tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373784852024-03-04T23:59:27.651-08:00Bradshaw Family MomentsDanny Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14440329217876836229noreply@blogger.comBlogger185125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37378485.post-21512943168069059302012-02-15T12:11:00.000-08:002012-02-15T12:14:12.927-08:00Read This; Read That!I am officially addicted to the library! From just regular books to digital books for my kindle, I am in a huge book phase. I can't get enough!<div><br /></div><div>Right now I am reading two different series, have 4 books checked out from our local library, and one digital book checked out for my kindle. I just wish I could read all day long. :)</div>Mardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03329298216490720741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37378485.post-7833520593628257272012-01-25T07:18:00.000-08:002012-01-25T07:23:14.740-08:00What did you do, Danny?(As a side note, Danny sprained his ankle a while back. By a while I mean months ago.) <div><br /></div><div>Ellie got a little scratch on her finger yesterday. I put a bandaid on her ouchie and this is what she said...</div><div><br /></div><div>Ellie: "I'm really sorry daddy hurt his uncle. But I'm glad his uncle is better now."</div><div><br /></div><div>Later that day (after having told him what she said)...</div><div><br /></div><div>Me: "Danny, what did you do to your uncle?"</div><div><br /></div><div>Danny: "I buried him." :)</div>Mardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03329298216490720741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37378485.post-11242732340383544572012-01-25T07:14:00.000-08:002012-01-25T07:18:19.607-08:00Language BarrierPreston: "Guess what I learned today, mom."<div><br /></div><div>Me: "What?"</div><div><br /></div><div>Preston: "I learned how to say 'here' in Spanish. Aqui. I live aqui. That means I live here."</div><div><br /></div><div>Me: "Wow! Who taught you that?"</div><div><br /></div><div>Preston: "Mrs. Blackaller. She told us that she knows a lot of spanish. I think she must have lived in China for a while or something."</div><div><br /></div><div>Me: (trying really hard not to laugh) "Or something." :)</div>Mardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03329298216490720741noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37378485.post-39627575755901597162012-01-13T16:06:00.000-08:002012-01-13T16:29:36.540-08:00Playground PestsI really dislike how cruel little kids can be...<div><br /></div><div>Kaden is naturally a very kind-hearted kid. He really cares about others and wants to please them. </div><div><br /></div><div>Last year we had an issue with one of his "friends" beginning to bully him. This "friend" tried to shove wood chips in Kaden's mouth, kicked him as he was hanging from the monkey bars, and continually hit him with his backpack. We had a long talk with Kaden about sticking up for himself, and throughout the next few weeks we basically took care of that situation.</div><div><br /></div><div>Last night we asked Kaden how his day was. I could tell something was wrong and tried to pry it out of him. He then started to cry and explained how he had gotten into a fight that day. We asked him what happened. He said that he was playing kickball with a group of kids, he called out how many outs there were, and one of the kids said, "We know, Kaden!" in a really rude voice. Kaden, being too timid to say anything, walked away. And that was the extent of his fight.</div><div><br /></div><div>We told him we were very proud of him for simply walking away. We explained that it's the right thing to do instead of yelling back or hitting. By this point he was just so frustrated that he was crying because (in his words) he is 9 years old and he should not cry like that at 9 years old. </div><div><br /></div><div>I just want to say how much I love this kid! He is emotional and even overly sensitive sometimes. But I am the same way. :) I tend to read in to others actions too much as well. I guess he comes by it honestly. :)</div><div><br /></div><div>In reality, though, I just want him to realize that these things happen and we just have to move on. At the moment, it seems like the end of the world. But give it a week and you will barely remember what happened.</div><div><br /></div><div>These are the things we are dealing with on a daily basis as a parent. We try to teach them things that we as parents haven't even mastered. And in the end, we hope it's enough.</div>Mardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03329298216490720741noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37378485.post-63782011043922432792012-01-04T09:36:00.000-08:002012-01-04T09:37:38.711-08:00Rub-a-dub-dubWhile taking a bath...