Sooo....it's been a while!

What I have learned from finally starting a blog last year is that I am terrible at blogging!!  Haven't posted a single thing since September 2011.  Wow!  My last post was Masyn's 1st Birthday Party and she looked like this....

 (Party #1 I might add....Party #2 never saw so much as a keystroke!)  

and now she looks like this...

My, oh my, what a difference 8 months makes and how it flies!  

So, as of today I am rededicating myself to the world of blogging.  A lot has happened in the past 8 months and I'll post a recap later.  No, this isn't it.  This is more like my resurfacing post.  Not that I had done much blogging to begin with!  

Happy Birthday Masyn! Party #1

This last weekend we had a little get together at the house to celebrate Masyn's first birthday.  I call this post Party #1 because this coming weekend the kids and I are going to go up to Oklahoma to have some cake and ice cream for her with the fam up there.

I know I told everyone that we were just having cake and ice cream and it wasn't really a "party" just a get together, but I still need to do a little more advanced planning for these "get togethers".  I was running around like a mad woman.  I told Kent that when his parents got here they must have seriously thought I was on something.  I thought I would have more time during the week to put things together, but of course that's usually when you have a million things come up.  However, everything worked out just fine if you ask me.  The kids were running around everywhere, adults just hung out, I was spaced out dead on my feet, Kent was passed out on the couch, and there was a present free for all.  Perfect.  Just my kind of party!  Here are some highlights.

The Birthday Girl in the outfit I made her.  The cupcake took forever, but turned out very cute.

Somehow it turned into a tutu party.  We tried to get a cute picture of all the Johnson Girls and this is what we go...McKenna is back there somewhere!

BALLOONS!!

The cake.  I'll share my adventures in making this cake on a different post.  No I did not use the cupcake pan.

She's a pretty neat eater.

The family.

Still trying to decide if I should be offended that she preferred to eat the plate instead of the cake I made.

Okay, now she loves it!

Little messy.

All done...headed to the bath.

Checking out her new alligator push toy.

Had to try on her gift from Nana and Granddad.  TOUCHDOWN!

Worn out....

...and not the only one.

Forgiveness

Kent called me on the way home from the football game last night to say, "I'm bringing you home a surprise!"  Translation:  I'm bringing some leftover, sweet, yummy goodness from the game.  Normally this would be awesome.  However, I have been working really hard at eating clean and working out to lose weight (12 pounds last month thank you very much...hold your applause), and I have zero will power when it comes to sweets.  I just don't even really have them in the house.  So Kent says that I've done so well and it won't hurt anything to have just one little treat.  When I'm trying to lose weight this is usually what I tell myself the 6 or 7 times a day that I'm sneaking something!  This logic just doesn't do well for me.  After I talked to him I was so irritated at him for bringing temptation home to me and basically being a bad influence.  Then he walked in the door with these....

...he is forgiven.

I mean this isn't a diet, it's a lifestyle change and I should be able to have little treats...in moderation of course.  I only ate one by the way and it was so worth it!  In case anyone wanted to know that came from The Cupcakery, www.thecupcakery.com, totally recommend!

1st Day of Pre-K

Yesterday was Brayden's very first day of Pre-K!  He was super excited.  This will be his fourth and final year in the Weekday Preschool program so it's a little sad for me.  I remember how shy his was his very first day in Miss Mary's class.  He has never been one of those clingy, crying, won't let you drop him off kind of kids but when he was really small he was awfully slow to get into class.  He only went once a week his first year so it wasn't a daily routine and each week he was a little unsure about going.  The first few days of the next two years were the same.  He wasn't upset about going, but just really shy and kind of slow to go into the classroom.  Since he went 3 days a week both of those years he got over that shyness really quick and it was only like that for maybe the first week.  I guess part of me expected for yesterday to be the same...new year, new teacher, new classroom.  However, he walked straight into that class without so much as a goodbye or look back.  His teacher said, "Okay hug your mom and tell her bye.", but before she could even get that sentence out he was already across the room hanging his backpack on his little hook.  So I told the teacher bye and left.  When I picked him up he was just full of new information and talking, talking talking.   So happy his first day went so well, but a little sad at how big he's getting.  Of course, I don't get much time to dwell of that because we already have to start thinking about what to do with him for Kindergarten next year.  A lot of the schools are starting registration this fall already....crazy.

About to leave for the first day!

Okay I took this picture because we have one like it for every year he has gone to preschool here, and I was going to put this one next to the one from his first year, but I cannot seem to find it...sigh.

It's Soccer Season Again!

Saturday was Brayden's first soccer game of the Fall 2011 season.  Go Scorpions!  This is his second year (3rd season if you count Fall and Spring separate).  He's still on the same team.  I believe all former players returned and they added a few new faces since you can have a slightly larger team for U5.  The biggest difference this year is that they have added a goalie....which everyone wants to be.  However, I think they all came to realize just how boring that job is at this age on Saturday.  I love watching this age play.  It is completely chaotic and unorganized and it is primarily for the entertainment of us adults, but the kids have lots of fun too.

Brayden got to be a captain.  He also scored the first goal for his team.  Well, we count it as a score, there was a mass of kids at the goal and when he kicked it hit the post and sort of rolled in, but it was very exciting!  He also played goalie for a little while.  He did get scored on, but by one of his own team members so we're really not going to count that either!

I have to remind his coach to be very literal with the boy.  When he was on defense the coach asked him to scoot up a little and Brayden happily obliged...moving about 4cm.  After the coach asked him several times totaling about 3 inches he finally pointed to exactly where he wanted him to stand.  And stand he did for the rest of the quarter.  Unfortunately, the coach forgot to tell Brayden that he could still go to the ball anywhere on that half of the field and didn't have to wait for the ball to come directly to him.  If the ball came to him then he would kick it and then go back to standing in that spot looking very proud of himself for that contribution.

Kent didn't get a chance to go to the game so when he asked Brayden how the game was his response was, "Great!  I gotta snack!".  Of course, THAT was the highlight!  Looking forward to watching him the rest of the season.  They're so cute right now.

Warming up.

     

Captains

Of course Miss Masyn was there to cheer him on.

Goalie!  He is currently growling at the other team...nice.

On the run! 

After uploading these pictures I've decided that I definately need to get a much better camera if he's going to continue playing sports.  So if anyone is interested in contributing to my "Better Camera Fund" let me know!  Haha!

Check Her Out!

I'm a slacker, I know.  I thought I'd be a little better at posting, but such is life.  I've got a bunch of different stuff to post so I will do that over today and tomorrow, hopefully (depending on behavior of children!).

Anyway, we have a new walker in the house!!  She just takes a few steps (I think 12 is the high count now), but mostly she likes to celebrate herself!   Let me see if I can add video.

Please disregard the mess....we are currently in the middle of a much needed toy purge!!

Tutu Cute!

Cheesy title...I know.

Yesterday I was hit by inspiration to make some tutus with some leftover tulle from Masyn's bow holder and some other tulle that was on clearance.  So here we go...

The first one I made. 

I used more tulle on the second one so it's a bit more fluffy.  I also made her hair clip.

She loves it!

Brayden also approves.