Let's Do Lunch

After a very hard day of water sliding the boys took a lunch break. Even little C ate some today! Just had to show how cute they were having there " lunch date" on the deck engrossed what I assume is a very deep and intellectual coversation about who had the coolest "slide" moves that day.

To Infinity and Beyond!

To Infinity and Beyond..hmm...that pretty much describes my laundry pile. Since Keith is at work and Harper is napping it was time for a superhero showdown. Davis is setting obsticle courses for Buzz to conquer. Yes, there is never a dull moment around here. Oh how I wish there were more dull moments, specifically between 10PM and 8AM. I know...I know...this time will be gone before I know it and I will miss it....I wonder if I will miss it as much as I miss sleeping right now....

This might be Carson's "Blue" period...

Yes, he is my artist. He loves to do anything creative and likes to get messy. So unlike his older brother who might freak out because of the mess. Please note the cute blue half-stash. I was tempted to help him finish that!

Keith took Davis to the hospital to round with him and Carson and I have enjoyed some nice time alone. The boys needed time apart as much as we needed them to be apart this morning. While they are the best of friends they often don't bring out the best in one another at times. This morning was one of those times. Hopefully the break works as well for them as it has for me.

Well, gotta go paint...

Who Needs Water with a Water Slide?

I loaded these pictures backwards, but oh well. As you can see from the view on our deck this slide was quite an adventure. One that the boys loved! They didn't even wait for water, they just started sliding. We had made fun of the "costco" sized slide and opted for a more reasonable size...bu this has been so much fun that now I am thinking we need the big one!

How About a Little Harper Happiness?

I can't believe she will be two months old in a few days...she has changed so much and much too fast. It makes her Mom very sad. We went to the park to meet friends yesterday and one of them had their three week old baby (Lily Cleo) and she was so sweet and still all rolled up in a ball. I already miss that stage.

Welcome Addilyn Sophia!

We have a new niece. Keith's sister Tammy and husband Jake had their baby girl yesterday. Tammy went in Friday morning at 4AM for an induction that ended in a C-section that evening. Everyone is doing well. Addilyn Sophia was born at 10:21 p.m. and weighed in at 7 lbs 15 oz, 20", she has black hair and dark eyes. Babies are so exciting!

Harper is 8 weeks old today!

In celebration of her 8 week birthday we went to the Dr to get weighed, measured and shot. Three shots to be exact. I didn't get a great weighing picture as we did not have our usual nurse today and the fill in nurse hurried us along.....I guess not everyone takes pictures at a Dr. appt? Just crazy me?

She weighed 11lbs 7oz and was 23 3/4" long and her head was 15". I have no idea what the head measurement is for...but she is 50-75% in weight and 75% in height. Needless to say, she did not like the shots and while she had a good nap after the shots she has been a bit cranky and sad ever since. Crankiness aside, she is doing great!

Daddy Loves Harper!

I think Harper missed her Daddy today. She snuggled right up on him and smiled.

The End of Blue Ice

They both had a great time at the last game. Carson was very focused on when exactly he could get the "cookies" and everytime I said at the end of the game he would go play a little more. Then he would come back out and say, now can I have cookies? Needless to say we talked a lot about cookies during the last game!

FYI: Mexico is not next to China.

Tonight after dinner Davis said he wanted to move to Dallas, because Dallas was close to Mexico and he "always wanted to go to Mexico". As if that was not funny enough Keith asked him what Mexico was close to and Davis said, hmm...China? Needless to say we are not doing a great job with geography lessons.

Bugsy Smiles!

Our girl is getting so big much much too fast. She smiles and coos and grins now. Her head is getting so strong and she can hold it up pretty well too. If you tell her she is a pretty girl you get some really big full mouth open eyes closed squinty grins. I do feel a little silly saying pretty girl over and over again...she is not a parrot after all...

Carson Loves Harper

Carson is always asking to hold her. He loves to hold her and we always say "hold her head". I guess to a three year old just putting your hand on your head is "holding"? It is also so sweet how he is holding her hand too. We didn't tell him to do that :-) As for the cheesy grin...well I get that from Carson every time I get out the camera, which I know is a bit too often!

