even everyone having cell phones. It happens. I beat myself up over it for a lot of years, but I don't have to anymore. By college we had completely lost touch and were going our separate ways. When I started my facebook account a year (ish) ago, I searched for her. No luck. A couple of months ago, I had a "friend request" from her. She found me.
We reconnected and have become fast friends... again. Last night we got to meet her husband and meet some of their friends - everyone was wonderful. Included in the group was one other friend from Junior High, Kim, who I also haven't seen in so many years. Kim is expecting her first baby this month. A girl named... wait for it... Lilly (not sure on how they are spelling it, but you get the idea).
Anyhow, we had a blast. I took no pictures, but that's ok because there is time and will be plenty of get togethers.

Anyhow, due to the fact that the kids were at my parent's, I got to sleep in this morning. Then, I ran the 5 miles to their house. It was a rough run, but I was glad to get one in! Mom drove us home, and this was the scene not long later:

Zac crashed in his crib.

Lilly crashed on the couch.

My parents sure do wear them out!
After nap, we went BACK to my parent's house for dinner, and the kids are now tucked into dreamland.
All things considered, it was a great weekend! How was yours?

FLASHBACK FRIDAY!

2010-05-14T01:43:00.002-07:00

Jeremy reminded me that I haven't done a flashback lately! How terrible! He reminded me by forwarding me this picture that buddy Greg took.

This was taken at Daffodil Hill, near Sacramento not long after Lilly was born. The date on the picture is March 31, 2007. So, she was just over one month old.

Jeremy, I love you. But I can't help but notice that you still have (and wear, ahem) this same shirt frequently. Um, and the hat. Shoot, and the shorts.

Lilly and I got rid of these outfits long ago. Just saying.

As long as I'm picking on people, look at how fat I look!

Lilly, though... she looks beautiful.

Happy Friday!

Thankful Through Thursday!

2010-05-13T16:16:00.001-07:00

iphone users, make sure to enter my GelaSkins Giveaway by clicking HERE!

What am I thankful for this Thursday? Well, for one, I'm thankful that it is Thursday! Whew this has been one long week!

I'm a teacher, and we have about 2 weeks of school left before summer. This means that the students (Cue "teacher voice") have a bit more energy and excitement than they are capable of handling in an acceptable manner. In "non teacher but really tired old lady voice" this sounds a lot like, "They. Are. Crazy."

Oh, but back to being thankful... last night the kids and I got home to a wonderful homemade meal that Jeremy had simmering away in the Crockpot. He was at work, but the kids and I ate well, and I didn't have to lift a finger. I'm thankful for Jeremy and his healthy cooking.

I am thankful for these two, who make me smile every. single. day.

Ok, since you twisted my arm, one cute kid story about each cute kid.

Zac. We got to daycare a bit earlier than usual today, so Zac was allowed to sit at the table in the main room to eat his snack with the "big kids" rather than being taken back to the "baby room" to eat in a highchair. The look of excitement and pride on his face was adorable! This has happened before, a time or two... that kid can't wait to be BIG.

Lilly. Lilly has gotten to the point where she can get completely undressed and completely with almost no assistance at all (depending on the outfit). This brings out that same look of pride. Also, she sang to me this morning - Rockabye Baby - and wouldn't let me sing along because SHE was the mommy and I was the baby. In fact, she's really getting into singing lately. Stinkin' cute, I say.

What are you thankful for??

Bathing Beauties!

2010-05-11T20:24:00.002-07:00

Just a quick shot of these two beauties after bath tonight!

They are pretty happy bathing together these days. Lilly prefers Zac not to splash, and he does a pretty good job of restraining himself.
Cute, cute, cute!

Lilly's first library book!

2010-05-10T14:37:00.002-07:00

Lilly's school just started offering "lending books" for kids to check old via good 'ol fashioned check out cards. She got her first book on Friday, after the center director told her the rules. She was able to repeat them all weekend, and she stuck to them exactly!

She was SO cute! We returned the book today and she is looking forward to getting a new book.

I wrote a combined Children's Book post about this on Vicarious Chelsea, if you're interested in knowing the rules. Oh, and she is quite the little fashionista isn't she?!? I just love that she is learning what library books are and how to be responsible!

Mother's Day 2010!

2010-05-09T21:53:00.005-07:00

Happy, Happy Mother's Day to all the mommies out there, and the ones who are watching over us.

I had a lovely day. Lilly woke me up with a smile this morning (ok, letting me sleep in past 5:30 would have been a bonus, but we can't have it all, right?), and we got to have some "girl time" before the boys woke up.

Then, we got ready for our Mother's Day brunch!

I love having the family over. My grandparents made it today, which was so special. Aren't they the absolute best couple ever? 60 years of marriage people. 60. Years. Wow!

Us ladies basking in the sun! My sis and I are sitting, next to grandma (seats of honor, of course). The top row, from left to right is my mom, cousin Kay, Pat (Kendra's mother-in-law) and aunt Nanette.

Same group of ladies, but inside and with babies.

And, my beautiful, wonderful, amazing mommy with two of her grandkids.

Thanks mom, for being a constant example of what motherhood is!

Sidenote - this was my sister's first official Mother's Day (Shyla was mere weeks from being born last year, so she was already a mom in my opinion, but still... first official). Kendra, I just have to say that you are rockin' motherhood!

It was also a HUGE bonus that Jeremy had the whole day off today, so he was able to spend it with me! In the afternoon, after brunch, we had some good family fun BBQing and taking a walk and just playing! All in all, a great day!

So, happy happy Mother's Day to all of the mommies out there - friends who are embracing motherhood (we're struggling through together, at least), friends' moms, mommies to be (there seem to be many of you these days), and mommies who are looking down on us (probably laughing at our silly mistakes)... you all know who you are and you all mean the world to me.

Thankful Through Thursday!

2010-05-06T10:30:00.002-07:00

Can anyone else NOT believe that it is May? My goodness!

I don't have a ton of time today (thankful that I have a job and life that keeps me busy), but I'm always thankful for these two sleepyheads!

These pics were taken this am. Lilly gets up when it is "dark light" which means the sun has just barely began rising over the mountains. Nice.Zac wakes up whenever someone goes in to wake him up!
Happy Thursday!

Movin' on up...

2010-05-04T22:47:00.002-07:00

You've all met my husband, right?
Today, he interviewed for ... and RECEIVED... a promotion.
A very {very} much deserved promotion.
We are SOOOO proud of him!

So, we dusted off a nice bottle of wine tonight to celebrate!

Actually, we had forgotten about this bottle for a while - It came from Illuminare and was signed by the owner the first time we visited them after having Lilly "See the 'It's a Girl'"? We remembered them saying that this particular bottle isn't one to save for too many years, so it worked to open it tonight.

It. Was. Delicious.

But I digress...

Jeremy, I love you and I am so proud of you. You deserve it!

Books!

2010-05-04T05:21:00.004-07:00

We L-O-V-E books! Here are some of our newest favorites!

The top left one is a Peas and Bananas book written by Daddy Bookins, who was at Bloggy Boot Camp ~ he even signed it to Lilly and Zac! Lilly and I read it the night I got home, and she absolutely loves it!

