Happy Birthday Bradi!

The BIG 35! It's BRADI's Birthday. I promised to seek my revenge for the pics you posted on your blog. Well here goes. Now unfortunately, my elementary & middle school photos are somewhere in the garage and my college album is MIA, so you only get to see from High School. Please note the stylish hair and clothes!!

Winter ball '89

Here are some favorites from Guard Camp.

Note the bangs and flashdance top...Here's a great MORP pic, none of us look so great...But in all seriousness, I wouldn't do this if I didn't love you Braids and if you didn't do it first to me... This is one of my favorite pics, our last day of high school, in the BFE parking lot with my old Honda. (can you hear the tune Memories playing in the background?) And alas, the ultimate Bradi Pic, just screaming "Hear I am WORLD! I have arrived." or in this case Tokyo Disneyland. But I have to end with a show stopper... I don't remember his name, just like many of your former love interests, but he was entertaining for the evening. I hope you have a spectacular birthday and that year 35 is everything you hope it to be. THANKS for being such a wonderful friend for so many years. LOVE, Shar

Halloween Fun

This year for Halloween we went with the Frank Family theme. Logan as Dr. Frank, the mad scientist, Shawn as Frank's monster and me as the monster's bride. Lo seemed to really get into his part, he would mention every once in a while, "I created you, so you get to do what I say". The pic below is from the VP party, it's all the fam together. What a scary bunch!

Leave it to the littlest...

Amongst all the chaos of this week, Logan decided on Monday, while we were evacuated to a downtown hotel, that it was "nigh nigh baby's" birthday tomorrow, she was turning 2. So that set the plans in motion, we headed to the grocery store where Lo picked out cupcakes and after dinner on Tuesday we (nannie, pappa, Uncle G, Aunt Miss and Ryan, Shawn and I) all sang happy birthday to nigh nigh baby on the patio of Anthony's Fish Grotto. It gave us a reason to celebrate. Now I don't really think Logan was searching for some way to cheer everyone up, I honestly think he was looking for an excuse to eat cupcakes, but he did manage to lift everyone's spirits and clear their mind for a bit (especially those who were a bit embarrassed to be singing to a doll in the middle of a crowded restaurant).

It's a MaD mAd MaD Scientist World

To top off Logan's weeklong 5th birthday celebration we had a Mad Scientist Party.

A dozen of Logan's best buddies were over for a ooey gooey explosive good time.

Here are some pics...

The goop was popular

While others were brave enough to check out the

vinegar and baking soda balloons.

Magnetic Painting & Monster Making

Ivory Soap in the Microwave

Logan offered guided tours to the house of optical illusions to everyone The magical mixture of Diet Coke and Mentos

Pin the test tube on the Mad Scientist Freeze Dancing to the Monster Mash

And finally, the Erupting Volcano Cake yum- yum You're only 5 once!

Spy Kid World Premiere

Shawn and Logan were busy Sunday afternoon. While I went out and celebrated my birthday with a group of my girlfriends, they were making a movie. Grab the popcorn! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw8IHoiBnow

A hole in six

back Megan and Ally, front Zoe, Alexa, Logan and Diego . Megan and Alexa (and their parents) were in town this weekend, so we all met up at the beach. What a day! Six 3, 4 and 5 year olds in the surf and sand. While out in the waves, they would chant "deeper, deeper" trying to coax the adults out farther in the water. While on the shore, it was fashionable to have every inch of their body covered in sand. They've come a long way since those couch pictures!

Megan, Logan, Ally and Diego July 2003

Life's a Beach

As our summer vacation comes to a quick end, we headed to the beach to celebrate my friend, Malinda's birthday. It was a beautiful day and the water was just the right temperature, warm enough that it didn't shock you or take time to get used to it but cool enough to be a refreshing relief from the warm sand.

Diego shared his boogie board with the rest of the kids, and they were ready to hang ten!

But wave jumping and diving was much more fun, plus it really kept all their moms on alert as they pushed to go deeper and deeper. At one point Logan turned to me and yelled "I can't believe this is my life, I'm swimming out in the ocean with these big waves!!!"

I LOVE our Library!

"I've got style"

Today was Lo's first day at ESS! He picked out this clothing combination because it's "his style". Luckily, the other kids at ESS weren't bothered by this Y chromosome version of Punky Brewster, because he had a BLAST! Didn't want to leave and demanded that he come back. DEAL! but maybe next time with matching clothes.

The Creature from the Summerfield Lagoon

You would think we were leaving for the weekend, not just walking down the block to the pool. You'll notice in the picture above that he is wearing his new kindergarten backpack, he packed it with markers and paper because "while we are at the pool, I want to draw". Doesn't everyone?

But I did get this great shot of the fish in action!

No Big Surprise

Dry Ice Fun

Ooblek a.k.a. goop (cornstarch and water)

Vinegar and Baking Soda with a splash of food coloring for pizazz

It really wasn't a surprise when Logan decided he wanted a Mad Science Themed Birthday Party this year. So now we are full steam ahead in the planning phase. Logan is, of course, very helpful. "Get things that are messy, gross and if they explode, that would be even better!" Oh, dear, what are we getting ourselves into????? More Dry Ice Fun

"Two Thumbs Up and Triple Delicious"

That was the review Logan gave Grandma's homemade bread this weekend. He's been fixated on making bread with Grandma's breadmaker for weeks, so Saturday was the day. The recap goes something like this:

7 a.m. Mixing ingredients

7:05 Logan asks if the bread is ready for breakfast

7:10 Logan watches breadmaker, crushed that it will take FOUR HOURS to bake

7:11 Logan asks if the bread is ready yet, g-ma manages to distract for a while

8:00 Logan is crushed when he sees the breadmaker kneed the already "done bread"

8:03 Excited to see another button light up on the breadmaker

... you get the idea, it was a long, painful process, but the bread was worth it!

And what else do you put on homemade bread??? Nothing else but homemade peanut butter, of course.... I don't know where the boy gets these ideas, maybe I watched too much Rachel Ray when I was pregnant??

So today, we shucked (correct verb??) peanuts. About 3/4 of a pound later, we had enough to spread on the homemade bread for lunch and save a bite to share with Daddy tonight.

After we ate our peanut butter sandwiches for lunch, Logan turns to me and asks, "Ready to make jam now?"

Plum Crazy

While on vacation, our plum tree exploded. It was a plum minefield out there. But, oh how those plums are worth the clean-up. They are the sweetest, yummiest plums you have ever tasted, just like the ones I remember in my backyard when I was a kid. The kind that you have to eat over the sink because upon first bite, juice is running down your chin. (Or if you are Logan, juice is dripping off your elbow and the dog is licking the puddle below.)There is something so peaceful and rewarding when you can just step outside your back door and gather a basket full of tasty treats.

Splish Splash

Logan's good buddy Will joined us at the swimming pool today along with his sister Chetana and Ally and Zoe.

I finally was brave enough to put the camera in the water... check out the results-

Blub, blub...