The Ups of the Downs Family

Monkey Bizness Bday Party

2010-05-13T07:42:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Trey and Adler's birthday together this year. It was so fun to have so many friends and our family there to celebrate with us. The kids had a great time.

Trey turns 5!!

2010-05-13T07:30:00.000-07:00

First Lego set!
The Leapster!

Reece turns 1!

2010-05-13T07:25:00.000-07:00

Had a fun day celebrating Reece's 1st birthday. He is such a sweet baby boy! I cannot believe he is one already. He had no trouble digging into his cake. He loved every bite!

Sam's 1st Baseball Game

2010-05-13T07:21:00.000-07:00

Sam started baseball this year. He plays on a team with 14 other 1st graders from his school. They are a great bunch of boys. Sam seems to be having fun. He has lots to learn and I hope he stays interested!

Adler's 3 year Photo

2010-05-13T07:03:00.000-07:00

Grandparents visit from Ohio

2010-04-18T18:33:00.000-07:00

Boys fight.

2010-04-15T14:46:00.000-07:00

That's just what they do.

A Trip to KC Zoo

2010-04-15T14:39:00.000-07:00

Adler's 3rd Birthday

2010-04-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

Valentine's Day

2010-03-08T15:51:00.000-08:00

Bath Time

2010-03-08T15:46:00.001-08:00

Baby Reece....

2010-03-08T15:42:00.000-08:00

Try photographing two very busy boys. Not easy. Aaron, Samantha, Kaitlyn, and Reece stopped by last weekend to hang out. Reece is getting so big. He's crawling around and putting everything in his mouth. Adler wasn't too keen on him chewing on his toys, but otherwise, loved playing with him.

Soaking up the Sun

2010-03-08T15:35:00.000-08:00

We spent the weekend outside enjoying the beautiful weather. Adler wasn't feeling too hot, but the other boys had a great weekend. Although I didn't photograph it, the boys had their shirts off most of the afternoon. A little excessive, but I totally understood their excitement for Spring!

PineWood Derby

2010-02-05T07:57:00.001-08:00

Sam had his first PineWood Derby last month. Andy helped him design the car and sand it, but Sam did all the painting. He lost the 1st round, won the second, and lost the third. He had a lot of fun. Next year we are gonna win!

Igloo building

2010-01-06T14:46:00.000-08:00

The storm of 2010 has arrived. The boys have been working on an igloo for a couple weeks now. Here is what they have so far. Tomorrow it will probably have more rooms!

Christmas at Mom and Dad's house

2010-01-06T14:31:00.001-08:00

Twas the night before Christmas....

2009-12-27T16:16:00.001-08:00

Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T16:01:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning started early at our house. Poor Adler slept through the first hour and and a half until I woke him up to join the fun! The boys were excited to see that Santa had visited and left them a Wii and lots of new toys!

It snowed a lot during the night and covered over our front steps.
Sam playing the Wii.
Andy and Adler opening Adler's choo-choo ornament.

Trey playing the Wii.
The first round of shoveling. Two more rounds were needed.

Trey passing out from excitement opening his scooter from Nana and pops!
A present I gave my mom and dad.
A model airplane Sam put together in 5 minutes.

Andy's new coat from my parents!
Love the surprise on Mom's face when she saw this....
Andy made them a yard sign, or a really cheap headstone!

My goofy family!

Christmas Eve 2009

2009-12-25T17:04:00.000-08:00

Sam, Trey, and I made some cookies for Santa today. It was our first time doing this because I don't have much patience in my kitchen. So, despite a few spilled sprinkles and a full cup of water all over the dough... we had a good time. We spent Xmas eve at home waiting for the big blizzard of the year. The boys each opened one present. Trey opened a bank that counts the money as you insert it. Adler opened a "Cars" set that all three boys loved. And poor Sam opened pajamas. oops! Next year I will not make that mistake again! Hope everyone had a magical xmas eve!

(Click on this picture to see the detail of the lips!)

Christmas Elves!