The other two were from my good friend Suzanne! Suzanne bought them and then decided that they were a better fit for me and Lilly, so she surprised me by putting them in my work mailbox yesterday. Lilly and I read them both last night, and they really really were perfect! Suzanne... thank you! Lilly loves them, and I think I love them even more!

I will leave you with a couple of pictures of the kids... I love how Zac is using his spoon and Lilly is, well, not! Ha!

Happy Tuesday!

Nevermind!

2010-05-02T15:20:00.003-07:00

Hi ... again!

Do I still have any readers here?

Or do I hear crickets???

So, The Yager Family blog is back up! I think I will continue with Vicarious Chelsea, but I'll keep the family blog here...

If you're interested in us - our daily comings and goings, the kids crazy sayings and activities, please put me back on your blogroll, google reader, etc.

I look forward to thrilling you with lots pictures of the kids very soon! For starters, after I got home from Bloggy Boot Camp today (I'll be blogging about that on VC for anyone who is interested), I met Jeremy and the kids at the zoo!

That's the only picture I have ready for now, but I wanted to yell "STOP" to everyone erasing The Yager Family Blog from your minds just yet.

Hope everyone had a good weekend!

5 years ago today...

2010-04-30T17:47:00.000-07:00

5 years ago today...

... I married Jeremy. My best friend.

I am glad I did :)

Love you Jeremy! Happy Anniversary!

Packin' up and movin' out...

2010-04-30T16:26:00.003-07:00

Alright, so I'm moving everything to Vicarious Chelsea for now! I may post something here from time to time, but for the most part... it's all over there!

Please please please continue reading, update your blogroll or bookmarks or Google reader!

How many Cheerios are in a box?!?

2010-04-27T14:14:00.002-07:00

Hi all!

I just wrote {what I believe is} a great post on Zac! I really, really like the way it turned on on VicariousChelsea.com, and yet the format isn't looking the same here.

If it's alright with you, I'm gonna just direct you on over there, but here is a sneak peak:

You'll also solve the mystery of how many Cheerios there are in a 15 oz box. What more could you ask for? So, quick! Click HERE!

All Scraped Up!

2010-04-25T21:46:00.000-07:00

Scrapes happen. Just ask Lilly... she knows.

When scrapes happen, my heart sinks. The world stops as I wait... wait to see if she laughs or cries. Please, please, please laugh.

The world stops while I check her out... please not her head, or face, or teeth. Please no blood.

The world slowly starts to resume while I hold her, and she replays the catastrophy for me, as if I weren't right there.

She doesn't let me kiss it, or wipe her tears. NEVER wipe her tears or kiss her boo-boo. She hates it. There is no worse insult for her. Have you ever tried to NOT wipe a child's tears or kiss their boo-boo's? It's impossibly difficult.

Her independence and courage startles me. Scares me. Amazes me. Inspires me.

I know scrapes and bumps and bruises happen. It's a right of passage. It means she plays, and plays hard. And isn't afraid. And will learn caution. And will know that it won't hurt for long. Still, my heart sinks when she's hurt. I cry on the inside. Every. Time.

That's our Lilly. And, yes, she wears that dress A LOT.

(Don't you worry... Zac's post coming up soon!)

Head on over to VicariousChelsea.com to post a comment!
Psssst! Have you entered my Sunglass Warehouse Giveaway yet? Click HERE!

Thankful Through Thursday!

2010-04-22T04:41:00.011-07:00

On Thursdays, I post about the things I am Thankful for.

This week, I've had some "Oh my gosh SERIOUSLY?!? moments." Just random things that have been stressful for tiring. Still, I'm Thankful Through Thursday!

I'm thankful for friends (old and new), and readers of my blog (old and new).

When my students sarcastically state "Oh. Yea. Another assignment. Yippie," I am thankful that I have a job. A good job. A job I love.

When my son continually tries to eat markers, I am thankful for an exploring, thriving, growing boy whose not scared of the unknown and rather, just wants to taste it all!

When I'm struggling for daycare expenses, I am thankful that I have help and support in the shape of loving, non-judgemental parents.

When my daughter resists bedtime, I am thankful that she is happy and healthy and enjoys life so much that she doesn't want to take the time to rest.

When my car makes that obnoxious clicking noice every time I start it, I am thankful that I have nice things, even if they're not brand spankin' new.

When my kids fight over something, I am thankful that they are close in age and will grow up together, learning respect and caring and patience along the way.

When Jeremy works late, I am thankful that he has a job and that we are working towards bigger and better things. When he doesn't work late, I'm thankful for gourmet food on the table!

When I stub my tow SO bad that the nail bends back (ewww), I am thankful that... um, that I have toes? Ok, that's a tough one...

When things don't go as planned, I am thankful. Because how boring would that be, anyway?

What are you thankful for this fine Thursday? Serious or comical... share with me! Head on over to VicarousChelsea.com to comment or link up!

Sunglasses! Get your sunglasses! GIVEAWAY!

2010-04-21T03:22:00.003-07:00

So, the BEST thing happened.

My sunglasses broke. (Actually, they got scratched, so I bought new ones, which broke, so I wore my scratched ones, which I lost...)

Sounds like a bad thing, right? Well, it actually turned into the BEST thing because I stumbled onto Sunglass Warehouse and, frankly, I don't know that I'll ever be the same.

I mean... look at me!

Pretty cute right? I paid a grand total of $14.66 for these bad boys, AFTER shipping. Plus, they fit perfectly and feel totally sturdy. Uh... can you say, "Win, Win"?

So, I totally and completely fell in love with these sunglasses, so I thought I'd check out their site a little more. They have so many styles, all at amazing prices! I think my next pair will be these aviators ($13.56), that I found when I clicked on Women's Sunglasses. (You can also click directly on any of the pics, and it will take you straight there.)

I'm also thinking Lilly and Zac might look great in these Kid's Sunglasses ($11.01 and $8.46, respectively).

And for a mere $8.46 I'm thinking I might need these Novelty Sunglasses. Just 'cuz I'm cool like that.
Seriously, though, this site has sunglasses for everyone, and at a GREAT price!

Oh, and one more thing, if you have trouble making decisions, they have some cool reads on how to choose sunglasses based on your skin tone or face shape. No chance of regrets! Seriously, cruise around their site, and you'll find something you love. Oh, and check out their blog too, to see which ones the "fancy people" choose.

Now, for the REALLY cool part! Sunglass Warehouse has offered TWO of my readers (that's you!) the chance to win a free pair of sunglasses. That's right... TWO of you lovelies have the opportunity to choose a pair of sunglasses that you love and get them. For. Free.

How do you enter? I'm glad you asked:

Go to http://vicariouschelsea.com/ and follow the directions at the bottom of this review. Couldn't be easier! (I'm not even going to allow comments on this blog, so there is no confusion... )

*I was not financially compensated for this giveaway. In fact, I wasn't even given a sample - I bought a pair and reviewed them, and the nice people at sunglass warehouse offered two pairs as a giveaway. The opinions and views expressed are that of my own.

The 20th!

2010-04-20T07:14:00.001-07:00

The 20th is here, yet again!
Lilly is {exactly} 3 years and 2 months old.
Zackary is {exactly} 16 months old.
Shyla is {exactly} 11 months old... one year next month!
Happy 20th to all the babies in the fam!

