Lauryn's Day to make a Post

Here is what Lauryn is saying today:

I am 4 years old. I like scissors because I like getting prickle cards. My friends are Meagan, Ben, Katherine, Logan, Trisha, Hayley, Kelsey & Bonnie, etc..
I think school will be fun. I liked going to sign up for school on Wednesday because I made a house with blocks & it was fun b/c Meagan and Trisha was there & it was good that Tristan wasn't there because he would be silly.

Lauryn's Preschool Grad 

Preshcool is over

Last Sunday Lauryn graduated from preschool. We are so proud of her. She even read a little story for everyone. The teacher got the girls to dress up in princess dresses and the boys in shirt and ties. They paraded around arm in arm. It was sooooooooooooo cute. Then they changed into their cap and gown. I didn't realize until after she got her diploma that I had forgotten to put her skirt back on. I don't know if most people saw it, but I was in the front row and saw her flash some leg. I quickly ran back to the nursery and grabbed her skirt and I slipped it on while the other kids were getting their diplomas. I guess every grad needs a flasher! Hopefully the pattern doesn't continue in high school.
On Tuesday, Jeff, Elizabeth and I went to see Sarah McLaughlan in Saint John. It was a good concert. The Perishers opened for her. Elizabeth liked it, but I think she liked the security guard more! Just kidding! They were pretty good. The Rolling Stones concert in Moncton sold out. 72 thousand tickets in 5 days. Imagine sharing a portapotty with 72 000 people.
Yesterday the farmers market opened for the season down at the Day Adventure Center. I took the kids in the wagon. I didn't realize how heavy they were getting. Going up hill was a challenge in the heat. Cooke's (company Warren works for) had a kids carnival yesterday afternoon so we went down to that. Lots of bouncy castles and stuff. Had fun. Will post some of Lauryn's grad pics on the pic blog.

My girls are so precious!!!! Warm fuzzies all over with this picture. 

Mother's Day , etc..........

Well, it took a few weeks, but here is our annual photo of our breakfast in bed on Mother's Day. We started the year Brooke was born. It's fun to look back and see the changes even though it's only been a few years. I have also updated the picture blog. Just follow the link.

Annual Mother's Day pic 

It's Warren's Fault !!!!

Not really, but kinda.....I finally sat down last Sat. to blog and there were some pics I wanted to post so I can get them from the camera to the computer and usually I can get them from the computer to the blog, but somehow they are stuck somewhere in between and I cannot find them so I gave up last week. Then on Thursday I sat down to do it because Warren was home and he could help me, but I started reading everyone elses blog to Warren while he did dishes (what a guy) and then it was time to get the kids to bed. Lately that has been an hour process at least. Warren and I used to watch Nanny 911 and be so proud of ourselves that we didn't have problems like that, but now sometimes at bed time I feel just like caving in and letting Brooke go to our bed just to avoid all the crying and screaming she does. Oh well, it's not called the terrible twos for nothing.
Warren let me sleep in today and it was wonderful. I actually didn't get out of bed until 12:30. He's still out with the kids. Now it's time to get showered. I'm thinking about taking the kids to see Madagascar. It' s been raining here for weeks and we haven't been able to play outside a lot lately so maybe a movie would be fun. Brooke has not been to a movie before so I don't know if she would sit still the whole time or not.
Lauryn's preschool grad is tomorrow. Also my friend Amy's babyshower. At the same time. Warren will take lots of pics and video the grad so I can watch it after the babyshower.

Just Kidding!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll send my gift to the shower with some else.
Time to go....will hopefully post some pics in the near future.

Princess Earplugs

Every Tuesday night we have friends that come over to watch Amazing Race. Since American Idol has started again, they come earlier to watch that. Sometimes Lauryn is not yet asleep. Last Tuesday we got too loud for her so she came out and told me she couldn't sleep because we were too noisy. I jokingly said "We need to get you some earplugs." A light bulb came on in her head and walked away. When everyone was leaving I went in to cover her up for the night and I saw that she had taken my earplug comment to heart. She now keeps her furry heartshaped ear muffs hanging on her bed just in case it gets too noisy! She's soooooooooo cute!

Princess earplugs 

Kids

Well, the kids have changed babysitters and it's going really well. They actually ask to go on days that they are not even scheduled to go. They have been getting to play outside lots and make crafts. It makes it so much easier to drop them off in the morning when they are not crying.
It is so surprising to me that two kids raised in the same house, with the same parents, doing the same thing, can be soooooooooooo different. I guess I always assumed that if I would have had a sister she would have been just like me!!! By the time Lauryn was 2 I could leave her in her room and know that if she found a marker she would not use it to destroy something. Not Brooke! The other day she went into Lauryn's room, got 2 markers, and marked all over her fish tank. At least it wiped off easy. Brooke continually surprises us at what she does. How fun and frustrating and time consuming all at the same time. See the pic blog for more examples of Brooke's art.

Check out the Picture Blog!!!

