KOCHOMO

Happy 2012.

2012-01-20T16:45:00.000-08:00

We spent New Year's Eve (day) driving home from our Christmas in Las Vegas. We had a very low-key New Year's Eve with just our family. The night was full of excitement with Martinelli's, yummy Trader Joe's appetizers and desserts, some awesome "American"Chopper" party hats, and an intense game of Let's Go Fishing and Pretty Pretty Princess.

Wishing everyone a happy 2012!

A Very Vegas Christmas

2011-12-31T16:22:00.000-08:00

We headed to Vegas on the 26th for more Christmas fun.
Here are some highlights:

Cousin time.

The excitement of Michael re-gifitng items found around the house.

Cuddling with Momoo.

Auntie Ginger: the baby whisperer.

Being silly with Ben.

Cuddles from Clara.

The skateboard-boys!

A day in the snow at Mt. Charleston.

ATV excursion with Daredevil Dadoo.

We loved spending the holidays with our family. There is nothing better than creating sweet memories that will last a lifetime.

Christmas at Grandma's House

2011-12-28T15:45:00.000-08:00

Some highlights:
leaving for Grandma's and finding Dash in our car

bounce house day

winter wonderland at Bass Pro Shop

cookie decorating

Christmas Eve at the Merkley's

the duet

the entertainment

bonding time

story time

reindeer food

sunglasses from Santa

the beloved chapstick

Rapunzel hair

cousin time

super hero capes

slumber party sleeping bags and flashlights (from Grandma)

3 months.

2011-12-25T21:26:00.000-08:00

Little Nolan continues to light up a room with his sweet smile but he can also clear a room with his high-pitched scream and stinky gas. Poor boy has had a difficult month with constant tummy troubles, a hard time nursing, a cough, and all-around irritablity. I am determined he just wants to be big, this whole baby thing is too much! He loves to be held and given any kind of attention, so thankfully June-bug can help me with that. She loves her Nollie Pollie.

Christmas Festivities

2011-12-21T08:05:00.001-08:00

Charlie's preschool program
California snowball fight (balled up newspaper)
Christmas baking

Singing "Jingle bells" with friends Reese & Max

Dinner and ornament tradition at Mimi's house
Ward Christmas nativity
Charlie & Logan

Going to Disneyland
June's fisrt time on Matterhorn
Our favorite ride: It's a Small World
The boys
Not a fan of the fireworks
Snow on Main Street

Happy Holidays!

Dear Santa,

2011-12-20T08:13:00.001-08:00

some of us like you

and others do not

but at least she's trying!

Tis the Season...

2011-12-15T16:15:00.000-08:00

to be JOLLY!

...and Silly

...and Cheerful

... and sassy, tired, friendly

...and goofy

...and Happy!

(P.s. Our gingerbread house collapsed 5 minutes after taking this picture from all the candy on it.)

Palm Springs TRIATHLON.

2011-12-12T07:19:00.000-08:00

SOMEHOW... my brother-in-law Ryan convinced the family to take a weekend trip to Palm Springs to participate in a triathlon. Ryan did the hard-core race (1 mile swim, 24 mile bike, 6 mile run) while the rest of us did a "mini" triathlon (100 meter swim, 3 mile bike, 1 mile run) . We were total amateurs jumping into 55 degree water without wetsuits, riding a beach cruiser (Adam), and huffing & puffing to the finish line. Not only did we all manage to survive, I think most of us would actually do it again!

The Triathletes: Adam, Nora, David, Emily, Kenna, Jen, Ryan

Some very SERIOUS competitors!

Hunk-a-chunk-a-burnin' LOVE!

Some action shots...

Which family member: (1) got second place overall in their category, (2) fell to the ground almost passing out, (3) wore a suit that was way too small and had their rear-end hanging out, (4) stopped racing to help a boy who fell off his bike, (5) ran back-and-forth to each family member during the race to offer words of encouragement, (6) ran with an extra bone in their foot, (7) was one of the top finishers in the swimming portion, (8) cried tears of pure JOY after crossing the finish line.

Answers: (1)Kenna, (2)Emily, (3)Nora (4)Adam, (5)Ryan, (6)Jen, (7)David, (8)Emily

WE DID IT!

Golden Tigers.

2011-12-05T20:26:00.000-08:00

Charlie had his first experience playing on a soccer team this fall.

He was slow to get into it. There was a lot of picking grass and goofing off at the beginning.

But he learned to love it and I noticed a greater confidence in him as he played.

He loved Coach Shannon (a mother of six) but his favorite part about soccer included:
the team cheer "Go Tigers... ROAR,"

the parent tunnel,

and his trophy!

Thankful...

2011-11-29T23:07:00.001-08:00

2 months.

2011-11-25T23:33:00.000-08:00

Sweet Nollie pollie is 2 months already. He has been smiling and cooing a ton, which gets him lots of attention. Through all the smiling we have confirmed that he has a cute little dimple on his left cheek, so cute. Nolan has been the smallest of my kids, probably because he spits up a lot (notice his shirt in this picture) and because he actually sleeps through the night when my other two insisted on eating. He weighs 10 pounds 15 ounces and is 23 inches long (50th percentile for both). At his appointment the doctor commented on how strong Nolan was and how he had a very powerful kick. That strong kicking gave him his first injury. While sitting in his car seat on a long car ride, Nolan was crying and kicking so much, and so hard that he got a "rug burn" on his heels. Total rascal. We love our little guy and he continues to brighten our crazy household.

Gobble... gobble....

2011-11-17T18:13:00.000-08:00

Gobble, gobble fat turkey, fat turkey, fat turkey
Gobble, gobble fat turkey, fat turkeys are we!

( Addie and June @ Mommy & me preschool)

Blessing.

2011-11-10T13:47:00.001-08:00

Nolan William Koch

Blessed: October 30, 2011

The good stuff...

2011-11-05T08:49:00.000-07:00

Never grow up!

2011-11-04T11:21:00.000-07:00

HALLOWEEN 2011
(A Peter Pan theme, the kids favorite movie right now.)

(Captain Hook, the tick-tock Croc, Wendy, Peter Pan, and Tink)

"All you need is faith, trust, and a little bit of pixie dust!"

We LOVED having some of our cousins here from Vegas.

Stinkerbell & Tinkerbell: June & Brinley

Captain America & Cheerleader: Jake Steiner & Emerson Morphy

Robin & Wonder Woman: the Hixson's

Auntie Julie Mouse and baby Nolan.

Momoo and June-bug enjoying a cupcake.

Auntie Ginger, Nolan's buddy at the ward Halloween party.

Nolan: the tick-tock croc.

Preschool Halloween Parade.

2011-11-01T10:58:00.000-07:00

Ms. Teri and Ms. Audrey

Deep concentration... wearing a deep-V! (Check out how hard Marcus is concentrating, tongue and all.)

Preschool friends:

Charlie came home from preschool a few days before Halloween and he told me he learned a new song from his preschool friend Tanner. It goes like this: Trick or treat... smell my feet... give me something good to eat. If you don't... I don't care... I'm GONNA EAT YOUR UNDERWEAR!" Charlie thought it was hilarious.

Buddies: Charlie, J, and Saxon, and little brother Hugh (the shark).

Peter Pan was pretty fond of Batgirl (aka: Molly Olmstead, Charlie's favorite preschool friend.)

(Hugh & J Pierce, Saxon Baltzer, Maile Beutler, Molly Olmstead, and Charlie Koch.)

A sneak peak...

2011-10-30T20:27:00.000-07:00

...at our Halloween costumes.

Hint: "PETR PUAN" and "Stinkerbell"

1 month.

2011-10-25T15:33:00.000-07:00

Our sweet baby is a month old. He is a gem! Life has not really been too interrupted with the arrival of Nolan because he had been such a perfect baby. Really. He regularly sleeps a good 6 hour stretch at night and occasionally 8-9 hours. He gets bonked and banged around while I feed him because June likes to be up in the action too. June is his biggest fan and because of her, Nolan has been kissed more than any baby on the planet! Nolan first smiled at his big sis at just 3 weeks, it was intentional (not gas), I am sure of it! Our little guy has taken on the nicknames: Nollie pollie (from June) and Diego (from his cousin Zach). (Nolan was not named for over a day after his birth. I think all the dark hair threw us off a bit. When my sister Jen showed her son Zachary a picture of the baby, she also told him he did not have a name yet. Zachary went running to his room and grabbed a Diego figurine and said, "I know, they should name him Diego!") Nolan has super long eyelashes and I am pretty sure brown eyes, which is a first for our kids and a first for the Graham grandkids. It takes twice as long to go anywhere and having three kiddos is pretty busy. Some people say that the more kids you have the younger ones just get jipped: less attention, less quality time, fewer photos, etc. So far, I have never know a boy who has been loved by so many and adored so much!