These pictures make me think of SUMMER!

Why, you ask? Because they have brand SPANKIN' new clothes for summer.

Thanks mom, for the shopping spree this past weekend!

On another note, I've been thinking a lot about maintaining BALANCE in a hectic life.

I had gotten into a habit of cooking "quick foods" when Jeremy would work late. Not fast food, by any means, but "freezer foods."

A goal lately is to move away from that. Tonight, for example, I made Shephard's Pie. It was fast, because I had done much of the prep work yesterday, but nutritious because I "snuck" in tons of veggies... peas and carrots, etc.

I don't really have to sneak veggies in though, so I guess I could just say that I stuck them in there.

Do you have any tricks for maintaining BALANCE in your life... in the kitchen or otherwise?

Don't forget - My FIRST GIVEAWAY starts tomorrow at vicariouschelsea.com

Happy 20th to all!

Big Bloggy News!

2010-04-19T08:18:00.010-07:00

Ok, it is time. Time for a teeeeny tiny change...

A big part of my life is trying to find balance.

Balance between work and home.

Work and play.

"Mommy" and "Chelsea."

Additionally, I have been wanting to write more... and to write a variety of things.

So... I am starting a brand. new. blog.

This new blog will still be largely about the family. Well, about the kids, really.

But, there will also be more.

Thoughts, ramblings, musings. A variety of things, focused on finding that balance.

Yes, I will still do 20th posts. My life would be incomplete without them.

Thankful Through Thursday? Yep!

Random stories about Lilly and Zac? Absolutely!

Also... giveaways!!! In fact, I am doing my very first giveaway on Wednesday.

So, give my new blog a chance, would ya? For now, I will be keeping this one too... probably a lot of similar posts, and some different ones.

The giveaway will be on my new blog. Please, please, please enter!

Ok... here is the new address...

drumroll please.....

vicariouschelsea.com

Living Vicariously Through Myself...

Go visit it! Go now!

A HUGE thanks to Kendra for helping with the name.

And A HUGE thanks to Becca for, well, creating the blog for me. Designing, creating, and hosting a fancy blog is really very difficult. Becca took my ideas and ran with them. I am SO excited... thank you!

My apologies

2010-04-18T20:58:00.003-07:00

It has been brought to my attention that Jeremy took the last bath pictures, rather than me. I wrote that I didn't get a good splashing picture, when in fact I should have given him credit for photography.
My sincere apologies.
Along those same lines, here is a good splashing picture from tonight.
Jeremy posed with both kids after bath as well.

It is never my intention to leave out any of the "big people" ... the camera just seems to focus better on the kids!

On another note, I have some really exciting "bloggy news" coming up very soon. I'm not gonna share yet, but I will give you 2 hints.

1. Things will change and also not change.

2. There may be treats involved.

Stay tuned!

Heating up

2010-04-16T23:36:00.002-07:00

It is heating up here is sunny Arizona, so we decided to go out for ice cream after dinner tonight!

Zac is just now to the point where he can sit at a little table at eat a little dish of his very own ice cream. He. Loved. It.

Can you tell?

Lilly is still working on teaching him all kids of things... like making funny faces.

Ahhh good times!

I love summer! What is your favorite (or least favorite?) part of SUMMER?!?

Thankful Through Thursday!

2010-04-15T00:01:00.002-07:00

One of the {many} things I'm thankful for this week, is watching my children teach each other. Lilly teaches Zackary a lot. He is always watching her and imitating what he sees. This week, I asked if they wanted to take a bath together. At first, she didn't want to because she hates {HATES} getting splashed. At all. Always has. Zac, however, loves {LOVES} splashing. But, I told her that I thought he would be good and not splash her. Really not sure what gave me that crazy idea, but she went for it, so in we went... and she taught him to splash himself, but not her!

Here comes the great part... ready for it...

After a little bit of washing and playing, he spashed her a little, and she grinned... next thing I knew they were both {yes, BOTH} splashing like crazy. Laughing and splashing and laughing some more.

He taught her to enjoy a little water play!

I didn't get a good picture of the splashing because there was so much water... plus, I was enjoying the moment.

Another funny story - Zac has had to have eye drops this week. A kid in his class had pink eye, and Zac's eye started getting a little goopy {yes, that's the technical term}, so we got drops mostly as a precaution.

Lilly used to get some eye infections. We would get the drops, take a deep breath, and hold her down, squeeze as much as we could into her thrashing face and hope a drop or so made it to her eye. Needless to say, I was thrilled at the prospect of doing this with Zac.

So, I took a deep breath, laid him down, and got one drop in eye one before he could react. YES!

He blinked.

And looked up at me.

So, I tried for eye two.

You know that thing you do when you know you have to have an eye drop? Where your reflexes are trying to close your eye but you know it should stay open, so it's mostly open and you're really, really trying? Yep, that's what my 15 month old did! 3 days of drops, and he kept his darned eyes open every time. A couple times he even giggled right after the drop went in, then opened for more. Who does that?

Zac does.
He also brings his sister all her toys. And other people too - if he sees something that he thinks is yours, he'll bring it to you, even if he really wants to play with it. Then, he'll probably ask me for more eye drops or something equally uncomfortable and invasive.

And not to leave Lilly out... she has been doing so well with bedtime, but she still usually comes out once or twice and asks for something. Water, bathroom, maybe a book or toy. I accommodate her and then get her back to bed. Everytime she starts with "I need help with something," which is code for "I need an excuse to get up." No worries, I play along a time or two and then she is out.

Tonight, on "take 2" she came out and said {and I quote}, "Mommy. I need something with help."

I asked her to repeat herself and got the same "I need something with help." I asked if she meant that she needed help with something, and I got the cutest little sheepish grin and "yeah... that were silly!"

Ahhh kids say {and do} the darndest things! And I'm thankful for every last one of them.

One more sidenote... happy Tax Day! Are you done with your taxes? I am! Mailed them in quite a while ago in fact. Have I gotten my {sizeable} refund yet, you ask? NO! Why, you ask? Because I'm a moron who didn't notice that my account number for direct deposit was missing one digit. Our tax guy says they'll figure it out and mail me a check. I'm pretty sure that the money has been deposited into some stranger's account and they have already spent the money on something stupid. Or, something not stupid that I want. Like shoes. Beautiful, high heeled, pointy shoes that are on someone elses feet. argh!

At least Starbucks is giving free coffee today if you bring in a refillable mug. Did you know that? If not... GO! Go now! I'll be there, for sure! Good thing it's free, too, since some stranger with a funny short account number has all my money!

Race For The Cure

2010-04-12T20:21:00.004-07:00

Had a great time at the Race For The Cure this weekend!

I'm not running as much as I was for a while - just no time/opportunity. So, it was so nice to get out and run! I guess once a week isn't soooo bad.

A huge thanks to mom for going and walking with the kids so I could run. It is really... REALLY... appreciated!

Stepping back.