<div><br /></div><div>Ellie: Are you clean, mom?</div><div><br /></div><div>Me: Yep.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ellie: I need to get all clean, huh.</div><div><br /></div><div>Me: Uh-huh.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ellie: Cause you don't like stinky little kid girls.</div><div><br /></div><div>:) So true. :)</div>Mardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03329298216490720741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37378485.post-13083311215775472172012-01-04T08:54:00.000-08:002012-01-04T09:13:54.256-08:00Smooth Criminal<div>Last night was AMAZING! There was one part when it almost felt like the church of Michael Jackson, with people yelling, "We love you, Michael!" Plus there were a couple of songs that were just plain cheesy. But overall I would give the Michael Jackson Cirque Du Soleil 2 huge thumbs up! </div><div><br /></div><div>There were so many highlights I couldn't list them all. One of my favorites, though, would be the one-legged man that danced so crazy good! He had his forearm crutches and danced with the rest of the crew. You could hardly tell he only had one leg (except of course that one pant leg was empty and pinned up). He was amazing - break dancing and everything. So cool!</div><div><br /></div><div>And Thriller! That song was so awesome! I tried to record it but the recording is awful. But they did such a great job on that song too.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is the video that turned out the best, but it still doesn't do the show justice. The music was so loud that the audio is very distorted in the video. And you can't even really see some of the coolest things. But, here's Smooth Criminal...</div><div><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw6NEMAhmTp_aPoBxPllbEUVGFELx_jqC5D_GM5rgUJGvhDOxPjECG1aLffDRUGUivpeukmQ8RWqGo' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><div><br /></div><div>A big, huge thank you to Danny! I love that man! Thanks for the surprise. You are the best!</div>Mardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03329298216490720741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37378485.post-86509759210960381192012-01-04T08:50:00.000-08:002012-01-04T08:52:36.813-08:00Hello?<div>Ellie has started to really love to "talk on the phone". She will pretend any toy is a phone and this is what we see every day now...</div><div><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxHhcC6TSZO3L4rUwvw76ImgZxtBX2XAkQRIjQ_CRueLEi5qZN_U6FO24QrsNn0Klhglb6Xdkw4Asc' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><div><br /></div><div>(I wish the quality was better - I recorded it on my phone)</div>Mardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03329298216490720741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37378485.post-58168291647232622542012-01-03T07:52:00.000-08:002012-01-03T08:26:21.274-08:00Christmas BreakWe had a very enjoyable Christmas break. We started it off by going to the Birds of Prey exhibit/museum. Kaden had gone for a school field trip and loved it so much. He brought home a family pass and begged us to take him. Kaden's favorite was either the HUGE condor or Luigi the big Harpy Eagle. Preston's favorite was either the bald eagles or Luigi. Ellie's favorite was Luigi. And my favorite was Luigi as well. We actually got to see Luigi fly, so maybe that's why we all liked him so much.<div><br /></div><div>Next, we had a movie day. We took the kids to see Puss in Boots, went to Outback Steakhouse (yum) for dinner, then Danny took me and Ellie home. We watched a girlie movie at home while the boys all went back to the theater to watch a "boylish" (Ellie's pronunciation) movie. It was an enjoyable day. The only downer was me feeling sick throughout the weekend (which is why I had to come home with Ellie). </div><div><br /></div><div>Christmas Eve was a cookie-making day. We took our time making yummy sugar cookies for Santa Claus. (This is probably a good time to mention that Kaden found out the truth about Santa this year. So all day long he would ask questions like, "So, do you and dad actually eat the cookies we set out for Santa?" or, "What happens to the oats we lay out for Rudolph?" It was humorous to see his mind work out the facts.) We talked about the Christmas story that night and sent the kids to bed.</div><div><br /></div><div>We really enjoyed Christmas this year. It was really low-key, but very nice. No extended family the whole day (which we missed) but we really enjoyed being together. I was really surprised that the kids didn't wake up early this year. They insisted that they wanted to wake up at 4 in the morning, but in reality I finally woke them up at 7. We opened Christmas presents, ate cinnamon rolls for breakfast, went to sacrament meeting, came home and ate a nice steak and shrimp dinner, and played with each other.