Our Little Ricky Vaughn

Today was an exciting day in the Campbell house. Brady has been waiting the entire last week for some new.......

GLASSES!!!


He's been telling us for awhile that he had trouble seeing the board clearly. So - we took him in and low and behold, he needed glasses. We're not entirely sure he really needs them...I mean he definitely could have faked his eye test. He wouldn't be the first one in our family to do that (cough, cough...Ashley) But, I guess it's better to be safe than sorry. He only needs them for the classroom, not for reading - so we won't really get to see him too much with the glasses on. 


And, he looks so stinking adorable. 


He picked out the glasses all by himself. It was a chore. So many to choose from. He did not like the glasses with the little nose pad things, so we were pretty limited to the ones without. 


What a cutie. 

Team Mom...Again

So, since I have nothing else to do (um...kidding) - I've taken on the job of Team Mom again for Brady's little league team. 


Ugh. 


Worst.Job.Ever.


I had full intention of NOT being team mom again. I did it last year and I thought I had put in my time for at least the next...well, really forever. But, then Brady's coach sent email after email about how he needed a  team mom. I tried and tried to ignore them. And, finally - when I felt like he was basically yelling straight at me that I needed to volunteer (which he SOOO was not, it's just me taking general emails as if they are written straight to me vs. to the whole group) I stepped up and said I'd do it.


Ugh.


Oh well, the tough part is almost over. I've gone to the league meeting (3 hours seriously), sent out the loads of emails (ugh - it's like a parent sales job), recruited parents to volunteer for opening day festivities, printed and copied the Hit-A-Thon fundraiser sheets, collected money for the silent auction and embroidered hats, dropped off and picked up the hats, picked up and passed out uniforms, sent reminders about the President's award essay, put together a snack schedule, field prep schedule, and scorekeeping schedule, sent reminders about Dbacks night, provided Dick's coupons to the team for equipment....and, missed out picture day entirely. To be fair it's not totally my fault. I received an email about the picture day just one day before - but, unfortunately didn't even see the email until after our scheduled time. I mean who sends an email to tell a team of their scheduled time for pictures just one day before with the expectation that they could 1) actually open the email ahead of time and 2) coordinate 12 boys and their families for a 3:30pm, Saturday picture day!!?? Ugh!! 


So - I guess as team mom...I fail. 


WWTM! Yes, add World's Worst Team Mom to the list of WW things I am :)


But, here's our silent auction basket. And, by golly - I think it looks awesome! At least I excel at putting together baskets. 

Brady's First Baseball Essay

Brady's little league team gives away awards to kids in each division for writing a 100 word essay about what they want to get out of little league. They can win bats and jerseys and even their registration fee. This is what Brady wrote. It had to be handwritten. Yes - we helped him with spelling here and there...but, this is what he wrote. How cute is he!!

Wow...We Have an 8 Year Old!!!

 Brady is 8.

Wow.

I know every year I write how I can remember the day he was born and I can't believe how very fast the last 8 years have gone. And...this year is absolutely NO different.

Brady was born on a Tuesday. I went into the hospital to be induced on Monday the 26th at 7pm. They were PACKED at the hospital. I was told to call Monday morning to see if they had room. They didn't. We were told to call back at 10am. Still no room. 12pm. Still no room. 5pm. We were told they would have room at 7pm and to come on down at that time. We went out to dinner. With our bags in our old green Nissan Xterra, we went to Applebees. OMG were we sooooo nervous and even more SOOO excited. We went straight to the hospital. At the hospital they were surprised to see us because they had left a message on our house phone saying they were packed and to call in the morning. We didn't get that message since we were at dinner. Thankfully, they let us stay. I was admitted and set up in room 3. By 9pm the pitocin was dripping away. I was a 4. Family and friends visited to wish us luck. My family packed into the room. By 2am I was given the epidural. A quiet night brought some good rest. My doctor came at 9am to break my water. I started pushing at 12pm. He was face up. This was NOT good and super duper painful. I was not prepared for that. After one hour of pushing they wanted to use a vacuum and called the doctor to come on down for that procedure. I freaked out and started pushing like a maniac. By the time the doctor arrived (with an intern) Brady was just about out. 1:36pm he arrived. Holy cow. I couldn't believe it. My blood pressure dropped. Thank goodness my mom was there to take care of me while Bryan took care of Brady.

I was a mom.

Wow. 8 years have literally flown by. 