2010-04-10T20:22:00.002-07:00

Boy oh boy this is a crazy time! Spring in general, plus Spring as a teacher... two young children... poor economy and scary outlook for education... plus countless other stresses. Hectic doesn't begin to describe it.
I have a pile of books on my bedside. Good books. Books that will make me think. And wonder. And contemplate. And, think some more.
I just can't get into a single one of them! ha! So, I'm trading them in! Stashing them aside for later. I went "shopping" at my parents house today (tried to get to the library, but it wasn't happening), and came home with a pile of books that, shallwesay, will not make me feel smart.
I'm so ok with that.
(I must say, I don't know anything about any of these books. If I am wrong and one of them makes me think too much... grrrr!)
Just in case I have a momentary twinge of guilt over shoving really good books under my bed, I have one of these at the ready!
(It's a Cosmo. Not strong. But in a super cute glass that Natalie gave me for my birthday!)

And, let's not forget those who help me keep it all together! No amount of stress can take away my smile when I see these two!

Well, goodnight all... some silly non-thought provoking book is calling my name!

Thankful Through Thursday!

2010-04-08T20:36:00.006-07:00

Do we eat too much pizza? This was tonight, and it looks remarkably similar to our last pizza picture. Still, I'd like to point out that 1. I served it will tomatoes and cucumbers. These kids LOVE tomatoes and cucumbers.2. It was English muffin pizza - whole grain english muffins with sauce, cheese, and olives. Not too bad right?Don't judge!

Zac loves Peek-A-Boo! He loves that he has the control now to put a blanket over his eyes, giggle while I "look for him," and then reveal his face. I love that I can see his smile in this picture - he gets SO excited!
Lilly just HAD to try on this too-small jacket tonight. Shyla, this one is coming your way next winter!
This was from a couple days ago. Zac loves this book!
And Lilly loves cupcakes!
(Don't forget... tomatoes and cucumbers tonight. Good, wholesome veggies. Just sayin')
Naked (or, almost naked) Zac loves to beat on his own belly.

Thankful.

Easter 2010!

2010-04-05T19:27:00.006-07:00

Ok, yes this post is about Easter. But... it is now Monday, and I have just had a wonderful evening with my kids, and have to share this:
Lilly watches cartoons while I give Zac a bath. It's just the best and easiest way - she refuses to bathe with him since he splashes like crazy, so it works for us.
After his bath, I get him all "buttered up" with oil and lotion and butt cream, and into nice warm pj's. At this point I usually pick him up, turn off the light, tell him (oh, maybe 100 times or so) how much I adore him, and plop him into bed. Tonight though, I picked him up and had barely started declaring my love when he wiggled right out of my arms. I let him down and watched him hightail it out of his room. Curious, I followed him. Without hesitation, he walked right up to Lilly and waved at her (usually, she says goodnight and that she loves him before bath. Thinking back, I had forgotten that step tonight). She, without hesitation, said goodnight and then put her hand up and said "high five!" He completed the high five, they hugged, and she went back to her show while he walked right past me and back into his bedroom.
It. Was. Classic.
No matter how hectic or long or tiring my day is... I know I am so lucky with these two kids!

Ok, on to Easter!
This year, I got to go to sunrise mass with my parents. It was so lovely. Maybe next year I'll think about taking the kids, but this year it was just us and I loved it.
A bonus was that my parents had picked me up and so after mass I got to jog home. An early morning jog offered a perfect continuation of prayer and reflection, and I appreciated every minute of it.

Then, it was time for Easter to begin! I made a pull-a-part breakfast pastry, and we discovered that the Easter bunny had paid us a visit!
Lilly and Zac each got a little basket with some toys and plastic eggs. Lilly had jelly beans...

... and Zac had animal crackers...

Next, it was time for the egg hunt!

We played and hung out for a while, then it was off to grandma and grandpa's house! More baskets!

This is the ONLY picture of my mom I have from the night :(

Shyla loved her basket too!

Aren't they just the cutest family?And I like this pic of my sis, dad and I too!

Finally, it was time for another egg hunt!

Isn't Lilly's dress adorable? Grandma and Grandpa Yager sent it for her birthday, and I hid it so that she wouldn't wear it until Easter! ha!

My sweet kids...

And our attempt at getting a picture of all 3!
So... there actually were other people there, but I did not take pictures of anything except the basket opening and egg hunting. It was SO good to see my grandparents and their friends, my aunt Nannette and uncle Pete, aunt Sherry and cousin Megan, and good friends Jeannette and Aaron. We had such fun, yummy food, and lots of laughs.

Easter prep

2010-04-03T06:57:00.003-07:00

Time to get the Easter eggs ready! This was Lilly's first year really being able to participate in coloring eggs.
We did the first batch at my parents'. Even Zac got to help, a little.

And Shyla May too!

Then, we had to color eggs at our house.

Ta-Da!
Hope everyone has a great Easter tomorrow!

Thankful Through Thursday!

2010-04-01T01:11:00.001-07:00

Here it is, Thursday again...
These first two pictures are of Zac, trying to do a bit more than he can do quite yet and getting frustrated. This particular goal was to carry two tubs of playdough and two blankies at the same time. He struggled with this for ever, and I just grabbed my camera at the end.
Here, he was trying to put the tubs on the blankies so that he can carry them more easily.

and some obvious anger that it wasn't working out just right! Bless his heart!

Isn't he a doll?
And Lilly. Backpack - check. Phone - check. Tutu - check. Looks like we're ready for Trader Joes and the park!

First brownies, now pizza! She has been on quite a cooking kick! I guess I need to figure out some more healthy foods for us to cook together. I swear we usually eat better than this!
Anyhow, we were telling stories one night and made one up about a princess who loved pizza, so we decided to "make our own." Yes, it's in quotes because I used Boboli and sauce from a jar.
Here we are cheesing it up!

Lilly decided on olives and mushrooms. Between her and Zac snacking on the toppings, we're lucky any ended up on the pizza!

Delicious! I'm pretty sure we actually had the crust upside down, but whatever... pizza is pizza is pizza in my book!

Happy Thursday.

I. Am. Thankful.

Torture me!

2010-03-29T11:13:00.003-07:00

Ok readers, I need your help.

For Relay For Life, we are creating "Teacher Torture Buckets" for our students to donate to. This means they pay for our torture, and the money goes to the American Cancer Society.

For example, each $5 donated into my bucket equals one extra lap of running for me that night.

There are also "big tickets" my students can purchase for $20, which allows them to choose a torture. These can include one week of no Starbucks, one week of wearing ugly shoes, or 10 minutes of "random questions" (my kids can be SO random!). They brainstormed tortures they would like to see and we are working together to create a good (reasonable!) list.

Your turn! What kind of "torture" can I offer you to make a donation?

Can I buy you a Starbucks?

Link, facebook or tweet about your blog?

(That's right, I have a twitter account. But, in all fairness, I have a grand total of 6 followers, so this may not be the best choice).

Make you cookies?

A huge thank you to those who have donated!

Elizabeth Riley

Allison Williams &

In memory of Howard Rodriguez

To donate, click HERE.

Or, feel free to just leave a comment with other possible tortures that you think would be appropriate for me :)

A great day!

2010-03-27T20:06:00.004-07:00

An alternate title for this post could be: Bad mom strikes again.
Maybe I need a "bad mom" button. Becca?

