Someone's 5!

I can't believe how fast the time has gone. My first baby is 5. He will be starting kindergarden this year. Or should I say "WE" will be starting kindergarten this year. :) Yes, we will be homeschooling. After weighing all the options, it seemed like the best choice. So to kick start B's birthday we made our first stop at the school to order his curriculum for the year. Then on the way home we made a stop at the dollar tree to let each of the kids pick out a few new toys. While the girls were napping B and I worked on making the rest of his birthday cake. He has been quite the angry bird fanatic and after seeing some fun cakes on youtube I thought we could give it a shot. It wasn't super hard, just a bit time consuming. But in the end, totally worth it.

After making tiny batches of different colored marshmallow fondant, there was shaping and putting together all the pieces. And S ran to the store for me and found the coolest pens made just for writing on cakes and such. That made the detailing a cinch. Add a couple twix and a candle and we were set!

But we couldn't dig in until after dinner! On the menu: Angry Bird Pizza!

It was a wonderful day to celebrate our wonderful boy, and the 5 years we have been blessed by his love, laughter & spirit. What a treasure he is and how thankful we are.

B's Favorites at 5:

Food: Corn Dogs
Drink: Juice
Color: Green
Song: Jesus Loves Me and Create in Me
Movie: Spiderman(cartoon)
Cereal: Life
Book: Rainbow Fish
Toy: Train Tracks and Trains

A to the Third

So this post is a few weeks late but better late than never. :) February was a busy month for us. And one of the contributing factors: My crazy, sweet, hilarious, helpful, beautiful, thoughtful, spunky daughter has turned 3. It was a fun time to celebrate. From the orange bear cake and her new scooter, to spending time with all of her cousins. 

A and Grandma

The McClain Side

The Martino Side

E and Grandma

A's Favorites at 3

Food: Granola Bars

Drink: Cranberry Juice

Color: Purple

Song: From the Highest of Heights

Movie: Monsters Inc.

Cereal: Life

Book: The Big Picture Bible Bible Stories

Toy: Baby Doll

My dear sweet girl

Your compassion is pure

Your smile is contagious

A jokester and cuddle bug

Strong willed and courageous

I treasure you and thank you

For the love and the fun

Every day is a gift

You bring life to each one

Birthday Girl!

This day last year was our first day home with our newest bay girl. T Shea is now a 1 year old. And what a wonderful child she is. In the morning B & A helped her open her birthday present. A baby doll of her very own... that she shares a lot with her big sister. 

While she took her nap B& A helped me make her birthday cake! Then daddy brought home some ice cream and party hats!

What a sweet blessing you are to us baby girl. You are talking more and more every day. Some things you say are: dada, thank you, more, hi, a slew of animal noises. You walk up to me just to give me a hug and then go on playing. You are always happy and silly. You love to dance whenever there is music, and clap you hands and sing songs with your brother and sister. If I put you down before you are ready or leave you in bed for a minute after you wake up you just giggle and play and never complain. You're kind of a ham so if you make someone laugh you get really excited and try and do it again. You are super ticklish when I nibble on your shoulders. You always share your snacks. You love doing little piggies, especially when B & A help. You really like to read. You will bring mommy or daddy a book, grab our hand and put the book in it. Then try and climb into our lap. You will sit for story after story. Your favorite are the farm animals.

You are beautiful, and sweet. Happy and kind.
Easy to love, not because you are mine,
Because you are you, my sweet T Shea
I thank God for that blessing each and every day.
Happy Birthday.

Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge 2011

Well I have recently been trying to incorporate more exercise into my life. Since I haven't really "worked out" since before B (about 5years) I've been taking it slow. A friend and I decided to be encouragement buddies and aim at just getting in something every day. Even if it was just 3 minutes of step ups on our bottom stair or a quick 15 sit ups, push ups, lunges & back extensions; we wanted to begin a habit of exercise. Then we got a new stroller! A double jogger. (*hallelujah chorus*) So I have been taking the kids on walks at Lake Murray. The girls ride in the stroller and B rides his bike. (He does so great. He amazes me.) Our route is just under three miles. It's great exercise and being outdoors is so therapeutic. As any mom could tell you, staying home all day with three kids can get a bit trying on the nerves and it doesn't take long for cabin fever to set in. We just like each other better when we're out and about... and have ducks to chase and sticks to throw and snacks to munch on.

So it has felt great all around to get more active. Then a friend of mine sent me a link for the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge 2011. A competition to stay active and eat healthy over the holidays. It begins this Saturday, November 19th and runs until January 6th. I'm kind of excited... I've never been good about doing these kinds of things on my own but it helps that Sean is in a weight loss challenge of his own right now too (which he is killing by the way). So we can work towards our goal of getting healthy together; not to mention being an example to our children on how they can live healthy lives, and enjoy doing so.

Let's get to it!

Dishes

So there were a lot of dishes today... there are a lot of dishes a lot of the time now that we live in an apartment void of dishwasher. And I REEEEEEALLY wanted to complain about it. I - do - not - like - dishes... but I have to stop myself because, at the same time, they are a great reminder of all that I have to be thankful for.

Tupperware: we have been blessed food enough to have leftovers.
Cooling Rack: eating fresh baked cookies with my family
Baby Bottle: My sweet baby girl who is perfectly healthy.
Coffee Cup: Coffee... no explanation necessary.
Sippie Cups: Two amazing children who make my days colorful and my life brighter.
My Favorite Pasta Bowl: My awesome mama who I got them from.
The New Coffee Pot: My beautiful sister who bought it for me when my old one shattered.
Baby Food Jars: WIC - one of the means the Lord has used to provide hundreds and hundreds of dollars worth of food for our family.
Padre Hat Bowls: Fun family trips to go see the Padres play at Petco Park and eat ice cream and watch A give herself brain freeze over and over... Priceless.