1 month stats= Weight: 10 pounds (50th percentile), Height: 21 3/4 inches (50th Percentile)

Diego (from Dora the Explorer)

Bonding.

2011-10-08T05:40:00.000-07:00

Pure LOVE.

2011-09-30T16:01:00.000-07:00

I love giving birth! I love everything about it, and this time around was no different...

I loved that I was able to share this experience with my mom and both of my sisters. (I was there when all three of Jen's kids were born, and she has been there for all of mine too. Since Emily no longer lives in Texas, she was so excited to be a part of the delivery. I called Em around 4 a.m. to let her know I was having contractions and she took all three of her kids to stay with Aunt Robin for the day, she also brought her breast pump to the hospital so she could have milk for her 4 month old, Olivia. She was so excited to be a part of the day and I was thrilled to have her there. I checked into the hospital around 6 a.m, my mom got there around 7 a.m. and Jen and Em arrived with bran muffins from Mimi's cafe around 8 a.m. ...so much fun!) Might I also add, I loved having an epidural, it makes giving birth so enjoyable.

I loved feeling so close to Adam as we anticipated the arrival of our new little one.

I loved that first look at my healthy, beautiful baby boy... fresh from heaven.

I loved seeing all that dark hair... totally explains all that heartburn I was having!

Nolan William Koch
born September 25th

@ 11:54 a.m.
8 pounds (even)
20 inches

"The best days are the days when babies are born." -Melanie Wilkes in Gone With the Wind

I loved checking out my little guy and talking about who it is he looks like.

I had the most amazing nurse for my delivery, Mary. I actually ran into her at a yoga class while I was pregnant. When I went to the class I knew I recognized her from somewhere but could not figure out where. After talking about it for a minute and finding out she was a L&D nurse at Hoag hospital, I realized she was the same nurse I had when I delivered Charlie. It was so great to have her again with Nolan.

The "meet and greet" with big brother and big sister did not go perfectly but it went as well as could be expected. Charlie just stood back and took it all in while June poked and picked and patted in order to thoroughly check out her baby brother.

It was instant love for June-bug.

I love that first bath in the hospital, it took Nolan a minute...

...but he learned to love it too.

Gotta love the swaddle!

I went to the doctor the week before my due date for one of my last appointments. She mentioned that she would schedule an induction if I wanted one for anytime after my due date. Well, both Charlie and June were born on the 26th (May/March) so Adam and I thought it would be pretty cool to have all three of our kids with a "26th" birthday. Even though I have preferred going into labor on my own, the thought of having an induction, coordinating babysitting, and the bonus of kids with "matching" birthdays started sounding pretty good. When my contractions stated on the 25th I was thrown off because in my mind I still had one more day to go. Adam was WAY set on the kids all being born on the 26th so he kept telling me "keep it in!" Well, the little man decided to come on September 25th, his due date! Welcome to the world.

I loved my hospital experience so much this time around because I got to share it with my amazing friend Sarah Hixson. She was also pregnant with her third and we were both due within a week of each other. She had a scheduled c-section for September 23rd, so we knew there was a chance we might be in the hospital at the same time. Given that possibility, we went out to dinner one night while pregnant, went shopping, and bought matching hospital outfits. You better believe all our wishes came true since we ended up delivering within days of each other. The night I delivered Sarah and her husband came down to our room and we ate dinner together, then we would hang out together during the day, it was awesome!

Matchy-match.

Sydney Jane and Nolan William

The kids came to the hospital for lunch right before I was discharged. They thought that was pretty cool to each lunch at the hospital. (People totally complain about hospital food, but I happen to enjoy it.) I love the cranberry spritzers they have at "hotel Hoag." I love having someone come and serve me breakfast/lunch/dinner in bed. I love that I am not the one who has to cook or clean-up. I could actually stay at the hospital for a week if they let me. I love my other kids but I also love that quiet bonding time with my newborn in the hospital. (The help from the nurses is pretty nice too, it is like totally being taken care of before you are set free into the great big world to raise THREE kids.)My boys!

Family of FIVE!

The kids loved moving their car seats to the back of the car, they think they are pretty big-stuff to be able to sit in the waaay back!

Words cannot describe how much we love you little Nolan. Welcome to the family. Hope you enjoy the ride because I have a feeling it is going to be quite an adventure!

Preschool boy.

2011-09-18T15:23:00.000-07:00

My boy started preschool on Monday. Everyone we know started school weeks ago, so we have anticipated this day for awhile. Charlie was a superstar and fit right in. June was the supportive little sister and watched on while Charlie got acquainted with his new school and classmates.
One of the most exciting things about the day was he finally got to wear his "new fast shoes." They are still a size too big but he has begged to wear these shoes because they make him run super fast. His cousin Zachary had the same pair when he was four, so that makes them pretty cool too. Another fashion note: Charlie got a new buzz lightyear watch for his first day of school. It was a big hit and he has not taken it off since then.
It was hard for June to say good-bye to Charlie but she has quickly adjusted to having special time with just her and mommy!

Girls Weekend.

2011-09-14T15:23:00.001-07:00

I told my unborn son that he was not invited to attend "girls weekend" since he was a boy, I am happy to say that he listened. I was a little worried planning this so close to my due-date but other than a few fat pictures and some seriously swollen feet, I made it! It was great spending time with the girls (we missed you Melinda) and we look forward to continuing this tradition over the years. In the past we have done a Glen Ivy spa-day, a trip to Chicago, and a trip to San Francisco. This year we went to Indio, just outside of Palm Springs. It was close-by (in case I went into labor) but it was the perfect get-away and break from motherly duties.

We were greeted with an editable arrangement from sweet Ryan Menlove that we enjoyed for the entire weekend.

We "crafted" until the wee hours of the night. We all read the book The Help before our trip and then we went to see the movie. It was awesome. And of course we shopped... in style! I have been dying to ride the "SmarttKarts" at Target because it is taxing to haul my pregnant body around any store. I could not bring myself to hop on one of those things by myself so having the girls with me was the perfect excuse to make a fool of myself.

Let's just say it was a successful shopping weekend for all. It even involved a little altercation over a rug between me and an angry menopausal lady at Target. I won... but I did jump off the SmartKart for that one!

Thanks girls for the memories. Until next year...

Corn roast.

2011-09-09T20:25:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite ward activities is the annual corn roast. June-bug was a huge fan of the corn!

Labor Day.

2011-09-08T15:17:00.000-07:00

Nothing like some good, clean family fun. We spent this HOT labor day selling lemonade (avocado and grapefruit) with the cousins.

Then we went swimming at the Menlove's.

...and played some Minute-to-Win-it games (thanks to Emily Martino, the activities coordinator). Thanks for a fun day, I am glad it was a relaxing labor day and not a day in actual labor.

So-long summer...

2011-09-01T15:04:00.000-07:00

This has been one of the longest summers of my life! Summer usually flies by but this time it felt like it did when I was a kid, endless. We had a ton of fun and got to spend time with family and friends, but there was no traveling just lots of swimming, beach days, and laziness. I am so glad I got to spend such quality time with my kids, I will always cherish this time.

Koch Family Reunion.

2011-08-30T21:17:00.000-07:00

We had such a great time with our family while they were in town. This year's reunion was in Newport Beach so it worked out great for us, traveling while 7 months pregnant is not ideal. The kids loved spending time with their cousins , aunts, uncles, and of course Momoo and Dadoo. Thanks so much for a fun summer week. We love you all!

The Balboa Pier

Hangin' out at the beach with my girl.No rules while on vacation... right!?
This was June's first taste of Cherry Coke and I am sure it will not be her last!

Riding the Duffy Boats

Captain and co-captain.

Some of the gang.

Weenie Roast at the hotel.

Cheers to a great time with family!

6 Years.

2011-08-13T08:32:00.000-07:00

Happy anniversary to the most thoughtful guy on the planet. (Yes, he rented a paparazzi lens and had a friend document our engagement.) It has been an amazing 6 years with you. You make me want to be a better person. I love you Adam Everett Koch!

WARNING:

2011-08-04T18:59:00.000-07:00

Keep all cameras and pens out of reach of children!

Swim Lessons.

2011-07-22T15:34:00.000-07:00

The kids have LOVED having swim lessons for the past month. Here they are with their first teacher, Melissa. June was especially fond of her! Technically June was supposed to me in the mommy & me class but the thought of having to get in with her right now did not sound appealing. She did great with the big kids, she is fearless. Every time she jumps in she swims to her teacher (just a few feet) and keeps her eyes open under water, smiling the entire time. Throughout her class she would make sure she got my attention and then yell "Mommy, I swimming!" as she dunked her head under.

