Jump Rope for Heart 2013

Last year, the PTO helped our PE teacher put on our Elementary School's first Jump Rope for Heart Event...it was a huge success, raising nearly $6000 for the American Heart Association! Our elementary school has been doing the money raising campaign for years, so having an event the kids could participate in was important. I had the awesome opportunity of helping to organize the event where 2nd-5th grade students enjoyed exercise centers, healthy snacks, prizes and jump roping in the gym after school. Whoo, the sweat! I'd also put together an awareness video for the kids to watch which showcased all of the familiar faces they see each and every day at school who've been affected by heart disease either themselves or with a family member. Students worked on earning pledges prior to the event and all of our proceeds went to AHA. It was a super, fun time and we look forward to helping out with another Jump Rope for Heart in 2014! Here's Jace enjoying his exercise...

boys & baseball

These two LOVE baseball. They eat, sleep and breathe it. Literally. So much so that when I went downstairs to check on a crying Sam at 3am I noticed the light was on in their bedroom...when I walked in, they were both in a deep sleep on their beds, covered in baseball cards and wearing their baseball gear still. Apparently they'd ignored my request to put on their jammies!

Bryan is a wonderful coach/dad that spends hours with them batting and fielding in the backyard. They are constantly bringing his mitt to him, requesting to play catch. I love watching and listening to them play together and the memories they're making are so special.

From April to the end of June, we attended 2-3 games a week for the boy's baseball teams. It's such a fun sport for our entire family! Maddie enjoyed playing with other teammates siblings, Sam enjoyed running wild.

 Jace is a huge Kyle Seager fan & Cade loves Justin Smoak. Jace has acquired the nickname "Seager" from his coaches...he's a BIG fan and talks about Kyle like their best buds :)

 

Cade's quite the ball-player...scrappy, aggressive and quick!

 Catching the ball before it hits the "green monster"...aka the apple orchard. Jace played a lot of left & center field as well as short-stop and third base this season. He had some really great hits this season! He's working on batting left-handed as he'd love to be a switch hitter when he grows up

 On Mother's Day, these cutie pies treated me to a fun Mariner's Game...there's nothing like a huge plate of garlic fries and sunshine at Safeco field!

 Jace's spring baseball team...super fun! The Royale's in the Parade...

 Booster Baseball in Royal for Jace

 Caden's baseball team, Bryan helped coach :)

Let's get caught up!

Sam is now 16 months! He's starting to talk and mimic us, which is super cute and we love getting him to say "dora", "oh man", "uh-oh", "ooh ya". He catches on really quick and keeps us entertained! Sam's a great eater but a petite little guy...his nickname from Papa was "Stubby" since he has the shortest legs of any of our kids, maybe taking after his grandpa?

 Maddie just finished up Hoopster Tots...she enjoyed it but had to sit down and catch her breath a couple of times at each practice. She's satting in the upper 80's now which is ok- wished she was into the 90's, maybe she'd have a little more stamina. I'm glad she's learning to self-monitor herself and she's not afraid to tell me or the coach that she needs a break. She turns 5 on Wednesday and we're busy gearing up for her party!

Jace won 2nd place at the Scouts Pinewood Derby...thanks to Dad and our cousin Bud for helping him build a fast Hot Dog car!

We enjoyed a little get-away to Silver Mountain in Kellogg, ID in February. The kids absolutely love this place- skiing during the day and swimming in the evening! There were several families from Royal who went as well which made it such a fun trip!

 Maddie even tried out skiing one day! I wouldn't say she loved it but she's given it another go since! We'll see...I'm not super pumped but Daddy would love her to be able to ski.

Preschool is keeping us busy! This is my last year...I'll miss it but my family keeps me busy enough :) These kids are so social and a blast...lots of characters in this class!

 My mother-in-law treated me, her sister and my sister-in-law to a fun weekend trip to Las Vegas. I hadn't been there in 13 years and whoa, it's changed! We enjoyed shopping, the warm weather & seeing Carrie Underwood in concert. Lesa and I also went to Bodies...so incredible. I highly recommend it! Amazing seeing the many hearts, especially a fetus' heart- made me cry.

Have I mentioned we've taken on skiing as a new hobby? We've went more this season than I have probably skied my entire life! We've made a lot of fun memories with the boys this winter. Caden is a spectacular skiier. Really. He's a natural and now enjoys going over jumps, skiing backwards, doing 360's down the hill as he skis. He'd also like to race he tells us...

I can't keep up with these guys anymore and frequently hear them yelling, "Come on Mom!" Cautious, that's me with these three dare-devils :) Fun times!

firsts...

