Check out my blog for Kid's Philosophy

Here's the link to my other blog. Kid's Philosophy: baby wraps, ring slings, hair accessories, and more... is the new home for our new business (Steph and I, that is). I'm so excited. I just sold this way cute sling this morning. I'll have to get a picture of the other sling I sold - for those of you wondering if there are slings for boys or that you can share with your hubby. I'll be posting pictures of the "joey wrap" tomorrow. Please leave me some feedback on my new blog and let me know what you think of the goodies. I've posted some pictures already, but I'll be adding new stuff everyday this week.

Hope you have a great day!!

Highland Hills Stake Girls Camp

I got back from Girls Camp a couple weeks ago and I'm just now getting around to blogging about it. We had so much fun this year, and this was my first time I was able to go as a leader. All the other times I was in YW, I was either pregnant or nursing, so camp wasn't an option. Here are a few things we did at camp...

The girls set up a vanity - yes, complete with a table and mirror - to fix their hair and put on make-up everyday at camp. This was definitely new to me. I don't remember any girls putting on make-up when I went to camp 17 years ago.

The leaders...on the last day we took this picture. Yes, hanging out with a bunch of teenagers will cause you to revert back to adolescence. We had a blast doing our own crazy hair...pictures will probably come in another post...and I even let one of the girls put make-up on me.

Big Hair Day

Still Big Hair Day

Camp socks. Melissa found these really cute socks at Target that all had a little purple in them, (that was our ward color), so we all wore them on Wednesday.

In addition to all the fun we had, we did have some more serious and spiritual activities where the girls were able to learn and grow and bond most of all. I'll have to get those pictures from someone else - I seemed to have not taken an pictures of the amazing "Life Line" activity that we did. Those will be posted later though. We had dry weather though, despite the "flash flood" that hit camp on Saturday set-up day, (which ended up being postponed to Monday), and plenty of food, giant marshmallows, dessert, and late nights.

Loose Tooth? Tooth Fairy or Not?

While I was gone at camp (I'll blog about that tomorrow or Wednesday), Cooper apparently had been working on this loose tooth. Steph (my wonderful sister who was so kind and loving as to watch my kids for 1 week while I was at camp) said that Cooper had been holding a plastic sippy cup with just his teeth. Not really a good choice considering his past with his teeth. By the time I got back from camp Steph said that the bottom tooth was noticeably loose. Saturday at his friend's birthday party, the dad checked out his teeth and definitely said it was just about ready to fall out.

So, Monday night, here we are after dinner...We had noodles soup with chicken, carrots, and sliced cucumber sticks for dinner, then strawberry short cake for dessert, and Cooper decided that he wanted to finish off the last cucumber. He said he took a bite and forgot about his loose tooth, the tooth bent back, he went to grab it to put it back and it came off right into his hand! He was so excited, but thought I'd be mad he lost another tooth. (The first one he lost b/c it had to be pulled due to an unfortunate abscess.) So, he came to show me his tooth and I was so excited for him that he was really surprised. Anyway, I'm going to decorate a little Altoid tin for his "toothfairy" tooth box. For someone who doesn't believe in Santa or the Easter Bunny, I will make an exception. There aren't any religious holidays associated with this "pretend" fairy, so I won't ruin this one for him.

As a soon to be graduated dentist said upon looking at Cooper's teeth..."Cooper's going to be entering some really awkward years." Can't wait.

Morning Wreck - (literally)

So this morning was the start of my plan for Jake and I to bike for exercise every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Apparently it was also the first warning that maybe I might end up in an ER because of this in the future. Just kidding - I hope not. Anyway, for my local blogging friends who know the area, we had just come down the Aviary overpass towards Goynes Elementary when Jake decided to take a left turn onto Deersprings. He took the corner really fast and I started to get nervous. The genetic factor that makes everyone in China so agile and coordinated on a bicycle has skipped me entirely. Of course, I slowed down a little, turned the corner, saw a metal sign pole, and promptly ran into it. Thank goodness the force of the impact threw me off the bike and I somehow managed to stay on my feet, but I'm pretty sure that I received a pretty good bruise in my pelvic area. All of this occurred within the first 15 minutes of our workout, so after another 45 minutes of riding, I'm definitely having issues with walking. Anyway, there happened to be this old couple that was walking on the opposite side of the street when my wreck occurred, and I feel good knowing that I probably made their day with my morning "blooper." Who needs to watch "America's Funniest Home Videos" when you can take a morning walk around Aliante.

Pump It Up and The Mix Zone Cafe

It was Najah's 1st birthday and she threw a party at Pump It Up. It was so much fun and the kids had a blast and got a great workout jumping on all the different things and climbing up the slides.

