Summer Fun

I don't want to give up the blog~ I REALLY don't. I love having it as a scrapbook and all that but I am not loving how I have to download pics to it. I just added these from my desktop and used the largest blogger has but I don't like them this small. The collages are especially bad this way. I LOVE how they look on fli*ckr and wish there was an easy way to get them from there to here in the medium size. Does anyone know??

Anyway, here are some random shots from the last few weeks : )

Annslee joined a local D@isy troop and she is so excited about it.

Gigi came to visit and Coby finally warmed up to her and it was so sweet to watch. He is nothing like his sister and prefers to just hang out with the three of us but once he warms up to others he is such a lovey : )

While they read Annslee played on Daddy's blackberry....oh no... is she already a pre-teen!!

One of the reasons Gigi was in town was for A's dance recital : )

The STAR with her Gigi

Here she is with her flowers and her sweet fan!

She danced her heart out then promptly fell asleep on the way home

We have been in the pool A LOT!!

We've enjoyed time with family and friends

My handsome boy!!

*I hope you are all enjoying your summer!!!! *

Random May Pictures

As already seen on FB~ Here are some pictures from this month : )

Our Mother's Day pic



We did Spa Day

Annslee with her school buddies at Monk*ey Joe's~ going into Kindergarten : )

Coby LOVED seeing this firetruck

and going down the slide

He wanted to take his soccer ball to nap with him but then was unhappy when he learned he actually had to nap : )

Annslee proudly posing with her soccer awards

Trying to get a kiss from Coby LOL


Another attempt at a picture in their Easter outfits

Alive and Kicking

I really really want to catch up on this blog as it is my scrapbook...but we have been having computer issues with downloading pictures..and so it goes.

Here are Annslee's soccer pictures that were taken a few weeks ago.






Paige came to watch last week!

Soccer Saturday!!

Annslee played soccer last fall and really liked it but didn't get into it until the end of the season. She mainly played on the sideline and sometimes didn't want to go in. When it came time to sign up for Spring Soccer we decided she would have to ask first as we didn't want to play if she wasn't going to give it her all. Well, she asked to play so we decided to do Up+ward this time and we are so glad we did!

Her first game was yesterday and she was sooooooo into it!!

Coby was occupied very briefly with food and Anna Marie : )

I LOVE this one!! Look at my little soccer star : )

This is after scoring her first goal EVER!!! High five for daddy who is the asst coach so he was on the field (and notice her feet are literally off the ground )

I am loving watching her not be at all afraid to jump in there and "scrap" with everyone LOL

This cracked me up when I looked at the pics..I will title this one "heading to the goal" Check out her opponents' faces

YEAH....scored!!! Now check out their faces and my girl as she turns mid air to celebrate her second goal!!

Scooter spent his time hanging out, running, and grabbing onto me as I tried mostly in vain to capture shots of Annslee LOL



She got a green star for knowing her Bible verse and a gray star for best offense. They don't keep score in Up*ward but hey, we all do so we won 5-2 and Annslee scored 2 goals. We are so proud of her for the goals and playing so hard but mainly for memorizing her verse. As a parent with a child with huge expressive language delays this is so huge!

Go Outside

Annslee and I were enjoying the afternoon in the 70s yesterday when we heard Coby waking from his nap. We went in to get him (she didn't bother taking off her helmet)Both kids love being outside and Coby will go to the door all the time saying "go outside" no matter what the weather : )

Bunny ears are always a hit

Annslee asked "who wants to go outside??" and he promptly raised his hand shouting "ME!!"

He then ran to me to let me know he was ready! I had on my 55-200 lens and barely snapped this before he tackled me. I was thrilled it wasn't blurry like I thought it would be. Wouldn't want to miss capturing that beautiful smile.

I hope you are all enjoying the beginning of Spring!

Spring!!

Two days of Sunny and Seventy in a row make for one happy Mama!! Annslee has started soccer practice and I couldn't resist grabbing this shirt at consig*nment last night as there are only two girls on her team.

I think she liked the shirt too



Here she is modeling the back : )



Before practice we played outside. You can't see the shovel but he would dig up dirt (notice it on his face) and try to carry it to the other side of the yard without spilling it : )

Annslee showing off her giraffe outfit

Yesterday they spent a great deal of time on their hands and knees looking for lep*rachauns. Annslee said she saw a few but may have accidentally squished those sneaky things. They did leave coins under her pillow and she was thrilled!!

It OWNS him : )

Physical comedy that is~ if someone trips, bonks their head, etc.... Coby has the best laugh and when he finds something particularly funny he literally belly laughs so hard he gets tears in his eyes. It is wonderful to watch and listen to : ) Right now Chugg*ington and Back*yardigans seem to be the shows that make him laugh the most. Last night he was watching an episode and I decided to grab the camera (just wish the pictures had sound~ no worries, I got some video too)

For those of you who are wondering he is watching the "Race Around the World" episode of the Back*yardigans and it is the ending where they can't break the tape at the finish line that owns him. He would watch then say "do it again!!" over and over. I don't know how many times we watched it. Funny, this was Annslee's favorite episode too when she was little and this part had to be watched again and again with her too : )

We took a book break

Then it was back to the laughs!

A few times he spotted the camera and would stop watching to look at me and say "Cheeeeese" LOL

*just a disclaimer~ yes, I know he looks a mess~ this was after waking at 6:30 pm from a 4.5 hr nap and eating spaghetti*

Artist in Residence : )

Our current exhibition in the main gallery (aka the kitchen) showcases her love for giraffes, the beach and Ari*el and anything involving markers and paper. I love her current work and am looking forward to seeing what else she has coming our way. I am no art critic but I think this beautiful five year old is quite talented : )

Here she is bringing me a new one to hang.

I am thinking this one may need to be framed!

These are some she did at school during "free" time. The top one is of Ari*el, Sebastian & Flounder at the beach (love the colorful clouds) and the bottom one is of her and two friends from school on the beach.

Here she is on the beach with GiGi ~ notice Ari*el is in the water trying to "come play with them" LOL

Turkey hand made at Thanksgiving

She does a pottery class once a month and she loves it. They start with a lump of clay, pound it out and then create the project of the month. The teacher allows parents to stay if they want but there is strict instruction that they are not to help. The kids do it on their own~ they do a family class twice a year though and she loved having Daddy there : )

This nativity scene was actually done in the family class~ meaning Daddy was able to stay and help. The inspiration for the colors is all her own : )

The dragon (named Loverly) and pumpkin were done last fall with no help but the turkey was in the family class with Daddy. The feathers are all four of our hand prints : )

This is the snowman bowl she made last month. She was particularly proud of how the carrot nose turned out. When I picked her up after class the teacher let me know she did this project 100% without any help ~she is the youngest one in the class so I think she was just letting me know : )

She is constantly doing arts and crafts and I can't save everything but I do take pictures of things I am not keeping so I can remember them : )

*sorry, should have made it clear that I will NOT be tossing this stuff *