Somebody's started preschool around here! Miss Maddie is officially a preschooler now...attending Apple Country Preschool (mom's preschool.) She just has to waltz downstairs with her backpack on and voila, she's at school! She's loving it and her class of ten 3 & 4 year olds is a fun one! Girls way out number the boys 7:3, so there are lots of "little mothers" in the classroom. I love this age and as their teacher, I'm learning just how long they can sit at a task, complete a project, and that many breaks and transitions for these little ones helps pass our two hours/2 days a week together quickly! Singing is Maddie's favorite part of preschool. I love having the opportunity to teach her and I don't know if I would have been ready to send her out to a preschool at 3...hence, another reason I'm teaching preschool now! Two sessions actually...with a total of 20 kids coming here, 2 days a week. Yes, it's keeping me busy.She is fortunate to have her two favorite cousins, Kylie and Jill at preschool with her...
These two boys started school three weeks ago...we now have a 2nd grader and a Kindergartner! They're doing fantastic and love their teachers. It's nice having them both in school...our days without them home are really quiet and Maddie and I have had plenty of one-on-one, girl time together which is nice, since baby will be here in 6 weeks! This picture depicts their personalities to a tee...our smiley, silly one and mister serious.
Cade also has cousin Randi Kay in his class...these two are quite the pair and really good buddies. We've learned how shy Caden really is this fall. He tends to stand back, watch and wait. Luckily, his cousin is more outgoing which is great for him, we're crossing our fingers that Randi can help Cade get out of his shell a little more this school year. He's doing awesome academically and we love seeing the work he's completed at school--Cade's a bit of a perfectionist and his papers show it with his beautiful writing, coloring and drawings. He's a bright boy and school is a great fit for him. He starts soccer tomorrow!
And his Kindergarten teacher??? Mrs. Stewart (aka Aunt J). He adores her and has already earned enough gold coins to trade in for her comfy, spinny chair one afternoon :) We're so grateful to have her...what a nice transition into formal school, having your aunt as your teacher! It's especially comforting for mom, knowing my little guy is always under her loving care and watchful eye.
Jace with his teacher, Mrs. Vermeer. What a wonderful teacher she is! He also has two cousins in class and lots of his buddies. I'm amazed at how much he accomplishes in a day in 2nd grade...he's doing great and is loving school too. Jace is also playing soccer this fall and started Cub Scouts as well. His schedule keeps us hopping!
And another first in our household this fall is "balallay" (ballet). Our tiny dancer waits all week, eagerly asking when she has ballet class again. This girl LOVES it. She tends to do her own thing though, gracefully moving her arms and standing on her tippy toes while admiring herself in the full-length mirrors. It's precious and I think she could acquire a talent for it with how much she practices at home :)
And #4...what a mover this baby is! I've felt belly-bruised this pregnancy from all of the kicks, rolls, and jabs! We do not know what we're having and I have no clue or hunch this time!!! I go back and forth on it's sex. We are still discussing names, trying to come up with two that we both like and agree on :) I'm really looking forward to this little one and eagerly await it's arrival--the c-section is scheduled for Nov. 1st. I had some cramping & contractions Friday morning for about 6 hours and after laying for a couple of hours, they quit and have not returned. After talking to the nurse, it's best that I drink more water and try to rest/sit down more...which is a bit challenging for me. But I'm taking this advice seriously- we don't need this baby arriving yet!
Here he/she is showing off one of those fierce kicks...how cramped it must feel in there! We're so grateful that this baby has been healthy, it's been healing for me knowing this and has also caused me to reflect quite a bit on my pregnancy with Maddie. I've been able to enjoy this pregnancy so much more, with little worry and stress (though I've probably complained more in the last month than I ever have with my previous pregnancies, yes, shame on me.) When I was pregnant with the boys, I took it all for granted. I am truly blessed with this baby and look forward to meeting this little one. The kids are also very excited, the boys are voting for a baby brother and Miss Maddie talks incessantly about her "baby sister" and what plans she has once it's out of my tummy. She can't wait to be a big sister and I look forward to watching all three kids with this baby. We have so much to look forward to and our surprise will be here before we know it!

it's great to be 8!

Somebody turned 8 last week...opening his Nintendo DS...I'm not a fan of video games but gave into this one...
we celebrated a day early with a "backyard camp-out theme" with just family
roasting--scorching marshmallows. These boys loved catching them on fire. Jace wanted to have a "boy-cousins only" sleepover that night so cousins Braydon and Wyatt spent the night here, camping indoors with sleeping bags. They decided that would be more fun...hey, whatever works!
quite proud of themselves after building his new Indiana Jones lego set while watching Indiana Jones, The Last Crusade, of course
On his 'real' birthday, we drove over to the west side for the Covey Run. We ate at Red Robin with friends & family and he LOVED having them sing to him! No embarrassment here...someone likes to be the center of attention.
Earlier in the week, we hit the Grant County Fair. It was the centennial celebration. The kids loved the pigs and got to see some of their Stewart cousin's 4-H animals.
while Maddie snoozed in the shade on Nany's lap, I took the boys to the carnival. Not my favorite part of the fair but they loved it, even in the heat. I love that these two are good buds.

a catch-up post!