</div><div><br /></div><div>We spent the next few days playing with new toys. Kaden got a ripstick that he continually practiced riding. He's getting really good at it. While Kaden rode his ripstick, Preston and Ellie rode their new scooters. They loved it! We also played a lot of xbox with our new kinect. It is pretty fun. Also, each year santa gives each of us a Jamba Juice gift card, so we made our annual trip to Jamba. Oh, and we got ready for New Years Eve. </div><div><br /></div><div>We invited a couple of family's over to bring in the New Year. We had LOTS of snack foods/appetizers, played lots of games including the kinect, and enjoyed friends & family. It was really fun!</div><div><br /></div><div>Yesterday we went skeet shooting with some friends - So Much Fun! Then we went out to lunch with them. The only thing that would have been better is if Brandi (the mother) could have come. She woke up with a migraine yesterday so she had to stay home. :( </div><div><br /></div><div>Then the kids had their friends come over and play. They love all of their neighbors. I love them too. My kids always have someone to play with and can never really say they are bored. I love it here.</div><div><br /></div><div>That brings us to today. It is the last day the kids have out of school. I am taking today to do laundry and get groceries. They are taking today to get as much fun in as possible. Danny surprised me last night by getting us tickets to the Michael Jackson Cirque Du Soleil here in Boise tonight. I was really SHOCKED! So I rushed to find a babysitter and we will be going to that tonight. </div><div><br /></div><div>And that was our Christmas break. It was very fun for all of us. And this wouldn't be a proper 1st post of 2012 if I didn't say, "Hope you all have a wonderful New Year!"</div>Mardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03329298216490720741noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37378485.post-15694268778598199572011-12-20T19:15:00.001-08:002011-12-20T19:18:38.473-08:00Glow-Stick DancingWe just received the best gift from some friends of ours. It came with a CD (with fun, up-beat Christmas music), and some glow sticks. We were supposed to:<div><br /></div><div>1. Pop the CD into the player</div><div>2. Turn off all the lights</div><div>3. Crack the glow sticks</div><div>4. Let Loose!</div><div><br /></div><div>Wow! Who knew it could be so fun just dancing in the dark with glow sticks? Even Danny got into it! So Much Fun!!! Thanks to the McDaniel Family!</div>Mardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03329298216490720741noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37378485.post-68167265665258785832011-12-07T07:15:00.000-08:002011-12-07T07:45:09.524-08:00CommissionsWe've started a new type of chore chart at our house. We got the idea from my sister over Thanksgiving. It goes like this...<div><br /></div><div>My kids don't have to do any chores if they don't want to (unless I ask them to do something).</div><div><br /></div><div>There is a list of different "chores" and the price tag on each. If they do a chore, they put their name by it, and they get the money associated with that task. If they work together at a task, they split the money for that task. They can also get money for doing extra tasks that aren't listed. Essentially, they get paid a commission for helping me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Their bedroom and their toys/toy closet is considered their space. They are in charge of their space. If I have to intervene and clean their room, they have to pay me a commission for helping them.</div><div><br /></div><div>They have to pay for half of what they need. If they need a new pair of shoes, they pay for half. If Kaden needs another recorder for school, he pays for half. And they pay 100% for any wants. (Of course, that is besides presents that we get them.)