Pages

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Christmas 2010

We spent Christmas at home this year--as I insist on doing until the kids are older--and had a great time! We hosted my parents and my cousin Lucas, who was on leave from Basic Training in Georgia.

It was nice and relaxing--the day was spent eating, drinking and trying to dodge the enormous mounds of boxes and wrapping paper. My kids are truly spoiled. I always tell Brooke that "when I was a kid" I only got 2-3 presents. Our kids got probably 50 presents EACH. Insanity. I just got done dividing them between toy boxes (they can play with these now), storage (we'll take them out in 3-6 months when they're bored with the toy box toys, and my mom's house (it'll be like Christmas all over when they go to visit!).

It was a great day and although we couldn't spend it with all of our loved ones, we as a family, are truly blessed to have so much love in our lives!! Tiny Tim said it perfectly: "God Bless us, everyone!"

PS--Typical Rooney family picture above...Buddy refused to get out of his car for one second to take a pic, and Scott is trying to hold Brookey down to keep her from clocking her brother in the head and pushing him out of the car!

Gift from Santa :) (Brooke and Buddy both fight over it, so we got a lot of bang for our buck!)

Brookey & Cousin Lucas


He loves his trucks!

The destruction!! I think this way halfway through opening presents!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

First Christmas Show

Brooke participated in her very first St. Dominics Christmas Show this year! It was exciting for all of us! I finally got Scott to realize what a big deal it was as we slowly watched the 700++ seat church fill to standing room only! And only 4 grades were performing! He thought I was wack-o when I told him he needed to go save seats an hour before the show started. Now he knows!! :) Luckily, he listened to me and we were in the 3rd row.

I was shocked at how well Brooke performed. Of course I am biased, but I will be the first to admit she can be on the shy side--especially with large groups. On the way to the show she was telling me how "nervous" she was. I was trying to make her feel better by saying "mom" things like "just pretend someone is naked and you won't be nervous anymore!" (That advice definitely wins me Mom of the Year!) but then I realized how extremly nervous I would be standing up in front of that many people, too!!! No way in heck I would have done that when I was 5! I expected her to stand there and lip-synch a little but man--the kid belted out every tune!!! She didn't look the least bit nervous...or shy! On the way home, she told me music was her very most favorit-est thing EVER! I am so happy she goes to a school where there will never, ever be any cuts to the music program!!

As a side note, the kid 3 kids to the right of her is also 1/4 Vietnamese and pretty much the spitting image of Buddy + 5 years :)

Friday, December 10, 2010

Being Responsible

So far this school year, Brooke has lost a sweater, her jacket and a nice hair bow. So I have been "lecturing" her on "being responsible"...whether or not that is a good idea to do to a 5 year old is in question, however I sure know she's listening...

Yesterday, we picked Buddy up from daycare and I was looking in his backpack for his beloved blanket. I couldn't find it, so I told the kids we had to go back to get it. In the backseat, I hear a big sigh and then I hear Brookey tell Buddy, "BUDDY!! Listen to me! You need to start being responsible! That blanket cost a lot of money and you need to take care of it!!"

I about died laughing. Ah, kids! They'll always bring out the "funny" side of a more-less annoying experience!!!

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Ready for Christmas

We went to church this morning all decked out on our holiday gear and then attended "Breakfast with Santa" afterward. Brookey was excited to take her pic with Santa....Buddy was another story!! See picture below! But it was fun to get the kids all dressed up and ready for the holidays!


Buddy's way of saying--"No thank you, Santa"
He was MUCH better after Santa was out of sight!


My 'lil poser :)

Brooke's 5th Birthday Party!!

Brooke didn't mind that her birthday festivities lasted a whole week! She celebrated her birthday a week after her "real" birthday at Build-a-Bear with 5 of her friends. We went to the "famous" San Francisco Creamery afterwards for cake and ice cream. I like having home birthday parties, but this year, I just wanted to make a phone call and have it all done with...no food to cook, no picking stuff up, no decorating, no favors, no CLEANING UP! This was by far, the easiest birthday party EVER. Two phone calls and I was done. Next year, we might have a home party but this year, two phone calls was a Godsend :)

Smile! We're at Build a Bear!


Stuffing her bear (actually, she chose a bunny)
Ice Cream!!!


The famous "Kitchen Sink" ice cream as seen on Travel Channel's Man vs. Food

Bubble Gum, Gummy Bears, Chocolate, Mint, Strawberry...Yum!??

A birthday is never complete without the princess cake

Friday, December 3, 2010

Turkey Day!!

I just unloaded my camera and found some cute Turkey Day pics. :) We spent Thanksgiving together as a family--just the 4 of us--this year. We did an extended family Thanksgiving in Fresno the weekend prior with my uncle John who was in the country for a rare visit. We had a great time feasting on everything homemade....turkey (brined, soooo yummy), sausage and cranberry stuffing, green bean casserole (a Midwest fave!), homemade gravy and everything else that allowed us to reach our 10,000 calorie limit!!! Good times!!!

We made Pilgrim and Indian "hats"...Buddy REFUSED to be an Indian...maybe he's too "PC" :)

Brother and Sis "love"

Sometimes they like each other...or pretend to, at least...kind of....

