Easter Brunch 2013

We had another wonderful Easter Brunch today with Damien's family.  I was blessed to have Gina with us as it always makes me feel like I have a little piece of home with me.  I am so lucky that my kids are older and that I finally get to enjoy myself for a minute or two.  No running around after a toddler, more chatting with family and friends and enjoying the day.

The day was absolutely beautiful until we happened to look outside at a gray, dreary sky.  It was crazy!  And as we all thought, the sky opened up for a few minutes and actually rained!  The kids went berserk and opened all of the umbrellas.  As soon as they got them opened, the rain had stopped and the sky was crystal blue.  

We had a great time at our table with Keith and Gina.  The brunch was delicious and it was so precious to see my kids running around with their other cousins.  It was especially funny to see Matthew run around in his 'two sizes too big' shoes.  

The kids loved the Easter egg hunt and were very generous with the little kids who couldn't keep up with their pace.  It also became clear that Michael and Claire either need to hang up their hunting baskets or limit their 'take'.  Matthew and Emily went crazy and got enough eggs/candy to make them both feel sick thirty minutes later.  

The Easter Bunny even visited and handed out carrots to the kids.  Emily was scared last year so we told her that it was Daddy in the costume.  This year, she was completely confused as to why Damien was next to her and not in the suit!  It was funny.  Auntie Heavenly got the E.B. honors this year.

We had a wonderful day today and it truly was a blessing to be able to enjoy the day, relax with family, and love on my little family. 

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Dressy Easter Pictures

I choose to dress my kids up two times a year.  That means buying coordinating outfits so if I manage to snap a picture of them all standing in one place, they coordinate.  Claire made me promise that this was the last holiday where she needed to wear a matching dress with Emily.  Sniff, sniff.  I will try my best to make this the last year with matching dresses, but since Claire is growing out of the sizes in the stores I buy their matching dresses- she might of just sealed the deal on her own.  My boys never complain about their outfits.  They just put on what we tell them to, and presto!  They look great.  Here is a look at our Easter pictures for this year.  I'm so glad that you can't tell that Matthew is wearing shoes two sizes too big.  He was a trooper but kept giving me the look like, "Mom, I can't believe you are making me do this.  Especially wearing these big shoes while running to get eggs on the Easter Egg hunt."  He has a point, but I had a look I was going for.  His shoes sure do look great in the pictures!

I take a lot of pictures of the kids and they will generally
just go with the flow if at the end, they can take a
'crazy shot'.  Well, here's the 'crazy shot'!

Emily looks thrilled to be posing with Michael.  Thrilled.

Perfection and reflection.

"How close do we need to stand to each other?"
"Is this close enough?"
"Have you taken the picture yet?"
"Are we done?"
Happy Easter, Everyone.

Easter Morning 2013

I knew that this morning was going to be wonderful!  I love watching the kids run out of their rooms and see what the Easter Bunny has brought them!  I was even more excited because Emily has been avoiding the fireplace all week, convinced that if she looked up the chimney, the Easter Bunny would jump on her.  Moving right along . . .

The kids all bounded happily out to their respective baskets and loved all of their new little treasures.  Emily was the first to scream when she saw a beautiful plush flamingo in her basket!  Matthew loved that he got Wreck It Ralph!  Claire loved her new volleyball and Michael couldn't wait to open his new backyard toys!  It was a good morning!

We were lucky enough to have Gina spending the night and she was able to be there when the kids ran past her bed (our couch) and to their baskets.  It was a great morning and we are so thankful that the Easter Bunny found our house!

Now, we need to hurry and get ready to head up to brunch in Sonoma County!

Watching Claire's Soccer Game

I love watching Claire soccer.  She runs so freely, is unafraid of contact, and has such a competitive will to win!  She is having a great season and Auntie Gina and I were happy to be able to see her go out and play today.  Go Claire and Go Mariposas.

(I might have mentioned this before on the blog, but I'm not sure.  Claire hates these uniforms.  I don't blame her.  She wanted to join a competitive soccer team and play at the next level.  When she got her uniform and realized they were pink, she about died.  And to top it off, there is a butterfly on the leg of the shorts.  Mariposa in Spanish means butterfly.  She is less than impressed.  Oh, Clairey.  I can't blame you!)