</div><div><br /></div><div>The reason I am taking the time to document this is because it is working! My kids are not only keeping their room clean (they don't want to have to pay me), they are looking for ways to make money. </div><div><br /></div><div>Last night my kids unloaded and loaded the dishes - 2 different tasks on our chart. But then they hand washed all of the dishes that didn't fit in the dishwasher, swept, and wiped off the table. Kaden has helped me with the laundry (very unusual in our house), and Ellie has even gotten excited about helping. My kids don't grumble about cleaning. They are starting to realize that they want/need money to buy the things they want/need. Kaden says that tonight he is planning on helping me with laundry, vacuuming, and possibly mopping. All things he never would have volunteered for before. </div><div><br /></div><div>Another aspect that I like about this is that they think it's worth it. Some, if not all, of the tasks have a pretty high price on them. I thought about decreasing the price from what my sister had set. In fact, I did a little bit. But they still get paid a whole $1 to take out all the garbages in the house. And because the price is set so high, they think it's great. They totally want to do the chores because they get paid pretty well in their eyes. And for me, if I am expecting them to pay half of all their needs, I figure they need the opportunity to make enough money to save for those things. And lets face it... I would be paying for 100% of all of their needs if not for this system. So if they're willing to work for the money that I would be putting towards their needs anyway, I'm all for it!</div><div><br /></div><div>It's a win, win situation! Thanks Jodi!</div>Mardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03329298216490720741noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37378485.post-55475168706060206632011-11-07T14:22:00.000-08:002011-11-07T14:29:54.380-08:00Liar, Liar...Apparently Danny and I tend to tease our kids a lot. We can be a little sarcastic with them and I guess Kaden has learned.<div><br /></div><div>We were sitting down to eat dinner and we told Kaden that he couldn't heat up his roll cause the microwave is broken. He didn't believe us and said, "no matter what you say, I'll never believe you!" </div><div><br /></div><div>So I said, "Kay, go ahead and warm it up."</div><div><br /></div><div>He staunchly got up out of his chair and proceeded to reheat his roll in the microwave. After 20 seconds, he pulled the roll out and it was still cold. "Okay," he said. "I guess you were being honest."</div><div><br /></div><div>As a side note, it really is annoying that our microwave broke. :( Gonna be shopping for a new one this weekend.</div>Mardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03329298216490720741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37378485.post-20840926894599075582011-11-07T14:18:00.000-08:002011-11-07T14:22:16.410-08:00Say What?!?Something I want to remember...<div><br /></div><div>A few months ago I fixed Kaden, Preston, and Ellie hotdogs for lunch. We'd just had a conversation about what they are made out of. As soon as Ellie got her hotdog, she exclaimed, "I sorry piggy, I eat you now."</div>Mardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03329298216490720741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37378485.post-11814963821148754792011-06-25T14:45:00.000-07:002011-06-25T14:49:17.939-07:00What We've Been Up To...I'm planning on posting a few catch-up posts... This is #1.<div><br /></div><div>What have we been up to? One of the many things is this website...</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.hydebuilders.com">www.hydebuilders.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div>This is my dad's business. Danny built the website; I added the pictures. We had a different site done and this is the updated version. I think Danny is so talented and I love this design. He sort of stole the idea from somebody else, but he did do all the programming and made it really easy for me to update the pictures on it. Yeah, he's really talented!</div>Mardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03329298216490720741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37378485.post-52410022168326966152011-06-03T08:22:00.001-07:002011-06-03T08:32:30.084-07:00Singing My Baby To SleepLast night Ellie did not want to go to bed. She kept saying, "Wanna hold you!"<div><br /></div><div>I finally pointed out to her that her baby needed to sleep too. Because, of course, her baby was very tired and needed to get some rest. To this she said, "I sing her to sleep."</div><div><br /></div><div>Mom: "You want to sing her to sleep? What song are you going to sing?"</div><div><br /></div><div>Ellie: "Twinkle Star."</div><div><br /></div><div>Mom: "Good idea! Maybe you should sing your sunbeam song too."</div><div><br /></div><div>Ellie: "Yes."</div><div><br /></div><div>Mom: "And maybe, 'I Am A Child Of God'."</div><div><br /></div><div>Ellie: "Yes."</div><div><br /></div><div>Mom: "Ok... You sing to her til she falls asleep. I love you, Ellie."</div><div><br /></div><div>Ellie: "Too, Mom." (She always just says the last word to that phrase.)