2009-12-21T06:33:00.001-08:00

The boys and I are enjoying every minute of Christmas this year. We worked on some cute xmas houses to decorate the mantle. And our famous elf, Fred Mcfeddy, was hiding inside of the gingerbread house this morning. He reports back to Santa each and every night on whether the boys have been behaving. The next morning he hides in a new spot! I'm sure I will have tons of more xmas pictures to follow!

Trey's Xmas Program

2009-12-21T06:28:00.001-08:00

Trey had his xmas program at school last week. It was really cute. His class sang a song called 'A blanket for the baby'. I obviously didn't get a good picture of the performance! Trey has a cow headband on. The kids all represented the animals in the manager. Then after the performance there was a cookie reception. Yummy.

Chickee House

2009-12-21T06:23:00.000-08:00

The Chickee House by Sam D.

Sam had his first big school project due on Dec. 1st. He was to build a Native American or Pilgrim house. We did a little research and decided on a Chickee House. Andy and Sam worked really hard on this project and I love how it turned out! Sam received a 100%!

Sam's 7th Bday party -part 1

2009-11-15T19:35:00.000-08:00

The pictures are in reverse order, sorry!

Sam choose to have an Army theme party this year. He invited a few friends over to help celebrate. Andy dressed the part of drill sergeant and took the boys on a march through the woods, then back to headquarters for an obstacle course, presents, cake, pinata, and freeplay. Everyone had a great time!

My 29th birthday!

2009-11-01T15:58:00.001-08:00

Ok, so really my 34th,

We had a great time celebrating my birthday with presents, cake, and ice cream!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T15:47:00.003-08:00

Let them eat candy!

Adler 2 1/2- ghost

Trey 4 1/2- Plo Koon

Sam almost 7- an old man

Nana and Pops with the boys.

The loot.

Trey fell and smacked his face on the sidewalk during trick or treating! Poor kid!

Pops laughing at the intensity of Adler's candy eating binge.

Pumpkin Carving Time

2009-11-01T15:38:00.002-08:00

Halloween snuck up on me this year. October went by way too fast. We carved pumpkins Saturday afternoon, thankful for a beautiful day. We always let the boys draw their design, then Andy carves it. They had a great time!

I'm Back to blogging!!!!!! (I think)

2009-11-01T15:38:00.001-08:00

First Trip to the Farm this Season

2009-04-12T08:53:00.000-07:00

We have an amazing "petting farm" here in Overland Park that the kids just LOVE. When we moved here 5 years ago, it was never busy and was fun, but hadn't lived up to it's full potential. It is run on donations and contributions only. In the last few years, so many wonderful items have been added to the farm. There is a new Dairy Barn, apple orchard, tractor riding, new playground, the list goes on and on. Here are the pictures from our amazing trip yesterday. The weather was perfect and so was the kids' behavior!!! Both boys caught a fish. Trey grabbed right on to his to release it. Sam was not touching his, so Trey did it for him. Adler had fun running around like a crazy man and petting the baby pigs. My favorite was the baby lamb, only days old. So sweet. We'll be back to the farm many times through the fall.

We Are Not Saving for Sam's College Education...

2009-03-16T11:33:00.000-07:00

but for the orthodontist. yikes!

Kaitlyn's 4th Birthday Party

2009-03-09T14:22:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Kaitlyn's 4th birthday on Sunday at Nana and Pop's house. The kids had a great time playing together. Kaitlyn received a sweet little baby doll, a diaper bag, stroller, pac'n'play, doll clothes and tea set. What can we say? It's fun buying girl toys. And I would like to say for the record: Adler has more than one outfit. When Andy dresses him for a family get-together this has become the official uniform. We will have 400 pictures of him in this outfit.

AND these pictures aren't in correct order. blogspot is a little difficult to manipulate.

Are we in Kansas?

2009-02-10T11:26:00.000-08:00

The weather around here has been fabulous. If this is global warming, I'm all for it. We headed to the park on Saturday to burn off some energy (the boys, not mine) and had a great time. Here are pictures to prove it.

