Sleepover Fun!

Savannah and Myara had a sleepover with Nate and Izzy last night and it turned out to be just a blast! Since I was out with Bachelorette Festivities, that left Kevin large and in charge with the 4 kids. The result...LOADS of fun! They made muffins, played Go Fish and Twister, watched a couple of movies, and spent lots of time playing the Wii. When we woke up this morning we did some dance moves and began the clean up process (Mom's home-LAME). Here are some pics and a great video of Savannah getting into the Wii...

What a Fantastic Day!!

We spent a wonderful day today kayaking in Tampa Bay. We were all excited for the trip, but our expectations were far exceeded! The weather was beautiful, although VERY hot...and not a spot of shade to be found-but it was worth it. As we paddled, the warm salt water would splash on our legs to cool us off. The scenery was amazing and we were so lucky to see lots of birds, stingrays, some iguanas, and were even joined by about 5 dolphins that swam all around our boats. The kids did a great job and loved it when we took the opportunity in some shallow water to get out and cool off. It was a special day filled with the beauty of Florida and some time well spent together. A definite special memory was made!!

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Cat's in the Cradle and the Silver Spoon....

We woke up this morning with quite a surprise! Izzy excitedly let us know that she was going to lose a tooth...yup it was certainly wiggly! It was her first loose tooth so we made a big out of how big she was getting and told her that in a few days we would certainly get a visit from the tooth fairy. Well those "few days" did not account for the big brother who would proceed to pull the tooth for her within the hour...geesh! Maybe he'll be a dentist. Oh well, she's thrilled and I can't help but feel the beginning of the end :(. My babies have grown just way too quickly.

This one's for you mom...

As you all well know, we spend a lot of time at the beach....a LOT of time at the beach. We go most Sundays to Honeymoon Island well equipped with a huge tent, a multitude of chairs, sunscreen (like it matters), towels, and a plethera of toys and materials to make it a great day. Oh, and how could I forget??? We also have to have either Subway or a "mess a chicken", depending on the week.
We never intend to get sunburned and swear that we'll do better next time-higher SPF, more frequent applications...nonsense. We always leave with a burn. Could it be because we end up staying for about 6 hours in the midday Florida sun??? HMMM...
Why do we stay so long you ask??? I can generally answer that in one word...MOM. My mother LOVES the water. When I say loves the water I don't mean loves to hear the waves crashing into the shore or look at the light as it reflects on the azure sea. I mean full-on jumping in waves, splashing people, laughing and screaming, hoping to find creatures under her feet in the water. We can't get her out! She brings a chair every week, I have yet to see her sit in it. If she steps out of the water for anything, within moments you will hear, "Ya going in??". And she's off again, this time trying to drag you with her. It is truly a hoot. She was born in Massachusettes and swears she will never leave the ocean again. I believed her, but didn't think she was so literal...By the time we are managing to drag her away she is asking, "so what's the plan for next week?" Which usually means are we bringing Subway or a messa chicken. We love you mom! This video is for you......
***Turn off the music at the bottom before you hit play!!***

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Congrats Nate

1st day of Kindergarten to a big 5th grade grad!

As my little girl will be making the transition to elementary, my little boy will be leaving it. Nate has finished 5th grade and will enter that BIG, BAD world of the Middle Schoolers. To say that I'm proud of all of his accomplishments would be a huge understatement. He takes his schoolwork seriously and helps around the house. He is a fantastic big brother and genuinely cares about other people.

I got to attend his 5th grade awards ceremony and was amazed at the amount of times his name was called. His interests are so varied and he loves to be involved with as many things as he can. Most of all, I am proud of the person that he is. Whenever I meet his teachers or the parents of his friends I hear about how respectful, polite, and kind he is. I can see the adult that he is growing into and have only one great hope.....

PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T LET MIDDLE SCHOOL RUIN HIM!! Come on, we've been there-that place is horrible!! I see teen angst on the horizon and can only hope that he stays as mellow as he is now.

But for now, congratulations Nate! Your Daddy and I are so proud of you everyday!! We love you.

Where My Girls At??

For years I have referred to our darling Izzy as "THE DIVA". Those who have met her and heard my stories about the hair, lipgloss, and insistance on wearing just the right skirt, along with her uncanny knack for throwing just the right "Veruca Salt" style fit know why I have contemplated changing her name to Whitney-Mariah-Aretha Marie Atkins for years...
Well, our precious youngest has made the journey through pre-school and will soon break my heart in two as she enters the world of the elementary. During her last year at Curlew Learning Center she has become increasingly more like the 14 year old that I know I'm destined to grapple with...tiffs with girlfriends, an eye roll that could make Mommy Dearest shudder, and of course the well-crafted and often rehearsed door slam/foot stomp combo (not easy to pull off with grace).
However she has also grown into her own little person who loves to sing and dance, play dress-up (diva style), go to parties, and pretend talk to friends on the phone. Kevin had the pleasure of attending her end of year farewell party at her school and took some great shots of Iz with her friends. I had to post them, well because you can just see the teen, can't you? These could easily come from the future high school year book pages that I'm sure will be filled with the signatures of the coolest and most popular. Trust me...I don't think our DIVA will have it any other way!!



Thank you Ms. Kathy and Ms. Laura!! We love you!!!

New Shoes

I know what you're thinking... It has been a while since I have posted, or even taken the opportunity to browse through any of your wonderful blogs. Not like me, huh?? I have to be honest- As much as I don't like to admit it, the last couple of months have been a bit of an emotional struggle for me. We all have our times, our stresses, feelings of being overwhelmed or worried, maybe even just flat out bored. I usually manage to get through those times with a smile (at least when I'm around people) and eventually whatever is troubling me or weighing me down just works itself out. Please-I don't mean to imply that I can wish on a star or wiggle my nose and POOF all my troubles are gone. Simply that I'm lucky enough to have a wonderful family and friends that help me through those things (even if they don't realize they are doing it). So what's been different?? I'm actually not sure. I still have all of you to turn to. I can still fake it most of the time when I'm in the presence of civilized folk...Maybe it's just one of those "when it rains it pours" kinds of times in my life. Too much at once. So here's why I chose today to be back..Right now you are listening to a song that I have loved for a long time. It's always been a favorite and there was a time when this CD was really all I was listening to. I hadn't heard it for a while until this morning. I was up early and feeling quite sad thinking of my close friend whom I recently lost. She took me to see Wicked a few years back for my birthday and we had a great time and both instantly loved the show and the music from it. One song from it hit pretty close to home for us and it even kinda summed up the many years that we were friends. When I moved from Cinci, she added it to a slideshow for my goodbye party. She cried her eyes out and held my hand through the whole thing (those of you who knew her wouldn't bat an eye at her flaire for the dramatic). I stumbled upon that same song this morning on a You Tube video and listened to it and really took it hard. But hey...the oddest thing happened. The video stopped and switched to a commercial playing this very song that you are now hearing. I got annoyed at first, but then listened. "Hey, I put some new shoes on and suddenly everything's right..." This whole song really handed me my solution. I need to put on those new shoes and get past this. All of this. Thank you Paulo Nutini for giving me some perspective and that slight kick in the pants that I needed.
Here comes summer, let's all find some new shoes and start fresh! I'm starting today! Scroll down and play the song again, listen closely, and find your new shoes (even if you can't afford the manolos at the top of the page!!) Love you all!!