It's Saturday....

and you know what that means, soccer!

Yes, Zeek plays on a traveling soccer league through Flagstaff United Soccer Club and we are committed to soccer games every Saturday (almost every Saturday). It can be a little trying...weekends are meant to relax, right? Not drive 2 hours to play/watch a 1 hour game to drive back another 2 hours. But guess what, its worth it.

Zeek has officially, after 6 years of soccer (this is his 3rd year on the traveling league) turned into a true athlete! He plays with passion and takes every opportunity to shoulder shove his opponent or show off his fancy footwork. I gotta admit...he looks great out there...very natural and focused. He claims he eats/sleeps/breathes soccer (can we say ADIDAS anyone??) and I think he's right.

Although his team lost 2-0 (they did score once but it didn't count since they were offsides), they are winners in every right. They played hard, worked as a team and really gave the other team a run for their money.

Next weekend we have an actual tournament (4 games in 2 days) in Phoenix. Check back to see some action shots of Zeek in all his glory.




{The boys on the field...gorgeous location surrounded by lush foothills and cacti}




{QJ toeing the line...that boy thrives on pushing the envelope}

She's a natural...

skier that is! Tika has taken a couple ski lessons this winter (begrudgingly at first) and has magically, almost overnight, turned into a pro! She enjoys skiing down the slope fast (racing Zeek on his snowboard or Jay on his skis) and she seems almost fearless (which I fear!)!

On Thursday her kindergarten class went on a field trip to the Nordic Center to cross country ski (which she has never done before).





She had so much fun and although she fell several times, she got back up and kept her gorgeous face smiling.



Jay was lucky enough to tag along and share the moment with her and he caught some great pictures of her in action.





I can't wait until I can go with her next time!

TGIF...

Thank goodness its Friday!! I can admit to being completely exhausted by the end of a long work week (56 hours long to be exact) and I am the first to confess to being poor company come Friday night.

Between you and me...I don't want to see another diaper, bottle, or sippy cup nor hear another knock or ring of the doorbell for ATLEAST 61 hours. I want relief from my dishwasher, dust buster, and hand sanitizer. I want a break to make breakfast/lunch/snack for only the Smart 5, not the nose dripping (said with love) 12.

I NEED quiet time and relief from the constant whining, 2 year old attitudes, 3 year old tattling, 9 month old crying, 1 year old screaming, and the all ages toy throwing. If I hear the word NO! one more time....

{{OkOkOk...I admit...I love how Logan tells me he Wuves me or that Molly will follow me around the house until I finally sit and she crawls in my lap as if she belongs there. I giggle when I think of how Grace will perch wherever her little hinny will fit (usually on the edge of the bouncy seat)



or how Chloe tries to manipulate me into an extra snack because Molly's still hungry. I visualize Linus' or Dylan's smile when I least expected them to grace me with one or I melt when I hear Nova or Kaeleigh's belly giggle that only 9 month olds can make. I smile thinking of how Austin 'sleep walks' for the first 20 minutes after I wake him from nap or Autumn's grunts when she wants your attention (sounds like a mix between hey/uggh). I look forward to Violet's little wave when she leaves each evening as if she was entering the Miss America pageant and I listen in awe when I hear Mae Mae's vocabulary at 2 (she speaks as well as Tika at 6!!). I marvel at how each child knows the others shoes, sippy cups, mommy's and daddy's and even, yes, who has "the" poop. Yes, there are amazing moments and amazing little individuals in my little world at the Smart Start Daycare that make each day worth it...they keep me going (the Red Bull helps).}}

With that in mind...I am so thankful for my decision to move the daycare up to the loft





and I pat myself on the back for the brilliant idea of consolidating my highchairs (they are as hidden as Waldo) from 6 to 3 which has giving me back my main level. I can even entertain...if I can find the energy...







