The Adventures of Ian, Zoe and Lilly

2011-01-18T20:35:00.002-06:00

Holy cow! Have I been slacking or what? I guess I go through these little cycles...Anyhoo.
Look at these sweet little monkeys. Eating lunch together, sitting on the same chair, sharing the same plate.
Love them.
Lots.

2010-09-23T18:59:00.002-05:00

I am too lazy to go downstairs to get on the laptop where all the recent pictures are, so this is about all I could find that I haven't used already.
It's been ages, I know. Seriously, getting back into this work thing is tough. I am worn out by the time I would even think about doing any of this kind of stuff.
Anyhow.
Ian told me today that when he grows up he wants to be one of those guys that wears a hat with the horns and has a beard.
You know....a viking!
Either that or someone who sells axes.
Whatever.

2010-09-06T08:33:00.002-05:00

I honestly can't remember when these pictures were taken, I just knew I needed something new up! We spent the day at Crown Center and Ian and Scott are at Kaleidoscope in that top picture, while Zoe was enjoying the Clifford museum. For lunch we went to Fritz's and both kids loved having our food delivered by train!

2010-08-10T17:01:00.000-05:00

Ian's last game of the season. Let's just say it was really hot that day ('cause it was). But, smashing this water bottle was what interested Ian. Fielding was not really his cup of tea.
He did, however, hit the ball well and he ran around all the bases. Unlike other games. Seriously. He walked the bases several times. He does a good job tuning out his mother's pleas to pick up the pace!

2010-08-08T16:59:00.000-05:00

How many band-aids do you see? I see 2, but I guarantee there are about 3 more on her body somewhere. Don't worry, no booboos. Just a love of band-aids!

2010-08-06T16:51:00.000-05:00

Can't believe summer is coming to a close for us! I think these two have really enjoyed spending time with each other. And, I guarantee NONE of us is ready for getting up early for work/school/sitter.
In fact, I haven't had to use an alarm more than once this entire summer. It's really gonna hurt.

2010-08-04T16:45:00.002-05:00

Don't let the sweet look fool you. This one can tear apart a classroom in no time flat. Seriously, I brought her up to work last week to see what I could get done while Ian was at Art class...most of the time was spent cleaning up after her! Ugh. She found my box of dice, my bag of letters, truly anything that was in arms reach was brought to the ground!

2010-07-28T16:59:00.000-05:00

You know me. Every once in awhile I just need to post cute pics of the kids. Here ya go.

2010-07-26T04:55:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure if this is a yawn or a look of awe from Zoze. Probably awe. She was in the thick of things while the rest of us played soccer in the backyard, and I'm sure our skills were amazing! At one point Scott and I were running full speed trying to get to the ball, and guess who ate dirt? Oh my gosh, it was like slow motion as I fell...and, it hurt. I don't really have any bruises or cuts, but I was sure I have something to show for how much it hurt!

2010-07-24T04:53:00.000-05:00

So. Aunt Dee Dee thinks whatever Ian asks for for his birthday he should get. Including this darn hermit crab. Come on!!!

2010-07-22T08:45:00.000-05:00

Ian LOVES Wonderscope! He especially likes the room where he's able to build ramps to see how far he can make the balls go. No surprise really, he loves putting his train track together!

Zoe liked the farm room, and thought the milk was for her instead of the cow. Ewww. I imagine all sorts of germs on that thing. Luckily, we went last week and she didn't get sick. So, I guess it wasn't that bad.

2010-07-20T16:41:00.002-05:00

My little man is getting ready for kindergarten!!! We've already bought most of his supplies and he's storing them in his backpack. I got in trouble a few days ago because all of his supplies had kind of settled and looked messy in the backpack. It was my fault, of course, not gravity...since it is hanging off the back of the door.

It's amusing that he was upset it was messy. Have you seen his room??? Even when he 'cleans' it, it still looks like a tornado came through!

2010-06-30T10:35:00.000-05:00

Just because her shirt says to Bee Happy, doesn't mean she's gonna follow directions!

2010-06-28T10:29:00.000-05:00

At breakfast the other day Zoze wouldn't eat her breakfast in her high chair, instead she preferred to eat at the table with the big kids. It was so sweet.

You can hardly miss it in that second picture, but check out that bug bite! Good grief! We have pictures planned for next Wednesday, I'm hoping it heals before then. Otherwise it's makeup city, sister!

2010-06-26T10:25:00.001-05:00

During nap time the other day someone (I'm not mentioning any names here) snuck downstairs and brought the camera to his room. These are just 2 of the about 20 pictures he took of himself, the wall, the floor, the window....

2010-06-24T10:20:00.001-05:00

Summertime....and the livin's easy.....

