Soccer

I'm emberassed that we're atleast a month into soccer season and this is the first game I've been to.  In my defense, they have all been at 8:00, need I say more. He's had a great season so far.  Okay, so maybe they haven't won a single game yet but he's had fun and he even scored the only goal during the last game and they didn't score at all on him when he was goalie. I'm so glad I got to {finally} see him work his magic on the field.  It was like 150 degrees outside, but Jayden, I'd sweat puddles for you any day.  Just next time I think I'll wear my swimsuit.  And PS, listen to your mom when she tells you to tuck in your shirt. It looks like a dress. Love you!

Thirty-seven

Every year Jason tries to convince me that his birthday is no big deal, just another day (lucky me, I'm off the hook).  Every year I still try to make it special because even if it's not a big deal to him, it is a big deal to me because 37 years ago the love of my life came into this world. That's a lot to celebrate.  We had a big breakfast, I sent cupcakes for his co-workers then he came home for lunch.  It was nice eating grown up food for lunch and I even made the copycat Sonic cherry limeade which is like the only soda he ever drinks. I gave him a present that has already been returned. He's a hard one to buy for, that boy. Then he worked, and worked and worked some more.  I finally pulled him off his computer long enough to steal a date night.  Dinner and a movie.  Nothing special, but sometimes when life is so busy and so crazy and so loud then a quiet dinner and a funny movie are kind of a luxury.  He'll probably be emberassed if I say what movie we saw, because it's kinda girly.  "Pitch Perfect".  It got great reviews and he knew I wanted to see it and that's just the kind of guy he is to let me pick his birthday movie (and because there wasn't much else to choose from).  Yeah, he's the kind of guy who'll run to the store and pick up a prescription for me at 10:00pm when he's up to his eyeballs with work.  He's the kind of guy who lets me know that I look like a grandma when I text with one finger.  He's the kind of guy who does Sunday dishes.  He's the kind of guy who is cute when he gets a complex about his George Castanza wallet.  He's the kind of guy who will wake Ryder up just to hold him if he fell asleep before Daddy got home. He's the kind of guy who pretends he doesn't like the Bachelor but won't miss watching an episode with me. He's the kind of guy who is always telling the kids what a good mom they have.  Yeah, he's the kind of guy that's for keeps.  Happy birthday, hope it wasn't just any old day!

Ryder just learned to give kisses.  He's very picky about who and when he kisses, they're hard to come by.  I've only gotten a few, but Daddy seems to get them all the time. Lucky.

Shawn's birthday is the day after Jason's so it was only logical that we would have a joint birthday party doing what they do best. I know it looks like they're holding hands in this one, but really it was a fist bump, it was just a cute moment.  Okay, maybe he wouldn't be happy if I referred to it as "cute".  (I must say, i'm pretty impressed with the camera on my phone and it's nice to not have to bring my big girl camera to the lake).

Jayden was kickin' it and said how lucky he was to do all his favorite things in one day, a soccer game, a birthday party (where he won the dance contest for the whole bowling alley.  This is like his 3rd party dance contest that he won.  It's beginning to go to his head.) and wakeboarding.  "This day rocks". Yes, yes it does.

One of my favorite things about the boat is that Ryder will fall asleep on my lap.  He never, as in ever, does that at home.

In theory this was the perfect ending to a perfect day, but in reality the kids were freezing, Ryder was tired and screaming and the peaceful night air was filled with Kenny Chesney and the raging kegger at the site next to us.  I brought the portable crib in an effort to keep Ryder out of the fire.  He refused to get in it, instead Kylie was curled up in there in the fetal position shivering to death and crying the Ryder hit her in the head with a flashlight.  We should have quit while we were ahead.

Four

This is such a fun age. The little raspy lisp, the funny phrases, the creative imagination, the unconditional love, the way a happy meal toy can become the greatest treasure in the world and those juicy kisses that make my world stop. Maddox, I know each day you are growing up into the person that you are meant to become, but man how I wish I could slow it down. I really like this age. Happy birthday little NaNa banana. He couldn't open his presents until after church because he decided that drawing tattoo sleeves "to look like a man" (oh help me) was much more fun than going to sleep the night before. Birthdays are kinda lame on Sundays, but the thing about four year olds is that they are easy to please (I could take a few pointers from him). Presents, cake batter pancakes and smoothies were a pretty good start to his birthday then the rest of the day was spent playing with his new toys, a pizza dinner and then riding bikes to the park that night. According to him, it was the best birthday ever.

He got an animal balloon kit and I think I found my calling in life.  I can make a weinie dog like it's nobody's business.  I'm considering applying for the balloon lady job at Chili's.  This is his bunny hunting disguise.  They'll never know what hit them.

Besides everything he saw on every single commercial every single day for the past 5 months, this dollar store truck balloon has been a constant on his wish list.  It didn't leave his side for a full week until the poor deflated thing finally got a hole in it and he said it stunk.  Then that was the end of that. He also got a bike horn that he honked obsessively the entire bike ride because he thought he could use it to communicate with the birds.  He finally decided the birds had a headache. 

The Dream Light was also at the top of his list.  I never thought I'd spend $30 on a stuffed animal, but it has worked wonders at bedtime.  He actually sleeps instead of drawing smiley faces on his belly button with markers.

Later in the week we had his very first friend party.  The plan was to keep it simple.  Then I got on pinterest.  These cupcake cones were a hit (even though Ryder grabbed the plate and they all got smashed.  Good thing four year olds don't mind cracked cones and smashed frosting)

These mini goldfish jello bowls were a hit.  Until they tried eating them. Martha Stewart, I trusted you.  Next time I'll just use regular blue jello.

We ate lunch, drew treasure maps, went on a scavanger hunt to find buried treasure in a bucket of sand that I stole from the park, had a fishing pond and ran around like wild banshees because when you're four that is way more fun than any organized games.  It was adorable seeing him interact with his friends.  Exhausting, but adorable.  Love you, Maddox, glad it was the best birthday ever!

And then he wore this mustache from sun up until sun down the next day.  He was excited to fool the world because "nobody will neckonize me and think I'm a strange man from Las Vegas".  This is exactly why I love this age.

Sammie Says

Desert Breeze Train park, the first time we went here Kylie was Ryder's age. Crazy * Jayden was sick so Kylie was so sweet and made him a tray complete with gum to freshen his breath after he throws up * snuggled up after a bath on the first crisp fall morning of the season * movie night in the park * last day of being 3 * birthday dinner where Maddox stole all the pennies from the fountain so that he could make more birthday wishes * cake batter pancakes and a smoothie mustache, birthdays don't get much better than this * he got a dream light for his birthday, a wish come true * Ryder finally got brave enough to go down the slide by himself so I got demoted to catcher instead of slide buddy.

My Star

{maybe I should have bothered cleaning the mirror first. eh.} There are moments that catch me off gaurd.  Moments when I feel like I'm outside looking in on this life we've created.  Moments when I'm in awe that these four little beings that call me mom are a part of me.  That it's because of me that they are here.  Tonight I had one of those moments.  Kylie, you shine like the star you are!

She was so nervous because she was going to be doing the basket toss for the first time, but when they got here her teacher didn't think they had practiced it enough so they just did a thigh stand.  Still not sure if I'm relieved or disappointed about that. 

I heart faces photo challenge: Friendship

Boys will be boys. These boys only get to see eachother about once a year but I love how they can pick up right where they left off as if it were only yesterday.  A sign of the truest kind of friendship, and so is a dog pile three boys deep.