Grammy's B-Day Celebration

Although my Mom's b-day was on Thursday, we couldn't celebrate as a family until tonight. Mike, Lisa, Sydney, Chris, Tom, Jeremy, the kids and I all got together at Mom & Tom's house for the occasion. Mike & Lisa picked up Papa Murphy's take-n-bake pizza and I made the cake (cherry chip w/ chocolate frosting by request). We also had a delicious salad compliments of Lisa. Everything was YUMMY. I hope my mom had fun - we did!

Morgan, Sydney and Grammy taking a pre-dinner stroll/skate/scoot.

Sydney and Mike: "We want cake!"

Morgan and Adam helped decorate the cake with a sprinkle shaped heart on top.

Water gun fight!

This is fun!

Chocolate Playdough

Dylan came over to play for a couple hours today while Morgan was at school. The boys had fun playing Wii and Cars and then we decided we should make some chocolate playdough. Let me just say... YUM. I will not be able to keep this around. Definitely a special treat for the kids because it is just too tasty to only play with.

Ball it up, roll it out, cut out shapes, eat the scraps. Repeat.

Morgan Rollerskates & Adam Bikes

First things first - Happy Birthday to two great women - My incredible Mom and my friend and our outstanding MOMS Club President, Jen A.!

Today I woke up feeling kind of crummy so the kids and I stuck close to home. Morgan really, really, really wanted to buy rollerskates after trying on a pair at Mason & Madeline's house, but she was out of money. I made a deal with her that if she helped me clean the house this morning to earn money, I would lend her the rest until she helped me clean again next week before Gramma Sue & Grampa Lou visit. She worked very hard and was a big help so I took her and Adam to Target and bought her some skates. I also bought both kids new helmets since their old ones didn't fit well. Adam bought himself a whole new set of Cars characters with his birthday gift card from Aunt Megan and we also got him a horn for his bike. Jeremy made a good point that since I lent Morgan the money our "5 year old is already in debt." I do want to teach her financial responsibility so it was food for thought. This time, I will just be sure to hold her to her commitment to help repay her share of the cost.

After we got home from the store, the kids tried out their new gear in the hallway. They were great! Morgan loves her new skates and Adam has mastered his bike... except maybe braking... next clean-up of the house will include repainting the wall by the door where he bumped a couple times. :)

New skates and Disney Princesses helmet.

New Thomas the Tank Engine helmet and horn.

Mason & Madeline's House

Today the kids and I headed out to visit Gina, Mason & Madeline at their house in Gilbert. They have a gorgeous home and are always doing renovations. They just redid their guest bathroom and it looks beautiful. Gina has an eye for decor and hubby David is extremely handy. A winning combination!

We had a terrific visit. The kids played extremely well together so Gina and I actually got to relax a little and chat. A new dynamic was present today with the seamless rearranging of play partners throughout they day. In the past it was mainly Morgan and Mason as ringleaders with Madeline and Adam tagging along in whatever capacity they could. Today they played together as a group some of the time (at one point, they all put on Mason's soccer jerseys and had a game in the living room), but also paired off throughout the day. Mason and Adam played Wii and looked at football playing cards. The girls had a tea party and roller skated. Morgan and Mason drew pictures together while the two younger ones played trains and hide-n-seek. It was a constant stream of activity and everyone got along great. Such a treat.

Madeline, Morgan & Butterscotch the Pony.

Yo! Future soccer star.

Best buddies.

Creating art together.

The girls team.

Next week we are meeting up at the mall so the kids can go to the Harkins Play Center and Gina and I can see Sex & The City: The Movie. Should be another great outing.

Memorial Day with Family & Friends

We had a jam-packed long weekend including Jeremy & I seeing movies both Saturday and Sunday at the theatre - WOW! - Iron Man & Indiana Jones. Since both are kids are over 3 and potty-trained we decided to give the Harkins Play Center a try and liked it so much we went 2 days in a row. Yes, the kids liked it too. :) They have games for the kids, a movie playing, popcorn and crafts. It is cheaper than babysitting, is fully monitored and they give you a pager in case they have to reach you during the show.

Then, yesterday, we attended two Memorial Day gatherings. First, we headed over to Mom & Tom's for a family golf outing and bbq. Adam woke me up at 4:45 AM (yuck) so we decided rather than take 2 cars to Grammy's we would all ride over with Jeremy on his way to golf. The men all met for an 8:00 AM tee-off at Palm Valley Golf Course and the rest of the Mock clan met about 11:00 AM at my Mom's house. Since the kids and I got there early we were able to help Grammy out (or distract her!) and spend some one-on-one time with her before everyone showed up. It was nice to see so many extended family members and my mom knows how to throw a party. Everything was really nice. Unfortunately, most of my pictures didn't turn out well so I only have a few to share.

