Smart Party of 5

32 days...

2010-05-14T10:40:00.003-07:00

Hello friends!!

Well, its been a while...again....

But, I have a good excuse this time, I promise! ;)

I haven't shared with all of you that my landlord decided not to pay his mortgage for 10 months and we finally found out April 1st that it was being foreclosed on. We were going to be without a place to live as of June 21st. Since, as you know, I have a family and run two businesses out of my home, its semi-crucial that we have one. So the search began and 15 houses later, we finally found the perfect place for our family and brood of little ones. The packing began as our new landlord wanted us in as soon as possible.

That we did, one week after signing the lease, we moved in Saturday May 1st and have been busy unpacking since. Combine that with packing initially, house hunting for three weeks, working full-time, 3 kids, Tika's 6th birthday, Jay's 36th birthday and Mother's Day and you'd be apologizing for not blogging either. Mind you, I also didn't have internet for 8 days and I was about ready to move again just for the opportunity for wi-fi...I was going slightly crazy {idea for a future post to come}.

Anyway, welcome to our new home. I will post pics soon of the inside and yard soon. Its good to be back, I have so much to share with you!!

Its Friday again...

2010-04-09T11:31:00.005-07:00

and I'm following over at Trendy Treehouse. The sponsors this week are Rockin' Deals and Make It and Love It. Check back for my TGIF post...

Oh so pretty...

2010-04-08T17:10:00.009-07:00

I recently joined Stampin' Up as a demonstrator to help support my hobby for stamping and crafting. I placed a large order to make Tika's birthday invitations for this weekend. Here's how they turned out...

These are her Thank You Cards:

So although these stamps are not from Stampin' Up, I had to use them since that was the reason I bought them :) and they're cute!! I did, however, use the Stampin' Up ink, paper, ribbon and markers. I have to say, I love their products!!

These are some other cards I made with Heather. I thought they turned out pretty cute:

and

These were made with Stampin' Up stamps and supplies.

I will be making some crowns, journal books, bookmarks and headbands tonight, tomorrow and Saturday for Tika's birthday party on Saturday. Check back to see how those turned out!!

Have a great Thursday!!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T18:38:00.010-07:00

We were all a little sunburned, sore and tired from our adventure yesterday yet we still managed to have a great Easter. We went to Jay's parents house where we were joined with Jay's out of town relatives...all 9 of them making a total of 17! It was very nice to relax, eat good food and enjoy great company. The Easter Bunny hopped to our house last night and left goodies for the kiddos...

We all dolled up in our new Easter clothes and forgot to take any pictures. I do, of course, have a couple good ones of QJ. I don't really know how that happens, to be honest! Maybe since I am busy spending all my time with him and watching his ever move to keep him out of trouble...I tend to snap him more often?!? Well, thats my story at least and I'm stickin' to it! Actually, I don't think Tika and Zeek would sit still long enough for me. Their shots are more posed where QJ's is much more candid...my favorite!

Anyway, hope you all had a great Easter!!

Row, Row, Row...

2010-04-04T18:13:00.016-07:00

the boat...down the Verde River...

We took another adventure this weekend with the kids, Jay's parents, their friends and Jay's Aunt and cousins. We headed South to warm weather and decided to take on the challenge of the Verde River. No, its not running nearly as fast as it has but it was still an adventure none the less.

Here's what the kids looked like heading down...

Here's what we left:

Here's where we were headed:

Here are some great pictures of the trip. It took about 6 hours, 1 hour was spent on the island eating lunch and another hour was spent prepping and packing up. The kids did great!! We didn't flip the boat which was nice but we did hit a tree and then later got attacked by another tree. It was, as I said, quite the adventure!

I think Jay has turned me into a river rat! I had so much fun rowing and listen to my Captain Jim that I hope I get the chance to do another one, maybe a little faster!

The kids did better than we expected. The water was cold and they had to sit in it the whole boat ride since there was water on the floor of the raft. QJ had a blast splashing in the puddles on the floor while Tika and Zeek squealed with delight when Jay ducked them in the cold, cold water. Mind you, this water was snow the day before! :)

Hope you all had a great weekend also!

What the heck...