2010-06-18T12:31:00.002-05:00

On our first day in San Diego we went to La Jolla, where we encountered this 'friendly' sea lion. I wanted Scott to take a picture of Ian and me, but the sea lion started charging for us! Hellllo! We were not willing to be the next episode of When Wild Animals Attack!

2010-06-10T14:54:00.002-05:00

Zoze and her friend Allegra celebrating Memorial Day together. So sweet.

Ian in heaven. That stick was his fire stick. Truly. Made me a little nervous, but trust me, he was well watched over.

Well, except for the time he fell into the stream. Oops.

2010-06-09T10:10:00.002-05:00

Ian's really improved on his skating, as shown by the video. What isn't shown is Ian trying to teach me how to skate. Yikes. Luckily, we were the only ones at the skate park and my attempts were not seen by anyone.

2010-06-06T15:15:00.000-05:00

One of our favorite places to go during summer break-the Farm. The nice thing is that we can go for free during the week and it's not too far from home.

Ian prefers to spend most of his time in the schoolhouse, drawing on the slates with chalk. I like the schoolhouse, however, I can't stand the chalk. Have I mentioned? Chalk creeps me out and I don't like to touch it at all. I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it.

2010-06-04T15:09:00.003-05:00

Sometimes people say that adopted children will look like their parents...take one look at girlfriend's thighs and tell me she isn't mine!

We've played in the water several times this past week, and Zoze prefers to stay dry and in the shade. Again, much like her mother!

2010-06-03T12:23:00.002-05:00

The other day Ian was amazed at the fact that David Jones and Indiana Jones had the same last name. I'm not sure who this David is, but Ian has decided when he has kids, be it a boy or a girl, their name will be David Jones.

That's going to be one lucky lady!

2010-05-30T13:11:00.001-05:00

AH....Love the warm weather!!!
Do you see the radio behind Zoze? We were having a dance party in our backyard. It rocked.

2010-05-28T13:01:00.001-05:00

Okay, you can't tell anyone. But this is kind of funny.

Most nights after dinner the whole family migrates to the living room, often times all of hanging out on the floor. The kids love to jump all over us and 'wrestle'. One night Ian was eating peanuts, while Zoe was busy blowing on my belly. Ian thought it'd be funny to stick a peanut in my belly button. It didn't go un-noticed by Lilly who promptly ate it! We all about died laughing.

The next day Ian had school and I asked him if he had told anyone. He said he hadn't, and I said I was glad because it might have been embarrassing.

Ian said: No mom, it would have been embarrassing for YOU!

So true. So true.

2010-05-26T16:53:00.002-05:00

Goodness, I have been lazy with this blog. No excuse really, just a bit busy with my little friends.
A few weeks ago we went to dinner at a Chinese restaurant and we all got fortune cookies...as usual. Ian's said something about finding happiness and we talked about what might make him happy. He said he'd be happy if he had a girlfriend, which both Scott and I chuckled at. We wanted to know he might like to have as a girlfriend, imagine our reactions when he said 'The Jonas Brothers"!!!! Oh my gosh, couldn't stop laughing.

2010-04-27T11:16:00.001-05:00

Last Saturday, Scott's dad called inviting the boys to a truck/tractor show at SM Park. It was right in the middle of Ian's lunch, but he seemed excited to go. Lunch was eaten quickly, and ice cream was promised upon return.
Unfortunately, that was all Ian had on his mind. Who cares he got to play in a bunch of neat trucks and equipment...there was ice cream to be eaten! All he wanted to do was get home to eat!
Needless to say, Scott was a little disappointed. What a stinker!

2010-04-25T11:04:00.000-05:00

Zoze LOVES this book. It is full of little lift-up flaps and she can just sit and look at the pictures all day. So, although she isn't talking much at all, I think it's just around the corner with all the reading we do!

2010-04-23T10:57:00.000-05:00

Zoe's getting ready to show me where her belly is. She isn't satisfied with just pointed to a covered belly, we must see the actual thing!

So excited to have a great milk mustache. He kept drinking more and more milk in hopes of making the mustache bigger and darker!

2010-04-21T10:54:00.000-05:00

How does one kid possess so much talent? The first time he tries to hang a spoon from his nose and he's able to do it? Dang. I was well into my 30s before I ever figured it out. He's even using a serving spoon...it's huge!

2010-04-18T10:45:00.002-05:00

Oh. My. Gosh. My little sweetie, singing his heart out at the dinner table. 'Hotel California' never sounded so good!

2010-04-17T20:32:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I just like to post cute pictures, just for the mere fact that I've got cute pictures to share. This is one of those times. Cute kids for your viewing pleasure.

