I Heart Faces ~ Anything but a Face

I was going through my files yesterday and found this picture. Those squished toes make me smile! So when I saw this weeks IHF theme "Anything but a face" I had to go back and grab it. There was a frog in this pond and the water was cold so little B was really nervous about putting his feet down, it was so cute!
There are some way fun pics to go check out at I Heart Faces, so go have fun!

The end of a long season

Well it was a very long season for the parents but also for the poor players. I know that Kaden had very mixed emotions about this season because even though the coaching was absolutely horrible, they only ended up winning 1 game and some of his team mates were horrible, but he had a good personal season. When he did get a chance to play he played really excellent defense! He also put up a lot of baskets. It was so nice to see his confidence grow so much that he was much more willing to put them up. He was even point guard a few times and did a really good job!
So after a very long season, maybe his last basketball season we are all very glad that it is over, but we are so proud of Kaden for sticking with it and playing hard every time he was out!

The girls were great supporters this season!

OK the highlight (other than Kaden making baskets and all that stuff) was seeing Ed McCaffrey at the game.. and yes I was a total cheese ball and snuck a pic.. he is one of my all time favorite Denver Broncos players!

We had a very lax dinner tonight so when I put a bowl full of cherry tomatoes in front of Malia she just about busted! I wish I would have caught her face, I think I saw a tear lol!

She almost finished the bowl!

And yesterday the kids and I spent all morning doing some deep cleaning in the kitchen and then washed all the walls and baseboards in the house. I knew they wouldnt be to excited so I after I told them what we were doing I had to quickly follow it up with a promise. I promised a trip to the store where they could pick out a bag of candy, a soda, and whatever they wanted for lunch.. if they did it with a good attitude! Well after the promise they did just that and I it was so nice to have the help and to have them recognize what hard work it is to keep the house up. They were so surprised how dirty the cupboards were since you dont notice unless you actually get down to look!

Anyways we went to King Soopers and when we came out Kaden put Malia in her seat for me while I loaded the back with the groceries. When I was coming around the drivers side Kaden had a concerned look on his face and asked if I noticed that weird lady, I said no who? And he pointed to the car pulling away and said they were parked really close to our car and they were staring and pulled away weird.. I didnt really pay attention but I noticed my gas tank cover was popped open, I thought weird but then didnt think anything of it.

Later that night I had to make a quick trip and looked at my tank and saw that it was nearly empty after just being filled up.. they had stolen my gas, I just knew it! When I got out I went to the tank and sure enough even the lid was unscrewed and just hanging in there. GRRR I was so dang mad! Not much I can do about it now but dang I wish I would have listened to Kadens gut and mine and payed more attention!

Well Tami.. you asked if I at least got something good at KS, yes ma'am I did!!

Week 8

This weeks themes were fun. I waited all week to get my "The View From Here" shot.. we've been having amazing sunrises and I kept waiting for one this week and it just didnt happen. So I walked out my front door and grabbed this one of my poor dead tree and the sun and it is actually snowing but it was so slight that you cant see the flakes.
I caught this one of Kaden earlier this week of "Falling" the definition had to do with falling because of gravity so I figured this works right! Plus I love this boy and his smiling face as he reaches that rim!

Speaking of aging...

Well he didnt have it at the 10 ft height but it was high and he can slam it and as you can see he is pretty dang happy about it! I cant believe that my baby boy is just a hair shorter than me.. how did that happen?! He has bigger feet than me and he reminds me all the time. He always walks by stretching his neck just to remind me that he is just about to pass me. He is also (I hate to say and shhh dont tell him) stronger than me! I HATE that.. hows a mom suppposed to bend him over her knee if hes stronger lol!

And yesterday I got a wee bit of a smack in the face. He usually comes home every day after school. He just hasnt been the type of kid to always have to hang out with friends after school, and like Ive said he doesnt really have anyone close by to hang out with and we are also usually super busy.

But yesterday he called me after school and asked if he could stay at the school.. then he went right to a friends house, then they took him right to baseball practice. So he was gone all dang day and I am such a dork, I totally missed him. I also thought it was pretty cool that he is getting to that age where friends are about to be a big deal and hanging out all day everyday is going to become a big deal. Im not looking forward to it but I also realize how much fun he did have and is going to have in the future. Im so grateful that he is such a smart kid. He doesnt feel like he needs to show off, brag, lie, swear, or any of that stuff to be "cool" he is just himself. He is turning out to be a pretty funny kid, a little bit of a ladies man.. YIKES and just an all around good kid. Im excited and scared to see where he goes in life, Im not excited for all this getting older stuff!!

Is it just a number??

