Happy Hemingways

First Teeth Cleaning

2011-09-27T21:08:00.002-04:00

Scarlett got her first dental check up yesterday. She waited on pins and needles in the waiting room as she watched Sofia and then Grayson get called back. She was SO antsy for her turn. The hygienist said she did perfectly and had no trouble at all. We even got a copy of her little x-rays showing her baby teeth AND adult teeth (kind creepy looking). This is the prize bucket on her lap. She made out with bubbles, a ring, toothpast, floss, and an Ariel Princess toothbrush (surprise, surprise, right?).

Bear Hugs

2011-09-27T20:50:00.003-04:00

We had our last "4th Sunday Dinner" at the Hardie house before Afton leaves for Texas. VERY sad. Afton had special presents for the kids. Grayson got a special Key that represents the key to Afton's heart, and the girls got little Cabbage Patch dolls whose names are Afton. Then Afton pulled out her big surprise...Months ago, Afton asked the kids (or their moms) what their favorite colors were so she could make them these special presents. The bow on top of each package represented that favorite color. Of course favorite colors tend to change (even in a months time apparently), but everyone was excited and didn't really care about colors anyway.

Scarlett with her red bear hug blanket

Sofia with her purple bear hug blanket

Grayson with his green bear hug blanket

Thank You AFTON!!

Amandine got orange and Thierry got baseballs. Honestly, this has to be the most creative idea I've seen in a long time. The kids already sleep with these every night. They are SO special to them already and are a perfect way to remember Afton when she's gone. We will miss her dearly and are already making tentative plans to vacation in Dallas.

Ninja Board Breaking! TANG SOO!

2011-09-27T20:37:00.002-04:00

Grayson got to try his hand at board breaking during his Advanced Ninja class this past Friday. He was SO excited for it and talked about it all week long. I just hoped he'd be able to succeed...He was first in line. I was worried since he didn't get to see others do it first, but they practiced on their pads. One, Two, THREE!
Board broke on the first try. I think he surprised himself (wish I could have captured his face in the photo). Ms. Holly was SO proud.

So exciting!

A couple the kids needed to try a few times and some more needed help. We were SO proud of this little guy. He got to take home the board as a little keepsake.

Crazy Hair Day

2011-09-27T20:31:00.002-04:00

That Hair Totally Rocks Dude!Koepsell had spirit week last week. Monday was "Crazy Hair Day". In years past it's been easy to throw Sofia's hair in crazy buns or wacky pony tails and clip a million bows in it, but we weren't quite sure what to do for boy hair. AHA! Spray hair color. We also had glitter in Sofia's, but it's harder to see. SUCH fun!

When I grow up...

2011-09-18T11:32:00.003-04:00

SO, I asked these two:

"What are you going to be when you grow up?"

Grayson: "I'm going to be a Train Engineer on Mondays and a doctor on Wednesdays and Fridays."
Mom: "What are you going to do on Tuesdays and Thursdays?"
Grayson: "Stay home!"

I LOVE how this guys thinks!

Scarlett: "I'm going to be a Princess Doctor"

I'm not too sure if she plans on becoming a princess who goes
to medical school or if she plans on becoming a doctor who specializes
in treating sick princesses. I think it may be the former. TOO funny!

Down on the Farm - Blake's Apple Orchard and Cider Mill

2011-09-17T17:07:00.007-04:00

Today, Tadj and I took the kids to the cider mill. Grayson, Scarlett, and I have gone together with preschool for the last 2 years. Scarlett and I will go again in a few weeks. But Tadj and Sofia haven't gotten to go in 3 years. That was sad. So we went. It was a BEAUTIFUL day (though a bit cloudy at first). We got there right at 10am because I figured a pretty day would draw a huge crowd. Luckily there were very few people there in the morning and we got to do a lot of stuff without a lot of hassle.First, we picked apples. A whole 1/2 bushel of them. That's a lot! I think we'll be eating them for a long time.
Don't ask me why my kids thought these poses were cute. They just did. Funny thing was, they each posed this way independently. None of them saw another one doing this. Must be a weird Hemingway trait. HA!

Tadj and the kiddos

Kids at the pumpkin patch. Check out Scarlett's gangsta stance. She looks ready to take these pumpkin pickin' skillz to the streets.

Me and my little darlings

Feeding a cute little baby goat. The big goats just liked to eat the cone the feed was served in, but this guy ate right out of our hands.

Sofia's tractor jumping skills

Gray's tractor jumping skills (he didn't land on his face, but this pic. looks like he might have).

Tricia and Nick just so happened to be going to Blakes today too, so we met up. We never get to see them anymore, so this was an extra special treat. Scarlett didn't leave Tricia's side all day.

We raced tricycles - Grayson won. Every time.

Check out that mean looking horse. YIKES! I've never met more friendly farm animals ;)

We climbed the straw mountain...

watched the guys make cider and donuts...

rode the tractor train...

let Scarlett have the camera (hahaha!)...

and ended the day with a hayride.

Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year. I LOVE the autumn colors, the apples, the pumpkins, and the cool, crisp air. I'm SO happy to live in Michigan where this season is especially beautiful.

Tang SOO! Gray gets his Yellow Belt

2011-09-17T16:40:00.003-04:00

Grayson tested last week to advance and earn his Yellow belt. He will remain in his Advanced Ninja's class with Ms. Holly until he earns his Orange belt (probably another 6 mos.). This was a particularly difficult test because he had to do his first basic form. It was hard, and all the kids made mistakes, but that was ok. They will get better with more practice.Ms. Holly is Grayson's instructor. She's been working hard with these little guys (and gals) and it's paying off.

Jeff Jackson is the one putting Grayson's belt on. He's one of Shaun's assistants and a good friend of Uncle Chris and Aunt Rachel's. He and all his kids go to PKSA too.

The other 3 kids were A.j. and Vincent (brothers) and Zoe. They've all been with Grayson since he was a "Little" Ninja. They are the first class of Ninja program to earn their Yellow belts. We're proud of all of them.

Back to School! YAHOO!

2011-09-17T16:17:00.003-04:00

The first day of school is always the day after Labor Day around here. This year it was Tuesday September 6, 2011. Since Scarlett only goes to preschool Wednesdays and Fridays, it was just these two cutie pies going.

Scarlett made sure to get into a picture anyway

We are SO happy that Sofia landed in Mr. Rossi's class again this year for 2nd grade. JACKPOT! He is an awesome teacher and Sofia loves him. So do we!
Grayson landed in Mrs. Zentz's kindergarten class. We couldn't be happier about this assignment either. Sofia also had Mrs. Zentz and she is an AWESOME teacher as well. I don't think there is a better literacy coach alive. I imagine Grayson will be reading fluently pretty soon.
Doesn't everyone look cold? Yep! It was barely 60 degrees outside for the ceremonial bell ringing and flag raising.
On Wednesday, Scarlett was THRILLED to go to preschool. She has Mrs. Francis, of course. Grayson has had her for the past two years. We lover her too. Scarlett had a fabulous time and sang her little heart out all afternoon. They do a LOT of singing in preschool.

Scarlett in front of her cubby. Her name is on the little sunshine tag.

I'm happy for the kids to continue back to school, but I really do not like the chaos of the school year. I'm already looking forward to next Summer. In the meantime, I'm grateful for teachers we already know and love and a fun filled school year.

I'm not 32. I'm 29 Plus 3!!!

2011-09-13T22:44:00.003-04:00

Yep. Another birthday happened last week. I hate it when that happens. On the upside though, it was on Labor Day (which sometimes happens), so I got the day of work! WOOHOO! I spent the morning just relaxing, hanging out, and reading. For lunch, Tadj and I took the kids to Red Robin (birthday tradition for all of us) and then the kids and I went to a cheap show. We saw "The Zookeeper" and I was glad it was only $2 because it was really dumb. The kids liked it, but Scarlett fell asleep. Tadj stayed home to make this awesome cake which we took to the Aminis for an end of Summer BBQ and bonfire (the kids had school the next morning). They also invited their neighbors, Amy and Shaun(??) and their cute little girls. The kids met new friends and we had a FABULOUS end to the Summer. Too bad it was only 60 degrees... brrrr.
Sofia helped me "pretend" to blow out the candle... Angie actually tried to put 32 candles on the cake, but it was so windy we couldn't even get ONE to stay lit.

Chicago Pooped us out!! - August 19, 2011

2011-09-13T22:38:00.002-04:00

Yep. It was a SUPER busy day. We did a LOT of walking, saw a LOT of things, and couldn't wait to find our pillows at the end of it. None of the kids wanted to sleep on the floor (Scarlett really wanted to the first night), but we figured out if they slept in the bed sideways, the could all fit. Sofia's getting a bit too tall, but this may work well for the next year or so.

American Girl Doll Store and Lego Store - August 19, 2011

2011-09-13T22:23:00.004-04:00

We left the aquarium to head back uptown (downtown?.. not sure) and get some dinner. We were headed to the Cheesecake Factory (which was super busy, so we just picked up dessert for later) and our bus dropped us right in front of the American Girl Doll store. I had told Angie that we WOULD NOT be walking into that store, but it was too late. The girls saw it, so after dinner all the girls went to the girlie doll store and the boys went to the Lego store. This is a Lego Woody. Very cool.