2010-04-02T17:21:00.005-07:00

I went to bed last night with a restless, itchy little man (aka QJ). I woke up this morning to a red, spotted monster!!

What the heck...?!?!

So I ran to the phone, called MVP (I happen to know the number by heart with 3 kids and all) and scheduled an appointment for 10:10. I grabbed the monster's hand, ready to change his diaper and...

What the heck...?!?!?

He disappeared...and in his place QJ stood looking up at me.

What the heck...?!?!

So I ran to the phone, canceled the appointment and went about my day.

We had breakfast, played with our friends, had snack, played outside, had lunch and took a nice long nap (QJ, not me...). Life was good..

Two hours later, a little warm body comes sneaking up on me and I turn to pick him up and...

What the heck...?!?!

The red, spotty monster was BACK!!

Ok, I'm confused...

So I ran to the phone (can you tell I got my workout in today just by running to the phone?!?!) and called MVP and scheduled yet another appointment for 3:45. I grab the monsters hand, change his diaper and send him off with Jay.

An hour later, Jay and QJ finally came home, that's right...no red, spotted monster in sight.

What the heck, you ask?!!? Well...its...

H.I.V.E.S...yes...hives! None of my children have EVER been allergic to anything before...I didn't know how to handle this sudden attack. Do I bust out the What To Expect the First Year? Me? Never. I dose up the Benadryl. Good night buddy...love you...spots and all.

But the question remains, what the heck...{?!?!?} did we have between last night and this afternoon that caused it?!?!

Blueberries? Nope, he eats those almost daily.
Strawberries? Nope, see answer above.
Bread? Nope, see answer above.
Cheese? Nope, see answer above.
hmmm....
Juice? Ahhh...I think I got something here...

Last night I experimented and made a new frozen juice that we were trying for the first time. He drank it with dinner and with lunch...

AAH HHAAAA!!

He's allergic to....

GUAVA!!

Go figure! Poor guy!!

I'm a follower...

2010-04-02T16:12:00.005-07:00

of Friday Follower hosted by One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades!

Grand Falls...to the soundtrack of The Gourds

2010-03-20T16:06:00.041-07:00

I apologize to all you hardcore followers for not posting in a while! We have been very busy lately and I'm been slightly distracted. I promise I'll get back to our normal schedule soon!

In the meantime, listen to some great Gourd music as you cruise through these awesome pics of our trip to Grand Falls on the Navajo Reservation last weekend. I'll randomly place some more videos throughout this post since this CD was the one we listened to our whole drive in and out. Enjoy!!!

The drive out of Flag was beautiful with the snow on the Peaks and the sun shining. It only took about 45 minutes to get to the Falls. The most time consuming part was maneuvering the dirt road and guessing which way to go at the fork due to the lack of road signs on the reservation.

{Drive out to the res...check out the gorgeous peaks!}

I'm assuming this car was a landmarker..."Take a left a mile after the junker in the middle of the field..."

{Lovely dirt roads on the res (rough roads) with scenic views}

The Peaks is a dormant volcano in Flag and many years ago...I don't know exactly when...it erupted and spewed lava over the land. The black rock we have left (in many places) is left over, cooled lava. Out at the Falls, there was black sand covering the land on the north side of the falls and sandstone covering the south side. Apparently, the lava stopped at the canyon to the falls, creating the black sand and leaving piles of lava rock in its wake. Kinda neat...

We only know this info, not because we are The Smart Family, heehee, but because we actually ran into a friend of ours that happens to be a geologist while we were picnicking at the Falls...I know...only in Flag do you run into friends 45 minutes outside of town! ;)

{Pile of lava rocks}

The Grand Falls only runs like this in the Spring due to the snow melt run off from New Mexico. The water was gushing at high speeds and falling into the canyon that then carries it off to the Colorado River. Pretty amazing sight!!

