Tattoos

My parents gave Austin an airbrush tattoo kit when they were visiting.  So we all have Tats all over our bodies!  So fun. 

My mom leaves tomorrow, (sniff sniff).  It seems like no matter how much time we spend together, it's never enough.  We even checked out retirement communities at Heritage Hunt and Dominion Valley for them.

Although they have certain specs for their retirement: Must be warm, grandkids nearby, (we're spread all throughout the States and soon to be overseas,) not a lot of traffic, good Dr.'s close by, etc.  I don't know if they'll ever find the perfect place.  

We've loved having Grandma and Pop here!

Pete Carroll and Jay Leno

Condoleezza Rice was on the tonight show with Jay Leno, therefore lucky Jonathan was on the show too!  The show was aired on March 24.  Below, Jonathan got to eat breakfast with Pete Caroll who is dear in our hearts (coach of the USC football team!)  Lucky man.  

Grandma Rocks!

Grandma loves to do things with the kids.  She was the perfect homemaker/Mom while I was growing up and now she's doing the same thing as a Grandma for my kiddos.  My mom got a degree in Art and landscaping.  She has a great eye for these things.  She had the opportunity to go with me today to volunteer in Austin's class to paint paper maiche globes.  Mom was helping all the kids and it was wonderful.  It was so nice to have her there-Austin was so proud!

She also does fun crafts with the kids...makes homemade bread (they love beating the loaves with their hands and they get all sticky and messy with flour--so cool!) And she reads with them, draws with them, does all sorts of projects, and most of all holds them and cuddles.  She's a great cuddler.  I still love cuddling with my mom at the age of 33.  I love you Mom!  

Kids Choice Awards

The Mountain  View Elementary School's Talent Show 2009 was called the Kids Choice Awards.  Austin was a MC in it and did great!  We were so proud of him!  Ashley loved watching all the acts and was even dancing in the audience when she saw the big girls dance.  Austin said his lines perfectly and loves to be in front of an audience.  MC was the perfect job for our little man!  Way to Go Austin Boston!

SURPRISE!!

Duane wanted to hear Austin in his first Talent Show (he was an MC) which he was going to miss.  So he was working in NYC and got on a shuttle and surprised us by coming home!!!  He was only home for 12 hours, but it was one of the best 12 hours we'd ever had.  It had been a month since we'd seen him last.  We love you honey!

Punk Hair

Grandma and Pop even brought pink hair color for their grandkids.  

Swimming with Pop!

Pop really gets into his role as Grandpop with his grandkids.  He wrestles with the kids, cooks for them, sings, reads, swims, rides bikes, plays soccer, makes clubhouses out of boxes...the list goes on and on with the activities that Pop does with the kiddos.  Which in turn makes my life easier! (He even took the dog out the whole time for me...ahhhh.)  

COCONUTS

Austin has always wanted to buy a coconut at the store.  I've never done this only because I don't really know the proper way to drain/crack the beast.  So Pop did it.  I remember Dad cracking coconuts while we were kids and we'd think it was so fun.  So we went to Wegmans and Austin picked the biggest coconut he could then Pop and he cracked away!

Grandparents here!

My parents Mom and Dad LaBarbera (Pop and Grandma) came to visit last week!  This week, they stayed at the Hampton Inn in Gainesville where the kids "camped out" with their Grandparents for 3 days while Mommy got a couple nights of R&R without the kids.  Whew!  

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

So anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE LOVE LOVE Holidays. I get totally into them. That includes good old' St. Patty's Day.  So this morning the kids woke up to our tradition of having the house messed up, Finnigan the leprechaun must have come!  He overturns furniture, pillows on the floor, and we set up our leprechaun trap to catch him.  We left treats under the trap and in return he left treats for us.  So Finnigan is actually always good.  We clean up the pillows, and notice he went wee-wee in our toilet!  The toilet water is green (this will be a new tradition-Thanks Erika!) and there are  also white little tracks around the house where he's pitter-pattered around.  Such great fun!  Holidays are GREAT with kids. Memories and traditions I never want to end.  Even when I'm full grown.

Biggest Loser 2nd place!

For the past 10 weeks, (Since January 3rd) I've been dieting.  And I won 2nd place in our challenge!  The diet ended yesterday and I lost 20 lbs  and got down to 126 lbs.  (13.36%) and I won $50!  Yahoo!  Bring on the Chipotle and chocolate.

Check it out on:

www.gainesvillebiggestloser.com

Fair Oaks

I love the Fair Oaks area.  The mall, the hospital, it's where we lived when we first moved to Virginia-right next to Fairfax Corner.  The mall there has all the wonderful amenities for shopping with kids-pottery barn where they can play, Gymboree where they watch TV while you shop, a Chick-fil-a, Cold Stone, does it get any better?

Fires and Chickens

On Thursday for Ash's little preschool, we went to visit the new Haymarket Fire Station.  Then we hit the new Chik-fil-A restaurant in Gainesville.   There's so many reasons that I love Gainesville, VA.  Chik-fil-A opening just made my paradigm shift.  And when Chipotle opens, gosh, I don't think I'll ever leave my 4 mile radius world.