</div><div><br /></div><div>I went out of the bedroom and listened. She started with Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, singing as loud as she could. She always gets stuck on the next song and all I could hear was... "A sunBEAM, a sunBEAM! A sunBEAM, a sunBEAM! A sunBEAM, a sunBEAM!" By the time she got to her final number, I could tell she was getting tired. She quietly sang the last song and then all was quiet. </div><div><br /></div><div>Until about an hour later... when she woke up crying cause now she wanted Daddy. Oh well... It was worth a try. :)</div>Mardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03329298216490720741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37378485.post-67227626192547286682011-06-02T20:22:00.000-07:002011-06-02T21:01:54.316-07:00May Coupon ReportThis is for my own records more than anything else. You can even skip this post if you'd like. :)<div><br /></div><div>For the month of May, I spent $494.98 while couponing. That was for $1,468.05 worth of groceries. That's a 66.28% savings for the month of May.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some of the things that I stocked up on...</div><div>Toilet Paper</div><div>Razors for Danny (x)</div><div>Body Wash for Danny (x)</div><div>Peanut Butter (x)</div><div>Wheat Thin Sticks (new family fav.) (x)</div><div>Chips (x)</div><div>BBQ Sauce (x)</div><div>Soy Sauce</div><div>Spaghetti Sauce (x)</div><div>Pickles (x)</div><div>Bread</div><div>Cheese</div><div>S'mores for camping (x)</div><div>Hot Dogs for camping</div><div>Oatmeal</div><div>LOTS of Cereal (x)</div><div>LOTS of Pop Tarts (x)</div><div>Pasta (x)</div><div>Ice Cream</div><div>Pork Chops</div><div>Chicken & Steak for camping (x)</div><div>Laundry Soap (x)</div><div>Stain Remover (x)</div><div>Eye Solution (x)</div><div>Pain Medicine (x)</div><div><br /></div><div>Again, this list is for me. I want to keep track of how much I save as well as what I was able to stock up on during this time of year. The things that made this list were the purchases that will last at least a couple of months. Some of the items on the list (the ones I marked with an x) I now have enough to last months and months.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm back in the saddle, baby. :)</div><div><br /></div><div>Oh, and can you tell we are planning on camping a lot this summer? :)</div>Mardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03329298216490720741noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37378485.post-13649816116876195792011-04-21T13:24:00.000-07:002011-06-02T20:57:56.231-07:00Extreme CouponerYep, that's right... I started couponing again. If you've seen the new TLC show "Extreme Couponing", I am in no way like any of those people. I don't go to a store and get $2000 worth of groceries for $15. :)<div><br /></div><div>I did, however, get $150 worth of groceries for a measly $30. It included 8 boxes of cereal, 8 boxes pasta, 2 bottles of laundry detergent, some Easter candy, and other stuff (that I'm too lazy to type). I'm happy with it so far. :)</div>Mardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03329298216490720741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37378485.post-1663581472270259142011-04-15T11:02:00.000-07:002011-04-15T11:03:19.568-07:00Update...Ellie has gone 2 days without having an accident in her pull-up. She is wearing underwear today! Wish me luck. :)Mardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03329298216490720741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37378485.post-85342965453769869732011-04-13T11:38:00.000-07:002011-04-13T11:56:24.161-07:00An Urgent IncidentLast Tuesday I was at baseball practice with Kaden (see previous post) when I got a phone call from Danny. He said, "Ellie's had an accident, I think it needs stitches, it's on her head." My mind, of course, started spinning with the possibilities of serious injuries occurring on a 2 year old's head. I realized that I had seen our pediatrician working on his lawn when I had left for baseball (he happens to be our neighbor), and told Danny to have Dr. Smith take a look at her while I grabbed Kaden and ran home (I had the car).<div><br /></div><div>By the time I got home Danny had taken her to the Smith's home and got the second opinion that it did indeed need stitches or glue and that the gash (yes, gash) needed to be cleaned. So we took her in to the Urgent Care and they were able to glue her back together.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now for the story - She slipped on a dvd case that was laying on our hardwood floor and she fell head first into the corner of our bookcase that's in the office. She had a big, deep gash on her forehead that was down to the bone and completely split open. I had a hard time looking at it. She was very brave and only cried when she was scared of the doctor.