{The Grand Falls}

We decided to hike down into the canyon where the water was flowing into. It was a risky adventure as we had to carry a 2 year old, Jay was wearing his Keen's (not exactly hiking boots) and we had two adventurous "I can do it!" kiddos leading the way. There was one point that I actually stopped and said, "No, no more...we are going to fall to our death!!" Yes, it was a 2 foot path descending into this canyon and the other side was a drop-off onto sharp, pointy rocks and from there, a fast flowing river that would surely pull us under before anyone even knew you fell!! I had just gotten over my near death experience...I didn't think I could do it again!! But...I did and I'm glad I did...can you believe it?!!? Stunning!!

Can you see the two people at the top?

{In the Falls Canyon...up close and personal}

We weren't too far down, it wasn't the Grand Canyon, mind you. But it was an amazing sight to look up and see these little people staring down at us! I loved the shadows the walls created as the kids ran close to the walls (Zeek is actually peeing...boys).

{Canyon Walls}

QJ may have had to be carried down but by golly...he was determined to crawl his way out!! At one point, the same point I stopped early and said, "No Way!", he actually started laughing hysterically as I was trembling. I was in shock...the boy that's scared of Jay's "BIG TRUCK" wasn't scared of a 50 foot drop off?!! Go figure...

{Hiking back to the car}

This song is in honor of QJ for smacking Tika with his sippy cup!! (In case you can't hear the lyric its..."You boys need a spankin'...)

After finally making it back to the car, we loaded up and headed home. I would say within...30 seconds, QJ and Tika were sound asleep and within...5 seconds, Zeek had his PSP blaring in his ears and his thumbs attacking the controls...I guess you can lead the boy to nature... I don't think I was even buckled yet?!?

{The drive home...we were dirty and tired!!}

{Great song!!}

BTW- for all you hardcore Gourd fans that live in NoAZ, they are coming in April to The Orpheum!!! See you there! :)

{Can't introduce The Gourds without playing their best one...}

Sedona - Jerome Trip

2010-03-14T19:39:00.006-07:00

We are so lucky living in Northern Arizona...we get to see some of the most beautiful country in the world. Here are some great pics of Sedona and Jerome from our day trip to Jerome yesterday.

{Jerome}

{Sedona}

{Sedona}

QJ Collage

2010-03-12T13:02:00.000-07:00

I love.love.love Picasa!! This is too fun...how did I fully live before without knowing this?? It's on...collages rule!!

Enjoy!

Zeek Soccer Collage

2010-03-12T12:49:00.000-07:00

I love how this one turned out, too! The center one of Zeek is also my favorite one of him.

Check back soon to see one of QJ! (He's too young for soccer so his will be him at his silliest!) :)

Tika Soccer Collage

2010-03-12T12:15:00.000-07:00

Ok, it is now March and I have had these photos on my laptop since...July?! I haven't done anything with them {didn't know what, yet, to do with them}...until now!

I bought this really neat wireless picture printer (for printing pictures of course) to use for Scrapbooking. I was messing with it about, oh...5 minutes ago, getting it to print. I randomly selected this picture of Tika, the center one with her hair flying and her serious smile on her face...its one of my favorites!!! Anyway...I realized during editing it that I could make a collage with it in Picasa (love this, BTW!!). So I pulled all her soccer pictures from last season together and randomly rotated, spun, cropped, and placed them to look like this {I know, it looks like a pile of pictures but remember, I've never done this before!!}:

Cool, isn't it!!! I love how it turned out! The best part is that there is this little button on the bottom of the editing page that says, "Blog This!"...so...I pressed it and voila!! It posted to my blog!?!?!? WOW!! Amazing...

Amazing, beautiful, touching...

2010-03-11T13:46:00.001-07:00

I found a new blog today. Why is that blog posting worthy, you ask?? Good question, I say ;). Well, I love these two womens style of writing. I enjoy their refreshing honesty and their way with words. I also love that one introduced me to ANOTHER, rather randomly. Ok...this could go on forever... I just really enjoyed reading them and wanted to share.

The first blog is Monica over at The Writer Chic. She is witty, creative and down to earth. She shared a great story from the Kelle Hampton blog that was amazing, beautiful and touching. I truly recommend reading this {grab the tissues first}.

http://www.kellehampton.com/2010/01/nella-cordelia-birth-story.html

Favorite song of the week: Fallin' and Flyin'

2010-03-11T13:19:00.000-07:00

If you can't tell, I'm slightly obsessed with Crazy Heart! Great movie, actors and music! Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday: Silly Boy

2010-03-10T12:36:00.000-07:00

Yukon Update 2...

