Viva Las Vegas!

My mom turns 50 next month...so we wanted to do something X-tra special for her! We came up with the idea to have all the girls meet in Vegas back in November or so. It's really hard getting 5 girls...that live all over the map. together in one place...while keeping 1 in the dark! We came up with the idea that for my mom's "birthday" I would fly her out to my house to spend most of march with us. Little did she know the day after she flew in...we were off to Vegas!

Wednesday morning I told her that we (she and I) were going to Vegas together so we could get any last minute "supplies" she may need for the trip! She was excited (even though I thought she would never buy it! She did!) I have the best friends in the world...SANDY watched my kids on Wednesday afternoon, so Phil could get some much needed work finished for his long weekend home with the kids! Then Maylene made 6 dishes of delicious food and delivered it on Friday night for Phil and the kids! Phil said it was all DELICIOUS!!! You both are soooo AWESOME for offering do these things!!!

If you want, you can check out Shavonne's Blog to see the cute slide show she put together...it's really cute!


The Bellagio is my favorite! I love the stores...the decor...everything!!!





(The Bellagio Gardens reminded me so much of my aunt Joanie, she loves asian themed things...I had to take photos!)


We had so much fun! We got there on Wednesday evening and stayed through Saturday...being able to get home in time for dinner on Saturday...where Phil had sandwiches, chips, and IBC waiting for us! He is the best husband in the world...I know I say this all the time...but he really wanted me to have fun this weekend...so since our plan of having family come to watch the kids fell through, he juggled his work schedule so he could stay home...never complained...then had every day planned! He took the kids to breakfast, then to claim jumper, and even shopping to get some "nerf dart supplies" for their dart war games that ensued every day! The house was even spotless when I got home!!!! I don't know how he does it!!?? Maybe we should switch rolls! It was an AWESOME trip and we now have soo many inside jokes about a woman named "Sherry", her "sister" Tish, and we can't forget Sherry's "daughter" "Kimmie"!! Too bad Shavonne and Sky couldn't be with us to meet "Kimmie"! WE haven't laughed so hard in years!!!!! By the way...we make up names for people...and relationships...!

Happy Valentines Day!

I hand made this batter...yeah we ran out of bisquick! So while I was at it...I made it pink! So cute, don't you think?
This waffle iron makes heart shaped waffles...I've loved it since I first got it!

I'm cheesy like this...I love to wake up early and surprise my kids with something "hearty!" Some times it's their pancakes or eggs in the morning shaped like hearts...or others it's heart shaped grilled cheeses with tomato soup with a heart drawn in it with sour cream! This morning it was heart shaped waffles! They seem to still like the effort I put in...so I keep doing it. Once I start to get the sense they think it's lame...I'm going to stop getting them fun stuff! Then we'll see who's lame! Ha Ha...so hopefully they'll be kind! (If they're smart)

Phil was sweet too, and surprised me with a babysitter that evening so we could catch a "chick flick"! He was sweet and saw "Confessions of a Shop-a-holic" with me! I thought it was cute and Phil said, "it was better than I expected" so there you have it...if you were on the fence...I say see it! It's cute.


Mom...you gave me this waffle iron in college! It's still working like a champ!


Can you see how excited my girls are to be photographed??

Happy Valentines Day!

Honor Rolls all around!

Brooklyn told us that she was supposed to get an award at "today's" assembly, but she didn't know what kind..."because my teacher didn't tell me." So all we had to go off of was a time that her teacher gave her.

So Phil and I go to the school and while we're checking in, the office attendant asks us which one of our kids is getting an award. We tell her Brooklyn is...but pray she doesn't ask which award...because we have no clue...yet we don't want to ask ??'s because that might make us sound like crappy, uninvolved parents! (I said SOUND LIKE) So we smile and continue to walk to the auditorium.

