Reagan's Writing

I have to brag! Reagan is doing so awesome in school! Everyday, the kids are given 20 minutes to write in class. They are encouraged to sound out words and write them down as you hear them spoken. So here is Miss R's latest writing masterpiece! (the drawings and writing on the first page are about liking unicorns!)

The next page is a little more clear - She likes butterflies, Ms. White, Sammie and Taylor (not her sister, her BFF as she will tell you!

Ms. White is awesome! I really appreciate her teaching style of not constantly correcting and letting them enjoy what they are doing. She is a believer that writing letters backward and spelling self correct without making them wrong! Great way to build confidence in writing at an early age!

Halloween Pictures

Just a quick update with Halloween Pictures. We had a great night and the kids has a lot of fun - adults too!

Taylor & Zoe
Matthew & Mommy
Matthew & Jennifer
Rod
Cadence, Emily & Reagan
Shelby & I
Princess Belle
Boyfriend Chance, Reagan and Vail
Matthew!

Ready, Set, Go....

Taylor won a gift basket at her orthodontist. Inside was goodies for the Arizona State Fair. We let Matthew play with the hat and our nightly ritual after dinner has to give him the hat. He puts it on and runs laps around the kitchen island - not a clue why....

We captured it on video last night - complete with his new saying...... Ready, set, go......

October Updates!

A Conversation with Matthew!

We are good here in hot, sunny AZ! We are still holding out in the high 90's during the day and probably will be for the next week or so. I am sad to see summer coming to an end. I love the hot weather!

Last weekend was HELL! The girls were out of school Thurs, Friday and the following Monday for Fall break. Taylor started feeling yucky Thursday morning, and by Thursday afternoon Reagan was ill and both were running a fever. A trip to the doctor Friday afternoon confirmed our fears - the FLU! So 2 prescriptions of Tamiflu later, we were just praying that Matthew would make it without catching it! Wishful thinking! Early Sunday morning he woke with it and the fever. Luckily we got Tamiflu called in for him and he started that on Sunday! We made it through Monday and Tuesday Reagan was up to going to school and by Wednesday all of the kids were healthy once again! KNOCK on wood, Rod and I somehow escaped it!

I completed the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure 5k last Sunday. My time was about 38 minutes or so and that was my official kick off race for my 1/2 Marathon training. I am running the PF Chang's Rock'n'Roll Marathon (the 1/2 portion :) on January 17, 2010!

Rod is well. He has a budding new career in website development! He has been putting together sites for a couple of new clients and has been doing a great job. If you know of anyone needing web services - www.rncgroup.net!

Taylor is doing great in school. 10th grade seems to agree with her pretty well. She is kicking booty in English (I can't relate - never enjoyed or did well!) I am encouraging her to think about a career in journalism. She is an excellent writer and it comes naturally for her.

I love Reagan's school! She has a fabulous teacher that seems to be a great fit for her personality. No complaints coming home and the reports so far is that she is doing great. I talked with her Spanish specials teacher and he told us how she refused to participate for the first two weeks - not Reagan like at all - but finally she warmed up and jumped right in, even knowing the stuff that they had been learning!

Matthew is almost 18 months! (Pouty face from Mom!) His new word is dinner - all meals are dinner! He can count to three (probably from the Reagan threats, You better do "X" by the time I get to three - one, tw0......, three!) And he likes to sing. Every now and then you can pick up the letters that he is saying and recgonize the ABC's! He also got his first haircut! My good friend Jennifer came over and gave him a little trim! Here is a video from that!

Back to School

Our girls started school today!

Taylor is back at Foothills Academy in 10th grade - I must have had her when I was 9!  HA HA!  Taylor has a whopping 10 students in her class.  Gotta love those ratios!  It was sad that they lost over half students from last year, but they did get 3 new ones in.  She is in for the final 3 years!  Amelia is in the other class - smart staff for not putting them together!