Sofia is not at all into dolls, but she really wanted an Ivy and a Rebecca doll. I told her if she's still interested in them in November then add it to her Christmas list. I think she's already forgotten.
Scarlett, on the other hand, LOVED these "bitty babies". They're a soft baby version of the American Girl dolls. They sure were cute, but Scarlett literally has 30 baby dolls at home very similar to this one. I don't think it will end up on her Christmas list, but in a few more years, I think a Molly or Kanani doll just might.
Not only could you buy the dolls here, but they also had a salon for your doll to get her hair done. The stylist actually teaches the little girls how to do the doll's hair. Pretty outrageous prices, but fun to watch. There was also a doll hospital and a restaurant. We'll be back to this store. It was a lot of fun.
I was surprised, but neither of my girls whined about not going home with a doll. I was so proud of them. They were perfectly content to window shop with me and make mental Christmas lists, and take home catalogs. I did buy Sofia a couple of books, but she has still not read either of them. I don't think she was REALLY all that interested in them, but had fun dreaming about them with me and Scarlett.

Chicago Shedd's Aquarium - August 19, 2011

2011-09-13T22:00:00.003-04:00

After we left the Field Museum, we met up with the Aminis at the Aquarium. Had we realized how long the line would be just to get in, we would have gone there in the morning. No joke, Tadj and Joe waited in line for us for over an hour. What great guys! Angie and I sat on a bench and wrangled the kids. We only paid for the basic admission (some packages run up to $75/person!) and skipped the dolphin show, jelly fish exhibit, etc. We were glad because it was BIG and the kids were tired out.
The museum was divided up by different bodies of water throughout the world... i.e. Amazon rain forest, Carribbean, Oceans, and in this one was Michigan bodies of water... very cool.
We would have gotten better pictures, but the flash of a camera makes the fish "nervous" and we're not allowed to use them. Oh well. The pictures might not tell the story very well, but our minds remember... it was VERY VERY VERY neat. We LOVED this aquarium and can't wait to go back.

This center part of the aquarium had a scuba diver putting on a show and feeding the fish. She communicated with a lady OUTSIDE the glass through a microphone and we could ask her lots of questions. She told some cool stories too. This bottom picture, she was out of food, but grabbed handfuls of little rocks to drop down and get the attention of the fish so we could take good pictures. Too cool.

Chicago Field Museum - August 19, 2011

2011-09-07T22:36:00.005-04:00

We got to visit SUE at the Chicago Field Museum thanks (once again) to our wonderful Detroit Science Center Pass. We DEFINITELY got our money's worth from that pass this year. This museum would have cost our family $120 in admission alone. We got in FREE!! Our first stop, of course was the giant t-rex, SUE. She is the most complete collection of dinosaur bones in the world. Her head is too heavy to place on the body (this one's fake... along with just a couple other bones) so it was in a second exhibit upstairs. Very cool.

We tried to take the kids around through the educational areas of the museum. Tadj and I found the exhibits on different cultures and history interesting, but the kids DID NOT. We took them to the kiddie area where we... made crafty things out of scraps...

dug for dinosaur bones...

had a puppet show...

played noisy instruments...

and had story time.

Overall, this was a neat museum. Best of all was the free admission. I would NOT have paid the $120 to get in. Also there was a McDonald's in the basement. They are literally EVERYWHERE in Chicago... at least 2 out of 3 museums we visited and the train station. Anyway, it was convenient this day.

We ate at Ed's - Chicago - August 18, 2011

2011-09-06T22:54:00.002-04:00

When we arrived in Chicago, I had a text from Angie telling me they were on their way to Chicago!!! What a surprise (the BEST kind)!! Their floors weren't done yet, so they weren't allowed to go home. Chicago seemed like a good detour to them... and us too. They caught up with us at dinnertime. You can't go to Chi town without a stop at Ed Debevic's. I warned the kids that the staff would be rude... but because it was funny. Sofia thought it was Hilarious! Our waiter came to the table and asked "What do you jerks want?" - Sofia laughed hysterically. The other kids were thrown by it. Joe played right along.

We all got hats. Doesn't Angie look cute?

Our waiter, Frank, danced a couple of times in the window sill. SUCH fun entertainment. The kids all jumped out of their seats and danced too. They were SO cute - especially Bella and Scarlett - those little ones can really shake it!

Chicago, Day 1- Navy Pier - August 18, 2011

2011-09-06T22:36:00.005-04:00

After our super duper long train ride, we arrived in Chicago just in time for late lunch, hotel check in and started in right away on the tourism. Thank goodness for a good concierge at the hotel 'cause we had not clue where we were going. Navy pier was on the agenda. We walked from the hotel and went straight to this cute Children's Museum. It was free with our Detroit Science Center Pass - WOOHOO! The preschool area was perfect for Scarlett. I was VERY impressed. We expected the same old stuff (we've been to a lot of these museums all over the country), but were pleasantly surprised.
Tadj and the kids tried building some sort of structure. They didn't have time to finish it. Grayson was mad.

We also decided that we'd splurge on the 1/2 hour boat tour. Tadj and I did the Speed boat tour 10 years ago, but it was WAY to expensive for 5 of us. This one sufficed. What a BEAUTIFUL city! I wished I had a better camera to capture this skyline. Oh well.

Scarlett got tired (we WERE awake at 5am this day)

Amtrak to Chicago - August 18, 2011

2011-09-06T22:25:00.002-04:00

Tadj and I thought it might be fun and convenient to take a train to Chicago rather than drive in a confined car and pay top dollar to park in the city. Um, we were wrong. Our train was scheduled to leave Royal Oak at 6:25 and didn't even arrive until 6:50am. The 6 hour ride turned into 8 due to stops and speed restrictions. The ride home turned into 11 (!!), 2 of which we were stranded in Michigan City, Indiana. Not fun. It WAS nice to walk around as we pleased, use the bathrooms whenever, and eat in the dining car... but that was about it.
Scarlie, of course, was motion sick fairly early on. We gave her a dramamine and she knocked out. Poor baby.

Girl's Day - August 17, 2011

2011-09-05T10:03:00.002-04:00

I took the entire week of vacation from work, but had one free day between Kalahari and Chicago. I had some errands to run and shopping to do and the girls wanted to come too. We made a day of it at the mall. We did shop, but we also got mani-pedis and visited the puppies in the pet store. It was so fun to spend time with just my girls.

Kalahari, Sandusky - August 15-16, 2011

2011-09-05T09:54:00.004-04:00

We spent a couple days doing up the waterpark with the Aminis. We had a GREAT time, but won't go back until Scarlett is 42" tall. Poor kid couldn't go on any rides. She's a thrill seeker, so she was pretty bummed. So were we. We also decided that the waterpark is best before noon, so next time we'll probably stay 2 nights to avoid super long lines on the rides (we waited ONE HOUR for one that wasn't really that great). Oh, and we were having SO much fun, we didn't take a single picture inside the water park. Oh well.
The kids had fun at the waterpark, but almost as much fun on this little bridge to the parking lot feeding the ducks. HA!
Scarlett chillin' out in our hotel room bed the minute we walked in the door. Silly girl.

Girly Girl - August 2011

2011-09-05T09:40:00.002-04:00

I have one daughter who's borderline tomboy and hates when I try to do her hair (mostly requesting a "quick ponytail") and another who LOVES beautiful hair with braids and bows and curls when we have time. I had to snap a few pictures of this little creation. Scarlett sat very still and patient and we both loved the end result. SO cute!

Monkeying around - August 12, 2011

2011-09-05T09:35:00.002-04:00

Today I peeked out our doorwall from the kitchen and noticed Sofia sitting, just perched on top of our shed. Apparently she's outgrown our little swingset. Notice the trampoline just below?? I had to tell her not to jump onto it. She was a little deflated.

Training Wheels?? WHAT training wheels? - July 22, 2011

2011-09-05T09:31:00.002-04:00

Today Tadj decided it was a good idea to take the training wheels off of Grayson's new Buzz Lightyear bike. He may have been a little nervous, but Tadj said he just took off. He only needed a little bit of instruction, a good helmet, and a nudge. He was a pro within a couple minutes! SO proud of our little guy. Watch out world!

Clark Park with the Aminis - June 27,2011

2011-09-04T23:13:00.003-04:00

Angie is the head of children's ministry at their Messiah Church and that means she invites us to all their cool kid stuff! Their Vacation Bible School had an event at Clark Park in Detroit. There were games, inflatables, face painting, prizes, and ice cream. We took Amandine with us too! SO fun!

David checking out his stuff.

Drive in Movie! - June 25, 2011

2011-09-04T23:02:00.003-04:00

We've been waiting for the perfect time to check out a drive in movie with kids. Ya know... not too hot, not too cold, preferably low on the mosquito factor, GOOD kid movie showing. We saw the original Cars movie years ago at the drive in when Grayson was a baby and Sofia was 2 1/2. It wasn't all that much fun. The kids were too little. We waited 5 years to go again and this time we saw Cars 2!! FUNNY! It was a late night, so the kids all took naps before we left. We arrived early, so the kids had time to play in the little park while I stocked up on popcorn at the concession stand. Grayson had a hard time sitting still and Scarlett fell asleep. Tadj, Sofia, and I just didn't really like the movie. We'll definitely do it again though.... hopefully by the end of the summer. We had fun!
We stopped and picked up glow necklaces for the occasion so we could spot the kids easier in the dark.
We LOVE the tailgate feature of our Town & Country. PERFECT for snuggling and being comfy for the movie.