2010-04-15T08:28:00.002-05:00

You wanna know what is hot for Spring 2010? Look no further than my backyard.

You might be saying to yourself "Oh no he didn't"

OH YES HE DID!

2010-04-12T08:25:00.001-05:00

Stinkpot here thinks it is high-larious to laugh with a mouthful of milk. So much so that her clothes are often soaked because of her high-jinx. I'm sure my giggling at her doesn't do anything but encourage....

It's Howdy Doody Time!

2010-04-09T08:23:00.000-05:00

Ooooh, Uncle Don.....this one is for you!!!!

2010-04-07T08:16:00.000-05:00

We definitely don't have a large house, but thankfully, it is enough room for Ian to practice his skateboarding (to an extent). Previous posts will show it also serves as makeshift basketball court.

Luckily, since these pictures have been taken Scott was able to take Ian to the skate park a few times. The first time they went they pretty much kept to the sidewalk near the park, as the park itself was full of tight-jean wearin, cigarette smokin, foul mouthed hooligans. The second time they went, Scott was smart and went early in the morning when you just know those teenage boys are sleeping in! This time they were able to actually use the park without the fear of getting ashed on.

2010-04-05T19:54:00.003-05:00

It was just beautiful this past Easter weekend! Yay for spring! The kids had 2 Easter egg hunts, one on Saturday at our house with cousin Malik, and one on Sunday with Jack, Em and Gracie. Zoe enjoyed finding her eggs, and was satisfied with just carrying around 1 or 2 at a time. She'd drop one when she'd find a new one!

As you can see, Ian found more than his little sis...and loved every minute of it. Well, until cousin Jack put an egg that had a sticker inside it in his basket. Good grief, he was so upset about that sticker, he didn't want it at all! Geez.

Wow. I got all three kids and Snoopy in the picture and looking at the camera? Please don't tell Lilly she was left out. Feelings would be hurt I'm sure.

2010-03-23T10:13:00.001-05:00

So this one prefers to stand for most of her bath. Obviously, I never leave her alone when she's bathing, but I don't dare even look away for a second since she thinks she can walk around in the tub without any trouble. She doesn't fall down often, and when she does she just gives me a stunned look and then gets right back up!

2010-03-21T10:03:00.000-05:00

I took the kids to meet one of my favorite authors during spring break: Kevin Henkes. I've loved his books forever, and I read many of them to my students throughout the year. My kids, like it or not, get to hear me read all of them...several times over!

I suppose I shouldn't use the word 'meet' when it comes to the event, it was more like we got to 'see' Kevin Henkes. It was my goal to buy a book, stand in line, and eventually have a meaningful conversation with the man. However, after standing and holding Zoe for 45+ minutes listening to him read and answer questions, I couldn't do it any longer. The line to meet him was from the front of the store to the back, at least another 45 minutes of holding Miss Zoe. It just wasn't going to be possible. So, I snuck around the side and and at least got a picture of Kevin signing books.

It'll have to do for now.

2010-03-20T09:55:00.001-05:00

I guess you could say the dress code during spring break is pretty lax, because these pictures were not taken on the same day! This kid loves wearing sleeveless shirts, thankfully, I just ordered a few online for him and they should be here any day! I don't mind the sleeveless, it's just this one (his favorite) has that stupid stain on it that cannot be removed for anything!

And, as you can see by the top picture, our house has turned into a makeshift basketball court. I can't wait for the weather to warm up so we can head to the park and give our hardwoods a little break!

2010-03-18T09:48:00.002-05:00

There was a brief time when Zoze didn't really enjoy having her picture taken, but thankfully that has changed! She likes getting her picture taken because 2 seconds later she can see herself on the camera and she loves it. What girl doesn't love looking at cute pictures of themselves?

2010-03-11T15:10:00.001-06:00

2010-03-10T15:05:00.000-06:00

Can you believe this little guy is going to be in kindergarten next year? Me neither!
He had kindergarten round up last Friday, so I took the afternoon off from work so I could take him. We got to eat lunch with daddy and then check out his new office before heading over to Ian's new school.
It was a fun afternoon, and we were both excited to see that 2 friends from preschool are going to be at the same elementary. Which, by the way, used to be pronounced 'hellementary' by Ian. :)

2010-03-08T15:02:00.000-06:00

I put Zoze in an empty diaper box which meant Ian needed to have his own box (of course). These two had a grand time sitting in the boxes. Lots of giggling, especially from the girl!
Until Ian decided to break them.
It's a boy thing.