Najah's parents are part owners in a restaurant called The Mix Zone Cafe. It's Thai food and it's REALLY good. You can find it at 2202 WEST CHARLESTON BLVD. #5, LAS VEGAS -

(702) 493-2182

and don't plan on heading there too late - they close around 8pm. They do serve lunch and dinner though and I'm telling you, Jake and I really enjoyed it. We've been missing Thai food for a long time. Their green papaya salad is one of the best I've ever had. Their prices are VERY reasonable. Jake and I ordered 4 dishes for a total of $35 or something like that. The ambiance is awesome and the music is great. Anyway, check it out of you like to try new things or if you just love Thai food.

Here are the party pictures.

Najah with her tiara on.

Her first car. LOL

Katelyn satisfied after getting Steph's hat back on.

Katelyn trying to get Steph's hat on.

Steph laughing while Kate's trying to put her hat on.

Kate didn't want us jumping around in the jump house. She kept telling us "NO!"

And then she'd smile again.

Then we'd get more attitude when we started bouncing around.

And she's start to whine, (well, the party was during her normal nap time - but it was worth it).

Then she took off running around the jump house while I tried to get some pictures of her.

Cooper loved jumping/climbing onto the mushroom then jumping or diving off.

Mackenzie really had a lot of fun.

"King of the Hill"

Mackenzie just couldn't get enough of the slides.

Cooper couldn't either.

Blogging again.

The Kick N Littles had the first soccer game of the season on April 4th. They played the Chivas from Las Vegas Soccer Academy. I'm pretty sure I don't have to tell you who the winner was. By the way, if there is a parent from Las Vegas Soccer Academy who happens to read this, email me please. I'd love to know how I can get Cooper into the program. ;) Anyway, the kids had a blast - okay, so only a few of the kids had a blast and the rest were freezing their tails off. It had to be at least 20 mph winds. Cooper had to wear his thick red hooded coat under his soccer shirt. Funny, he asked me where his gloves were before we left the house and I laughed at him and said, "you don't need gloves, it's warm outside." Yeah right, I was freezing wearing my jacket and wrapped up in a blanket with Katelyn (who was otherwise occupied with eating her apple and unaware of how cold it was).

I may have put Cooper in the wrong sport. He was getting ready to hike the ball, I think. Maybe I'll try pee wee football next time.

Still didn't get it the second time, but it was cute.

Third time's a charm, right? Really though, he knew he was playing soccer. I have to say though, he looks like he's getting ready to run someone over.

First kick.

The other team. The were sprinting down the field to score in our goal. This occured multiple times. Our team was a little slow to react. I'm just glad they had fun though. Winning is definitely something that's taught to us because they didn't even realize that this little 5 yr old cute Mexican team kicked their butts. Anyway, glad I put Cooper in soccer...now if I can just figure out how to teach him to control the ball.

Here we are...sweat dried and proud to have finished the 13 mile Red Rock loop. Oh yes, I was having trouble sitting down on the fence and no, I wasn't looking.

Spring Mountain Ranch Easter Egg Hunt

We just did a quick little Easter Egg Hunt at Spring Mountain Ranch today since it was our playgroup outing. No worries, if you missed out we're doing another one at next Wednesday's playgroup. Anyway, here are some of the pictures. The kids were so cute - and the boys could hardly wait too. They were so fast and did a great job. Kate was a little too quick this year to get good pictures, but I took a lot of pictures of my niece Mackenzie. I need a quicker camera.

Mackenzie picking up her egg.

Lily opening up each egg she picks up. (She was too cute!)

Cooper racing to find more eggs.

Gavin - definitely the fastest one in the bunch, and so generous to share with everyone else.

Katelyn taking forever to get each egg in her bag, and passing up several eggs trying to find the one she wanted.

Trying to get the kids to pose together. Yes, it was a failure.

A Half Marathon.....

Almost. This post is a little late, and I'm still waiting for some pictures from my friend Carly, but last Monday I finally completed a goal that I've had for a few months. No, I didn't run in a half marathon, but for those of you who know Las Vegas, and the Red Rock loop, I finally ran it!!! More like a medium paced jog, but I did the whole thing and never stopped to walk. I was so worried and anxious that I had a hard time sleeping the night before. Thanks to my two amazing friends (who by the way have done this a few times) and especially to Britney who is even more amazing to me now (since she just ran the Red Rock Half Marathon 2 weeks before), they cheered me on and kept me going the whole way. It was AMAZING!! So, I'll have to post pictures later. I also have to catch up on a couple other posts of Cooper's soccer practices. It's so cute to watch them practice, and he really likes it too. I'm sure it helps that most of his friends are on the team. Gotta go make some cards now.

Seriously neglecting my blog.