Dad's 60th Birthday Celebration

2009-01-19T07:31:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Mom had us all over to celebrate Dad's 60th birthday. It was a beautiful, sunny day, so we took the opportunity to take some pictures BEFORE we ate the cake. The boys did pretty good sitting still and smiling for the camera. Aaron helped get the smiles from the boys by talking about boogers and picking his nose. Hey-whatever works. Aaron is so good with my boys. He always carries them around upside down threatening to throw them in the sink or trash can. They love it. Adler wasn't as thrilled, but give him a couple years, and he will be. We enjoyed some cake and ice cream then headed down to the "man cave" to watch football on Dad's new 50" plasma Tv and play pool. It was Dad's birthday after all. Happy Birthday Dad!

A Day at Wonderscope

2009-01-05T13:56:00.001-08:00

Trying to cuddle with Adler, he resisted after 5 seconds.
Adler will NOT look at the camera, unless he can touch it...

Yo, what up? Wonderscope's the bomb!
Adler learning about gravity.
Sam and Trey inside the lego submarine.
Trey exploring the air tubes.

Captain Adler steering the vessel.

Sam and Trey exploring the new H2O exhibit, which was lame-o. A few rubber ducks and water... my bathtub is more fun.

Trey's gymnastics class.

2009-01-05T13:49:00.001-08:00

I enrolled Trey in a gymnastic class over the winter. He had a great time. There was only four little kids and two teachers. They had a great time jumping on the trampoline, learning to do somersaults, working the balance beams, and doing headstands. The pictures aren't that great, but you get the idea.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-05T13:34:00.003-08:00

My mom with Adler.
Sam and me.
Trey with his new movie.
The boys with their loot.
A moment before the chaos.

We celebrated Xmas this year at our home, which is just how I think it should be. Trey woke us up at 4:00 a.m. "just to take a peek", but we convinced him to go back to bed until about 5:30 when Adler decided it was time to rise and shine. I had received an early xmas present of influenza- the gift that keeps on giving! So it was a pretty low key day. The boys received too many toys and were in heaven. We had a wonderful day with my parents who came over in the morning then headed to my brother's for the afternoon.

Cousins

2008-12-21T12:02:00.001-08:00

Kaitlyn, Aaron's daughter, joined us last Saturday for some playtime.

Aunt Kelly and Kaitlyn.
Adler and KAitlyn. (notice the shirt pulled over her hand. Adler was very drooly that day and she was protecting herself!!!)

Kaitlyn and the boys spent last Saturday together. We headed to an indoor playground in the morning to burn off some energy, then went to the mall to visit Santa. All the kids loved telling Santa their wishes for this year. Then we headed home for lunch, naps, and more play time.

Heroe's Family Get-Together

2008-12-21T08:43:00.000-08:00

Justin enjoying a Bloody Mary.

Jayden- 2 yrs old- enjoying some chicken with her ranch dressing. (Nikki's daughter)
Hunter enjoying some snacks. (Angela's son)
Angela, me and Nikki.
Nikki with her son, Parker -6months.
Hunter and Jayden posing for some pictures.
Angela with Jayden.
Justin, Nikki, Jeremy, and Zack.

A bunch of us got together at Heroe's for lunch on Saturday. There were many more kids and people there than I photographed, but the kids weren't interested in sitting still for pictures and I was on my own with three kids, so I was a little distracted. It was fun to get all the Heroe's offspring together. We have some darn cute kids!!!

Sam turns 6!!!

2008-11-16T11:46:00.001-08:00

My baby turns 6 today. Sometimes people say, "it seems like it was just yesterday", but it really does feel like six years. And I mean that in a good way. Sam is an amazing kid. He makes me smile, laugh, scream, and cry. He is so smart, I know this world will be a better place when he's running it..... that's if he doesn't choose the dark side. I love how he questions everything and can put a spin on any rule to change it and make it work for him. We have had a great day celebrating. The gifts were mainly lego starwars, lego toys, and a hot wheels scooter. Happy Birthday Sam. We love you!

Lego Party!

2008-11-16T11:24:00.001-08:00

Sam enjoying his birthday cake.
The LEGO cake.

The kids with their LEGO creations.
Playing Legos....

Sam celebrated his 6th birthday by having a few friends over for a LEGO birthday Party. The pictures are backwards in order, but you get the idea. A bunch of lego, kids, presents, and cake. Everybody had a great time.