Anyhow, this morning the kids and I went to a 5K to benefit our school district. We had a blast. The run itself was beautiful. Plus, Lilly started out by really running... running and laughing and yelling and running and laughing some more.
For maybe a block. Then, you know, her legs got tired.
She spent some time in the stroller with Zac. Some walking or running. Some picking flowers. And some on my shoulders.
I. Took. No. Pictures.
Bad mom.
After the run there was a whole block party - hot dogs, jumping castles, face painting, ponies... the whole thing. I did take this one picture of Lilly on the pony on my phone. It's blurry.
Bad mom. Got home, and I realized that my fears had been realized. My haphazard application of sunscreen on Zac had not done the trick. Look at his little cheeks!
Bad mom.

As Zac napped, Lilly and I decided to make brownies.

First, we add the ingredients.

Then we stir them up.

Gotta add the sprinkles.

Quick nap while they cook.
Delicious!

(This was pre-dinner. Bad mom.)
Zac thinks so too!
After snack time and before dinner, we decided to play outside.

Inevitably, they fight over something.

I took a picture.

Bad mom (?)

The thing is, I'm so lucky that I have two spunky, beautiful, wonderful kids who will fight one minute and hug the next.

On another note, Zac has turned from a baby to a little boy overnight.

Not just in looks, but in his actions. He is getting so determined and specific with his play. He wants things a certain way, which leads to frustration if it's not that way. He knows some rules (and that a flirty smile helps when he gets told "no").

Lilly also is getting more "mature." I now have to call her "Diego" more often than "Dora." I love her stories and jokes. Potty training and big girl bed training are coming right along. It must be tough to be 3!

Ok, so when all is said and done, I don't think I'm a bad mom. I have plenty of "bad mom moments," but I promise that I'm just teasing myself by labeling each of them! If I truly thought I was a bad mom, I probably wouldn't share any of it and, instead, only "perfect mom moments." If only I could think of any... :)

Thankful Through Thursday!

2010-03-25T05:59:00.003-07:00

Look at my new "Thankful Through Thursday" button!

Becca made me a "20th" button too... look to the right!

So fun! Thanks Becca!

Thursday is here! We have had a pretty laid back week.

Lilly is doing great with her big girl bed! Am I jinxing it by saying it? We haven't really had any issues with her getting up. Bedtime routine has changed just a bit, but we are all adapting. Doesn't she look little in that big bed?

And Mr. Miles of Smiles!

Lilly has been sleeping so well, in fact, that she had a couple of really grumpy mornings. She would tell me that she was sleeping again and just refuse to get up!
We have introduced the tradition (started by Auntie Kendra as a young girl) of morning hot cocoa. So far, so good!

And my main man Zac, enjoying a snack before dinner!

I am Thankful!

The best weekend!

2010-03-22T20:25:00.006-07:00

It is an absolute miracle that this post does not contain 99 pictures.
I took 99 pictures this weekend. Not 100... but 99.
The kids and I headed up to Phoenix this weekend to visit with GREAT friends that I have had for many, many years. I met Natalie and Karen in junior high school and we all met Laura in high school. We were inseparable.
Then, time separated us. But not for long! Now that we are all settled down and back in AZ, we are back and it is like things never changed.
Here we are! Laura is behind me, next to her is Natalie (aka Hostess with the Mostess) who is in back of Karen.

Prior to this dinner, however, was a lot of playtime. I mentioned the water table and outside toys in my 20th post, but here are a couple other pics of fun outdoor play!

We got to Natalie's on Friday evening, and had a delicious dinner of pizza and grapes! Natalie and her family live in a beautiful neighborhood with lakes and very hungry ducks. So, we had to go feed them a couple times.

Me and my man hamming it up!

Laura and her family drove up Saturday, and we met them at the toystore for Peter Rabbit. Isn't her daughter, Sara, an absolute beauty?!?

Lilly took storytime seriously.

Zac was just a ham the whole time!

Then... more outdoor playtime!

Saturday night was when Karen came over (her baby boy, Tyler, was sick at home with husband Bernie). We had an amazing dinner of lasagna, bread and salad.

Then. Came. Dessert. Natalie is an amazing cook and baker in addition to so many other things. Look at this cake. Fully homemade. From scratch. Served with port that Michael so generously opened for the occasion. Delicious doesn't begin to describe the entire meal, and especially this dessert.

That evening, Sara and Zac ate dinner and went to bed at their normal times, which was before out dinner. Lilly and Spencer are so independent that we were able to have great conversation and visiting during dinner. Then, Lilly and Spencer went to bed and we enjoyed our dessert.

After dessert, Karen had to go tend to her sick baby and the rest of us headed outside to the patio swing with a bottle (or two?) of wine.

We laughed, we cried, we spilled a little wine...

It was amazing.

Sunday, it was time to head home. Driving during naptime is a very good thing.

A HUGE thank you to Natalie for hosting my crazy kids and myself. Check out her blog post about our great weekend too, by clicking here.

Another HUGE thank you to Karen and Laura in addition to Natalie for being such great friends for such a long time. Love you all girls!

And yet another HUGE thank you to Michael and Josh, who had to listen to so much girl talk and cackling!

Two side notes.

1. Check out my new "button" for my Thankful Through Thursdays posts made by my friend Becca! Isn't it great?!?

2. Speaking of long time friends, I had drinks last week with Stephanie, who was my BFF from preschool through junior high school. Different high schools helped us grow apart, but thanks to facebook we have reconnected and I am thrilled!

The 20th!

2010-03-20T14:51:00.005-07:00

Happy 20th!
I love love love the 20th!

Today's 20th post will be short and sweet. We are at my great friend Natalie's in Phoenix this weekend, and are having a blast. I will post about the whole weekend later, but HAD to do a 20th post of course!
Yesterday, the kids played with Spencer's water table. They had such fun!

Today, we went to Dunkin Donuts. Turns out, their coffee really is pretty darn good! I kinda like this picture, even though Lilly's face is a mess and Zac is distracted... those are my kids!

Zac rather enjoyed the last part of Lilly's filled donut.

Next, off to the toy store to visit Peter Rabbit! Zac actually showed a lot of interest and loved Peter Rabbit. Until, of course, I tried to put him on his lap for a picture. That did not go well.

And, Lilly LOVED the story time, but surprisingly didn't want to sit with Peter. She did stand there with Spencer though.

Happy 20th to Lilly, Zac, and Shyla May! Make sure to check out Kendra's 20th post too :)

Thankful Through Thursday!

2010-03-18T08:53:00.002-07:00

I had every intention of blogging quite a bit more this week, but I've been plagued with migranes. Fun Spring Break huh? Oh the other hand, at least I haven't had to teach with them!

Thankful Through Thursday is meant to be just a random assortment of pictures, so that my other posts can be specific. Today, however, is specific.

Lilly got her big girl bed yesterday! When she got home from school, it was all ready for her. Look at this face!

Wheeeeeeee!

Checking it all out!

Even Zac was thrilled!

Possibly a little more than Lilly, in fact!

Finally, bedtime arrived!

I took this and told Lilly "Oh you made a funny face" and she replied that No, in fact, she was winking. Of course she is! Who knew the girl could wink!

