Joey turns 11...

Joey, being the sweet kid that he is, decided to appease his mother and NOT choose a cake for his birthday candle holder!
Instead, he chose a giant chocolate, chocolate chip cookie! The perfect way to celebrate turning 11!

He received MANY new rubber duckies for his collection, including this one from his good friend Ted!

He has almost 100 ducks now - kind of looks like a poultry invasion in his bedroom...

he also got some new scout stuff (as he has officially graduated from Cub's with FULL honors! He earned EVERY pin possible as a Webelo!)

He also got $ Money $, which is really all he wanted!
Life's good when you're 11 ;)

punkins...

Carving the Halloween pun'kins...

ew.

I would now like to show the amazing picture of the finished products....
oh, wait. we don't have one.
FAIL.
(seriously, what is my problem? Who doesn't take pics of the halloween pumpkins?)

We finished out the night with a game of Don't Eat Pete, and a Candy Walk (similar to a cake walk, but with the more enticing... candy!)

This, however, is the only picture of that.

FAIL.

Again.

Good thing my kids will have all these picture memories from their wonderful childhood to look back on and reminisce ... *sigh*.

Soccer biz...

For whatever reason, my boys like to play the positions in their respective "favorite" sports where the balls come flying at them. RIGHT at them.

Not gonna lie, it makes me cringe every now and then!

(at least Joey, as baseball catcher, has protective gear!)

Tommy: aka The Keeper
(because, apparently once you're out of AYSO, it's not cool to say "goalie")

Occasionally, if Cross Fire is far enough ahead, the coach will let Tommy play
a different position. He then tries AS HARD AS HE CAN to score a goal, as he does
not have the opportunity to be on that side of a goal very often.

He came very close to passing out/puking after one such game because
he'd been running so fast and hard for so long! He scored a goal, though!

*Confession: I am not a fan. Of soccer. oops. ;) But, I am a fan of Tommy, so I sit through most of the games, still trying to understand "off sides" (I get it in football, if that helps?!) and still trying to understand WHY in the world you'd want to run that much. willingly. without someone chasing you. ? Plus, I got a killer tan line last summer, so I suppose it's do-able for a little while longer ;)

day 2, revisited ..

I found a stray pic of Sara from her second day of preschool.
My eyes got this weird, misty wet substance in them as I realized how quickly she's grown up just this past year.

Even her HAIR has grown.

*sigh*

Another'n...

Anyone else notice a disturbing pattern?!

Sara's eye met Alexis' head at the ward Christmas party . . .

once again, the head won!

so sue me . . .

Happy Halloween.

Yes, I know I'm late.

Please refer to the title of this post...

Also, I'm in a bad mood.

If I have to listen to my 2nd grader WHINE about homework

(that I DID NOT ASSIGN. the teacher did... whine to her)

ONE MORE TIME...

I'll shoot both our eyes out.

With the bb gun Joey got for his birthday.

WHAT?

You want birthday pics, too?

pwoo, pwoo, pwoo.

(that was the sound of the bb gun - shooting someone's eye out.)

grrrrrrrrr......

My First Shiner...

First word: check

First steps: check

First popsicle: check

First day of pre-school: check

FIRST SHINER:

CHECK!

Joey's head met Sara's face, and Joey's head won.

Though, to be quite honest, you're never fully dressed without your black eye.

And as you can see, we dress to impress!