Cub Scouts

We are so proud of Coleman! He has been working so hard on his cub scouts and he loves it. Tonight was pack meeting and he really racked up. He has missed the last two meetings due to being out of town so this week he really scored.

He earned 9 belt loops and 4 pins, 5 arrow points, and his bear. It was fun to see how proud he was of himself. Scouts really is his thing and i know he didn't get it from his Dad, I really think he is just like my Dad. It is fun to see him doing things he loves.

1st Day of School

Well the day has finally arrived!!! School started and it is a little bittersweet for me, everyone was so excited this morning and I just couldn't believe my summer was over and we were starting a new school year. I really have had a great summer with these little monkey's!

Here is everyone this morning with big smiles and ready to go.
Coleman is starting 4th grade and i can hardly believe it. He was pretty excited about school just not his uniform. He really didn't want to wear these shorts because he thought he looked like a dork. I told him that everyone at his school looked like a dork so it didn't matter, besides it was 95 degrees today and I don't think long pants are the way to go.

When I picked him up from school his best friend Conner, who is in 3rd grade and has Coleman's teacher from last year, rode home with us and I asked them how the day went, and Conner said he liked everything but Geography. Coleman then told him " Geography is great just wait till they pull out grammar" , Conner then asked "what is grammar" Coleman says " Its words and sentences and spelling and rules, everything I hate, just wait it's bad!" I had to laugh because it is so true he hates grammar!

I really do love this kid, he loves all things mechanical and loves to watch shows like Build it Bigger and How it's Made, but ask him to write something and you would think you were cutting his fingers off. Maybe one day he will come around.

Evelyn sitting at her desk in her 1st grade class. I think it was the hardest for me watching her go today because she gets to stay all day this year. I am so used to having her around and helping me out with everything. She was so excited for school and thought it was so great that she gets to bring her lunch.

Today when the kids got home from school I asked her how her day was and she was so happy and said it was great and that she even got homework! For Evelyn homework is like ice cream, honestly she came right home and did it before she even changed out of her uniform. Later Brian asked the kids if they wanted to go to the park while Mommy made dinner and of course they all ran for their shoes and were waiting at the door. Evelyn on the other hand decided she would rather stay home and read, READ-are you kidding me. Some of you may have kids like this but we are coming off of Coleman, the boy who hates words and writing and spelling, so this is not normal to us. I will say it is blessing.

Leland was so excited to start her new preschool this year and she had to wear a skirt her first day. I told her it might get dirty at recess and she said "Mommy you can put it in the washing machine" to which i said ok you are right. So off we went.

Leland is definitely our most attached child and on the way to school she said "Mommy I am going to miss you" and then in her most pitiful voice she said "And I already miss Daddy" Mind you we had only been gone from the house 5 mins. Even with all that she walked right in and never looked back, and after school she was all smiles, A+ for Leland.

This little girl think she is so big!!! I have her going to 1 morning a week to a little preschool and she was so excited. Claire got up this morning and with all the other kids got her backpack and was ready to go to her first day. When we got there I asked her where she wanted to take her picture and she jumped right in this little car and when i said goodbye she looked right at me and waved and said "Bye Mommy" It was so cute I almost died, she is such a fun kid.

Now if you have stayed with me this long then you realize that this means I am child free on Monday mornings!!!! I really did NOT know what to do with myself. After a QUIET breakfast, I went on a long walk outside WITHOUT a huge heavy stroller-YEA!!! Then I took a nice shower where I had no one looking at me and pointing. For some reason the sight of me naked is quite funny to my little girls, and for once i wasn't laughed at while I was in the shower-YEA again. By the time I picked them up at Noon I truly did miss Leland and Claire. I will have to say this is not a bad way to start the week!

No words

Tonight we had a cookie walk in our neighborhood, you walk around the neighborhood and several families have cookies to pass out and you visit with neighbors.

This is what my fashion forward daughter decided to wear. Our friends commited that she looked like she belonged in a commune. White karate pants, tie-dyed t-shirt, visor, and backpack. I have no words to describe how confused I am by her choice of clothing. Evelyn has many talents, but fashion is not one of them.

Trip to the Doctors

Yesterday I took Leland and Claire to their check-ups and today it was Coleman and Evelyn's turn. Before we left Coleman wanted to know if he had to get a shot and I told him I wasn't sure, that was not a solid enough of an answer for him. Coleman HATES shots.

Evelyn on the other hand wanted one because she said she was the best at getting shots, which is true. It is funny to what lengths Evelyn will go to to be the BEST at something.