Easter 2011 Maddie & Jilly had fun playing with colored bubbles at Grandpa & Grandma Allred's Easter dinner
Kylie & Maddie at Nany & Ba's Easter dinner, we had on Good Friday this year

The annual Mardon Easter Egg hunt: cousins Kylie, Jett, Cade, Jace & Maddie

And now onto the kids...make sure to read the bottom of this post for some exciting news!
JACE:
He's our busy 1st grader. Finished basketball in February, what a fun season with lots of friends and my coach from high school spear-headed a bunch of 1st grade boys. It was so fun to watch, those boys really showed some improvement over the season. His claim to fame lately has been his joke telling ability...he performed (quite well for that matter) at the school's talent show in February, telling a few jokes to a crowd of 700! He moved onto soccer and we watched his games from our car since our weather this spring has been so crummy! Soon, he'll be playing baseball, which is his favorite sport. He's doing well in school, latest report card had us grinning from ear to ear and he earned himself a book at the book fair for his hard work, choosing "Predator Showdown". He and Cade have loved looking at that book, trying to figure out which animal claims victory over another. They sleep together every night, not in their own beds which are in the same room, but in our guest room. I like it so I don't mind; it won't be long that they'll want to share the same bed. Someday they'll use their cute bedroom. They'd rather sleep in the mix-n-match, undecorated, spare bedroom. Jace is a great big brother, constantly coming up with games and things to play for he and Cade, always including little sis in the mix, even if she's not up to par with what they're playing. He and Caden loved going down to the ranch for branding this year, they even got to ride a couple of calves. He's growing up too quickly!CADEN:
Just finished preschool! He's officially graduated and registered for Kindergarten this fall. I loved teaching Cade in preschool this year. He is a very bright boy and quite the perfectionist. Artsy too. He's constantly drawing pictures, using up stacks of sticky notes while sticking them all over the house. Cade is our kid that never says "I'm bored." He finds things to do, makes plenty of messes, and is so creative in his play. Being the middle child, he plays great with kids but unusually well on his own too. He plays on his terms, so I'm sure that's why he's quite good at self-play. We've been so impressed with how much he loves and cares for Maddie. He talks to her in the sweetest tone, getting her toys, tries to lift her onto her swing outside, helps carry her up the stairs. She's a lucky girl to have Cade as a playmate and protector these days, boy is she going to miss him when he's off to school this fall. He's enjoyed riding a few times this year, only on his favorite horse, "Sparky Boy". We enjoyed a fun spring break horse back riding excursion with Derek & Carly's family on the ranch. Cade was a pro. Oh, and I must mention how tough he is...just had his shots for Kindergarten, 4 of them in all and he didn't cry, not even one tear. Also had two warts frozen off recently and never even blinked. Yes, he's our superboy and determined to be the tough guy.
MADDIE:
Prefers to not be called "Maddie Moomer" anymore. She corrects us if we say this by saying, "my name isn't Moomer, it's Maddie Grace Allred!" She's really a talker, loves watching herself in the reflection of the oven or dryer, chatting up a storm as she brushes her hair from her face and smiles. She loves to help me...especially with dishes. Water, bubbles anyone? I'm yet to master how to incorporate her help, while still getting my chores done and without the watery mess. She loves packing around a stuffed animal or baby, rocking them in her rocking chair, patting and singing to them. She discovered that her baby doll's eyes open and close, and whoa, "Molly her baby" took a lot of naps yesterday. Maddie loves to take baths, has constantly had rashes this winter; her recent rash was ring worm, which we have no idea where she got it from. She and Caden are just getting over a lovely case of pink eye too. Her nose has been runny most of the winter/spring and she's been on a couple of rounds of antibiotics from ear infections this late winter. She's currently healthy (knock on wood) and on "house arrest" now, not venturing out in public or in any groups of people for that matter, so we're keeping busy at home with projects and play. We need to keep her healthy for surgery. She and I were recently baptized at our church, First Presbyterian, the week after Easter. It was such a wonderful evening and having this sacred experience with her will always be a special memory for me. She was precious and my heart was so full.
and our big news is...WE'RE EXPECTING!!! I'm 14 weeks along and baby is due Nov. 6th, though with the c-section, looks like sometime around Halloween. We're all very excited!

Lots of firsts

I'm a little late on posting our first day of school pictures. Here's Jace on his first day of 1st grade. He has Mrs. Albertson this year and is enjoying it. He's also playing soccer right now and has mom for his coach :) A first for me... We started preschool a week after school began. I'm teaching 12 three, four and five year olds in our basement, two mornings a week. I've worked at preschools before but this is my first year teaching preschool on my own. "Apple Country Preschool" (our name) has had the help of wonderful preschool mom's each time, so that's been awesome. It's really been fun and I think I lucked out with my class :) They're lots of fun and a very bright group. Caden enjoys it but it did take a couple of sessions before he realized that I meant business. Let's just say he "broke in" our STOP chair the first couple of days at preschool. It's rough when your mom's the teacher and you have to share her attention!

This is Cade's 3rd year of preschool so he really is a pro. He was ready for Kindergarten but his birthday fell too late for him to go this fall. I am loving having him in our group, he's a great help and it's rewarding watching him work.

So two mornings a week, this guy and I enjoy a few hours together. Miss Maddie goes to either my mom's house or Bryan's mom's during preschool. She's also had a fun time at Courtney's one morning, playing with Aftyn. It's been great for us all and I've got lots of fun planned this preschool year! I'm loving getting my "teaching fix" again! It's been 7 years since I've had a classroom!