Charlie was an old pro and he loved having a class with his sister. One session he took a class by himself and he was not a fan. I think he liked showing his sister how things are done. I love my little water babies!

Yogurt Cleaning.

2011-07-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

June is the instigator of all things mischievous and Charlie is her side-kick. While I was upstairs getting dress the other morning June decided she wanted to have some yogurt. Since I was not there to help her open the yogurt and get a spoon Charlie came to the rescue. They decided to hide behind the couch and finger-paint the sliding glass door. Lovely! Here, they are cleaning up the mess, I think they liked cleaning up as much as they enjoyed making the mess.

Land of the free, home of the brave.

2011-07-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

July 4th,

one of my favorite holidays...

consisted of: riding bikes to the parade...

hanging out at the Hixson's for the annual BBQ feast...

enjoying the parade...

spending the day at the beach...

and watching fireworks into the night (then biking back home.)

Zachy boo-boo.

2011-07-02T07:49:00.002-07:00

These boys love each other so much. Charlie loves having his cousin Zachy-boy over and I love it too. Zach is probably one of the sweetest, kindest, most thoughtful boys in the world. They were thrilled to have their first slumber party with just the two of them, they were so inseparable that they even wanted to share the same bed. Best buddies (cousins) forever!

Dentista.

2011-07-01T07:49:00.000-07:00

We drove down to the boarder last month (actually Yuma, AZ), for a little family fun. It was a great time with just the four of us. We hung out in the hotel, played in the Colorado River, and I got some dental work done on the side. Good times were had by all!

No Moms Allowed.

2011-06-30T08:34:00.000-07:00

Our "girls night" turned into male bonding for the guys. They all got together and entertained the kiddos. It is nice to know that they are all in good hands while the mommas are away!

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

To Daddy-boy,

2011-06-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

These smiles on our faces

That twinkle in our eyes
The tiny little freckles
And even our thick thighs,

The way we look, the things we like
Almost everything we do
You have a way of making things great
Just by being you.

A little boy who loves baseball
And watching sports on TV
Being Peter Pan & Captain Hook
I love when you play with me.

A girl with a ghetto booty
Kissing "the prince" while asleep
Loves cuddles and back scratches
When she is sad, tired, and weeps.

For all the Superman tucks at night
The piggy-back rids to bed,
Saying "delicious" in our funny way
And taking airplane bites when fed.

We love you so much Daddy
In ways we cannot show
Our faces light up when we see you
We hope that helps you know.

You are a great example
Of being helpful, honest, and kind,
We want to be just like you
There is no doubt in our mind.

To the greatest guy in town
Have a Happy Father's Day,
We are so glad you're our Daddy
We love you in every way!

love,
Charlie-boy & June-bug

Tantrums.

2011-06-07T15:43:00.000-07:00

I think I might have to rank June-bug #1 at throwing the best tantrums ever! It can be annoying but for some reason it is so hilarious many times. Brace yourself for:

June Koch's Top 3 Tantrums.

The poop protest. We were walking out the door to go to church (which is a process in and of itself: Adam leaves early for meetings, I get kids ready, get self ready, get snacks, activities to keep kids reverent, etc.) when June says "I have to go poop!" Fine, I thought, now she won't have to go while we are at church. So she finished up, I wiped her, then the tantrum began. It went something like this: kicking, screaming, rolling on the bathroom floor, yelling repeatedly: "I wanna wipe my poops!" Windows were open, neighbors were home. I put her skirt back on, carried her to the car and she continued to scream "I wanna wipe my poops!" I am such a mean mom for not letting my two year old wipe herself. Oh wait, I tried that once and decided never again!
Homeless man steals donuts. I went to the drive-thru pharmacy to pick up a prescription for the kids. As I was waiting for the pharmacist to hand over the meds this homeless man walked up between the wall of the drive-thru and my car, totally scaring me. He asked for money, I had none. So I handed him some left-over donuts we had in the car from Charlie's birthday that morning. June flipped! As the man walked away June started thrashing in her car seat "NOoooooo! MY DONUTS! DON'T TAKE MY DONUTS!" I quickly rolled up the windows, laughing inside. Sorry June-bug, I don't expect you to "get it" but I promise you that was the right thing to do.
Naked in Target. While shopping at Target June grabbed a bag of chips. I told her to put them back... she refused so I put them back for her. Cue tantrum. She was so angry. As she stood there in the back of the shopping cart she was so filled with anger that she did not know what to do with herself. She decided to take her shoes off and chuck them across the store. I know she just wanted a reaction from me so I ignored it and kept walking. I felt so calm, like: oh well, there go your shoes! June got really ticked because I kept ignoring her tantrum so she decided to rip off her skirt and undies... trying to get naked in Target. She out-smarted me... I reacted. That little rascal.

Memorial Day Track Meet & Picnic.

2011-06-05T07:47:00.000-07:00

Charlie doing the long jump.

June helping Daddy and being the cheerleader.

Charlie racing. This picture is deceiving because seconds before it was taken Char was crying because he did not want to loose the race and seconds after it was taken he cried because he was not the winner! Valiant effort though. Life is not about whether you win or loose, it's how you run the race, right?!

Pony rides at the park.

We were happy to have the Menlove's join us for the day.

Everyone rode the ponies over and over... except Junie that is. She is not much of a pony lover!

Pretend City.

2011-05-27T11:35:00.000-07:00

Charlie loves to play dress-up (not the princess type), the pirate, Buzz-Lightyear, firefighter type. He loves to imagine he is all sorts of characters, so what better way to spend his 4th birthday than by going to Pretend City. He had a great time playing with all his cousins on his special day.

Our favorite 4-year-old.

2011-05-26T09:13:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe my guy is 4 already. Does a smile get any cuter than this? I love how easy to please Charlie is, so happy about life! We spent his birthday at Pretend City with his cousins and then topped it off with McDonald's nuggets for dinner and ice cream for dessert. He had a great day.

Charlie has been wanting to turn 4 ever since he turned 3!! When we ask him to have 3 more bites of dinner he asks if he could have 4. When we tell him to sit in time-out for 3 minutes he wants 4. He calls the freeway the "fourway." He wants so badly to be big. I got him a pair of shoes that were way too big but he insisted that they fit. He told me that he grew from taking a nap and now his "fast shoes" would fit him.

I love the cuddle moments with Charlie, I often tell him "You are my favorite guy." Then he looks at me with a huge grin; it never gets old. One time, after telling him he was my favorite guy I asked him, "Who's your favorite mommy?" to which he replied "Daddy!" :)

Charlie is one of the happiest kids I know. Everything is his favorite. If I give him a blue spoon with his cereal he thanks me because blue is his favorite color. If I give him an orange fork with dinner he thanks me because orange is his favorite color. Whatever cartoon he watches, shirt he wears, sport he plays... they are all his favorites. Life is good for our Charlie boy and he is definitely our favorite 4 year old!

(4 year old stats: Charlie is 42 inches tall (95%) and weighs 41 pounds (75%). The doctor predicted that he will be 6'2" as an adult. It will be fun to look back at this blog and see if he ends up being right.)

Male bonding.

2011-05-07T15:15:00.000-07:00

Charlie adores his daddy-boy and they loved hanging together at the father/son camp-out. I think the night filled with sleeping in tents, roasting hot-dogs, and hangin' with the boys was a success. Cheers to fathers and their sons, too cute!

Can you feel the love?

Trained.

2011-04-25T21:03:00.000-07:00

This girl is something else! The week after she turned 2 we went to visit a friend whose daughter was potty trained. While we were all hanging out June disappeared. We found her on the little potty seat with her pants down and diaper ripped off. Cute, I thought, but she's not ready. Well, the next morning this chick decided to unzip her footed pajamas, take off her poopy diaper and climb onto the toilet again. I went out and bought some undies for her that day! I still thought she just liked the idea of taking her diaper off and getting a treat, not that she could grasp the concept of actually being potty trained. She proved me wrong! Her determination amazes me. She has only had 2 or 3 accidents, always tells me when she needs to go, and even stays dry throughout the night. I never thought potty training could be so fun and effortless. Thanks June-bug!

Party like it's your birthday!

2011-03-30T12:58:00.000-07:00

June's birthday began with a trip to the Donut Shoppe, what more could a two-year-old ask for?

(We told the kids we were having a contest to see whose face was the messiest. The winner: Charlie's cheeks & June's chin.)

Next, the four of us went to Atlantis Park in Garden Grove. It costs $1 to get in and there are 8-10 play structures for the kids to play on. We all had a blast!

Finally, we had a Pizza Party, Otter-pops in the Bathtub Party, & Slumber Party with the Menloves.

...as if that was not enough...

We took cupcakes to "Park day" and celebrated with friends!

