Random Easter Week Pics

Between the business of all of Scott's events this Easter week, I was REALLY bad at taking pictures!! We didn't bring the kids to Easter Mass just because Scott's confirmation and ceremony was just too late and too long for them.We brought them to Mass on Thursday and of course, I took hardly any pics. Here are just some random ones I took from the week...

He's a Big Kid Now!

We finally decided to take Will out of his crib. It seemed soooo odd having him in there because he was getting so big--a crib seems like such a "baby" item to me. He was SOOOOO happy in his crib that I wasn't planning to move him for several more months. However, by random chance, we came across and great bunk bed that the kids fell in love with. So we bought it and they immediately wanted to have it up in their room.

We didn't really know what to expect with the transition to a "real" bed. I can count on one hand the number of times Will has slept in an actual bed (not a crib or Pack 'n Play) and he has never, ever slept in a bed at home. In fact, he has never liked to be in a bed with someone. We will be watching Saturday morning TV in bed together and he will refuse to come lay with us and make his own "bed" on the floor. Like Scott and I always say, "He's a little odd."

The "transition," so to speak, was non-existent. The first night, he climbed into bed, played around for about 15 minutes, I told him to go to sleep and he rolled over and slept without a peep for the next 11 hours. Ever since then, we put him in his bed and he stays there all night. He doesn't even get out of bed in the morning until we come get him. I doubt he'll ever come over to our bed either, considering he has no interest in anyone around him when he sleeps. He's honestly a freak of nature. Scott and I both shake our heads and wonder how there could be a child like this. Potty trained in a few hours, asks to go to bed, WANTS to nap. Oh, and if we put him to bed and we are talking too loud outside his room he yells, "BE QUIET! Trying to sleep!!!"

We are fully aware our next kid is going to be a hellion, just to make up for Will's easy-ness. Either that, or we'll get payback in the teen years. But that's cool....at least we have two "easy" ones right now which is great considering the storm that will tear through this house come May :)

Silly & Serious

First Camping Trip

After 4 months of planning, we finally packed up the truck and set out for a Rooney Adventure--Our First Camping Trip!! This was Scott's first camping trip EVER, so he got a chance to try being a "Suburban Dad in the Rough" for 2 nights :)

Some of my fondest memories of childhood were camping and I expected it to be no different for our kids. They really had a blast. For a kid, what's not to love about sleeping in a tent, swimming, S'mores, hot dogs and getting dirty running around with their friends?! We went with another family from our neighborhood. Their oldest kid is in Brookey's class at school. The also have a 4 year old and a 1 year old. So we had 5 kids 5 & under running around! Not everything was easy...hmmm....where do I start...

1) Reading the directions wrong, then having our GPS lead us to a "Bridge Out" sign, making a 2 hour drive a 4 hour trip all the while having a kid in the backseat who can hold his pee for all of 7 minutes...just enough time to pull over and pop the potty seat behind a tree a some vacant lot.

2) 4 sleeping bags, one gynormous tent, 2 air mattresses, 4 pillows, 1 potty, 2 ice chests, 4 chairs, 3 bags of clothes, 1 box of supplies, 3 flashlights, 1 lantern, 1 pop up sun shade, 4 towels...2 bottles of wine :)

3) 90 degrees in the afternoon...perfect for swimming but it felt icky coming back to camp in the heat. Luckily it cooled down to perfection as soon as the sun went behind the trees around 7pm.

4) Band-Aids: The campsite was a little rocky and Buddy feels the need to RUN EVERYWHERE. We must have gone through 15 Bandaids and a tube of Neosporin.

5) Buddy eating 2 S'mores with chocolate (AKA: caffeine) and being wired until midnight on Friday!! Hilarious. Note to self: NO CHOCOLATE within 5 hours of bedtime!!!

And of course there were just the regular hassles of taking kids places....someone has to pee, someone isn't sharing, someone wants to go swimming, someone doesn't, someone doesn't like hot dogs, someone needs another cup of water, someone spilled their juice, someone fell and needs a Bandaid, someone needs a nap...on and on. But honestly, overall, I would consider our first camping trip a GREAT success!!! I would do it all again next weekend!!! I know all the kids on the trip had a great time since they were all asking when we were going to go again. And we did actually get some "adult time"after the kids went to bed (Buddy joined us on Friday!!), and it was nice to catch up with friends.

All in all a great time. I am already looking for a next great place to go. The problem is there are about 5,000 AWESOME places within 3 hours from us.....where to go next??!!

They were amazingly upbeat on the 4 hour nightmare trip!!!!


