Kick it like Kirk!

Kirk has a few more weeks left of his first soccer season and I can already call it a success. He has boldly walked onto the field for each game and the last 3 games he has scored 6 goals during the game. He enjoys it, our coach is great with the team, and Kirk seems to really understand the rules.  I could almost cry looking at these pictures; he is growing up way too fast.  In a few weeks, he will be finished with day care and looking forward to preschool with me in the fall.  Where has the time gone?  Why is he almost 4 years old?? I try my best everyday to enjoy every minute with him.  He tells me he will always love me, even when he's a big man like Daddy. I know he will.  He is so much fun.  I'm so lucky to be his "soccer mama!"

Spring has sprung! (hopefully!)

The Easter Bunny always HIDES baskets full of goodies at our house, and last year he hid Kirk's basket on top of our washing machine.  He was a little guy, and we had to help him, but this year, he was on a mission! He looked just about everywhere downstairs until he opened the bathroom door to find his basket on the toilet, and his new Bumblebee bicycle and Optimus Prime helmet parked in the bathroom!  He loved everything, and he jumped right on his bicycle and started peddling.  I must admit...I was a bit sad to see him doing such big boy things.  We had a great Easter, and we'll have a lot of fun with his new bike.

Kirk was determined to have a Bumblebee bicycle.  Did they have one for us to buy around here?  Of course not.  Jeremy had to search the internet and order it.  Kirk was happy, though!

Kirk is slightly obsessed with the Ninja Turtles right now.  He got 2 new dvds in his basket and 2 new toys.  We had to take his money that he got from his Easter cards and his "lucky" eggs and buy the last member of the turtle team at Target yesterday.  We now have all 4 turtles.  Jeremy also ordered him some toys from ebay, so he has several "bad guys" and Master Splinter (that is who I have to be when we play).  It's pretty much turtle talk all the time around here, and his imagination is hilarious.  I know one day I will wish that he was little again, running around calling me "Master Splinter."  I'm trying my best to enjoy it...and play along!

We went to Gramma Debi's church on Easter Sunday.  Doesn't Kirk look adorable??

Cutest little biker I've ever seen!

A True Friend

"Nothing but heaven itself is better than a friend who is truly a friend." ~ Plautus

I wanted to do a quick post for my dear friend.  As I type today, I realize I've been friends with this amazing woman for 17 years.  I met her in the halls of Twin Towers West in the fall of 1996.  We were all new to Marshall University; brand new lost little freshman.  We became quick friends, and we had some amazing fun together.  We later became sorority sisters, classmates, roommates, and obviously lifetime friends.  We have shared our lives together, and no matter where life has taken her, I know that she is and will always be my friend.  She has endured such loss and sadness, and such joy (with her three amazing kiddos).  I'm so blessed to share it all with her.  I pray that God will keep her close and heal her heart as she faces another loss.  She has always been there for me when it mattered.  Our families are connected, and our hearts are connected.  If you pray, please say a little prayer for God's healing for her heart, and pray that those around her can give her some comfort.  

(This picture was taken at the Character Breakfast in 2006...not that we wouldn't just dress up for the heck of it! Haha!)

Bringing sexy back....

I can NOT believe that I got tickets this week to see Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z!  I have loved Justin Timberlake for pretty much all of my adult life, and I have seen him in concert twice (once with Christina Aguilera and once with Pink) and the fact that his last album and tour was almost 6 years ago is painful!  So we DO have to drive to Hershey, PA (6.5 hours away....sigh) to see him and we DO have to wait till August, but who cares?  I'm sure JT will feel my love from the stands, and I will be singing along to every song!  I'm so excited!

I can't wait to see you, JT!

101 days till the Walkers climb on board this magical ship! A few more days and we can schedule our boarding time and meals.  We are so excited for our first Disney cruise!

This sunny warm weekend has made spring seem like it is around the corner!  I welcome some sunshine, warm weather, Kirk's new soccer team and games, and eventually SUMMER!  

Bat-tastic!