The Turning Pointe Presents: Lets Go Out To The Movies - June 16-18, 2011

2011-09-04T22:22:00.006-04:00

The girls participated in The Turning Pointe's annual recital. This year the theme was "Let's Go Out To The Movies". Sofia was in a tap number to "Do-Re-Mi' from The Sound Of Music and a jazz number that was a medley of The Jungle Book & The Lion King. Scarlett did a ballet number to "Thank Heaven for Little Girl's" from Gigli. They were both in the Friday night show and mom was backstage in all the chaos volunteering as a room mom. NOT a fun place to be for the 4 (!!!) hour Friday night show, but we got lots of good pictures. Shauna Rhodenizer was also there volunteering, so that helped. The top picture, Sofia is wearing her tap costume. Scarlett wasn't technically in my group of little girls to watch, but she hung out with us anyway.

The leopard print costume was for the jazz number. A little bit too sexy in mom's opinion, but still cute. This group of girls were getting ready to go on! They did a great job.
Sofia and Elise Rhodenizer were in the same tap class. These tap costumes were just darling.
The Do-Re-Mi girls getting ready to go on. During the Friday night show, the music guys were still working out the kinks and messed up the girls' music. They were a bit confused, but danced beautifully. SUCH troopers. After a couple numbers (and a few tears from some of the girls), they got to go back on stage and dance again to the right music. In the background of this bottom picture is Ms. Amber, their teacher. She also takes classes at the school and danced beautifully in some numbers. SO talented.
Scarlett with her little class lining up to go onstage at the dress rehearsal.

In all the backstage chaos, we even found an old friend, Olivia Guzman. She and Sofia went to kindergarten together, but Olivia changed schools starting first grade. It was fun to find her still dancing with The Turning Pointe. She was in a jazz number to "It's a Small World".

After their dances were done, the girls changed into denim shorts and their recital tee shirts to get ready for the finale.

Summer Kickoff at Warren Waterpark - June 14, 2011

2011-09-04T22:13:00.004-04:00

I took a day off for the last day of school carnival at Koepsel and then took all 3 kids to the Waterpark at the Warren Community Center. We all had a great time. It wasn't even crowded. I think some schools were still not out yet so we had the place pretty much to ourselves. nice.

Last day of 1st Grade - June 14, 2011

2011-09-04T22:04:00.002-04:00

Sofia had her final day of classes today. Really it was just a big carnival at the school. No learning at all happened. I worked the tatoo table so I didn't get a chance to take too many pictures until the end. I had to snap some cute pictures of Sofia and Mr. Rossi - AKA Best 1st grade teacher... EVER. Sofia had an awesome year and is hoping for Mr. Rossi again in 2nd grade.

Sofia and a few of her friends from class: Elise, Mackenzie, Zoe, Gracie, and Gabby

Sofia and Zoe - friendship going strong since Preschool!

Preschool Graduation - June 6, 2011

2011-09-04T18:05:00.002-04:00

Grayson had 2 awesome years with his teacher, Mrs. Francis. We really loved this preschool and Mrs. Francis was just a wonderful teacher. Graduation day was H-O-T... like 90+ degrees hot. We dressed poor Grayson in his best suit. He was by far the best looking guy there... but probably also the most uncomfortable. The gym was not air conditioned, didn't have enough chairs, and we were seated behind some crazy trashy woman who almost brawled with Shauna.

Grayson sang all the songs we never knew he knew (cause he won't sing them for us), sat still the whole time, and was just thrilled to be on stage.
He did, however end up breaking his graduation cap before the ceremony was over. Oh well, he still looked cute.
Grayson posing with Thomas (and crazy woman to his Left). These two can't wait to be in Kindergarten together next Fall!

Tricia and Nick's Wedding Reception - June 3, 2011

2011-09-04T17:34:00.002-04:00

Tricia was our most trusted nanny for 2 1/2 years. She loved our kids and they loved her. She is the only babysitter that Scarlett has a memory of at this point (except maybe Emilie?). Tricia and her Fiancee, Nick Kohler were married in the Detroit Temple yesterday for time and all eternity. We're so proud of their decision to be married there and couldn't be happier for their new life together. Although she is no longer working for us, she will always be a part of our family.

Sofia

Grayson

Scarlett

Scarlett with mom

Scarlett keeping the bride from her dinner.

Scarlett with Julia - Tricia's younger sister and our NEW nanny. We love her already.

In lieu of a traditional wedding cake, Nick and Tricia opted for a cheesecake. YUMMY!
Nick's parent's gifted the bride and groom with this butterfly box. It was SO cool! They lifted of layers of tissue paper in this box and dozens of butterflies were released. They didn't go far though. The kids played with them for the rest of the evening. Except Sofia, of course, who was freaked out by it.

Frankenmuth Girls Weekend - May 20-21, 2011

2011-09-04T17:16:00.003-04:00

Angie and I plan a trip to Frankenmuth/ Birch Run at least once a year to get away from life, work, children, husbands, etc., and shop till we drop. In years past we've gone with up to 8 ladies, but for the last few it's only been 3-4. This time, Angie's sister, Jessie came. She's getting married in a few months and needed a break too. We look forward to this getaway for months!
We ran into horrible traffic through Flint and decided to just get off the freeway for a late dinner at Applebees. Our drinks came with straws that seemed WAY too tall for the glasses they were served in. Angie pulled out a knife and cut her's down a few inches. GOOFY lady!

Sweet sisters, Angie and Jessie

We couldn't get appointments at the spa for our pedicures, so we attempted them in the hotel room. Angie got a little crazy with her file and BROKE it... right in half.
Jessie gave the best massages. Here is Angie getting her hand massage. I got a neck and shoulder massage in the car.
Shopping in Frankenmuth... we tried on silly hats, and tried out crazy flavored popcorn (dill pickle anyone???)

Mother's Day and a New Camera - May 15, 2011

2011-09-04T17:07:00.003-04:00

I had a great Mother's day today! Each of the kids had little hand made gifts for me, Tadj made a yummy breakfast, and I got a NEW CAMERA! We really needed one badly. It is nothing special, but hopefully it will serve my purposes. Here are a few test shots on the camera. I've got some practicing to do.

Total Eclipse of the Sun? - May 2, 2011

2011-09-03T23:06:00.002-04:00

We've been watching a weird weed grow in our front lawn all Spring. Tadj hadn't mowed yet, so we really were just watching it. I could have sworn it was a weed. Tadj swore it was a flower. I didn't plant anything. Neither did he. Rachel suggested it appeared like the mystery plant in "Little Shop of Horrors". I didn't recall a "total eclipse of the sun". Today the blossom part turned pink and there was no denying it. We had a tulip. I glanced at my neighbors front yard, and she had a whole bed of them. Some little critter must have decided to dig one of hers up last Fall and put it in our yard to beautify it. HA! Tadj tried to transplant it, but we know NOTHING about gardening and it died of shock... literally. Oh well.

Congratulations Grandpa George - April 30, 2011

2011-09-03T23:03:00.003-04:00

Tonight was the annual Pine Knob Ski Patrol banquet. We go every year. I'm bored out of my gourd every year. THIS year though, George got his 45 year service award! We are so proud of him.

Missing Teeth - April 26, 2011

2011-09-03T22:58:00.002-04:00

Grayson barely turned 5, and he lost his two bottom teeth. Tadj was driving Sofia to piano lessons and Grayson took an apple for the road. The second he bit into it, his bottom teeth popped out. He was pretty upset at first. He insisted that he only lost one tooth and that it broke into two pieces. It took a lot of convincing to get him to realize that he lost two. (He only saw one hole in his smile). TOO FUNNY!

Grayson turns 5!! - April 22, 2011

2011-09-03T22:47:00.005-04:00

Our little man turned 5! It never stops getting easier. He just keeps growing up so fast. Grayson still (yes, 4 birthdays running) loves his Thomas Trains and picked up another at Toys R' Us with money from Aunt Dana. This time it was Hiro. He enjoys his preschool, where his best buddies are Johnny and Anthony. His best friends also include Thomas & Zach, and David & Andrew. His favorite dinner is dad's sweet and sour sausage over rice. He snacks ALL DAY LONG (I guess he's growing)... especially loving dried fruit of any variety. Grayson enjoys his Little Ninja's class, and watching movies while snuggling with Mom. His favorite color is green. He is 47 inches tall.
Buzz lightyear bike! Grayson had his eye on this one for Christmas. Mom and Dad waited for it to be on clearance after the holiday and then hid it away for nearly 4 months ;) .

It was a rainy, dreary day unfortunately. Dad thought it would be ok to let the kids ride bikes around the church gym until it stopped raining.

Salt Lake City, UT with the Hales!! - April 2-7, 2011

2011-09-03T22:25:00.004-04:00

Our final stop was in Utah to visit with the Hales. The kids, once again, enjoyed visiting with cousins. Sofia and Tadj went with Heather, Madeleine, and Morgan to ski solitude. It was another rough skiing day with poor snow conditions, but they had fun anyway.

We spent time on temple square and seeing church history stuff. Grayson was not at all pleased with the Joseph Smith movie. The girls liked it though.

Tadj and I went to the afternoon session of General Conference on Sunday. It was very nice and we had pretty good seats... until it began and the camera poles raised up.

The kids spent a lot of time in the family room playing video games. Rock band was a hit.
We also got to visit with some of mom's family too. We had dinner at Uncle Dave and Aunt mary's house with Jessica and the Caldiero's, Josh, Jordan, and even Mattson came with Marley (Alie was home with sick twins and Ky). Our camera had stopped working by this leg of our trip and so we relied on camera phones as much as we could. After a while we stopped taking pictures altogether. We were just enjoying the moments rather than documenting them. It happens.

