'Cook'ing in Arizona

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T23:01:00.006-07:00

All of the community Easter egg hunts were scheduled for yesterday. Unfortunately, (as much as we celebrate rain in Arizona) it rained like crazy! So, the kids did not get to hunt for eggs this year - we went to Costco instead. Then James and his dad went to the last home game for the Coyotes against the Ducks - which they won in a shoot out after overtime. I heard it was a great game - Ella and I stayed home and played.

This year James was finally excited to see what the Easter bunny brought him. Last year his Easter basket sat outside until almost dark when I forced him out the door to go look for it. He seriously had no interest at all last year - but this year he talked about how excited he was about Easter for days. What a welcome change! I told him that the Easter bunny couldn't come unless we went to church - how awful am I? So, as soon as we got home the kids ran out to the backyard to see if the bunny had been there. They were so cute - they each got a ball - Ella a big pink one and James a soccer ball, some m&m's and sidewalk chalk. The pressure was off the Easter bunny since Grandma Fryer had already sent them Easter baskets filled to the brim with goodies.

My husband actually attended church and I am hoping that he and we as a family make it a habit. :) OK - so JP only went today because one of his buyer clients is in town and told him that they would see him in church. So, JP went to network - not exactly a great reason to go to church on Easter Sunday, but the Lord works in mysterious ways! :)

After a totally rainy day yesterday, today was BEAUTIFUL!!! Blue skies, probably mid 70's, light wind - a day to remember why one would live in Arizona. James and I took a bike ride to the park and then down to our community walking trail which has a few different stops along the way. One stop is a solar garden that is kinda way cool. It has this enormous "sun" then these monument things around the sun showing where the planet sits and how big each planet is in relation to the sun and gives some facts about each one. James has been studying the solar system in preschool so he was totally excited about the discovery - we had never been there before.

We came home exhausted and Ella and Dad were still asleep. I think Ella is growing again because she had stopped taking naps but yesterday and today she slept about 3 hours each day. Or, maybe she's coming down with something. James sat and watched TV for a few hours after we got home and then started throwing up when it was time to get ready for bed. Poor kid. Bad timing to get sick though! Tomorrow he's getting tested to hopefully get him into the gifted program in the Peoria School District. OK - with cuts in education like they are here and Arizona is already at the bottom of the barrell in education in relation to all of the 50 states, I feel like I need to be a little pushy with my kid's educations. I REALLY want him to get into the gifted program! I hope he sleeps off whatever he came down with!! Happy Easter!!!

So, I joined Facebook and ...

2009-04-09T00:00:00.006-07:00

OK - so I joined Facebook - or should I say Spacebook because that's as much as I knew about it before last night when I stayed up until 1 AM to figure that thing out (and I'm doing it again tonight). It's WAY beyond cool! But, it asks for a website and this is the only one I have. So, since I haven't updated it in more than a year, here goes!

The kids have grown up! I can't believe how amazing they are! James is a full fledged hockey player now. That's him in the white jersey with Howler - the Coyotes mascot. He can skate like a pro - well, a 5 year old pro. But he's so cute, the last time he was on the ice he was determined to teach himself how to skate backwards! James also just earned his yellow belt in karate (we switched programs so he had to start again). He had to break a board with his foot in order to progress. I'm so proud of him - he has developed so much confidence within one year it's unbelievable. He is attending the community preschool program at Zuni Hills Elementary. I've been so impressed. I've been fortunate to be able to go on every field trip with him. We've gone to a ballet, the zoo, Tolmachoff Farm and the Arizona Children's Museum. It has been such a blast and he has enjoyed every minute of it. But, he says he can't wait to start summer camp again. He's a man that's constantly on the move. Currently he's playing his second season of tee ball. He thinks that he is all cool because his dad is the coach for the second time!

Ella is becoming quite a young lady. She's smart as a whip! Her favorite movie for about 6 months straight was Letter Factory from Leap Frog. She knows the entire alphabet AND each sound they make! She won't even turn 2 until the end of May! She loves to do sommersaults and dance. I can't wait to get her into a gymnastics and dance program. And, after a year of letting him hold her for only 30 seconds before screaming bloody murder, she finally LOVES her daddy. Big time - she is seriously now a daddy's girl. She always follows her daddy around the house and is constantly asking him to play. She gets so happy when he comes home and says, “where daddy?” when he’s gone. She also loves to watch her brother and is always so excited to see her brother in all of his uniforms, but she's ready to take some of the spotlight too!

The most fun the kids and I have had together is pitching a tent in our backyard, taking the DVD player out there, watching a movie, and camping out for the night. Last year James and I slept out under the stars on the trampoline, but, believe it or not, it has been SOO cold here (for now) that we just about froze with a tent and mounds of blankets. Plus, Ella insisted on joining in on the fun and we were glad to have her. Anyway, it was good practice. James and his dad are going to the father/son campout with the church in a couple weeks and then we're scheduled to go campout at Lake Pleasant in June. FINALLY!! I've been waiting most unpatiently for my 'city boy' husband to get a taste for nature!!

