They say kids learn things........

that they've seen their parents do. I can GUARANTEE you that I do NOT nurse Iris like this. Aleeya is a trip.


















This poor reindeer just can't get away from Iris' love. I wouldn't be TOO heartbroken if something happened to it since I've heard "Grandma got ran over by a reindeer" consistently since I've put the reindeer out.

I'm thinkin' I need to lose some weight........

and go easy on the self-tanner..........................

Feliz Navidad!

Here is Bronson with the other 1st graders at their Christmas program. (that the PTA TRICKED us and threw in a PTA meeting right before to make us all come......let's just say, Emerson, Camden, Aleeya and Iris didn't have much patience w/ the PTA ..................OR their budget).
Saying his part, "This next song is one of our favorites for Las Posadas y la Navidad"

Here Bronson is with his teacher(s). I can't say ENOUGH about how much I love them. His main teacher is on the left with the glasses. Ms. Riffo. She's from Chile. Miss Bendeck is from Colombia and Miss Pizarro (behind him) is a student teacher from Mexico. Their energy and enthusiasm is contageous since they're here on teaching visas and it's like they're giving their ALL in their short years they have here. It's funny hearing Bronson using an accent from Chile this year vs. the accent he was sportin' last year from Colombia......because I know Brooks and I don't pronounce the words like that at home! I was so glad he knew all the words and actions and he looked like he loved doing it...........now if my other kids hadn't spent all their patience during the PTA meeting, I would've been a happier trooper.

MY awesome night!

Ever since I was a little girl I ALWAYS wanted to go to Disney on Ice!!!

So I took my boys on Thursday night, and we had a BLAST. Here's us before the show.

Any guesses on how much that popcorn was?

It's been a while since I've seen Beauty and the Beast, but is it just me or was her dress a little longer in the movie?

On the "It's a Small World Afterall", THIS Hawaiian representation HAD to be RIGHT in front of my boys shakin' her thang. Of ALL the countries.....sheesh. (I must add, she was pretty good though)

(Who just can't love a good Buzz and Woody song?!?!)

This next picture got the boys laughing so hard when Donald Duck broke the ice preparer-thingy. They just think he's sooooo funny (oh, and their favorite part of the night was when Jack Jack from the Incredibles peed on Velma, the dress maker)

From the Dragon in Mulan, the sharks in Nemo, the Blue Whale in Pinocchio....seriously, it was just so cool. I HAD to take a picture of Camden since he keeps saying, " I want to go back to that one place, Mommy." (SO DO I!!!!!!!!!!!)
Okay, so you can't see the Blue Whale in the pinnochio picture below very well, but I must admit Pinocchio I thought was the BEST skater. He rocked.
Lion King was awesome! And so were the special affects. I seriously just sat there trying to figure out how they pulled some of those things off!

Long story short, it was well WELL WELL worth the money, and more.

I thought, that would be the PERFECT fit of a performer job for me, because they STILL get to perform, but they just MOUTH the words and no one would have to hear my voice. Yep, that's what I'll be when I grow up..........after I learn to skate, I guess.

PS- the popcorn was $5. But at least I wasn't suckered into buying the cotton candy for $10!

Pet snake

On the way to Disney on Ice tonight (just me and the boys), the boys decided to CHANGE their mind what they wanted for Christmas........ they want a pet snake. Um.....let me think about it....NO! N-O! Reason #1- Grandma won't come and visit anymore,
reason #2- it's a snake
reason #3- come spring we'll have our usual black ones crawl/slither through our backyard anyway, and they can trap them in our window well, like they like to do
reason #4- I JUST woke up Brooks last night yelling at him to get the snake off me, and was soooooo bugged that he wouldn't.....until I woke up and realized it really wasn't there. Somehow, sorry didn't seem enough at the time.

So Santa, please, if you have ANY compassion on me, do NOT bring a snake. If you oblige, I will leave better cookies for you then the Cheezits you were left last year.

Update: I told Brooks about my conversation with the boys and here's his opinion, "We can get a pet snake, if we get rid of Sally". I DON'T THINK SO!

WOW......never dull here.