Sun Valley Skiing - April 1, 2011

2011-09-03T22:18:00.002-04:00

From Boise, we moved on to Ketchum and met up with our friends the Mayes. Tia and Quinn were the only ones that were able to meet us in Sun Valley, but we were SO happy they did. We stayed in their awesome "fun house" and spent a day skiing. Sofia and I skied Dollar Mt. and Tadj skied Baldy. It was a warm day, so snow conditions were bad and Sofia and I fell a lot. Tadj bought some wax to try and get through the "glue", but it didn't really help. We'll definitely have to try again in more winter- like conditions. Tia stayed back at the house with all the little kids, but met up with us later in the day. On our way to Utah, we stopped at their house in Twin Falls and got to catch up with Russ, Zack, and Jake too (Espen wasn't around). We're so grateful for their friendship and hospitality.

Boise with the Price Family - March 27-31, 2011

2011-09-03T21:07:00.009-04:00

We arrived in Idaho on Sunday night after a LONG day of driving through mountains and very windy roads and after discovering Scarlett gets motion sickness. We couldn't wait to get our hands on this little guy! Luke is just the sweetest baby and we snuggled him all week long.
Even Sofia and Grayson, who usually don't have much interest in babies at all, loved to wrap Luke up and hold him.

All the cousins got to have a movie night sleepover and eat popcorn. There weren't TOO many fights.
Rachel (with Luke), Justin, Tadj, and I found some neighbor kids to babysit and spent an evening in Boise. We ate at P.F. Changs where we got to meet Scott Glenn. He was very gracious and talked about skiing in Ketchum. yep. We were starstruck. Afterwards, we did some shopping and came home to watch "Vertical Limit".

We all took the kids to spend an afternoon at Pojo's - a place similar to Chuck E. Cheese. The won lots a little toys and candy, played tons of games, rode the carousel, and ate pizza.

Our Detroit Science Center pass was reciprocal at this Discovery Center, so we thought we'd try it out. It was small, but we found lots of fun things to do, like....

make enormous bubbles...

lie on a bed of nails...

make handprints...

and watch a robot spell our names in blocks.

Another afternoon was spent at this bounce house type place. It was SUPER busy and we had to actually wait 20 minutes for people to clear out before we were allowed in. CRAZY! The kids had fun anyway.
Scarlett and Taylee, and Sofia and Brooklyn got along very well the entire week.

On our last day with the Prices, Just took us out on the go cart and dirt bike. We packed picnic lunches, played in the dirt,rode the toys, and learned there was no potty! We loved watching the daring dirt bikers climb WAY up the dunes. It looked to scary to try. Here is Scarlett with Uncle Justin.

Mom took out Brooklyn.

Tadj and Grayson

Me and my Sistah!! LOVE HER!!

Grandma Hardie always told Sofia that if her cousin Brooklyn lived closer, that they would be BEST friends. We learned that she was probably right. These two were thick as thieves all week long. Brooklyn cried as we were leaving. The girls promised to be pen pals. We can't wait until our next visit!

Cheyenne, Wyoming - March 26, 2011

2011-09-03T21:02:00.002-04:00

Our first leg of our trip to Idaho/Utah landed us in Cheyenne, WY. We left Friday at 7pm, drove all night, and stopped (much quicker than expected) here at 1pm local time. We swam, showered, and watched t.v. before going to sleep around 6pm for the kids and 8pm for mom and dad (the time change threw us a bit... plus no one slept really well in the car). The hotel was VERY accomodating in letting us check in early and we were quite comfortable.

Hungry Hungry Hippos - March 13, 2011

2011-09-03T20:57:00.004-04:00

Sunday night at Grandma Hardie's house usually means ice cream and a game. Tonight was Hungry Hungry Hippos. Grayson won EVERY time. Scarlett was just happy if she got ONE marble.

The 3 Nanny Goats Gruff - March 18, 2011

2011-09-03T20:49:00.002-04:00

Sofia's class put on a production of "The 3 Nanny Goats Gruff" and she was cast as a brown rabbit, complete with paper plate face/ears and cotton ball tail. HA! She had fun, but complained that she thought the story was kind of boring.

PKSA Belt Promotion - March 16, 2011

2011-09-03T20:29:00.004-04:00

Grayson, along with David and Andrew Amini, tested for his "Advanced Ninja Belt" (still a white belt, just has a purple stripe). Dad made sure to make Gray nap on his big testing day, and it made all the difference. He was focused, balanced, and able to remember all of his commands. GREAT job Grayson!

Here they all are, getting their new belts on promotion night.

... along with certificates

Here's the rest of the school on promotion night. They all did a great job and PKSA put on a pretty good show!

PKSA Movie Night - February 5, 2011

2011-09-03T20:20:00.002-04:00

PKSA had their annual movie night. This year it was "Despicable Me"! We hadn't seen it yet, so were pretty excited. The kids snuggled down with sleeping bags and pillows, ate popcorn, and enjoyed the show. Scarlett was SUCH a sweetie... little Zoe from Grayson's ninja class didn't have her blankets or pillow, so Scarlett happily unzipped her bag and shared.

Detroit Science Center - February 5, 2011

2011-09-03T20:10:00.003-04:00

Sofia went skiing with Dad, so Mom decided it was a good day to take Scarlett and Grayson to the Detroit Science Center. They always LOVE to hang out in "Kid Town". Scarlett and Grayson both made cute valentines.

Grayson pretended to be a fireman

Both spent time working on computer learning games (as if we couldn't do this at home!!)

We built water ways out of PVC pipe and squirted each other with the frog.

Grayson enjoyed making the little balls float on the air machine.

Snow Day... PLEASE! February 1, 2011

2011-09-03T20:01:00.003-04:00

Apparently if you sleep with your pajamas on inside out and backwards... and then put a spoon under your pillow, you will receive a snow day! We tried it, and it worked!!

Pine Knob skiing

2011-01-30T22:48:00.003-05:00

Tadj and I took the kids skiing yesterday. This was actually Sofia's second trip out (the top pic was from that first outing). We had a BLAST! Sofia disappeared on us and we found her riding up the chairlift ON HER OWN! I was a bit nervous, but she did just fine. It's so great to have an independent skier... finally. Grayson worked with Tadj on some better technique and independence and is coming along. Scarlett hung out with me. She just needed help off the wonder carpet and several hands to stand back up. I was surprised at how well she could keep her balance and even try to make some turns... and how HAPPY she was when she'd fall. Just an AWESOME day.

Mom and Scarlett hanging out.

Grayson looked like this... a lot.

Sweet sisters

Barbie Sundays

2011-01-23T15:54:00.003-05:00

When I was a kid, I spent MANY a Sunday afternoon playing Barbies with my sister, Rachel. We had a very large cardboard box filled with Barbies, barbie cars, clothes, furniture, babies, etc. that we would haul out from the basement storage and spread all over the living room or our bedroom for literally, HOURS of playtime. We were reminiscing about these Sundays a couple months ago when my sister was visiting and her little girls, along with my little girls hauled out the old Barbie stuff (including the 1970's style dream house that we hardly used) that my mother never got rid of, and played the evening away.

Today, when we came home from church, Scarlett pulled out Barbies and Ponies and the girls played. Sofia has never had an interest in Barbies or Babies, or the like, but she wanted to learn how to braid their hair. She did that, and Scarlett played the Barbies. I'm sure my sister and I looked like that. I just had to get a picture. Thankfully, we have little sacks to store our Barbies in. We have NOT progressed to the cardboard box stage... thank goodness. Clean up was a breeze. That was always the worst part.

Trip to Oakland Mall

2011-01-22T16:05:00.002-05:00

It's pretty rare that I take the kids to Oakland Mall. I think the last time we went was probably 2 years ago. We went today because Sofia had a gift card for Borders that we wanted to use and I think this was the closest one (we have Barnes and Noble closer). The older kids remembered it, but it was all brand new for Scarlett. The also marks the very first time in the last 7 years that I've walked into a mall without a stroller!! Since working, I don't get to go on these outings as much... and in the last year, my two youngest have outgrown the old double stroller that served us so well for so long. SO nice to have older kids. No one even wandered away!! Everyone could walk and even keep pretty good pace with me.
Of course, Sofia felt the need to jump off this croc. She jumps off EVERYTHING... such a monkey. I wish I would have snapped a picture, but a little while later, Sofia got bored with the play area and pulled out her new books from Borders, plopped herself on top of that crocodile snout, and read for a while. Too cute!!

Cutie Scarlie in the canoe

Winter Trip to the Detroit Zoo - January 15, 2010

2011-01-16T16:27:00.003-05:00

We were trying to go to the Detroit Science Center... and realized they were closed for a private event. SOOOO, we decided to try the zoo in the Winter time. It was COLD and SNOWY but SUPER AWESOME (though next time the kids will wear snow bibs). The Aminis came with us. Our first stop was the reptile house. Doesn't that snake look like it wants to eat Scarlett?? We loved this stop for a couple reasons: #1, we were 2 of maybe 10 families that braved the zoo this day and the volunteers were anxious to point things out and teach; #2 the animals were not trying to hide from a zillion people. They were all awake and active! Usually we peek in the windows of the reptile house and it's like "Where's Waldo" trying to find a creature. NOT THIS TIME!! The Crocodiles were swimming, snake slithering, turtles swimming... so cool.

From the reptile house, we went to the polar bear exhibit. What a treat!! The male bear, Lee, was splashing around a playing in the water quite a bit, and the arctic foxes were scampering around too.