I love that I moved the diaper changing station from the hallway by the bathroom to my laundry room so I don't have to bump into it when I turn the corner since seeing all those diaper bins and wipes boxes was too much of a reminder/nightmare of how many diapers I change each day (63 give or take).



(Hallway AFTER moving diaper station...space better used in my humble opinion)



(Diapers in said laundry room...how organized am I?!?!) :)

I love that I can pretend (Friday night through Monday morning at least) that I actually LIVE here!! No, I don't have a closet (its now a nap room)



nor an office OR my "craft room" any longer which has moved from the spacious loft (shared with my office) to my hall closet


and my 'office' to my dining room...




but heck...we can't have it all. I'll take what I can get at this point and right now its...perfect! I love what I do...I really do. I just thank goodness for Fridays.

Enjoy the view from my perspective and see what I see now...would you have ever guessed that I watch 16 kids here!?!?

Now you get it...

Have a great weekend...I will!!

She's an American Girl...

doll that is. I'm thinking about getting Tika an American Girl Doll for her birthday in April (she'll be six if you can believe it!!). The fun part is that you can have the doll look just like you, dress like you and even comes with pierced ears, if you so choose, which is way too cute considering Tika got her ears pierced a couple months ago (that's a story for another day!). Anyway, here's what the doll would look like:




Too cute, I know! I sometimes think she's too 'old' to play with dolls but how fun is that to play with a doll that looks like you and is dressed like you?!? Or is that just weird to be playing with "yourself"?!? All of us girls come with the maternal desire when we are 5/6 years old, right, or was that just me?

Favorite song of the week: The Weary Kind

Jay and I just saw Crazy Heart over the weekend with Jeff Bridges. First off, great movie but even better acting and music!!

Great video and song:

I love this...

This video is way too cool not to share!!

h-o-m-e-w-o-r-k...

Zeek was expressing his envy at Tika being "ONLINE", he wants to be online. I told him I would take his picture to put online, in a minute. Well, I caught a great pic of him studying his spelling homework when he wasn't aware of me watching (proof of his steady concentration, in short supply I fear). It is Wednesday after all and we all know what that means, tomorrow is Thursday. See, Thursday is spelling day...

Max...

Tika is very excited to move up from the "Little Books" in her kindergarten class to the "Big Books"! Last night she brought Max home and has slightly struggled through it. Every time I hear her read I envision this great relationship she is day by day forming with reading. I imagine us sharing books when she's older, recommending books to each other and talking excitedly about them over a cup of tea. I really, truly hope Tika love...love...loves to read as much as I do (no pressure here Tika) but...it all begins with Max.

Wordless Wednesday: QJ at his best (sleeping and being silly)

Introducing The Smart Family...

Having a blog that is dedicated to the workings of our family is quite exciting! Not only am I able to share it with friends and family that may not be able to see us often due to distance or time but I also get a "scrapbook" of our family without breaking out the scissors!

To break the ice I decided to introduce our small family for future reference. You will be hearing these same names over and over throughout this blogs lifespan (names have been changed/abbreviated to protect the innocent):

Jay (Dad): 35 year old small business owner (hVac) that loves watching movies, skiing, poker, football and soccer
Britt (Mom/Me/I): 29 year old daycare provider that loves reading, baking, sewing, creating, scrapbooking and writing
Zeek (brother/son I): 9 year old third grader that loves soccer, playing video games, memorizing football stats and snowboarding
Tika (sissy/daughter): 5 year old kindergartner that enjoys dancing, 'wearing' makeup, stealing moms high heels, Hannah Montana and skiing
QJ (son II/toughie): 2 year old devil that thrives on Dora, playing with hotwheels, sugar and little sleep

We are lucky to live in the gorgeous mountains in Northern Arizona. Here is the view from our front porch:




I should warn you--this blog is written from my perspective but the other 4 characters I named are my inspiration (they deserve some credit....) :)


::Stay tuned to read about funny stories, interesting adventures and crazy moments::