So, it took about an hour and a half to get her to stay in bed. I ended up laying down with her until she was almost asleep. By that time she was so tired that it was ok for me to leave without her jumping out of bed. The next nights could be long, but she couldn't live in her crib forever right?
And, this morning when she came "pitter pattering" out and asked if it was ok for her to get up, she seemed so happy and proud and I told her we were SOOOO proud of her! It was fun!

Here she is getting ready for school.

Then, knowing that this whole post was about Lilly, I went to take a picture of Zac as he woke up. However, he WOULD NOT wake up, so I took this one.

Pretty cute, huh? He did eventually wake up and got going.

Big stuff coming up this weekend! Can't wait to blog about it!

My day with Shyla May!

2010-03-12T09:32:00.003-07:00

It's not too late! Click HERE for my post where you can donate to American Cancer Society / Relay for Life :)

This morning, I get to spend time with my beautiful niece, Shyla!
This little girl is so precious, calm, and playful. I love her!

Meanwhile, we are all decorated and ready for St. Patrick's Day at the Yager home!
See:

That's right. We have a door hanging.

That's all.

Have you met my friend Natalie? Either via blog or through real life?

You really should.

Especially if you like holiday decorations.

Ahem, MORE decorations that throwing something up on the door. Check out her St. Patrick's Day decor. And, while you're at it, make sure to check her decorations out anytime there is a holiday coming up! Oh how I wish I had her sense of housekeeping/decorating. Ahhhh maybe in another life...

Happy Friday all!

Thankful Through Thursday...

2010-03-11T08:26:00.010-07:00

Ok here's the deal. I'm trying to be more specific with my blog. Like blog about one specific outing or situation.
BUT... sometimes there are just a bunch of pictures I want to post.
SO... I'm gonna do a "Thankful Through Thursday" post weekly... meaning just a bunch of pictures I've liked from the week.
THEN... the rest of the week I can do more specific, focused blog posts, knowing that I can save my "just because" pictures till Thursday. Make sense?

Before we begin, don't worry! It is NOT too late to donate to the American Cancer Society to help me reach my goal before Relay For Life. Click HERE for that blog post! So far I have TWO wonderful donations, and I am 55% of the way to my goal! THANK YOU!!!

Ok, on to this week's "Thankful Through Thursday" post.

Last weekend, we went to the grocery store and got one of these fun carts. Even Zac wanted to sit in it, so I became "touristy" and took pictures. Yep, in the grocery store. Am I the only mom who does that?

I also told my mom that I'm concerned that I don't have enough pictures of Zac sucking his thumb. He is a THUMB SUCKER EXTRAORDINAIRE! So, my mom took one :)

Oh, and yes, he ALWAYS needs to have a blanket (or, in this case, hoodie) to hold with his thumb sucking. Always.

He is also getting SO good at using his own spoon or fork. So cute! Messy, but cute!

This is him pointing at his eye. He is learning about head, eyes, nose, and mouth at school these days.

In fact... this morning as I picked him out of his crib he pointed at MY eye (coming a little too close for comfort, in fact) and said, clear as day, "EYEEEZZZZZ."

He doesn't yet have many words. Some that sound like "mama" (or, frankly, could be "milk") and "dada" and a little bit like "more"... and now EYES!!!

I like this picture because it incorporates it all. Eyes, thumb, blanket... MY BOY!!

Ok onto Lilly!

Here she is being super silly with her pink bucket. I remember when she could fit her whole head in this bucket and it would fall over her eyes. Ahhhh...

One afternoon this week, we didn't have juice but we had oranges, so Jeremy showed Lilly how to make fresh juice. She LOVED it!

And, just being pretty in pink...
FLASHBACK TIME!

These pictures were taken in March 08 and March 09, consecutively. I like how in the 08 picture, Lilly is being bossy (some things never change, huh?) and in the 09 picture, sure enough, Zac is sucking his thumb. Lilly is probably saying something bossy too :)

Alright time to head into work. Thanks for reading!

Cancer ninja

2010-03-08T17:00:00.003-07:00

What the heck does that title mean?

Next month, I am participating in "Relay For Life," an event that raises money for the American Cancer Society.

Our Rincon Vista team has decided that our slogan is "Laying our ninja moves on cancer."

The event consists of our team running on the Empire track overnight - there will always be at least one of us on the track.

Why?

Cancer never stops. So, for one night, we won't stop.

How can you help?? Funny you should ask! You can donate cash towards our goal.

How much?

Completely up to you.

How to donate?

Click HERE! Then go to "donate" and follow the instructions. Couldn't be easier.

The best part?

After donating, you can feel less guilty about doing this:

While I'm doing this:

Plus, I'm sure to "shout out" to you from my blog.
Does that help? Or hurt! ha ha!
So... give it some thought.

More birthdays = good.
Less cancer = good.
Me running = good.
You sleeping = good.

See?!? Nothin' to lose.

UPDATE!!! My first SHOUT OUT goes to... drum roll please... ELIZABETH RILEY!!! Thank you Elizabeth for your donation - it's my first!
I'll do a separate "shout out" post for future donations, but wanted to say THANK YOU to Elizabeth right now :)
Whoop!

Nothin' clever...

2010-03-07T06:20:00.004-07:00

I have nothing clever or specific to write about today. Still, my kids are cute and it's been a week since I blogged. So here I sit...
It's been a week since I blogged for a couple reasons. One, I liked signing on to my blog and seeing our Ragnar pictures. Click here to see them again!
More, though, it has been a week since I blogged because we've been sick. Specifically, first Lilly was sick. Then Zac. Then Zac and Lilly. Then Zac was more sick than Lilly but I thought Lilly was more sick then Zac. Then me. Then Lilly, because she wants to be just like me. Now Jer.
Whew! What a week!
Let's slow it down a bit...
Sunday evening, after Ragnar, I noticed Lilly was coughing quite a bit. Interesting. We went to bed and she was up a bit of the night coughing. I promised myself I would give her her nebulizer in the morning.
Monday morning, I tried to get her up and she was a wreck - exhausted, fever, cough, the whole thing. Thankfully, my mom was able to take off work at the last minute, so I took Lilly to her and took Zac to school, and off I went to work.
That afternoon, I heard that Lilly was feeling better but when I picked up Zac I heard that he had been miserable all day! Sheesh!
Jeremy had Tuesday off, so I made appointments for the doctor for both kids. Jer took them and reported back - no ear infections, just bad colds. Keep doing what we're doing. Check.
Wednesday morning I had the kids loaded up in the car and Lilly was just miserable, so I decided to be a good mom/bad teacher and take the day off with her. Still took Zac to school so I could baby her all day. This is when we decided powdered sugar donuts really help.
Zac came home from school feeling fine - a runny nose and grumpy in the evening, but grumpy evenings are normal for him!
By Wednesday evening, Lilly was still miserable and coughing and fever... so I called in for Thursday.
Thursday was more of the same, for both kids.
Friday, I took Zac to school and Rob was able to stay with Lilly in the morning until Jeremy got home from work around noon.
I had doctor's appointments already scheduled for both kids for Friday afternoon - Lilly's was her 3 year well baby (do they still call it baby?) check up and Zac for his second dose of H1N1.
Come to find out, year 3 is where they start wearing paper "dresses" and stand up for height/weight... all the "big kid" stuff.