(June opened this pink "ballerina" bathing-suit at the park from her friend Brinley. She insisted on wearing it over her clothes. She was all smiles on the swing as the tutu was flappin' in the breeze.)

June is 2.

2011-03-26T13:13:00.000-07:00

Oh June-bug. To say that we love you is an understatement! We think you are one of the funniest kids around. I love it when you call out "Mommmmmy..." and I do not hear you so you yell "Hey, Nora..." It has become a joke with the two of us, you call me Nora sometimes just because you know it will get a good laugh out of me. You have the cutest 5 little freckles on your left cheek and a few on your nose, they go perfectly with your cheesy smiles! I know wherever you are because I can hear you singing the ABC's or Twinkle, Twinkle, your favorite songs. You also love the color pink, your pacifier, and watching Dora the Explorer. We all laugh at your ratted up hair every morning, we are still trying to figure out if that is a sign of a good night sleep or a bad one! You love to joke around and pucker your lips for a kiss only to quickly stick out your tongue, it's gross but funny. You climb up the tallest ladders at the park, insist on putting on your own clothes, and try so hard to keep up with your big brother. We love your determination, even if it can be exhausting at times. We love you June-bug, because of you Daddy and Mommy now have many gray hairs but more love and laughter in our home than we ever thought possible.

Interviewing the Birthday Girl... and her Sidekick!

2011-03-24T21:02:00.000-07:00

We have been taking up June's birthday all month. She turned TWO on March 26th, hard to believe! I wanted to do an "interview" with her to document how cute this stage is (Charlie was kind enough to add his two cents.) June has a strong-will, a mind of her own, and some of the funniest faces I have ever seen. She brings a much appreciated pizazz into our home. We love you so much June-bug!!
The Interview:

BLOOPER #1:

(Notice the beloved "telescope" & Charlie in the background whacking his head on the table.)

BLOOPER #2:
(Notice Charlie spit milk at the camera & him blowing in June's ear as he tries to whisper. Not to mention the obvious where he is sitting on June's head.)

** As soon as I turned the camera off Charlie asked: "Mom, can you do an episode of me now?"

Top of the Mornin' to You!

2011-03-13T21:28:00.001-07:00

St. Patrick's Day seems to come around faster each year. There is a lot of pressure I feel with performing the jig but as Adam would say: "I love the attention!" Partially true. I have also loved having my kiddos join me over the years, which makes the jig extra special. Another little leprechaun will be joining our family at the end of September... oh, the Luck of the Irish!

"Bath-tie"

2011-02-27T06:56:00.000-08:00

Charlie and I got up this morning and sat down on the couch together. We started talking about our day and how we get to go to church today. Then I told him that there is a little girl from Primary getting baptized tonight and I asked if he wanted to go with me. His face lit up as he said "Yeeeeaaah," and then he proceeded to tell me that this girl must be 8 years old because that is how old you are when you get baptized. I was impressed, I am never sure if the things Adam and I teach ever really stick, plus, I don't think I have ever really talked with him about getting baptized in great detail. Our Family Home Evening lessons tend to be a bit more basic, things like: being kind, obeying your mother and father, and sharing. Anyway, I continued to ask him more questions, heck, if he knows a child can get baptized at age 8 then what else could he know?
Me: "Charlie, so do you know what happens when you get baptized?"
Charlie: No response.
Me: "Well, you walk into a special pool of water at the church called a font..."(interruption)
Charlie: "Oh, I know, I know. No mom, you dive into the water and swim to the bottom and grab your bath-tie."
Me: "Your what?"
Charlie: "Your bath-tie. You get a bath-tie!"
Well, baptize and bath-tie sound alike, so I will give him that much. After that we had a nice little talk and looked at pictures of Jesus being baptized by John the baptist. Then we talked about how we get baptized to have all the things we have ever done wrong washed away. I love it that Charlie is so eager to learn and he wants so badly to try and do what is right... even if he messes up and makes things up along the way!

LOVE songs.

2011-02-18T15:46:00.000-08:00

(A belated Valentine's Day post)

I am not sure how it has all gone down over the years but I am pretty sure when Adam and I first started dating he laughed at the fact that I love country music. Then, we took a trip to Vegas shortly after getting engaged and we listened to country music almost the entire drive. The deal from Adam went something like this: "Nora, how about you can listen to country music on our drive as long as you are scratching my back." (I should have known what I was getting myself into then.) I think he pretended to be tortured by the songs, but I know now that it was just a dramatization to keep me scratching his ever so needy back. Well, the song Broken Road played many times while we were in the car together and we both loved it. It became our wedding song. Since then, Adam has fully converted to country music. I will get into his car and find the radio programed to country, country music on his ipod, he even walks around whistling country songs. I love it. I also love that not only do Adam and I have a love song, but he has a country love song for each of the kids. It is the sweetest thing. I love you Adam, my little country-bumpkin!

The Broken Road

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkWGwY5nq7A

I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you
Every long lost dream lead me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

I think about the years I spent just passing through
I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You've been there you understand
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true

Every long lost dream lead me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

Watching You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqYUns2YQik

Driving through town just my boy and me
With a “Happy Meal” in his booster seat
Knowing that he couldn't have the toy ‘til his nuggets were gone.
A green traffic light turned straight to red
I hit my brakes and mumbled under my breath.
His fries went a flying, and his orange drink covered his lap
Well, then my 4 year old said a 4 letter word
It started with “S” and I was concerned
So I said, “Son, now where’d you learn to talk like that?”

Chorus:
He said, I’ve been watching you, dad ain’t that cool?
I’m your buckaroo, I want to be like you.
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are.
We got cowboy boots and camo pants
Yeah, we’re just alike, hey, ain’t we dad
I want to do everything you do.
So I’ve been watching you.

We got back home and I went to the barn
I bowed my head and I prayed real hard
Said, “Lord, please help me help my stupid self.”
Just this side of bedtime later that night
Turning on my son’s Scooby-doo nightlight.
He crawled out of bed and he got down on his knees.
He closed his little eyes, folded his little hands
Spoke to God like he was talking to a friend.
And I said, “Son, now where’d you learn to pray like that?”

Chorus:
He said, I’ve been watching you, dad ain’t that cool?
I’m your buckaroo; I want to be like you.
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are.
We like fixing things and holding moma’s hand
Yeah, we’re just alike, hey, ain’t we dad.
I want to do everything you do; so I’ve been watching you.

With tears in my eyes I wrapped him in a hug.
Said, “My little bear is growing up.”
And he said, “But when I’m big I’ll still know what to do.”

Chorus:
‘cause I’ve been watching you, dad ain’t that cool?
I’m your buckaroo; I want to be like you.
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are.
By then I’ll be strong as superman
We’ll be just alike, hey, won’t we dad
When I can do everything you do.
‘cause I’ve been watchin’ you.

It Won't Be Like This for Long

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at_lUnFjXg8

He didn't have to wake up
He'd been up all night
Laying there in bed listening
To his new born baby cry
He makes a pot of coffee
He splashes water on his face
His wife gives him a kiss and says
It gonna be OK

It wont be like this for long
One day soon we'll look back laughing
At the week we brought her home
This phase is gonna fly by
So baby just hold on
It won't be like this for long

Four years later about four-thirty
She's crawling in their bed
And when he drops her off at preschool
She's clinging to his leg
The teacher peels her off of him
He says what can I do
She says now don't you worry
This will only last a week or two

It wont be like this for long
One day soon we'll drop her off
And she won't even know your gone
This phase is gonna fly by
If you can just hold on
It won't be like this for long

One day soon she'll be a teenager
And at times you'll think she hates him
Then he'll walk her down the isle
And he'll raise her vale
But right now she up and crying
And the truth is that he don't mind
As he kisses her good night
And she says her prayers
He lays down there beside her
Till her eyes are finally closed
And just watching her it breaks his heart
Cause he already knows
It wont be like this for long
One day soon that little girl is gonna be
All grown up and gone
Yeah this phase is gonna fly by
He's trying to hold on
It won't be like this for long
It wont be like this for long

Big Girl Bed.

2011-02-01T14:07:00.000-08:00

After a few nights of hurdling over the crib rails June made it clear that she was ready for a big girl bed. She has adjusted well. Most nights she stays in bed until morning, other times she likes to exercise her freedom to move to a cozier location!

St Croix

2011-01-31T09:04:00.000-08:00

The week after we got back from spending Christmas in Vegas Adam's parents told us that they had a trip planned to the Caribbean that they were unable to go on and they wondered if we wanted to take their place. What?! (True story.) Who would pass up an opportunity like that? I literally still had my suitcases out from Christmas and there was a lot of coordinating to do with the kiddos but you better believe we made it happen (thanks to my mom, Jen, & Sarah.)