We walk in...and find out that it's the K-3rd grade award ceremony for Honor Roll Students and "super reader" awards for 2nd quarter. After they explained the criteria for being on the 3 different Honor Rolls (Superintendant's List, Principals List, and just plain Honor Roll), we were thinking all 3 better be included! We were happy we showed because Paris made the Superintendant's List, Brooklyn made the Principal's List, and Boston made the Honor Roll...which we actually think he should have made the Principal's List too...but hey we're not complaining! I know these things tend to get harder...the older you get:(

The funniest part was the "super reader" awards! I'm not bragging about my kids, but Brooklyn and Boston are at 5th and 6th grade reading levels in their classes, so I thought this "super reader" award would be in the bag...but neither of the two got the awards. I just shrugged it off and thought what all parents would think...they probably already got their awards some other time! Anyhoo, the best was when I picked them up after school! Boston ended up having the "super reader" award in his hand. I was all excited and asked why they didn't announce it in the assembly and he said "maybe my teacher is a little confused." Then Brooklyn brought my attention back to a conversation we had a month or so ago. "Remember mom, I told you, we log into a computer at school using the first letter of your first and middle names, then our last name"...well the school did not plan on two kids having the same initials and last name apparently, so Brooklyn and Boston were both logging into the same account to be tested! So Boston finished it on his time, so he got all the credit of Brooklyn's work too! Since the teachers couldn't go back and reset it...they just told them both that they could retest in the spring! Total crap! Brooklyn was so ticked off! I felt bad...that would totally suck! I thought it was funny so I had to share!

Phoenix Children's Museum

I've been hearing great things about this new Children's Museum in downtown Phoenix, and have been wanting to take the kids. It happened to be that Maylene has an annual pass and invited Sandy and I to come check it out! It worked out perfectly because the kids were randomly out of school on a Wednesday and we needed an out! This place was pretty cool! It looks really similar to the pictures I've seen of the Salt Lake one.



Our first stop was a huge room right inside the entrance that allowed the "little" ones to climb through tunnels and tents, while the older ones got to learn a hands on lesson about "vacuums" and how fast hankerchiefs can speed when there's no air around! Boston was shooting some ping pong balls out of some pipe thing, while the girls were more excited by the huge tube mass on the wall shooting colorful "hankies"!
Next we stopped by this area that had something Tyler should make! He's going into mechanical engineering, and if he can make a robot that can retrieve an egg and drop it into a basket w/out breaking it...this should be a breeze! My brother is always "tinkering" with things...so I took a bunch of pictures of it...so he can get an idea of how it works. My kids loved it! Thatcher and his little brother/sister will love it too!




Then it was upstairs to the biking area. They had all these little tricycles set up, some with "trailors" on the back, with a little road area that they could drive through! The best was trying to watch Paris try and take Talan for a ride. She kept cutting the corner sharp and getting stuck everytime around! I finally just let strangers go and help her! I'm so mean...but it was getting old...and she obviously didn't understand why it was happening!!!!



Then we stopped by the noodle area! I wish I had a bunch of extra space around my house, so I could hang a thousand of these things up somewhere! The kids were so excited! They had no fear...Brooklyn, Boston, & Paris, would race through all the way to the other side, (Keep in mind there were a bunch of kids inside also doing the same thing) but luckily there were no collisions! Atleast...that I was made aware of! It's funny how you don't get cautious...until you get a little older! We ended up seeing Laurie Ramirez there too! Her little boy kept getting lost in the noodles, which was funny, because you could only find your kids by looking into the 18 inch gap from the floor to the bottom of the noodles. So you could see legs and feet! It was nice because they all eventually came out...and when it was time to go...I just had to lasso each one individually!

The store was probably their favorite place there. Seattle specialized in taking everything off of the shelves. (She would be great for "recalled" items or store closing events!) The other kids loved being on the other side of the check stand for once! I remember when I was younger...I dreamed of being a "store checker outer!" There's something about that "beep" and the typing on the cash register that seemed soooo awesome!







It was fun! We'll have to go again soon!