Halloween 2008

2008-11-03T10:20:00.001-08:00

Sam's field trip- American Royal

2008-11-02T18:56:00.001-08:00

This here's the Sheriff.
Maybe a bull skeleton?
Sam, the crazy-shoot-em-up, cowboy.
Hey look! A cow at the American Royal.

The kids had a great time. We ended the field trip at the rodeo. Which was a lot of fun, but way too long for 60 kindergarteners.

Trey's Halloween Party at Preschool

2008-11-02T18:44:00.000-08:00

Trey as a clone trooper during the halloween parade.
Singing some Halloween songs.
Trey with his good friend, Lydia.
Trey enjoying his halloween treats.
And the entire preschool class.

Pumpkin Patch

2008-11-02T18:31:00.000-08:00

It was very sunny. Not great for taking pictures.
Trey, Sam, and Kaitlyn on a tractor ride to the pumpkin fields.
Posing for some "fall" pictures.
Nana and Pops with all their grandchildren.

Trying to take a nice fall picture with 3 boys.

2008-11-02T18:06:00.001-08:00

look, it's an airplane!
UM, Adler.... look over here, please.
Adler....?

Sam.... could YOU look at the camera?

Can Somebody Tell Me Where October Went? I would like the last four weeks of my life back, please.

2008-11-02T17:51:00.000-08:00

These pictures are in reverse. (blogspot can be irritating)

Adler enjoying my birthday cake.
Me, getting ready to make a wish and blow out the candles.
Mom and Sam. Mom made the cake!!! Yummy.

A weekend with Heidi

2008-10-11T13:03:00.000-07:00

Breakfast at The Diner. Legendary. I have never found better hashbrowns. ever.
A nice little lunch at the winery where Andy and I got married. This was before we knew Heidi.
Heidi has been a vegetarian the entire time I have known her. Like many things in her life right now, that has changed. So we headed to Booches for their infamous cheeseburgers. That is not a pretty picture of me. But damn, it was a good burger. I gained 5 pounds in a day and a half.

I headed to Columbia last weekend to spend some serious girl time with my friend, Heidi. We spent the entire weekend walking around campus and downtown and EATING! I love Columbia for many reasons and food is one of them. Here's a couple embarrassing, funny pictures. uummmm, makes me hungry just thinking about it.

Hunter and Hunter Junior

2008-10-08T19:16:00.000-07:00

Went to visit Angela and her little guy, Hunter, who is already 13 months. He is such a cutie. I tried to work my magic on him, but he sure was attached to his mama. Nikki joined us, and we went out for a little b-day celebration. Thanks girls, I had fun!!!

Playing at the Park

2008-10-03T06:27:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was such a beautiful day. We took advantage of the weather and played at Trey's school's playground for awhile. The boys were all smiles.

misbehavin'

2008-09-30T18:58:00.000-07:00

Harley is getting a little too comfortable in his new home. Doesn't his face have a total attitude about it? Where's the gratefulness for rescuing his sorry butt from the shelter? Did he put his front paws on MY dining room table tonight and eat off Trey's plate WHILE I was sitting there?umm-yes he did. Has he been peeing on my lounger I received for Mother's Day? umm-that would be a yes. And is he trying to claim my favorite grey GAP zip-up jacket as his own? I'm going to take him on a "field trip" back to the shelter to remind him who's boss if he doesn't shape up. Just look at that face.

Books and Blankies

2008-09-30T18:50:00.000-07:00

All three of my boys have a passion for books. And two have a passion for their blankets. Here's Sam and Adler reading a book together while sharing Sam's blanket. This is a moment in my day where I have to stop and admire the love between these two. With three boys, someone is either crying, fighting, yelling, or rough-housing, so, a moment like this does not go unnoticed by me. Trey, I'm sure was in his room crying.

Sam's Soccer game

2008-09-22T07:13:00.000-07:00

Sam had his second soccer game yesterday. These pictures crack me up. Sam tries to intimidate the other players with his 'faces'.

Attack of the Trolls

2008-09-18T13:05:00.001-07:00

Sam's been busy building all afternoon, and he asked me to take some pictures. He's obsessed.

Who Is This Masked Man?