Reagan is at a new charter school Foothills Academy Elementary Prep!  It has been down to the wire for them to get their lease signed and everyone moved in for the year to start!  Because of a agreement with the owner of the building, they could not offer kindergarten!  So Reagan is a transitional first grader!  She thinks it is cool to have "skipped" a grade.  Since the school does multi-age classes, she will get everything she needs!  Here are pictures of her friends Samantha (one of Taylor's best friends, Zoe's little sister) and Dominick (Reagan and Dominick went to Rising Sun Montessori together last year).

  

And Matthew gets to be the center of attention for a few hours a day!  He is growing like a weed and is talking more and more everyday!  He loves to put his fingers in his ears and yell!  Very nerve wracking!  Here is a quick picture of him!

June 20!

It's been a while! I have been busy working and hanging with the gang! Rod has been doing some computer work for a client and the kiddos are having a fun summer! The temperature for June has been VERY cool compared to years past and we have been loving life!

Taylor survived her freshman year! She passed all of her classes and made above average on all of the areas of her standardized testing! I would like to rub that in to all the elementary teachers that were not her greatest fan. NA NA NA - yeah, I know, really mature, but that was hell to live through! Taylor spent weekend in LA with Jenn, Janet, Amelia and friend and she is heading to Lake Powell for 2 weeks to be with Angela (from soccer) and her family on their houseboat. I am insanely jealous! Stay tuned to pictures of new hair!

Reagan is ready for kindergarden! Holy cow - where has the time gone???? She is going to summer camp during the weekdays at Rising Sun and enjoys getting out of the house (Rod enjoys it too :)) We are so excited that Taylor's school is opening a K-5 charter in the fall, so Reagan will go there! They are having the multi-age class rooms and constant evaluation to keep them engaged and challenged!

Matthew is growing leaps and bounds! And he is a TALKER! His first word was "GO". He now can say Reagan, DUDE! and Uh oh! And much, much more that we don't understand. He is better at sleeping all night! (Thank goodness!) This video is from this morning wandering around my sewing room!

I got 3 inches chopped of my hair and I am loving it! Here is a picture!

Matthew's First Birthday!

Poor Puddin!

We had an adventure on Saturday afternoon! Matthew is doing a great job learning to walk, but he is still very wobbly! He was walking in the den with a toy in his hand and fell! We thought he smashed his hand and when I scooped him up to comfort him, blood was gushing out of his mouth! I darted to the kitchen and we got him cleaned up a little and discovered that he had a cut right about his lip and he was bleeding in his mouth too! He didn't bleed too long, but the cut on the outside seemed to be gapping open a little so off to the ER we went! He was a good sport! The doctor agreed that he needed a stitch so that's what he got! He was OK being swaddled and held down, but lost it when they covered his face with the sterile field sheet! It only took a minute and then I had him back in my arms. Rod and I made it through with only minor trauma! Here is a picture of when we got home!


Taylor had a "Old fashioned" sleepover as she called it! It was a fun group of girls and 2 of the guys came to hang out for a while Friday afternoon. Of course they were up all night and I think Rod heard them last at 4 AM! It was great when I went to get them up and there were 5 girls in Taylor's queen size bed! I am so sorry I didn't take a picture! It was classic!
No, the boys did NOT spend the night :)

Hey! We have had a busy week. It was back to work for me for the first time since Reagan was born :( and Rod is home with the kiddos - everyone survived the week and came out alive!

I have the position of Business Analyst for Apollo Group, Inc which is the parent company to University of Phoenix. I will be helping with the institutional reporting with in the student financial aid department. Good area to be learning with Tay 3 1/2 years from college!

We have had a fun weekend! Reagan went to a birthday party today and got to ride Ellie May! Here is a picture and a quick video! She had no fear!!





Last week Shelby put together a trip to the Herpetological Society for a bunch of us with kiddos. It was great! Reagan and Taylor got to feed the tortises and Reagan got to ride on the back of one! We saw crocodiles, alligators, iguanas, all sorts of lizards, snakes, tortises and turtles. We even got to see the crocodiles being fed - not a pretty site!



