Birthday Boy!

James had a birthday! He is now a big boy! Three years old means you really aren't a baby anymore. Sad, but true. He's thrilled, I'm not. I like him as my little Jamesy-Baby.

James had his first birthday party with friends this year! His little boy cousins all came and had a super-awesome Spiderman party with James.

We played a duck-duck-goose variation, "spiderman, spiderman, green-goblin!" They were SO funny. We played freeze dance like at Naomi's party. The boys were super crazy and loved just running around.

Opening presents was so fun, the boys all crowded around and wanted to help and definitely wanted to help play with the new toys.

We had pizza and creamies and Spiderman Cupcakes! I was happy with how they turned out, the candles made them even better. James loved them and they actually looked like spider webs, phew!

At the end we had a Spiderman pinata, and party bags for all. It was so fun!
I wish I had taken more pictures at the party but the cupcake ones are cute enough.

James playing on his birthday at the playground while we waited for Naomi at ballet.

I like his shades, they are perfect for a party!

James getting ready to blow out the candles!

James is loving and sweet and crazy and tough. He loves to cuddle and give hugs and kisses.

He loves to pretend he's flying in a rocket ship to outer space! Rocks, sticks, whatever he can find, becomes a rocket!

James loves wearing his 'froggy boots' and I love it too, he can get them on by himself.
He usually doesn't care what clothes I help him put on and he really doesn't like getting his hair done. He says he doesn't want to look handsome.

James loves to pretend he is a superhero, or a puppy, or a dinosaur, or dragon, or snake, lizard or Monster. Playing pirates is a favorite game and playing anything with his sister Naomi is fun.

James gets his "feelings hurt" easily if he gets in trouble. I sometimes find it hard to keep a straight face when I'm disciplining him.

He's my blue-eyed blond with kissable cheeks and a round little tummy. He loves to get "raspberries" on his tummy, (when I blow on it).

James's favorite foods are pretzels, olives, hot chocolate, red peppers and mushrooms.
He loves any treat I'll let him have.

The past three years with him have flown by, crazy fast. He was a very happy and easy baby, and so much fun! He would sleep anywhere and loved whatever food I gave him. He was a super chubby little love, with rolls and dimples everywhere. I loved it.

Now he's 3 and learning how to dress himself, and put his shoes on, and hopefully potty train soon, learns and sings songs, can count almost to 20 and is learning to write his name.
James is such a sweet boy and I'm so happy I get to be his mommy!
Happy Birthday (sweet baby) James!

Birthday Girl!

Naomi had a birthday! She turned 5!!!
It's crazy. I know everyone says that. But it still is.

Naomi had a birthday party on Valentine's Day, it was a Valentine's - Birthday Party! She loved it. I had some family over the next day for cake and ice cream too.
We played freeze dance, duck-duck-goose, made heart crafts (that didn't work out so well, but were fun to do anyway), opened presents, sang, ate cake, ice cream, fruit and veggies too! Played 'Pin the Kiss on the Frog' and just acted like little party animals! I had a fun Valentine's playlist that kept the kids moving and having fun.

playing in the sink with her new color-change Sleeping Beauty

Naomi and James

Happy Birthday Naomi!

Pin the Kiss on the Frog!

It was such a fun party and just a little bit crazy too!

She's so smart and growing up so quickly. I was looking at her today while I was watching her at preschool. Thinking how beautiful she is. I was remembering what a pretty baby she was. She was so bald, but she was just adorable. People used to stop me all the time and comment on how cute she was. And they would nearly always comment on how she has such beautiful skin. It's a mystery where she got her permanent tan, and how she gets so brown in the Summer. I'm thinking she's going to love it as she gets older. That girl never burns. But I do use sunscreen. Promise.

Naomi loves to play make-believe and construct elaborate games with her little brother. They are always rescuing, helping, exploring, fighting, racing.
Everyday, the use of all the throw blankets and pillows is required.

She is sometimes mischievous.
She is a good reasoner and likes to argue her point. She has a strong sense of justice.
She is giving and likes to make her friends and brother happy.

Naomi loves art. She colors, draws, writes notes and letters, paints, glues, cuts, tapes. She does these things every single day. All the time.
I have a wall covered with her drawings and colorings. I take everything down about once a month and it fills up incredibly fast with new art.
I love having her artwork in my house.
Naomi loves to write notes to everybody. It's so sweet and she is a good phonetic speller. She's getting picky and wants me to help her spell everything correctly lately.