</div><div><br /></div><div>Click <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/mardiebradshaw/EllieOwie#slideshow/">here</a> for pictures - they don't do the wound justice, but they are still a little gory so beware. And they aren't the best pictures cause they were taken with my phone - but, it is what it is. :) </div><div><br /></div><div>She is now healing and it's been a week so we will be taking the tape off soon. Life is full of incidents, and I'm glad this one wasn't more serious. It could have been a lot worse (like if she had hit a couple inches lower on her eye! Yikes!)</div>Mardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03329298216490720741noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37378485.post-91295365242297219912011-04-13T11:27:00.000-07:002011-04-13T11:38:51.237-07:00Tight ScheduleKaden wanted to try baseball this year. So we signed him up. It has kept us extremely busy the last couple of weeks and proves to keep us busy for at least another month and a half. Between 1 to 3 practices each week, plus at least 2 games per week... well, you get the idea. Our schedule has definitely been tightened. But he really loves it and they have won all three of their games so far. The first game was FREEZING with rain and they had to call the game after 2 innings - but they were ahead at that time. The second game they won with a score of 12 to 6 (and even with that score, it was an intense game). And the third game was won by 1 point. <div><br /></div><div>He has learned a lot about the sport and says that he likes it even more that basketball, which says a lot for him. So we invested in a bat and a whole bunch of balls and Danny will be working with him tonight on batting. He's doing much better than when the season began (simply because it's his first time playing the sport). I'm just glad that he likes it so much. And it makes the hectic schedule a little more worth it. :)</div>Mardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03329298216490720741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37378485.post-61814422288104267012011-03-26T13:27:00.000-07:002011-03-26T13:39:02.392-07:00What Am I Missing?!?In the process of potty training, both of my boys learned how to pee in the toilet long before learning to poo... (yes, we are encroaching on that topic). It then took time to teach them about the #2 part of toilet etiquette.<div><br /></div><div>Ellie, however, has been completely different in her training techniques. She figured out how to pee on the potty, but not how to tell me when she needs to go. The effect is simply that when I insist that she sit on the potty, she indeed releases the built-up liquid. But if I am not preemptive, she will have a wet pull-up.</div><div><br /></div><div>BUT -- She knows when she has to go #2. She will tell us when she needs to, and she hasn't had that kind of accident in over 2 weeks!</div><div><br /></div><div>I don't know what I'm missing... How do I finish the potty training process so that she will tell me when she needs to go? Don't get me wrong, I LOVE that I haven't had to deal with poopy diapers. But I would also really love it if I didn't have to buy pull-ups at all anymore. Help!?!</div>Mardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03329298216490720741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37378485.post-88816200625311508622011-03-15T12:48:00.000-07:002011-03-15T12:52:31.832-07:00All Things Girl...<div>Last Thursday I decided to make my princess perty. :) I got the straightener out and curled her hair in ringlets. She looked so adorable I had to take pictures.<div><br /></div><div>It won't be an everyday occurrence, but she actually liked having me do her hair - and, let's face it, SO CUTE!!!</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2raH4lTwgFIR-0ucGbL5122qBYiJIDZwK_JXw6CTUn-cSHJjX9HFpkDmzGvtBm8upeB0K2MrZ2OoyNr0kK1ulYFRT2FB-vMOqyHw3PL8JJo0Y2LXRY08Bw_YpzXwQjoLmOee/s1600/20110310_99_12.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2raH4lTwgFIR-0ucGbL5122qBYiJIDZwK_JXw6CTUn-cSHJjX9HFpkDmzGvtBm8upeB0K2MrZ2OoyNr0kK1ulYFRT2FB-vMOqyHw3PL8JJo0Y2LXRY08Bw_YpzXwQjoLmOee/s320/20110310_99_12.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584396827660056178" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4iSlv2whSN12z0vzVv-PZGvlMuBBl9VjTbvphg0Y51PaBcXyR2llNzCsNg78oodqSYrLUJotm4bXu0DYzTGYaOjnA31-bk0_AhcfOc6MarYmgbgVRXUYRtzTZ8qLLKs_0Jna/s1600/20110310_99_10.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4iSlv2whSN12z0vzVv-PZGvlMuBBl9VjTbvphg0Y51PaBcXyR2llNzCsNg78oodqSYrLUJotm4bXu0DYzTGYaOjnA31-bk0_AhcfOc6MarYmgbgVRXUYRtzTZ8qLLKs_0Jna/s320/20110310_99_10.