Our only son. Our oldest. Boy oh boy - Brades....we love you!

8 things I LOOOOVE about Brady:

1. He hates, hates, hates to be in trouble. He is the kid that when he ONE time got a yellow ticket in his classroom (red=BAD, yellow=warned, green=GREAT day) he literally cried and was so visibly upset and saddened that the teacher called to warn me what to expect and check on him later. He is; however, 8 years old. He, of course, talks back at times. But...he listens. When we talk to him about his behavior - he understands. He apologizes. And when we are really upset, the disappointment in himself is almost too much for me to take. It reminds me of myself. Well...and since the Hottie literally NEVER did anything bad (not kidding) I'm guessing that is a definite trait of him, too.

2. He works hard at everything he does. He always gives it his all. With his schoolwork - he is not happy unless he gets a good grade. With baseball - he practices ALL.THE.TIME. Even with football - he listens to his coach and tries to follow EXACTLY what was said. I love it. He jumps into things feet first and gives 110%. 

3. He dances. I mean...he really dances. He LOVES to copy moves he sees on TV. And...the thing is, he's pretty good. I mean dorky good, but pretty good. We keep trying to talk him into taking dance class at Lily's studio, but...he keeps refusing. We told him he can do both dance and baseball...but, still a No. He saves his dancing for just us. Well, not really - he'll dance for anyone. He just doesn't want to do it in a formal dance class. The Boyz Crew (that's what they are called) at Lil's studio are so awesome. But...no, we can't get him to join.

4. He sings. Umm...not good - I mean he is my child :) But, that doesn't let it stop him. He TOTALLY will sing the entire lyrics to a song super loud. Even though they're only about half right - it is awesome. I'm Sexy and I Know It is pretty much his favorite song right now and good gracious...when that comes on - watch out. He will dance and sing. It is literally a hoot. We just look at each other and laugh. He will always sing it as loud as he can....kind of wanting us to know that he knows the words. What a dork - I love it!

5. He still gives me hugs and kisses everyday before school and every night before bed. He's not embarrassed yet in front of his friends. I'm dreading that day. And...EVERY.SINGLE.NIGHT he wants the hottie to tuck him in bed. I love listening to the boys have their 5 minutes together after putting up with us girls all day long.

6. He is still the kid that the teachers love. They count on him to help take the sick kids to the nurse. Or show the new kids around. Or help the teacher when he needs help. It makes me smile every time a report card comes home or the teacher sends a note, or during parent conferences when the teachers tell us what a pleasure he is to have in class and how he always listens and how he is so polite. Yes, we know he is a good kid. It just makes me feel good to hear it from other people.

8. Call me biased but I think he just might be the cutest 8 year old boy around. He's got this crooked "jack o' lantern" smile from all of his permanent teeth - and I couldn't love it any more than I do. He smiles so big and laughs so hard. He is just so stinkin' adorable - I can't handle it. I love that kid.

8 years old. Happy (belated) birthday Brady. 

I love you tons!

The Night Brady Wrote an Apology Letter

Brady was a handful today. Very needy. Very whiny. Lots of complaining. Tantrums. Arguments. Kind of like a 2 year old little girl. Not kidding. 

We'd had enough. 

By the time dinner was ready - he was on about the 8th time of being sent to his room. We called him out for dinner and he said - hold on I'm writing something. 

We waited. 

And this is what he presented to us at dinner.

 You can't help but feel bad for him. The only boy and the oldest. It's like 2 strikes against him! 

So sweet. 

This one's a keeper. 

Brusha, Brusha, Brusha...

It looks like the tooth fairy will be making a visit to our house tonight!!

Whew - thank goodness that tooth is out.

It has been hangin' (TMI) by a thread for weeks.

GROSS!

We've been wanting this tooth out.

But I for sure can't pull it.

(I've got teeth/mouth issues and it literally makes me gag.)

Brady had an appointment today for sealants.

I was planning to ask the dentist to just pull it since it was hanging.

I picked Brady up for the dentist.

We stopped home so he could brush his teeth.

He brushed.

And, he brushed that tooth right out!

Hee hee!!!

Yay Brades!

p.s. it looks like Brady is making out tonight because the tooth fairy

got cash back at the grocery store...but, never stopped to get smaller bills. Oops!