Before we headed back and through the Penguinarium to the exit, we were told we had to see the giraffe exhibit. We were tired from the lack of train transportation, but went anyway... we were glad we did. Usually you have to pay $5 to see this exhibit up close, but in the Winter, the giraffes are only indoors and they just let everyone in to see. The kids could have stayed here forever.

Of course, a trip with the Aminis is not complete without a trip to McDonalds.. and those kids sure worked up an appetite with all their walking.

Troy Historical Museum Field Trip

2011-01-16T16:08:00.004-05:00

Mom got to chaperone Mr. Rossi's class to the Troy Historical Museum field trip, which was actually on Sofia's birthday. FUN!! We'd never been there before and didn't know what to expect. There are a bunch of little buildings you can walk around a visit. The first one we went to was a toy demonstration in the general store. The volunteer that did the presentation did such a good job. The kids were so excited to play with these old time toys. It made me regret the $ we spent on Christmas. SHEESH! - Pull ropes to raise the teddy bear up and get the ball in the cup. SO simple.

I had 4 first grade girls in my group - not sure where number 4 is here... she liked to wander. It was COLD and very snowy.
The next demonstration was in the main building. The kids learned about different types on candles and then got to dip their own to take home. We thought this would be our favorite (though hard to top the toys), but the lady doing this presentation must not have much experience with kids because she was NOT AT ALL entertaining... and in fact a little rude and mean. Oh well, we tried to make it fun.

After the candles, we went to the school house for lunch, and then got to go back outside to wait for the bell to ring.
Perfect students, sitting at their desks. The teacher made them read in their readers, pull out slates to practice their writing, and worked on arithmetic (the 3 R's). They had to raise their hands and when called upon stand up next to their desks and say "permission to speak?" and wait for the teacher to say "permission granted". They loved it!

After slouching in line waiting for the bell to ring, this one was punished with books on her arms and head to practice her posture. (This was my #4 in my group... she's too cute)
Gum chewers had to put their gum inside a circle on the chalkboard and then put their noses in the gum. (they were just pretending... no gum was there)
This little girl made a "not smart" decision and had to wear the DUNCE cap and sit in the corner for the rest of the day. She thought it was GREAT!!

Sofia's 7th Birthday!

2011-01-16T15:29:00.003-05:00

Sofia turned 7 years old on January 12th. I don't think we will ever get used to our children growing up. She went from a teeny baby at 6lbs 11oz to the super tall (but still skinny) 7 year old she is today in the blink of an eye. She is SUCH a pleasure to have in our home. Sofia is always helpful and eager to please. She appreciated pretty things and loves to share with and teach her little brother and sister. She is just the best big sister. She still loves animals the most, but has really enjoyed crafty projects lately too. From Mom and Dad, she got a Webkinz set complete with a Lemur, Pony, little dog, and even some little cloths and a Phineas and Ferb DS game.

She was still eating her breakfast when we finally agreed to let her open her presents. Clearly we chose well. She was just thrilled.

After dance classes, we met Grandma Hardie, Afton, Grandma Gay, and Grandpa George at Red Robin for Sofia's birthday kids' meal. Lucky us got a magic show from a roaming magician. He was more corny than magical, but it was fairly entertaining.

On Saturday the 15th, we had the family over (including, of course, the Aminis) for a pizza party celebration. All the grandparents came, along with the Uncle Chris, Aunt Rachel, Thierry, Amandine, Uncle Gus, Aunt Jess, Tricia, and Nik.

Sofia, happy to be surrounded by her favorite people.

Costo has limited our cake choices :( .... either chocolate/chocolate/chocolate, or white/cream cheese/vanilla. The chocolate was way too rich at Scarlett's b/day so we opted for the latter. Sofia didn't like it though... I think we may have to be done with Costco.

Sofia let Scarlett and Grayson help her with her presents... did I mention she's a really good big sister... Scarlett was just a little grumpy here.

Hotel for Dogs DS game from the Aminis.

Puppy in my pocket set from Uncle Chris, Aunt Rachel, Amandine, and Thierry. She also got a Fuzzoodles kit and mosaic art kit from Uncle Gus and Aunt Jess, and another Artsy sewing kit from Grandma and Grandpa Hardie. Tricia and Nick got her a Borders Books gift card, Grandma Gay and Grandpa George bought her a new outfit which she got at Red Robin a few nights early, but also brought new dresses for the girls and a cool biker jacket for Grayson on the night of the party.

A Very Hemini (or Aminiway?) Christmas

2011-01-10T21:56:00.002-05:00

When we were on vacation with the Aminis, we renamed ourselves the Heminis... one great big, huge family group wherever we went. We just love this family so much! For our Christmas celebration, we were invited to the Aminis where we all exchanged presents, ate pizza, dessert bars, and watched The Santa Claus. The kids had a blast... and so did the grown ups!! Thank goodness Angie remembered to snap a picture. Of course, my kids all had pizza all over their faces. HAHAHA!!

Our 11th Anniversary - December 30, 2010

2011-01-09T21:43:00.003-05:00

Tadj and I celebrated 11 years of Marriage on December 30th. We spent the weekend away!! The 31st was spent in Birch Run/ Frankenmuth after we dropped this kiddos off at Grandma Gay and Grandpa George's house. We watched cases of beer being hauled into our hotel, so decided to take sleeping pills and were KNOCKED OUT by 10:30pm. No midnight celebration for us! HA! We really needed sleep though. The kids had been all puking days beforehand and we were definitely sleep deprived. Jan. 1st we did some shopping in Birch Run, saw a movie ("True Grit"), and then headed over to our favorite B&B in Chesaning: The Stone House. It was just what we needed. The pictures are of our comfy bed and jacuzzi tub. It was SO quiet. We were the only couple in the house. The next morning, the owner/chef - Bob, made us a breakfast of huge apple pancakes with ice cream on top, fresh fruit (strawberries, pineapple, and kiwi), and beef sausage. YUM! The BEST breakfast ever! We headed to Great Lakes Crossing Mall for a bit more shopping and then home for another long nap before picking up our kids from Grandma Hardie's house. We missed them just a bit and were so glad they weren't sick for their Grandparents!!

Christmas with the Hardies

2011-01-09T21:29:00.003-05:00

The day after Christmas was spent at Grandma and Grandpa Hardie's house. The kids got spoiled... AGAIN. Scarlie got a couple more barbies with a carry bag. Grayson got a Thomas Lego set. Sofia got a Lalaloopsy doll. We had great fun and the kids loved hanging out with their cousins, Amandine and Thierry.

Christmas with the Hemingways and Mercados

2011-01-09T21:20:00.004-05:00

On Christmas day, in the afternoon, we went to Grandma Gay and Grandpa George's house to celebrate with the Hemingways and the Mercados. I'm pretty sure we have THE MOST spoiled kids on the planet. Uncle Gus and Aunt Jess spoiled ALL of us. Tadj and I even got a speaker/player for our iphones. WOOHOO! The girls LOVE to snuggle up with Grandma Gay.

The Hemingway men: Grayson, Grandpa George, Tadj, and Gus

I think Grayson was excited.

Scarlett got this super-cute tu-tu and headband from Uncle Gus and Aunt Jess. SO fun. She wore it to her ballet class too.

Grandpa George attempting to read to Grayson... good luck.

Sofia showing off her DSi to Seth and Allie. The kids LOVE hanging out with their older cousins, and they're so good to oblige them.

Christmas Morning - 2010

2011-01-09T21:12:00.002-05:00

We had SUCH a fun Christmas. Santa brought the family a Wii with a couple of games and a storage ottoman. Sofia got a Nintendo DSiXL with a couple games, an art kit, and telescoping Crayon Tower. Grayson got a Leapster L-Max with a couple games, a train repair shop with Edward and another train (can't remember his name), and a scooter. Scarlett got a Leapster with a couple games, a baby doll set, and 3 Disney Princess dolls: Ariel, Snow White, and Belle. Dad got a YuDu silk screening kit and Mom got her standard - a massage at Edwin Paul Spa.

Scarlie and her baby

Grayson with his train repair shop and riding his scooter around our tiny kitchen... can't WAIT for Spring to arrive now.

What a MESS!!

Christmas Eve - 2010

2011-01-09T21:04:00.003-05:00

The kiddos always get to open ONE present on Christmas eve... it's ALWAYS PJ's.

Grayson was SO thrilled with his Lightning McQueen footy pajamas! He told mom "You're the BEST mom ever... THANK YOU!!" This was pretty impressive considering they were only Pj's. I couldn't WAIT until he opened up the cool toys on Christmas day!

Grayson HAD to put his jammies on right away... over his clothes!! HAHA!!

Sofia did the same.

Early in the day, the kids and Mom made a gingerbread house. It was hard keeping the kids from eating the candy. It turned out pretty well.

Scarlett had to take a nap before we got to finish the house... she wanted her picture with it when she finally woke up.

Trains at Toledo Zoo - December 21, 2010

2011-01-09T20:59:00.001-05:00

Uncle Gus and Aunt Jess found coupons to go to the Toledo Zoo for "The Lights Before Christmas". It was too dark to take pictures with the camera phone outside, but Grayson LOVED this train display inside one of the building.

Scarlett's first day of Ballet - December 1, 2010

2011-01-09T20:56:00.003-05:00

We told Scarlett that as soon as she was potty trained, she could begin her ballet career. She worked hard and did it in less than a week! She absolutely loves Miss Anne and looks forward to Wednesdays each week!!