Got a Light?

We had a fun and busy weekend. Friday night Chuck and Jeni watched the boys so Keith and I could go have dinner (with Harper of course) at his partner Amy's home since Amy's last day with them is this Friday. We are all sad to see her go...she is my Dr and the kids so now I guess we needs a new one. Chuck and Jeni picked them up early on Friday and took them to Monkey Business and I think they had a good time. Saturday is a blur...what we did I don't know but we did go to a BBQ at a neighbors house and that was fun. The boys had a wonderful time playing with all the kids. Sunday we enjoyed another BBQ with other friends, kids and more water activities...are you seeing a trend here? The boys also got thier first pair of flip flops this weekend. They are so proud, those and the hats Chuck and Jeni got them from the zoo. They are quit stylish between their fancy hats, flip flops and glow in the dark shirts Monga sent them.

The heat is on!

Everyday the boys want to go swimming or play in the spinklkers, they ask this all winter long and now that it is finally warm enough they are loving it! Davis is even getting into his "shark" slip and slide character here.

Meet Bugsy.

What is it about a camera flash and a baby that make them look at you all bug eyed? I know it may not be super nice, but we have taken to calling her bugsy, among a few other names, as a nickname. Have you seen the movie Bedtime Stories? Bugsy is the animal in the story that looks a lot like Harper, aka Princess Suffelupagus, Harperoni or currently Bugsy. Bugsy is cute btw.

Harper in her Tutu!

Yes, every girl needs one--maybe I need one...anyway, thought I would share a MUCH cuter picture taken of my girl yesterday on her 7 week birthday. These are really for her baptism invitations (which is going to be Sunday July 19th @ 5PM btw) but I could not wait to share at least one of the cute ones! For more go to www.thesmilestation.com and the name is: NICOLE RATZAFF (use the caps and the typo for this to work) and the Access code is LTTT0892105781TAR

Join me at the boys preschool for three fun days of cropping!

Crop and Craft the
Day Away!
Summer Fundraising Crops for
Aldersgate Preschool Plus
Saturday, June 13th, July 11th, & August 22nd
9:00 a.m.-9:00p.m.
How would you like to spend the day cropping and crafting
with friends? Would you like the chance to participate in some
make and takes? How about having a chance to win one of
several door prizes? What about a quick break to enjoy the
lunch and dinner that will be provided?
Then this is the day for you! Space is limited to 50 participants.
Hurry and reserve your dedicated cropping space today!
Registration Fees and Deadlines
· $35 early bird registration fee ($40 after deadline of May 27th for June crop, June 24th
for July crop, and August 5th for August crop)
· $30 per event if you register for all three crops by May 27th
· $30 per person for groups of 5 or more (book by early bird deadlines listed above)
Contact Gina Mathy (StampingWithGina@themathys.com) or Nicole Ratzlaff
(nratzlaff@comcast.net) with any questions. To register, please drop your
registration form with fee off at the preschool office or mail it to:
Aldersgate Preschool Plus 15315 W. 151st Street, Olathe, KS 66062
Please make checks payable to Aldersgate Preschool Plus
Name(s)_______________________________________________________________
Please list the primary contact person for your group first if registering a group and list
primary contact’s information for remaining items.
Email address:________________________ Phone Number: ______________
Registering for: ___June Crop ___July Crop ___August Crop ___All Crops
Please place an X or the number of participants next to the appropriate crop for which you
or your group are registering.

Spotted Canary

I think most of you know that I have a bit of a patterned paper and ribbon addiction. Since my former employer would not pay me to stay home with the kids I needed a way to support my bad habit and I have been very lucky to have the great opporutnity to design for several amazing companies to do just that. These companies are all under the name "EK Success Brands". The products this company develop are all showcased on a new website called Spotted Canary. This site has blogs, articles, projects and more. It is a great concept and there is something there for everyone. Take a minute to check it out, and if you have a second to become my friend on there that would be wonderful too! You might even see my kids on there--just incase this blog is not enough :-)

So, take a minute and check out this new website: http://www.spottedcanary.com/

Harper is 7 Weeks Old Today!