Cousin Kaia - future architect.

Watering Grammy's garden.

Crashing after so much playing.

After leaving Grammy's we headed over to our friends Mary & Eric's house. Laura, Jeremy & Paige were there too. The kids had a great time playing with some of their best friends and it was very relaxing for the moms & dads as well. We played some Wii, but mostly just enjoyed sitting around talking and enjoying the nice weather before it turns back to an oven out there.

Good food with good friends.

Eric = Guitar Hero.

It was a long day - we were gone from the house for over 12 hours. After we got home, the kids took their tubby and put on their (adorable!) robes. The robes were a past Christmas gift from the Oakum cousins. They looked so sweet I had to take pictures.

Snuggly Morgan.

Cuddly Adam.

Rainy Day Fun

Today was a rainy and terrific day. It started with me waking up at 9:30 AM, going to Curves... wait, did I mention that the kids were at Grammy's and Jeremy is just now heading home from Denver? Yep - I had almost 24 hours to myself! My mom was nice enough to have us over for lunch and play yesterday and then to keep the kids overnight. I didn't pick them up until Morgan's schooltime today. Yesterday I went shopping, watched a movie, attended an HOA mtg (darn that civic duty for sucking an hour and a half out of my time! (LOL)) and caught up on some TV shows. It was incredibly relaxing. I stayed up late and then (gasp) was able to sleep through the night uninterrupted. It was sooooo amazing (thank you, thank you, thank you Mom!). The kids had fun too. They love going to Grammy & Grampy's where there is dessert every night, fun and games and they are the stars.

Yesterday cousin Sydney also came over to play at Grammy's. My mom presented us each with a water gun. She had bought them figuring our 110 degree weather was here to stay, but thankfully it hasn't. Here are a few pictures of our water fight before the rain began.

Filling the weapons.

Stick 'em up!

Today after school the kids and I made brownies for our new next door neighbors and played outside in the rain.

First step - add the ingredients.

Next think Dora and "Bate, Bate, Chocolate (choc-o-latte). Mix that chocolate, chocolate (choc-o-latte)."

Most importantly, test the batter.

Brrrrr.... it's cold out here!

Listening to the drip, drop, drip, drip, drop.

Life is fantastic.

Swimming Fun

This afternoon our friends Mary, Anthony & Emily came over for pizza and to swim. All of the kids had a great time. We were out there for almost 2 hours and still had to drag them inside. Adam was already more confident today than yesterday. With his floaties on, he can kick himself across the pool. It was good for Morgan to have Anthony over. She was still a bit nervous yesterday about going under the water (though she could do it last year), but seeing him do it inspired her. I am glad my kids are cautious around water, but I do want them to be confident swimmers. It will be neat to see them grow in their skills over the long, hot summer.

Morgan with her Minnie Mouse kickboard.

Adam swimming laps.

Anthony is a great swimmer!

Emily getting ready for a post-swim snack.

Swim Season Has Begun!

It was 110 degrees out today so I relented and agreed to test the pool water with the kids. There were cold spots and hot spots, but overall the temperature was great! Morgan and Adam were SOOOOO happy. It was hard to get them out. They even started planning a swim party to have with their friends - including what kind of cake we should make. LOL

Standing in the shallow end.

I love my floaties!

Look Mom! I remember how to swim!

MOMS Club Family Picnic

Jeremy, the kids & I joined other families from our MOMS Club for a Family Day Out Picnic at Laveen Village Park. It was hot, but fortunately, the park had a splash pad so the kids could keep cool. Adam for some reason decided to wake up at 3:30 AM this morning and refused to go back to bed or nap that morning. So... needless to say, he crashed in the car at 3:45 PM during the 5 minute drive to the park. He took a nap in the shade for about an hour then joined in the festivities.

Snoozing in the shade.

All I really want to eat are the chips... and maybe that cookie.

Morgan after the splash pad.

Silliness with Dylan.

Connor the Chocolate Monster.

