Fun daddy

This is what happens when its Chet's turn to bathe Camille!

And it's this fun attitude of his that has caused Julia and Bella to inform me that they are "daddy's girls". I see so many dads that are uptight and all about keeping the family in line- so honestly, I am happy to take a backseat and be the 2nd favorite parent.

Just a spoonful of sugar!

What a great weekend we've had so far! Friday night was the Daddy/Daughter dance at Julia's school. Needless to say, she was so excited to go to the dance with her favorite date. In a few years, Chet will take all 3 girls on daddy dates! Might have to borrow one of my nephew's for the Mommy/Son dance later this year. :)


Yesterday, Julia, Bella, Jackie (my favorite mother-in-law) :) and I went to Mary Poppins at Gammage Auditorium. It was beyond amazing- my favorite play! We had awesome seats- 7th row- and I was in awe the entire 2 1/2 hrs! The girls also loved it- they love plays and are so enthralled with it all. Even Bella sat still the entire time and loved clapping "like adults" after each act.

Julia channeling Mary Poppins with her umbrella.

No wheels, no fear!

Every afternoon, after walking home from Julia's school, the girls love to ride their bikes in our cul-de-sac. I am LOVING the benefits and freedom that comes with a cul-de-sac location! I still sit outside and watch with a careful momma bear eye but they are allowed to roam free, going up and down the street to their heart's content.

Today, out of boredom and curiosity, I took off Bella's training wheels. Having never really trained a child how to ride a 2 wheeler (Chet taught Julia), I wasn't sure what to do. I held the back of her seat for a few seconds but that just felt awkward. So being the great parent that I am (ha!), I let go, gave her a little push and closed my eyes. I was sure that she would fall and that I would have to give her the old "get back on and try again speech". Nope- she was quickly riding away! Even from the back, I could tell that she was beaming- and so was I! After a few minutes, she was trying curbs and racing Julia down the street. We can't wait for Daddy to come home to surprise him.

Bella with her "rocker" helmet that she refuses to give up. I have offered to replace it with a more girlie one but she loves it!

All you need is love

My sister has been harassing me for an updated blog and pictures of the girls. I haven't updated in a long time- not for lack of time but just lack of content. There hasn't been much to write about lately- but that's not a bad thing. We have been happy doing our thing and filling our days with bike rides, playing in our backyard, Wii games, and just hanging out. It's been quite nice!


Unfortunately, we have also been walking germ factories! Usually, we are a pretty healthy family or just one of us will get sick. This time, the germs were passed on to every one of us. Between double pink eye and a horrid sore throat, I am quite the sight for my Valentine this year! ;)

To celebrate the day of love, we headed south to Tuscon. Our original plan was to visit the Sonora Museum but decided to stop at Picacho Peak instead. We had a blast exploring and enjoying the gorgeous weather (70 degrees!). Julia was on the constant look out for rattlesnakes while Bella was in awe over all the sparkly rocks (quartzite). Camille was just content being held as usual.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

~Life is good~

We are enjoying the little things, enjoying the girls at each of their stages, and enjoying our new life in Maricopa. Sounds so cliche, but there is a lot to be thankful for! Aside from the obvious (a job in this economy, a roof over our heads, our health, etc), it's easy to see the good in the small stuff too.

A baby who likes her crib!
During nap times and is *starting* to sleep there at night too! :)
I woke up at 7am and Camille was still in her crib! A first for her! Yea!

A daughter who LOVES school and does well.
She made the Principal's list and also got Student of the Month. I also love that her new school has quarterly assemblies to recognize all the students' achievements.
As student of the month, she got to add her hand print to the wall.
We are SO proud of you Julia!

A simple but beautiful backyard.
When we moved, we left behind a pool, a garden and a neat courtyard for the girls to play in. As much as we loved all that it was a LOT of work! It is nice to simplify and have a small, mostly self sufficient backyard. But, a warning to our family members with pools: you will be seeing even more of us in the summer! :)

Last but not least, a wonderful mother who stays for a week, helps out tremendously and loves to play with the kids. Aside from the obvious benefits of a grandmother's love, it also gives me precious time for cleaning the house and a little blogging (combined with above mentioned sleeping baby).
*I tried to stay in the room and join in the fun but Bella politely asked me to leave. :)

The Lamis Sisters

These two might be taking their act on the road soon. :)

Despite a room full of new toys, they LOVE singing into their "mics" which are just speaker stands that they decided to improvise with. They turn up the music and are such little performers. Behind them is their next favorite toy- the full length mirror (ie: the large TV screen while turned off).

They are so fun to watch!

Ringing in 2010

To ring in the New Year, we decided to go to Flagstaff to see the snow and try sledding with the girls.

Julia had a blast and was very daring! I was quite surprised since she is normally very cautious and afraid of things like this (like me). Chet sent her down one of the bigger hills (equipped with a few bumps) and she was hooked!

Bella however got wet as soon as we arrived. She had fun tromping through the deep drifts and playing with the snow with bare hands. She sledded a few times before crying "I can't feel my feet!". We tried to warn her but its hard containing a 5 yr old when playing in the snow.

This is where Bella stayed the rest of the afternoon.
And this is Camille during the entire afternoon as well- asleep in her sling. This little trooper stayed up most of New Year's Eve and was wiped out!