Tab and Alistair met in Connecticut while Tab was a nanny and Alistair was in transition after his LDS mission and college. We were married in 1999 and moved to Idaho. We spent 10 years in the Boise area and had 3 silly kids. We recently uprooted and went back to Connecticut, where we added one more silly kid...
Emily and Matthew off on their last day of school.
Emi saying goodbye to a few friends...
Then a few more...
Some hung around for more photo opps.
After school we went to the park for an ice cream celebration with friends and Tiff and McKinna.
The boys showed us some of thier best Jedi knight moves.
The "Chic Defenders"
Emi and Shaylee were just being cute. What sweet girls.
Ainsley and Emma, did not want to cooperate for photos. This is the best picture I got all day. Note the sunburned cheeks, it was a long day in the sun.
Matthew has been reminding about this day for weeks, including what time I may have to get there if I wanted to sit on the front row. I didn't listen and I sat 4 rows back, even though I showed up 25 minutes early. I actually shed a few tears as he walked in, and again when I realized I had saved one too many seats...thinking of my hubby who would have loved to see this. The tears were short lived, how could a mother not smile at this little boy...he was so happy!!
I couldn't help but think that their little "goodbye songs" had a deeper meaning for me this year. My kiddos said goodbye to some friends they have known their entire life. This was a difficult, but still exciting day for all of us. Matthew showing off his big brother skills at the graduation party. Ainsley, honestly, was only there for the cake.
Matthew with his teacher Mrs. Ryan. I think she cried harder than any of the parents there. What an amazing teacher for my son...I couldn't have asked for anyone better.
The kids were pretty sad when Alistair left for Connecticut last week so we went to the Boise Zoo on Saturday to pass some long hours. We had alot of fun and took alot of pictures for Dad...
Kids with their friends Bryce and Shaylee Quigley
Ainsley dressed up as a Hedgehog
Girls skipping through the Zoo.
After seeing the girls get the photo opp Matthew insisted that he and Bryce needed to hold hands and skip. Even after I tried to explain that boys don't hold hands, they did it anyway. I tried Alistair...
Notice the intense scowl on Ainsley's face. She was trying to stand on the closest, most precarious, rock by the pond at the Zoo just minutes prior to this photo. She had still not forgiven me for preventing the afternoon "bath"
Matthew posed for this picture in anticipation of posting it on the blog so Dad could see his crazy face. I think they enjoy having their pictures taken.
We had a great Easter this year. We were happy that dad got to spend it with us before he left for Connecticut.
Kids in their new Easter outfits...SOOO adorable!
Ainsley found a purple egg and would not let go.
Ainsley in the "Easter Tent." We don't know how and why this has become a tradition, we only know a few years ago Gramma Sue bought them a tent that was up at Easter and one of the baskets was hidden inside. Now it's part of Easter tradition.
Ainsley eating the Easter Bunny's carrots. Santa's cookies had a similar disappearance...
Emi and Matthew laying out carrots for the Easter bunny.
The girls in the family have learned a few “life lessons” in the past 24 hours. Here is a brief summary…
Tab
Life lesson #1: One should not push as hard, nor go quite as fast, when using a brand new potato peeler.
Life lesson #2: One should not adorn a new wound with Sponge Bob Square Pants Band-Aids when you have a toddler.
Life lesson #3: One should not leave their toddler unsupervised with a bowl of macaroni and cheese while they chat on facebook.
Emily
Life lesson #4:If you tell mom you brushed your teeth and you really didn’t, all she has to do is smell your breath.
Life lesson #5: When you are in trouble for LL#4 and doing chores to earn back privileges, don’t lie again and say you put things away; because all mom has to do is open the door to the toy closet.
Life lesson #6: When in trouble for previous LL #4 and #5, lying to mom about putting on chapstick is not a good idea when said chapstick is in mom’s hand.
Life lesson #7: MOM ALWAYS KNOWS!
Ainsley
Life lesson #8: If you eat macaroni and cheese with your hands and then wipe them in your hair, you get to have an afternoon bath.
Life lesson #9: If you jump really high in the bathtub and land on your butt, it makes mommy all wet.
Life lesson #10: When you squeeze mom’s Sponge Bob Square Pants Band-Aid it makes mommy sad.
Tonight, I came home from work and Tab was going off to work, during our exchange, I noticed Matthew and Emily both furiously looking for paper, markers and tape... focused on other things, I didn't give much interest to this beyond reminding them not to leave the markers where Ainsley can get them.