We had a great time with Ginger (Adam's sister) and Taylor. The week was filled with sleeping in, beach hopping, snorkeling, many late nights, and lots of laughs. We found this smoothie stand on the side of the road. The sign leading up to the stand read: "Smooties & zoo, 2 miles." When we arrived there was a local woman making the smoothies and the "zoo" consisted of about ten cages with birds and gerbils.
The beaches were beautiful.
The men on the island were HOT... and so masculine!
Our love blossomed.

My favorite day there we took a catamaran out to Buck Island. It is a national monument underwater! We snorkeled through a grotto and some amazing reef. We saw schools of 100+ bright blue and yellow fish. It was breathtaking! (Unfortunately no underwater pictures, just this sexy one of me.)
Ginger & Taylor, we loved sharing this experience with you two. (Richard & Sherie, thank you for your generosity. And to Mom, Jen, & Sarah, thanks for putting up with middle of the night screaming, early mornings, and lots of extra chaos from our darling children.)

Despicable Me.

2011-01-27T20:40:00.000-08:00

This chick has been a TOTAL TERROR lately. A few of the many things she has been up to include:

* Screaming all hours of the day/night just for the heck of it.

* Crawling onto the kitchen counter, then onto the microwave, getting the NEW itouch and dumping it into a full cup of water. (Ruined)

*Throwing her blanket into the bathtub.

*Crawling out of her crib in the middle of the night and then accidentally locking herself (and Charlie) into their room... @2 a.m. I might add.

Terrible two's you have arrived (two months too soon!)

Jesus wants me for a...

2011-01-04T20:30:00.000-08:00

SunBEAN!

It is hard to believe that this guy is old enough to be in Primary. He is thrilled to be a Sunbeam, or a sunbeaN as he likes to say. I love it that I am in Primary now too and can watch my boy and listen to him sing... and wiggle!

Happy 2011.

2011-01-01T08:53:00.000-08:00

We brought the New Year in with a bang... kid style!
We played games...
...and partied til the break of dawn. Happy New Year!

Christmas in Vegas.

2010-12-30T08:52:00.000-08:00

A HOLLY JOLLY Christmas.

2010-12-24T08:45:00.000-08:00

We asked Santa to come to our house a few days early since we would be in Vegas on Christmas day. Let's just say, Santa did not disappoint. Charlie got his long awaited for BLUE SCOOTER...

...and DINOSAURS.

And it was pure glee for June-bug when she hopped on her ROCKING HORSE. Love at first ride!

(Her glasses and monkey puppet took a close second.)

I guess they made the "NICE" list after-all!

Christmas Card Party

2010-12-23T13:42:00.000-08:00

The Toffoli's originated and have graciously hosted our annual Christmas card party for the past 20 years. It is a night full of making Christmas cards, performing, eating delicious food, caroling to the mailbox, and spending time with family. I have memories of this fun evening from when I was a child and now it is a time I cherish as a mother.

These are a few of my FAVORITE things.

2010-12-20T07:33:00.000-08:00

Oprah does her "favorite things" episode each year and I love seeing her surprise her audience with so many wonderful gifts. I too have some "favorite things" of my own (not to give away) that make me smile and enjoy this time of year even more.

1. This was our very first Christmas decoration given to us as a wedding gift (from the Magnusson Family). It is the first thing I put up each year as I decorate for Christmas. 2. We made this gingerbread house the Sunday after Thanksgiving. We enjoyed looking at our beautiful creation for a few weeks but then it was time to partake. It was source of two well-behaved children, some bribes, many sneak attacks, and a few stomachaches.

3. This year I bought this advent calendar. I have always wanted one like this where you can stuff lots of goodies inside. That was the plan (the lots of goodies part) but I quickly realized the kids were eating plenty of sweets so Adam suggested putting their vitamins in it. Brilliant!

3. Elf on a Shelf. Grandma Graham gave this to the grand kids this year. We named him Dash. He watches over out little munchkins and then flies to the North Pole each night to update Santa on who's been naughty or nice.

4. Little People Nativity. This is one of Charlie and June's favorite things (thank you Momoo). The kids love playing with baby Jesus and singing along to "Away in a Manger" as the angel on top lights up.

5. We began a new tradition this year. On Christmas Eve we write Santa a letter giving him an update on the happenings at the Koch household. Santa then responds and we log the gifts he brought.

6. I LOVE getting Christmas cards. Truly a favorite thing.

7. Another fave, our Santa plate (thanks mom).

8. The story goes like this... My very first Christmas as a married woman I came home from shopping with two adorable stockings. I went to show them to Adam and he did not like them. So I asked, "Well dear, what do you picture our stockings looking like?" His response, "I don't know, it's just that my mom MADE ours." Lovely. I guess I was not the domestic diva that he thought he married. So the next day I marched over to the fabric store, dragging Adam along with me, and we each picked out some fabric so he could have a HOMEMADE stocking. Well, to make a long story short I have made and re-made our stockings every year since then. I made one when Charlie was born and then the following year for June. This year I re-did them all because I did not like how they all looked together. Adam has been fine since attempt #1 but now I am a crazy woman about our stockings. These are the ones I made this year... we'll see if they stay the same in the future.

I wish it could be Christmas all year long. I love having so many extra decorations on the walls, lights twinkling at night, and that extra special spirit that fills our home. I guess that is what makes it a favorite though, that it only comes once a year so we need to savor every moment.

Preschool (day 2)

2010-12-17T15:02:00.000-08:00

(I had my second day teaching preschool yesterday. I love spending this time with Charlie. He refuses to call me "mom" when his preschool friends are over, I am "teacher" to him from the hours of 9 a.m. to noon.)

Theme: Christmas

Question of the day:
Is Christmas you favorite holiday?

Calendar:

Dramatic Play:
Animals

Math:
Numbers Puzzle

Writing Center:

ABC Center:

Music:
Christmas songs

Storytime:
Baby Jesus board book
&
What is Christmas by Michelle Adams

Learning Activity:
We looked at our Little People Nativity and talked about Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, Three Wise Men, etc. and then we played "Nativity Memory."

Art:
Baby peanut, I mean Jesus!

Wagon Wheel Preschool.

2010-12-14T16:50:00.000-08:00

(I had my first day of teaching preschool today. Charlie used to be in the city preschool but there were a few issues (teacher changes, etc.) that made me and a few (new) friends decide to do a preschool rotation of our own. We are all former teachers and I must say that I had so much fun teaching today.)

Theme: Christmas

We read some Christmas books to begin the day.

Question of the day:

After determining that the girls do not have a "c" in their name and the boys do, we found other similarities. Charlie, Merrick, & Berkleigh all have a "r" in their name and Molly and Merrick both start with a "m." The kiddos thought this was pretty awesome to find so many "matches" in their names.

Math Center:

Making a pattern with cereal... and eating some along the way! :)

Dramatic Play:

I told the kids they could play doctor or Mr. Potato head. Molly was very creative and decided to put the two together and doctor up Mrs. Potato Head.

ABC Center:

Alphabet train puzzle. Charlie and Merrick had great teamwork here. Charlie would find the letter in the alphabet and hand Merrick the puzzle piece, then Merrick would put the puzzle pieces together.

Writing center:

Here we wrote the letter "c" next to all the c-words. (This lasted for about 2 seconds for the boys and about 2 minutes for the girls.)

Music:

We had a SERIOUS dance party to Christmas music. Some favorites: Jingle Bells, Rudolph, and the Chipmunk song!

Storytime

The Little Reindeer by Michael Foreman

(This was such a cute story that the kids really got into.)

Learning Activity:

We went on a hunt for reindeer food while pretending we were reindeer. The kids collected berries, read leaves, and a pinch of grass outside. Then we went in and added oats and "sparkles" to complete our Magic Reindeer Food.

On the night before Christmas

In the light of the moon

We sprinkle this mixture

Outdoors with a spoon.

For Rudolph will smell

The oats from the sky

The sparkles will surely

Capture his eye!

As we were walking inside from collecting the reindeer food I realized that I had not taken a picture of the kids picking berries. I saw this bush and told the kids to add one last magic berry to their bag (while I snapped a quick shot.) Bad idea. The berries were mushy, unlike the hard red berries we picked earlier. You can sort-of see from Molly's examining her hand that these "magic berries" made a MESS. The kids thought it was funny though so we took a pic of them showing off their messy fingers. Oh, and I think they all said "Ewww gross." about 50 times!

Art:

Reindeer ornaments

Bonus:

Charlie shared some of his gingerbread house candy with his buddies.

The most WONDERFUL time of the year.

2010-12-04T23:16:00.000-08:00

Naughty or Nice?

2010-12-01T10:18:00.000-08:00

Dear Masking Tape,

2010-11-24T10:20:00.000-08:00

Thank you for entertaining my kids today.

Love, Nora

Joy ride.

