Look what I've been cooking....

....and no, I'm not talking about the baby!...

But for those who really know me, and all my cooking disasters, you will understand why I had to post about this! for example, in 7th grade I failed my home economics final. We were supposed to make cookies. The recipe called for 1 1/2 cups of flour, and I guess I didn't see the 1 in front of the 1/2, because I only added the 1/2 cup. Needless to say, the dough was too runny and the cookies just ran off the side of the pan....ergo, I didn't pass. ....but 7th grade teacher, look at me now!!! If you click on the picture, you can actually see the fluffy-ness in the cookies....and they even taste good.

I have a friend that makes the best looking cookies (they taste good too, but her's look like she always buys them). And I've make cookies before, but they always come out looking like little pancakes. Even with her recipe, they never came out fluffy...or they did, but would fall 10 seconds later. But tonight I did it! I think I need an award!

And here is just a little extra. We can't have a post without the girls! Friday night we rented "Rio." Our couches are in the middle of our living room, Ben is still working on our moldings. So we decided to just completely push the couches together and make one big bed....and watched the movie. The girls loved it! ....they normally can't eat in the living room, but I layed down the blanket, and they each have a no-spill sippy cup, and they only got pretzels. But they were happy!

Preschool

Today was the first day of preschool! I seriously can't get over how big Charley is...and how pretty. She is such a great girl. She is going to do great in school this year!
We had to get a few traditional shots of her by the front door. Ben wasn't able to stay long enough to actually see her off before he went to work. But he wanted me to make sure I got a picture of her by the front door, facing the side....just like he had to do every school year!
We were a little too excited and got to school really early....so we took a few pictures in the front of the school. Gabby was excited to go to school with Charley until she realized that she didn't get to stay. She cried, and all morning kept asking me where Charley was. It was kinda nice to have just one kid at home....and Gabby who is normally loud and crazy, was actually calm, and quiet. .....then we picked Charley up and Gabby was back to her normal self, trying to out talk Charley!
Outside her classroom....her name on the door!
There is a 10 minute drop off window, the teacher has puzzles and games for the kids to play while they all wait for everyone to get there. This is Charley with the other kids who have over excited mom's who got them their really early! But she did great and loved every minute. And she can't wait to go back!

Where's Gabby?

The girls were playing up in their room one day, and I went in to check on them. Charley was in the room, but Gabby wasn't. I looked everywhere, but couldn't find her. I finally asked Charley if she knew where Gabby was. Charley thought she was in the guest room. I looked in there one more time, this time, under the bed and found her!....ASLEEP!!!

Projects

A few Saturdays ago, I signed Charley up for a free clinic at Lowe's to make a little school locker. She was excited to go to "Schrammpa's favorite store," but she was also excited to build something. Ben took her, and this is how she came home! So cute!
Ben and Calvin have been working on my crown moldings on our first floor! They have done an AMAZING job! Some of the corners were tricky, I'm really impressed they figured it all out. But Ben has been working on filling in the seams and caulking a few hours every night. Then we'll have to do some paint touch up, so no close-ups until he is all done!
When my mom was here last month she was able to paint our nursery. I let Charley pick the paint color since it will be her room once the baby can start sleeping through the night. Then Charley will get this room, and the baby will share with Gabby. I am still working on the crib. I am painting it white to match. It will be a cute room!....almost ready for baby!

Cranky

Ben & Calvin have been working hard on our crown moldings! (pictures to come...it looks so pretty) So Friday night I took the girls to Aunt Kay's house to get them out of the boys way. We stayed a little too late and Gabby started crying as we were leaving.

Me: "Why are you crying?"
Gabby: "I'm not crying, I'm just cranky!"

Seriously, I have no idea where my kids come up with half the things that come out of their mouth!

Getting Ready for Pre-School

Charley has one more year before she starts kindergarten, and we decided to sign her up for pre-school. The pre-school we decided to send her was through the school district. Not all of the elementary schools offer it, but we were lucky that the one in our neighborhood did. It is 3 hours a day, 4 days a week, and it follows the district calendar. We felt like it would be a better transition for her into kindergarten. We know she really doesn't need to go, and it wasn't that we felt she needed extra help before kindergarten, but it would be more of social learning....making new friends, playing in groups...and learning when it was time to be quite and not talk (she can talk your ear off!). Plus she loves learning, and thought it would be fun for her.
Last Thursday was an open house at the school. So we went to meet her teacher! She is a new teacher, they just hired her....they opened a 3rd pre-school class a few weeks ago, and she got the new teacher, and her room wasn't quite ready yet. But she was there and was really nice. Charley wont start school until after Labor Day, so she'll have plenty of time still to get the room ready.
But Charley was excited to see her name on the door to the class and in her little cubby where she can hang her new backpack and coat.
Ben and I were talking one day on how we wanted to do something special for Charley when she started school. She really is a great girl, and sometimes with a younger sister that can steal (demand) a lot of attention, it can be hard. So we came up with the idea of having a 'Charley's get ready for school day.' We were going to get a babysitter, but since my mom was in town, we took advantage of her watching Gabby. Ben and I took Charley out to lunch, just her and us and then we took her to get her school supplies.
Our original plan was then to drop Ben off home and then me and her go shopping, but since Nana and her aunts was there, it ended up being a 'girls' shopping trip. But we made sure to let Charley know it was for her. She got a few outfits (one modeled above), and 2 new pairs of shoes.

