MOPS Convention

No this is not a place where moms get together all swap cleaning secrets.....it is a place for moms though. I have been involved with MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) for a few years now. I was lucky enough to travel with a few friends from Cornerstone to Orlando for four days. The nice part was...NO KIDS!

We got stay at a beautiful hotel, we ate HOT meals without being interrupted by children, we went to Disney World with out entering Fataseyland and best of all we had no sleep but this was not because of our kids....we just had fun staying up late with the girls.

Kelley, Alison, Sheree & Erin enjoying a great seminar.....we laughed a lot!

A fun thing about being in Florida is that hotels have signs like this in the courtyard.

I had a hard time telling what the alligator was thinking her, too bad the turtle is not quick!

We took a ferry across the Disney Lagoon to get to the Happiest Place on Earth!

I little nicer then the sea of parking heading into Disneyland.

Mickey was dressed for the fall season with all his pumpkins

Who doesn't like this place!

We were just happy to go on adult rides.

Kelley and Erin ready for Splash mountain

Enjoying a kid-free meal at Rainforest Cafe on the Disney Lagoon.

Okay so this is where our trip got interesting. We were up WAY to early Sunday morning to head home. WE caught a flight out for the Orlando airport to head to Salt Lake City and then on to Oakland. The plane left Florida around 8:00 and we got to SLC at 10am. We were going to have a 2 hour lay over and be home for lunch :) Well at least that is what we thought. After returning form getting a snack we realize that our connection was cancelled and we were all rerouted through SFO. The kicker was that plane left at 8:00pm and we would get to SFO late that night. Just what we all wanted....10 fun hours in the SLC airport. After coffee, fun, talking, more coffee and more food....we got bored. SO what better to do then walk through all the shops, try on funky things and take pictures.

All dressed for winter in Utah

I don't think they were as amused as we were on this one.

Erin and I decided we would be the pilots for that day!

I don't think they got the memo we were in Utah, not Texas

All in all we had a great time. Being with all these girls was a great recharge for me! Thanks for all the fun memories girls!

Fun at the DSA Picnic

The kids had a blast this past weekend when we took them to the fairgrounds for the annual Deputy Sheriff's Association family picnic. For Chris this is really just heaven one earth. Think about it form his prospective for just a moment. In one place you have police cars, police trucks, police motorcycles, police horses, polices dogs, police robots, hot dogs, snow cones, candy, his friends and of course the ever popular bouncy houses. Now I think you understand why we did not tell him where we were going until we were about half way there.

The weather could not have been better and it was fun for Dani to actually be bale to run around and do stuff this year. Dani loved riding on the Sheriff's Posse horses and got a kick out of walking up and down the ramp into the bomb rig. Chris of course was just fascinated with all the "police" things there. He and his his partner in crime Aidan Barker where in hog heaven. Don't mind the fact that in most of the pictures Chris has his purple flower purse with him. Bryan is still trying to recover from that. Bryan helped out wit a bite demonstration with one of the K9's. EH put on the full bite suit and took quiet the beating from John's dog Risso. Chris thought it was the funniest thing the world seeing daddy get bit by the dog. Good things things like this don't scare the kids, I was a little worried at first.

It was a fun day spent with the kids and as a family.

Dani in front of the bomb truck

the kids loved playing in the car together.

Dani and mom went for a ride on one of the police horses.

Chris and Aidan on the motorcycle......take note of the cute purse

Chris and Aidan again, this time with the bomb suit

Kenny helping Bryan into the bite suit.

Bryan and Chris in front of the newest addition to the bomb squad fleet

Cupcake Face

I just had to share this picture because I thought it was so precious.
Dani was a very happy camper after her cupcake.....CUTIE!

The oh so subtle sounds of the night

Nights are the time that I have to myself to unwind and relax. Bryan is at work, the kids are in bed and I can pretty much do what I want....well as long as I don't leave the house. I think that would just open a whole other set of problems.

After starting laundry, cleaning the kitchen and getting things ready for the next day, I grab the computer and catch up on the days happenings. On nights....like tonight I sit here in quiet. Oh but wait, what is that noise. I hear the subtle creak of a door, Chris has emerged. You see over the past few weeks Chris has perfected the art of finding EVERY possible stall tactic to go to bed. He is great at bedtime. We read books, say prayers, he MUST go check on Dani and then it is to bed he goes. Generally around 10 -15 minutes I can count on hearing the creak of the door. The fun part is trying to guess what he might be getting up to do. There are a variety of reasons

going potty
washing his hands
brushing his teeth....again
putting his stuffed bear on the chair out side his room
taking off his PJ's
going potty again
washing hands ( this happens at least twice a night.)
rearranging his bathroom drawer

That leads me to the next night time ritual of Chris's. One night this week when he got up I walked upstairs to see what the excuse was this time. I found Chris in the bathroom and told he me "my drawer was messy so I fixed it" I think we may have some early onset OCD from this little guy. I will have to take a picture of the drawer for you, I was laughing so hard when I saw it.

So I sit here in peace, listening to the creaking of doors, flushing of toilets, the rushing water in the bathroom and the pitter patter of the little feet upstairs.

I love my quiet nights.

What should I be when I grow up?

Dani is BIG into dressing up and trying things on these days. During a few playdates at Vicki's house, she tried out a few professions. I am sure they will turn a little more girlie a few years down the road.....

should I be a cyclist....

with these goggles I could be a race car driver.....

or I can always follow in daddy's footsteps and be a police officer......OR

I can make Daddy really happy and be a fireman!

4 year old Logic

Tonight the kids and I were in Dani's room doing a little pre-gym diaper change. The windows in her room were open and Chris had his face pressed against the screen making fun noise. A car drove by and he stopped. That is when this conversation began:

Mom, the street is dangerous right?
That's right it is.
If you play in the streets the cars will get you right?
Yes they will. (this is where is got good)
The car will run you over and smush you.....then you will be hurt....the ambulance will come to get you. Then mom the ambulance has this thingy that goes up and down that you sit on, it is cool.....'member mom the one they had a pre-school
Yeah I remember.
They put you on that and cover you up and take you to the hospital with the loud sirens. Then, then when you get to hospital they say that you are dead.
Oh,
But then you go to heaven with Jesus.
Uh....okay
I don't like to play in the street 'cause I don't want to get dead

So there you have it. The obvious reasons for not playing in the street. I was quite amused and partially disturbed as this conversation played out. The nice thing though is that he truly never goes out in the street due to his fear of "getting dead." LOVE IT!