Our baby Amy is 5!

Wow...what a celebration Amy had turning 5. It started out with human candle lighting at school and chocolate chip cookies to share. It ended by falling fast asleep on the couch from pure exhaustion and a few unforgettable things in-between. It was a birthday that none of will ever forget. I never wanted a baby around the holiday season, but what's fun about Amy's birthday being during the Thanksgiving time is that during the holiday week...it just feels like her birthday. Something I can't say about any another of our birthdays. The absolute highlight of her birthday is her reaction when she opened up her very own American Girl Doll. She never saw it coming. It was priceless...and I missed filming it. Fortunately...we have many photos of the event to demonstrate how much she loves her "American Dirl Goll" No, that isn't a typo...that is what Amy calls her doll. She has switched the D and G around...why I don't now. But, it's just too darn cute to correct.

This is at her birthday celebration at preschool. She gets to wear the birthday vest and a birthday hat. All the kids stand in a circle and Amy walks around and claps her hands in front of each child and they clap their hands above their head and hold it like a candle that is lit. Once everyone is "lit" she blows out each of the "human candles". They sing happy birthday and then Amy passed out her treat of choice...chocolate chip cookies. I scored on that easy treat.

All Amy wanted to for her birthday was to go swimming. So, that is what we did. She invited a small group of friends and we went to Fremont Swim School. It's a small indoor pool in Livermore. They swam for 1 1/2 hours then we went back home to have cake and presents.

Each of the kids got a swim academy shirt for coming to the party. L to R is Libby, Alice, Madison, AMY, Zion and Matthew (Abby and Jack couldn't come).

Here's the clan at home around Amy's cake Steve made for her. Amy requested a "Fish Cake" because fish swim and it would "match her birthday".

Another master piece from Steve.

I think this birthday dinner requested actually came from Rachel and Alec. Regardless, it was very yummy and Amy loved getting sung to.

Opening of the American Girl Doll...I mean American Dirl Goll. I will just let the pictures speak for themselves.

Calling Grandma and Grandpa to thank them for the doll. All other gifts (even from her own parents) didn't stand a chance against this one.

At the end of the night...she didn't even last a 10 minutes into the movie before she was off to dreamland.

How much!?!?!?

I'm still trying to pick my chin up off the floor...after finding out how much these two babies are going to cost us. I knew we should have planted a Money Tree instead of a Birch Tree!

Moving....

We did it! We sold our house after only 2 weeks and bought a new house. The good and bad news is that we move December 3rd. Oh my gosh...I knew that it would be crazy, but after 3 weeks of lenders, brokers, realtors, inspections, repairs, packing, plus all my other regular day to day stuff, Thanksgiving, Amy's 5th birthday party, and Christmas shopping, I am frazzled. On top of all that I have been nursing a horrible cough for 3 weeks. However, at this point it's better off me being sick than anyone else. I have to keep reminding myself to take a deep breath here and there, because at times I think i am going to drop dead. Luckily, my calvary, my mom, is coming Friday morning. Not only for an extra pair of hands, but for moral support. There is nothing like mom to make it all better.

Happy Halloween

One of my favorite months of the year is October...I get this from my mom. It's so fun to dig out the fall decorations and Halloween garb. There is something about black and orange... However, this October was much different for us. With our house for sale...we didn't do much decorating. We put out mostly fall and harvest things. And even that was at a minimal. We went to the pumpkin patch, corn maze and haunted house (Alec and friends), carved pumpkins (the night before...who does that?), school parades, and trick or treating. Next October, we will resume normal activities and cram as much into October as humanly possible.

1 of 2 pumpkins carved this year...lame!

Alec was a masked biker dude with disco glasses. (LOL) For the second year in a row Alec went trick or treating with his friends Tristan and Scott. Taylor and Devin had family parties to go to...Alec was a little bummed about that. Although, the 241 pieces of candy cheered him up.

Rachel and Kirsten were "colored" witches. Rachel orange...of course, and Kirsten purple. Even though the whole colored witch idea is silly, it was better than a dead bride. Kirsten came with us for first half of night. Then Rachel went over to Kirsten's neighborhood for the remainder of the evening.
Matt and Amy

Rachel at the Annual Sunset Halloween Parade.

