Handsome boys!

My little sister Cheryl came down to visit this week, with her ten week old adorable little boy. She came on Monday and just headed back home today....I miss her already. Bob is in Seattle this week so it was the perfect time to have some company. We did a lot of gabbing(imagine that) went and picked some peaches and apples....And the funniest part of all..Clipped some coupons. Yep. That brought some good laughs. Never thought the two of us would be sitting there together burping babies and clipping 'good deals' out of the local fliers. Of course on the way down here from Lynden the perfect place to stop and feed the baby is North Bend. And the fact that the outlet malls happen to be there is just an added bonus of course. She couldn't pass up these adorable matching outfits....

Spending some time with my extremely vocal children I'm sure has given her a new appreciation for that complete innocence and sweetness of new babies! Brandi told Cheryl.."auntie Cheryl I really like this green binder!" Cheryl replied.."do you?" At which point Kendra whips around and very sternly blurts out.."SAY THANK YOU AUNTIE CHERYL"

Yep that's right auntie Cheryl,.,..when someone pays you a compliment you better say THANK YOU!

How do you teach a child it's not appropriate to reprimand an adult? I'm really quite nervous about our preschool parent/teacher conferences this year!

desperately seeking some parenting advice!!

As I was sitting there folding my laundry today I was working up an unhealthy dose of depression as I mulled over my lack of parenting skills when suddenly I realized.... Hey, I have this new little online community of parenting experts I could get advice from! There was a time just a few short years ago when we were well on our way to getting that 'Parents of the year" award. Actually we were a shoo in for the grand prize! Then about 4 years ago we were given a 7 1/2 lb dose of humility and suddenly we were struggling to maintain a spot in the top ten contestants for that coveted award. Then about 20 months ago we were smacked upside the head with a 9lb big ole piece of humble pie. And suddenly we can't even spit out the whole phrase 'Parents of the Year" without bursting into hysterical laughter. See....my issue is this. My house is being taken over by an iron fisted hair puller. Not the sweet little 'wrap my chubby fingers in mommys hair and tug as I'm smooching and snugglin' kind..... but the 'tackle my sister to the ground and sit on her head while I fill both my grubby little meathooks with as much hair as possible' variety. Kendras siren like shrieks have every neighbor in a five mile radius running for their storm shelter but it doesn't faze Tyler at all. Not one muscle in his face even twitches. Now the really scary part is that there is no apparent motivation for these attacks and definitely NO remorse!! When I wrench him away he just looks at me with a puzzled expression and two fists with enough hair to donate to 'locks of love' I have tried sending him to his room (I'm convinced he's really starting to enjoy that time alone) I've put him in that naughty chair while telling him in my best English accent that this behavior is 'simply not acceptable" I've tried yanking HIS hair but it's really hard to get a good grip on his 1/4 inch buzz cut. I've yelled and screamed, begged and pleaded, and paddled his little tush all to no avail. On the bright side there is a lesson to be learned from this. I know we are never supposed to question God but while I'm baring my soul I will confess to some brief moments of weakness when I have wondered why. Why with all of the various stellar attributes He could have pulled from my genetic pool He instead chose to pass on to all my children that huge overabundance of coarse thick hair that I have had to live with? Well obviously He knew that one day my house would be under the control of an iron fisted hair puller and if not for all those little heads being over populated with hair follicles we would have a house full of chrome domes by now! So.... What to do???

Gotta have my headphones to drown out all the women in this house!! Besides my favorite song is on!

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!

This is exactly how that first morning went. Brandi just kinda floated along all calm cool and collected....Ashley was in panic mode!! And it didn't help that the bus came 5 minutes early! 5 minutes after getting on the bus she called home.."mom I forgot my lunch money!!" That got the year off to a great start! lol Thankfully the day went really well after that and they both thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

PRESCHOOL!!!

Can hardly believe it but Kendra is off to preschool.

Her and her good buddy 'boom boom' marched off to conquer the world.

Other moms there are teary eyed with crying children clinging to thier leg...not me! Kendra informed me as we pulled up outside"mom you don't need to come in with me. Just stay in the car"

Great! I thought parents didn't become embarassing until middle school. I guess she's really very mature.

Can't you just picture it..All these mom's huddled teary eyed with their precious babies, having a hard time leaving them and then there's Julaine. Slow down to 5 mph and shove the kid out the door and honk.

Unfortunately for her I insisted that 'yes I do need to come in with you'

Apparently her and Peter sat there with their arms around each other in story hour. Good! Put on a sweet face in public and save the hair pulling and slapping for at home! Atta girl!!

Truth be told it was a very weird feeling going home without her. I know she needs to go but.......she's just a baby.

OK. Here goes. Been getting a little pressure to create a blog! Don't really want to admit that up until about a month ago I didn't even know what they were....but here at last I am working on it. Just going to need a few days to get things set up I guess~