1st Grade Music Performance

Gilbert Public Schools puts on a 1st Grade Music Performance and on March 8th...Sonoma Ranch had their turn. Oh boy - Brady has been practicing and practicing and practicing for the last several months. Each 1st grader even had the chance to step up to the microphone and read 1-2 lines of a poem. It was very cute.

Short.

But, cute.

Exactly perfect!

The best part of the night was seeing all of the kids all dressed up in their "Sunday best" as was requested by their music teacher. If they only knew that our Sunday best is comfy clothes!! Brady wore his Christmas outfit with a non-Christmas-y sweater that I recently purchased. And of course, he had cool hair. All the girls were all dressed up in frilly Easter-like dresses. So cute!

My parents, Ash and the kids, and Cori and Aidyn came to support Brady. Oh was he so excited.

Matsui Thinks Brady Has a Natural Swing

This was a big...and I mean BIG weekend for Brady. He filmed a commercial. Yes...our 7 year old will be in a commercial. It might only be shown in Japan...but heck, he's in it.


A few weeks ago, my cousin George sent me an email about an open audition for 7-10 year olds that have played little league baseball. George does some acting and happened to see the open audition notice and thought of Brady. So...we signed him up for an audition.


A few days later, we dressed Brady in his Cubs baseball shirt, pants, cup, cleats, and hat, grabbed his glove and bat, and headed to downtown Phoenix for his audition. At the audition, they had him stand on a circle in front of a green screen, swing the bat, pose as a baseball player for pictures, and answer some questions. They gave him a piece of candy...and we were done. The next week we were contacted - he was selected for the commercial.


No, he's not the star. He's an extra. I have no idea how many total kids auditioned, but they needed 40. For all we know, there were only 40 that auditioned :)


The email that we received instructed us to come in this past Thursday for a wardrobe fitting. At the fitting, they fit him for a uniform, snapped some pictures, and gave us the shooting schedule/location. We were told via email that 10 of the kids would be selected for some still shots.


The filming of the commercial was today at Papago Baseball Facility...the Oakland A's spring training practice fields. The hottie took him because I was taking the girls to Rylee's 6th birthday party. We debated back and forth who would take him. Although I'm sad I missed it...I am SO very glad that the hottie was able to take him. It was way more than we expected.


We did NOT know this ahead of time, but the commercial involved Hideki Matsui. We thought the commercial was for Komatsu. My Googling discovered that Komatsu is a huge international construction-type company. We were imagining Field of Dreams in a commercial. Well...I'm pretty sure we were wrong. Matsui's dad worked for a Japanese company called Komatsu for over 20 years and he endorses this company. The commercial seemed to be about some type of hitting and swinging instruction led by Matsui. The kids were swinging and hitting and Matsui walked around, swung the bat, and watched the kids while providing feedback to them on their swing.


Um...I don't think this could have been more perfect. Yesterday we found out that Brady's new little league team is the A's and now he gets to "play" ball with a real-life A player. The hottie was in HEAVEN. I'm pretty sure he loved this even more than Brady.


They arrived to the shoot at 9:30am. The hottie was told that Brady had been selected as one of the 10 for the still shots. So, Brady and 9 others went to a separate area where they got to take still shots with Matsui. Yep...again...HEAVEN.


After the stills, the 10 kids met up with the rest of the kids and went to the outfield and spread out so there was room to swing the bat. When the director yelled action, the kids were instructed to keep swinging the bat. Matsui walked around, gave instruction, demonstrated proper swings, and helped the kids with their swings. He stopped at Brady for awhile. And get this...he told Brady he has a natural swing.


During this entire part of the day the hottie was a good distance away - so he had no idea what was being said. But, you better believe he was excited tonight when Brady told us what Matsui said. Too funny.


The commercial wrapped early today due to weather...but, our little actor is heading back out tomorrow to finish up the shoot. He did get paid today...$50. He thinks he's rich. Too cute! I asked him if he wanted to do more commercials. He said..."um yeah - you get fifty dollars. awesome!"

Seven Years a Mommy

Today I've been a Mommy for 7 years.

Sheesh-ka-bobs...
Wow...
Time flies!

I remember praying and praying and praying for a baby like it was yesterday. It is so very hard to believe that it has been 7 years. 7 crazy, fun, busy, scary, and exciting years.

Boy oh boy does Brady know it's his birthday. He's been counting down the days. He gets so mad that Lily's birthday comes first in the calendar year. He badly wanted a party this year - but, we decided to allow only a sleepover with 3 of his cousins. It will still pretty much be a party. They'll be heading over Friday evening for pizza, fun, and a movie and Saturday morning will be celebrating at Makutu's Island. So...although there were no invites or friends involved - it's still party-ish.