2010-11-23T13:19:00.000-08:00

Every time we drive down our street to get onto the freeway Charlie asks me go super fast over this bump in the road. It is actually more like a hill, so when I step on the gas the kids giggle as gravity pulls against their stomachs. I love doing this, sometimes we even make a u-turn to experience the thrill again and again. (It reminds me of my childhood when we would ask my mom to drive "the horsey way" to the park or to drive home "the bumpy way.") Well, last night we drove over the awesome bump and June did her usual "Weeee!" followed by a chuckle. Charlie on the other hand loudly belted out "Whoa! That make my tummy and wiener feel funny!" Nice. Other than cracking up I was not too sure how to respond to that one.

Obsessed.

2010-11-20T08:26:00.000-08:00

With goggles. Both of them!

Dadoo.

2010-11-17T20:10:00.000-08:00

Adam's dad (aka: Dadoo) is known for his generosity and kindness. He takes the family on lavish vacations like resorts in Colorado and islands in Hawaii. But the family jokes about the things he does not like paying for, such as a beverage other than water or a dinner other than Taco Bell. So, Momoo brought some of the kids down for a little trip to Disneyland (and Dadoo was convinced to come too). We had just finished eating outside of the park when Ben, Charlie, and Reese were mesmerized by a "balloon-man" working nearby. My thought was "Sweet, free entertainment while I finish eating." Before I knew it Charlie was running up to me with a huge grin on his face holding a Spiderman balloon. Then he said "Dadoo, got us all balloons!" I am guessing they were probably at least $8 each... for a balloon! I am not sure who was happier that night, the kids, the balloon-man, or Dadoo.

(We love you Dadoo. You are an amazing dad, father-in-law, and grandpa. I am so grateful that Adam has learned how to treat his wife based on your example of love, patience, and selflessness.)

Little Rascals.

2010-11-09T14:13:00.000-08:00

June and Charlie have been total RASCALS lately. The picture above was taken when I asked Charlie to go get dressed for the day. He came downstairs with two thermal bed-shirts. Then he insisted that June needed one on. They have both been testing the limits lately, it has been frustrating and hilarious all at the same time. Here are some examples:

me: "Charlie, you need to obey or else you are going to be in trouble."
Char: "Well, you hurted my life!"

We were having dinner and I asked Charlie to please finish eating, he responded with: "Well, I don't want something healthy, I want something good."

Just today, I got mad at Charlie for being too loud during nap time. I told him that if he was not tired he still needed to rest quietly in his bed but to not wake June up. As I was walking dowstairs he quietly began singing "So tell me what you want what you really really want..."

This little Missy has been moving chairs to climb onto the counter and table to get food. She has also been SCREAMING All. Day. Long. It is the loudest, most high-pitched scream you could ever imagine.

Here she is POUTING (below) on our way in from the car. She did not want to come inside so she plopped herself down on the cement to show me who's boss.

I love this picture. June getting into trouble with a total look of victory on her face with the KEEP CALM and CARRY ON picture in the background. These kids! Make me crazy but I love them.

Happy Halloween.

2010-11-02T13:40:00.000-07:00

This years Halloween costume "theme" was a bit of a stretch. I was mistaken for Sponge Bob and a yellow Lego and Adam did not really look like he had been "rescued from a burning building" or anything. Nevertheless... we had a great Halloween with family in town and the kids looked pretty darn cute!

Our buddies at the ward Trunk-or-Treat.

Cruela and her dalmatians.

Momoo and Dadoo at their finest.

The serious pumpkin carvers.

The cousins and their AWESOME pumpkins.

The Simple Things.

2010-10-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

Charlie's prayer at lunch today went like this:

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for this day.
Thank you for Mommy and Daddy and Charlie and Junie.
Thank you for my peaner-butter and jelly sandwich.
And thank you that we can have so, so, so, so many cereals!
Amen.

(This was his view from the kitchen table.)

Did I mention...

2010-10-15T08:44:00.000-07:00

... I am IN LOVE with this girl.

Girls Weekend.

2010-09-30T20:46:00.000-07:00

Hallelujah! That was the theme for our girls weekend. Our husbands got mad that we were calling it a girls "weekend" when really it was longer than that. We left Wednesday (Sept. 15) during the kids nap time to head up north and we were gone til Sunday. (We were sad Kenna, and Melinda couldn't make it, but you better believe we will be doing it again.) We spent a day in San Francisco shopping, eating... then more shopping and more eating.
(In case any of you were wondering why I look 3 months pregnant in the picture below... I DON'T KNOW!! This was only our first day there, so it was not like I had been stuffing my face all weekend.)

We hit up the spa at our hotel every night. It was crazy to do things like this without having kids to look after.
Something else I got used to in the 4 nights we were gone was SLEEPING IN. We pulled the blinds and cranked up the A/C. I think one morning we did not get out of bed until 10 a.m. (I am so thankful that my friend Sarah (and Nicole and Stephanie) helped take care of the kiddos while Adam was at work. They had to deal with June getting the stomach bug. Adam was a trooper too. He cleaned up throw-up and let Junie snuggle next to him all night long.)
On Saturday (Sept. 18) my cousin Sara got married. Going to her wedding is what prompted this whole trip in the first place. I had a blast getting ready for the big event with my mom and sisters. It was a ton of fun hanging out with family all night.

The bride.

M.O.B (Aunt Cass) and F.O.B (Uncle Dan)

My grandma, Mimi, is hilarious. She LOVES to dance and is always the first one on the dance floor and can totally keep up with everyone else.

(This is a classic Mimi move: the point and shake)
This man (who might of had a bit too much to drink) came up to Mimi and started going crazy dancing waaaay too fast for her. We were all trying to cut in so she would not fall but he was oblivious, having a grand old time swinging my grandma around.

Party animals.

Here is my mom getting tossed like crazy by her cousin. I think they were trying to do some swing dancing. My mom is literally being flown from one corner of the room to another and totally cracking up the entire time. Too funny!

It was such a fun trip. I LOVED every minute of it. Thanks to my mom and sisters for making it so memorable.

Love-bug.

2010-09-26T08:02:00.000-07:00

I have no clue where the last year and a half has gone. We love this little chick-a-dee so much. She is full of so much spunk and personality. June-bug is not much of a girly-girl. She keeps up with Charlie at the park, she will throw herself down the slide, and I think she would choose to play with a toy car over her baby dolls. Her favorite things to eat include: cheese, bananas, yogurt and toothpaste. She loves brushing her teeth and anytime she walks by the bathroom she will repeatedly say "teeee, teeee, teeee" while tugging at the toothbrush drawer. Sweet little June-bug can throw a tantrum with the best of them but right now it is more humorous than annoying. Her vocabulary is small but her favorite words include "doggie" and "cookie," in which she is obsessed with both. I actually think cookie was one of her first real words after mama and dada. Junie's softer side comes out when she sees her nigh-night (pink blanket) laying on the floor. She will pounce on that thing and then do her funny little cackle, she is in love with that blanket... and her paci. She loves people and will frequently reach out to strangers to be held by them. June is such a happy, funny, crazy kid. I am pretty sure there is not a day that has gone by in the past 18 months that Adam or I don't mention how much we are in love with our little girl.

A day in the life of...

2010-09-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

June

and Charlie.

BIG-KID Preschool.

2010-09-20T20:46:00.001-07:00

First day of school picture. On the way to school Charlie grinned and said " I really love my new backpack." (Thanks Sarah!)

I have been going to a mommy & me preschool with Charlie since he was just over a year old. I was not sure how I felt about sending him off by himself to be exposed to this big bad world without being right by his side. Being the socialite that he is, I knew that "big-kid" preschool was right up his alley. He did not flinch the first day, he walked right in and started playing with the bugs in the sand. We miss Charlie during the 6 hours a week he is gone but it has been great spending some one-on-one time with Junie... and I think she enjoys having the toys at home all to herself!

Colorado.

2010-09-14T08:03:00.001-07:00

It all began with a family road trip. 16+ hours in the car with two kiddos. Our trip started off with 4 stops between Huntington Beach and Vegas. They were all false alarms but when you hear the words "I gotta go poop" from your three year old, you pull over as fast as possible. The kids did great though. I have these trans fatty snacks (below) to thank for a half hour of total silence.

Koch family reunion 2010. The gang. (Everyone except Jacob.)

A family bike ride. The first day of our vacation we took a family bike ride. Our surroundings were breathtaking. Charlie cruised on his bike for a while but then lost steam. We ditched his bike in the bushes and he road with Junie the rest of the way. She was a good sport even though Charlie ate all her popcorn.

This is a picture from our trip to Steamboat Springs in 2007. (Charlie, 6 weeks)

Steamboat Springs 2010. (Charlie 3, June 17 months)

The Alpine Slides. (A highlight for me.)

