Tutus and Friend Fun

Mom, I know you remember this outfit for sure!   Addison has recently found and fell in love with Amelia's old ballet outfits.  She loves to wear her tutu and ballerina shoes, ALL the time.  Mommy and Addison have even made up mini dance recitals which thankfully have not made it onto youtube and/or Facebook as of yet.  Although I would love to avoid the whole circus that involves dance class and recitals...I may not be able to much longer with Addison.  

Luke's "Welcome to Kindergarten" class picnic.  Peanut butter and jelly, cheese puffs, good friends, what's not to love?

I love this one of Addison and her church buddy Sarah.  Look at their sweet toddler hugs and giggles.  I can't believe these two will start preschool next year.  Addison is a funny little girl and says so many cute things lately.  The other day I had just picked up Stephen's medical coat that had needed to be tailored.  He went to try it on and came out to show me and Addison gasped and said, "Oh Daddy, you look beautiful in your doctor dress!"  Luke has come up with some zingers lately also.  He had a not so good morning at church on Sunday and during bedtime that night this was his prayer, "Dear God, thank you for this beautiful day that you created.  Also God, I am sorry I wasn't so good at your house today."    Then today as I was driving him home from school I told him, "Luke I really love you so much and I am so proud of you and you are such a smart boy."  (He has been having some teary times at school so I thought I need to pump up his self esteem a bit).  To which he replied to me, "Yeah, I'm pretty much like the only smart person in this family."  Um okay.  Now I need someone to boost my self esteem. 

Kindergarten

My Luke, my only boy, started Kindergarten this week.  I gulped back tears as I took this picture because time is going by so quickly.  He is getting so big, I mean look at those new Nikes!  They are like canoes.  He is already wearing the same size shoe as Amelia and she is two years older.  Luke was apprehensive even though he was returning to the same Montessori school he has been at for the last two years.  Before we left for Kindergarten open house, he told me his stomach hurt so he probably shouldn't go.  I tried to explain what a nervous stomach feels like but he said, "No mom, I'm sewious." ( I know speech therapy will kick some of these cute words out of him but I am holding on to them while I can).  Well, we made it through open house but he was still nervous his first day.  He told me, "My stomach was funny and my eyes were watery."  But he did great and I think he realized how fun it is to be the big man on campus now.  He is very excited to receive his first homework assignment although I am thinking that may be short lived.

Weak moments

Y'all didn't really think I escaped the Humane Society unscathed did you?  I am a weak, weak woman.  I took Amelia to the Humane Society for her donations because I knew for a fact Stephen would come home with a dog.  Well, I came home with two.  Sigh.  But look at this dog, seriously?  So cute.  Meet Wrigley, our new puppy.  I know we said we'd never get a puppy again but the puppy was a free prize with our real dog, Sadie.  I fell in love with Sadie (her name was Amy but we renamed her since I thought it would be weird to have a dog named after my sister).  Sadie is Wrigley's mommy and Sadie is the biggest love bug you ever did meet.  She had me hooked immediately as soon as I met her.  

Addison loving on her "Wiggley" aka Wrigley.  She often says, "I love my dog Sadie, I love my dog Wiggley" as she kisses them.  

After Amelia and I left the shelter, I came home to tell Stephen about the worlds best dog; and her puppy.  He of course was on board and the next day we went and adopted our new family members.   Amelia thought she died and went to heaven when she got off the bus and saw Sadie and Wrigley waiting for her.  Look at Sadie on her lap, that is Sadie's signature position.  She loves to be held and carried everywhere like a baby.

Meet Sadie, my fourth baby.  I am thrilled I don't have to get pregnant again because Sadie is filling that baby void quite well.  

Love, love, love.  Amelia is taking dog ownership seriously and is great about walking them, feeding them and playing with them.

The boys in our family...on a pink beanbag.  They are still outnumbered.

I was quite proud of myself with this picture.  Three kids and two dogs all looking cute, bravo.

Luke and his "Sadie girl" as he calls her.

Loving on Sadie.

She is so ugly, you can't help but love her.  Maybe a giant Mississippi hair bow would help??  

Cutie

Just some cute pictures of our littlest Boskovich.  

Those baby blues have us all wrapped around her little finger...and she knows it.

Good Heart

Amelia recently had her 8th birthday party and made her dad and I very proud.  She told us she wanted to collect presents for the Humane Society instead of for herself.  We contacted the Humane Society and  received a list of needs which Amelia included in her party invitations.  The above picture shows all the items she received for her birthday.  She was very excited to take her items to the animals.

Ms. Krystina was the director of the Humane Society and gave Amelia a VIP tour of the Humane Society.  She even got to go to all of the behind the scenes areas.  She learned a lot about controlling animal populations with collars, microchips and 'fixing' animals.  

The best part of course was petting and playing with puppies and kitties.  Amelia has such a great heart and always put others (especially animals) before herself.  Pretty special kiddo.

My babies are becoming big kids.

