Babysitting baby Allie

It may have taken 4 months but I FINALLY got the opportunity to babysit Allie. Spencer and Abigail were so excited. Just before Leslie dropped her off they were fighting over whose blanket she was going to lie on. Abigail made it very clear to me that she was the babysitter. Allie had to wear her Dora socks and she read her stories. Abigail wasn't too happy though when I told her she couldn't pull Allie in the wagon, feed her strawberries, or push her on the swing. She did however help Mark change her diaper and did a very good job I might add. Spencer enjoyed Allie from a distance but later told me baby Allie is the only baby he likes and wondered why we couldn't keep her. When I asked him why he didn't like other babies he said very matter of factly "because they stink." We all had a great morning and look forward to taking care of her again, thanks Leslie!!

Our big girlie

Abigail is constantly surprising us with new words, sentences, and phrases. She is growing up so fast and wants to do everything by herself now...including her hair. We were getting ready to go to the Veggie Tales Concert with our friends Friday night and she was taking an awful long time in the bathroom. When we went to check on her this is what we found. We couldn't help but laugh and of course get a picture. We love our little princess so much!

Neighborhood BBQ

We decided to celebrate the end of summer with a block BBQ. We had tons of great food and I hope a good time was had by all. The kids kept busy in the pool while us adults had time to sit, relax, and chat. I was glad my sister Sonja was here to enjoy it with us and meet all of our friends and neighbors.

Auntie Sonja Visits

We were so lucky to have Auntie Sonja visit us all the way from Newfoundland. We had such a great time and hated to see her leave. Spencer and Abigail loved waking up every morning knowing she was here and had so much fun visiting the Zoo, eating out at the Cheesecake Factory, playing games, and doing fun crafts. I especially had a great visit as it's been forever since we've had the time to sit down together. I loved our time hanging out and chatting. Of course all the shopping we did was fun also!! We truly wished she lived closer and still miss her terribly. Love you lots Auntie Sonja!!!!

The Neighborhood Gang

Tonight as the kids were all playing on the street, Emma decided to run in and grab her camera. Meanwhile, the kids were all running around like monkeys trying to hide from Emma when she returned. Once Emma found them they were all running around again. Some time passed when Leslie noticed how everyone was standing so obediently for a picture by Emma. It was quite the sight to see all (and I mean all) the kids waiting so patiently for the picture. The picture was quite nice, so here it is for all to enjoy. Thanks Emma.

It's Showtime

This is just one of the many shows Spencer and Abigail like to put on for us. I was the lucky sole recipient of this sold out show. The cowgirl was on the guitar, and Spencer of course of the lead singer. This time Spencer actually surprised me with his rendidtion of the Plain White T's - Hey There Delilah. He nailed it to a tee, and he's quite the demanding little lead singer. He made sure I announced their entrance just as instructed, and he kept telling the cowgirl to "hit it". Unfortunately, Abigail took the advice literally, and kept hitting her guitar. Oh well, it was still amusing.

Playroom Painting

So after a long break from anything renovations, I got a spur of the moment motivation yesterday to finally finish the playroom. The kids were very eager to help, and I wasn't sure if I really wanted to but as a team we moved all of the toys and gear out of the room. Spencer then proceeded to remove all the plates on the plugs and switches. Abigail must have been tired from all the moving because she slipped away to play with her dollies. After some taping, it was time to paint. Donning their Phoenix Schools painting shirts, they were ready and willing. Some ground rules were discussed, and then we were off. They actually did a really good job following all the rules, and switching between the brush and roller. Once the paint was dry Spencer was bound and determined to get all the plates put back on. He even tried to skip out of supper early to get back to work. Must take after his daddy; all work, no play. All in all, it was a good experience for everyone.

The "Early" Xmas Presents

I found a great deal on Craig's List...local buy and sell... and we bought these ride on toys initially to give to the kids for Christmas. Spencer however let out a great big "YEAH!" one day as he rounded the side of the house where they were being stored. We figured we couldn't really get out of that one and after a few weeks of telling them we were storing them for the neighbors Mark gave in and let them go to town. We weren't really sure how we were going to explain it Christmas morning anyway. Needless to say they love them and have tons of fun riding around the street with their friends in the neighborhood.