Presenting the NEW "cool" Paul!

So our nightly routine is over for now! I was getting so tired of the long hair, and in a "hidden" way so was little Paul.... NO MORE nightly conditioner/blow-drying/knots/tangles/fussing! Its done! He really DOES like it, in fact Big Paul caught him playing the "air guitar" in front of the mirror right after I cut and styled it!! Just so you know, Little Paul "is" in a band, hes a ROCK STAR:) LOL!! He is TOO funny/cute!

Little Paul: Mom why does everyone always have to call me "Little Paul", it makes me feel like small..

Mom: Well because Dad is the "big" and you are the "Little", so its just easier.

Little Paul: I sort of want people to start just calling me PAUL, is that okay?
Mom: HMMM we can TRY, but it will be hard!

MY ROCK STAR!

I told him that I wanted a serious face, AND after all of that above:) I finally got this!!

"Snow day"

WOW isn't this FUN! We had WARM weather one week and THEN SNOW!! Big Paul took the kids and I on a drive over to Santa Margarita and Pozo to check it out, it was a blast to see it "here"! Even though we are headed over to Shaver Lake in a couple of weeks, it was so gorgeous and exciting to see it so close to home. It makes me thankful that we live in such a beautiful area that we can enjoy such lovely scenery, we love to drive around all over the county just to look at all the views, we are BLESSED!

Fire!!

Some of you may know that Big Paul has started his training on the weekends for CDF!! He has been working really hard at it, major WORK (butt kickin' work and book work)! The training is Saturday and Sunday for five weeks, ALL day.. He is doing a great job at it, I'm really impressed by him and his effort. He is not sure if he will be hired on this fire season (due to the State budgets) but that's not for him to decide (God is in control), I'm just so proud of him to actually follow his childhood dream of one day fighting in a fire! Even if he does not become a firefighter or if he decides its not for him, I am still SO SO SO impressed by his willingness to step out of his "comfort" zone.. He's the bomb! This training is INTENSE and NOT for the weaklings, hes is so tough AND brave, I knew he had it in him, and I'm enjoying this adventure with him!

Isn't he cute!!

VALENTINES DAY!!

Just wanted to share a little bit about our Valentines day;

It started on Wednesday with our home school co-op group, they had a little party for the kids. They had lots of fun just playing and passing out there cards, AND I had fun chatting and eating the yummy food and tea.

Thursday Olivia had a little party for our kids and couple of neighborhood friends, they ate, made valentine cards and decorated cookies AND played! HOPEFULLY I will get the pictures to post SOON (ATTENTION OLIVIA)!!!

Saturday was going to be a busy day of running around, so I woke up EARLY made the boys heart shaped pancakes and set out there cards and gifts! We ran around all day, and had planned on a valentine lunch with the boys but the restaurant was closed so we ended up at Taco bell (per little Paul's request, 2ND choice:)) Big Paul was not home until way later in the evening (hes doing the fire academy on weekends), so finally with Preston at Peachy's (with my mom and Jordan) and little Paul at Olivia's, Paul and I went and did some shopping ALONE, then to a QUIET dinner ALONE (did I mention ALONE?!!!!) What a nice WEEK/day!

Here is the picture of my new table addition

Eating his pancakes

Preston showing his heart pancake!

Decorating cookies

Just normal..

For my family and I we have our "meals" (dinner, and any other meal we are home ) together, ALWAYS! There MIGHT be an exception (SOMETIMES) like little Paul is done with his meal before us (or Preston is bugging) and we excuse them early (because Paul and I want to sit and talk alone, while the boys go and play in the other room), but MOST of the time we eat TOGETHER at the table IN the dining room! Sometimes it can get loud (yes we do only have two kids with us at the table:)), but it is what we do and that is just normal for us. We don't sit in front of the TV to eat dinner or find ourselves doing "other" things while we eat, we are sitting together, talking and eating. I'm not saying that we NEVER have taken our dinner over to the living room to watch a movie or show, but its just NOT "our" normal. I enjoy this time together and so does my family. I bring most of all the dinner to the table (drinks, napkins, food, condiments, forks-you get the picture), this way HOPEFULLY we don't have to "get up" to much during eating time, that could be SO distracting.

I added a new table to my dining room yesterday, not sure if it looks right, but its a nice addition to my dining room so that I could bring ALL the food stuff over to the area where we are and NOW we can have more room where we are eating on. I will eventually post a picture sometime soon, so tell me what you think;)

Scenario: After having a bath, TRYING to dress a VERY cranky Preston;

Mom: "Preston are you hungry?"

Preston: Smacking his lips together like he does when he is hungry.

Mom: "Okay we are almost done getting dressed, now when I'm done we are going to eat NUMMYS JUST WAIT!"

Preston: WHINE WHINE, SMACKING LIPS

Mom: "Okay I'm done (setting him down off the bed) NOW lets go eat dinner!"

Preston: Walking down the hall passing the living room AND the kitchen, straight over to the dining room and opens his high chair tray and tries to climb up, WHINING and smacking his lips together!

That's just OUR normal, even he knows it AND hes only 16months!

A four year old

The other day at little Paul's Karate class, I was sitting with a mom and chatting (like we all always do). We were just talking about regular stuff and when she mentioned that her little boy was born in 2004, well instantly I felt a hole in my stomach. While looking over to her little boy playing with all the kids and little Paul holding his hand. I listened to her talk about him and all I could do was think, "Phillip would have been four"! I cant even believe that this past November 11Th Phillip would have turned four years old..... I could not help but think of him, would he be out there (on the Karate floor) with Paul laughing and playing around, or would he be sitting with me watching his big brother during Karate class? Or would he had stayed home that day with Dad and played with his baby brother Preston? All of these things go through my mind and it makes me miss him even MORE:( FOUR years old!