She is sooo like my mother. This was Christmas morning and Katelyn got to open her present from Auntie Karly. Yes, you guess right...fake earrings, bracelet, and high heels. As soon as she opened it up she wanted to put on the high heels and was trying to figure out the earrings. It was pretty hilarious, especially when Jake said "oh, she is soooo your mother."

Cooper got another stuffed puppy from Great Grandma Gaye Fisk!! He was really excited since his puppy "Emma" (apparently all cute puppies are named Emma, after his friend, and all ugly puppies are boys) needed a big sister or mom or something like that. Anyway, he was stoked and these two stuffed dogs really look related...you'll see in another picture below.

Katelyn was taking care of the trash. We had a ton of wrapping paper and tissue paper that need disposing of, so we put her in charge. She was really glad to have a new "job" around the house and was putting EVERYTHING in the garbage. I had to watch her to make sure none of the Christmas presents ended up there.

The puppies. Aren't they all so cute? The black one with the bandana is Katelyn's. I originally got it for Cooper, but he liked his other white with brown spots on it puppy better. The white one with the handles on it was Katelyn's gift from Great Grandma Gaye Fisk and she put her jewelry in it. It really was a perfect little purse for her...I say "was" because she just uses it for a stuffed animal now.

Steph, Tim, and I took Cooper and Katelyn to Springs Preserve to see the light display there. It was really cool and despite the fact that it was cold, they were excited to see a new area of the Preserve Museum that they hadn't seen before. Also, the coolest balloon artist was there...we saw him at a storytime at Potterybarn Kids before...and the guy was really amazed that Katelyn talked so much and especially that she asked for a sword instead of a girly thing. Cooper and Katelyn had grand plans to have sword fights when we got home, but it never happened. They also got to have their faces painted, which was a really fun thing for both of them. Cooper had them put a fish on each cheek, and Katelyn got an Elmo. I think she was asking for an "animal," but it must have sounded like "Elmo." She actually has no clue who or what Elmo is.

This is my summary of the end of December. Yes, I still have to catch up on almost 2 weeks of January. Ugh.

Merry Christmas to all my Blogging friends!!

Edited to add: I used Adobe Photoshop CS3 for all my digital scrapbooking.

Click on image for larger view. This is my digital scrapbooking page for my Christmas 2008 mini-album and my e-card/blog card to everyone. I hope that everyone has a great Christmas and I hope that we'll all remember the true meaning of Christmas and the Savior's gift to us.

Recipe: digital paper- Summer Driggs freebie, dictionary paper - can't remember, green glitter alpha - Ellie Lash

December 14-23...Behind again

Okay, first I have to post a funny exchange between Cooper and I...

Me: Cooper, tonight you're going to have a babysitter. I don't want you to cause any trouble for her. I want you to make sure that you eat all your food and don't complain.

Cooper: Okay mommy. I'll make sure I eat all the pasta and you make sure you don't make the pasta taste terrible.

Me: (rolling eyes) Cooper, the pasta will not taste terrible, I promise.

Cooper: Okay, just make sure it tastes good.

Me: thinking...man, i thought i was a pretty good cook, why in the world would he think that the pasta would be terrible, it's just spaghetti for crying out loud...

So, that's my Cooper. You just never know what will come out of that mouth of his, and where in the world he gets it from.

Back to the intended purpose of this post...

December 16th: I cut down Cooper's naptime to 1 1/2 hours. He tends to fall asleep a little more quickly at night. I had printed out some Christmas images onto watercolor paper a couple weeks ago. Cooper and Katelyn LOVE to use my watercolor pencils and color in the images then use the brush to paint it. Here's Cooper with his snowman image. He wanted the hat to be red, and the whole head ended up red. He was going to leave the rest blank, because snowmen are white, but I told him to make it a snowman clown. (I really just wanted him to finish coloring the image instead of wasting all that watercolor paper).

December 17th: It snowed. A lot. Yes, I guilt-tripped Jake into "spending time with Cooper" by having Jake take him to the parking lot so Coop could build a snowman. That kid was the happiest kid I've ever met. He LOVES the snow and he'd been begging me to build a snowman, but I kept telling him to wait until his dad got home. (I had taken the kids on a walk - Cooper biked - on Monday, December 15th, when it was snowing pretty hard. I figured it was Jake's turn to do snow duty.) So, Jake took the kids to Wal-mart, then dropped of Kate, and built this little miniature snowman with Coop. The two little rocks were suppose to be eyes, but I thought they looked like boobs. If you look really close, you can see two little sticks for arms too.

December 20th: Ward Christmas Party - Cooper and Katelyn had so much fun. Kate had a couple of the boys following her around making sure she was okay. I don't know what it is about her, but the 4-5 year old boys treat her like a princess or something, well, more like a porcelain doll. It's kind of amusing to me. Cooper was really excited to tell "Santa" what he wanted. He even told me what he told Santa. So much for telling him Santa's not real. I did have to tell him though that gifts don't come from Santa, they come from mom, dad, grandpa, grandma, aunties and uncles, etc... He understands that, so as long as the credit goes to the right people, I'll let him believe what he wants.