Festival of Trees - November 27, 2010

2011-01-09T20:43:00.003-05:00

While Rachel, Justin, and the kids were in town, Grandma Hardie thought it would be fun to drive down to Dearborn/Livonia for the Festival of lights and to see the lights on Hines Drive. It WAS fun. The trees were pretty cool and the best part of all was the train displayS... Grayson could have hung out all day. They even got to sit on Santa's lap. When Santa asked them what they wanted, Scarlett said she wanted a Wii. Santa told her she was too little for a Wii... WORST santa ever!! HE then said if they could spell Wii, he would consider. Sofia promptly stated " W - i- i !! No foolin' her!!

Brother and Sister Bowen came too and brought Sister Bowen's mom with them. SO FUN!

The cousins watching the trains - Treygan, Scarlett, Sofia, Brookly, Grayson, and Taylee.

Scarlett turned 3 - November 8, 2010

2011-01-09T20:34:00.003-05:00

BABIES!!

Our baby is NOT a baby anymore. Little missy turned 3 this year. She and daddy went to Costco and picked out a cute little clown cake to celebrate. Scarlett requested tacos for dinner and we had Grandma and Grandpa Hardie, Grandma Gay and Grandpa George, Afton, and the Aminis all over to celebrate. Scarlett got 4 baby dolls... much to her utter delight.

big 3 year old

Scarlie and Bella

Halloween 2010

2011-01-09T20:26:00.003-05:00

This year for Halloween we had Hannah Montana, A Cowboy (yes, again), and a cute little bunny rabbit. It was COLD, but Tadj built a fire so we could keep warm to pass out candy. Grandma Gay and Grandpa George came over to help. Mom couldn't take the kids around the neighborhood this year because she had a really ouchy back injury.

Blakes Farms with Avalon Preschool October 13, 2010

2011-01-09T20:15:00.004-05:00

Mom, Scarlett, and Grayson went to the annual Avalon preschool trip. They had a blast picking out pumpkins, picking apples, playing in the corn maze, climbing the straw mountain, and running around the playground. Not to mention the cider and donuts. Here is Gray man with a couple classmates. Scout, Devin, Johnny, Giada, and Nicholas.

Gray and his best buddy, Johnny

These saddle swings were cut from old tires. WAY cute and so fun.

When we arrived back home, I peaked behind to the backseat and found this. Think they had fun or something?

September 10, 2010 - Trampoline Tricks!

2011-01-09T20:04:00.002-05:00

Scarlett jumping around

Little miss flipper

Grayson getting the heck out of dodge

Ok, so maybe we shouldn't really be promoting this behavior. Perhaps a more responsible parent would have stopped these stunts rather than grab the camera or join in on the antics. I suppose that's not me. We recorded it... and still let them do it. We're just hoping no one lands in the ER.

First day of school! September 7 (and 8), 2010

2011-01-09T19:55:00.004-05:00

Sofia Started 1st grade on Tuesday the 7th. Since Grayson's preschool in Mon/Wed/Fri, he started on the 8th. Sofia is in a 1/2 multiage class. Her teach is Mr.Rossi and we just think he's great! Grayson has Mrs. Francis again this year and he and his buddy, Johnny are like peas and carrots again... didn't miss a beat since the end of last year.

Vacation with The Aminis - Around Petoskey - Harbor Springs, August 2010

2011-01-09T16:48:00.004-05:00

On our last day of Vacation we found a cute beachside park in Petoskey. It was so pretty and sunny next to the water. We decided to have our pictures taken on the pretty blue background.

Scarlett swinging

Our friends, the Aminis... some of the coolest people we know. We never think about doing anything fun and NOT inviting the Aminis. They make everything 10x more fun.

Scarlett getting some good time in with Ms. Angie

Tadj trying out the climbing pole

Mom and the girls

Vacation with The Aminis - Fort Mackinac - Harbor Springs, August 2010

2011-01-09T16:37:00.005-05:00

We bought admission into Fort Mackinac while we were on the Island. It was quite fun... and educational. Here us Tadj at a lookout and Sofia tugging on the cannon.

Scarlett and Grayson trying on some dress-ups. We have a picture of Sofia in this same dress up from our trip in 2005. Funny!

The kids liked the lawn demonstration in the main area, but Scarlett was very scared and even cried when the musket fired. Sofia though it was cool.

All the kids posing with our War of 1812 Soldier.

Vacation with The Aminis - Mackinac Ferry - Harbor Springs, August 2010

2011-01-09T16:30:00.005-05:00

It was less than an hour drive from harbor Springs over to Mackinac, so we decided to take a day and spend it on the Island.Here we are waiting for the Ferry to take us to Mackinac Island. It was a rather chilly morning. Good thing we packed jackets. Even little Bella was still warmest in her PJ's.

Mom on the Ferry with the kids. SHOULD have gone down below. That wind was COLD!

Sofia and her little buddy, Bella.

Vacation with The Aminis - Around The House - Harbor Springs, August 2010

2011-01-09T16:17:00.004-05:00

The Talented Mr. Joe did some beautiful carpentry work around the house we stayed at back in the Spring. Instead of paying him outright, the client offered him a week in the rental for free. Because the house was so big and because they love us so much, they invited us to go too. The house was actually in a country club/ golf resort that had a pool just a short drive away. We cooked many meals together - BBQ, spaghetti, salads, sandwiches, and lots of bacon -, swam, watched movies, built campfires, and played the entire week. The house had 2 floors. the Aminis stayed in the upper/main floor and used the 2 bedroom there. We stayed in the lower level that also had two bedrooms and the laundry room, plus another living area that never got used since we all hung out upstairs.
Light sabers and swords were the toy of the week... of course... there were 3 little boys around. Joe took his beating well out on the deck.

David looking quite scary

Cutie Bella and Cutie Scarlett making silly faces. Bella LOVED pushing these bright chairs around on the deck like her own personal little walkers. Too cute!

The Amini's little Traverse was packed so tightly with stuff, I'm surprised they had room to breathe.

Vacation with The Aminis - Beach Fun- Harbor Springs, August 2010

2011-01-09T16:03:00.005-05:00

The first beach we went to in Harbor Springs was more of a nature center. The nature guide/ ranger- type looked at us funny as we walked down the LONG trail to the water with our beach gear and sand toys in tow. We found out why when we got there an there was no "beach". Only rocks. We braved it for a while, but it was pretty hard on the feet.

Later in the week we went to a beach in the harbor. It was still not for than 70 degrees, but the kids really wanted to play in the sand. They did a good job burying Joe (with Angie's help).
Sofia's swimming skills really took off here. She didn't use a floatie at all and was SO close to making it out to the raft to do some dives... but it WAS a bit too far away and they wouldn't allow floats.

Scarlett and Bella chose a spot in the sand right near the water.

Vacation with The Aminis - McDonalds - Harbor Springs, August 2010

2011-01-09T16:00:00.001-05:00

We couldn't possibly spend the entire week with the Aminis and NOT find a McDonalds. This was a fun one in Petoskey. Too bad it was a good 25 minutes from our rental.

Slide Smash - Andrew, Sofia, Scarlett, Grayson, and David

Vacation with The Aminis - Around The Town - Harbor Springs, August 2010

2011-01-09T15:52:00.004-05:00

So Harbor Springs turned out to be... just that... a harbor. Not exactly unending sunshine and beaches, but the kids loved watching the boats.

funny water fountain in the town.

On the docks

Vacation with The Aminis - Campfire - Harbor Springs, August 2010

2011-01-09T15:30:00.005-05:00

During our Stay in Harbor Springs, we had the opportunity to build some campfires next to our rental home. Obviously we had great fun with S'mores. We even had security come since the lady next door complained. Sheesh! We weren't in trouble. She was just cranky.

We loved these adirondack chairs so much, we even bought them there and came home with them.

Joe and Tadj trying to look like manly fire builders.

Sofia, Grayson, David, Scarlett, and Andrew.

Satellite Radio

2010-08-16T22:32:00.002-04:00

Ok. So we've had our Stratus for nearly 2 years. About 2 weeks ago, Tadj hit a button by accident on our radio and discovered we have satellite radio (I still don't know if it's XM or SIRIUS). GO figure. I'm not sure if we've been paying for it this whole time with our monthly car payment or if we're just getting it by accident. Either way... I'm LOVING it. I've discovered that my favorite channel is Broadway Showtunes. I'm just loving singing these classics in the car between patients. SOOOOO, since I'm in SUCH a broadway mood lately, I've got a new playlist for everyone to enjoy (or hate... depending on your preference) and would LOVE to add more. Unfortunately I couldn't find all the songs I wanted on playlist.com, but I got a really good start. Any suggestions??? Send 'em my way so I can add them too!!

Them Crazy Swedes!

2010-07-18T22:09:00.003-04:00

On Saturday the 17th, Farmington, MI had their annual founders parade. Grandpa George's Swedish club entered their big Viking helmet float and Tadj, Sofia, and Grayson all got to ride on it. Grandpa George had made cute little folk costumes for the kids, but it was just WAY too hot to wear them. Instead, they got cute little yellow shirts and blue shorts to represent the colors on the Swedish flag. Scarlett and Mom watched the Parade (and got all the loot!) with Grandma Gay and Grandpa George. Above is Scarlett walking (and walking... and walking) with Grandpa after the parade.

Scarlett just looking cute of course.

Tadj and the kids on the float. It was a LONG, HOT morning and Sofia wasn't too happy.

(She's really good at being cute)

Decorating Grandpa George's Dalahast (or Dala Horse) for the float.

Grayson and Sofia on the float BEFORE the parade started... notice they're still smiling at this point.

My, how they've grown...

