Your mommy is beautiful....

Today I was getting ready to leave the house. I was in my bathroom getting ready. The girls were playing in their room with a friend named Macie. I am hearing them play on the monitor that is in my room. I over hear this conversation.
Macie: Tara your mommy is sooooo beautiful.
Tara: I know she is really pretty.
Macie: yeah, I really like her.
Tara: me too.
the conversation kept going on, but I was beaming. Birds were chirping above my head, I felt like Cindarella. Not only do my kids think I am beautiful, but so did my girls friends. Way to make a mom feel good. After I brushed my teeth and decided, since they already thought I was beautiful I would really show them and put some mascara on. So I went over to their room with my head high, birds still chirping and said "hey girls, I am just getting ready to leave, are you having a good time? What are you playing?"
Tara: "We are playing house, Tori is the mommy"
Just then, the birds that were chirping over my head pooped on it.

Kids might get the best of you...

Sorry, I have been a really incredible blog slacker, however I have lots to catch up on. I will do it one at a time. Funny stuff first. You know, funny now, a month later.
So about a month ago, just before I left for Israel, I was a bit on the busy side, packing, and getting everything ready. I went upstairs to deal with a few things, put laundry away, and fun things like that. I can't remember forsure, but I might have even tried to use the bathroom. The 2 middle kids, Jake and Tori were playing, Tara was upstairs with me. They were playing so good, laughing, and having a really good time, at one point I even heard them say "slide down on this" just as I walked by to the girls room to see them slide down the stairs on a jacket. They were having fun, nobody was crying, and nobody was bleeding. Half the battle in this house. Lots of laughing, in fact, I even remember sitting on the bed at one moment and saying "I should remember this moment", they were having a great time. I like those moments. I left them for about 15 minutes is my best guess. Hearing them laugh the entire time. I then walked by the stairs just in time to see Jake's naked butt up in the air sliding down the stairs. I didn't think to much about it, but saw the naked butt. I then went into the closet to grab more hangers and pondered a brief moment...did I just see that? I wonder if Tori is naked too? I wonder if the "slippery jacket" wasn't working with clothes on? Maybe I should go check again. Sure enough, Tori was naked too, and is that water in her hair? What is that that that Tori is rubbing on Jake to slide down easier? Cooking Oil. Yup, you guessed it. My darling 2 children, took this moment to pour cooking oil on themselves to slide down the "slippery slide" a bit easier. Thanks kids.
Yup, these are the moments you will remember...
P.S. Big shout out to my friend Jerry who dropped everything, and was there in about 20 minutes to steam clean the stairs, and leave no trace of oil on the carpet.
P.P.S. Dawn dish detergent really does break down oil....Even in 5 year old's hair.

The natives are getting restless.

So, looking back, I have not posted ANY pictures of the kids on here since April. Well, they have grown...sorry.

I think the biggest news, is that they are in Swim lessons. They LOVE it! Tori is seriously turning out to be my little swimmer. A few days ago she did the most beautiful backstroke to me. About 20 yards of it. I am thinking that after a few more weeks of this I may decide to put her into a US swim team. The Claremont Club (where I swam at) is not far from my house, so I am thinking there! You know, because I am not busy enough. Jake as well is doing incredibly well at swimming. He can swim a bit unassisted, but I dont think he will be able to go on a swim team quite yet. I might look into lessons thru the year? We will see. Tara as well is doing GREAT! This girl L-O-V-E-S the water. You can't tell with the first pictures I am posting...well, because she screamed...the entire time! but the second day she loved it...I promise. She is now floating on her back, all by herself, kicking like a maniac, blowing bubbles, and loving every minute of it. I think it helps that her very best friend/mortal enemy is in swim lessons with her (Sarah my niece). Elijah did not go into swim lessons this year. He didn't want to. :(

Elijah also has some big news. He has been saving money since January to buy a bike. Like a lot of money. He managed to save $280. Not bad for a 12 year old! So he got his long awaited bike last week. We bought it for $300 so we had to put in a bit of money, but lets just say it was a job well done. Plus I like to "own" a portion of his bike. You know, in case I need to take it away. :)

Tori as well got a new bike. Its HOT pink and black and super cute. She loves it, and is doing well on it. We still have the training wheels on it, she is umm lets just say SUPER coordinated, so we will keep those on for a bit....

In other big news, Tori starts kinder in just 2 short weeks. :( Have no doubt there will be pictures for that! And tears for mom as well. sniff. My baby is growing up!

Jake and Tara also start Sonrise pre-school on Sept 1st, Taras 3rd birthday is coming up in Sept. Big party of course! The annual Carlson Backyard Birthday Bash with Blood Drive of course! Tentative date is Sept 11th for the party (so mark your calenders), still need to confirm with the blood donor people. Trying desperately to get American Red Cross, but am thinking its going to be USC blood drive again, they were so incredible to work with last year, and super sweet. I would rather do American Red Cross to choose where the blood goes, but USC was great and donated half of the blood we collected to Huntington for us. So we will see!!!

