My 3 Brothers shirt

As I was working on 4th of July shirts for all the kids coming to my family's reunion this weekend I had some extra paper and didn't want it to go to waste so I quickly came up with this little design for a shirt for Sydney. I LOVE the final results. Something personal and cute.



Hey big blue eyes



I love this bow my mom made for her. So many different colors and so many outfits it goes with perfectly!

"Hey mama. Wanna see what I can do?"

"I think I can do it"

Almost there.....Oh yah!

"Look at me! Standing all by myself!!!"

Learning to walk

Sydney and I have been working extra hard on trying to walk because I was really hoping she would be able to walk by this weekend for our family reunion and 4th of July party. She sure would be able to enjoy it a lot more standing than on her knees everywhere.

We took to the streets today.

The boys all learned to walk pushing this kind of toy (Boston and Dallas had a Mickey one and Asher got this Pooh train one that Sydney is using now...poor girl sure needs a Princess one but I'm sure there's more pink to come in her future.)

She fell several times onto her knees and skidded them for the first time. But not once did this girl cry. Just kept getting right back up and trying again. You can tell she's tough with that big brother influence! She had had enough of the pushing after a certain point and decided to climb on and ride

I love these chubby little baby fingers! And I especially love it when she quickly crawls over to me to hug on me and pat my back. She's oh so kissable!

Pretty little girl you will be walking so soon....and then running....and then dancing....and not climbing up in my lap with your itty bitty body. I promise to cherish these moments for they will soon be fleeting.....

Sydney is drinking from a cup

Yep....this girl is so much more laid back than her big brothers. She's easy going and not in a hurry to do much of anything. She's 16 months old and still not walking. But finally, FINALLY she started drinking from a cup. She never had a bottle (like her brothers) and I stopped nursing her a month ago so it's been a battle to have her drink anything. But a few weeks ago she finally started drinking from a cup only if we held it for her and squeesed it out. But last week VBS was as big help. I think she saw all the other little kids holding there cups by themselves and she finally got the hang of it. The last few days shes so addicted to it and making up for all the loss of milk! I can't seem to get food down her now because all she wants to do is drink!


She's also eating on her own big people food. And she loves that! And so does mommy! But it sure is messier!

Fun in the Rain

Who said rain spoils the fun! (Well as long as there's no lightning here in the lighting captial of the world).

We had a monsoon of a rainstorm and Boston and Dallas had a blast playing in the backyard as the stream of rain made into a waterfall down in to the ever shrinking pond. Hopefully Hurricane season will fill it back up!

In the picture above the boys are kicking water in the stream and their neighbor friend Julia is running out to join them. In the picture below they were walking back up. They would lie on their bellies like a slip n slide down into the pond. I took pictures from the patio behind the screen.

Last day of VBS

I have to say this was my favorite VBS we have ever done. The kids all had such a great time and it was so much fun to see the joy on their faces as they sang the songs, play games and made new friends each day. The volunteers loved on my kids more than I could have asked for. I was sad to see it end.

Asher having fun singing all his favorite VBS songs. He plays them over and over on my iphone dancing and singing "Big Apple Adventure!!!"

Boston with two of his new friends

Dallas loved sitting in the front row doing all the motions and singing loud
Until next year.....

Farris and Fosters Date Night

Last night we went out with our Life Group from church and had an absolute blast! We are so blessed to be in a group with such a fun combination of people. There was lots of laughter, lots of chocolate and lots of silly acting adults. We made a pound of chocolate (including 2 shark chocolate lollipops and a train for the boys). Looking forward to the next night out! Our whole group
Yep...that's the group
Yummmm

Some of us girls

Father's Day 2011

I'm a little behind in posting about Father's Day but better late than never. After church we stopped by my parents house and swam and enjoyed some time together and then went over to Sean's cousin Laurie's house for lunch. After lunch Sean and Mike took the kids to the pool and they swam for a few hours while the rest of the woman and Sydney and baby Sadie hung out. It was a relaxing day and the kids really enjoyed themselves. Happy Father's Day to my sweet husband and daddy to all 4 of our kids! And to my dad and Father in law...I couldn't be more blessed!

Boston and Dallas playing

Asher and their cousin Ellie
Sydney with her great Grandpa Dale and Shirley

My Father's Day cupcakes...which will most likely be repeated this weekend for 4th of July

My summer job: Referee

So far this summer I'm starting to feel like I hung up the "Mom's Taxi" hat and glued on a Referee's. It's stuck there and I keep trying to pull it off but just when I think I got it....yep it's needed again.

And I don't think what I'm dealing with is all that unusual. I've talked to so many families and they are all going through the same thing. I stepped back and got some perspective on it and what I'm realizing is that in this day and age we can't just let our kids go outside by themselves and play. They can't ride their bike around the neighborhood without having their mom and the rest of the siblings tag along. And then in the stifling heat we are stuck inside and there's not many places to go where there isn't someone else right there. Anyone would get sick and tired of being stuck with the same people all the time. When we were little I remember at 8 years old riding my bike down the street to my best friends house and all over the neighborhood. I remember going to the community pool all by myself. I wasn't forced to play with my younger brother all day long. We most defiantly would have killed each other.

So I realize I can't change the times. I can't just let them roam the neighborhood. So we have to figure out a way to have some space and how to get along with each other without yelling, "Moooommmmm he touched me!!" every 5 minutes Otherwise mom will pack her bag and head on down to the insane asylum and check herself in. Ahhhh relaxation at it's finest!

I had bought this little checklist years ago and never used them. It was high time I wiped the dust off and got to it. We reviewed, trained and trained some more the first 3 and I think they have them down. Tomorrow we will continue until we have reviewed them all and we will do training on it each day. I'm determined to nip it in the bud. Otherwise it's going to be a long summer in timeout.

This is where I have all the charts I have purchased threw Doorposts. We have them hanging here so we can always refer back to them. Our "If Then" and "Blessings" charts have just been erased and ready for new consequences and rewards since the kids are getting bigger. If you look closely Boston put a sticker on the "If Then" chart that says "I didn't do it." Too funny when I found that there one day.

Mama

Sydney is 16 months old now and her favorite thing to say all day long is "dadadadada" and I respond with "mama" "Mama" "Mama Sydney." She doesn't say it often but my heart flutters when she does. I have noticed a pattern that when I'm cooking in the kitchen and she's hungry the "mamamama" starts coming out. Yep....just like the dog....and the boys....and the husband....FEED ME!

VBS

We have been at VBS all week long and the kids have had a blast! I'm a little tired because I am doing photography for them and had to have all the pictures done and back to them by tonight so I've been burning the midnight oil sorting and editing some of them. But they are done and now I can relax. Here's a few photos from my sweet kids having a fun time this week:

Dallas loves to sing his heart out!Asher finally was dancing and doing all the movements by the second dayI noticed the Boston wasn't sitting with his whole groups row but in a row by himself. When I asked him after the first day why he said, "Mom I needed more move to dance and do all the motions." By the second day he had recruited Grant back to his "dancing row"
Sydney loved her room and never once cried when I dropped her off. She is such a sweetie. And she had her first goldfish here at VBS and loved them so much she would steel from her neighbors

Dallas and his group at Rec Time


Boston in the sheet being pulled.
Asher at crafts with his fav volunteer

Dallas cool New York Attitude look