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584396822776628274" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3kUbvzao1L9IZIY-YwhfFck7Trv4qkpunTf76SMk13Ae9vfs46seyOo65AeA5fCagzoR9OdMdmL6RAPDQDhWptsCZaMY5m-P-CHY9yaxZPC5KwF_R9oacIxbkXboy4Fs48Sh/s1600/20110310_99_6.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3kUbvzao1L9IZIY-YwhfFck7Trv4qkpunTf76SMk13Ae9vfs46seyOo65AeA5fCagzoR9OdMdmL6RAPDQDhWptsCZaMY5m-P-CHY9yaxZPC5KwF_R9oacIxbkXboy4Fs48Sh/s320/20110310_99_6.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584396819320993810" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzQpAGjiMny1-b6k12ZWrwBseY6tkZdVf2680egr7tU3ov-a3qPIsaAkYNUzHHvw4yjM1wRwZe4cWgZyg8R_uGEG5VihXWjsbMV1uqwnxBg_JIGNnl6ieYEn3DbdVY4DOyb5e/s1600/20110310_99_3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzQpAGjiMny1-b6k12ZWrwBseY6tkZdVf2680egr7tU3ov-a3qPIsaAkYNUzHHvw4yjM1wRwZe4cWgZyg8R_uGEG5VihXWjsbMV1uqwnxBg_JIGNnl6ieYEn3DbdVY4DOyb5e/s320/20110310_99_3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584396815359823714" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWVOfNUHL91uWyliylsrEyqKAGDUuZdcwRKUF_8vf6zB4euJDceAN8P59vr55hsz0d8kojMmG1X7o7DMTUQMV3fDp0NGSdr8WaJJ2Fd_zDR45cDooaWlYV9d-CVpIGM_F3atr/s1600/20110310_99.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWVOfNUHL91uWyliylsrEyqKAGDUuZdcwRKUF_8vf6zB4euJDceAN8P59vr55hsz0d8kojMmG1X7o7DMTUQMV3fDp0NGSdr8WaJJ2Fd_zDR45cDooaWlYV9d-CVpIGM_F3atr/s320/20110310_99.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584396809449629666" /></a>Mardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03329298216490720741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37378485.post-39077311839753179052011-03-15T12:26:00.000-07:002011-03-15T12:47:42.763-07:00V Is For VEST<div>Preston came home from preschool the other day and was so excited to try on his craft. Here are some pictures...</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzuYpZ1o5bOb8F-F8Kky4_yjfDzcW2VNCpPJg4eVlpSkVp-V4d6t8mmOftX8Et-CKW0H2bvwH3cKr81tu21J_qjUFNjmtvyQynkjKmoknZL4QgivHJOJHQ_FsJF_H5MNyI-WDh/s1600/20110302_99_3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzuYpZ1o5bOb8F-F8Kky4_yjfDzcW2VNCpPJg4eVlpSkVp-V4d6t8mmOftX8Et-CKW0H2bvwH3cKr81tu21J_qjUFNjmtvyQynkjKmoknZL4QgivHJOJHQ_FsJF_H5MNyI-WDh/s320/20110302_99_3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584395642870191218" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE3vv1b6HqsPOZ3474fT_dwUpAjBuwdBEdLTotycJINKhW4TC05JavU1TD5c9TEpH4ecJX1Shxg-3eDT0raM6Bb35b-3yHxe7NAnlbFtnlQ0ZTJyol6YxBj0i5TAB05qltR7Dn/s1600/20110302_99_2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE3vv1b6HqsPOZ3474fT_dwUpAjBuwdBEdLTotycJINKhW4TC05JavU1TD5c9TEpH4ecJX1Shxg-3eDT0raM6Bb35b-3yHxe7NAnlbFtnlQ0ZTJyol6YxBj0i5TAB05qltR7Dn/s320/20110302_99_2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584395642804673058" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfJHJgc-FCFRbXHGq0GLN_TiTsIYlhyaEg4aDOgAZF-QRM_ppzmLlKwoKjQuiUV2bl5bDVTLYl6v4Bb-ODv6P3_3Kl3XsnWBcXxKHtiENYVMGgaQgGc8YqTn7WuBJHk1zYMb7/s1600/20110302_99_1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfJHJgc-FCFRbXHGq0GLN_TiTsIYlhyaEg4aDOgAZF-QRM_ppzmLlKwoKjQuiUV2bl5bDVTLYl6v4Bb-ODv6P3_3Kl3XsnWBcXxKHtiENYVMGgaQgGc8YqTn7WuBJHk1zYMb7/s320/20110302_99_1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584395636040754594" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdW_mxu25dEg6Q9GjqU9yd-fiBXCHgXUnf0lW-wpc0NzRcQhpgrjwbAK8jbnwT4DC-9UeKKtHguJyyorxGq8-smWCA5tneAWQUeHBYkWIfRxAf0xvQhUxn-KUAxOwzzwwkj35_/s1600/20110302_99.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdW_mxu25dEg6Q9GjqU9yd-fiBXCHgXUnf0lW-wpc0NzRcQhpgrjwbAK8jbnwT4DC-9UeKKtHguJyyorxGq8-smWCA5tneAWQUeHBYkWIfRxAf0xvQhUxn-KUAxOwzzwwkj35_/s320/20110302_99.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584395631538552546" /></a><div>I just love the gangster pose that he insists on doing in pictures. :)</div>Mardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03329298216490720741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37378485.post-80789127686706756972011-03-09T16:19:00.000-08:002011-03-09T16:46:52.066-08:00PineWood Derby Results<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5tqTuI9FGh1xjaFPAtDIR1auC2XobZOfrcQnHPZXqTcP5BwWo8eTZCTydh2eeNvXjXbyIZctCo_GMdoOXeBOJ9Kn7PwmvfxGgyF7XhUW_TFCOZuj2Wg_jHu9iPCNEqV9F2Co/s1600/20110308_99_20.JPG"></a>Kaden participated in the pinewood derby in scouts yesterday. He and Danny had worked on his car for about 2 weeks - with a little help from my dad over the weekend. <div><br /></div><div>Danny was unable to attend the derby as he is out of town until tomorrow night. So he had me record every single race that Kaden's car was in (8 total). Again, this is for Danny's benefit...