2010-03-09T19:25:00.000-07:00

Its so much fun watching the process of the Yukon repair. I received more pictures yesterday and today showing my poor car in disarray!! Enjoy...

Can't wait to get it back shiny and 'new' on Friday?!

Hard to imagine...

2010-03-09T12:43:00.000-07:00

that it can snow 6-12 inches and be sunny and warm ALL in the same state!!!

This weekend was great! It was warm on Saturday (perfect for soccer watching) and rained Sunday (fun for soccer playing). Both were enjoyable. We had a great time watching Zeek's games, they of course played hard, scored many but won none!

We had a nice relaxing time over at the Sinkwitz's where we BBQ'd, made some cards, and made more cards...(Thanks Heather!) :)

Tika enjoyed making flowers out of paper (which she hung in her room) and QJ finally warmed up to the dogs which makes my life easier! Zeek unwound by playing video games with the boys and Jay caught up with Chris watching Dexter...(have you ever seen that show!?!?! GREAT!!).

Anyway, we came home in horrible conditions, it was snowing up here and the highway was bad. We counted 9 cars off the road, in the median or on the side. I felt sick and couldn't wait to get home, OUT of the car and OFF the highway!! Thankfully, Jay drove very slow and we made it home safe and sound.

We came from this:

Came home to this:

Can you believe its only a 2 hour distance?! Laughable really.

Favorite Song of the Week: This too Shall Pass

2010-03-05T17:25:00.001-07:00

freaking amazing!! I can't get over this video and song!! Perfect lyrics right now for me and the video is just absolutely AMAZING!!

Check it out...(its even better on a bigger screen at youtube since it allows you to see more of the video)

TGIF...

2010-03-05T13:42:00.000-07:00

Its Friday, again (funny how that keeps happening) and I'm so happy its here! I'm looking forward to a nice warm weekend in Phoenix watching Zeek's soccer games and hanging out with good friends. I can't wait to relax with a cocktail (or 2), enjoy some good food, good company and have tons of fun making projects planned by Heather!!

As you know, this week has been very hard for me. I experienced something very traumatic and I am having a hard time recovering from it. I hate that I am expected to just get up, dust off and move on. How easy...share your secret if you have one...

MONDAY:

Monday began as normal, I thought since I was 'fine' I could work my usual 10.5 hour day and manage. I didn't take into account the 12 children that were going to make my mental noise unbearable, an emergency chiropractic appointment that took over an hour, another hour spent on the phone with the insurance company trying to get a rental car nor the random bouts of tearfulness and space staring I experienced. I luckily came to my senses Monday afternoon and called all my daycare parents and regretfully apologized but I couldn't work on Tuesday. I needed a 'mental health day' to recoup and organize myself. I am fortunate in that they all understood and even asked if one day was enough! My car was towed over to the auto repair shop and my rental car was picked up Monday night. QJ screamed from the inside of the house as they were loading my car on the flatbed, "My car...my car!! No car!" I think he's as attached to it as I am. He must recognize that it is now our best friend since it helped save my life! Unfortunately, he's freaked out of the Dodge Ram rental, "No truck...no truck...scared truck! Want car...where car?" Very funny boy...

TUESDAY:

I took all day Tuesday to catch up on sleep since my nights had been full of thinking and analyzing...I was exhausted (and very, very sore)! Thanks to Jay who took QJ on errands and Riann for picking my kids up from school, I hardly got out of bed!

WEDNESDAY:

Wednesday was a normal day back at work, less tearful but another chiropractic appointment to go through. I finally sucked it up and went and got a massage that night and couldn't believe how much better it made me feel. I was surprised to discover that the pain in my body hit me the hardest 2-3 days AFTER the actual accident! My arms felt as if I had carried my car through the accident instead of actually driving in it. After my massage, I was finally able to get a good nights rest for Thursday. It felt great!

THURSDAY:

Thursday I hardly left my house...it was a good thing. I woke up feeling 'normal' if you could call it that. My mind was a lot less foggy...very aware yet very ready to move on, it gets easier...right?!?