Zac liked that the drawers aren't child locked like at our house!

So, Lilly got checked out and is just great. 50% in height and weight, and developmentally doing awesome (ok, my words not his. But still. She's awesome).

Doc took one look at Zac and asked how he was doing (since seeing him on Tuesday... remember?)

I say "Oh great! He is so much better! Still a bit of a runny nose but otherwise, just fine."

Doc asks about fever or fussiness.

Nope, no fever. Only fussy before bed. Sleeping great.

Still, doc glances in his ears.

Double ear infection.

Here is the look of a boy who has a terrible mommy who thought he was better when really he was getting worse.

Soooo.... off to the pharmacy to get antibiotics.

Then... off to DQ of course to get ice cream. Didn't I mention blizzards and ice cream once being the cure all? Oh yes, here it is.

Side note - after dinner and ice cream we were playing for a bit. Zac walked away and I watched him disappear into the hall (the only open door was his room) and waited for a minute. Then, out he comes carrying his pajamas, brings them to me, and hugs me. As in, Ok mom, this is fun and all but please, would you mind helping me into these so I can go to bed?
Super cute!

Ok, moving right along... while I was out of the classroom this week, my students created this book cover for Love Of Reading week. They were supposed to pretend a book was being written about their class, and create the cover. I was happily surprised to see that they did it even though I wasn't there, and it turned out cute!

1000 Ways To Annoy Your Teacher

By: The 7th Grade Bozos.

I love that each kid is illustrated and identified by name.

I love that I am there, tied up and being carried away by a couple of kids.

I love that they called themselves Bozo's... which I may or may not call them in class. A lot.

I LOVE that they won the school Book Cover Contest. Yeah, I'm a little competitive.

We Ragnared like Rock Stars!

2010-02-28T11:12:00.008-07:00

You know that feeling, when you've been looking forward to something fo SO long, and then it's gone?

Like, the day after Christmas? Or your birthday?

You had SO much fun, but can't help but be a little disappointed that it is over.

Yeah, that's today.

We Ragnared like Rock Stars!

I'm thrilled to be home, safely. I'm thrilled to be hanging with my kids. But this huge thing that I've been looking forward to (and dreading, at the same time) is over.

It is AMAZING that I have narrowed down the pictures to these. In fact, I'll probably post some more down the road, especially once I get some from other's cameras. But, here is a start.

Here are Kendra, Shyla and I before we left. Well, Kendra and I left and Shyla took her daddy home. We had a LOT of stuff!

We drove to Prescott that night (Thursday) and stayed in a hotel. Friday morning, we decorated our van! There were a total of 12 WONDERFUL people on our team, but we were separated into two vans, so most of my pics are just of the 6 people in my van. Again, more pics from the other van hopefully soon!

Anyhow, Van 1 (not my van) started and ran for 6 or so hours. Then, van 2 (mine) met them at an exchange and it was our turn! I was the first runner from our van!

I got off to a rough start. I think I was nervous and not really sure what to expect, so those first 4.2 miles were the roughest of the weekend for me.

Here are Kendra and I after I handed the "baton" to teammate Scott.

Some miles later, Scott handed off to Kendra. This was a MISERABLE leg for her. This is the ONLY picture of her happy, because it is the ONLY picture of her going downhill.

She basically ran up a mountain.

If I had her leg, I probably would have curled up into a ball and started crying. Seriously. It was BAD.

But, luckily, it was Kendra and not me and she powered through like a champ!

After Kendra was Kristin, who then passed it on to Karen. Both of them did awesome, of course!

Jeremy (not my husband, but Jeremy who is married to Tessa who was in Van 1) finished up our first round. I like this picture because of "Mr. Ninja" behind him! ha!

After Jeremy finished, we had a break while Van 1 did their legs again. Then, it was our turn. Again, I started us off, this time with 8 miles. I started at just about midnight. There are no pictures of the night runs because they woudn't have turned out with the reflective vests and headlamps and all. Or, at least, I don't know how to take pics like that.

It was dark. And I ran on the freeway with my headlamp and flashlight and my van of wonderful teammates pulling over every half mile or so to cheer me on and make sure I was ok.

It was crazy hard and crazy fun at the same time.

Sadly, towards the end of Scott's run we were stopped because of an accident up ahead, and diverted a couple of legs down. We don't really know the details, but it sounds like someone was hit by a car. The good news is that it sounds like the person is in stable condition and will be ok. Thank God. The rest of our van couldn't run their second legs and had to wait to the thirds.

So, we got some rest while Van 1 ran their legs, then we were back at it in the morning.

I like this picture of Kristin because I am 95% sure that that is her husband, Scott's hand who is reaching out to give her 5.

Here is Scott handing off to Jeremy, who will now run the LAST leg of Ragnar! As he finished, we all (all 12 of us) ran through the finish line together!

And, Kendra and me with our medal's waiting to eat a well deserved dinner after finishing!

Just some odds and ends:

-At one point we paid $2 to sleep inside an elementary school for an hour or two while we waited to do our nighttime runs. That was one smelly school by the time Ragnar was over, I'm sure.

-There was SO much laughter from our team, and a few tears. I wanted to cry a few times myself.

-Kendra almost got carsick on the way to our first leg. ha!

I definitely can't wait to get and share some of the whole team shots from the weekend!

THANK YOU MOM AND DAD FOR TAKING GREAT CARE OF LILLY AND ZAC!

and...

THANK YOU FRENCH TOAST MAFIA!

Do you like seafood?

2010-02-27T20:55:00.001-07:00

See? Food!

Sorry... couldn't help myself!

"Look how big I'm are!"

2010-02-26T20:48:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite lines of Lilly's these days...

She's so excited to have moved "up" a classroom at school. She and Aubrey are together now and she is doing just great!

Ragnar time!

2010-02-25T16:57:00.000-07:00

Oh boy. It is time. Ragnar.

Have I told you about Ragnar? I think I have. But let me recap:

12 of us are crazy enough to have rented two vans with the goal of running a relay race from Prescott to Phoenix. Over 200 miles.

We'll each run three legs of the race.

It's supposed to rain. A lot. And be cold. Very cold.

And I'm very, VERY, excited.

Why? Maybe I'm a little crazy. But, it's not like anything I've ever done before. And, even if I do a terrible job, I like to push my limits a little.

I'm a little proud of that aspect of myself.

Still, I'm nervous. About the running and the weather, sure. But mostly about how much I'm going to miss these two faces:

So... here I go! Wish us luck!

Oh, and don't worry, I have a few little gems set up to post while I'm gone!

The aftermath.

2010-02-23T20:37:00.006-07:00

This was Lilly at about 3pm after her birthday party! She was OUT!

That evening, she opened a couple of last presents. This was from Grandma and Grandpa Yager! I love her face here...

And even moreso here! She was so excited to get a very pretty dress and a bathtime Dora! THANK YOU grandma and grandpa Yager!

FLASHBACK to last year! My babies were still babies then!

(Will I be saying the same thing next year?)

And, a little further... 2 years ago!

I hope I'm taking enough pictures, and enjoying the little moments enough!