</div><div><br /></div><div>Race #1 (1st place):</div><div><br /></div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/N94pt2FGeUc?hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/N94pt2FGeUc?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Race #2 (1st place):</div><div><br /></div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Kva7izFzZPc?hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Kva7izFzZPc?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Race #3 (2nd place):<br /></div><div><br /></div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3Pvq93psqYU?hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3Pvq93psqYU?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Race #4 (3rd place):</div><div><br /></div><div>He accidentally dropped his car at the beginning of this race. Oops!</div><div><br /></div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Iks17BNn2Ts?hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Iks17BNn2Ts?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Race #5 (2nd place):</div><div><br /></div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Em9FPDpfwNQ?hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Em9FPDpfwNQ?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Race #6 (1st place):</div><div><br /></div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rKg6teEmwwU?hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rKg6teEmwwU?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Race #7 (1st place):</div><div><br /></div><div>The racing ramp was all electronic. The computer had a glitch on this race and they had to race again.</div><div><br /></div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/P9siTysV7XI?hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/P9siTysV7XI?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Race #8 (1st place):</div><div><br /></div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XWxvFCHEig8?hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XWxvFCHEig8?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>He ended up getting 6th place overall. He also received an award naming him the Dark Knight.</div><div><br /></div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8wtehByfuew?hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8wtehByfuew?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><div><br /></div><div>He had so much fun and I wish Danny could have been here to enjoy it with us. There's always next year, I guess.</div><div><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5tqTuI9FGh1xjaFPAtDIR1auC2XobZOfrcQnHPZXqTcP5BwWo8eTZCTydh2eeNvXjXbyIZctCo_GMdoOXeBOJ9Kn7PwmvfxGgyF7XhUW_TFCOZuj2Wg_jHu9iPCNEqV9F2Co/s320/20110308_99_20.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582243914385979826" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></span>Mardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03329298216490720741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37378485.post-34978906928443390802011-03-09T15:13:00.000-08:002011-03-09T15:15:16.809-08:00Show-OffEllie's such a show-off. But I'm allowed to think it's absolutely adorable... Right???<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CJW--XSugPE?hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CJW--XSugPE?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EG-dsAltp4E?hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EG-dsAltp4E?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iD16269toa0?hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iD16269toa0?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Mardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03329298216490720741noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37378485.post-83896399789860014062011-02-26T09:52:00.000-08:002011-02-26T10:06:11.409-08:00Jump Rope For HeartAnyone who knows me will know why I actually decided to participate in this fundraiser for Kaden's school. My sister has had 2 heart transplants and therefore I feel a connection to the cause. I understand if you are not able to participate by donating to his fund raising goal. Again, the only reason I am advertising this is because I feel somewhat strongly about this subject.<div><br /></div><div>The fund raiser is going through the week of March 7-11. That is when Kaden will be participating in the Jump Rope for Heart activity. Click <a href="http://amha.convio.net/site/TR/JumpforHeart/PMA-PacificMountainAffiliate?px=2670490&pg=personal&fr_id=1443">HERE</a> to donate through his fund raising website. And thanks for everyone who does participate.</div>Mardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03329298216490720741noreply@blogger.com1