Very Proper Child

I have been working very hard at teaching Nicholas some table manners. I think it's going pretty well....

FYI - Shampooing alone does not remove Rice Krispies from hair.

Jonas Brothers Mania

Thursday night, Nick and I volunteered to drive Taylor and her two friends to the Jonas Brothers concert. Last year, I accompanied the girls to the concert, but the tickets were only $25, so I didn't mind sitting through the concert. This year, they were playing at the Q, downtown, and Taylor and her friends wanted to be as close as they could possibly get, so I opted not to attend. One Monday morning in March, I sat at the computer with my ticketmaster account ready, and my Jonas Brothers Fan Club account ready. Isn't everyone a Jonas Brothers fan club member? At exactly 10:00 AM, me and about another 5,000 mothers, tried to purchase tickets. I was immediately kicked out of the website, and my computer froze. I had to get out of all the windows and try again, all the while sweating bullets. (Not because I was afraid of disappointing my daughter, but because I was caught up in the race of getting the best tickets.) Crazy, I know. Once I logged back in, I entered my fan club code number, and wallah - I got 3 tickets on the floor. I was jumping up and down. It was really ridiculous. I had just charged $315 on my credit card trusting that three 15 year olds would pay me back. They did, with my own child taking the longest at about 60 days.

Much to Nick's dismay, I bought window paint so the kids could decorate our car. We dropped the girls off at the door of the Q with explicit instructions to walk straight into the building, and not leave the building until we arrive to pick them up. We stayed downtown just in case anything happened so that we would be right there and able to get there quickly. We had a very nice dinner at the Chop House, then went for a nice walk around the Warehouse District. From there we went to Mallorca and had dessert and a cup of coffee. It was wonderful to have 4 1/2 hours to spend talking and relaxing together.

We picked the kids up right outside the entrance, and they had an awesome time. They were in the fifth row and Taylor took some great pictures. One of the girls must have thanked Nick and me 100 times, and told us that we made her life. Not bad for a Thursday night.

Nick wants me to leave this one on the car, of course...

Isabella Turned 3!

Our little princess Isabella Grace turned 3 on August 9th. (yes I know I am behind) We celebrated her party with the family on the 8th. She has been looking forward to her birthday since January. Every month from January to May one of the 6 of us has had a birthday. Every birthday that came up, Isabella would ask if her birthday was next. I had to keep telling her "not yet, but soon." The day finally came, and she was the star. She loved every bit of it until we started singing. She did not NOT like everyone all staring at her and singing "Happy Birthday", and I got an earful about it the next day. She was so excited to open all her presents, and was really appreciative to everyone. I was so proud of her.

This poor little crazy haired, big blue-eyed kid who demands my attention, probably the most in our family, had to wait 2 weeks for me to post her birthday! This is without question no reflection on what I feel for this little girly. We waited so long for this child, and feared that she would never come. Once she did - we couldn't imagine life without her. From the moment she was born, she made her presence known. She cried almost all day with the most ear piercing cry I have ever heard. I had a route around our house and would do the walk and bounce combo around the house all day. She slept for 20-30 minutes at a time during the day. The moment Nick walked through the door, I practically threw her at him. Thankfully, she slept pretty well at night, or I don't think I would have survived.

She began talking very early and could carry on a pretty good conversation at about 18 months. Today, at 3, she never stops talking from the moment she wakes up to the moment she goes to bed. She says some of the funniest things I had ever heard. It's no wonder Nicholas doesn't talk - Isabella tells me everything I need to know about him and his needs.

Isabella is the biggest girly girl in our family. I think she has Taylor beat, which I never thought was possible. Her favorite color is pink and it must be incorporated in every activity/outfit/ food or beverage item of our day. Nick keeps telling her she is going to be a soccer player, but she insists that she will be a cheerleader like Taylor.

One thing I am certain of, is this clever, funny, affectionate, sassy-pants is going to give me a run for my money. And I look forward to every moment. Happy Birthday, again, little Bellsers. I love you!!

Below are some pictures from the party. Disney Princesses, of course!

Taylor's artistic cake creation

Topper Night

Wednesday night was a "meet the fall sports teams" night at the High School. The school introduced every player of every team, every cheerleader, and every band member. Both the band and the cheerleaders performed.

Taylor is on the J.V. Football squad, basketball squad, and Chardon also has a competition team that she also made. (This also means that I have been driving her to and from practice everyday for the entire summer) - I'm not complaining; I'm just stating facts.


Here is Taylor performing her public debut back hand spring. She nailed it from what I heard, but of course I didn't actually see it because I was looking at the darn camera screen. She has been taking private tumbling lessons for a few months specifically to learn this back handspring. It's good to know that $40 per hour has not been for naught. Good job Tay, you looked fantastic out there, and I will be in the bleachers every Saturday morning to watch you cheer with your brother strapped tightly in the stroller so that I don't have to chase him around rather than watch you!

7 More Days Until School Starts

I am not ready for the school year to begin. This summer has been the shortest 9 weeks of my life. For weeks, I have been avoiding the school supply section at Target like the plague. This Monday, the kids came home from their trip to New York City with their dad, and we headed to Target for the big shop.

There was a time when I loved school supply shopping. Picking out princess folders and notebooks. Cute little ladybug lunchboxes, and Disney bookbags. Now, folders are plain, lunch boxes are brown paper bags, and we have officially outgrown Target in exchange for Staples and OfficeMax. And, instead of helping with the selection of pencils and markers, I chased an 18 month old maniac around the store for 1 hour, while my 3 year followed me and talked on my cell phone giving my parents a blow by blow of our shopping experience. As we were getting ready to check out, Isabella saw a girl in one of the isles with pink hair, and started screaming over and over "Mommy, that girl has pink hair, that girl has pink hair!" What do you say to that? "Oh, yes honey - isn't that pretty? And if you ever do that to your hair, I will shave your head while you sleep!"

$150 later, I was completely stressed, and Nicholas was P.O'd that I wouldn't let him pick any more gum off the floor, but I had happy teenagers, and everything they needed to start the year.