Anyway we get to the doctors (with all 4 kids mind you) and while i am in the waiting room this is the conversation my kids have

Evelyn "I wish I was a miniature"

Leland " Yea I wish I was a miniature"

Coleman "That would be awesome"

Now for those of you a little confused a "miniature" is a midget.
Don't ask me why, but they apparently think it would be cool to be one, the worse part of it was that we were not the only people in the waiting room, and I am sure I saw the receptionist laugh.

Next part of my story involves my 10 year old son crying about his shot to the point that he almost passed out and having to sit in my lap and I had to hold him down while he got it. So sad! The funny part is I was the same way as a kid. I would go nuts at the sight of a needle or even the talk of one. It is amazing how being pregnant 5 times and having 4 c-sections will cure you of that real quick

kangaroo zoo

Today I took the kids and a couple of their friends to a fun place called Kangaroo Zoo. It is just a big room full of blow up slides and bouncy house's. It was such a great time to go because most of the kids in town have already started school so it wasn't nearly as crowed as it usually is. The kids had a great time and I have to pictures to prove it.

One happy little girl.
Evelyn and Claire were buddies today, Evelyn taught her how to go up all the slides and by the time we left Claire could do them without her help. It was so cute to see her being such a great big sister.

Here is Coleman and his best friend Conner going down the slide with Claire. She really does worship Coleman and he is so good to her. They had fun together.
Leland, Addison (Evelyn and Leland's best friend), Claire and Evelyn.

I do not know why Evelyn chooses to wear this awful hat but she loves it. I asked her not to wear it and her response was "but I look so cool in it and it keeps the hair out of my face." I don't understand this child's fashion sense but I love her anyway.
All the kids before we headed home. Coleman and Conner were pretending they were dead-don't ask, I really don't get boys.
She had a great time on all the slides as you can see.

dress-up

The girls have had such a great time playing today, it always makes it exciting when you have new toys. Here is the tent Leland got and spent all morning inside doing Lego's, playing princess and who knows what else.

I spent the morning cleaning out closets, toy boxes, etc. We found a lot of lost items and got rid of 2 trash bags full of toys and clothes. I love to purge, and I am definitely in the nesting stage of pregnancy so by the time this baby gets here we should be very organized

the tent
My girls have never played a lot of dress-up, but after visiting their cousin Shelbie they love it. She had so many cute things to dress-up in and the girls had so much fun we got Leland dress-up for her birthday.

Here she is in one of her princess dresses and Claire is in her tutu. I think Claire looks like she has a wig on with all that hair, lucky girl.

I found this during my cleaning session today and Claire loved pretending she was a dog-dog (that is what she calls them). The kids kept telling her to crawl and bark and she was loving all the attention.

So often my kids are out playing with friends that I really do love to see them HAPPILY playing with each other. This morning was a good morning.

My Princess's big day!

Today was Leland's birthday and she had a party at a paint your own pottery studio, she decided she only wanted girls there so Coleman wasn't even invited. They really did have a good time and they were so cute. I can't believe that my little Leland is already 4 years old.

All the girls getting ready to paint
She was so cute when we were singing Happy Birthday, and she loved her barbie princess cake.
Here she is wearing one of the gifts she got and playing a game called Bella dance-a-rella, she just danced her little heart out and was just so cute. She really thought she had all the moves down, but honestly she wasn't quite there yet. I guess when you are this cute it doesn't really matter.
This was her opening the gift from her siblings, it was a giant princess tent and I think from the looks of it she really liked it.

Leland really had a great day and although I am worn out it was so fun to see her so happy, Life as a Mom is never boring and it is times like these I truly treasure.

We Love you Leland!!!!!!

I might have a problem

Hollywood gossip at it's best.

Today as I cleaned up the magazines in my bathroom it dawned on me that maybe buying 5 magazines in a week is a little much, I really do have a problem! Whenever I see a new one something tells me to buy it, and it doesn't help that Brian likes them too. I say there is nothing better than mindless reading, I mean a person needs to know who might be pregnant, or if Brittany is going to get her kids back, or who is in rehab. Right!

Okay, I am currently looking for a support group!

Coleman and Claire

Claire loves her big brother so much and he just adores her. They have such a sweet bond and every time they see each other they get so excited and give big hugs. Today at swim lessons they were just cuddling and I had to get some shots of the two of them

Big Smiles!!
So Sweet!!!! Big Hugs!!!!

swim lessons

The girls have been taking swim lessons for the last week and they have really improved!!

Evelyn doing her back float, she was really proud of herself.
Leland doing her front float
Evelyn trying to do her dive, it was kinda a little bit of a belly flop, but she'll get it.
Leland swimming, her teacher just kept moving back and she just kept swimming, I was so proud of her.