He is begging for a skateboard. He wanted one from Christmas...and then the Nintendo DS made the top of the list and the skateboard got pushed off to his birthday. We went back and forth deciding if we should get him one.

We did.

Don't worry - we hooked him up with pads and a high-tech helmet. He'll be good to go. Ashley asked if we purchased him bubble wrap. She was joking - but, I thought it was a good idea. I do have fears of injuries....so start praying for his skateboarding safety!

This is how we would describe you at 7 years old:
1. You eat, sleep, and live baseball.
2. You are my biggest helper.
3. You are absolutely hilarious. Well...at least your cousins think so. And us!
4. You make your bed everyday and are getting quite good at it.
5. You still love to color and are pretty OCD about making sure you stay in the lines.
6. You love your Nintendo DS - you especially love playing it in the car.
7. You are my little model with the camera. You always have time for a pose and really get into it!
8. You are becoming quite the reader. I really cannot take any credit for that - you did it on your own.
9. You love legos. You love for Dad to put together your lego sets and then you display them in your room.
10. You have night terrors and although they can be frightening (for us, too) they are sometimes comical. But, Aunt Ashley thinks they're scary.
11. You like to have piggy back rides to bed. You are generally the first one asleep in our family.
12. You are all boy...but, you have no problem playing dress up or barbies with Lily if she asks. I love that.
13. You also love my new phone...and are addicted to Angry Birds even more than I am.
14. You are at the stage where you copy things that dad and I say (so you can sound like us)...and think we won't notice.
15. You have lost 2 teeth and have 2 more about ready for the tooth fairy.
16. You have a wallet full of money. We don't know if you'll be a really good saver...or if we just never make you pay for anything. So...we just started an allowance system.
17. You don't have a girlfriend. We think you're beginning to be in the girl "cootie" phase.
18. You always want to buy the school lunch. (that makes it easier on me...so great!)
19. You love, love, love iCarly. You always talk about them like it's totally real-life. So...basically you're like me with TV.
20. I know you're only 7 - but, you are going to be a very good babysitter. I can't wait.
21. Your dad says you have a baseball swing like a natural.
22. You are the world's worst liar. We can tell withing 1/2 second if you're lying.
23. You love to dance...but, only when no one is watching.
24. You are a bit of a perfectionist. And, when things don't come out exactly right...you get VERY mad.
25. And, last you are such a snuggler. I'll take it. I'm not looking forward to the phase (that I'm sure you'll go through) when you don't want anything to do with us.

Brades - we prayed for you for so very long. The last 7 years have been so much fun. You have taught us how to be parents and we cannot believe how grown-up you are becoming. You are so honest and silly and loving. We love you so very, very much.

Happy Birthday!
Love, Mommy and Daddy

My Smart Phone Makes Me Feel Stupid

I am SOOOO not smart phone intelligent.

Yesterday, the Hottie showed me how to move around my apps.

And delete pages.

And explain the difference between the home pages and the list of apps.

It took me 6 calls to learn how to answer the phone.

I linked my phone to FB (by some miracle) and now I don't know how to link new people.

I didn't realize until yesterday that I had a Google bar on my home page.

I've been going to the Web app and punching in http://www.google.com/.

I don't know how to check my messages, so don't leave one for me yet.

But, I'm really good now at checking my Yahoo email!

Oh, and I've mastered Angry Birds...but, that deserves its own post.

The Hottie says it's called a smart phone because it's supposed to allow quick access to anything. It should allow you to set up your phone how you want it, to personalize it to fit you. There are gazillions of apps to make your life easier and for just plain entertainment. There is visual voice mail so that you don't even have to listen to your message. There is voice text and dial and who knows what else. I don't know how to use any of that. I'm not sure I'll ever know.

But, at least I can get to FB now with one click (as of this weekend).

There should be smart phone lessons.

At least I was able to get this cute pirate picture of Brady using the postcard camera app.

Argh!!!!!

Hand Me Downs

We do a lot of hand-me-downs over here. Charlotte has about a gazillion outfits to choose from. Each outfit tells a lot of stories. I love it.

Brady doesn't really get any hand-me-downs. After all, he's our only boy and the oldest local cousin.

But, this weekend...he did get a pretty special hand-me-down from Bryan.