2010-03-06T14:52:00.003-06:00

Yeah, our kid is a medal winner! No big whoop. Last weekend was his last basketball game and all the participants received medals, it was pretty cool, actually.
My kid's medal looked especially nice against his dirty shirt. That's right, guess who forgot to wash it? I did my best to spot clean it, but it was really of no use. Those stains needed the aid of a washing machine.
Did I tell you we put his name on the back using iron on letters? Yep, and I had to replace 5 letters throughout the season . Various letters would fall off each week and I'd have to make a trip to Hobby Lobby for new ones. I have 2 I's and 2 N's if anyone is interested. I'll probably put them on Craigslist or something. Ha.

2010-02-21T10:34:00.000-06:00

Can you see the anger in her eyes? I am certain she wanted to bite me.

I took 4 or 5 pictures of her and she just sat there mad as can be, but she didn't try to take the cape off.

After I took the mask and cape off she immediately left the room and ignored me for the next hour or so. I couldn't even get her to come to bed with me that night.

Maybe I shouldn't have laughed so hard while I was snapping away with the camera.

2010-02-19T10:25:00.000-06:00

What a sweet little boy he is. He's giggling about something, not sure what. Perhaps, he's still giddy from the new skateboard shirt he got from grandma and grandpa.
He's been full of giggles lately. Today, the excitement of of buying his own pack of gum with his own money has been almost too much for him. We've been home from the grocery store for an hour and he hasn't let go of it yet!

Zoe's excitement comes from the fact that the gate isn't up, blocking her from going upstairs. She can sense when it comes down and almost always makes a run for it. She'll go to the steps, but doesn't go past the first step. She fell off it one day, and she's a little apprehensive. But, the fact that she could go up the stairs if she wanted to is exciting!

2010-02-17T10:23:00.000-06:00

Listen woman, NO MORE PICTURES!
All I wanted was a sweet picture of the kids on Valentine's Day. For the life of me, I can't get one with both of them smiling, or looking at the camera for that matter.

2010-02-15T10:19:00.002-06:00

Scott was cooking dinner the other night, and the bag of potatoes fell on the floor. Zoe picked up three and low and behold: she LOVES raw potatoes! She gnawed on those things most of the night. Only losing one to Lilly!

2010-02-07T16:17:00.003-06:00

I lost a bet. With this dude.

He scares me a little bit, otherwise I would have found some reason to not post that picture of me in that horrendous shirt. Skin is still burning.

2010-02-02T15:41:00.000-06:00

Amazing. It's winter I have a blooming flower in my house. Luckily, I have this sitting next to the kitchen sink so it's nearly impossible to forget to water it.

Thanks to J and J for this little bit of prettiness!

In the summer I have grand ideas that my yard will somehow make people's heads turn in awe as they drive my house. Guests will visit and talk amongst themselves about what a green thumb I have. In reality, I lose interest in watering and weeding right about the time the old thermometer gets about 80 degrees. So, instead of being in awe, people viewing the lawn will wonder how long we've been away on vacation.

2010-01-31T15:31:00.000-06:00

I have a house full of toys. Boy toys, girl toys, dog toys, you name it. However, my choice is either the phone or remote. (Which is pronounced merote if your name is Ian). Often I will get so excited when I see either one of these within my reach that I will giggle uncontrollably.

Life is good.

2010-01-30T15:20:00.003-06:00

I was driving around today squinting from all the sun and snow, realizing I really did miss my sunglasses. I had a great pair, but they broke in my purse.

Anyhow. I come along a good pair of glasses maybe every 5 years or so, so I was sad to see these go. Here's the deal why I have a hard time finding good fitting sunglasses.

A: I have a huge head.

B: My ears and my eyes are crooked/lopsided. One of the two. Or both, but then they'd cross each other out, right?

Either I find glasses that are too tight on my huge noggin or the frames sit ridiculously crooked on my face.

I'm a plastic surgeon's dream come true. "Lord, honey, why'd you wait so long?"

Best couple. Ever.

2010-01-22T15:51:00.000-06:00

All Shannon needs is a corsage and we have ourselves a prom picture!

2010-01-20T15:41:00.000-06:00

Little one is mad at me, but darn it I wanted a picture of her super cute new jeans and All-Stars! Which, by the way, are really her only shoes that fit well. Her feet are a little on the 'chubby' side.Ian started basketball a few weekends ago and this past weekend they actually played a few 3 on 3 games. We soon realized we need to go over the basics of the game. I'm not quite sure where the rest of his team is in this picture, and Ian didn't seem to care either. :)

Zoe loves cake

2010-01-18T15:29:00.000-06:00

Zoe celebrated her birthday last weekend and I wasn't certain if she'd enjoy her cake or not. I should have guessed by the way she eats everything else that birthday cake wouldn't be any different. By the way, this is the only picture of either cake I have. How did I not take a picture of her big cake??