Friends & Fun

Today was another eventful day. We started off the morning with our last MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) meeting of the year. MOPS meets 2x a month during the school year. It is a nice change from MOMS Club because the kids are taken care of by volunteers from the church while the moms get together for a guest speaker, food and rejuvenation. I am not sure if I will go often next year because Morgan will be in Kindergarten and Adam will be in preschool on Thursday mornings. As much as I enjoy the fellowship of MOPS, I am pretty sure I am going to relish my alone time two mornings a week starting in the fall.

After MOPS we headed straight over to Chandler Mall to meet Gina, Mason & Madeline. We hung out at the play area for a while then grabbed a bite at California Pizza Kitchen. We decided to just get a grown-up sized pizza for us to share with the kids and a salad to split. That backfired. There wasn't enough pizza for the kids let alone Gina and me. Note to reader: CPK pizzas are actually pretty small! But, we had fun. The kids were wild. They really get nutty when they see each other. The four of them have been friends forever and they are so themselves and so crazy it is exhausting and yet fun to watch. After lunch, we hit a couple stores then the kids wanted to go to "the playplace with the kitchen stuff". They meant Pottery Barn Kids. We had to ask them to refrain from calling it the playplace in the store. LOL

The 3 M's posing by the fountain at Chandler Mall.

The kids enjoyed getting wet by the fountain.

After PBK, we played for a few more minutes at the play area then said our goodbyes and headed home. Of course, it was about 3:45 so Adam decided to nap. Fortunately, Kimberly called on our way home and invited us over to play. We got to her house after Adam had been out for about a half hour and I woke him up to see Dylan and Connor. I don't think he would have awoken so easily at home - nor so happily. He was groggy for a few minutes, then got straight into playing. I am hoping he burned a lot of energy so he won't be impossible to put to bed tonight. Kimberly and I were both husbandless tonight so she invited us to stay for dinner. It was really nice to catch up with her since she just returned from almost 2 weeks out of town.

Life is good. We have wonderful friends. And I have a terrific hubby who I am looking forward to coming home tomorrow!

Playdates

It is only Tuesday and we've already have several friends over for playdates. Yesterday morning, Paige came over to play while Laura went to the doctor. Then in the afternoon, our friends Spencer & Pierce and their au pair, Maja, came over between preschool and karate. It was nice - Maja ended up staying here with Adam and Pierce so I could workout at Curves after dropping off Morgan and Spencer at karate. My friend Ellen (Spencer & Pierce's mom) had a date with hubby Steve last night so I invited Maja and the kids to stay for dinner. It actually makes my life a lot easier when Jeremy is out of town to have friends over to entertain the kids.

Playing puppet show with Paige.

Cars with Pierce.

Goofing around with Spencer.

This morning, Laura, Mary & I met over at Cindy's house to talk about our upcoming Rocky Point trip. Afterwards, Mary, Anthony, Emily, Morgan, Adam and I headed over to Taco del Mar for lunch then the kids and I brought Anthony home with us for the afternoon. It was a little more stressful than usual because lately it has just been Adam and Anthony so it was a little hard on Adam to have to 'share' his best buddy with his sister. Overall, they did well though. We made space robots and 'phones' (yes, those phones do look an awful lot like birth control pill holders....).

Calling all robots, come in all robots.

Our creations.

Only 3 more sleeps until Jeremy comes home! But who is counting.... (ME!)

Happy Mother's Day & Sydney's Birthday Party

Happy Mother's Day! I didn't get any pictures from today, but let me just say how wonderful it was. The kids and Jeremy got me several new pairs of jammies, Jeremy cleaned the house and we took my mom out to dinner at Macaroni Grill. It was a lovely day.

Below is a picture of Morgan at her preschool Mother's Day presentation. As a group, the kids sang a beautiful song to the moms. Then each child presented his or her mom with a gift they made in class. I received a pretty photo album Morgan decorated and a cd of her being interviewed about me. It was funny and touching to hear what Morgan had to say. She is a gem!

Yesterday we helped Sydney celebrate turning 4 with her friends and family at Tolmachoff Farm. Everyone had a great time! The kids loved petting the animals, playing in the "3 Little Pigs" houses, riding the tractor-pulled train and just playing with their cousin and the other kids.

Little Pigs, Little Pigs... Let me in!

Cousin Callie and the birthday girl.

Grammy, Adam & me keeping cool in the shade.
Morgan and a super soft bunny.

Adam showing me a pig.

Sydney leading the ladybug train.

The ladybug express.

Jeremy and Grampy T racing ducks.

Jeremy showing Grandpa Vern his tricycle moves.

The birthday princess.