Star of the Week

Every Friday when I pick up Brayden from school, he says, "I didn't get Star of the Week..." He has been eagerly & patiently waiting for his turn, and he finally got it. We had to make a poster all about him and he wanted to get started on it the very moment we walked in the door on Friday, even though it wasn't due until Monday. That's my Brayden for ya. He ran in the office and came back with pictures he picked on his very own.

Here is is interview:

What is your favorite color? Blue and green

What is your favorite sport? Soccer & Basketball

What is your favorite subject? Science

I am special because- My mom loves me

What is your favorite food? Subway sandwiches with olives, turkey, mayonnaise & American cheese ( I love that he even specified the type of cheese!)

A person I look up to and admire- My mom (probably because I was doing the interview)

When I grow up I want to be- a yard worker (back to square one)

My favorite book is- The Little Critter Collection

He was SO elated and could not wait for Monday to come so he could do his little presentation. Long after the poster was completed I found him with 2 huge puddles of glue and 2 little toy cars glued on to the poster, "to show that I collect cars." And he chose a joke to tell the class too. Monday came and Jer & I went to his class to watch him present the poster, he was so cute and confident. When he was done he told the joke, "What kind of car does Minnie Mouse drive?" The answer was, "A Mini Van!" All of the kids were giggling. One little girl shouted, "A convertible!?" So funny.Then he got to get out his show & tell, which was his little Kids Cookbook. So cute. I love this boy! So proud of my little 'Star of the Week'.

pointe fascination...

Jer and I watched a show about the process of making pointe shoes and how they are hand made. I could not believe how much hard work & PERFECTION & time are put into EVERY PAIR. And they cannot be sold unless they are perfect. Its a rigorous & tedious process and like I said, each step of the way is done by HAND. No wonder they are so pricey. I am so fascinated with pointe shoes (well, ballet as a whole) but ever since I was young I had always wanted a pair. I just think they are so beautiful. Everything about them. Whats not pretty though, is the damage that they do to your feet! REAL Ballerinas sure have some gnarly feet. I am constantly amazed by how easy professionals make pointe work look. I mean the balance, grace, and flexibility is beyond me. They can move their bodies in a way that doesn't even look like it COULD PHYSICALLY be possible! and then they are on POINTE. SO Crazy. (I just love that pic of Paloma Herrera---gorgeous!)

Revenge of the Train

Poor Kosty, he is now learning his first lesson in "What goes around comes around." And YES, that most certainly is the SAME dang train that he got stuck in my hair! I think it should be recalled!

Real or Rumor?

Is it true that you can get worms from eating raw dough?

I surely hope not. We really like it.

A Funny Conversation...

Today I was driving the kids home from school, (Lauren is a little girl from Brayden's class that I babysit) Anyways this is how it went.

Brayden: Steven (from class) wants to be a JEDI when he grows up, HA!
Me: HA! What do you want to be when you grow up, Bray?
Brayden: A House Worker. (a step up from his previous goal as a yard worker)
Me: Lauren, what do you want to be when you grow up?
Lauren: Um.... just a grown-up.
Brayden: But why? Its more fun to be a Worker.
Lauren: No, being a worker just makes you TIRED.
Brayden: No, all you do is just pound the hammer one time, and then you're done!

Fishing With Dad

While Jer was in broker's school for 10 days, the boys & I missed him so much. He left at 9 am & didn't get home until 10:30 pm. Kosty would walk around to the back door & then the front door with his very whiny-sad voice saying "Da-da?" I said, "Sorry Kosty, he's at work." He said, "Noooooo." I felt bad for him b/c he just didn't comprehend. I told Brayden when he first started what the schedule was gonna be like & that Dada would not be home until he was already asleep. He said, "Are you serious?!" Poor babies. Then the next morning he brought Jer this piece of paper & they started drawing pictures of all the things Brayden wanted to do with him when he was done. It is just the cutest list, I want to keep it forever. First on the list was "Fishing with Dada." Brayden has never even been fishing, but has wanted to for a long time. So on Saturday Jer took him fishing. We have a small lake in our neighborhood, so a very short trip! They caught one fish the first day & then 4 more the 2nd day. It made me so happy to see them spend quality time together & Brayden was elated. I am so grateful to have Jer back and that he is such a good daddy to do all these things with him even though it was scorching outside.

"Things to Do With Dada" highlights from the list:

• of course, fishing


• playing baseball


• skateboarding


• ride bike with no training wheels


• watch a show together


• ride bumper cars


• go out to lunch


• play a game on the computer


• play freeze-tag


• eat cereal together


• collect leaves
• play hide-n-go seek

I guess Jer is gonna be busy the next few weekends! Maybe I should start a list of my own...

Pizza Party (weekend cont'd)

My Aunt Sadie came down from Montana this weekend to visit, so my mom came down from Snowflake to pick her up from the airport. We all got together at our house to have a little family pizza party. We just got all the ingredients & made the pizzas ourselves. It was yummy & much better than trying to go out to eat with that many people! Since my mom wasn't in town when my sisters & brother had their birthdays, we kinda had a little celebration for them all, (justin-where were you!?) I just made a trifle and we put some candles on it. Aunt Sadie is such a crack-up. She is so bubbly & friendly. My mom just loves her, you can tell by how happy she looks in the pictures. They are so funny together, they call each other "Boo-Boo, or just "Boo" for short. Then they went back up to Snowflake the next day. It was a fun, but quick visit!

Aunt Sadie & My Mom Geez, Brittney! Does your birthday ever end????!

My Sisters (Isn't it strange how different we all look!)

Then today for Labor Day, our neighborhood had a little party at the park with of course inflatable slides, a little parade, Baskin Robbins ice cream, the Gilbert Fire Dept Truck, & of course a sweet D.J. Uncle Zach joined us too. It was so miserably hot. But the kids sure had a blast. So did Jer. Him & Zach were running up & down the slides & doing backflips on them. Goofballs.

Easy, Jer!