She would have eaten the entire cake had we let her. We figured once she started rubbing it her eyes maybe she was done.

2010-01-17T15:24:00.002-06:00

I've started writing this post about 4 times now. But really, doesn't the picture do fine on its own?

Yoga Day

2010-01-09T10:54:00.000-06:00

Ian found his goggles Thursday and really hasn't stopped wearing them. Friday we went to Target and we wore them there. Such a good look. Here's Ian relaxing after a grueling 9 minutes of yoga. The kid cracks me up.

Zoe is actually just walking towards me, but it kinda looks like she's doing some yoga stretches. Right? She's just that darn coordinated!

2010-01-08T10:59:00.003-06:00

Oooh, I'm excited! I just saw that you can have your blog printed into a book! I'm so going to do it. Maybe make a book for each year? I don't know...possibilities are endless(ish).

2010-01-08T10:42:00.002-06:00

Oh. My. God. I just about wet my pants every time I look at this picture. It's like he should have a martini in his hand instead of pudding! And the robe with no shirt on underneath it is the icing on the cake. Well, that and the mustache!

2010-01-05T08:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday to our little sweetheart!!

2010-01-02T15:11:00.000-06:00

When Ian was little he liked to wear things on his head. He especially enjoyed this fabric bucket and often times wore a wicker basket if the mood was just right (See picture below!). We pulled this bucket out of the basement the other day and just had to see if Zoe enjoyed it as much as her older brother. Not so much. For starters, the girl has a huge noggin! But, she did look super cute while it lasted!

2010-01-01T15:07:00.002-06:00

Guess what Ian got for Christmas? His daddy had a great time picking out his new board and helmet. Now we just need the snow to melt so we can hit the skate park.

On the bottom of the board is a big eagle that Ian truly believes is related to the Eagles band. We listened to them the other night and he commented how it was just like his skateboard.

Zoze plays peek-a-boo

2009-12-31T14:54:00.002-06:00

What the what? Video? Who knew I was so technologically advanced?

So, we're a little off on our body parts-eyes covered, ears covered, who cares! She's got the concept down, and I don't have the heart to correct her!

2009-12-25T08:19:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas to you!!!

2009-12-22T08:13:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago Ian was singing a song about cigarettes. I couldn't believe he would make up a song about cigarettes and I told him it wasn't appropriate at all. Since the first time he sang it he'd ask me about it, like I should know this cigarette song. I had no idea what he was talking about, again, assuming he made it up.
Yesterday we had the TV on the music channel for kids and 'All the Single Ladies' by the Chipmunks came on. Ian liked it and was singing it. Okay, whatever. Fast forward to later in the day when he started singing 'All the cigarettes'....He thought the lyrics were about cigarettes instead of single ladies. HIGH-larious!!!!!!

2009-12-19T12:04:00.002-06:00

Oy. The noise that these two made with the pots and pans. And they look so innocent here!

Whatever she has in her hands I'm certain went into her mouth not long after this. If she can fit it into her hands she shoves it in her mouth. Anything and everything.

2009-12-17T15:44:00.000-06:00

Honestly. This is what I get when I ask Ian to pose for me. Nothing. You are killin' me kid!!

2009-12-15T15:42:00.000-06:00

Aunt Dee Dee came over the other day with her new dog, Snoopy. It took Zoe quite a bit to warm up to her, by the time they were leaving she was 'gently' patting Snoopy on her head. And, I'm using the word 'gently' loosely here!

2009-12-13T15:36:00.002-06:00

Please notice Ian in the front row. In a tank top and shorts. We went to a birthday party on Saturday, and our resourceful son wore this under his original outfit. I'm not kidding, we walk into this joint and he's stripping down to his shorts! Come on!

I don't know how well you can see me and Zoe up there, but I am terrified! Holy heck, it was a hike getting up to the top and then when we finally made it up there, I realized how steep the slide was. Oh god, it was all I could do not to scream as I was going down it. My one arm is holding Zoe tightly as the other is desperately trying to slow us down!

2009-12-11T10:44:00.001-06:00

Zoe enjoying her first biter biscuit. She loved it. But, she truly hasn't found a food that she doesn't love. I was cleaning her up quite some time after she finished this treat.
Girlfriend is walking quite a bit now. It's so funny to watch because she still has a big baby head and she just kind of bobbles everywhere. Proud of her for doing it before she even turned 11 months though!

2009-12-10T10:42:00.001-06:00

What do you think grandpa's up to in the background?

Spidey

2009-12-08T10:35:00.002-06:00

Ian had 2 birthday parties this weekend. As you can see, there was a face painter at one of them. After thinking he just wanted his face painted all black, Ian finally chose Spiderman.