Speaking of my husband, he's still selling houses. Thank heavens!! I knock on wood and count our blessings every single day. He does better every year despite the market. He lives and breathes Real Estate. He loves it, it's his passion and people love him!

I have decided that I REALLY love the field of education - at just about the WORST possible time to make that decision. I was fortunate to be able to work in the office for an elementary charter school this year and it has seriously just sparked my interest. Many years ago I went back to school to get my teaching certificate but never student taught to finish the program. What a mistake (in hindsight of course)!! Back then they were begging for teachers - now in Arizona they're cutting education's budget so deeply that it sounds like it will almost be a joke to call it "school." Too sad! But, I guess this is what it's going to take for me to decide what I want to be when I grow up! :) My next goal - become a teacher! Wish me luck!! And to all a great night!

After the Circus

2008-06-28T00:25:00.001-07:00

So we attended the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey circus yesterday with both of the kids. I thought the show was supposed to be the circus! Hah. Try managing a one year old who has, within the last two days, decided that she can walk everywhere - including up and down stairs - which she was determined that she was going to get to the stage - and a 4 year old who's not a big fan of loud anything during a two hour show - that's the real circus. Overall it was very fun and James stated that his favorite part of the show was the big round cage that "bammed fire out of it when the motorcycles weren't in there". And the elephants too.

Today James got to sit inside of a real police car because the officer knew his daddy. The officer also gave James an official badge sticker that James has placed on the outside of his bedroom door and informs anyone that wants to enter his policeman room has to ask permission or they'll be trespassing.

Ella loves her daddy too. If daddy asks for a "kissy kissy" she leans forward to him so he can give her a kiss. It's so cute. She knows where her hands are and says "kack" for a duck. She also loves to try on different shoes. She'll hand me her shoes and direct me to put them on and then take off walking in them as fast as she can. She also loves her big brothers shoes. I'm sure this is a sign of behavior yet to come. I better make some room in the shoe closet!

Our First Post - Family Update

2008-06-16T16:10:00.000-07:00

Wow! Can't wait to see how this looks. Here we go - we're officially "bloggers". So, here's the family update ---

J.P. is still selling real estate. Thank heavens he is an established agent because the housing market continues to be very slow. He is actually doing very well. In a market like this it tends to steer people away from the real estate industry thus eliminating competition for business. There will always be people buying and selling homes regardless of the market so it's nice when there are less agents to share in the madness. What an amazing industry it is. I'm in awe watching what he does. It's very dynamic industry. There is always a lot to learn.

I am an official stay at home mom. I can't even claim to assist my husband in his business since he has hired my replacement. I tried to re-enter the working world in a childcare facility so that I could take the kids with me. It worked for a couple of months then became unbearable. It's unbelievable what a facade they try to put across. Needless to say I am not a fan of childcare facilities. I feel so guilty letting James go to one for such a long period of time.

Speaking of James - he is SUCH a happy camper. I'm so amazed at what a great little boy he has become. He absolutely LOVES ice skating and so how convenient it is that his dad is a hockey player. Once a week they hit the ice and it's so cute to watch how excited James is to go. He is attending Busy Bodies once a week where he is called a Busy Learner and boy he is. He always brings home the neatest art projects and sings the coolest songs. He is also attending summer camp through the city and I'm so impressed with the program. He gets to ride the big school bus to all sorts of different field trips. So far he has gone to the movies, bowling, gymnastics, the library, Chuck e Cheese, Pump it Up, and more. He's scheduled to go to the circus too. He also has a weekly karate class that he is trying to earn his first belt before the end of the summer. We're going to be so sad when this program gets over. But, he'll be starting preschool in August.

Ella turned one at the end of May. She has already taken many steps on her own but she still prefers the safety of crawling. And when she wants to get somewhere she can really put it in high gear. She has three teeth but she's working on getting three more. Watch out if she gets really mad because she knows how to use those three teeth!! She is FINALLY sleeping through the night. This wasn't easy as Miss Ella loves to snuggle when she's sleeping. When she's tired or hungry she loves to suck her left thumb and grab my ear and twist it - hard! I've finally given up on wearing any earrings for now. Ella goes to Busy Bodies as well where we sing songs and play together. It's really fun!

We found Reagle Beagle a new home a couple months ago. He is SOO happy now. He has another dog friend to live with, two boys and a dad that loves Beagles. I went to visit him and he was afraid I was going to take him home with me again. It's so much more peaceful around this house without his howls. We're just happy that he found a great home and we're really good friends with his new family.

So, that's it for us right now. I think this is long enough for the first post. More later!