Dyeing Easter Eggs

It's tough to fit it all in.  I mean, you get the kids to school, sports, and activities.  You make sure they are fed.  You try and give them all attention and validate them within spare moments throughout the day.  But how do you remember to fit all of the fun stuff in there, too?  Carving pumpkins, dyeing Easter eggs, making Christmas cookies . . . .

I find it hard to remember to make time for these fun activities.  Somehow, they always feel like a chore because naturally- I leave them until the last minutes.  Regardless of my procrastination, we always manage to have fun together as a family.

We are blessed to have really nice weather where we live.  It makes carving pumpkins and dyeing eggs so much easier to be able to do it outside.  Messes are virtually non-existent as you can just hose off the table or sweep things up.  I love it.

This year, Easter is coming early!  We really never do anything with our dyed eggs other than eat them.  We don't hide them, we enjoy them!  The kids loved dyeing the eggs today and each had their own style.   Writing on the eggs is always a big hit and this year was no exception.

Claire went for the mustache them as she is totally into mustaches these days.  Matthew went for Mario and Luigi as he is obsessed with his Nintendo Mario Kart game.  Emily just thought it was cool to have her name and a basketball on an egg while Michael, worked hard on getting the right colors and hues on his egg.

We had a great time tonight with our eggs and are looking forward to enjoying them in the days to come!

My Baby Emmy

Today at Matthew's baseball practice, I took a few pictures of Emily.  I am one proud Mommy and think my little girl is so beautiful.  I love how her hair, although gorgeous and curly, is always all over the place.  No amount of brushing, combing, or spraying will keep it all contained.  I love it and it makes her who she is!  I love that she has the sweetest little smile that always gives a tiny hint of some devious thought in her head.  I wouldn't change a thing.  I am in love with this three year old girl!

Oh, and I also love that when she is tired . . . she plays with her ears.  Even though she would be appalled that I would even suggest she is a baby, she will always be a little baby to me.

Claire's Style

I love my kids.  I am happiest when they are happy.  I love when they express themselves free of judgement and when they just enjoy being kids!  All of this being said, I am totally digging Claire's Steve Erkel style these days.  Claire is as confident as can be.  She often wears red sunglasses without lenses around town.  Just because.  She is totally okay with setting a trend, instead of following one.  While a lot of the girls in her class are completely conforming to certain style trends (lululemon headbands, abercrombie, etc.), Claire is fine wearing what she thinks is cool.  There are times she will wear the above mentioned trendy items, but she is not defined be them.  I love that about her.

What I am loving around here is that the little kids are totally following Claire's lead!  Matthew idolizes Claire to no end.  Fitting, as Damien and I call them the twins around here.  They are so ridiculously similar!  I really do hope that Claire continues to do/be/wear what she wants.  I know that soon, it gets tough out there in the 'preteen girl world' but I hope she sees that there is acceptance and acknowledgement that comes from being yourself.  Go Claire, Go!

(Disclaimer:  The above picture of Claire is funny.  She, however, does not wear her shorts hiked up and shirt tucked in while in public.  Although, this might be a possibility in the near future.  She also does not wear my navy wedges to school.  Thank you.)

Lunch with Gabe (and Jocelyn)

Today, we met Jocelyn and Gabe for lunch at Crepevine.  As much as I loved talking with Jocelyn, Gabe was really the superstar of the meal.  Matthew and Emily wanted to sit right next to him and thought lunch with Gabe was seriously the BEST!  It's not often we can gather these kids together for lunch with differing school schedules- but I'm glad we did!  I love how much goofy, loving, hysterical cousin fun these kids have together!

Matthew's Field Trip To Zanotto's Market

One of the perks of being room parent for Matthew's AM Kindergarten class is that I get to go on all the field trips!  I seeing him in his school element and enjoy watching him interact with his friends.  This field trip was awesome!  The kids got to see the ins and outs of a super market while getting to taste their way through the store.

We got to listen to them squeal as they watched the butcher prepare the meat for packaging.  We got to see them sample freshly made tortilla chips and freshly cut watermelon.  We got to hear them scream as they got to go in the milk refrigerator which was set at a cool minus five degrees.  We got to watch them all pick a box which they then got to feed into the huge compressor.

My favorite was when each child got to weigh an apple, scan a water bottle, and complete the transaction!  Matthew felt so cool behind the counter.   Next, the market supplied a free lunch to the kids which included sandwiches, chips, and fresh fruit.  And the best part?  It cost the school nothing.  Zanotto's of Willow Glen donated the whole experience.

What a fun day, what an awesome field trip!