2008-09-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

Harley, again

2008-09-10T08:02:00.001-07:00

Oh, how I love this dog. He is so funny. I took a bunch of pictures of him, and he had his eyes closed in half of them. What's up with that?

look at this face....

2008-09-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

what else can i say?

soccer time

2008-09-06T11:34:00.003-07:00

Sam had his first of six soccer games today. He had a fun time. It was so cute to see these little boys all running after the ball, trying to score a goal. Sam has some experienced players on his team, they stomped their competition. (but we're not suppose to keep score) Here's to the next 13 years of weekend soccer games.

A boy and his Dog

2008-09-05T08:05:00.000-07:00

Trey's 1st Day of Preschool

2008-09-04T19:44:00.000-07:00

Trey started preschool today. He had a lot of fun.. And he is really excited that he has his own school now. Since Sam has moved on, Trey gets to claim this school his own.. Such a middle child.

From 1967 to 2008...

2008-09-02T14:25:00.000-07:00

Andy and my Dad installed a new garage door on Labor Day. Appropriate, if you ask me. It looks so nice. Now every time I drive up to the house, I sigh with relief, instead of groaning under my breath. That old door was BAD!

A Boy and His Dog

2008-09-02T13:10:00.000-07:00

Sam is enjoying having Harley around. Harley likes to play ball in the backyard, and is doing very well on our family walks. AND he is already HOUSE-TRAINED! Can I get an AMEN?

Newest Member of the Family

2008-09-01T05:49:00.000-07:00

Meet Harley!! We adopted him yesterday from a local no-kill animal shelter. He is about a year and a half old, some sort of hound/lab mix, and a really good dog. When he settles down a bit, I hope to get some better pictures.

School Bus Riding

2008-08-19T11:16:00.008-07:00

Sam insisted he was ready to ride the school bus today. I thought it was a little early, but who am I to decide for him? I'm only his mother, right? So we headed off down the street. And he was more than ready. (i asked his permission before whipping out the camera at the bus stop) After a few pictures, he climbed right on, walked to the BACK of the bus, and sat down with the 6th graders. Guess he doesn't know that the back of the bus is for the older kids. But they scooted over, and off to school he went. sniff sniff, it was the bus ride that got me, not the actual school part. He's so independent. I'm proud of him. Go conquer the world, Sam, or at least the elementary school!

Highlights from Ohio Trip

2008-08-18T07:36:00.000-07:00

We spent a week in Ohio at the beginning of the month. We had a great visit. Here are a few pics. The rest are on our website. Check it out....

First Day of Kindergarten

2008-08-15T16:11:00.001-07:00

Sam went to his first day of kindergarten today. The morning started a little rough. Sam insisted he didn't need to go, he didn't want any new friends, and I could teach him everything I know. Eventually he relaxed and he had a great morning. His teacher seems great, and he loves his new school. It helps that his best friend is also in his class.

Andy Had a Birthday!!

2008-08-15T15:22:00.000-07:00

Hey Andy, Happy Birthday!

Andy worked all day, so when he arrived home, we gave him his presents, sang him 'Happy Birthday', & ate some cake. Andy and I then headed down to the Plaza for a delious dinner at Brio. Yummy!

quick trip to the 'lou

2008-07-31T13:09:00.000-07:00

Andy and I headed to St. Louis last weekend for a friend's wedding. It was so great to see such a special friend get married. Celeste and I were sorority sisters, and roommates for over two years. Then on Sunday we met up with the greatest girl ever!!!! and took a few pictures. Talk about a natural in front of the camera. Heidi's one of the nicest and funniest people I have ever known. And her boys are beautiful. We had a great weekend. This weekend we are off to Ohio.

The Many Faces of Adler

2008-07-23T16:51:00.001-07:00

um, hi. this is my "aren't i cute face?" "aren't i your favorite" face?

this is my "i am stuck in a tractor" face

this is my cookie face!! my first ever cookie face!!!

"wwweeeeeeeee" i'm swinging!

this is my mom has made me stay at the park for two hours and i am really tired face. so please take me home.

Mac's photo booth

2008-07-18T11:14:00.000-07:00

Who ever thought this one up? My awesome imac has a built in camera with some pretty funny special effects. Anyone need a good laugh? These should do the trick.

