The results are in

So me and a friend started a friendly little competition at the beginning of the summer to help motivate us to lose those darn baby pounds. We started at the end of June and decided to have our final weigh in once school started. Well today was the final weigh in. Don't worry...I'm not revealing how much me or my friend weighs. But I will say this, I lost 9.6 pounds and my friend lost 10.8. So yes, she won, which means I owe her a free movie. But I was pretty proud of both of us. It's tough losing that baby weight. Especially the older we (okay she's not as old as me, so "I") get. We both have some more pounds we want to shed, but it was fun to do it together.  And it definitely helped me stay with it, because even though I knew she would most likely win, I didn't want to be totally creamed by her. And really it was a win-win. I still lost weight and I still get to go the movies. I just have to pay! Good thing the prize wasn't a trip to Disneyland.

Sleepy Boy

I got home from the mall yesterday at about one. I unbuckled Brandon from his carseat and then jetted upstairs to get Carter down so that he could get to nap as long as possible before having to leave to get the girls from school at 3:15. Brandon had started to fall asleep on the car ride home but when I unbuckled him he jumped up and headed inside. I told him I'd be right back down after I got Carter to bed. When I came down a few minutes later he was curled up in a ball on the rug just inside the garage. Mean mom here, I didn't move him. This boy hardly EVER naps and I didn't want to wake him up. I did have BOTH boys asleep after all. So I headed upstairs to get a few things done and lay down for a bit myself (which NEVER happens. It was lovely by the way). 

My nap was cut short by a crying baby (who woke up only one hour after having put him down.) Darnit! I was expecting to have to wake him up, not the other way around. Oh well. I brought him downstairs to check on Brandon who now looked like I needed to draw a chalk outline around him. (not a funny joke, I know). So I took his picture and went back upstairs with Carter to play. 

Brandon slept like that until we left to get the girls. I had to pick him up and put him in the car to leave. He must have been one tired little boy!

Disclaimer: So that you don't think I'm truly mean, this boy often gets his blanket and pillow and lays on the floor to sleep next to his bed at night. When I ask him why, he says he doesn't like his bed. I don't know why. He won't say. 

OH and as a side note: Don't go see the movie "One Day". Unless, of course, you enjoy non happy endings.

Ashlyn's 8th Birthday Party

Oh the blessed day finally arrived! This is what the kids did while they waited for friends to arrive. Ran around the "race track" that is our house.

Glad I got one shot with the Birthday girl! Isn't she adorable.

Waiting "patiently".

YAY! The first friend to arrive. And her best friend Grace even. Hooray!

The whole group (minus Linsey and Jake who came a little late, and Kamron and Blaike who came really late). But I knew if I didn't get a picture at the beginning, it probably wouldn't happen at the end of the party, which it didn't.

We were SO lucky that the weather was nice to us. It was a beautiful day for the middle of August. We bought a little canopy for the bunnies, but it worked great as a picnic area for lunch and then again later for cake and ice cream.

After lunch, we came inside to play a few games. But once the bunnies arrived, I lost all of them to the lure of the bunnies being set up.

Bunny overload. The kids LOVED them. Some were quite timid, but still wanted to hold them. I think they were definitely the hit of the party. 

It became very evident that Grace is the only one that actually has a pet at home. She was so good with the bunnies and they sat so nicely in her lap for her.

Darby

Lourdes

Baylie

Darby again

Leah

Baylie again. This is a good shot. She had a hard time keeping her little hands on those bunnies, but for only being 4, she did a really good job with them.

The bunny pro.

Lourdes and Ashlyn. Best buds from school, who unfortunately are not in the same class this year.

Ashlyn loved the bunnies, but preferred to have me hold them while she petted them. She didn't like their long nails.

Linsey was pretty timid too. She did her best, but petting them was about all she could bring herself to do.

After the bunnies, the magician did a cute little show for the kids, with Ashlyn as his special helper. He ended with Balloon animals for the all kids. He was smart and did those last. He must have known the kids would pop them as soon as they got them. Not many lasted the length of the party.

Later, we had sidewalk chalk art

bubbles and an egg relay.

Then it was time for presents (not sure why Grace doesn't look so happy here).

Then cake and ice cream.

And we finished the day with the rainbow pinata. They all got to take a turn at it. Ashlyn got two turns. Then we let the big boys at it. Kamron took one hit and that was the end of it. Poor Blaike didn't get a chance. 

And that was it! The kids had only a few minutes to play before parents started showing up. It was quite a fun filled day. I think Ashlyn loved it and I'm sure she'll remember it for years to come. We love you little girl. Next up...Baptism (coming September 17th).

IRIS

Last Friday night I got to go on the most amazing date with my hubby to see the Cirque De Soleil show at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. 

I admit, it took me pretty much the entire ride down there to decompress from all the things I had swirling around in my head. But once we got to the restaurant (California Pizza Kitchen) and starting chatting, I relaxed and had such a wonderful night. 

Dinner was SUPER yummy. I didn't care one lick that I was breaking my diet. The BBQ chicken salad, the pizza and the red velvet cake for dessert were all more than worth it. After dinner we headed over to the theater.

They don't allow pictures inside, so we snapped a few before going in.

Then I cheated and took one of the stage before the show started. We actually had pretty good seats. I thought we were going to be up one level, but we weren't. And dead center....not too shabby for the price. 

The show?! It was AMAZING. Actually, amazing does not even describe it. It was exhilarating. I loved every minute of it (okay minus the drag queen during the "awards ceremony"), but other than that, it was a wonderful show. I loved it so much I almost cried. Literally. I expect I will be going again sometime in the next few years. Or maybe I'll have to bring myself to go to Vegas just to see another Cirque De Soleil show. (We all know how much I "love" Vegas. {insert sarcasm})