A typical Sophia Sunday

Getting ready for 9 am church is always a challenge with 6 children.... especially with 4 girls!! Then when you add the fact that one of those girls is little Miss Sophie.... well .... lets just say that things are always exciting! Fixing her hair is somewhat like a rodeo event... one I usually win. However, afterwards she will patiently wait until just the right moment... like the car ride to church ... to undo and rip out any cute ribbon, headband, clippie, etc. that I worked so valiantly to put on her!

This week really took the cake .... She looked absolutely darling when we left for church. She was wearing a beautiful pale pink dress and matching headband. Then just a mere 1/2 an hour after church started, she was crawling after her friend (she walks fine....she was just playing around) and I heard a "Rrrriippp". Her pretty little dress was ripped from side to side!! She looked like a belly dancer ... so I of course had to run home to put on a new dress - luckily it is a hand me down from Rachel and I had another identical dress the same size from Katie. I took a picture first ... Definately "blog worthy!"

Little Kitchen Helper???

Just before 7 am this morning I decided to make the kids and I scones for breakfast. (John is on yet another campout for Boy Scouts.) Sophie scooted a chair over to the counter so I put on her little apron. My little cook was ready to help! (Yay for me....)

Everything was going pretty well until I turned around to place one of the raw scones on the cookie sheet. With my back turned she decided it was time to take a big taste. I mean BIG! of RAW scone. eeewwwww!
If you can't see the white ooze dripping down her chin... double click on the picture.

Life cooking with toddlers!! Always an adventure!

Academic Night 2008

Academic night this year was a lot of fun! For those who may not know what acadamic night is.... It is a night where Gilbert Public Schools recognizes students in 4th grade and up that have earned straight A's for that school year. (An "A" at Neely is 93% starting in 4th grade.)

We were so proud of Katie and Rachel for both earning straight A's this year!!

Before the program, John and I took the girls out to dinner to Logan's Roadhouse. Both girls ordered steak tips....definately my offspring!

(note: Logan's has a special Mon. - Thursday - 2 dinners for $13.99 and $2.99 kid's meals!)

They are given a Golden Scholar pin. (Last year I thought they gave Katie a pen...)

Way to go girlies!!

We are so proud of you for all of your hard work!!

No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service

Not at OUR house!!!

After 6 kids... if they won't wear a bib ... then off goes the shirt!

I HATE laundry!!

Sophie-N-Hayley...Bestest Buddies....

Now...

And then.... (March 2007)

My sister Tammy and her daughter Hayley moved in with us in Nov. 2006 when Hayley was just a month old. They lived with us for about 14 months and just moved into their own place a few months ago. Sophie was only 6 months old when Hayley moved in so needless to say ... they are very close... usually!!

Today Tammy needed me to watch Hayley while she drove to Phoenix to get her car fixed. Sophie and Eric were really excited to have her come hang out with us for the day. Of course this means we are definately staying home ... I hesitate to run errands even with just Sophie and Eric but with even another toddler... no way!! I need to stay home and clean my house anyway ... and yet here I am on the computer ... :)

Hayley was a little sad missing her mommy at first but Sophie cheered her up!!

So very many toys and it always come to this .... the banging and singing on mommy's piano!!

This is NOT a duet you want to hear.....

They love pushing their strollers but Hayley's is broken ... I was a little worried with just one here but they managed to work it out just fine!!

I Am

For the past couple of years our oldest daughter, Katie, has had a bit of an obsession with Titanic history and facts. She can tell you just about anything in regards to Titanic. Anything from where and when the ship was designed and built to how many children in first class perished. (that would be 1 ... but Katie could tell you her full name, age and family history ... no kidding)

Last year in 4th grade she wrote this poem for her advanced writing class:

I AM

by Katie Lundgreen

I am a Titanic passenger
I wonder if I will survive
I hear people screaming
I see Titanic sinking
I want to catch a lifeboat
I am a Titanic passenger

I pretend Titanic is unsinkable
I feel as scared as a trapped animal
I touch the cold, icy water
I worry that there are no more lifeboats
I cry when I know I might die
I am a Titanic passenger

I understand that more than half of the passengers will die
I say a silent prayer
I dream of surviving
I try to calm myself
I hope I will survive
I am a Titanic passenger

My favorite places to shop .... for food.....

These are my favorite stores for good, natural, healthy foods ... I rarely shop at regular grocery stores anymore.....

Trader Joe's
We love their yogurt - NO high fructose corn syrup! (check your labels....its in there!)
Cereal - only natural ingredients and cheap!! ..... my kids LOVE the Trek Mix Granola Simply Almonds, Cashews & Cranberries and also the Maple Pecan Granola (Also good on the yogurt!!)
Peanut Butter - only peanuts and salt - no hydrogenated oils
Pizza Dough and Sauce
Apple Sauce
Cereal Bars - We love the Apple and Fig - again... only natural ingredients - NO high fructose corn syrup.
Frozen Spices - Frozen Teaspoonfuls of either Basil, Cilantro and Chopped Garlic - I Love these!
Orange Chicken - Yummy!
Flattened Bananas
Fresh shelled Edamame - Olivia loves to take these for snacks at school
They have great raw nuts - another great snack for the kids!
I love their Swiss 72% chocolate bars!!

Sprouts
Meat, Fish and Poultry - I buy these mainly at Sprouts because they have great sales .... meat tends to be pretty expensive at Trader Joe's. No hormones, antibiotics, etc. at either store
Fruits and Vegetables - great prices but even better at Superstition Ranch Market if you can deal with the massive swarms of blue hairs!
Gingersnaps - Yummy!

Fresh & Easy
This is a recent discovery but so far I am impressed!
lunch meat - no nitrates
Sushi - yummy California Rolls
They have great sales on anything fresh from meat to breads to fruits and veggies - just check the sales racks!

Midweek Recipe!!

I made this last week and it turned out soooo good!!!

1 Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (approx. $1.25)
1 pkg. Trader Joe's Pizza Sauce (luv it!!)
1 Fresh Mozzarella Ball; thinly sliced
1 or 2 Fresh Tomatoes; sliced
1 red onion; really thinly sliced!
1 pkg. Trader Joe's Gourmet Pepperoni

Let the dough set at room temperature for 20 minutes. Roll out on a lightly floured surface. Place on preheated pizza stone. Spread on sauce. Layer cheese, pepperoni, tomatoes and onion. Bake according to pizza dough directions. Enjoy!!

Swayze Look Alike???

For as long as I have known my husband, people have commented how much John resembles Patrick Swayze.
Recently, with all the publicity Patrick Swayze has had with his cancer diagnosis, the comparison has become an almost daily occurance.

No wonder Dirty Dancing and Ghost were my two favorite movies!!!


Destiny??? :)

Easter 2008

Easter this year was so much fun!! We went to our friend's home (The Hixons) and had an exciting Easter egg hunt (complete money filled gold Easter eggs....Rachel found one!), yummy BBQ, we dyed eggs (yuck) and they even rented a bounce house!

Of course John decided to let Adam jump in the bounce house for a few minutes with his newly broken arm .... BAD idea (but of course WE already knew that....) Adam came home crying in pain.

Lesson learned!

a