Transformers! Roll Out!

Zach racing down the field! Zach scoring a goal. Yeah Zach! (I love how the kid on the other team is smacking his head as Zach scores)

Even Av's showed up in her best duds! Zach throwing the ball in. He looks so serious!

One last goal for the Z-man.

On Saturday, Z-man had his last soccer game. We were sad and happy. Happy because I think Zach was done with soccer. He really likes basketball and baseball a lot more. Sad because he did so STINKIN' good. I really wish he was more into soccer, but he said he didn't want to sign up for the fall. Oh, well. We had fun while it lasted. The "invisible ninjas"made their appearance at almost every game except for a couple, including the last one. Grandma and Grandpa Baddley made it to almost every one and were sad that he isn't going to play next year, but excited to watch him in all of his other activities. We have one more make-up game on May 30th that we missed in March due to bad weather where he will get his trophy and have one last hurrah with the Transformers. Yes, that was the name of his team this year. Their pre-game cheer was "Transformers! Roll Out!!!" and "Transformers! More Than Meets the Eye!" It was super cute! So suffice to say we will be retiring the "Orange Transformer Jersey" next to last years "Green Goblin Jersey."

Lazy Days...

I went over to hang with Stacey last week while Zach and Gage were at baseball practice with their dads, and look who was there... Ava (this is where I got the name for MY Ava. I totally stole it) and Addison, Brandi's (Stacey's sister) cute kids. They were visiting from California. Stacey was watching them for a couple of hours and we all had some good outdoor fun on Stacey's play yard. Apparently, Addy isn't too fond of strangers but low and behold she loved me! Unlike her cousin Tanner! She was so cute! So here are some fun pics for you Stacey and Brandi.

Wait for it..... Yes. I did. I have FINALLY won over Tanner. I only took 2o months!

Tanner being a goof ball.

Cute little Addyson. She lit right up when we put her in the swing!

I'm leaving on a jet plane...

Zach's School Field Trip

Zach, Tate, & Riley

This is our friend. Well... we thought he was our friend until he started peeing in front of us just like this.
Zach, Tate, & Riley checking out the Black Bear.

Zach had a field trip to Hogle Zoo and I thought it would be fun to volunteer to be a class mom. Zach was so excited to go! He was so thrilled that we had to pack a sack lunch. He asked me everyday leading up to the trip if he could bring a Lunchable. I caved and took him the night before to get our sack lunch (no, I did not get a Lunchable too, in case you are wondering). I've decided his teacher must have grilled it into them that they had to be at the school by 8:45am or the bus would leave, because he kept reminding me and telling me over and over and over..... "Mom, we can't be late or the bus driver will leave without us!" The morning of, I got up early and got ready and went to wake Zach up. He mumbled something and rolled over and then all of the sudden sat bolt upright. "MOM! WHAT TIME IS IT??" The kid cracks me up! Needless to say we made it on time and Zach rode the bus with his friends while mommy and a couple of her friends followed in moms car (I get car sick very easily and have been known to get car sick driving myself !). I was paired with another mom and together we had 3 kids total. That's the perk of living in an area where parents are really involved I guess. We had a blast and I love that I got to spend such a great day with just me and Zach!

Easter!

Zach and Ava Easter Morining before church.

We had a great Easter this year. Zach and Ava were so cute for us and had a lot of fun and it was great that the weather cooperated!
Chris was a real peach to take this pic of me and my kiddos! Love how I'm not
even smiling and Ava looks like I smell bad! Zach and Ava hamming it up for the camera while dying Easter eggs. Ava quickly found good use for the extra "crowns" for her princess easter eggs.
The finished product.
However, no one really wanted to eat a speckled egg!
Z-man on Easter morning.
Ava's basket from the Easter Bunny.
Zach's basket from the Easter Bunny.


We had an easter egg hunt at Grandma & Grandpa Baddley's house where they were spoiled. This kids had a lot of fun and we all had dinner together. Aunt Krissy and Uncle Josh were there and helped Z & A find their loot.


Zach & Ava finding Easter treats at my Mom & Dad's.
Ava got this super fun bubble machiene and it entertained her for hours.
It REALLY puts out alot of bubbles!

Bubble fun.

My mom gave Ava a jump rope that has light-up handles.....
She would jump so hard and fast that she kept loosing her shorts.