The few people I heard her tell about her special day, she was always sure to mention that she got to go to lunch with mom and dad "without Gabby". I know she loves Gabby, but I know she loved getting all the attention from Ben and I.

I think as the other 2 girls get older and start school, we'll just take turns on different Saturdays and take them each out to lunch before school starts and get their school stuff. My hope is that it will be something that they can look forward to and get them excited for going back to school.

'Lawyered'

The other day I had to drop something off to Ben at work. The girls were playing in his desk and found his candy and change drawer. Ben filled their pockets with the extra pennies from the drawer.

On the way home this was my conversation with Charley:

C: I love my money
Me: Well, money doesn't love you back.
C: Yes, mom, but I love my baby dolls and toys and they don't love me back!
Me: *Silence*.....*still nothing*.......
Jordan: you just got lawyered! (Jordan is here visiting)

Charley is only 4...but I think we got a future lawyer on our hands!.....until then I think I'm in trouble!

Beach Babies

Warning: Picture overload of my girls!...
Above, Ben and Charley boogie Boarding

Daddy's girls

Cousin Love

Schramma Love

And brotherly love...bonding with xBox

Beach fun...

Picnic on the Beach

Sand castles

Gabby's smile cracks me up!

pretending to camp, and roasting marshmallows.

Playing at the park


It was very hard to pick through 384 pictures I took the other week at the Schramm Family Reunion. It was so much fun. We are so happy we were able to go this year. It was an adventure flying out there, but well worth it. The girls loved it, and every one made it out except Jared.

The first day the girls were a little scared of the ocean. I was barely able to get their toes in. But by the end, they were mad when I took them out to go inside. In fact one day Gabby was running up and down the beach yelling "This is so much fun!" "This is the best day ever!"....I later realized she was quoting the movie "Tangled."

7 years

Ben and I celebrated 7 years of marriage last weekend while we were in NC. Schramma & Schrammpa watched our girls so we could go out!

Here's to many more!...cheers!

Different Personalities

Last week Ben had to go up to Logan for work. He had something he needed to do at the court house at 2pm and at 4pm. Both things would only take a minute, so instead of hanging out in Logan by himself, he took us! While we were there, we took the girls to the temple, played at the mall playground, I meet my old friend from Omaha, Analisa, and we were able to hang out for a while, went to dinner, and on the way back stopped off to see Granny & Grandpa Schramm. It was a fun little day!

While we were at the temple we stopped to take some pictures of the girls. Just by looking at the pictures you can see their different personalities. Charley is cute and sweet, and is always wanting to please. Gabby is also cute, but she is just spunky! She just wants to go whether you are ready or not. And she has a mind of her own.



It will be interesting to see what this 3rd little girl has in store for us!

Watch out World...Gabby is 2!!!

Gabriella, Gabby, Gabbers, Gaberella, Yo Gaba Gaba, Gaber-daber-do, Gab, Gabzilla...etc...

Age: 2 years

Birthday: 7/20
Length: 33" (28th %-tile)
Weight: 24lbs (16th %-tile)
Head Circ.: 49.3 cm (90th %-tile)
*our little lolly pop (a big head with a little skinny stick body!) ....or I think she got grandpa Z's big head and wide feet!

One of these days our girls are going to just have one party...I can't seem to figure out how to do that, so for now, we'll at least have 2!!! 2 years old, 2 birthday parties...that sounds about right!
The first party was on her birthday. It was just a little one with just us, and my parents on web cam....she just opened the presents they got her. And earlier that day we went to the park with some friends, and I brought cup cakes. So it was a fun little day for her, but nothing really big. It was a good day!
The new night gowns my parents go the girls...they found good deals on the night gowns, so they got one for Charley too! They look so cute in them! (I pull out the camera and Charley automatically tilts her head and poses!...what a girl!)
Since the girls cousin's were here, we took advantage to have a little party with them, and her little friend across the street, Brooklyn. If you can't tell....this is a Rapunzel cake...it's her tower!

Happy Birthday to my CrAzY little girl!! We love you tons!!