Matthew is very, very mobile and has started climbing! Here is a picture of him getting himself into trouble! Gotta love that look!

Stick a fork in us, we are done!

My B A B Y, the last, the one that we are supposed to cherish and hold as little forever has done the unthinkable - taken his first steps. I am sooooo SAD! He walked out of my arms excitedly into his sister's this afternoon.


Last night we celebrated our friend Rob's birthday with all of the families. Here is Reagan and her boyfriend - Chance van Zweeden! Aren't they cute???

Taylor is on spring break this week and is hanging out with me!

More later, I am tired!

February.....

Hi! We have had a big month! We moved (yes, again and no, we are not addicted to moving). I think we have finally chosen the best house for us! It has a playground with 2 slides, swings and two levels for climbing. Rod has an office off the living room and I have a sewing/craft room off of the den. There is a HUGE bonus room upstairs where we have toys, the kids tv and my weights. It also has a patio. And we have a cool pool that is FENCED! I can let Reags out to play without any worries (other than AZ wildlife HA HA). No, I am not unpacked completely and it may take me a year! I am being kind to myself and taking it slow - or it may be a little rebellion to the fact I need to unpack again. Our goal is to be settled here until we buy (cross your fingers!).

Taylor celebrated her 15th birthday on the 12th! It was a week of hanging out with all of her buddies! She had a dinner on her actual birthday that Jen & Amelia & a passing boy attended (no need to mention - the facination came and went with record speed) and then had school friends over for Friday the 13th! It is neat being close to more of her friends and having them coming and going!

Reagan is Reagan - my challenging one! She LOVES her preschool! I get a fight every day when I go to pick her up - "No MOMMY, I don't want to go!" Guess that is confirmation that she is where she needs to be. We are working on staying calm and not pitching fits (HA HA - any suggestions are greatly accepted!) I hope she grows out of this - but I am not yet convinced that it will happen.

Matthew is growing up waaaayyyyyyy to fast! He is 10 months old now. We have finally stopped breastfeeding - much to my dismay. He decided and let me know by biting me everytime we tried to nurse. It did not take me long to catch on and throw in the towel. He was DONE - he has not even nudged at the breast since. I am sad though. He now has 5 teeth! He is an expert at crawling and loves to try to climb the stairs (under adult supervision only!). He is starting to let go when he pulls up and will take a few steps when he is in the pack 'n play. I am sure that it won't be long until he is walking!

Christmas to MLK Day!

OK - once again we are way behind! Since Christmas we have celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary (12/30), had a great New Year's eve celebration with Margie & Ronnie and Rob & Shelby and all of our kiddos at Margie & Ronnie's house. It was a lot of fun and the kids actually were awake when we left at 1:40 AM! I was amazed.

School is back in full swing and Reagan is at the BEST Montessori school - RisingSun. Miss Anna from last year is there and Reagan is so happy. We love Mrs Mara and have found a great new school family. The half day program works so much better than full days and I look forward to her being there next year for kindergarten as well.

Matthew is growing by leaps and bounds! He will be 9 months old in a few days. I cannot believe it! His new trick is pulling up! And he does it on everything. He also has cut his two top teeth - yes, all at once!

Taylor came out with great grades for the first semester of high school! We are SO proud of her! She actually made a 97 on her geometry final.

I am really, really trying to get my butt motivated on eating smart and exercise. I really fell off the wagon during the holidays and enjoyed baking all sorts of sweet goodies and biscuits and eating everything I wanted. I have a new blog that will feature my journey from the past through me getting to my goal of 140 pounds this year. Check it out - Shrinking the Fat.

Rod's parents are here visiting and we are in beautiful Sedona, AZ. We went and walked around Midgely Bridge at Oak Creek Canyon and had a very cold picnic at Slide Rock Park. We ended up sitting on the curb to stay in the sun and Matthew & Granny in the car!!!