Kirk was very excited to attend his friend Christian's birthday party today.  We knew "the real Batman" was going to be there and Kirk finally had his "plastic mask for Batman to autograph" (I got it yesterday at Target!).  Kirk promised to not be afraid, "not even a tiny little bit" before we got there, and boy did he deliver.  He practically stalked Batman all over the party premises, and he was very happy to pose by the "Bat-Hummer" with Batman in the picture above.  He is wearing a pretty big smile, I think.

His dream came true, and he got his plastic mask autographed.  He also informed me that he now wants to be Batman when he grows up, not a construction worker or a veterinarian.  Ok, I'll take it...as long as he has a "job," I guess.....? 

Kirk and his super hero loving pals gathered around the Bat Hummer...they all loved it!

(l to r) Kirk, Drew, Holden, and birthday boy Christian

Happy birthday, Christian....thanks for a "Bat-tastic" party!!

my funny Valentine

Jeremy knew I'd been drooling over the Origami Owl lockets for a while.  When my friend Cortney (who makes Kirk's super cute shirts, costumes, etc.) started selling it, I had mentioned buying one from her.  The locket and charms came on Wednesday, and Jeremy did a great job.  They say, "every locket has a story," so here's my story:  The coins say "blessed" and "mama" because I am blessed to be the mama to a great little boy.  The stones are birthstones for Kirk (peridot) and Jeremy (and me....sapphire).  A letter K and W for my initials and Kirk's, and a sparkly heart to "help it look more two toned" (as Jeremy said....or he could have said, "because I love you," but that would be way too emotional for him...haha!).  I love it and I'm so thankful for both of my special Valentine boys!

I took on the RIDICULOUS project of making 18 photo pendants for my kiddos' mamas for our Mother's Day Valentines dance at school.  First off, I couldn't find the glass tiles anywhere local, so I ended up ordering them (not cheap!).  Then, I couldn't find the right glue and I ended up using something that someone at school had.  I had to take the pictures, crop and size them, print them, cut them (and cut them, and cut them), glue them, let them dry, and attach the bail.  It was a process.  I glued 2 of them to our dining room table with the super glue I was using to attach the bail.  I almost had a heart attack, but Jeremy got them off.  I quit using the super glue after that.  It took most of my weekend and one evening this week to get them all done.  It was all worth it when I got the reactions from the mamas yesterday, though.  They thanked me, hugged me, and one mama even teared up.  That's why I do what I do. I want those mamas to know that their kiddo means a lot to me and I'm thankful that they trust me to teach them and care for them.  I think everyone had a great Valentine's Day in our class yesterday!

We got Kirk's teachers a dozen Paula Vega cupcakes for Valentine's Day, so of course we had to get a few extra to take home.  Kirk was so excited to eat his chocolate cupcake yesterday! I made him pose with it before he took a huge bite of icing!

I kept telling Kirk that he was my "very best Valentine" yesterday, and we've been playing a game (inspired by the book "Guess How Much I Love You") by saying "I love you as big as ___" and naming things that are huge (I say "mountains" "elephants" etc.) Kirk said yesterday, "Mama, I love you as big as the very biggest VOLCANO!" I love it.  And I love him.  Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day sweat shop

So of course another holiday means that I have taken on another ridiculous amount of craft projects at home and school!  The picture above is the "super hero suckers" that I made for Kirk's classmates.  They were fun to make and Kirk loved the Batman ones, of course.  I also created/printed the photo Valentine cards pictured below to send out to family and friends and to include the the bags we made for Kirk's class.  

 

I have also made 15 (of 18) photo tiles (pendants) for my kiddos at school to give to their moms for our preschool "Mom's Day" Valentine's Day dance on Thursday. I also have 2 more projects to make for school by Thursday.  Shew.  And now Kirk has the flu.  As always, I will be cutting, laminating, and hot gluing down to the wire....and I will love it!  I will post pictures of my school projects soon, the pendants turned out great, and I can't wait to see my kiddos' mamas when they open up thier gift bags!