The process continues....

The finished product! He's half Peter Parker and half Spiderman. How awesome is that?

2009-12-07T17:05:00.003-06:00

I've mentioned that Zoe really likes getting her picture taken, and the pictures I was taking this evening were no exception. What makes it funny is that her Daddy was just getting home and it was like she didn't want to miss out on the picture OR seeing her Daddy!

I know, an entire post dedicated to Zoe. Don't tell Ian. I'll make it up to him...

BTW: This picture is an old one...Zoze has her top teeth coming in now, and they are very visible.

2009-12-06T10:27:00.002-06:00

We celebrated Thanksgiving at our house this year. Trying to get all the kids to smile and look at the camera was a tricky task. This is as good as I could get. Wish we would have taken this while Malik was still here!

2009-12-03T17:01:00.001-06:00

Whatever. I'm way late posting any sort of pictures. But, here's the kids and Grandma Nanie getting ready to go out trick-or-treating. Zoe's doing a good job propping herself up on the wall!

2009-12-01T16:59:00.001-06:00

Okay, so this sweet little horse was in a shop in Weston. I thought it was adorable. Everyone else with me thought it was a slightly creepy. I guess it's a little sad; poor horse stuck in the back of shop all day, getting his picture taken by weirdos like me!

Girl's weekend

2009-11-29T16:56:00.001-06:00

Most of the Brown girls got together over Halloween weekend to do some shopping in Weston. This was all of us before the trip, what a fun time. The weather was perfect, and so was the company! It was our second year in a row doing it, we might just have to make it a tradition. Who's in?

2009-11-27T16:51:00.002-06:00

This picture of Ian was taken the day after his haircut. There's something about it that just makes me smile. His cheeks look like Ramona Quimby did in the original books. She's been updated, and not nearly as cute.

This baby girl loves her food and loves the camera! She'll almost always smile when I bring it out. Ian did that when he was younger too, now I think he's forgotten how to do a genuine smile.

KC Ren Fest

2009-09-20T17:36:00.000-05:00

Ian and his daddy checking out some armour.

Ian getting a sweet tat.
Ian's new tat. Too bad it got washed off in the bath.

So, we went to the Ren Fest. It was fun (ish). Ian really was more amused by kicking rocks and dirt around than anything else. He didn't have anything to do with the many characters who approached us, and who can blame him really? I get a little weirded out by them sometimes myself.

He did enjoy getting his tattoo and watching a puppet show. It was at this puppet show that Scott had a daddy long-legs crawling on him. Yikes.

Happy Girl

2009-09-18T17:34:00.000-05:00

This was from before Kate's wedding, but I just love how stinking excited she is. :)

Shark Boy

2009-09-16T17:29:00.000-05:00

Ian has been a HUGE fan of 'Shark Boy and Lava Girl' for some time now. Ugh. Not my favorite. Anyhoo. He likes to show me his shark teeth, and often times will tear paper with his mouth to show me how sharp they are.

He's taking this pretty seriously, because he's informed me that his shark parents will be picking him up soon. For real, he says. He has shark brothers and sisters too.

I can bet you ten bucks his shark mother doesn't have sweet shoes like me. Can you see 'em? I wear those babies all the time. So professional. But I love them....right J-man?

Kate's wedding

2009-09-13T17:21:00.003-05:00

Preface: I'd like to have these pictures switched around, but I've tried twice and no luck. So, I'm dealing with the fact they are out of order chronologically.

Last weekend was our friends Jason and Kate's wedding. So much fun! The kids and Scott were only able to go to the reception, but Ian had a blast! The area behind our table was wide open, and he was cuttin' a rug all night long. The picture above shows him taking a break in the action.

Here's our little Zoe getting ready to go to the party. I love this little outfit. Brown and pink, oh so cute together. Our little girl didn't make a peep the entire reception, just enjoyed being held by Jean and Sue!

2009-08-27T14:28:00.000-05:00

Fine. Maybe these aren't the best pictures I've taken...but I had to post pictures of our movie night from Saturday.

Scott was helping a friend out that evening, so Ian and decided to make a night of it. We went through the drive through at Culver's and ate dinner back at home. Ian loved it because we both ate at TV trays while watching 'Cars'. We then got out our sleeping bags and flashlights and continued watching the movie. It was quite the fun night, and Zoe enjoyed it as well...she hung out in my sleeping bag and spent most of her time watching her big brother.

My babes

2009-08-25T14:25:00.000-05:00

I'm the luckiest mom ever. What a couple of sweethearts. I LOVE THEM. It's true!