Amy got to dress in her costume for ballet class earlier in the week. Notice the cat ears lost out to the flower bonnet...and why wouldn't they?

Preschool Halloween Party. It is so funny to me how we insist on providing a "healthy" spread for the kids to eat at the party, when all they really want is the sugar cook with 3 layers of frosting and a bottle of sprinkles on it. I made super cute jack-o-lantern jello jigglers for the party...it took a over a day because I only had one mold that held 4 jack-o-lanterns. All of this for most of them to be tossed in the garbage. Why do we do this to ourselves?

Group photo of all Amy's friends at Cottage Preschool.

Here is Amy standing tall on the block showing off her costume.

What more could we have done?

My parents came to visit for a week and we packed it full of everything we could. It was a week will never forget. Here is a picture diary of all we did.

Amy's preschool visit to the pumpkin patch just happen to be the day Grandma got in. We picked her up from the airport and went straight to G&M Farm's Pumpkin Patch. Grandma loves the Halloween and so it was a special treat for all of us to go on a hay ride, play in the hay stacks maze, corn box, and pick out pumpkins with her.

Instead of a sand box...Amy played in the corn box. Both her and I lost our shoes in the corn...luckily we found them.


Instead of hangin' at home...Rachel, my mom, and I decided to go on a road trip to L.A. and visit the American Girl Doll Store in Hollywood. It was amazing. A restaurant, museum of the historical dolls, dolls, clothes, accessories, hospital, and beauty shop. Even a place to get your doll's ears pierced.

Lunch at the American Girl Doll Cafe.

We shopped until we literally dropped. Mom and I were so confused on which doll to get Amy. I really wanted to get "Julie" but knew Amy would be disappointed with her outfit. The look alike doll that had hair like Amy's was a little to strawberry blond. We decided to be conservative and get the long blond with bangs look alike. And of course her ears pierce.
Rachel at lunch with her American Girl Doll, Megan. Oh, and her dog too.

It was Steve's idea for us to go to Disneyland. He thought since we were going to be so close to it...it was worth it, and of course it was. It was a totally different experience being there without any small children. We finally ate at Blue Bayou...the restaurant inside The Pirates of the Caribean, we windowed shopped, and enjoyed whatever ride we felt like going on. Rachel skipped Indiana Jones...which was a good move on her part. I had forgotten how intense it was. We all skipped Tower of Terror, and I once again I did not get on the Matterhorn. The highlight of the trip for Rachel was Pixie Hollow and the fairy houses and eating Chirros. Her least favorite was "It's tough to be a bug." Oh my gosh...she screamed so loud she strained her throat. For me and my mom it was spending one on one time with Rachel. She is definitely the middle child and gets looked over a lot.
It was great not having to spend so much time in lines getting autographs from Characters. But, Goofy was hard to resist in his skeleton costume.

Minnie was so cute in her orange Halloween dress...
Pixar Parade in Ca. Adventure is a must!

Always a thrill...can't say we love it, but you gotta do it.

Rachel and mom on the new Toy Story ride...very fun. We ran into an old golf buddy of my brother Jesse's in line. It is a "small world".

Rachel got her faced painted in Pixie Hollow.

After our trip to L.A., my mom and I finally got to see WICKED in San Fran! It was soooo gooood!!!!

Dad arrived on Tuesday...just in time to go to the President's Cup in San Fran. It was awesome...they said. No Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson autographs however. Not even picture, since they had to turn in all cell phones and cameras before entering the event.

Dad sported everyone shirts and hats from the tourney. Oh...and they played golf 3 times.

Played at the park with Grandpa while we waited for the soccer games to start. Always making the most of every minute.

Rachel had 3 soccer games while they were in town. Won 2...lost one. Rachel has played goalie a lot this year...something my parents have never seen play.

Making Halloween cookies are a must when grandmas in town. My kids love it...because she really lets them help. Me...I pretend. By the time we get to frosting I'm ready for it to be all over. Sad things is...if you look look closer at the cookies, they look great.

It was over far too quickly. The kids hate it when going home day comes, especially Alec. He isn't much of a huggy, touchy kid. But, when Grandma is leaving he can't get enough hugs. Thanks mom and dad for the memories!!

Oh my gosh...we are doing it!