ADDITIONAL: I am so lucky to have great friends. Especially great friends who also love pictures and blogs! My great friend Natalie just completed THIS POST (Mom, actually click here on the words "this post"), which you have to check out! For one thing, Lilly is one of the stars of her post. Another thing, she just does a great blog in general, and it's worth checking out. Go ahead. Do it. I'll wait.....

Pretty great, huh?

Lilly's 3rd Birthday Party!

2010-02-21T22:20:00.002-07:00

I'm watching Lilly play with her new toys while Zac naps. The house is picked up and quiet. There are leftovers in the fridge.
My little girl has had her 3rd birthday party.

Today was a whirlwind! Last night Jer came home after work sick, and he didn't feel much better this morning. I got up early to make Peanut Butter and Jelly Scones, and luckily the kids slept in a bit so I had a good start on them.

Lilly woke up EXCITED! Here she is waiting for her friends to arrive.
The party would start 2 hours later.

We had decided on a 9:30 am party, so we planed a waffle bar and other breakfasty items. Stevie is the king of the waffles!

And, yep, that's the same "Carlos" shirt he was wearing last night.
Why? Because I asked him to wear it again.

Why? Because it makes me chuckle. Thanks Stevie for humoring me!

The food was ready! We had our complete waffle bar along with sausages, PB&J scones and the ladybug cookies! Yum!

Zac was ready to party. And eat.

Lilly, Aubrey, and Soren eating at her little table. It ended up being a nice enough day to eat and play outside.

Cake time! Isn't she beautiful?

She made a wish and blew out the candle!

The squeal she let out when someone said it was time for presents was likely heard around the world!

So many presents! Our family and friends are so generous!

Lilly was generous with hugs, as was Spencer! This little guy loves a good hug!

Awwwww!

We played one party game - pin the bracelet on the Dora!

Here is a collage of the contestants!

Turns out, everyone won a prize. Except Natalie, I don't think you got a prize! I owe you one!

Wow. She is three. I have a three year old. BABY Lilly is ... 3.

Wow.

Thanks again to all who attended or even sent birthday wishes!

A very special 20th!

2010-02-20T21:03:00.004-07:00

As you all know, the 20th of every month is special.
Three of the twelve months are even more special. February, May, and December.

Lilly is officially three years old today.

There are some things about Lilly at age three that I want to remember forever. She is creative and has an imagination. Most days, I have to call her something completely different, like Dora, or baby puppy, or mommy. She has lots of real friends and lots of imaginary friends. She is relatively rational - I can explain things to her and, even if she doesn't like it, she will usually go with it. Unless she's tired, then all bets are off.
She can tell me stories about her day, and listen to mine.
She tells me she loves me, and to have sweet dreams, and to "eat beans" (Kendra used to say that instead of "sweet dreams," whereas Lilly says both.)
She makes jokes and laughs and laughs at them.
She is kind, and loving, and funny, and independent. She is my little girl.

We went to Vail Pride Day today, a big community event in Vail. Then, we came home and napped, then out to dinner at Risky Business.
Me and my kids. Happiness.

3 years old and 14 months old, respectively.

The Forgacs crew, with Shyla coming in at 9 months old. Not sure how old baby Carlos is on Stevie's shirt.

And my folks. Dad thought we looked like tourists taking so many pictures at dinner.

Happy, HAPPY birthday sweet Lilly!

On another note, Ragnar is getting frighteningly close! We had a packing party last night to go over details and get together a lot of our gear. I took a few pics, but some just turned out funky. These two, however, turned out totally blogable.

Andy sitting creepily close to Kristen.

Scott sporting the reflective vest (yep, it works) while Brian nerds it up on the computer.

It is going to be a long, fun, and painful 36ish hours!

3 days, I mean years, ago...

2010-02-19T05:00:00.004-07:00

Feels like just 3 days ago, but it was actually 3 years ago today that I woke up thinking maybe... just maybe... I was going to finally have this baby.

Finally.

Lilly Helen wouldn't actually be born until the next morning.

February 20, 2007. Best. Day. Ever.

February 19, 2007, however... little rough.

Regardless, my amazing, smart, sweet and beautiful little girl turns three tomorrow. There will be LOTS of pictures and LOTS of stories.

But, for today, she is going to school with cupcakes. Pink and Purple, because she has been wanting pink and purple birthday cupcakes for at least four months. (Since Aubrey's birthday party, for those of you with good memories).

And, on Sunday, we'll have the first birthday party where the guests are actually HER friends rather than only ours.

I ended up home for a couple hours during the day today, because Zac was sick :( While he was sleeping, I put together these ladybug cookies for Lilly's party. I had kinda wanted to make them, but didn't know if I would have time.

Not a great pic, and they are still on the yucky foil, but pretty cute, huh?

Anyhow, definitely more to come this weekend... it is a big weekend all the way around.

Can't believe she's gonna be 3...

FlashFORWARD!

2010-02-15T14:58:00.006-07:00

What a day it has been!
This morning, we got up and got ready to go!
How did I end up with two, tiny, teenagers? Look at these kids! HA! This is where the title of this post came from... I'm totally picturing these kiddos as a bit bigger with slightly (yeah, yeah, I'm dreaming) bigger attitudes.

As cute as these pics are, I don't want my little babies to grow up too fast!
Ahhh, well....
Next, I asked them to pose for a picture. Both kids, looking at the camera, oh so sweet...

And then they thought I looked away. I SWEAR I didn't stage this. As soon as I snapped the pic, Lilly went back to "texting" (ok, she's just playing, but it looks like that) and Zac went immediately back to manhandling furnature.

I took Zac over to my mom, who watched him today, so we could take Lilly to the mall for EAR PIERCING!
She has wanted it but we wanted to wait until she was old enough to understand it and not pull on her ears (since we missed the boat on getting them done when she was a baby). She was so excited! Here she is, walking in with daddy.

We got her in the chair, and she was so excited! They couldn't do both ears at the same time, so we were worried about how (and IF) ear two would go.

Marking the ears - she started getting nervous here.

So, camera went into the purse and Lilly held both of our hands for the piercing.

Ear one... OUCH! We had a little whine and a look of surprise (ok, ok, mixed with "how can you let this happen"... but I swear we had told her that it would be loud and hurt for a minute!). The lady whipped out her mirror and showed Lilly the earing, which immediately gave her the motivation she needed for ear two.

Ear two ... WHEW, DONE! Lilly didn't seem as hurt as this one, I think because she realized that it was OVER.
Here she is, showing off her new earings and her lollipop! So proud!

I am so proud of my little girl!

A day in the life...

2010-02-14T19:39:00.003-07:00

... of the Yager babies.
Today started out bright and early. Zac woke me up, then woke Lilly up when I turned my back. She wasn't too upset though.

So, we went over to my parents house. Here Lilly is getting ready for her first ride in this contraption...

And they're off!

Now that we've established the fun factor, we can let Zac have a quick ride!

Whoop, now it is time for Zac's 2nd haircut. Thanks John!

Lilly is feeling so much better, but still on breathing treatments. She also is refusing naps during the day. I've decided the last couple days to just insist on quiet time, usually on the couch. Both days her breathing treatment has put her to sleep. Who knew?!?

I'm taking tomorrow off work since daycare is closed, and we have a pretty big day planned... stay tuned! And happy Monday to all the suckers who have to work tomorrow!