2009-08-23T14:20:00.002-05:00

This picture makes me giggle. Whenever I set Zoe down, the first thing Lilly does is investigate. I'm sure she's looking for food...She's on her way in for a big ole' lickin' as you can tell by Zozo's expression.

Scott took Ian to the skate park last weekend, and he had a blast. I can't believe we didn't go all summer...I kinda forgot about it. And, yes, I'm aware he doesn't have a helmet on. Scott gets in the moods and he packs up Ian's toys that he doesn't use anymore. I have a feeling his helmet is tucked away somewhere in the basement. Ten bucks says I buy a new one instead of trying to find it in the mess downstairs. I try to avoid that area as much as possible.

2009-08-17T18:10:00.002-05:00

Ian getting ready for his birthday party. The theme was Batman. Scott and I picked for him, as he couldn't pick one to save his life. One day it was Indiana Jones, the next it was Spiderman. It's hilarious he wanted Indiana Jones because he has never seen Indiana Jones. Must be something the boys talked about at preschool.

Zozo at Deanna Rose. We got good use out of that hat this summer. What a little pumpkin.

Let's see. Today was the first day with kids. It was a half day and so is tomorrow. I have no idea how I'm going to handle full days because I am tuckered. Thank goodness I really do like my job!

As I sit here typing all I can hear is pots/pans/lids being banged together. Ian and his daddy are having just a little bit of fun downstairs. I'm afraid to venture down....yikes, and now loud yelling is accompanying it all....crap, it's getting louder, I think they are getting closer!!

Hey, hey, hey!

2009-08-16T15:10:00.003-05:00

Well friends, it's been awhile! I'm not really certain why I am starting up again...you know, 'cause I start teaching again tomorrow. And my master's classes begin Wednesday night. I am going to be really tired, really soon. But, maybe I'll find time to post on here.

Where to begin? How about I just fill you in on some random things that have happened since I last posted. Whenever that was. Seriously, I don't remember....and if I leave this post I'll lose all the cool stuff I've already written! HA.

1. At Zoe's 6 month appointment she weighed 18 pounds. When Ian was 4 months he weighed 18 pounds! I gots me some chunky babies!

2. Also at Zoe's appointment we found out her weight was in the 75th percentile and her head was in the the 92nd percentile. Wow.

3. Ian is so ready for kindergarten. Which will happen NEXT fall. One night he pretended he was going to high school. In his underwear, with his backpack on upside down, carrying a stuffed animal. I assured him that is exactly what high school is all about.

4. When eating ribs and corn on the cob at the Browns in Des Moines, Ian declared "There's a party in my tummy!"

5. Zoe can scootch backwards. Try as she might, she just can't move forward. The other day she scootched backwards under the entertainment center and was caught by her chubby little thighs. There was a little bit of panic as I had to pull her out from under...unfortunately, she had a few scratches.

6. Both Ian and Zoe are rockin' the curly hair. Zoe has curls on the top and not much on the sides. Just like Ian did when he was a baby. Crazy, isn't it?

7. Let's leave it at 6 for now. The babes need baths.

2009-04-29T16:22:00.003-05:00

Hey there, you.

Sorry I've been MIA for awhile. Gonna have to say I'm stepping away from the blog for awhile. I just don't have time anymore. I might come back, who knows. If I do, I hope you'll join me again.

I'll miss you.

The Wizard of Oz

2009-04-14T12:19:00.000-05:00

When Ian was around 2, he watched the Wizard of Oz for the first time. He didn't actually watch the entire movie, but the first half he loved. Ever since then we've watched it MANY times!

When I found out the characters were going to be at Crown Center I knew we had to go! The line was long, but moved quickly...Ian was super excited the entire time. Well, until it was our turn, then he got a little nervous! But, what an awesome time we had, and what a great picture! I was excited that Dorothy held Zoe, too! What a great day!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T17:17:00.000-05:00

CUTEST. BUNNY. EVER.

2009-04-07T20:51:00.001-05:00

What really makes this picture special is the artwork hanging on the wall behind Zoe. When we, finally, returned from Indiana, that drawing was taped up right above Zozo's changing table. Ian had made it for her. There is a picture of each of them and then they each have their own sun. I found a frame around the house and both Scott and I knew we had to 'officially' hang it in her room.

To remind her that her big brother loved her before he even met her. Just like we did with her AND her awesome big brother. The saying goes: 'You didn't grow in mommy's tummy, you grew in my heart.'

2009-04-05T16:38:00.002-05:00

This little pumpkin eater is 3 months old today! I can hardly believe it!

I wish I had some great story to post, but my brain is tired. I stayed up past midnight last night...which never happens anymore. We had a great night with great friends, so it was well worth it!

