She's 4

Wow-how the time flies-I cannot beleive my baby is 4. She is so fun and full of life and energy (and sometimes attitude!) She has brought so much joy into our lives. She picked her menu for the day- with powder donuts to start, a lunchable for lunch at school and then a corndog for dinner!

Like Mother Like Daughter?

Clearly this phrase does not apply to how Sydney and I dress for a routine trip to Costco

Jungle Jim's

So as I have previously mentioned, I am a planner. I love to plan things. So when my sister announced she was coming I began planning what we would do to show them a good time. I had options based on weather and my friend Aleese mentioned this fun place called Jungle Jim's. I went and checked it out ahead of time- it is a clean, in door mini fair meets Chuck E Cheese (minus the scary mouse)and for $8 kids can go on as many rides as they want. The girls started off with the rollar coaster and kept on going for over 2 hours.

Rain Rain Go Away

Come again another day, like in two weeks when I am in Florida! The week leading up to Sydney's birthday party we had amazing weather and then every night Johnny and I would watch the weather forcast as the temperature would drop and the rain clouds would appear for the whole weekend! So I will be honest, I prayed for the weather to hold and during our Ariel "Part of Your World" scavenger hunt outside the gray skies were apparent and the wind began to pick up, but no rain. . .the party sucessfully ended at 7:00pm- Syd's response when I asked her if she had a good birthday, "No, (her real birthday is on the 28th)but I had a great party" and at 7:20 the heavens opened and down came the rain.

Once Upon a Time

So like I said, I took the princess theme and ran with even creating a story to read and acted as the narrator-(huge thanks to Jen for stepping in to help on the games and Andrea as the royal photographer and storyteller)

Be Our Guest

With Andrea's help we quickly set-up the last minute details while Sydney got ready in her dress-up clothes and of course jewelery. The other princesses arrived all dressed to impress and began by decorating their own jeweled tiara, eat some pizza, and then the real fun began.

Let the Fun Begin

My sister, Andrea braved the trip to Utah (she always lucks out and comes when the weather is bad) with her family for the weekend. So, we headed down to Thanksgiving point to see the baby animals and take advantage of the fact it was not raining yet. The after lunch at Del Taco we headed home to PARTY!

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

Who is the crazy mom? Me! So I admit it, I took the princess theme and ran a little wild with it. So with six games planned (each Disney princess deserves her own like Jasmin's magic carpet ride-similar to musical chairs) homemade goodies bags (yeah I sewed-no hot glue gun this time) white chocolate candy tiaras fro their cupcakes and the playlist ready on the ipod we are in full party preparation.

RSVP

We have 12 confirmed princesses-let the fun begin!

You are Invited. . .

Once Upon a Time there was a girl named Sydney who wanted a princess party for her fourth birthday. Now her mother the queen was a bit crazy (as most queens are in fairy tales) and she began to plan. So with the invitations made and delievered we now wait to see how many princesses will be attending dresses

He is coming home

Johnny just sent me a text that he is an hour and a half away- so tossing the pros and cons aside I am glad my husband is coming home so we can play and maybe kiss for a week!

Mom Just Calm Down

Well, just as I was composing my thoughts for this blog, Sydney walked over to me with the pockets of her little pink shorts bulging with change and when I shot her the look her response was a sweet, "Mom just calm down"- good try Syd.
Poor Sydney has received several looks this weekend ranging from the "not everyone at church wants to see your panties please sit like a princess" to the Laura classic, "I'm done (appropriate for most occasions)" then there have been moments where she just makes me smile like telling me she really misses her husband and can't wait for him to come home. So I asked her what are you going to do when he gets home? Her response was "Oh we are going to play and kiss for a week!) Seriously I do not know where she gets its! I can figure out the husband gone thing because Johnny has been in Vegas this weekend, but the kissing for a week? Man I am in some serious trouble.


Separate from needing to pull out The Look, counting to 5 and a few other things this weekend have there have been several perks:
1. Out of guilt Johnny installed the fence I have been dying to have up for 2 years on Friday before he left!
2. I only had to share the bed with Rosco (well until Sydney joined me)
3. I could pick up a Little Caesars $5 pizza for dinner
4. I got to do what I wanted to on a Saturday night (stay in and read a book)

and the never fun reality check
1. the house is still hard to keep clean (he must not be the total cause)
2. I still could not make it to church on time
3. He is really helpful in sacrament meeting by selflessly taking Cash to the foyer

well, at least the perks out weigh the cons!