Here is Iris playing "fort" w/ the boys.......did she really have a choice?This kid (Emerson.....hard to recognize him w/ his haircut!), can PUT down corn! Here he is finishing up everyone's corn after dinner! He says it helps him get big muscles (goal #1 in life) and to get fat (goal #2 in life)........I explain later.
Here's my not-so-girly girl getting ready for bed. She grabbed her things to sleep with:
1) baby doll
2) Dora
3) a dagger
(can you blame her? She has 3 brothers!)


Getting ready for preschool. Notice Emerson's pants.............or should I say, ALEEYA'S PANTS!

Hopefully you recognize this next guy. Meet Russell, from "Up". (BTW, this part of him rubbing on the windshield is my FAVORITE!)

Now, meet the BIGGEST Russell wanna be EVER! (on the right.....the one on the left just does what everyone else does!)

He wants to be "gordo" like Russell soooooo bad because "that silly boy" is his idol. I just don't know how he will do it posing like he does in ANOTHER of Aleeya's pants (notice how they're skinny on this thighs!)

And what post of mine would be finished w/o a deal post, right?

I paid $6 for everything and I'm getting $36 back in rebates. So I EARNED 30 bucks in buying this stuff. The guy at the checkout stand says, "Do you like Rice Krispies or just Rice Krispy Treats?" I wanted to say, "I JUST LIKE A DEAL!!!"

I wonder when I'll tell her..........

..........that rags don't soak up dogfood like it does water.

Priorities

Bronson starts basketball today, so I had him get his clothes yesterday night and lay them out for today. Here they are.....exactly how he laid them out!!I ALSO asked him to set out his school clothes (like I do every night) in the bathroom.....and here they are!
You can tell where HIS heart lies!
(Note: I did NOT let him wear those DIRTY jeans and shirt.....so he grabbed other clothes and laid them out just as nicely as he did the first set!)


And I just had to include this pathetic shot of Aleeya. We have no clue what her head actually hit on, but we DO know she was standing on top of a garbage can (those little ones) right before it happened. NOW do you know why I always keep bangs on this girl?!?!?

Halloweeeeelly late!

I know, I'm a little late, but I really had the best time looking at everyone else's kids dressed up for Halloween on YOUR blogs! Halloween is the BEST time!

So here are three of the rascals before the preschool party. Camden and Emerson showing their claws..........and Aleeya, just copying her brothers (in her Thomas the train sandals...... what am I going to do with her?)

Aleeya LOVED being a "bicho" (bug). She just kept talking about it.

Preschool party. My two "dragons" LOVED being chased by the Jackson boys who were knights. That's all they talked about after the party!

Ready for the trunk-or-treat at the church.

Yes, I know that Bronson is now the dragon (although I HAD his "salt-water crocodile costume inside that he INSISTED he wanted for 2 months.....until the day of), and Camden is Batman. I guess it's the perks of having dress-ups and easy going kids.

Aleeya doesn't look too thrilled (little did she know that she would be crying of fright when she got there of all the "mean guys").

Emerson is the cutest dragon ever. I love that kid.

Oh, and how can we forget my sweet butterfly........so weird, you'd think ALL the stores would have an Iris costume! They must've all been out.........

Halloween night at the Cunninghams. We had the best time, good food, good music (here's the rock band game where we sang/played Beatles songs........and yes, I managed to embarrass Brooks again. Although I didn't have the highest score, I LOOKED the best with all my guitar moves/jumps........well you know.) and GREAT trick-or-treating. ......oh wait, I didn't go! The menfolk took the kids and we women stayed home.

After, we stopped by Chipotle for some free burritos. The catch? you have to dress up like a burrito. So in I threw a roll of tinfoil before we left and we were good to go. WHOOPS, I forgot Camden's shoes!!!!! No problemo, we've got TIN FOIL!!!!!!!!! (and now, burritos for TOMORROW's dinner!)

Eventually.........

I will get around to doing a lengthy Halloween post, but in the meantime, we've been busy doing this:I'm in love though...........with my new leaf blower. No exaggeration, it entertained the kids for 3 whole hours while I made the leaves in a pile by the road for a truck to come pick them up. They would just run in front of it, in the leaves (while they're blowing around them), etc. Best $35 bucks we've spent!

I'm also seriously considering using it for a hair dryer.........talk about POWER (and time saver!)

Note: we have SOOO many leaves that last year about this time Brooks and his brother Gabe raked our back yard (1/3 of it was already in piles) and it took them ALL DAY! It's so beautiful though.........and now with the leaf blower, it's FUN!