Fancy Addison...Addison has taken to dressing up and clomping down the stairs in her Cinderella high heels.  I pretty much have a panic attack when I hear her coming down in them as I picture her tripping and falling and breaking her remaining teeth; but if I try to help her she  very adamantly tells me, "Mommy no!  I do it myself."  Yes, your majesty.  

Luke has moved onto bigger and better things too.  Check out his new ride.  The family wanted to go on longer bike rides so this allows Luke to have more freedom and our family bike ride to last longer than a trip down the driveway.  He LOVES this bike and asks for a bike ride every day.  One of our favorite trips is on Saturday morning to the farmer's market because we buy some truly addicting beef jerky.  The beef jerky man knows our family embarrassingly well and Addison will say, "We go get beef jewrkey today?"  Probably not the healthiest thing we could pick up from the Farmer's Market I guess but at least we ride our bikes there.

Amelia and daddy recently decided to ride bikes to her school as well.  Amelia rode like a champ to and from school but check out Stephen's pink and green polka dot back pack.  It cracked me up watching him ride away with a monogrammed "Amelia" backback on his back but he had to transport it for her because it was too heavy.  It really is ridiculously heavy, third grade is no joke.

Addison trying out our latest goal, potty training.  She is doing well so far except for one major issue in the shoe department of Kohls.  All day long I hear the frantic phrase, "Mommy, I have to go potty on the toilet!" and we run as fast as we can to the bathroom.  I am then promptly told "Mommy, don't say yay Addison."  So I have to sit there silently watching her relieve herself. This is one demanding two year old.  As excited as I am to be done with diapers soon, it will be such a big milestone of having all big kids instead of babies.  She is wearing panties, sleeping in a big girl bed, drinking out of big girl cups...sigh, before I know it, it will be training bras and beer.  Actually beer may come before training bras if she takes after her momma considering I probably didn't NEED a training bra until I was about 17.  But I didn't have beer until I was 21 mom and dad, I swear ;) 

Superman

Addison saw her Daddy wearing his superman tshirt today and she said "Look mommy, my Daddy is Superman!"  He sure is-look what he baked while I had the kids at the store.  They were pretty excited to see their own personalized cookie.  

Yummy.  What a good daddy.

Addison sure was excited about her cookie :)

I love this picture; although Addi might not love me for posting it when she gets bigger.  Look at that cute little booty and her signature look: crocs on the wrong feet.  I don't want to jinx us but Addison has kept panties dry for three days now, hooray, hooray, hooray!   

Amelia and Luke discussing big topics around the fire.  They looked so grown up sitting down there, deep in discussion.  

Our backyard last night.  

First Day of School

Say it isn't so...it's the first day of school for Amelia.  Back to waking up early, packing lunches and missing my very best babysitter.  Amelia started 3rd grade today with Mr. Bearden.  She told me she was "excited mixed with a little nervous."  I have kind of had a stomach ache all day, I don't really enjoy the kids going back to school.  I know it is important that they learn and blah, blah, blah but I really miss her during the day.  Amelia picked out her own back to school outfit this year-FABULOUS.  You sure are fabulous Amelia and you are going to have a fabulous third grade year.   After I did Amelia's hair this morning, she sat on my lap and gave me a huge hug and said, "Mom, I am going to miss hugging you during the day."  I don't think she saw my tears but I just hugged her tighter and told her we'd have to do twice as many in the morning and afternoon.  I hope she'll always want to sit on my lap and hug me.  Even when she is 30.     

Sleepover and Strike

Amelia requested a bowling party and a sleepover for her 8th birthday party.  Who could say no to this sweet girl?

Amelia had an interesting approach to bowling: run from the chairs as fast as you can and launch the bowling ball half way down the lane.  Effective because she did win with a score of 97 but I was very nervous that she was going to put a hole in the bowling lane.  

Hayden, Mckenzie and Amelia

Georgia and Amelia.  I had so much fun listening to all these girls giggle and talk.  One of the many conversations I overheard: You were born in 2003?  So was I!  Me too!  Scream, squeal, laugh.  

Anna seems to still be winning over Luke's heart, two years and counting.  Look at Loverboy's smile.

Let's bowl!!!

Back at the house for cake.  It was about 6:30 when we got back to the house and we had talked with Luke that he would be included for bowling and cake but then the party was just for the girls.  He would not be involved in the sleepover.  Look at him, sitting there in his jammies.  We were home about 10 seconds and he ran upstairs to put a jammie shirt on with boxers and declared he was ready for the sleepover!!!  Little brothers, sigh.

Amelia's Harry Potter Cake.  She loved it.  It was probably the most hideous cake I ever did see.

Movie and popcorn time.  Hooray!  The girls all brought their American Girl dolls too and put them in jammies. I love this age, the girls are all still sweet and innocent and all got along wonderfully.  After many games of 'Little Sally Walker' and 'Chicken in the Hen House' I got them to sleep by 11pm but some serious threats had to go down;)  We finished the party with doughnuts from Tatonut and sent 7 little girls home VERY tired.  Happy Birthday Amelia!