She had a very hot and busy day, and I did not do a good job of taking her picture...and in this one she looks a bit like bigfoot and if you could hear her she also sounds like she is snoring. So cute! Snoring is only cute on little people btw not so cute on her Daddy...

Let the Game Begin!

Carson was ready to play tonight! I thought without a nap and a long day at the Royals game he wouldn't hang but he did! He played better than ever tonight. Great job C!

Then Mr D did a great job too--scored several times and even in the correct goal tonight!

Then the highlight of every game, he end of game snack! Somethings don't change with age...in the end it really is all about dessert...

Carson's First Royals Game

Here we are all trecking into the stadium. We are parked about as far out as you can get at Arrowhead so it was a haul. This was Harper's first game too, but since she slept through most of it and was in the photographers arms most of the time she did not get pictures taken. In fact, because of her there were not many photos taken at all. We were lucky to have someone give us two tickets when we were walking in so for the five of us it only cost us $13 to get in, now that was the bargain of the day.

Here is Carson eating his "claw". He doesn't like food but give him a good piece of foam and apparently he will have at it. This explains the little pieces of foam swoard I have been finding all over the house. This claw was from last season or I would complain here about what that cost too :-)

Here is Davis riding "Slugger". Carson is on a horse...not sure what that has to do with baseball, but there were giant bats and balls and gloves you could ride too, now that would have been a cute pic. Maybe next time! For anyone wondering, it was a two token per person ride. One token = one dollar.

And, here is what we did most of the time. Eat. Well, the boys...err Davis anyway. It started with pretzels, then hotdogs, then cotton candy and well, if that is not enough we wash it down with some icees. Man, are we good parents or what?! Surely these fit into some group on the food pyramid.

The only "food" I got was a bottle of water--for $4.25 a bottle. SERIOUSLY! I just bought a 24 pack at Target this morning for $3.99. 24 of them cost me less than one there? Or, you can have two children ride a carosel for less than a bottle of water. Hmm..intersting. The only other item to note is if you plan to nurse your child there--don't, bring a bottle. There is no where to sit that is not in the sun unless you go to first aid. I suppose that might be the perk of going there as it is air conditioned...and good to know BEFORE you sit on the ground to nurse your baby. That said, the remodeled stadium is very nice and I am sure we will be back! Who wants to go with us???

Go Blue Ice Cubes! Or, whatever your name is...

Let's see, are we here to play soccer or to put grass down Emily Grace's shirt...hmm...I think I am gonna have to keep a closer eye on this one, he has the makings of a player, and no I am not talking about his soccer abilities.



And, this next photo...well just take a look at who is going which direction and where the ball is. It is like herding cats people, yet somehow funnier. So cute.




Davis did score a few goals, for each side so no one can say he is not a team player! Carson was starving from not eating all day (shocker since my kid hates food) and once he had a few snacks he was ready to go, ran out there and kicked the ball and then *bonk* he got ran over by a bigger kid (you know, the kids that actually eat food) and he cried and cried. We have another game on Thursday night. We shall see what comes of that one...

Oh how they love swim lessons...

Here is everyone on Monday at swim lessons and next Monday is our last lesson of the year. We are going to take the summer off and likely find a new instructor in the Fall. Our instructor is frequently referred to as "the swim nazi" around town. People know of this woman and her abilities to teach kids to swim, not for her warm loving persona. Now that my kids like the water and Davis has learned some basic skills I think it is time for a more encouraging approach....of course Keith and I are not on the same page on this either, but I think the "nazi" is mean and I hate to go to swim lessons. So, yahoo for one more lesson! And, from the look on Harper's face I think she is over this year's lessons too. She says less swimming and more sleep please.

Green Eggs & Ham

Thank goodness for green food coloring! Not sure how else I would have made it through the morning feeding festival at our house. I hope when Davis grows up he remembers all that I do to cater to his wacky whims. And really, how could you say no to that cute face?!

Everyone Loves Miss Elizabeth!

We had a great visit from a wonderful friend this past week. Ms. Elizabeth came to stay with us to help out with the chaos that three small children can create and to have some fun too. She headed back to Texas last night and we miss her already! Come back soon!