Tooth Woes

I think our family is in for years of teeth issues.
Me = braces for years and years
The Hottie = well, his list of teeth issues go on and on
(although I do blame his childhood dentist for a lot of that!!)

And, now Brades = root canal

Yep, Brady has some tooth issues. He has been going to the dentist 2 times a year since age 2. Never a cavity. Always glowing reports of his teeth. A few months ago...they started watching a cracked tooth. Well, this last visit brought the news that it now needed a root canal and cap. He also had a mini cavity (whatever that is) and the work would require some laughing gas.


This past Monday, I picked Brady up early from school for his big appointment. Boy oh boy, his dentist is so awesome. It takes a special person to be a pediatric dentist. To have such patience with kids. To explain each and every minuscule step in such simple terms. He made it seem like no big deal. And...we were in and out in 25 minutes. I couldn't ask for anything better. Oh...the best part - his name is Dr. Quackenbush. Yep...isn't that cute? We sure do love him!


Brady was a super champ. He was so brave and never cried, flinched, or even showed any fear. He breathed in that laughing gas like a pro. He took the Novocaine shots like it didn't even hurt. And oh my goodness, was he a trip after the fact dancing around drunkenly with a cute little "Elvis" grin. He definitely wanted a super dose of Tylenol a little after the big event...but, other than that - what a pro!


When we picked up the girls from the sitter's house - he was so proud. Who would have ever thought that a kid would be so excited about a silver tooth?? (The hygienist told me kids think they're cool...but, I didn't believe it. Heck - I had all the silver in my mouth replaced with porcelain!!) He told the sitter, "I had gas." Umm...okay...I had to make sure she understood it was laughing gas. Of course, the silver tooth has been like a trophy and he has showed it to anyone that seems the least bit interested.


Thank goodness I've got a brave kid!! We go back for something similar next week - hopefully, he does just as great!


Ugh!! Teeth issues. I see a world of expenses in our future.

Missing

I'm missing my Cuties.

And, the Hottie.

And...tonight, I'm missing this

Sorry, Buddy!!

I miss you!!

I hope you played GREEEEAAAAAT!

POST EDIT: The Hottie just called me...Brady hit a home run. Woo Hoo Brades!! Way to go, Buddy!!!!!!

Grandparent's Day

I remember loving Grandparent's Day when I was in school.

I swear when I became a parent I expected to celebrate that day every year.

This was the first year we did.

Is it just me...or does it seem like Grandparent's Day is NOT even talked about?

I never hear anything about it.

Or see anything about it at the stores.

So, I never ever know when it is.

Luckily...Brady's school celebrates Grandparent's Day in old school fashion.

They sent home an invite to the Grandparents to come to the school for lunch with the kids.

Brady was so excited when the invite came home.

He wanted to call my parents and invite them to lunch.

He called them up...luckily, my dad was available.

The Grandparent's luncheon went like this...

11:30am - Poppy arrived at the school.

11:45am - To Brady's room for a song...sung to "Take Me Out To The Ballgame"

12:00pm - Lunch. BBQ sandwich and salad for Poppy and yogurt and fruit for Brady

12:05pm - Try to find a table

12:10pm - Eat

12:25pm - Pictures

12:30pm - to the playground

12:45pm - Poppy leaves (he didn't want to "cramp" Brady's style on the playground)

12:47pm - Poppy buys matching school shirts for them on his way out the door.

Seriously...can you say A-DOR-A-BLE!!

Brady literally had the best day ever. I SOOOO wanted to sneak in and take pictures of my Dad and Brady. But...the Hottie talked me out of it. He said that I would embarrass them. Well...at least they got this one taken by the school. SO cute!

p.s....sorry the picture is so dark

We have no scanner and I had to take a picture of a picture with no flash at night to post this.

Lost Dog

Brady has a "lovey." Meaning...he has a stuffed dog that he sleeps with every night. Well...that and his small blue blankie. He doesn't NEED them to sleep, but if we're at home - he wants them.

Last night they were lost. We searched the house. Under beds, couches, in closets...even in the fridge, garbage and toy bins. Rufus (the dog) and his blankie were missing!

He went to bed and woke first thing this morning looking for his prized possessions. He then asked me if he could make a "Lost Dog" sign for Rufus.

Seriously hilarious!

You'll be happy to know - they have since been found. No reward needed.

First Day of First

I guess the psycho, crazy mom continues. This is how it all went down....

