some free time

okay, so it really isn't free and it is only for about five minutes, but the kids are occupied with xander's remote control lightning mcqueen and todd is out in the kitchen with them, so i seem to have found a moment to write something.
these last few weeks have been crazy. i have stayed really busy with school and getting things done for school. i think i could use another week in my classroom to get everything just right. i am training a new assistant at the same time as i "train" my class, and it has been interesting. i have quite a class this year. very strong personalities. i like to joke that i would feel much better if we could fast forward the first month of school, to when they know the routines. I'm not giving in, and sometimes i am mean but i tell them i know how i want my class and i'm going to get my way.
some cute stories about xander and cassidy....
*when you say "hello" to cassidy she holds her hand up to her ear, like a telephone
*she dances, and usually it is just a head tilt or bob to the right paired with a little bouncing as she bends her knees
*she has words for "xander" "daddy" and "rachel" and they pretty much all sound the same, but she knows the difference
*she is just beginning to walk on her own, to get to something she wants
*she is fascinated with putting paper in her mouth
*she signs "more" for "i want" and it is fun trying to figure out what it is that she wants. usually to tell you "no" she does a head tilt to the right
*she can blow bubbles with her spit (what is it about my children and their talents)

*now xander has discovered "joseph and the amazing technicolor dream coat" and has been singing it for days
*he loves newsies and high school musical 1 & 2
*some of our conversations recently have been about marriage....xander wants to marry me, and strongly disagrees when i tell him i am already married to his dad. he protests for another few minutes and then insists that he marry cassidy. when i tell him that it doesn't work that way and that he can't marry cassidy his response is usually something like "mom, i need a girl to marry!"
*he is obsessed with giving me married kisses and i can't help but laugh as he knocks me to the floor and his little freckled face comes at me with his eyes closed and his mouth already puckered up. (one of these days i need to get a picture of that face, cause it really does make me laugh)
*he knows when his birthday is, and tells everyone that he will be 4 on sept. 19th
*he still loves sports
*protests going to school each morning when i wake him at 6:00am, but generally has a really good time in class
*he earns the coveted stars in his class. they are hard to come by, but he manages about 3 a week for good behavior
*great memory and great comprehension
*gave a talk last week in primary "how the holy ghost strenghtens my faith in jesus christ"

my free moment came and went and now it is 9:30 at night and i have work i should be doing. off to color, cut, paste, put together something for pre-k.

photos to please

it's been too long, i know...
so to appease the masses that read this blog here are some pictures from this weekend until i can find my desk to actually write something.

school starting = sarah's gone crazy

i've been a nut case all week. i don't think i have talked to todd in the last three days, or played baseball with xander, or listened to cassidy laugh!
why you ask?
school starts tomorrow!!!
(okay, technically today, since it is 2am! face it, i never learn!)
good luck to rachel. here first day as a LEAD TEACHER!

cassidy's royal party

cassidy's party was a success. we ate, watched a princess movie, decorated our own crowns, ate cake and watched cassidy get messy, then opened gifts. in attendance....michelle, maggie & katie gormally, casey, natalie & tyler norr, rachel dolan & whitney black, and george & pam little. by the time it was over we determined that the party had been more for xander than cassidy. he had a great time with his friends.
here are some of the highlight pictures....
the pink outfit was from grandma & grandad little and was so cute on her. the castle cake was an amazing creation....great job todd.

cassidy turns 1 !!!

hard to believe it has been a full year. one year ago today.....it went by so quickly. yesterday was same ole, same ole....school, home, playing outside. we didn't do a whole lot out of the ordinary. we had ice cream with grandma & grandad little. they gave her some really cute outfits (which i appreciated more than she did : P ) but we'll do the party and cake today. todd really outdid himself and put together a castle cake for our "royal party". all in attendance will be princesses and princes. i'll have pictures of that one tomorrow. happy birthday baby girl!

cassidy's royal party seemed to be a success. very low key with some fabulous family friends. we missed the other part of our sunday family that couldn't be there, as well as family members that live too far away.....
we ate, the kids decorated their own crowns, we let cassidy get messy and then had her open some gifts. todd's castle cake was scrumptous (as per xander's description) and overall it was a very fun evening!
here are some highlight pictures

sunday walk

no where to go sunday after church was just fine with me. i needed some down time. xander, however, was just about to go crazy at home...couldn't play baseball or basketball, couldn't ride his bike, couldn't run in the sprinkler like the kids down the street. the first of many "because it is sunday" talks. (i remember them mom & dad!)

so, we decided that a leisurely family walk was an acceptable activity to pass the time. cassidy loves xander and laughs at everything he does, including trying to put the back of her dress over her head as they were riding in the wagon down the street.

as for an update....
todd is still searching for a job. had a good interview last week, but now he is in the waiting phase.

xander is becoming a little bit sassy. we are working on it, but it makes for some funny reasoning from an almost 4 year old when he wants things his way. he loves "vacation days" when we have a day off of school. we try to do a park or swimming pool - and to him, that is a summer day.




cassidy has had the most changes this last week. while holding her upside down and tickling her just to hear her laugh, i found two eye teeth coming in and two molars. yikes, if she has been cranky now we know why. she is also moving up to a new classroom at school. the 1yr old room. it is a little early, but because of some of the changes that are happening around the school it is happening sooner than usual. so she now sleeps on a mat on the floor instead of in a crib, and her nap time has been pushed back an hour or so, to keep her on schedule with the "older" kids in the room. she is also sitting at a table in a chair and eating, instead of a high chair. poor thing can't even get up and walk out of the chair, she'd just have to slid her way to the floor. but she seems to be adjusting well and taking it all in stride.

as for me, i am working on getting myself ready for school to start in two weeks. i am ready for my regular schedule. no more jumping rooms and work times. no more wandering aimlessly around a classroom with no real responsibilities (other than the kids of course!) i am ready for my classroom. bring it on!

that is it i guess. cassidy's birthday is on friday. i can't believe that a year ago i was huge and waiting for little cassidy to show up. well she did, and we wouldn't have it any other way. she is a little firecracker and she fits right in! pictures to be posted after the ceremony of the cake!