Naomi's Grandma Linda had a birthday the other day. I told Naomi it was coming up and at preschool that day she made a pipe cleaner and bead bracelet for her Grandma. She brought it home and showed me, she was SO proud.
She put it in a box, with three jelly beans and a little drawing and taped the box shut. Then she cut and taped as much blue ribbon as she could fine to "wrap" her gift. it was adorable. She beamed with pride as her Grandma opened her gift.
I love her for being so sweet and thoughtful.
I love that she loves her own artwork.
I hope I can encourage her in that.

Naomi's favorite foods are still pickles and olives. She loves frozen peas, not cooked. She loves tuna sandwiches with banana peppers. Chocolate creamies and oreos are favorite treats.

Naomi is a daredevil. She loved the fast, crazy rides at Disneyland. The scarier the better!
It's a magical age. She believes in magic and still loves to be silly, she is getting the hang of knock-knock jokes and how to play rock-paper-scissors.

Naomi loves to choose her own outfits. I let her as long as it's weather-appropriate. It's usually a bit mis-matched but she loves it so I do too.

I love my Naomi girl, it's amazing another year has flown by. She's my first baby and my big girl and my little friend for everything. I am so thankful for my sweet girl and I hope I can be the mommy she needs.

Snow Day

Snowy fun with my little crazy kids!
Sometime in February here in our beautiful, snowy Cache Valley.

 

Her "Grandma Great" made for her that darling pink scarf. Naomi loves to wear it

Naomi is wearing my snowsuit from when I was a little girl. I don't know how waterproof it is, but it looks so sweet on her.

You can count on Naomi consuming large quantities of snow. It's just inevitable. So delicious :) 

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James was pretending that his arm was a crane or a tractor scooping and dumping the snow.
He was almost too busy to look at me while I snapped his photo.

Powder

Last month Mark and I hit up Powder Mountain on possibly the best ski day of the season.
It was a bluebird day and tons of fresh powder from the night before.
Best skiing of my life I tell you!

I had never been to Powder, and after one day there, I'm sold. It's a great resort, not too crowded and definitely not as pricey as the other resorts in Utah. There were tons of fun runs, we didn't even cover half of them. It's a lot bigger than Beaver, ha!

I ski, Mark boards, and we have a good time every time we go. I love it.
Ski (and board...) season is just about over. I'm going to try to make it to Beaver Mountain one last time this weekend before it closes. All the other places will be open for a while yet, and Spring skiing is always so nice and sunny and warm!

My little Valentine's

Valentine's Day is a fun holiday and we love celebrating it! Naomi and I spent the afternoon the day before cutting out hearts and decorating the house for Valentine's and for her birthday party. Naomi loves decorating for holidays, it's such a big deal to her. We spent lots of time writing on our life-sized conversation hearts we stuck all over the walls.

James and his Dinosaur Valentine's card from mommy.

Putting the stickers back inside.

 We heart Valentine's Breakfast!

Pink heart-shaped pancakes actually tasted pretty good.

We had a Happy Valentine's Day.

Saint Patrick's Day was fun too, I didn't put the effort in to decorating, much to Naomi's disappointment. We made sure we all wore green and the kids were shocked to find that those mischievous little leprechauns had turned their milk GREEN! The whole gallon! I love holidays with little kids.

Oh My Blog

I haven't blogged in a while. I've been busy. I'm always busy. But I've not been spending my extra time blogging. Sometimes it's like that.
Right now I have tests in two classes within this next week. Lots of reading to do. Projects, papers, assignments. Etc.
School is taking up a lot of my free time lately.
And the rest of my time is mostly spent as a mommy!
I remember being a freshmen at Utah State, and I took 15 credits and worked part time and spent a LOT of time socializing. Somehow I managed to get it all done.
Now I'm taking 7 credits and feel swamped all the time! Funny how time changes things. And getting older.
Only about a month left for this semester and then I won't have classes again until this Fall when I can actually start the Professional School Counselor program. Yay! It will be different, busy too, I'm sure. It's confined to one evening a week, and is 6 credits. And the program is two years. That's long. But I'm excited to start it.
It's hard wearing different hats depending on what my responsibilities are at the moment. But being busy and finding balance is rewarding, so that's what I'm striving for.
Not much for today, I have lots of photos that need posting, but they will have to wait.