Big Dummy

Today I did the dumbest thing I have done in a long time. While I was gone at my sisters house Brian bought me a new car (Yukon XL Denali) anyway today was the first time I had to put gas in it myself. When I got to the gas station I realized I didn't know where the little button was to open the tank. I was looking really hard and after about 5 or more mins, I decided it was time to call Brian. Well he was on the lake and didn't answer so I proceeded to call a friend who has the same car as me and she didn't answer either. At this point my girls are starting to wonder why we are STILL at the gas station. I them called my Mom, why you might ask, because I was hoping for some wisdom or something. She finally told me to just call the dealer, so I dug the paper work out of the glove compartment and called them. Seriously how embarrassing, I ask to speak to a salesman and proceed to tell him how big an idiot I am, I know he wanted to laugh because do you want to know how you open my gas tank- JUST PULL IT OPEN. genius I am not but I thought I was a little smarter than that, maybe I can blame it on pregnancy or something. By the time I pulled away we had been there 23 mins, I can't believe it took me 23 mins to fill up my car with gas. I think a blind monkey could do it in about 5. So next time you are emptying your wallets at the gas station just think of me and have a laugh at my expense.

Wakeboarding

Today Coleman and Brian went with a friend wakeboarding, Coleman was able to practice all his skills. From the pictures it looks like he had a great time.

He's up, yea!
Coleman turning!!
One handed, go Coleman

Happy Birthday Coleman

Yesterday Aug.4th was Coleman's 10th birthday. I really can't believe that I have a 10 year old. Over the last 10 years he has really made me laugh and I have loved being his Mom. It amazes me how every year his wish list get bigger and bigger, the child has very expensive taste ( although he got it honest from both his parents). I almost laughed when he told me all the things he wanted. He did manage to get a few of his most coveted items such as a new Mountain bike and a party at Boondocks. This place really is alot of fun, and these boys wore me out. They enjoyed bumper boats, go-carts, putt-putt, lazer tag, and arcade games.

Here is Coleman with 7 of his best friends. He really has been blessed with some great friends and I hope we never have to move because they will be hard to replace.
Coleman on the bumper boats trying to get his dad wet, do you think he looks excited?
Conner S., Coleman , Conner T., and Brian after their ride on the bumper boats. All the boys decided to try and get Brian wet and boy did they ever. I think Brian had as much fun as the boys. He even got himself a wrist band so he could join in all the fun.
Coleman getting ready to ride the go-carts. It was so funny watching him because he took it so seriuosly, he knew to stay in the inside of the track and eventually passed every kid out there.

Coleman had a great day and I really enjoy watching him grow up, I only wish it wouldn't happen so fast.

My favorite quote from the day was when he was opening his present from Mama ( my mom) and he was so surprised she had found the right DS game and he said " Well never underestimate the power of Mama" Let me tell you never was a truer stated uttered.

I am grateful for all the people that love him and I know he is one blessed kid.

Welcome Baby Owen

Owen Marshall Stapf

I am so happy for my sister-n-law Brittany and the fact that she just had a sweet baby boy. He was actually born on Evelyn' s birthday the 31st.

The funny thing about this little guy is that he was supposed to be a girl. Brittany was told at her ultrasound that she was having a girl and so we all went crazy buying up the cutest girl stuff , she even got a pink car seat. Needless to say we were all quite shocked when we got the call that she had indeed had a beautiful baby BOY.

So I love you Brittany and sweet baby Owen and can't wait till it's me having the baby.

Here is Ian, the big brother

Congratulations to Andrew, Brittany and Ian.

We Love You!

Happy Birthday Evelyn

Well on July 31st my big girl turned one year older and is now the big 6!!! She is so excited and just can't believe she isn't 5 anymore. We had her party today and she had a water celebration in our back yard, we even rented a big water slide. All the kids had fun, here are a few pics of the afternoon.

The Birthday Girl
Getting ready to blow out her candles, she loved her baseball cake.
The Whole Gang

( these are the kids that were invited but don't worry their were about twice this many in siblings, Coleman and his friends had a BLAST!)

Haircut

Coleman wanted to do something fun with his hair, so hey why not a fohawk. School starts in 3 weeks so he will say goodbye to his new look then, but for now he thinks he is pretty cool.

Sisters!!!

One of these things is not like the other!

We went out to dinner for Evelyn's birthday the other night and the girls picked out their own clothes and this is what I got. Leland and Claire love to dress alike and I don't think Evelyn could look any more different. She definitely has a style all her own, as she likes to put it " Mom I am a tomboy what can I say."

Well tomboy or little princess I love all my girls!!!