Hope everyone has a wonderful week.

Mother of the year

2009-03-27T15:56:00.000-05:00

Seriously, I sat there and watched as he took water from the bathroom sink out to the back yard. I truly thought there wouldn't be a mess. What is wrong with me?

1st: Who lets their kid take buckets full of water back and forth through the house?

2nd: Who else has such a great looking back yard?

I've given up on our backyard. Wherever there are small patches of dirt either Lilly or Ian will make worse by digging or tearing at. Ian prefers to take a shovel to all areas of dirt and Lilly will make new patches by tearing up small areas of grass.

It's kind of embarrassing.

2009-03-25T15:53:00.000-05:00

Yes, I was the cutest baby to be baptized. You got a problem with that?

The clan

2009-03-23T15:34:00.000-05:00

Lilly was never one to miss out on a family portrait. Either that or Ian just ate something and Lilly was trying to clean up his mess.

You can't really tell but both kiddos have green on to celebrate St. Paddy's (or Patty's whatever you prefer) Day.

I thought we'd have a mellow outing to the zoo that day. So did 10,000 other Kansas City residents. I have never been there when it was so busy! There were so many stinkin' strollers there it was cragee!! Granted, I was one of those with a stroller, but still.

It was a great time though. Grandma and grandpa joined us, as did our cousins Jack and Emily. I'll probably post pictures later.

Oops.

2009-03-21T15:18:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I give horrible directions.

Here's proof. This picture was taken last Sunday at the church after Zoe's baptism. The baptism my dad almost missed because I gave him the wrong directions to the church. He's actually showing me the piece of paper I wrote the directions on.

Big whoop, I forgot a street. I mean, does he really need to know what street the church is on? Can't he just sense it?

And, really. He was there when Scott and I got married almost 7 years ago. Shouldn't he remember?

I'm only taking half the blame for this one.

Unless, of course, my dad actually reads this...then I take full blame. Sweet lord, don't let my dad read this.

Proof

2009-03-19T15:41:00.003-05:00

Proof that my girl is growing and enjoying the heck out of her Infamil.

Yes, that is me holding her, and no, my boobs don't get in the way of daily activities.

Proof my other kid enjoys the heck out of chocolate.

My little friends

2009-03-13T13:35:00.003-05:00

Here's little Zozo the day of her adoption being finalized. We were waiting patiently for the judge to arrive...Zoe slept through all of it! But, it is official! (Not that we needed a court to tell us she was our daughter, but...)

Ian LOVES to get his picture taken lately, however, he won't usually pose without a silly face. The other day he let me take quite a few of him holding his little sis.

Seriously, if anything happens to this Batman mask we are screwed. He pulls that thing out at the most random times. In this particular picture he's showing how web comes out of Spiderman's hand. It's very interesting that I am just now realizing he was doing Spidey and Batman at the same time.

Tomorrow we'll have a house full of guests as we celebrate the finalization of Zoe's adoption, the anniversary of Ian's finalization and Zoe's baptism, which will happen on Sunday. I SHOULD be cleaning bathrooms instead of messing around on the computer. Shocker. So, off to clean I go.

Anyhow, so happy that Zoe is 'officially' ours. We are truly blessed.

Me week?

2009-03-07T14:58:00.002-06:00

Okay, 2 kids + full time work= one tired mommy.

I know eventually I will get back in the swing of things and post on a more regular basis. Probably during summer break, but still....

Little Miss Zozo is a smiling fiend! She's smiling quite a bit and starting to make little noises here and there. She's also slept through the night 3 nights in a row.

Which is more than I can say for her brother. Poor Ian, I got a call from his preschool yesterday and had to leave work to pick him up; he had a fever of 103! Last night I don't think he slept more than an hour at a time, he was just so miserable. Scott finally gave in and slept with him around 5 o'clock this morning.

So, earlier this week I was driving Ian to school (I know, no transition whatsoever between topics), and we were discussing what letter he was learning about at school. He insisted it was 'B' week or 'T' week, and I knew it was 'U' week. I told him, 'Honey, I think it is 'U' week' to which he replied, 'ME week?'

You know...you/U...me...???

It was pretty funny at the time!

Blackmail someday

2009-02-22T19:52:00.002-06:00

Here's a rundown of the past few days. Thursday: Ian has a fever of 102. Saturday: Zoe and mommy both have eye. And tomorrow: I go back to work.

Yippee!!

However, I KNOW I will be able to make it because of this picture of Ian. Holy heck, it makes me giggle every time I see it. He was in rare form the night this picture was taken. At one point I was on the floor with tears streaming down my face I was laughing so hard.

I love that darn boy.