I am beyond blessed with more than I could ask for and way more than I deserve. 

Although it feels like the dishes will never end, so I know that His mercies on me will never end. And He forgives my ungrateful heart every time I look upon those dishes with contempt. And He allows me to rebel inside like a child, then gently tugs and guides my heart in the right direction, reminding me of what those dishes represent. So I repent and say: 

Thank you Lord for my beautiful family, a warm home, running water, food, coffee, a wonderful, merciful, holy savior...

and dishes. 

Home Sweet Home

It's been a little busy around here trying to get settled into our NEW APARTMENT!!! But oh, how wonderful a change it has been. 

We went from a view like this (granted the kid is pretty stinkin' cute but the yard is pretty pathetic. The little green you see is just moss that disappeared quickly leaving us with the same rocks and dirt we had for 5 years):

To a view like this:

And we're closer to just about everything. Sean's work and church are about 20 minutes closer now which is phenomenal. There are three bedrooms instead of two. Stairs (which the kids love). All new carpet and cabinets. The kitchen and living room are like one combined room making it wonderful for having people over and the everyday doing dishes and keeping an eye on the crazies in the living room at the same time, kind of stuff. We've been in since August 6th but, as normal, finding a place for everything is still a bit challenging. But we are blessed beyond measure and praise the Lord for his abundant provision. We are in want of nothing and His mercy and grace abound. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

“ Every good gift and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights.” 

James 1:17 


p.s. once I get my camera battery charged and home presentable I'll post some pictures of the inside as well. :)

B-a-roo

Our little man is 4 years old. It goes by way too fast. They say a child's character is shaped largely by the first five years of their life. And we only have one of those left! But we are so proud of the boy we call our son. And here are some reasons, B, why we adore you...

• You are content. Now you don't always get what you want and you whine like any other 4 year old but right now for example, while I'm typing you are perfectly happy playing with some puzzles. You can keep yourself entertained indefinitely with a few toys (or non toys that you pretend are toys) and your amazing imagination. Sometimes you reenact your favorite scene from toy story, or make up your own episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, or just start bursting out in song as you sit in the grocery cart while we're shopping: "Worthy is the Lamb that once was slain, to receive all glory power and praise, for with Your blood You purchased us for God. Jesus You are worthy, that is what You are." You will hold two colored pencils in a little t formation and zoom around the house flying them like a jet and of course making the sounds that go with it. 
• You love to read. You will sit and be read to as long and the reader will keep reading. 
• You've been working on catching the baseball with your glove and are getting pretty good at it. You can also batt like a pro. We have to stop playing in the house because it's only a matter of time before your line drives start breaking things.
• You are so tenacious! What an amazing quality. If you can't figure something out you don't get upset or frustrated. You just try again and again and again and... you get it! Although being able to open the childproof door knob was not one I wold have picked for you to catch on to...
• You decided to designate people with specific descriptive words. I realized this one day when I said "B, you're crazy!" and you said "No, I not crazy. I'm a goof ball!" Oh really? well what about A? Apparently A is silly, daddy is awesome, aunty Lisa is awesome, Uncle Bryan and papa are great and mommy.... well I'm crazy. :) (if he only knew)
• Some of our favorite funnies from you this year are when you would throw your hands to the side and exclaim "Holy Cow Mackerel!" and when you would randomly respond "huuuuuh???? HOOAH!" or you would say "I don't know, no problem" completely out of context with a goofy grin on your face just to make us laugh. For example. B: What is this? Mommy: It's spaghetti... B: Oh, no problem! (and you say you're not crazy ;)
• You do the most real train whistle. It sounds just like one of those wooden ones with the four different tones. It makes me so impressed and sends my eardrums into painful spasms all at the same time. 
• You love Donald Duck. When I asked you who your favorite disney character was you didn't hesitate. I asked if you if you liked Mickey and you said. "No Mickey is not funny. I like Donald" ha ha. We've watched a bit of donald vs. chip and dale on youtube so you know what's up. :)
• You love to snuggle. When we say goodnight you wrap your arms around my neck and won't let go until I make you. Or if we're sitting on the couch to watch a movie you will scoot right next to me and lean into me resting your head on me and it makes my heart melt.
• You love your little sisters. You will help T find things to play with. You will goof around with A and whenever you guys fight or crash and hurt each other (very often being that you're siblings that are 19 months apart) you forgive immediately. That is so special. You don't hold grudges. You just love. 

We had so much fun for your birthday this year. Birthday party at Papa and Grandma Terrie and Skittle's house where you were joined and showered with love and presents from your cousins, aunts, uncles, grandmas, grandpas and great grandparents. You had a donald duck cake, lots of time in the pool. Your first big boy bike, Dragons, bubbles, writing and coloring toys, and you loved everything that you opened. The next day was your birthday and you took you very own first trip to Disneyland! You loved riding on the trains, shooting the Buzz Lightyear gun, riding on the submarine and the teacups. It was a special day for our special boy. Our sweet, fun, crazy, 4 year old goofball!

Catching your first glimpse of Buzz Lightyear

Teacups

Churro!

You LOVED your sword

Riding on the submarine

Happy Birthday B. We love you.