Later as things were calming down and the kids were watching TV, I went down the hall to use the rest room and saw their "projects" adorning the doors to their respective rooms:
Upon closer inspection I saw this on Emily's door:
So Emily has clearly got her "shot across the bow" in and singled out Matthew. To his credit Matthew more or less went "all-in" (or maybe "all-out") on the girls:
For those of you who cannot read Kindergarten "phonetic" spelling, the sign states: "No girls, only boys, girls stink". Now he has done this knowing that Ainsley sleeps in his room, but I think the real message was for Emily and possible Mom who constantly goes in to tell Matthew to pick up his Legos.
The message here is Dad is the only one, by decree, allowed in all rooms of the house (although in another sign he states "No DAD")... we'll see how long this lasts. Dad might have to just start working longer hours... at least until we run out of tape.
This was an interesting scenario for me to watch develop... the other night Emily decided to get out one of the LeapPad books and start reading it. Ainsley saw that Emily was quite immersed and decided to become interested too...
Rather than run over, attempt to take the LeapPad away from Emily, Ainsley decided to get her own.
This is completely abnormal for Ainsley, usually when someone has something she wants she first tries to take it, then becomes enraged and yells "MINE!", then has a complete meltdown about it.
Anyway what was really sweet (aside from no meltdown) was that after studying Emily for a minute, Ainsley took the LeapPad she had out and moved about 5 feet away to use it...
Then as she settled in to start the book, she kept taking quick glances back at Emily, then look at what she was doing, to make sure she was doing it like her big sister. This ended with her too laying down on her front, bending her knees and putting her feet in the air (which I didn't manage to capture)...
"Santa" built a huge wall of boxes to keep the kiddies from peaking at 4:00 am. It worked, they actually went back to bed until 7 or 8 o'clock. Thanks Santa!
Woo Hoo!! Hannah Montana bed!
The first of several additions to Matthew's extensive lego collection this day
Miss you Grandpa-pa and Gramma Sue!!
Thanks Uncle Geoff, they pounded this bar of chocolate down in under 3 days...
Ainsely eating the bubbles in her bathwater last night. Look at those amazing eyes!
As you can see Ainsley has a drinking problem...this is the only time we give her a cup. We keep the toilet seat down at all times as she is fascinated with the "wa-wa" inside.
Ainsley loves her baths! All we have to do is say is the word "bath" she runs down the hall signing the word bath all the way...
Scene... on the way back from a church meeting, whole family is in the car. Dad is driving, Mom is next to him, kids in the back:
Matthew: "Mom, are you kind of like the co-pilot?" Mom: "Well... uh... kinda..." Dad: "Actually, she's the NAG-a-vator" Mom: "Yeah, I'm the nagavator" Dad starts to laugh quietly Mom: "Wait a minute... no the navigator! You butt head!" Dad: "OW!" Feeling the newly forming bruise on his arm, while still laughing.
Ainsley not only likes her clothes but almost anyone's that she can get her hands on. Some of her favorites include Mom's warm fuzzy socks that look more like leggings on her. Taking these (or anything else) away from her prematurely will provoke a verbal assault of "MINE!!!" followed soon after by reprimands of "NO!" and "STOP!" crescendo-ing into and emotional collapse onto the floor.
While Matthew looks to become violently sick or about to join some legion of undead zombies... he is actually showing off his "air-guitar" skills. Whats missing in this picture are the holes in the knees of his pants (any pair for that matter) due to numerous "power-slides" while playing.
Using her "drama-queen" skills to their maximum potential, Emily poses for the camera whilst donning her precious "Hanna Montana" blanket. In terms of its importance and preciousness, this blanket is a close second to the Shroud of Turin. As for the drama skills, we've learned that there is a fine line between Shakespearean and ham....
Despite the glowing smile... Tab can often be found sitting on the floor attempting to catch her breath... as for why she is out of breath, look at the three captions above and in your mind imagine them happening all at the same time around her.
We have been married for 10 crazy, but wonderful years. We have spent the last 10 years in the Boise area, and are currently in the process of moving back to Connecticut, where our lives first began. We have 3 kids, Emily, 8, is a silly 2nd grader who loves to do anything creative, Matthew, 6, we can't get get away from legos, but he makes us laugh everyday, Ainsley,2, keeps us on our toes as she tries everything her big sister and brother do, and Gavin, our new bouncing baby boy who is getting mauled by his older brother and sisters. We are enjoying this time in our lives raising our kids!!
Emily and Matthew off on their last day of school.
Emi saying goodbye to a few friends...
Then a few more...
Some hung around for more photo opps.
After school we went to the park for an ice cream celebration with friends and Tiff and McKinna.
The boys showed us some of thier best Jedi knight moves.
The "Chic Defenders"
Ainsley and Emma, did not want to cooperate for photos. This is the best picture I got all day. Note the sunburned cheeks, it was a long day in the sun.
