HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Who is this kid?

So, the other day at lunch, Jackson starts up with his first ever "knock, knock" joke. Where did he get it from ... I really don't know. This is how it goes (or at least his version)! Remember, it's a 3 year olds version, so although you think you know how it's going to end, just wait.
Jackson: Knock, Knock
Mommy: Who's there?
Jackson: Banana
Mommy: Banana who?
Jackson: Knock, Knock
Mommy: Who's there?
Jackson: Banana
Mommy Banana who?
Jackson: Knock, Knock
Mommy: Who's there?
Jackson: Orange!
He then proceeds to laugh himself silly and then begin again. This time he substitutes the fruit element for things like shirts or chairs. Doesn't really have the same effect, but ... he finds it funny.

Daddy's Girl

*Kelly wants me to add a note here that Gracie is actually a mama's girl. True, but she sure loves her Daddy!

Grace's 1st Haircut

Gracie had her 1st haircut today! She did great and loved sitting in the little red fire truck. I was a little nervous about how it would turn out since she was bouncing up and down in the car due to all the excitement. Luckily, she was only getting a trim in the back so not too much damage could be done ... plus a cookie helped!
Looking cute Gracie!

A Day at the Farm

We spent the day at Schnepf Farms down in Queen Creek the other weekend. We went with the Marriott family and had a great time. It was definitely fun to pretend that it was fall here in sunny (and unseasonably warm) Arizona. Surprisingly with 5 kids, under the age of 3, we didn't have any problems. No melt downs and no tantrums. What a day!

Jackson loved the airplane ride and of course, the train around the park. He even was brave enough to try the roller coaster. That doesn't mean that he liked it though. I had to be brave and ride it with him even though I do NOT like roller coasters, but hey, this is what we do for our kids, right? I mustered up all my courage and rode the old rickety thing for him. I even screamed with glee and tried to get him all pumped up for the big ride. It didn't work. By the first drop, he was done. I spent the rest of the time fighting my urge to say, " I know Jackson, I hate it too!" Instead, I feigned enthusiasm and tried to comfort my son. This mothering thing is hard work.


Gracie loved the pig races! She loves animals and thought they were so funny! As expected, by the end of the day, we were dusty, tired and ready for a long nap. Sadly, Kelly and I had to wait until we got home, but the kids fell fast asleep once we started the drive.

Ode to Sea World

I love Sea World!

There I said it. I've actually always loved it. Because of this, Kelly thought it would be fun to take us there as part of my big birthday extravaganza. He was right, we had tons of fun as a family. There are so many reasons why I love it, but the #1 reason is this face right here!
Although our kids were horribly sick, they really enjoyed themselves. Then again, what's not to enjoy. We did lots of fun things while we were there, but the best was eating lunch with Shamu. We were able to eat in a small venue where Shamu practices. They give you little VIP passes, which Jackson wore proudly the rest of the day, and you get a fairly nice buffet. They escort you to your assigned seats and then the trainers come out and explain that this is a practice arena and that although they will not ask Shamu to splash everyone, he is an animal with a mind of his own and it may happen. They warn you to cover your cameras the best you can and that they will let you know when it is safe to take them out. However, Shamu was feeling a bit rambunctious this day, and decided to spray the whole center portion. Every one's cameras were ruined. Luckily, we were off to the side and some of the lucky few that were able to smile and be grateful it wasn't us. These pictures are not zoomed in. This really is how close we were to Shamu.

Gracie was a real trooper, but by the end of the day I think her cold started to get the best of her. Poor little thing! She did however, really enjoy the seal show. She laughed the entire time.

California or Bust

Lucky me, I turned 30 this year! Contrary to popular belief, it's not so bad. Thirty is the new twenties after all. Plus, it wasn't that big of a change considering all year I've told people I was already thirty. It really bugged Kelly that I was rounding up when I didn't have too. Honestly, I just kept forgetting that it hadn't happened yet. I've already had 3 kids, been married 7 years, it seemed logical for me to be that old already. No big deal! As for many of your questions:
No, your face doesn't fall off when you hit the big 3-0!
Yes, you can still remember where you parked the car! and,
No, you do not stop breaking out. I know, bummer!

The great benefit of having a "big" birthday is your husband does something extra special and nice. Kelly saved up some vacation time so that we could go as a family to California, which is all I really wanted to do this summer. It was great! We were fortunate enough to be able to stay at my sisters house in Ladera Ranch and play with her family while we were there. As you can tell, Jackson had a blast! Granted, he has fun pretty much wherever he is, but still, he really loved it. Grace spent most of her time in awe of her cousin, who can walk and everything.

We played at the beach, hit Sea World for a day, wandered around, window shopped, and ate yummy food. What more could a girl ask for. The only sad part, was that at one point or another, we were all horribly sick. What we thought was just bad allergies, turned horribly wrong. The kids looked awful, but were real troopers. Grace probably looked the worse, but she never really complained so it wasn't so bad. You just felt really bad for her! Jackson would not let it slow him down, so instead we had to constantly run after him with a tissue and of course, remind him to "cover your mouth when you cough". All that aside, it was a great week and a wonderful way to spend a 30th birthday! Thanks Kelly for taking us out there and
thanks Maggie, Jon, and little Miss Sayler for a great time! We can't wait to play again!

Baywatch 2007 auditions