2010-07-15T09:18:00.002-04:00

Grayson and Sofia both saw Dr. Kutskill today for their checkups:

Sofia is 52# and 50 inches... well on her way to 5'8".

Grayson is 42# and 44 inches... well on his way to 6'3". He's officially off the charts.

Haircuts

2010-07-11T14:08:00.004-04:00

After recital again this year, Sofia decided to go short again. It was also time for Scarlett's first haircut. I do regret not having the camera with me at Borics (I just forgot it) but she was a great little customer and the old Polish stylist, Uma, said she could come back anytime.

A few weeks later, Mom got her hair cut into an angled bob just perfectly short for the Summer!

Uncle Gus Gets Hitched!

2010-07-11T13:45:00.005-04:00

On June 19th, 2010 Gus married the beautiful Jessica. What a lucky guy! Tadj was Gus' best man and Heather was one of Jessica's Bridesmaids. What a good looking crew.

The girls got curlers in their hair for the occasion and Mom learned that Scarlett's hair doesn't hold a curl more than 10 minutes.

Sofia, Grayson, and Scarlett outside the temple

Morgan, Madeleine, Scarlett, and Sofia all in their beautiful matching dresses.

All the Hemingway cousins

Grandam Gay with Sofia and Morgan at the reception

Dad goofing around with Morgan and Scarlett snuggling up to Aunt Heather.

Goodbye Training Wheels

2010-07-11T13:41:00.002-04:00

On Father's day Tadj decided to force Sofia into riding her little bike without the training wheels. She wasn't happy, but obliged after a while. By the next day she was zipping around no problem. By the end of the week she worked up to her awesome Schwinn that Dad restored a couple years ago and Grandma Hardie bought her a bubble exhaust to put on it as a reward. We're SO proud.

Oh, what a year!

2010-06-16T23:17:00.002-04:00

Sofia had her last day of school today. What a year it's been! We've survived our family's first year of school! Sofia did an awesome job this year. She grew up SO much. Just look at these two pictures. The one above was taken just this morning and the one below was taken on September 7th, the first day of school. WOW! She is such a BIG KID now! She's reading somewhere around a 2nd/3rd grade level, writes full stories, is doing math that I wasn't even introduced to until late 1st or 2nd grade, can tell time (pretty much) on a clock face (notice her pretty watch she got for "graduation"), knows more about animal habitats than I ever cared about, knows and can spell the days of the week, has a good grasp of the concept of time (minutes, hours, days, year, etc), sketches GREAT pictures (usually of animals), and can sing AT LEAST 15 songs that I didn't even know existed. Can you tell I'm proud of her? We had a WONDERFUL Kindergarten teacher. We're going to miss her in 1st grade, but Grayson will have her in another year. Congratulations Sofia on a great 1st year of school!

The "FAB FOUR": Sofia, Mya, Olivia G., and Olivia C. at the Kindergarten Concert.
Sofia and Mrs. Zentz at "graduation" time. Sofia got a certificate and a book with a note written in it from Mrs. Zentz. What an awesome teacher.

Sofia and her portfolio.

Sofia and Mrs. Zentz again.

Sofia wrote this cute letter to Mrs. Zentz on the last week of school. I never even saw it until her teacher pointed it out during the class party. She said it made her laugh and cry at the same time. Sofia wrote that she would miss Mrs. Zentz very much but would still get to have lunch with her next year and that she "is pretty good for a teacher". Mrs. Zentz posted it on her board to stay there "forever".

Recital 2010

2010-06-13T21:01:00.003-04:00

Sofia is just finishing up her 3rd year at The Turning Pointe. This year, she decided to take both ballet AND tap. She hasn't decided which one she really loves more. I think she likes her tap class because her friend Olivia is in it too, but she LOVES her ballet teacher, Ms. Anne A LOT. These pictures and movies are from her dress rehearsal yesterday. The actual recital is next Saturday, June 19th, but we're not allowed to video then. I'll probably add another post after the recital, but here she is in the top picture in her ballet costume for "Muppet Babies" and below in her tap costume for "Fraggle Rock". The theme this year is "The 80's" and the little dancers all dance to Saturday Morning cartoon themes. Kind of cute.

Little Ninjas

2010-06-13T20:51:00.002-04:00

When Grayson turned 4, he was officially old enough to join Little Ninja's at PKSA Karate. Mom's been taking kickboxing classes there since February and really likes the programs and cousin Amandine has been loving it for a couple years now. So Grayson got his hand me down uniform from Amandine and began. Within a couple of weeks, his buddies David and Andrew joined in too. LOTS of fun, high energy, focus and discipline. Just what little man needed. These pics were from class on Friday June 11th.

Mr. Shaun in all his wisdom keeps pairing up Grayson and Andrew. They giggle more than they work I think. Here they are doing pad work... practicing their kicks.

Kick the pad, NOT Andrew, Grayson!!

The last exercise of the day was a tug of war between two teams in the class. They were pretty equally matched and each took one or two wins. Then Mr. Shaun decided to take on the entire class. He held his own for a bit...

... but was eventually defeated.

Kindergarten Zoo Trip

2010-06-13T20:40:00.006-04:00

On June 11th, I got to chaperone Sofia's Kindergarten field trip to the Detroit Zoo. It was a HOT day as far as June goes, but we had a good time anyway. Since Koepsell Kindergarten has a very supportive parent base, my group only had Sofia and Laila. Laila's parent's were even there for a little while but had to leave early for their other daughter's Preschool graduation. So the 3 of us gals hung out all day.

This was a pretty cool looking tiger that I think was painted for a baseball celebration or something. I'm not too sure.
Sofia and Laila posed behind these little animal cut outs at the playground.

These water squirting frogs were right outside Amphibiville. Sofia decided to try and get a drink and got splashed in the face and chest instead. goofy girl.

Beautiful peacock strutting his stuff.

the girls could have spent all day in the prairie dog exhibit. VERY cool.

Splash Village with the Aminis

2010-06-13T20:26:00.004-04:00

The first weekend in May we went with our good friends, the Aminis, to Splash Village water park inside Zehnder's Hotel in Frankenmuth. It was something we had hoped to do in the cold weather, but schedules only worked out for this weekend. It was GREAT fun anyway. This top picture is Sofia and Grayson chillin' in the hot tub.
Here is (almost) the whole group... Sofia, Grayson David, Sofia, and Andrew. Bella was just too little for this purple slide, but it was just right for the rest of the kids. It emptied into pretty shallow water too, so none of them were scared to do it.

Tadj and I took turns taking the kids down the big tube slide. It was SOOO crowded on Saturday that it was hard to find a floatie to go down it with. We had to hold onto our floats for dear life so nobody would steal them. On Sunday, it was much better and we went down that slide a zillion times. Sofia had a blast doing in by herself. I LOVE the these kids are getting more independent.

Sofia and I went down on the double tub quite a bit. There were 2 slides up at the top. The Green one was MUCH faster than the blue one. Little dare devil Sofia liked to brave the Green one almost every time. Mom, not so much.

Gray-Man Turns 4

2010-06-13T20:00:00.003-04:00

It's so hard to believe that our little man could be 4 years old already. He is still in love with Thomas Trains... almost as much as he loves Mom. He started preschool this year too! He is very sweet and snuggly just often enough to make Mom happy, but he's mostly a VERY rough and tumble boy (much to his sisters' annoyance). Grayson is a master at you tube video watching (usually home made Thomas movies), is great at dominos and is quick with jig saw puzzles (just like his Dad). He LOVES to eat PB&J and has gotten quite good at making it himself if we set it up, but also digs broccoli, raisins, bananas, apples, and all sorts of candy of course. He's made a few friends this year at school and is happy that he'll get to be with them in the Fall too. We're so happy he's in our family. Here are a few pictures from his party.

Dad Painted this "Pin The Nose on Sponge Bob" game. It was a hit. Good job Dad.

Sofia's "nose" landed on the ping pong table

A few of the kids had good skills, but I think a couple could just see through the blindfold.

Every parents' dream... wack the heck out of Sponge Bob. There were a few good hit's, but the hanger broke before we got any candy out of it. Mom just had to tear it open and pour the candy out.
Aunt Rachel and Uncle Chris found the much coveted Annie and Clarabel that Mom couldn't find. Good job guys.
Grayson picked out the cake theme at Costco. They didn't have Sponge Bob. This was also the first year that Grayson got to invite as many little buddies as he wanted in addition to the family. His friends David, Andrew, Zac, Thomas, Jordan, and Johnny all came to the party.

funny.

2010-06-10T22:57:00.002-04:00

I'm committing to catching up on a little blogging this weekend... I think (does that count as a committment?) . Anyway, to get things started I just HAD to record these funnies.

Tuesday on the way to school, Sofia puked in the car. When she got home, I asked her why she was so sick. Her response: "Me and Scarlett partied WAY too much last night". HA! Luckily that "hangover" didn't last long.

Tonight Sofia and I had an interesting conversation:

Sofia: "Mom, do you know what it's called when your butt gets really hot??"
Me: "No, Sofia. I have no clue. What's it called?"
Sofia: "FIRE ON THE POOP DECK!!! HAHA!!"
ME: (laughing hysterically and rolling my eyes at the same time)

*Where does she learn this stuff??

ALWAYS good for a laugh...

2010-03-28T21:46:00.001-04:00

Scarlett found my eye liner... 'nuff said...