FRIDAY:

Zooming in to today...I feel good. I had another chiro appointment this morning (3 a week for a month will get me back to normal...so they say) and I actually faced my fear and drove the route past the accident. I had avoided the freeway all week although it would have gotten me where I needed to go much faster than it actually took. I was scared...my palms were sweaty, my breathing was rapid, my heart was racing, I was anxious and scared! I HATE THAT!! I like to be in control...I like feeling safe (go figure), I like thinking everything is OK. It was most difficult seeing the skid marks going OFF the road. It also unnerved me to see the 3 foot around cement pole in the middle of the median that was in my path...how did I miss that? It shook me up all over again how lucky I was.

I have to admit, I learned a lot about myself (and others) this week. I don't need to be strong all the time. I can admit when I am upset or need help. I don't need to feed into others ideas of where I should be mentally/emotionally or physically. I am where I am...take it or leave it. It can only get better from here, please understand that.

I discovered what a true friend is, who I can count on and who I can't. I'm amazed, STILL, at others reactions (or lack there of) to what happened...I guess I need to remind myself that what I went through is still IN MY MIND as awful, others are not expected to understand that, it didn't happen to them. I am thankful for the few friends and family who were able to at least "imagine" for my sake what it MAY have felt like and reached out with kind words. It meant more than I can explain.

I discovered a renewed sense of passion for Jay who has been nothing but sensitive/understanding/loving/compassionate/helpful to me, my emotions, my lack of energy, my distractedness, and/or my spewing of repetitive expression. He gives me a hug when he knows I'm upset (the gnawing of my inside lip gives me away every time) and even helped me out of bed the first couple days when I felt like a 90 year old woman all stiff and hurting.

{No, this is not all about Britt day/week, it just feels very therapeutic to put these thoughts into words}

On a side note, the kids and Jay are doing great! Jay is finally getting busier as each week progresses. (Finally is the operative word here...the winter has been a slow one in the hVac business) He is enjoying his new skis (Grizzlies???) and thinks he's better (thanks to the skis of course) than he was even in high school on the ski team! {Smile} Zeek got a 10/10 on his spelling test yesterday (par for the course for that smart boy) and Tika is quite excited since finding out her teacher is expecting her third child this fall (she gets to be a big helper which she of course excels at). QJ is...well...2. He told me the other night that he threw away his bugger...in his mouth. {Yum...}

Happy Friday, have a great weekend!!

::{**Thanks for listening**}::

I love...

2010-03-04T13:09:00.000-07:00

my Vita Mix blender! It allows me to make green smoothies every morning for my breakfast and usually a veggie 'juice' every afternoon. Having it makes blending sooo much easier. For those of you have never had a green smoothie for breakfast...TRY IT!! It's really really good...

Here you go: take a handful of spinach, a cup of frozen blueberries and 1-2 large bananas with 1 cup of vanilla soy milk and blend in your blender until smooth. It helps to drink it with a straw and it tastes great!!! (Keep in mind, you benefit from 3 servings of fruit and vegetables and only 240 calories!!)

To make a veggie 'juice', blend some carrots, a red pepper, some spinach, celery, green apple, grapes, orange, and whatever frozen fruit you have on hand with 1-2 cups of water. Blend until smooth and voila!! Yum Yum and you have AGAIN met your vegetable/fruit intake for the day without even trying!!

Not only do I make delicious smoothies and juices but I have also made tasty soups, dips and spreads. Even ice cream!!

Have I said it...I love this blender...

Wordless Wednesday: Who me??

2010-03-03T15:12:00.000-07:00

30 in 30...

2010-03-02T19:40:00.001-07:00

I have committed to making 30 cards in the 30 days of March with Heather over at Scottsdale Stamper. I purchased all my card making supplies on Sunday and have become a little distracted since to start my challenge.

{Here is an example of a card to make that I stole from Heather's very cute blog}

Now that I am feeling back on track, I sat down and made a list of all the birthdays/holidays/events for 2010 that I want to focus on making. So far I have:

18 Birthday cards
7 Party/Event invitations
3 Sets of thank you cards for birthday parties
20 Holiday cards and
30 Christmas cards

to make. Not too bad if I break them down into projects. My goal is to get started tomorrow and work through the rest of March. I hope to post them as I go.