We now have a picture blog and some links to some of the other blogs that we check in with.
Check them out! To those of you that we have posted links-hope you don't mind:>

Brooke beside her new Dora bed! 

i'm sorry, so sorry

i'm sorry i have been such a terrible blogger. i didn't realize until now that i missed the whole month of february. the kids are semi-quietly watching franklin while i have a mommy time out for a minute. lauryn's skating show is tonite. we had a fun visit with grandma and grandpa. i'll post some pics when warren is home. i don't actually know how to even get them from the camera to the computer, let alone post them. lauryn says her favorite part about gram and grandpa being her was when nan came over and gave her the bambi movie. brooke says her favorite part was when she went to mcdonalds and gram and gramp watched her on the slide? i'm not sure if that really happened or not, she likes to make things up.
nan and pop come back tomorrow nite. lauryn is excited. we must get over and water the plants one last time. i hope i didn't kill them all.
brooke hasn't been doing very well with the potty thing, but today she pooped on the potty!!!!
we're going to try to get her back into her toddler bed tonite. she wouldn't stay in it when her grandparents were here-too stubborn to miss anyting.
time to go start getting lauryn ready for her skating debut.
i just started reading the purpose driven life. here's an interresting quote-sorry, don't know how to get this italics thing off.

"you weren't put on earth to be remembered. you were put here to prepare for eternity."

YUMMY

I made roasted garlic and it was so easy! I'll put the recipe at the end of the post. I didn't have any french bread to eat it on so I used some cut up multigrain bagel. Good!!! It has finally warmed up to a bearable winter temp. The kids played outside today. Brooke while Lauryn and I were in Calais, then Lauryn went out when we got back. Nothing much else going on except I have to memorize some more lines from my script. Brooke really likes pretending she's a cat. Always crawling around the house meowing and saying "pat me". Good imagination. Maybe a future in a travelling CATS show? I've been trying to teach her to lick her "paw" and rub it behind her ear, but having no luck. Here's that recipe

Heat oven to 350
Carefully peel paperlike skin from around each bulb of garlic, leaving just enough to hold garlic cloves together. Cut 1/4 to 1/2 inch from top of each bulb to expose cloves. Place cut side up on 12 inch square of foil.

Drizzle each bulb with 2 tsps of oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap securely in foil. Place in pie plate or shallow baking pan.

Bake 45 to 50 mins or until garlic is tender when pierced with fork. Cool slightly. To serve, gently squeeze soft garlic out of cloves. Spread on bread.

Tastes good, but major garlic breath!!!! Enjoy!

long time no hear

sorry.....blogging hasn't been high on the priority list lately. Finally a Saturday off. Went to Paula Clinch's baby shower this morning with the kids. Joshua is a handsome little boy, lots of dark hair!! It's really cold here, and a blizzard on the way. I am busy working on our 10 year reunion. It's been fun reconnecting with some people who don't live here anymore. Also busy with rehearsal for the play in March.
Thanks to Steph anyone can now leave comments on the blog....oooops...didn't realize there was a setting to change! I'm not the techie one in the family. We're still trying to figure out how to post a photo blog instead of having to post them as an actual blog entry. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. The kids are watching Dora. Finally Brooke likes to watch something. Not that I want her to watch too much tv, but it does give me a minute to collect my thoughts.

On that note, time to go fold some laundry!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Happy New Year everyone!!!! We were all out at Mike and Debbie's for the evening. We made it home just in time to tuck the kids in and see the New Year's fire works on TV in Halifax. Then we all slept in until 10am.
Lauryn says:
Her favorite part about Christmas was opening her presents.
Her favorite present was her kitar {guitar}
Her favorite visitors were Nan and Pop-sorry Steph and Andrew, I think you were a close second!

Brooke really liked her baby stroller, high chair and play pen from Santa. She loves her baby. If she can't find her she yells around the house "BAAAAAAAAAAAAABYYYYYYYYY???, BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?" She is quite intense.

The sun is shining and the snow is almost gone. We want to go some where today, but there are not many options on New Years Day. Hmmmmmmmmm, what to do.

Well, here's to a New Year and some more firsts for us. Brooke turns two, Lauryn starts school. Maybe some of Warren's family will come visit, HINT, HINT.....

BEST WISHES EVERYONE!

Christmas Photos 

I managed to survive the week Warren and the kids were away. Got lots of Christmas shopping done in Moncton. The kids have both had the flu. They've thrown up in their beds, our bed, the van, nowhere is sacred! Tonight is the Survivor finale and I have play rehearsal. It just started to snow so if it keeps up I won't be going. The tree is up. The kids helped me decorate, kinda stressful at times. Brooke repeats every thing we say now. She's still not interested in potty training. She just says, "No tanks mommy" She talks all about her cousins, Hailey and Kelsey. Lauryn is busy with preschool-getting ready for her Christmas concert-she is Mary. Warren and Brooke just put up the snowmen in the front yard. Looking forward to having some time off around Christmas.

Just sitting down to watch Survivor. I am starting to decorate for Christmas. The kids and Warren are excited to go on their trip soon. I have lots of things planned to do to keep me busy while they are gone. I auditioned for the St. Croix Theater Co. and got a part! Yah!! Lauryn is going to be in a little Christmas concert with her preschool. Getting excited for Christmas!!!! Santa Claus parade in Saint John on Saturday.

Rememberance Day

Lauryn would like to say HI to Grandma and everyone else across the country. We are all at home today for the holiday. Lauryn wants to put the Christmas tree up, but I think we will wait until they return from out west. We may get some decorations out and put those around. Brooke is sitting on the counter eating peas. She has an extensive vocabulary now.

Could someone leave us a comment just to test it out since we have not received one yet?