He already knows how to say his prayers

Clowning around the table...Buddy loves the Pilsbury rolls..NOT homemade!!

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Kindergarten Picture

Kindergarten Picture
St. Dominic School
2010-2011
She's definitely growing up! Although I have to say, she is still my sweet little girl who likes to cuddle and--thank goodness--it not embarrassed by the sight of me at her school! The fact that she will yell from across the playground "Hi MOOOOMMM!!!" and blow kisses is pretty much anything anyone would want to brighten up their day. I am LOVING this age!! Does it have to end?

Preschool Picture
St. Dominic Preschool
2009-2010

Monday, November 22, 2010

5 Years Old

In less than a week, my BABY will be 5 years old. Wow! Everyone said time would fly by, and it sure has! The saying goes that with kids, "the days may be long, but the years are short." I probably think about the quote every time the kids birthdays come around!

Below is my annual tribute to Brookey's 5th year. Since I just don't have the time or patience to scrapbook anymore, I make these videos each year for the kids for their "digital scrapbook." It's so much fun to look back at all the pictures and videos from the year and to really see how much they've grown and how much they have accomplished! For the past 4 years, I have made Scott cry watching these videos...let's see if I can get him again this year!!! :)

Brooke Elisabeth Rooney 5th Year at OneTrueMedia.com

Monday, November 1, 2010

Halloween 2010!

We all had such a great time for Halloween this year. Halloween used to be one of my LEAST favorite holidays...last year I had to force myself into scrubs and a stethoscope to be a doctor for my kids at school....but this year I 75% got into it!! Thanks to my friend Julie who is a queen of dressing up and was nice enough to loan Scott and coordinating costumes :) God forbid this Halloween-hating girl would actually BUY a costume!! But I can't believe it--next year, I am already actually looking forward to picking out MY OWN costume!! The priest and the nun worked out fine this year, but I wished I would have had it together enough to do a priest and a Catholic School Girl--that would have been way more fun and inappropriate! :) But I am happy--this is the first time Scott has EVER dressed up in the 10 years I have known him!!!

Both Brookey had Buddy had the time of their lives!! Buddy literally RAN from house to house once he figured out: you knock on the door, then you get to dig your hands into a bow of candy! He picked up on that pretty quickly!! :)

Classic Dennis


Any confessions?

My friend Julie is Batgirl...she sewed her own cape by hand...that's how nuts she is :)

Dennis

The Bride

He had an absolute BLAST!!!

The Princesses lounging around...

Friday, October 29, 2010

Kindergarten Halloween

I had such a great time being the Halloween Party Mom for Brookey's Kindergarten class. I always imagined I would be able to do stuff like this when my kids were in school! But I have to admit, it was A LOT of work being "Halloween Party Mom!!" I am secretly glad I am not "Christmas Party Mom" or "Valentine's Day Party Mom!!"I will let another sucker take over those duties!!! :)

Some of the cute costumes!

A beautiful bride MUST wear her backpack!!


Brookey and her Irish Step Dancing Buddy, Audrey..they have the same hair ties, same backpack, and they were both brides!

Hopefully that's not the bride picking her nose...

The class


Friday, October 15, 2010

Pumpkin Patch with Buddy's School


We took our second trip to the Pumpkin Patch. This time with Buddy's Mommy and Me school. Brooke had the day off school so she got to come along, too. A few of her friends from school were there, too. We had a good time but it was sooo HOT. Buddy got sunburned because who thinks of bringing sunscreen to the pumpkin patch??!! Brooke's Kindergarten class will be going to yet ANOTHER pumpkin patch on Wednesday. I am hoping the temps will drop below 80 by then!! I'm done with Indian Summer!

Brooke loved the "bean" pool


Brookey and her friend, Brooke

Brooke and her Kindergarten friend, Adam

Hayride through the vineyards

We lost Buddy in the Hay Maze!!!

Brookey finally found him and dragged him out!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Room Mom Project

The Room Mom job is no joke. I think I spend more hours on this non-paying job than I do on my real, paying job!! One of the main room mom duties is to plan, design and create a fabulous class project for the school's annual auction fundraiser. These fundraisers are amazing. The last one I went to auctioned off a fire pit that went for over $2,000. So I decided that would be a great project for our Kindergarten class. Luckily I had some help from an art studio who knew that they were doing...because I sure didn't!

We just purchased a plain old fire pit from Target.com. Then we had the kids all paint a different "tile" to represent the 4 seasons...leaves for fall, suns for summer, butterflies for spring and snowflakes for winter [note: after leading that project with the Kindergarten class, I felt the intense need to sleep for 3 days]:
Then I glued all the tiles onto the edge of the pit with some kind of cement glue:
I delegated another mom to grout the sucker and voila! A one of a kind fire pit...which will be auctioned off with 2 very nice bottles of wine and a fuzzy blanket with all the kids pictures on it! After seeing the pit, Scott says he's entering the bidding next Saturday night at the event. $2,000 later...we set the neighbors house on fire because our backyard is so small!! Ha!! I told him it wouldn't be a wise purchase but his heart is in the right place :)

Quick and Easy Meal Prep for Breakfast + Lunch + Snacks!

Ready for a SUPER quick and easy meal prep?! No joke, it took me longer to find all the lids to these containers than it did it prep my b...