Brady's first day of first started out great. We woke him up at 7am. He showered, dressed, ate breakfast and got "cool hair." In our house, cool hair stands for a bit of spikes using hair glue. I made his lunch, grabbed a banana for his morning snack, and readied his backpack for the day.

Picture time!! Yep...pictures of the big first grader are a necessity. He was rockin' his Chandler Bing smile...so he needed a bit of help. We were running a little late (we still had to drop the girls off at the sitter's) so...I was forced to get him to switch his smile quickly. How'd I do it? Well...instead of the standard "say cheese!!!," I am forced to try funny phrases or words. "Monkey" sometimes works...but, lately it's been overused. Brades and Lil think the funniest word is butt crack (talk to the Hottie about teaching them that one) so...what do you think I had him say?? Yep...I stooped that low. But...it worked. So...no judging. We got the cutest picture ever.

Next, we headed out to drop off the girls and then to take out big guy to school. Mrs. Nguyen (did I mention before she is super duper organized?? Love that!) gave us parents a packet of info about the class, school, and the first day rules. She prefers that we say our goodbyes at the door rather than walking him into the class (like we did in Kindergarten). We walked him up to the playground where we found the sign for his class. We made it just in time. Brady was the last kid in the line and they headed to the class right when we got there. We followed him the few feet to the door and said our goodbyes.

Right then it struck me and the crazy, psycho parent came out...This is a new school. He does not know one person in his class. Literally...he could look at every kid in the school and wouldn't know if they were in his class or not. He had only met his teacher once. He didn't even know his room number. He didn't even know how to get to his room...and he was about to enter the school in a different door than we entered in last night. He was the last kid in his class line. What if he turned around for a second and then didn't know which line was his class? There were gobs of kids everywhere. I imagined him standing in the hall waiting for someone to point him in the right direction. As he is entering the school...I'm quickly telling him his teacher's name and room number...just in case he forgot.

After he went in the building, the Hottie and I walked back to the car along with the other gazillion parents. Boy was it H-O-T, HOOOOOOOOOT! Gross!! As we got into the car, I wondered aloud if he made it to his class. The Hottie got worried, too. He suggested I go into the office and ask if I can make sure he made it to the class. I didn't want to be one of those psycho moms, but I didn't want Brady to be lost either. I called Ash to ask her opinion. Well...no surprise she told me to get into the school and make sure he made it (she is even waaaaaaay more neurotic than me). So...I did just that. I entered the office. I apologized to the admin gal for being a psycho parent, explained Brady was new and not familiar at all with the school or any other kids and I just wanted to make sure he made it to class. I think I imagined she would let me go back to the room and peak in the window to see if he was at his seat...but nooooooooo. She called down to his class and asked his teacher if he made it to class. Over the class loudspeaker. Oh.My.Goodness. Thank the Lord he is in first grade and not sixth grade...he would never have forgiven me.

No surprise. He made it to class.

Once the school day was over, we picked him up (after waiting in a ridiculous pickup line) and chatted with him about his day. These were his highlights: P.E. (of course), coloring 3 times, calendar time, recess 2 times, and lunch time because they are allowed to go to the playground right after lunch and DON'T have to wait for the teacher to take them (apparently that's a big deal - but don't worry, there is an aide out there). Oh...and the bathroom pass. That's the coolest. He can take the pass to the bathroom. All.By.Himself.

So far...first grade is a hit. He is getting so big...I just can't believe it.

New Teachers

I don't know who is more excited for school...Brades...or ME!! I absolutely loved school. Don't get me wrong, I loved the summer as a kid, too...but, school was my fave. Especially...the first day of school. I totally remember counting down the days until the first day. I remember walking, or riding my bike, or making my mom drive by the school every single day until they posted the coveted classroom lists. Finding out who my teacher would be for the year was the ABSOLUTE highlight of the summer. Forget vacations...it was all about those damn class lists.

Last week, I took Brady up to the school to do just that. The school posted the class lists at 4pm on Friday. We just happened to be heading home from Ashley's at that time (it was seriously a coincidence...I promise!) so we stopped by the school. When we pulled up, there was a group of parents and kids surrounding the windows looking at the lists. Brady and I jumped out of the car and walked on up. PERFECT TIMING - the first grade lists were literally going up at that very second. We found Brady's name....Mrs. Nguyen is his teacher.