First night roasting marshmallows!!!!
S'mores!!!!


Buddy ate S'mores and was up until midnight wired on chocolate!!!

Brookey and Adam :)

She spent hours on the "beach" collecting rocks and shells

He's the Number One boat rider! "Blue boat again, please?" He's a boater!!!

What's not to love about a nap on the beach?!

The Rooneys brave the Great Outdoors!

Chillin at camp

Camping doesn't stop potty training! The potty was our most-used item!! I wasn't going to submit him to camp toilets just yet :) (He's definitely going to kill me for this pic someday!)

He's a man of leisure!!!

Like a good Boy Scout, he leaves camp cleaner than he left it :) Helping me haul out the trash

Swimming Fools on the 4th

We spent the 4th of July in Fresno where I expected to completely ROAST in 100+++ degree temps. Luckily, I prepared for the worst so I was pleasantly surprised. 105 isn't all that bad as long as you're in the pool!! Which is exactly what we did all weekend!

Brooke hit a huge milestone of jumping off the diving board which I didn't expect her to do for at least another 5 years...just knowing the type of kid she is! She shocked us! I suggested she give it a try and told her to go stand on the board to see how it felt. When she was up there she asked me, "Mommy, will I drown?" Of course I assured her she wouldn't, and 3 seconds later she jumped right in! After a few more times, she got brave and swam the length of the pool, too. So proud of her!!!

Buddy on the other hand is fearless and he would jump off a 10 meter board right now if we let him!! He spent his pool time jumping off the side at least 125 times. HAPPY 4th!!!!!!

SUMMER!!!!!!

Summer is in full swing and so far we've been having lots of fun and keeping busy!!!

End of the year party with her friends:


The one other "Brooke" at her school:

Ready for the pool!!!
Fun times with Grandpa--going to the pool:




Getting down on the farm at Little Farm:





Buddy's first trip to Train Town in Sonoma:







No trip to Sonoma is complete without a trip to Sebastiani:



Nothing says summer like a popsicle, sunglasses and a good nose pick!!!! He's a ultimate classy guy:

Random Antics

Here are some random pics from the month...the antics of the Rooney Kids....

White sunglasses upside down are SUPER cool :)


Just happy!

Playing "horsie" with Sissy (aka: "Issy")

Yes, those are your teeth!!!

"Going to the Snow"

When Scott and I first met, I remember I used the phrase "go to the snow" (Do you want to go the the snow this weekend?). It was followed by a very odd look from my Midwestern then-boyfriend. He had never heard the term "go to the snow." Since he grew up in a cold weather climate, he didn't quite understand the reason why anyone would exactly GO or "seek out" the snow!!!

Ten years later, he has discovered the stunning beauty of Lake Tahoe and now I have a feeling we'll be "going to the snow" quite often in the winter!

Thanks to our great friends Traci and Matt, we got to spend the weekend at their beautiful tahoe Donner home last weekend. We could not have asked for better weather....except maybe a liiiitle colder!! However, I can't complain about 60 and sunny in the mountains at this time of year! No chains or 4x4 necessary!

On Saturday we took the kids to a snow park where they both had a blast tubing and sledding...even scaredy-cat Brooke was fearless that day...and Buddy made the tubing height cutoff by one inch and also LOVED IT, as expected--he's fearless. The rest of the time was spent eating, drinking wine and playing/sledding in the backyard. Even though it was only a 3 hour drive and we only stayed for 1.5 days, Brooke was so cute to tell me, "Mom, thanks for the GREAT vacation!!!" Indeed. :)

Ready to sled!!!

Brooke loved sledding!


Let's go tubing, dude!!!

Self-portrait while we were waiting to tube...

BFF's!

What's the snow without a snow angel?!
The beautiful view at dusk..can't complain!!!

Welcome to God's Family

Better late than never. On January 22, 2011, both Brooke & Will were baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and welcomed into what Brooke says to be, "God's Family." It was a more emotional ceremony that I expected. This responsibility is something Scott and I take very seriously. We want to instill faith in our children in hopes they will use their faith to live lives filled with joy, strength, love, compassion and humility. Judging by the way Buddy responded to the water over the head, he has the strength part down but DEFINITELY needs to work on the joy part :)

I hope as parents, we will be able to be good role models for our children so they can continue the faith journey they have just started. Brooke & Will--Welcome to God's Family!!!

Yay! Brookey was a trooper! She loved the ceremony!


It took several different angles for Buddy to be blessed by the Father, Son & Holy Spirit :)