Lovely!

Pool time. June-bug and her cousins Claire and Shea were all born within 3 months of each other. June is the youngest but I think she may weigh the most.

Charlie got sick during the trip but that didn't keep him from his buddy Mason. Charlie was attached at the hip with his cousin. He adores Mason. Mason was a good sport and let Char hang, wrestle, and pounce all over him.

Fishing.

Momoo and Dadoo, thanks for an amazing trip. We loved spending time with our family and our kids loved playing with all their cousins.

T-Ball.

2010-09-01T12:34:00.000-07:00

Charlie LOVED t-ball, which was no surprise. Every Monday and Wednesday morning we would go to swim lessons and then walk across the street to have t-ball practice. The picture above was taken on a special "batting cages" day, Charlie was in heaven!

The teams.

June-bug was a trooper. She was a sweet little sister just cheering her brother on during all his activities of the summer.

Swim Lessons.

2010-08-27T10:44:00.000-07:00

Charlie with his buddy Logan waiting for swim lessons to start.

Charlie loved swim lessons. He swallowed tons of water each class session because he would not stop smiling under water.

Diving board day was quite a thrill. Charlie did not hesitate jumping in. The only problem was he did a serious belly-flop.

The after-math.

Bliss.

2010-08-13T11:26:00.000-07:00

Today marks 5 years of wedded bliss. Okay... so it's not always blissful, but at the end of the day there is no one I would rather share my life with. Happy anniversary my love.

Hello Kitty.

2010-08-02T10:16:00.001-07:00

We went to a super fun birthday party this weekend. I noticed Charlie got a little cut on his face while we were there, so I asked him what happened. He said, "The kitty scratched my face." What? I had not seen a cat around and I definitely did not see him playing with one. Really? So I looked all over, but there was not a cat in sight...

...except for this one!
(Funny, I guess he got a little aggressive with the pinata.)

I love this picture of the little party goers!

The Vultures.

2010-07-14T22:48:00.000-07:00

Meet my two little vultures, Charlie and June. If anyone is eating anything they are on the attack. They literally swarm in and devour all food. When Adam works late he will eat dinner after the kids have. By then, they have had a little break and they are ready for round two. They crawl onto his lap and go to town. Adam thinks I don't feed them. I do. They just take after their parents in the "I love to eat" department. Tonight, Charlie was picking off my plate, he kept saying "Can I have a bite mommy... Mmmm, this is a yummy dinner mommy... Can have some more mommy?" He saw that I had some ketchup that got onto my finger while I/we were eating. He grabbed my finger and started licking the ketchup off. I think that might be crossing the line. I will lick my own fingers clean from now on, thank you very much.

Summertime

2010-06-24T21:27:00.000-07:00

...and the livin' is easy.

(More pictures of the little swimmer-boy to come.)

Buzz Adam Koch.

2010-06-21T15:49:00.000-07:00

(note to self: a cute picture of the kids after 3 hours of church, not going to happen)

Charlie helped decorate an AWESOME tie for Adam for Father's Day. The day consisted of waffles with strawberries and ice cream for breakfast, Spaghetti O's with Ritz crackers for lunch (Adam's fave), and for dinner: pork tenderloin, potatoes and a salad. There was lots of golf watching in between and many hugs, kisses, and tickles. The kids love their dad so much. While Adam is at work June will hear a car drive by or someone at the door, her face lights up and she says "da-da?" Charlie loves to hide and "surprise" Adam when he gets home. This usually entails Charlie hiding under a pillow or blanket and Adam "accidentally" finding him by sitting on him. I really do not think I could have picked a better father for my kids. His love and dedication to them shows in how much they completely adore him. Charlie even named his favorite new Buzz Light-year toy Buzz Adam Koch, now that is saying something!

Garbage Pail Kid.

2010-06-15T12:22:00.000-07:00

Multiple forks and spoons. The remote. A flip-flop. A Mr. Potato Head ear. My hair brush. All found in the trashcan. Gross. The culprit refuses to fess up and show her face. Little stinker.

Donut Party.

2010-05-31T08:47:00.000-07:00

Someone had a very special day. Charlie was in heaven. It might of had something to do with the DONUTS...

decorating the DONUTS...

eating DONUTS off the tree...

"belly bumping" DONUT filled bellies, with matching football jersey's...

whatever it was, the DONUTS seemed to make life grand!

(and suckers do too!) The after party with Alli, Josh, and Zach...

... the after, after party with alligator pillow, red bowling ball, yellow bat, Buzz Lightyear goggles, Mickey, and Lightning McQueen.
(It was a happy birthday.)

3 years.

2010-05-26T06:41:00.000-07:00

name: Charlie Koch

age: 3 years

height: 29 inches

weight: 35 pounds

Has it really been 3 years? Time seems to keep passing me by, sometimes I want to just bottle it up and stay in this moment forever. Charlie is my buddy, and I am loving this age. He is full of personality and probably the friendliest boy I know. Trust me, there are many moments of frustration, but on this special day we will stick with the positive.

Over the past six months I have been jotting down some of the funny moments that take place in our home thanks to Char-char:

After yet another pair of wet undies I asked, "Charlie, why are your undies wet?" His answer: "Because my wiener did it!"
When I am sure Charlie is getting into some mischief I will ask what he is up to, his response "just nuffing."
I heard some yelling while Charlie was outside playing by himself. Me: "Hey Char, who are you yelling at?" Charlie: "Just the birds mommy, just the birds!"
Space ship = shash shpit
Remote control=Ha-remote
gum=gun
dizzy= "I'm so busy." (after spinning around)
going to the bank=going to the piggy bank
seat belt= safe belt

(Someone loves taking self-portraits.)

Whenever I am in a different room Charlie will walk in and say "Find-ja!" All day long from room to room it's "find-ja, find-ja!"
When we walk into the house after being gone Charlie says "Oh no, my Daddy is not home. I sure do miss my Daddy!" The funny thing is, even when Adam is home and goes to take the trash out or something Charlie says "Daddy, I was missin' you" the moment he walks back in the door.
Charlie says "Hi" to me All. Day. Long.
Charlie LOVES his friends. Every night while saying his prayers he blesses his friends.
One day I told Charlie that his buddy Logan was going to come over and play. Charlie responded with "PARTY... PARTY!"
I have never known someone who gets more into watching TV than Char. (I take that back, I think he gets it from his father.) When I say INTO I mean he shouts at the TV. If a character asks a question then Charlie shouts the answer like he IS the character.
We were in the drive-through at El Pollo Loco and I was talking in the intercom saying we wanted one burrito, a side salad, ect... then Charlie yells from the back seat "... and a HOT DOG!"
During Christmas time Adam mentioned something about being married while we were at the dinner table. Charlie heard the word marry and said "No, mommy's Mary, I 'm Joseph and daddy's Justin."

favorite word: mustache
This is Charlie's first happy face picture... with a mustache. He thought it was hilarious.

We were outside and Charlie stood on top of the slide and said, "Wow, look at the great big world."
After walking into church one Sunday we sat down behind a family we had not seen in a while. Charlie leaned over the pew and said "Hey remember me, I 'm Charlie Koch."
Charlie was walking through the living room chewing on something. I asked him what he had in his mouth and he said "just the couch." Apparently the fuzz from the couch is a tasty treat.
At night when I am putting June to bed Charlie always asks if he can "give Junie a kiss on the eye-ball."
When Charlie first started potty training he needed to be reminded to point his you-know-what down so pee would not go flying. So he was sitting on the toilet and I was helping him keep it down and he said "Don't touch it mommy, I got to go my privacies."
As we were walking into Trader Joe's Charlie asked, "Are we going to Target again?"
My brother would ask Charlie "Whose your favorite uncle?" Then one night Adam asked "Who's your favorite daddy?" Charlie's response "MOMMY."
Charlie was laying on the floor looking up at me and asked "Mommy, are you having a baby?" I instantly yelped "NO! Does mommy's tummy look like I am going to have a baby?" Charlie innocently said "No, but are your boobies having a baby."

favorite color: orange

favorite food: broccoli, green beans, all sweets!

favorite activity: swimming, playing baseball/soccer/football, yelling at the TV

favorite pastime: singing

favorite book: How Do I Love You (memorized from reading so many times)

Our lives have not been the same since our Charlie-boy came into this world. We have had more laughs, played more games, and given more kisses than I can count. It has been 3 years of pure JOY (most of the time). Happy Birthday buddy.

Let the GOOD times roll.

2010-05-15T07:40:00.000-07:00

Last week Charlie kept bopping June on the head because she was "buggin'" him. This week he was a sweet big brother.

Home sweet home.

