Park again!

Just thought I'd share these fun memories from our park trip (after the garage door incident).

You may have already noticed but, I chopped Sawyer's hair!! Remember his surfer haircut? Gone!! I don't know what came over me! I do like this new cut but I really miss his old look. His static-hair looks more furry with this new cut.

RAIN!

Yes, it rained again in our dry neighborhood and, as promised, we let Sawyer play in it for a bit. He was soaked by the end of our wet adventure but he had a lot of fun watching his yellow ball float down the gutter and pass under a parked car. He loves the rain like his mommy and her mommy before her.

Just had to share

This cute pic of Owen peeping over the shower curtain during a wash with E.

Um,...scary!

Today I decided to take the boys to the park for a bit before nap. I was carrying O and Soy was walking in front of me when we went into the garage. I got to the van (where Soy was commenting on it's messiness) and realized I didn't have the garage door clicker so I turned to open the garage using the button on the wall. The door started to open and Sawyer ran towards it to look outside and Owen & I proceeded to comment on the cars state as well. Then, I turned in shock to see my son suspended about 4 feet off the ground holding on the the bottom of the rising garage door. I ran over and rescued him and when he knew he was safe the poor thing burst into tears. It was so sad...but,...at the same horrible time...the picture in my mind is hilarious. He looked like a tree ornament. Perfectly silent and still hanging from this giant moving door. I don't know why I laugh. Maybe it is my coping or maybe it is really funny in a dark sort of way. At least I know I don't have to worry about him doing that again.

Soy Rocks!

Sawyer shows his mad skills!

Sawyer yelled, "I have a baby!"

Sawyer has a tendency to talk long after he is supposed to be asleep. He will yell, "Help!" at the top of his lungs because he has 2 water cups or because his fan isn't on. He will ask us what we are doing or beg for one more kiss. Normally, we ignore him or say, "Go to bed!" The other night though, we had to see what he was talking about.
He had been quiet for a while when he suddenly yelled, "Mama, Dada...I have a baby!" Eddie's response, despite our curiosity, was, "Quiet! Go to sleep!" But Sawyer persisted so we had to check it out.
Eddie went into the room and this was the conversation:
"What Sawyer?"
"I have a baby!"
"A baby baby?
"No, just a baby."
"Okay."
"Wanna see it?" With that, he fulled his hands from behind his back and gently handed Eddie this imaginary baby.
Eddie said,"Oh, I see. What is the baby's name?"
Sawyer thought for a moment and then said, "This is Baby Jesus."

Eddie tucked Sawyer and Baby Jesus back into bed and said goodnight...only to bust up in giggles when he came out of the bedroom. Personally, I love the knowledge that my son is tucked away in dreams with Baby Jesus.

My website has updates!

I just wanted to let people know that my photography site has been updated with the pictures from the wedding I shot in November. I still have some pictures from the photo sessions I did at the end of the year but those should be up in the next few days. Check it out!!!! http://www.amandakop.com/

Sick, sick, sick...

We are sick. Sad as the truth is...I think we have been contaminated with some weird strain of the cold virus and you will soon read about us in the Journal of Medicine. The boys have ear infections, again. Sawyer has had one ear infection in his whole life and now adds 2 to his history in 2 months. He is coughing like crazy sleeps horribly. Owen is coughing and has more stuff coming out of his nose than is polite in public. He sleeps fine but is a little more grumpy than usual. E just had a chest xray to see if there is a reason he hasn't stopped coughing since 11/14/07. Grrrrrr. I want to be free from this madness! Please send positive immune system vibes our way!

"We are family..."

Soy received a wonderful compilation CD from E's aunt that has children's Hawaiian music on it. He absolutely loves it, especially the song about family. It says, "We are family. Family. A very special kind of people, family." He sings it,"A very people kind of people..." So cute!! I took this little video before bed tonight. That is a Doodle Bops guitar that he received for Christmas and, although you can't see it, E is backing Soy up with the drums. :)

One for the Grandparents

Just a cute little video for you. :) Please excuse my messy house. Thanks!