Ever since I got married I have been so excited to get older, to get to 30 wasnt something I was dreading, I was freaking exstatic to finally reach that number. I havent been afraid to age, I was ready to embrace it. I wasnt afraid of the wrinkles and hair color can be fixed right! I have always been excited by the thought of Rich and I being that cute old couple holding hands taking walks and playing with grandbabies!
I know that a big part of wanting to get older had a lot to do with always feeling like an old soul and also getting such a young start with my family. With a lot of my friends I have the oldest kid but I am the youngest in the group, I thought once I hit 30 it seemed like a more responsible respectable age. So bring it on I thought, thats right I dont care....
Well now Im 30 and very nearly 31 gasp! I am no longer super excited. I didnt realize that with that new bigger grand number would come the changes that came. I have always worked out and now since I turned 30 I even enjoy it a lot more and do twice as much and challenge myself twice as much BUT I have to work twice as hard to get 1/2 the results.... if that! What is up with that! How does one more year make that big of a difference, especially when you are making yourself better? Is there an internal clock that says DING your 30, time to start falling apart! I cant even tell you how many zits I get now, its freaking embarrassing to come home and look in the mirror and see, crap Ive had that on my face all day??!! I NEVER had them in HS so why the heck do I have them now?
And man am I tired, Ive had trouble sleeping for a long time but it is a different tired, I just feel so lazy, I hate feeling that way.
I thought with age would come knowledge, power, self awareness and all that other crap that Oprah promises. I have found that even though I feel like I know myself better and want to have all of those things I still hunker into my hole and play my weaknesses more than my strengths. Last year was going to be my year for being who I know I am or who I want to be, and again I let things happen to me and my family that I shouldnt have. Where was my I am woman hear me roar strength thing?? I promised myself that I would start putting myself on my to do list and I have yet to do that. So Oprah do I really have to wait?? When does it happen, Im willing and waiting!!! Because at this point if it really is all down hill from 30 the next 50 years are going to not be pretty!!
So is it just a number still.. no unfortunately I think I may have become one of those women who hate to age.. I hope that changes!!

I Heart Faces ~ Phone Photos

This week for I Heart Faces was all about the cell phone pics. I used the Hipstomatic app for this pic, I love playing around with pics with that app! I snapped this yesterday. Rich and I always try to grab a quick minute right before he heads off to work, its so nice to get that quick connect before the crazy day begins.
Go check out what amazing pictures people have gotten with their phones!

Week 7

Nothing like waiting until the last minute right! So this week was "Plug" and I was thinking really.. plug but then I thought about being plugged in and how when Kaden is plugged in you cant disturb him or he cant hear you so I thought that was perfect!
Then the other theme was "Open Your Heart" so I cracked open a chocolate heart because chocolate is the way to my heart! HA!

Malias week

We have started a little play group on Wednesdays with a few of Malias little friends.. who are all boys hehe! So yes she is the princess in the group. She has an absolute blast and ends up crying when its time to go home.. every time! We hosted this week and it was so easy and so fun... especially when the boys came upstairs to show me their dresses!! It was pretty darn cute, they got into it and changed outfits and you can see that little Blake even wore heals and a crown and pearls! I cant believe she is almost going to be in preschool, how does that happen so fast?!

Shes been setting up "beds" in the living room almost everyday.. she gets this from Maddie, cute but I really hate having blankets out all over the place!

Malia joined in the dress up fun!

So here are a few funnies from Malia...

At Target there is this cute old lady that does the check out. Malia started asking her her name and having a conversation... then she told her she loved her cheeks.. then she said "you sure have a chin" and started tilting her head... well this cute little lady has quite the waddle so Malia started tilting her head to look under and she kept then saying "you sure have a chin.. you sure have a chin!" I was so embarrassed but it was really cute and funny but I started talking to her so she would stop staring at it and complimenting it!

The other night Malia was supposed to be getting her jammies on and instead ran out and said "Im shaking my money maker" and proceeded to shake her money maker.. so funny and I got a little on video but I cant get it to load.

Shes been using big words lately like today telling me that "daddy is serious" or her new thing to say is awkward.. her pants are awkward, or her undies (Tami I used that word for you!) are awkward. She will say "that is really awkward." Im not sure where she gets this stuff but it sure does crack me up!

I Heart Faces ~ Red

This weeks IHF theme is "Red" and not only is a fun theme for Valentines week but it is an important theme for Go Red For Women in support of Cardiovascular disease that affects over 500,000 women each year.
There are some great inspired photos this week so go take a peek!