2010-05-06T19:03:00.000-07:00

I went on a little get-away last weekend (all the way up to hotel Graham's in Monrovia). Adam asked what I wanted for my birthday and I told him "A DAY OFF!" So I went to my mom's house, worked on a few projects, shopped, went out to a peaceful dinner, got a pedicure, and had two full nights of uninterrupted sleep. It was heaven. I do love my crazy adorable kids and sweet husband... sometimes it just takes a weekend away to remember just how much!
This was my birthday note Adam helped Charlie with while I was gone. (Looks a bit more like a science experiment entitled "How healthy are your child's snacks?") Sweet though.
Charlie took this picture of Adam and I on my birthday. I love this picture! I think I love the fact that when I look at it I see Charlie with the camera up to his nose saying "cheeese".

Strawberry Fields Forever.

2010-04-20T14:00:00.000-07:00

Our mommy-and-me preschool class had a field trip to Tanaka Farms last week. I came really close to leaving June-bug at home since my friend Sarah kindly offered to watch her. We did this same field trip last year in the fall to pick pumpkins so I knew what I was in for. We ride the bus to the farm, get on a tractor, eat fresh vegetables and then pick strawberries. The problem is, when you get off the tractor it's all dirt so strollers are impossible! I was thinking it through a few days before the field trip and realized it would be difficult to help Charlie pick strawberries all the while holding June so she would not be crawling in the dirt and mud. Plus, preschool was during her nap time so that was all the more reason to have her stay home. But every time I thought about leaving her behind I felt guilty because this girl LOVES strawberries. She would eat them all day if I let her. As I thought about the day I just kept saying to myself, oh June would have so much fun. Well, as you can see from the pictures I am thrilled I decided to have the little Buggie come along. We all had a wonderful, crazy time.

13 months

2010-04-18T09:16:00.000-07:00

I took so many pictures of June on her actual birthday that I forgot to take her 12 month shot with the bear. So here she is at 12 1/2, almost 13 months. June is now a full-time walker and boy is she quick! I guess after two months of walking around the furniture she really has it mastered, now she is mastering her SPEED. At her last appointment June weighed 22 pounds and was 29.5 inches tall. She continues to be a spit-fire with so much personality.

PeeWee Soccer.

2010-04-16T15:54:00.000-07:00

Charlie started peewee soccer last week; it was just about the cutest thing I have ever seen. I got a little teary-eyed because it was so dang cute and he seemed so grown-up.

Charlie did not meet the age requirement by a few weeks so we had to fib and say he was already three. Slight problem, the first day of practice he acted like a two-year-old, notice he is playing with the ball when he is supposed to be "stretching." (At least Jordan decided it was time for some sit-ups so that took some of the attention off Charlie being the only one not following along.)

Reagan, Luke, Logan, Jordan, and Charlie.

Hoppy Easter.

2010-04-04T07:38:00.001-07:00

Birthday girl.

2010-03-26T19:41:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that my Junie girl is a year old. She has added so much love and spunk to our home. She really is a ham. This girl chuckles all day at just about anything, but usually herself. She will shake her head up and down, then snort, then chuckles and snorts again. She will get into mischief by darting up stairs or into the bedroom when Charlie is taking a nap, all the while knowing she is being naughty. She adores her big brother and laughs at anything he does. June-bug gives the sweetest kisses and has the cutest toothy grin. Happy birthday buggie.

Escargot anyone?

2010-03-20T16:39:00.000-07:00

I was playing outside with the kiddos the other day and looked over to see that June had some dirt around her mouth and something in her hand. I went over and cleared something out of her mouth and then saw she was holding a snail. I even saw the two little antlers peeking up a me. DISGUSTING. I grabbed it from her hand and chucked that thing so far. I probably should have examined things further to see if she took a bite or not, then again, it's probably better if I never know.

The Irish Jig.

2010-03-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

So, if this is your first year joining us for the jig, here's the history... I must have learned the jig in elementary school but I have no recollection as to where or when. All I know is that with a tune so catchy, it was ingrained in my mind forever. Growing up, my family had me "perform" it every year on St. Patrick's Day. When I got married SOMEONE did not find the humor in my famous jig. So I did what most respectful wives would do... I posted in on our blog http://kochomo.blogspot.com/2008/03/my-favorite-holiday.html Then last year I was 9 months pregnant so I had to do it again http://kochomo.blogspot.com/2009/03/jiggity-jig.html Now, it's tradition. Humiliation you ask? No such thing for me. My poised, sensible, husband on the other hand, he gets embarrassed by it all... which is why I continue to do it! HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY.

11 months.

2010-02-26T16:09:00.000-08:00

(I love the progression of pictures...)
toothy smile

serious face

...and she's done!

Each month I sound like a broken record, so basically I need to come to terms with the fact that time flies when you're having fun. June still believes that anytime we are with a crowd of people everyone is there to see her. We took the Metro into LA for my moms birthday and June waved to the passengers the entire train ride. She loves clapping and playing peek-a-boo. Our sweet girl does have an attitude at times (what girl doesn't) and she wakes up screaming in the middle of the night more often than we'd like (we still can't decide if that is part of the attitude or something else.) June is slowly becoming more stable on her feet, walking around the furniture and standing for longer periods of time. Junie's personality is really shining these days, we love her fake laugh, her dance moves, and how she continues to admire her brother even when the admiration is mostly one-sided.

Lazy bones.

2010-02-20T09:38:00.000-08:00

I have no motivation to work-out. I really do not think I could even run a mile right now if I wanted to. Here we are at Adam's half-marathon last month. After seeing all the runners cross the finish line I was determined to pick up running. It is the perfect form of exercise. The kids could go with me and it is quick and to the point. The only thing is I don't know if I am cut out to be a runner. A few years ago my sister broke her foot. When the doctor looked at the x-ray he asked if she had a difficult time running. She said, "Not really, but my husband always makes fun of the way I run." Then the doctor told her she has an extra bone in her foot. Interesting. Adam makes fun of the way I run too, so maybe this extra bone thing runs in the family. Really, I am probably just looking for an excuse. I think I need to put the plate of cookies down, get my booty off the couch, and go for a run...

I {heart} this guy.

2010-02-14T07:49:00.000-08:00

I really have the best husband around, you should all be jealous. He has the biggest heart of anyone I have ever met. If we were in high school I would vote him "BEST ALL AROUND." He is thoughtful and giving... and forgiving, thank goodness. He LOVES his kids and he is their favorite playmate. I have never heard him complain about a single meeting or activity he has had for church, and he has lots! He is so positive, only hard on himself because he wants to do and be better. He works hard and plays hard. I have never met a single person who does not like him. He runs half-marathons, donates blood, and is good at every sport he tries, even horseshoes. He cleans bathrooms, folds laundry, changes diapers, washes dishes, and the list goes on. I find him reading his scriptures early in the morning and kneeling in prayer late at night. I think the thing I love the most about him is that he takes me the way I am. He loves me the way I am (and I can be a real jerk at times). Happy Valentine's Day Adam. I am glad we will be together forever because it's going to take an eternity for me to learn to be more like you.

10 months.

2010-01-26T23:22:00.000-08:00

This month June has gone from being a baby to a total toddler. The little missy is a whopping 20+ pounds and my hip is starting to feel it. June's missing bottom tooth finally appeared and so did all four of her top teeth. June has figured out how to pull herself up but it has taken all month for her to master getting back down. The first time she stood up in her crib she got stuck and freaked out... I just grabbed the camera and snapped away. Army crawling still continues to be her favorite mode of transportation. The only frustrating thing about this lady is she has started to make a habit out of blowing her food all over the place when she eats, but somehow everything she does seems to be cute!

"I'm a BIG KID now!"

2010-01-25T20:50:00.000-08:00

A week of rain. Many accidents. Lots of laundry. Countless trips to the toilet. Stickers. Candy (M&M's, Skittles, and Gummy Bears to be exact). Suckers. A trip to the donut shoppe (for the first # 2 in the toilet). It's official, my baby is a BIG BOY now.

We are FAM-A-LEE

2010-01-20T15:20:00.000-08:00

the Grahams

the Martinos (minus Ben)

the Grahams

the Kochs

the Menloves

We took some family pictures in my mom's backyard over the holidays, it's been a long time since our last family pic. Ben was the only one not there but thanks to Photoshop it will be like he never left! The picture below was taken on a whim, someone said "What about one with just the original Grahams." As the pictures were being taken I could not help but have an overwhelming feeling like someone was missing. I kept looking around feeling like the picture was not complete. Then my eyes got teary; the picture is not complete. Someone is definitely missing. I don't think we have taken a picture with just my mom and us five kids since my dad has been gone. It felt weird while we were taking it and it looks incomplete to me now. I guess it will always feel like someone is missing but I am happy to have frequent reminders, especially in the personalities of my kids, of how close my dad really is.