Number 2 and Number 3

Good news! I have been working with Braden on going potty. He is getting really good at going pee-pee and the other day he went poo-poo for the first time in the potty!!! He was so proud that he did a "big-one".

I wouldn't call him potty trained yet but he is on his way. I just need to stick with it and keep him in underwear. I have put him in diapers a few times because we were going shopping or getting pictures or going to church and I didn't want him to have an accident. So far he hasn't actually had an accident away from home while wearing underwear so maybe I just need to have a little more faith in him.

Mackenzie has been making some progress too. She has 2 new teeth! Its no surprise to me that it is her "vampire" teeth.

She is my 3rd vampire. Both Sadie and Braden got these two teeth first, reminding me of vampires until the finally grew their upper front teeth a month later. Although, Mackenzie isn't a true vampire because she did get her two lower front teeth first.

As for other news, Mackenzie is turning ONE in a few weeks!

This is exciting because I wont have to buy formula anymore, she will get to turn around her car seat (which I know will make her VERY happy), and I fit into my skinny pants again! For some reason, my body must be designed to wait ONE YEAR after each child is born to fit into my old pants again. This theory has been tested true 3 times. Funny because even last month I wouldn't have attempted to try them on, but this month they fit perfect! YAY! So, am I satisfied with my figure now? No, but will I ever???

Confessions

I really would like to be a good photographer but I have a lot to learn. Which is why I LOVE my photo editing program (Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2). For example I can make this ok picture

a lot more interesting after it is cropped, add some grass on the left side of her head & apply a filter to make colors more vivid. Then I get this:

This one was better to start with so all I did was add the filter.

Before:

After:

And if there is clutter I can edit it out using the clone feature.
Before:


After:

No more cooler and baby swing. Blurred background.

Maybe someday I will be able to take good pictures without needing to edit. But for now I will do it the cheater's way.

Mother's Day

Sadie brought home a few things she had been working at Preschool for Mother's Day on Friday. She was very proud of her work and told me almost every day how she was working on something at Preschool but it was a secret and she couldn't tell me about it. I love that she can keep a secret, even though it kills me every time. So she brought home this little picture of her in this cute picture frame she decorated at school.

Also she had a list of questions she had answered about me. Her answers are much more mature than they were last year.

What is your Mom's name: Amber

What does your Dad call your Mom: Amber

What does your Mom do? She cleans everything

How old is your Mom: 20

What is your Mom's favorite color? All colors

What is your Mom's favorite thing to eat? Salad

What is your Mom's favorite movie? Lots of movies

How many brothers and sisters does your Mom have? A lot of brothers and a big sister

Where does your Mom like to go for fun. Everyplace that she wants

What special message do you have for your Mom? Hi, I love you!

On Mother's Day the Mothers we were served brownies and fruit and milk by the men at church. We had a lesson on motherhood and it really made me want to be a better mother. Lately I have been feeling like I need to find a niche or a hobby that I can work on getting really good at because I don't feel like I have anything that I can say is really ME and what I like to do. But I decided that I would really like to be the best mom I can be right now while my kids really need me. So I am going to work on that. I just want to enjoy them while they are young.

It was fun getting special treatment at home and I did milk it a little bit asking Jason to do things that I knew he wouldn't normally do but couldn't say "no" to on Mother's Day (i.e. change diapers). He was really sweet and also gave me some flowers and tickets to see WICKED!

I have been talking about going to it for a while now but never went through with buying tickets. He also got tickets for his Mom and Grandma for Mothers Day. What a thoughtful guy. :)

I am so thankful for my Mother and everything she does for her children. I don't know how she does what she does having 10 kids, 7 still at home now. Juggling school plays, many different musical instrument lessons, choirs, sports, church, school, dinners, laundry, bills, housework; she has a lot to keep up with. I can appreciate her efforts more now that I have kids of my own.

I am also thankful for my Mother-in-law watching over us and taking care of us when we need it. She is a very giving person and likes to make people happy. She is great with kids. She always has a listening ear and made me feel like I am part of the family. I love both of these Moms so much. I have so much to learn from them in raising my own children.

She's Growing Up!

Last week Sadie turned 5! On Thursday we had a play date for Sadie and some of her friends her age Maile, Kylie, Kat, Marissa, Emily and Sarah (we missed you Ryli!) in the park. It wasn't a big production, we already told her that instead of a big party she got Disneyland this year, but it was an excuse to play with all her friends. I brought drinks and cupcakes and squirt guns for the kids to play with since it was a hot day but was disappointed when the water fountain didn't work so the kids had to go to the bathrooms to fill their guns instead. It made it harder to keep track of where everyone was. But it was still a good time for the kids and Sadie loved playing with everyone and getting some attention on her birthday.

Since I got a new camera I do have pictures to share!!

Birthday Girl

Braden with frosting face

Squirt guns and cupcakes

Sadie helping with Maile's little sister Kira (no, its not Mackenzie) while kids played in the sand

Sadie and Emily

Marissa's little sister, Sierra

Emily and Mackenzie

Right after the play date in the park I had to register Sadie for Kindergarten. She will be going to the Charter School in Antioch this fall and she is really excited about it. I can't believe how fast time flies, she's already going to Kindergarten!!!


On Friday (Sadie's actual birth date) Sadie brought cupcakes to preschool to celebrate with her classmates. Sadie's teachers gave her a birthday hat to wear for the day.

Sadie with her wonderful teachers, Miss Shanon and Miss Cathy

Then Nana and Papa took Sadie to Toys'R'Us to pick out a toy for her birthday (thanks sharing the info, Torina!). She was excited to get a balloon and have Happy Birthday sung to her at Toys R us. What a fun treat to get to spend time with Nana and Papa and get to pick out a toy herself. That night Braden went with Jason to a Father/Son campout so we didn't get to do our family birthday celebration until Sunday.

Since everyone was getting together for Mothers Day we just added a little more celebration to the day and had a pinata and birthday cake too.

Ethan, Braden, Chase, Madison and Sadie tried to break the pinata but baseball player Noah was the one to crack the pinata open of course.

Sadie's birthday cake: chocolate with chocolate frosting, just the way she likes it.

Mackenzie honestly gives the BEST hugs. Try it sometime if you haven't already.

The cousins playing with one of Sadie's presents.

Braden and Sadie play while Maddi helps Mackenzie push a walker. A few more years and she will be an awesome babysitter!

Sadie and Maddi