Hmm...try telling your first grader (who is a beginning reader) to sound out his teachers name when his teacher is Mrs. Nguyen. SOOO Funny.

Since Brady is at a new school this year...we didn't know one person in his class...but, we knew his teacher's name. So, I did what every other crazy, stalkerish, psycho mother does...I looked her up on the school website, since the list only showed Mrs. Nguyen and NOT her first name. My plan was to then Google her name, search for her on Facebook...and find out just who his teacher is. You know...find out all the good stuff!

Well...guess WHAT??!!

Mrs. Nguyen was NOWHERE to be found on the faculty list. Yep...this stalker mom was stuck. We know NO ONE at the school to ask. It was Friday after office hours. And, besides that...calling to ask the school for the teacher's first name seemed a little crazy. Even.For.ME.

Well...we made it through the weekend. We made it to Tuesday. We made it to the Meet the Teacher Night. And...we finally met Mrs. Nguyen. Our first impression??? A-W-E-S-O-M-E!! She is very organized. The room was very clean. This is her fourth year at the school, but she was married this summer so she has a new last name. THAT is why she was not on the faculty list. Thank goodness. I had this fear that they threw all the "new" kids into the class with the "new" teacher. But...that is NOT the case at all!

We left Meet the Teacher Night and brought Brades to dinner...just the 3 of us. Funny how dinner with just one child is SO much different than with the whole crew. Brady acts SO old and behaves SO well. We then picked up the girls from the 'rents and let Brady tell Nanny and Poppy all about his new teacher and his new class. Oh...and the fact that tomorrow is P.E. and he is SOOO excited!

We are now home. Brady's first day outfit has been laid out. The parent forms that his teacher sent home are filled out and ready to go. His backpack is ready. I sat down to write a letter to the teacher (that she asked all parents to complete) about Brady...to help her to get to know him a bit. Things like...his hobbies, his strengths, weaknesses, family life, etc. I saw my computer...and my psycho instincts kicked in. I knew her first name now. And...her maiden name. So, I Googled her. I should totally be a private investigator. Thank goodness for the internet...what did we ever do without it??

You know what...I changed my mind. Maybe it's better to just have faith that everything will be okay than to turn into the psycho mom that just snoops around the internet. I don't know though...it is pretty entertaining. Technology = so much fun!

Harry and Lloyd

I thought this title was better than Dumb and Dumber...
Seriously...these boys are the best of friends.

What cutie patooties.

And goofballs.

Kindergarten Graduation

Brady graduated from Kindergarten!!

Last Thursday they put on a little graduation program. So we all (all 5 of us) headed out to Brady's school. (Yes...this was the day after we came home from the hospital) The kids all made a graduation cap, sang some songs, and were introduced as graduates. Then...we ate some quick snacks. Next we caught a late breakfast with Ashley and the kids.

It was perfect.

Wow...what a quick year. Brady is VERY excited for 1st grade. Oh...and the report card is in - all E's for EXCEEDS!! What a smarty-pants.

Congratulations Brady!!!

We couldn't be more proud of you!

The Tooth Fairy Stopped Here

After weeks and weeks of wiggling that darn tooth...

IT IS GONE!!!

Poor Brady has been wiggling his tooth for what seems like ages.

Asking us to wiggle it.

Asking us to guess when it would fall out.

I'm not good with loose teeth.

Really...not good with any kind of mouth issues.

Teeth and mouth injuries give me the eebie jeebies.

Do you remember when you had a loose tooth...

just hanging there by literally a thread???

That's what it was like.

By a thread.

He wanted me to pull it.

I couldn't do it.

But, luckily I reminded him if he lost it at school,

he got to go to the nurse.

He waited till school.

He lost it during snack time.

His friend Will got to take him to the nurse.

Nurse Gina brought out a tooth necklace.

It has a little compartment to hold the tooth.

He was SO proud.

The tooth fairy came that night.

The tooth fairy did not forget.

(this was very common for my tooth fairy)

After talking with everyone about it...

the tooth fairy left him $20.

Yes....

Can you believe it???

The tooth fairy tried to negotiate to $1...

but, everyone yelled at the tooth fairy.

So, she gave in.

Believe me though...she won't be so generous

for the next tooth!!

But, it was certainly worth seeing his expression

the morning after the tooth fairy came.

Oh...and p.s....we are still the lucky owners of that first tooth because apparently kids in his class said that the tooth fairy lets you keep the first tooth. So...he got to keep it.