Well, Jim has my camera today, so I only have these 2 pictures, but be rest assured I do have more, and hopefully will post later today. But for now, hopefully these will calm the natives....and by natives I mean Grandmas.

How to learn to swim.

If you want to learn how to swim, you ask your mom and dad to take you on a cruise to the Carribean. You do a lot of swimming in your life Jacket...

You and your brother swim with rings...

You put your head up and hope for the best...

then you just swim away from your mom!!!

You also get pretty brave and go under water with "magic goggles".

And thats how you do it folks, "You just do it".

Tori's first T-ball game.

I have so much more to blog about, but in the meantime!!

Tori had her very first T-ball game on Saturday. She was a bit nervous about starting...after all, "how are people going to know I am a girl"...Well, it was incredibly cute to watch, everyone knew she was a girl *could be because she shakes her hips when she walks onto the field* or it could be the pink bat, pink helmet, the pink and purple glove, or the pink ball that she took up to the tee to hit...what a girl!! Well, she got the game ball that game...for "awesomeness" but he told me after it was because she was very aware....you see, when someone on the other team hit the ball EVERYONE, yes everyone, including the first base person, runs to get the ball, its like a race, and who ever gets there first wins, and yells at their other team mates, no its my turn!!!

No order...so the coach pulls them aside after the first inning, "ok, ONLY the people who are close to the ball go get it, not everyone, we want to get the ball and throw it to first base" he got an "Ok coach" from everyone. Well, guess what happend the very next inning. Yup you guessed it, everyone ran...except Tori. Tori my sweet little girl stood there. Looked up at the coach and shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes and says "I just told them, boys never listen".

The braids.

Tori has a friend at Chruch, Camdyn. Tori really likes Camdyn, she talks about her quite often. Not about how nice she is, or how nice she dresses (which is a very Tori thing to say...she is vain) but how beautiful her hair is. She always has more then 5 "ponies" in her hair...they are "twisties but not braidy, but twisty, and there are a lot, more then 5 twisties but not braidys". Its a big deal. She asked the other day if I could make Taras hair like Camdyns. Twisty, but not braidy...I tryed....At least I got the more then 5 ponies down.

Bonus though, when we saw Camdyns mom at church she said she would teach me how to do the twisties, but not braidy, but twisty. Tara liked the twisties, (that ended up being braids), she kept them in for a full day...Note to self, remember the ringlets I showed you a while back...she has body in her hair, if you leave braids in for 24 hours, it might not ever come "down". Tori liked it...she said it looked like Elijahs "fro" which he was really sporting a few months back, It did...

tori's picture

Mom "wow Tori, that is a beautiful picture you just painted what is it of"

Tori "its you on your cruise in a cristal dress"

mom "a cristal dress? did I buy that special for the cruise"

Tori "yup at Nordstroms"

*girl after her mamas heart*

mom "wow, I love my new dress, what is that that I am holding in my hand?"

Tori "a cocktail"

*thats my girl*

Tori's birthday party

Look who is 5!! tori decorating her cupcake at home after a very busy day!

She had an amazing time with even more amazing friends at the american girl cafe.
but of course couldn't start the day with out getting all of the girls hair done at my favorite salan in San Dimas Platform.

I had just as much fun that day as Tori did!! We started the day at the salon with donuts and OJ, with all of the "little" girls getting their hair done. (Tori, Mia, Mikayla, Lexi) from lt to rt. then we continued on our journey to the American girl store, where we all had lunch together (yumm food), Lexi's mom Ashley joined us (www.kostjuk5.blogspot.com), and Mikaylas mom Kelly joined us, as well as our friend Amoreena (who was so excited for an excuse to go the the American girl store!)
We had an amazing time with friends, and it was a day Tori will always remember, then closed the evening out with dinner at our house with friends and family decorating cupcakes, and eating Tori's favorite yummy spaghetti. Thanks for all that was involved in making her day super special, we love you all!

Tori's first date

My sassy little girl had her very first date tonight. She knew how to do it!! She got her hair done, her makeup done, and her nails done. She got her prettiest dress pressed, and she was ready. (she even wore perfum to smell good). She looked like the princess she is, and she knew it!!
Her date came to the door with a beautiful bouquet filled with pink carnations with a single red rose in the middle. *she decided to take those on the date with her*
There was dinner, and dancing, plus lots of coloring. Infact her date even brought home a picture that her drew for her. She also came home with a new necklace. He treated her like a princess, I think he set a standard. She is upstairs in bed with him right now, she just couldn't get enough of him.

everything had to be perfect. I believe she might have this "diva" thing down I can't get enough of this girl!She is just so beautiful A tear was in my eye when she was getting ready to leave. I guess This is a pretty good guy to go on your first date with!
We love you Tori. Please take tonights date as a standard. You are a princess, and deserve to be treated like one. Just know, when its with anyone else, you dont get to take him to bed with you!