Sunflowers in Kansas

2008-07-18T10:47:00.000-07:00

Sam brought home a few starter sunflower plants in May from preschool. His Dad decided to plant them in the front of the house. Even though the ants have taken a toll on the plants, one finally bloomed yesterday. The boys were really excited to see it bloom. I wonder how much taller it will get?

A Rare Moment

2008-07-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have brought a lot of yelling from Sam and Trey. I think we just spend waaayyyyyyy too much time together, so this morning whan Sam asked me to take a picture of him and Trey 'loving each other', I jumped at the opportunity. I believe Adler is even smiling.

Playing at the Park

2008-07-14T19:01:00.000-07:00

We decided to go feed the ducks and geese tonight at Antioch Park. This park is one of our favorites. The boys enjoyed feeding the birds, but weren't so hip on having their pictures taken. Adler won't even look at me when I have the camera to my eye. He has the most amazing smile, but I rarely catch it on film. I tried some new things with my camera and got some fun photos. Enjoy the pictures.

Stitches are gone!!!!

2008-07-11T11:42:00.000-07:00

Trey had his stitches removed this morning. I have to say he did better getting them than having them removed, but thank goodness it's done. I just hope that's my last visit to urgent care for a long time. But, who am I kidding, right?

Tooth Fairy's Going Broke

2008-07-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

Sam lost his third tooth this morning. Hopefully, the fairy will remember to visit this evening....

More 4th of July

2008-07-07T19:14:00.000-07:00

Adler protesting the removal of his pacifier.

Adler has a serious problem with authority figures.

Trey eating his ice cream (why is this one out of order?)

Adler on the bigwheel.

Sam showing off his fireworks.

Adler sitting on his perch.

Trey lighting a tank.

The first time the boys got ice cream from the weird man that drives around the neighborhood.

I noticed I don't have any pictures of Adler on my blog. I'm not sure why that is. Though he rarely takes his pacifier out, so maybe that's why. Here are a few of him and more from the 4th.

Bike Riding

2008-07-07T18:43:00.000-07:00

All smiles as he takes his first ride.

Sam enjoying the ride.

Trey got his first bike today. We went out biking after dinner. He had a great time, a smile on his face the entire evening. He might have even passed Mr. Cautious (Sam) once or twice. Andy made him crash a few times, and Trey came up with a smile every time. I was really proud of him. Here are a few pictures. The rest are on our website.

How many times will I be at Children's mercy this summer?

2008-07-06T14:02:00.000-07:00

So..... I made my second trip of the summer to Children's Mercy Hospital. This time with Trey. This was his fourth visit in one year. I am expecting children's services to arrive at my front door any minute. What happened you ask? Oh, just a little frisbee golf with his Dad and brother Sam. Sam had the offending throw, of course. Trey took it like a champ, only crying when he got hit, but never complained once at the emergency room. He now has three stitches or 'cat whiskers' as we refer to them. They'll get removed in a week. Who's next?

Happy 4th of July

2008-07-06T11:13:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a great day celebrating with family and friends. We took the holiday easy, no traveling or big plans. We took the boys to a local celebration and had a great time.

Sam took the plunge, but I didn't have my camera.

2008-06-29T08:08:00.000-07:00

Sam decided he was brave enough to go down the crazy, twisty slide at the pool. Did I have my camera? Nope. I never imagined he would do it. After reaching the bottom safely, he yelled, "that was the thrill of my lifetime!!!!". so I took my camera the next day to capture the re-enactment. Would he go down that damn slide? Nope. Not on your life. So these were just a few pictures of the boys having fun. Maybe next time.