Glendale Glitters Balloon Glow

Every year Glendale, Arizona decorates its historic downtown for the holidays and kindly leaves its lights up well into the New Year. During its run, they host a balloon glow when dozens of hot air balloons fill the streets to show off their colors using the light of their burners. It really is beautiful and a lot of fun. This year, on January 19th, we went with my friend, Carolyn, and her family and had a great time. Soy even got to pull the cord for the burner on one of the balloons!

Mommy Magic

I have so much to post but I wanted to add this while it was fresh in my memory.

The other day, while I was getting Sawyer ready for his nap, he kicked this framed picture we have hanging over his dresser. It slide sideways quickly and made me gasp out of fear it was going to fall on him. I said, "Honey, don't do that. If it falls on you you will break!"
"I will break Mama? Then you can get a new Sawyer."
"I can't get a new Saywer! There is only one Sawyer in the whole wide world!!"
"How come, Mama? How come there is only one Sawyer in the whole wide world?"
"Because Mama made you special in her tummy, just like I made Owen in my tummy. There are no other little boys in the whole world made there."
"You made me in your tummy like Owen?"
"Sure did."
"Did you use a screwdriver?"

At this point I tried to remain as serious as the conversation but I am sure my amusement was written all over my face. I replied,"No Baby. I didn't use a screwdriver. I used special mommy magic that ONLY mommies have. You, my love, were made with magic."

He was happy with my answer and quickly started talking about the "magic" paper towel dispensers at the store restrooms. My sweet boy.

Owen's First Haircut!

Mama finally broke down and admitted that Owen had a comb-over. Like most mommies of little boys, I was dreading his first haircut because I know how grown up they suddenly look when their locks are properly trimmed. Owen's hair has always been a source of humor and affection for me. When he was born, we thought it was curly, only to discover it was just wet and dirty. :) Then, I marveled at how thick it was compared to Sawyer's...until he lost almost all of it. The only hair he didn't lose was at the crown of his head so he looked like he had a very bad receding hairline for a long time. When his hair grew back in...that patch grew with it and was LONG! I'd say it was about 4 inches long in some spots. The best was when the wind would blow that patch of hair up. He looked like he had a very bad hairpiece. This brings us to his haircut. We took him to CoolCuts. He sat in a silver convertible car (which Sawyer wanted to spin Owen around in) and was much more composed than his mommy. Every once in a while he would shoot his stylist a "Can I help you?" kind of look but the Cheerios I held in my hand quickly distracted him. Here are some videos and a slide show of the big event!

Big Bootie in the Door

Those of you that know Owen, know that he has been endowed with a very large rear end. Of course, we love it and like to give it little pinches now and then. it really hasn't been a problem for Owen except that some pants and diapers don't fit properly...well, until now that it. Today, Mr. O got stuck in the sliding glass door. Heheheheh.

Spaghetti...YUM!

Our little O had his first taste of spaghetti tonight and he was a fan from the moment it hit his tray. We just cut up some of our meal into little pieces for him and he was all smiles. Here is a little video of him enjoying his new delicacy. As well as some adorable pics of the messy baby.

Welcome Home, Charlie!!!!!!

Ladies and Gentlemen, we would like to introduce you to our newest family member!!! Charlie Kop! Born sometime in November this adorable mutt landed in our laps over Christmas and we have decided to make him ours! He and his sister were pound puppies scheduled to be euthanized on Christmas Eve but my sister got a desperate call to foster them for 2 weeks while they recovered from kennel cough. She agreed and E & I offered to help as well. The two puppies stayed with us from Christmas to the 30th when we returned them to Sarah, with heavy hearts. Well, when Sarah found a home for "Annie," E & I started to truly consider taking Mr. Charlie and the decision was made! The boys and I made the adoption official on Thursday, 1/10/08!

