Maddie's Last Day Of School

Maddie's last day of her first year of preschool! I can't believe how much she as learned and grown in just one year of school! Maddie actually missed her actual last day of school, which was Circus Days at her school because we were on our way to Seattle for Heather's wedding!

Maddie just loved her teachers, they were SO good for her!

Maddie helped me make these cute little jars for her 2 teachers, and then one for Miss Kait, who was over all the preschool classes and tested the kids. She is very involved with all the classes and knows each one of the kids individually. She also is the one who passed Maddie off to earn her Alphabet Crown! 

I'm actually really sad Maddie won't be going to Challenger next year. I really liked her teachers and will miss them! But this new preschool she'll start in the fall be awesome too!

Memorial Day

In my previous post I mentioned that my brother, Lamar, had returned home from Afghanistan over Memorial Day weekend (on Saturday). On Monday, they invited us to meet them at Orem Park for a fundraiser for the fallen Marines. Unfortunately, the lost 2 of their men from the Charlie Company, both residents of Utah. It was really neat to hear the parents of these fine men speak.  

The kids had a blast playing together at the park, eating cotton candy, and climbing in, on, and around the big tanks that were there!

Welcome Home Marines!

 ~WELCOME HOME~

LAMAR!!!

My brother, Lamar returned home from his 3rd tour overseas, first to Afghanistan and we are so happy he's finally home!  We were so happy to be able to be there to see these brave men and woman come walking off these buses, so proud of them all!

Picture Time Again

Katie took my kids' pictures again last month. The "occasion" was Sam's 3 month (he was 4 months by this time) and Maddie's 4th Birthday, and we can't leave Chloe out so she got some shots too! Katie always does a great job, even when my kids don't cooperative AT ALL! Sam is ALWAYS smiling, I'm not kidding, even when he's crying and sad, he'll still smile... but not the morning of pictures. He was pretty straight faced and serious. And Chloe, what a joke! It's a good thing she's so darn cute... poor Katie "got" to chase her around just to snap her picture! She'd only hold still if she was holding Sam, which made Sam cry, and Maddie yell because she wanted to hold Sam. Picture taking with my kids is quite the task. Such little stinkers that day! Oh well, they turned at cute anyway! Thanks Katie!!!

Oh, Chloe!

Chloe, Chloe, Chloe! At 21 1/2 months old, this is one stubborn little girl! I swear it was just a month or two ago I was telling people what a good girl Chloe is, she is so "perfect"! HA! Don't ever say that, you too might just jinx it! I swear this girl turned into a monster over night! You can even ask her, "Chloe, are you a monster?" She will reply by shaking her head yes and saying, "Uh huh!" (OK, in slight defense, the girl still can't talk, but it doesn't excuse her very naughty ways!) 

The weird thing is, she's usually only mean to Maddie. Some of Chloe's hobbies are pulling Maddie's hair (and continues pulling until I can get to her and "help" her release her grip) all while laughing about it, hitting Maddie on the head (over and over and over until I come over to "stop" her) all while laughing about it, pushing Maddie (over and over until I come over to "stop" her) all while laughing about it... are you seeing a pattern?  Oh, and time-out you ask?! That's like a reward for Chloe, and once she's out, she gives Maddie a hug and kiss (I tell her to say she's sorry, but since she can't talk, she just kisses her instead), but it doesn't take long before she's doing it again! It's our new daily routine!

Chloe can also throw the biggest tantrums, I'm talking, screaming on the top of her lungs "AH... AH... AH...AH" and this scream can happen any place at any time, and even when you least expect it! During church, oh ya, not so cute during the prayers!

All that being said, Chloe really is a sweet little girl. She couldn't love Maddie more! Well, maybe it's more of a love-hate relationship. But I think she just really enjoys teasing her. And really, why wouldn't she?! She definitely gets the reaction from Maddie she's looking for... the loud scream! But really, she does just love Maddie! She follows her around where ever she goes. She loves to wear her clothes (that's like dress-up for Chloe!) She loves to sit by her and do whatever she's doing. Having these girls get along can be a good or bad thing. They're also very good at getting into trouble together too!

Chloe also LOVES Sammy! It's beyond love, she is completely OBSESSED! If Sam is around, Chloe is right there next to him. "Talking" to him, loving on him, cramming his pacifier down his throat, feeding him play food, putting powder on him, whatever he needs (or doesn't need), Chloe's taking care of it!

Chloe is hilarious! We can just sit and watch her and laugh to the point of crying! She does the funniest things! 

I was surprised to find all these pictures I had taken of Chloe over the last month or so, Chloe, being the stubborn little thing she is (can't even be bribed!), runs from cameras and WILL NOT smile for them either! So we either have to trick her into looking at us and snapping the picture VERY fast, or chase after her... you'll see some of that action in the pictures Katie took of my kids recently... she literally chased after Chloe with her camera to take her picture! She just is so dang stubborn, there is NO justifying with her! If any of you pro-mom's have any ideas or suggestions for my sweet little angel, I'm all ears!!! ;)

We do absolutely LOVE our little Chloe-bugs! I just feel like a lot of times only the good comes out in blogs (and maybe that's a good thing), but this is real for us, this is our life, as it is, and even though at that moment these things make me want to scream and pull my hair out, I know in a year or two I'll look back and completely miss it all! I'll be able to laugh about all these things, good and bad. I already know, from experience with Maddie, I will miss these days!!