The Token Economy

2008-06-26T07:38:00.001-07:00

THE TOKEN CHARTS

As many of my friends know, I have been struggling with my oldest son's behavior. He's a really good kid, but he's a lot like me in that he has his own ideas and struggles with authority. (Stop laughing Mom!) Not the easiest kid to get to behave. This last month we have had the biggest struggles. When Sam is angry, I will usually send him to his room. That is if I can get him to his room. He's honestly getting too big for me to control in a physical manner. And he flat out will refuse to go to his room. When I do get him there by squeezing his little neck, he destroys whatever he can get his little hands on. His favorite is to strip his bed sheets and blankets. And I refuse to re-make his bed for him. So then the struggle starts all over again with him flipping out because I won't help him. Sam has also recently discovered the power of words. He will scream at the top of his lungs that he hates me. Not a high moment in mothering. Then of course after two hours of being calm and collected, I lose it with him, because he is ruining every one's life. I refuse to let my children control our household. Another interesting thing that was occurring was that when Andy was struggling with Sam, I would get upset with Andy and protective of Sam. Not healthy for my marriage. No parent needs the other parent questioning them.

So what should I do? Well, I began with opening up to a friend in my potluck playgroup. Jennifer is a mom to a beautiful five year old girl, Keely, and she is also expecting. She suggested "the token economy". Have you heard of it? It's a positive reinforcement method of training your children to behave. It offers tokens for good behavior and chores, and rewards those behaviors with privileges. I t also requires the kids paying me tokens for misbehavior. Andy and I decided what will earn tokens, and what behaviors will lose tokens. We also decided what the privileges would be. When I explained the new system to the boys, their faces lit up. They were so happy to be encouraged to behave, rather than yelled at for not behaving. We are committed to this new system. I know we will see great results. Another thing I love about this way of parenting, is that when a child accomplishes a skill, you can cross it off the list, and add a new skill to work on. Magic!

TA-DAAAAA!!!!

2008-06-25T17:08:00.001-07:00

I have to say, these are the coolest drapes ever. Ever.

A simple, yet fun table centerpiece. (And it beats the Star Wars toys that the boys insist on putting as centerpieces)

I love the new chair fabric. I paid $9.00 for three yards. Very Nice.

The finished product. What do you think?

So, not exactly finished, but almost. I am the worst painter ever, so there's lots of detail touch-ups that my personal assistant will need to attend to. Have fun Andy. I also need some new wall accessories. I never like to rush that process. The new Z gallerie should be opening in July. They'll have something for me, I'm sure. The room turned out exactly the way I was hoping it would. New, fresh, and inspiring. Now I think I will go hang out in there and think about my new project: How to get control of my out-of-control five year old. Any suggestions?

The hikers have returned.

2008-06-25T14:42:00.000-07:00

Trey and sam taking a moment to enjoy mother nature.

Rock climbers!

Sam earning his Junior Ranger Badge.

On top of Pike's Peak.

The boys returned Monday early morning from the vacation. Andy said they were great travelers, and they had a really good time. I've posted all pictures on our family website, but here are a few favorites.

Sneak Peek...

2008-06-21T11:53:00.001-07:00

This is a before:
This is a hint:

Practically Naked

2008-06-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

Adler has started walking!!!!!!!!! Finally. So he thought he'd do a little mowing after taking a quick dip in the baby pool. Isn't this how every man dreams of mowing- in their underwear!

2008-06-20T17:24:00.000-07:00

Nikki and Jeremy had a baby on Monday. Parker Mason is a healthy, handsome 7lb, 7oz. little boy. What a sweetie!

Rocky Mountain High

2008-06-20T17:03:00.000-07:00

Cool Guys giving their "campin' faces"They are ready to go!

They were set up with new toys and lots of candy for the journey.

This is Andy before traveling with Sam and Trey for 6 days.
Many of you know that Andy took S & T to Colorado for their first hiking/camping trip. They began their journey on Wednesday and shall return hippyfied by Monday. ( Maybe Sunday, depending on how they are doing.) Let's hope Monday. My house is sooooo peaceful. AAAHHHHHHHH. Here are a few pictures of them leaving in the 'camp van', as Sam referred to it. I can't wait to post their pictures when they return.

Dining Room Re-Do

2008-06-20T16:54:00.000-07:00

The during photos....

I was getting very tired of my design style, so I decided to pull a little "While you were out" design re-do of my own. I don't believe I mentioned to Andy that I'd be redoing the dining room while he was gone....SURPRISE. I am going for a much brighter, whimsical look. I can't believe I didn't take a before picture...darn it. I will post the finished picture in a couple days. I can't wait.