Post Easter: A Recantment

I would officially like to recant my previous statement of loving Easter, I feel it is necessary as I keep stepping on Sydney's grass from her basket (I know-why do grass- I should of used tissue paper) and I have needed to once again sever my relationship with sugar(darn those sweetart jelly beans, frosted sugar cookies, and all other non-chocolate evilness) for fear of the numbers on the scale!!!!!!

When it Rains it

FLOODS! Yes, on Wednesday night I was waiting up to here news about my sister, Michelle labor status and fell asleep down stairs. Well at midnight when I woke up I started talking to Johnny about where he was going to put his newly purchased drum set- so we got up and looked into his office when Johnny moved over our tubs filled with winter clothes and discovered our water-yup the snow melts, the rain falls and our basement floods! So luckily I am married to man who knows how to jerry rig a sump pump in the middle of the night (thanks to my glue gun and all old scrunchie) and that I willingly swallow my pride when I told Johnny months ago that he should return the pump and save us some money and that we stopped to talk about the drum set and discovered the water before he reached any of the new carpet and that the three rooms with water all had tile floors. So with some new baseboards it will be as good as new.

Oh- and baby, Eleanor Marian Aller arrived a little after 2 in the morning and she is beautiful!

My What Big Teeth You Have

All the better to bite you with Mom and Dad. Cash continues to grow including his teeth which he loves to sink into your shoulder if you are holding him or come stand and hold onto your leg taking a bite out of your calf!

Easter

As with most couples Johnny and i have tried to blend traditions form our childhoods and in addition add new ones. For Easter of course there is the dying of eggs, hunting for plastic filled eggs, and the Milk Duds. Milk Duds? of course they are the poop the Easter bunny leaves behind after he has eaten his carrot and left you your basket. Sydney still grosses out when Johnny then eats the poop. Note: we have told her that ONLY the Easter Bunny poop is edible and to not to try any other poop.

She is at it again

So as much as I would like to blog on a regular basis, I often feel like I am a blogging buliemic meaning I take all these pictures and instead of doing one post a day, I gather them all up and purge 5 posts at once! So anyway Sydney continues to crack me up with her thought processes and comments

The other day she kept reporting to me "Cash is making a mess" Cash was sitting in his high chair eating Cheerios so after probably 5 or 6 times tattling on Cash she reported that she had made a mess and before I could comment, she informed me that "yes it was me, but you still love me"

Love must be on her mind quite a bit from princesses and princes to the other day we were brushing our teeth together and she aked me "Why did you marry Dad?" so I told her because I feel in love with him. Then she asked, "Why?" so I told her that he was cute, made me laugh. . .and that seemed to be all she needed because she looked at me and said, "He is a funny guy" and then walked out of the bathroom.

Spring is on its Way

Spring is coming i can feel it, it just is not coming a fast as I would like. I know the saying, "April Showers bring May Flowers" but enough already- I want SUN-warm, wonderful, feel the heat on your skin sun! So between rain storms this week we managed a quick walk with Syd on her big girl bike, Cash in his new buggy, and Rosco-we made it to the corner and back.

Easter is on its Way

So I came to a realization this week as I was driving to purchase supplies to "share" with the Easter bunny-that I love Easter and since I have previously declared that I love Halloween and the 4th of July I had to come to terms that I love holidays. True, I may enjoy some more than others, but I love planning for them and celebrating them. This week we made Rice Crispy Treat eggs and decorated them with white chocolate for FHE to take to our neighbors (I forgot to take a pic before we delivered them) On Tuesday-Johnny brought the kids up to Shriners to decorate eggs- Wednesday was all about Sugar cookies. Sydney and Afton had a great time.

Sunday with the fam

For General Conference we headed down to Orem to watch it/ visit through it with Johnny's Uncle and Aunt. We had a great time (as we always do) I even got in a Sunday nap (between sessions) Cash got 2 naps!

Look Mom No Hands

Starting last Sunday Cash will on his own stand-the hard part is catching it on camera- so here he is- As of Monday he is officially ten months old and into everything from cords to cupboards he is on the move.

Super Saturday

Now when I was younger, "Super Saturday" meant something different- it usually involved hanging out with friends, a service project and ended with a dance. Now a Super Saturday as a mom yesterday involved a trip to the kids school for an Easter egg hunt, then on to the Home Depot, Costco ( but thanks to General Conference no one was in line!) the IFA (Intermountain Farmers Assoc.) store to see the baby chicks and ducks and get Sydney some gloves, then to the mall! Crazy-fun-day-