DIA

2010-03-10T23:19:00.002-05:00

A couple of weekends ago Tadj and I took the kids to the Detroit Institute of Arts. We had such fond memories of our dating days and walking around enjoying the beautiful artwork. We thought it time to expose the kids to some art culture. Luckily, they sent us a free family pass to try it out. Things sure have changed. Art museums are NOT for kids... though the DIA advertised kid friendly areas. It was not so. They had one room where the kids made Kalimbas out of popsicle sticks and wood scraps. That was fun. That lasted 30 minutes. Then for the next two hours all we heard was "I'm hungry", "I don't want to walk anymore", "when can we go home", and OF COURSE from the museum security "she can't sit on that!" , "don't touch that", "don't touch that", "don't TOUCH THAT!!!". We won't be going back for like 8 more years. But we got a couple cute pictures.

Updates...

2010-01-31T19:54:00.001-05:00

It's been over a month since my last update, so LOTS going on.. including christmas... be sure to scroll ALL THE WAY down to get the whole story.

Sofia's skiing accident...

2010-01-31T19:25:00.002-05:00

Oh my! I got a call at home around 6:30pm last night that Sofia had injured herself while skiing with Tadj at Pine Knob. They went, just the 2 of them, for a fun day all to themselves. Tadj decided Sofia was ready to leave the rope tows and wonder carpets and took her on a green run on the other side of the hill. She did well the first time down. On the second time, she lost control and ran straight - face first- into the chairlift line barriers. She was wearing a helmet, but no goggles and the gate was right at eye level. A ski patrol toboggan took Sofia back to the ski patrol shack where they decided she needed to go to urgent care. Clarkston urgent care decided she needed to go to St. Joseph Pontiac for a CT scan and stitches. Sofia was an absolute trooper. Tadj was happy to report almost no whining and crying. She took everything in stride. It was a very late night when the arrived home at almost 2am. She needed 8 stitches around her Left eye and nose. She's been very brave and has even enjoyed all the attention. She was excited to go to church today and show off her battle scars. And she won't even hear of missing school tomorrow... though she'll probably go a little late since she needs to see her regular pediatrician.

... only a boy would think this is COOL!

2010-01-31T19:17:00.003-05:00

Grayson chipped his tooth. It was SUCH a tiny chip, we didn't even notice it until it starting turning gray. The dentist did a root canal and filled it in hopes that he could keep it for a few years before it fell out for good. It was a frustrating and expensive process. He needed a sedative the morning of, no breakfast, novacaine, and laughing gas once he was there. He said he only cried a little. I wasn't allowed to witness the procedure... another rant for another time... we need a new dentist. These are the after pictures here. It still doesn't look great, but better than before (scroll down).

Sofia is 6!

2010-01-31T19:07:00.005-05:00

Sofia turned 6 on January 12, 2010. We took her with her brother, sister, Tricia, and 12 little girls to Bounce House to celebrate. She couldn't have been happier! She had a blast on the inflatables and with the video games (which are all free!!). I got worn out on DDR and Sofia loved the Simpsons bowling game. Everyone had a great time. Afterwards, we went home and had ANOTHER party with the grandparents and even more friends. We are so lucky to have this sweet, adorable, bubbly, smart, dear girl in our lives.

The inflatable throne for the birthday girl.

Playing Ms. Packman with Elise.. the table version.. HA!

Sofia going headfirst down the giant slide... no joke, it was HUGE. Even I was scared at first.

Blowing out the candle on her cupcake.

Party #2 at home

Tadj and Natalie Celebrate 10 Years!

2010-01-31T18:50:00.002-05:00

Yeah, so these pictures, well... suck. No matter how we adjusted the camera, we just could not get a good picture. We've decided that we'll buy a new camera soon. So anyway, these are supposed to be pictures of Niagara Falls (and they are the ONLY pictures we took because we were.. ahem... busy). Tadj and I went for our 10th anniversary on New Years Day and stayed for 2 nights. It was WONDERFUL!! Mom and Dad watched the kids while we relaxed, toured, and went to the spa. On Friday afternoon we checked in to the Fallsview Marriott with a BEAUTIFUL view of the falls from our room AND a jacuzzi tub (which we immediately made good use of). We then went straight down (through the snow) to the falls. It was FREEZING... but magnificent. We picked up some souvenirs for the kids and headed to dinner. Since we stayed in Canada everything was SUPER expensive (we won't go back... Canada did NOT leave a good impression on us) and the exchange rate almost everywhere was "at par" (yah... right). That night we watched fireworks over the falls from our room. On Saturday we got the cheapest (late, to avoid paying for lunch) breakfast we could find where they charged $5 for a glass of juice with no refills and NO tap water. Then we grumpily made our way to a currency exchange rip-off store where Tadj got in a big fight with the attendant who tried to steal our money. We got the money back, but not our faith in Canadian customer service. We then headed back to the hotel for a while and decided to get the car out of valet (which took 40 minutes!!) to drive around, get some famous Canadian chocolate, and play with the GPS system I got for Christmas. After we got back to the hotel we got changed and went down for our spa appointments. We each got a massage and I got a pedicure. Pure Heaven! Afterwards, we headed to a nice Italian Restaurant that our Concierge at the hotel recommended and made a reservation for our Anniversary dinner. The dinner was GREAT and the waitress surprised us with a free dessert that read "happy anniversary" in drizzled chocolate. It was the highlight of the evening. YUM! On Sunday we drove home through 2 snow storms (it snowed the entire time we were there), one of which closed the freeway 40 miles West of Sarnia. What an adventure. We had a wonderful time and can't wait to get away again!

Christmas 2009

2010-01-31T18:28:00.005-05:00

LOTS of pictures here (I should probably figure out the whole slide show thing). We spent Christmas eve relaxing on our own at home after a yummy Chinese dinner out at Golden Chopsticks with Chris, Rachel, Amandine and Thierry. Tadj decided that with working 70 hour weeks 7 days a week leading up to Christmas he wanted to spend his time alone with me and the kids.
Christmas day we had the usual present opening, playtime, and naptime before we went to the Hemingways where we hung out with Grandma Gay, Grandpa George, Uncle Gus and Jess and the Mercados. We had a great time! So much fun in fact that although we packed both the video camera and regular camera we didn't use them AT ALL. I'm a bit upset about that now... oh well.
Here a pictures of Sofia opening up her treasure hunt gift. Her new skis were too large to wrap, so we hid them in the bathtub and sent her around the house looking for clues. She thought it was great.

Sofia got the ultimate Costco set of littlest Pet Shops, Grayson got the the monster Costco set of Thomas trains and buildings, and Scarlett the super-fab Costco baby set. THEY LOVED IT!

Grandma and Grandpa Hardie were in Hawaii for Christmas (lucky dogs!) so we celebrated Christmas a week later on New Year's Eve. The kids got to spend the night and Mom and Dad went home!! Here are the girls snuggling under Amandine's "Snuggie" she got from Grandma.
Scarlett got some cute stuff from Amandine and Grandma and Grandpa including a tiger growling flashlight... too cute!
Grayson got a Thomas Projector book which he immediately began using as a flashlight and wore out.
Sofia got a great Pixos set and the ever - coveted Zhu Zhu pet. Lucky girl!

I got a cute frame with the family name in it.

Tadj and Chris got "Touch and Brush"... though it was really more for the kids.

Oh Christmas Tree...

2009-12-20T09:32:00.003-05:00

The tree was up for a week before Tadj was home to decorate it with us before bedtime. It is most definitely NOT a designer tree. Though I'm thinking after Christmas I'll buy some mini clearance trees so the kids can each have their own to decorate with their OWN ornaments next year. Anyway, Scarlett was THRILLED to be doing this and the look on her face here was the same look in EVERY picture. HA!

Sofia, always the poser.

Grayson became obsessed with the THOMAS ornament Afton gave him last year, but we did get hime to put some more on the tree.

All done... and ready for bed!

Scarlie Mo!

2009-12-20T09:26:00.003-05:00

Ok, so she's just THE funniest kid ever, so I take a lot of random pictures of her doing funny stuff. Well, this one's not so much funny as clever. We are trying to rid her of this pacifier habit. She know the rule is that she can only have it in her bed. She's taken to climbing up onto her dresser to grab one down while we're not looking. Very sneaky!
She brought me her hat and mittens to put on for her. She just looked so cute I had to take a picture.
We made toaster waffles for breakfast. Scarlett wasn't interested in eating, so we gave up but never cleared her plate. 1/2 hour later I found her sitting right ON the table eating her unfinished plate.

Hanging with the kiddos...

2009-12-20T09:22:00.002-05:00

This time of year is very busy for Tadj at work, and then he does his Ski Patrol shift on the weekend. Essentially, I'm a widow for a few months out of the year. So, the kids and I have been on our own for a bit and making our own fun. Here are my cuties sitting around on the couch.

And some self portraits...

Aren't they cute??!

Thanksgiving bowling

2009-12-20T09:16:00.004-05:00

After Thanksgiving dinner this year, we got to load up all or desserts and head to Dad's bowling alley for a couple of games. It was SO fun. Not sure why Scarlie was crying here, but she sure was mad.

Sofia picked up her spare... and it looks like Grandma Hardie was well on her way too.

Grayson was thrilled his ball was going to know something over.

The kids just hanging out.

Afton with Amandine and Scarlett (her little buddy that night).

Sofia definitely had a blast!

Family

2009-11-25T11:00:00.003-05:00

Three generations of Hemingway men (or "little" men). I told them to make a silly face. This really was the best Grandpa George would do. Crazy guys!
Grandma Gay and Grandma Hardie posing with all the kids at Scarlett's birthday party. THE BEST GRANDMAS IN THE WORLD!!!!