The Saturday before Easter we had our annual Easter egg hunt at "Grandpa's Pasture." This is the Easter egg hunt with the Lessig side of the family. We packed a lunch and headed out to Hooper for our fun day. However, it was bittersweet because Grandma Garner couldn't make it. She is still recouperating from her fall earlier this year.



Chris, Zach & Ava right before the egg hunt. Mitch, Anne, & Cannon are in the background on the left. We love them!

I love this picture! Ava must not have inherited her moms equilibrium because she had a blast piling on to this old merry-go-round and she never got sick. I'm sick just looking at it! Lily is next to her and Jaden is in the front .

Lately, I'm really into....

• Perusing Etsy, saw it on the news and just can't get enough of it.

• The idea of starting a book blog, after I'm finished with the semester of course, ( I know, seriously, this is so much more ME than this type of blogging. Glad I thought of it :)

• Learning to run (yes, it is something I have to LEARN)

• Possibly registering to take the CNRN (Certified Neuroscience Registerd Nurse) exam this fall....again. I have always found an excuse out of taking it (having babies, not enough clinician hours, and maybe just too lazy).

Funny!

Zach and I had a good laugh at this. In fact, whenever we think about it, we bust a gut.

How Are You Doing on Your Test?

This morning as I lay in my bed, Zach snuggled up next to me and turned on his DS. He was playing for a few minutes before he said "Mom, I'm doing good on my test, right?" (never looking up from his game). I started laughing and told him I wasn't testing him on his ability to pass Super Mario Brothers. He then briefly looked up and said "No silly. I mean my test, you know, my TEST?" I was totally stunned. I knew then what he was talking about. And as I got all choked up I replied, "Yes Zach. You are doing VERY good on your Test and Heavenly Father would be so proud of you." I'm so blessed to have Zach. I often feel accomplished when I show him how to tie his shoe or sound out a difficult word, but honestly... They have taught me more than I have ever taught them in the short time since they were given to me. What a wonderful beginning to my conference weekend.
In case you are wondering... About 2 years ago or so, I wanted to explain to Zach the importance of our short time here on earth, and what Heavenly Father expected from us. That this is just a small part of the BIG plan. I also wanted him to be aware of Satan and know that he could never hurt us unless you let him, because sometimes kids associate Satan with someone who could physically hurt us. After many explanations on my end and many confused looks on his end, I came up with The Test. I told him that we were sent here by our Father in Heaven as a Test. I told him that we CHOSE to come here and take this Test and that nobody made us come here. I remember telling him that sometimes people ask us to do things that we know is not right and that this is all part of The Test and he has to remember that it is a Test and to always do what's right so that we can pass our Test. I said that if we pass our Test our reward is to live with Heavenly Father forever in Heaven, and that this is the GREATEST reward, even better than "noodles and white sauce" (his favorite thing). For several weeks after that conversation, I would encourage Zach by telling him that he was doing great on his Test and other times trying to encourage him to think twice before doing something. It kind of lost momentum and months would go by before I would remember to remind him of The Test. I think the last time we talked about his Test was around his birthday in October. But as I look back, I believe that this is the best way for ME to teach my kids. I have renewed motivation now to teach this simple learning to Ava.

Thanks Zach, I love you.

Faith in something greater than ourselves it enables us to do what we have said we'll do, to press forward when we are tired or hurt or afraid, to keep going when the challenge seems overwhelming and the course is entirely uncertain.

~President Gordon B. Hinckley

Itty Bitty Basketball Time!

Zach practicing his dribbling

Zach taking a shot!

I'm so proud that he's actually FOLLOWING the ball!

This is Gages little brother Tanner. This little guy LOVES to HATE me! I keep trying though!

He's probably looking for Gage to pass the ball to!

Gage getting some dribbling pointers. He loves it too!

Ava, of course, found a friend (Abby) and they played with Ava's hair bows and Ava's birthday sunglasses the whole time!

Tuesday March 16th Zach started basketball. He was a little nervous because he hasn't ever played it, but he ended up liking it alot! The pictures are grainy and bad but Zach is number 13 and his friend Gage is number 5 (he HAD to be number 5, I was afraid he wouldn't play if he didn't get it!). They were SO cute! The coach gives them colored wrist bands when they are out on the court and they are supposed to guard the kid on the other team that is wearing the same colored wrist band. Zach even does pretty good. Chris has been working on dribbling the ball with him and I think he is getting the hang of it. This past game on Tuesday the 23rd he even scored a basket! He was SO excited!! Anyone who has seen Zach play soccer is probably wondering if he fights his "invisible ninjas" on the b-ball court? Well, luckily the "ninjas" made a brief appearance in the first game but they didn't come back for the second game! Zach gets a little distracted on the soccer field and he just starts doing fight moves all by himself on the opposite end of the field! We have great video of him "fighting" and it is pretty funny, but I'm hoping the "ninjas" don't show up for his soccer game this Saturday!