Same party, but Katelyn was FREAKING OUT because of "Santa." What is the deal, seriously, Coop at this age was scared of Santa too. I was even holding her and she was screaming bloody murder. Can you tell I thought it was funny? She kept screaming "no mommy, no!"

December 22nd: Cooper got this Holiday Cake Kit at his primary meet and greet activity on the 20th. His whole little bag from his future teacher was packed with awesome stuff. Anyway, he really wanted me to make this cake with him, so I thought it was a good day to do it. We were at my sister's place watching her dog, so that's why the kitchen may not look familiar to those who've been to our place. Yes, Cooper is wearing a pink bib. I didn't realize I had switched them until I looked at this picture. Cooper was mixing the cake mix and Kate was watching with envy. They both got to decorate their cakes and they definitely turned out colorful. The frosting was pretty much just powdered sugar. After the finished decorating it, I let them each eat their own cake. They only ate a little bit of it, but at least they had fun getting it decorated.

December 23rd: Jake took me to see the "O" show at the Bellagio. I've seen it once before, back when my sister got married, but we pretty much sat in the very last row at the very top. Tonight, we got to sit in section 103 row H and were pretty much front and center. It was amazing (except for the fact that we were 1 hour late, so we missed half the show...beware of the Bellagio, their parking lot was completely full and their parking attendant kept letting cars go in) and I've never had seats that good for anything. I was really impressed and awed by the talent of those performers. I don't have pictures - shoulda taken one of Jake and I in front of the theatre, but didn't think of it. They don't let you take pictures inside, so I only have words to record this day. This was also the first day that Cooper and Katelyn have been babysat by someone other than family. (Well, my friend Kim watched Cooper a couple of times when he was really little, but Jake and I consider her pretty much family).

Sooooo, tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I'll have pictures for tomorrow and for the 25th!! Stay tuned.

Christmas Days 6-13: Catching up....

...again. I always seem to be catching up when I finally sit down to post. Anyway, here is a little update on our Christmas happenings.

December 6th - Family pictures at the Bellagio Botanical Garden. They had just finished the display when we went on Saturday. Jake was there too - but I rarely have a good picture of the kids and I, so I thought I'd post this one. I also got to catch up a little with my friend Matt and his family. I knew them a long time ago from my ward in Cincinnati, OH. It was nice to catch up. His parents have not changed - they're still as sweet and amazing as ever.

December 7th - We took a little walk/bike ride/skate trip around the neighborhood before church. It's kind of our Sunday thing since we have 1pm church. Jake and I are working on teaching Cooper how to balance and kick on the long board, but this particular day I wanted to see if he could ride his "big boy" bike. He can - but we decided the other bike was a better size for now.

December 8th - Katelyn and Cooper wanted to spend some quality time with mommy building something with their legos. We built the police station, (you can see the model we copied on the back wall), and then the kids played with the building for a while before Katelyn decided to destroy it. That's usually how our lego sessions end.

December 9th - Another lego session. I was honored with the job of building the train tracks. Coop and Kate had a blast making themselves into human tunnels for the train. I learned that the engine goes forwards and backwards. These kids are so lucky - I NEVER had toys like this when I was little. My sister and I spent most of our childhood dancing on furniture.

December 10th: Cooper and Katelyn had playgroup and the activity was watching a Christmas movie (The Grinch Who Stole Christmas) and drinking hot chocolate.
December 11th: After naps, we had some friends come over and play for a little bit. They took out the train tracks again and had a little fun with that. My children definitely need to invite more kds over for playgroups - they're not the best at sharing their toys, but they're experts at sharing other people's toys when they visit with friends. They spent the rest of the evening with my sister while Jake and I went to an office Christmas party.
December 12th: Cooper and Kate spent the morning with their good friends (thank you soo much Rhonda), then came back for naps, then spent most of the evening being cooped up in the condo while Steph and I cut, ironed, and sewed the rest of our stuff for the craft show the next day. Thank goodness we were able to take the kids to play with their friends again for a little while. They were really getting tired of mommy NOT playing with them.

December 13th - It was Cooper's friend's birthday, so he got to go to a birthday party. Lucky for him he went to another party after that one was over. There was a neighborhood party and the kids got to pet some animals, ride the train around the park, jump and climb on some air filled thing, and eat lots of food and popcorn.

More to come tomorrow. I've still got 4 more days to catch up on. Hope the rest of you are enjoying your holiday season. Oh, and if anyone catches typos on my blog, please let me know. I have a pet peave about typos.