Be sure to check the challenge out at:

http://scottsdalestamper.blogspot.com/

Hope you are all having a great Tuesday!!

2010-010397...

2010-03-01T12:37:00.000-07:00

This 10 digit number is my police report number. Yes, you read correctly...I am cited in a police report. Now, before you go jumping to conclusions...it was NOT my fault and I am ok...

Yesterday afternoon I was involved in a car accident on I-17 southbound. I was in the left lane going about 60-65 mph. I had a large F350 in the right lane next to me, I actually was behind him not but 2 minutes before but decided to pass him. Suddenly, I heard a loud noise to my right. I looked over thinking the truck had a blown a tire. When I looked, however, I was graced with the image of a red 2 door sedan that had obviously just merged from I-40 Westbound onto I-17 Southbound and had just hit the truck next to me. After colliding with the truck, the red sedan spun around to the left and came head on into my lane. Before I could even think about it, I was slamming on my brakes to avoid hitting this car and plowing right through it. I swerved quickly to the left (this saved both our lives and left skid marks on the freeway if you happen to look leading into the median). I still collided with the red sedan with my right bumper, bounced off and ended up in the median.

Well...actually...that's not where I "ended up". I plowed down--into--and through the median (dirt/rocks/vegetation)and up the other side to finally cross 3 lanes of oncoming Northbound traffic. I ended up in one piece on the Northeast side of the freeway...quite a distance from where I began on the Southwest side. (I noticed after the fact that there is a large (about 3 feet around) cement light pole in the median that should have been in my path that I avoided?!?!)

As you can see, not much damaged occurred to my beast of a machine. It handled the impact quite well. I have some damage to the back tires as I went off-roading at top speed (there is a red bull can shoved into the engine under my car from nosediving into the median). I will know more about the damage to the Yukon after the adjuster and auto repair take a peek at it.

I am thankful that all I sustained is a very sore/jacked back, sore arms, ribs and neck. (My organs feel jostled and tender from my bumper car adventure.) The highway patrol man casually mentioned to this shock induced survivor (me) that he was surprised I was alive, he should be picking me up off the freeway right at that moment. If you think that came across as insensitive...it wasn't...he was reminding me that I could very well have been slammed into at 65 mph by a semi-truck that was traveling north when I made my ballet dance across the freeway. I don't know how I got so lucky. I can't decide if I was in the right place at the right time or in the wrong place at the wrong time...

My only goal as I was barreling down/through/up the median was please don't roll...please don't roll...I will die. No, my life did not flash before my eyes...I was focused on controlling my car and STOPPING!! I don't even remember skidding across the northbound lanes or finally stopping. I just remember reaching into my pocket and grabbing my cell phone to call Jay and 9-1-1.

All I know today is that I was thankful to be able to come home and hug my family. I was granted an extension...there is something/some reason as to why I am here. My mind is reeling. I feel as if I'm in a fog. I keep replaying the accident, what could I have done differently...

I catch myself staring off into space, thinking...pondering. I guess I'm still reacting. My doctor has told me that he expects the adrenaline to wear off today or tomorrow and the complete reality of the situation will hit me in the face. Its crazy how our minds/bodies go into survival mode...the consequences are that to protect it, it numbs it. I will need to feel what I went through. Its hard to put a price on the emotional/mental aspect of this accident. I will know how much my car was damaged by the total number...what about me?

I have had people downplay what happened..."the car looks fine, your so lucky, must have been nothing..." If the car looked how I feel...there would be nothing left. I am lucky my car doesn't look worse, it means I survived. Now I just need to heal.

Interesting fact: If you are driving at the speed of 65 mph, it will take you a footballs field distance to come to a complete stop.

It's Saturday....

2010-02-27T17:51:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-02-27T17:39:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-02-26T14:44:00.001-07:00

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...

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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

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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...

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This video is way too cool not to share!!

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

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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...

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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)

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Introducing The Smart Family...

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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::