He is a big boy and is listed as an Australian Shepherd mix. One vet thought he might have some Great Dane as well! Wouldn't that be awesome? He is smart and fun and LOVES Soy. We are dealing with the normal puppy issues (chewing and peeing) but that is no surprise. He needs to be reminded to be gentle with O and Gizmo is always picking fights with him but...I think they will come to ignore each other nicely. We will post more pictures soon!

Sick Again

Yes, it is true....we are officially, "The Sick Family." A title that I have unfeelingly passed out to my sister's family on many occasions has come back to bite me in the rear. Someone in my house has been sick since the week before Thanksgiving! What the heck!!! Now, just as I thought we had turned a corner, I came down with a fever and a nasty cold and poor Owen has a very upset stomach. Let me state for the record that I am NOT OKAY WITH THIS!!! Eddie and I think we will take the boys and go live in the woods for a while. That way, all the germs on our bodies will blow away and at home the super-strength Lysol bomb we set off will kill everything else.
Wish us luck and speedy recoveries!

Wonderful Rainy Day

Yesterday we were blessed with a nice gentle rain throughout most of the day. Being a desert dweller practically my whole life, I think rain is one of the most perfect things and I am hoping I will pass that on to the boys. Much to E's dismay, during the summer monsoons it would not be an uncommon site to see Soy and I out front, boogieing down and singing our own versions of "It's Raining. It's Pouring." Yesterday morning, although it was a bit chilly, Soy-Sauce went out front and did his little rain dance for a few minutes and cleansed his little 3-yr-old spirit. :)

Later, we went for a nice walk with our wonderful neighbors and enjoyed the gloomy sky. Our neighbors' windows face ours directly so it is not uncommon to hear Soy calling out for them and talking to their sweet little girl.

Included also in this post is a cute little video of the boys "communicating."

Tired Baby

Our sweet Owen rarely falls asleep anywhere but in the carseat, on Mama's lap or in his crib but he was exhausted tonight and passed out while Dada was working on the computer. He looked soooo sweet! Look how he is holding on to his wonderful daddy's finger!

New old video....heheheh

I took this video in November when the kids and I spent the night at Baba & Pappi's. This is my mom's dog who is a true hunter and obsesses over shadows, reflections, lights, etc. Mom & decided to torture him one night and I was laughing so hard I was nearly crying! This is him trying to catch the shadows my mom was making with her feet and hands. Poor Rocco!

Green Bean Muscles

I wanted to share this with everyone. Eddie and I have a horrible time getting Sawyer to eat anything nutritious so we resort to extreme theatrics or a lot of cheese. This is a wonderful memory captured in December. Click on the title of this post (Green Bean Muscles) to link yourself to the youtube video!

A beautiful day for the playground!

I have to put these pictures in here because I absolutely love them. Sawyer got a visit from his BFF Brady today and the boys frolicked at the playground. I was able to snatch these photos and I LOVE them.

Big Horses!!

Our little town had some big visitors today! The Budweiser Clydesdales made a 3-hour-tour from Basha's to Fry's today and we were one of the many Maricopa residents who were able to see them. I think I was much more keyed up than the boys. Sawyer did explaing to me that when you ride a horse you have to hold on really tight to the ropes to you don't fall off...I think he wanted some assurance that I wouldn't be plunking his little booty on top of one of the giants before him. I took quite a few pictures with my little digital but really, nothing compares to seeing them in person!

The First Friday

I am exhausted and for some reason, I chose now to get online and find out how to create a blog. A few clicks and here it is!!! The family blog! I am hoping to be able to use this as a more convenient way for people to keep up to date on our family and to share photos. I feel bad for bombarding people with 115 of them after the holidays. I am also hoping it will help me keep a better journal of my life, my husband's life and the daily life with our beautiful boys. Wish me luck and perserverence!! Hapy New Year! By the way, what the heck is 'the First Friday"? We heard it on the news today like it was some big deal.