My Little Valentines

Well they looked just so darn cute today we had to do a quick mini session this morning!
I am thankful for my sweet hubby who unexpectedly spoiled me for Valentines. We dont normally do "things" for each other, we focus on the kids and go on a date. But he sent me shopping and then added to it by bringing me a few more things today! Yaaa
The kids all got just a couple small things, Maddie and Malia got cute Valentines blankets and stuffed animals and Kaden got baseball stuff.. ya baseball is back weeeee!
I helped in Maddies class for her party and went to lunch with a few friends and then ran kids around all evening. It was a busy day! I hope you all had a great Valentines Day whether your the type that hates the "fake Hallmark Holiday" or you are a die hard romantic that LOVES the hallmark holiday!
I posted earlier today about mine and Maddies getaway weekend so check that out!

Seriously love her eyebrows... this weeks I Heart Faces theme is red... which one shall I choose?

Oh this was this mornings sky... umm loved all the color and shape! Makes waking up worth it waking up to this!

Her pouty pose that she loves

Gotta love the energy this girl has so early in the morning after a long weekend.. I was also super excited that she picked this outfit.. lately she is all about sweats and jeans BLAH!!

Seriously Angelina.. her lips are sooo much better!

This is for Tami... I know you will appreciate this! It is time for a cut.. I keep promising to make an apt but I keep stalling.

Kaden gave his little g/f two monkeys that are hugging for Valentines and she ended up giving him a monkey too... though hers said I Love You lol! I remember my 7th grade gift from my b/f, it was a little stuffed guy thing that was super cute with a big red heart... I thought I was going to marry Gordon.. he was amazing LOL

Girls Getaway ~ Dance Convention

Maddie and I had the most fun but very busy weekend! She participated in the Hollywood Connection Convention this weekend. We had a very early start on Saturday but Maddie was awake and waiting for me in her room at 5a.m. She was so dang excited she kept screaming and jumping up and down!
Once we got there and got our room we met with the rest of the studio and got our bands and then headed off to warm up and then to her dance room, where we spent the next 6 hours!
She had Musical theater.. SO FUN. Contemporary Lyrical with Robert who choreo'd Modern Families flash mob (and he ended up doing one in Maddies class and I got to join it!! Fun but I sucked) he was very Mia Michaels'ish loved him!
Hip Hop with Chonique.. she was seriously awesome! That was Maddies best class.. she loved that class and at the end she nailed the routine and Chonique went around and chose a few girls who had done well to perform in one more time and Maddie ended up in it! She looked over like AAAAHHHHH!!! She talked about that for the rest of the night!
Then tap with Jason, she really loved that dance and has been continuing to practice it since we've been home! Then jazz with Laura.. who is a screamer! And then Jazz with Brooke who is really amazing, loved her style I would say it was a mix of Jazz and Contemp which Maddie is not great at since she doesnt do it so she struggled with getting the moves right but it was so fun because on day 2 she told the girls she wanted their hair down so they could really feel it and man did she! She had so much fun with that dance! Brooke Choreo's for Glee and has been in lots of movies dancing so all the girls were quiet impressed with her.. Maddie loved that she was in Hannah Montana lol! Shes the only teacher I got a pic of with Maddie because I felt dumb trying to fight in line with the other moms. After all the classes were done we sat for about 6 hours and watched all the company dancers compete.. IT WAS A LONG NIGHT! But so fun watching all these amazing dancers and so many of them were pretty young.
On day 2 they had the same teachers and worked more on their dances from the day before and added more to it. They also had an audition section where the parents had to leave so they could dance and be watched to earn scholarships and other fun things.
Can I just say sitting there for 2 long days is exhausting and I know that sounds ridiculous but I was freaking tired! Maddie was a trooper and did awesome and never complained. I figured she was burn out but she didnt, after we were done she danced all the way to the car!
Getting a quick snack..
The screamer lol.. she was pretty awesome too though!

The tapper.. umm he was awesome! Sometimes tap is boring but his wasnt!

Oh Piano shot from the lobby.. had to!

aaahhhh a break!

Jazz

Hip Hop.. my girls gangsta baby!

Not sure what this was but she wanted the pic so here it is lol

Love this! And omg the little one behind her in the little white sports bra and booty shorts was freaking amazing!

K scary pic but I have to include it... I was tired ya'll and I dont think Maddie was all that awake either yet!

We had so much fun together! Maddie was amazing. She was not the best in the class with technique or even in the middle of the pack, there were amazing girls there BUT she was complimenting girls every time we had a break, on their dance, their performance, hair, makeup and costumes. She would just walk up to someone and say I loved your dance or you did a really good job.. seriously the sweetest girl I swear! Some of the girls there were on a whole different level, one of the moms of these girls was saying that they dance 5-6 days week for 3-5 hours a day and quite a few of them are home schooled so they can practice during the day. Well I am perfectly happy with Maddie being right were she is!!

So thanks for the little Valentines getaway Madness I had the BEST time getting to watch you and hang out with you all weekend! Your the BEST Maddie ever!

I have video that I will try to load later!