Ava's First Dance Class

They did a little dance with teddy bears and she caught right on!

Ava dancing in her "dancey-class-shoes", as she would say

Ava being a "fish in the sea"

This is their "Freeze" dance where they dress up and freeze when the music stops

This is hands-down her favorite part!

Ava post-dance class (and post-yogurt!)

I finally decided to enroll Ava in dance class. She had her first dance class on March 16th. I have been thinking about this for a while because she has been asking to go to "dance class" for months since she found out one of her friends goes. So I called the Syracuse Dance Academy and they said I could trial one class to make sure she understood what she was expected to do. I was sure it would be a flop because when I enrolled Zach in a Mom & Tot class when he was 2 or 2 1/2, it was horrible. He was so naughty. We never went again! And I think that Ava is the youngest one in the class, she just turned 3 and the class is 3-5 years. But Ava loved it! She LISTENED to the teacher and tried SO hard. I was so proud I almost cried. I took pictures because the only reason they let me sit in on the class was because it was her first time. So I took full advantage of my visit. It is a closed studio except for the first Tuesday of every month. This makes me sad, but they know what they are doing and told me that kids this young do better if their parents aren't there. She has a recital in June (seriously! a recital!) at the Val A. Browning building at WSU. I can't wait. They are doing a dance to the music of "Painting the Roses Red" from Alice and Wonderland. The theme of the whole recital is "Let's go to the Movies". She has already been fitted for her costume and I think I'm more excited than she is! Is that crazy or what? Maybe just sad!

Maybe Mommy is "Ogre" doing it.....

The other day Ava was sitting next to me while I was studying and I noticed that she reached up to pick her nose and then her little finger slid nonchalantly down to her her mouth (Blech!!!!). I understand kids do this when they're little but it's still nasty! I was so grossed out! But most of all I was so shocked! Where did she learn this? I do not pick my nose and eat it! Seriously. I told her that "princesses do NOT eat boogers! That is so gross and Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty would tell you that it is gross too." She just stared at me, so I kept going. "Ava, ogres eat boogers, did you know that?" She still just stared, "Ava, who's an ogre?" I was trying to prompt her to say Shrek because she loves Shrek and knows he's an ogre. But when I asked her who's an ogre, and she said, "Me", and started crying. I had to back track and tell her that she was a princess and not an ogre.

Happy Birthday Ava Kate!

This is the Birthday Girl when she woke up.

Birthday wishes from Dad.

Ava Kate turned 3 on February 24th. We celebrated with 2 parties and 2 cakes. She was very spoiled because her birthday fell on a Tuesday and that is the day I have class. I felt really bad but I could not afford to miss ANY classes. She had her second party the following Sunday at my moms house. But... of course I had to work. I felt like a bum mom all week, but fortunately I don't think she noticed to much! She kept telling me "Mom, mom it's my birthday!" It was so cute. She really wanted some pink cowboy boots. I really don't know why, because I am everything but country and she is never exposed to it. I don't know of any of her friends who have any. But this was the one thing that she consistently requested when asked. So my mom mad her day by giving her the cutest cowboy boots (well, cute for cowboy boots anyway). The best part....They light up! It's so funny. She struts around in those boots like she is top stuff. Some times in just her favorite "princess panties". Zach gave her some "Elton John" sunglasses, they take up her whole face. She has always liked to wear sunglasses and when Chris saw them at Nordstrom he couldn't resist. Zach was so excited to give them to her. He kept them a secret for almost 2 DAYS! Good job Zach! Happy birthday princess!

This is Zach giving Ava his present.

Ava opening her princess dishes that she totally found 3 weeks earlier, but we made her wait.

Ava and Zach having a tea party with the new set.

So big! I can't believe she is 3!

My mom got her a Tinkerbell cake and she LOVED it!

Krissy, Zach and Ava messing around.

Ava actually got 2 cakes. Elaine made her one and had a special dinner for her while I was at school.