Last Soccer Pics, I promise!

Caden and Rob were MIA from the official team photo last week so Coach Don got everyone together for another one this week. I was the lucky photographer! : ) I love how Caden and Cole have their arms around one another. Such buddies.

I think this is the best photo I have taken to date of the two of them.  They were adorable.

The two of them were so funny during the game. From the sidelines they cheered together, "Go Yellow Team" or they tackled their coach or they kicked the soccer ball back and forth.  On the field they were teammates and had one purpose...get the ball away from the other team!

Here they race onto the field together. 

A Date with Awesomeness....

...spelled SYTYCD!!!

Of course my sister is also super awesome, but hello!!! ...

So You Think You Can Dance Season 5 Tour!!!!

To say I love this show is an understatement (Ok, ok, I realize I cannot "love" the show, but it's my blog and I'll overuse the word if I want to, gosh darnit!)  There are two shows I watch, ahem- religiously- LOST and SYTYCD.  LOST because it is intriguing, puzzling, exciting, and makes one think. SYTYCD because it is inspiring and full of people who have amazing technique and talent.  Makes me wish I hadn't given up ballet when I was 6-ha!  

This show covers all types of dance, Bollywood (!), hip-hop, pop jazz, salsa, rumba, ballet and my personal favorite- contemporary, just to name a few.  The choreography is amazing.

It is sad to say (perhaps!) but my 19-year-old sister likes the show but doesn't watch it as often as me. I knew every song and every dance they performed.  I admit it, okay? No comments from the peanut gallery, thankyouverymuch.

I love my sister for not holding her head in her hands when I would shake her arm and say "I love this one!!"  : )

Melissa and Ade dance to "Romeo and Juliet"

This piece was AMAZING!! It was choreographed by Mia Michaels and was all about addiction and the hold it has on people.  Here it is on Youtube. Watch it if you get the chance. It gives me shivers.

Here are some other dances you should check out if you have the time:

Kupono and Kayla (pop jazz)

Melissa and Ade (contemporary)

Jeanine and Brandon (hip-hop)

Apples, Doughnuts, and Friends, Oh my!

This past Saturday we continued our annual tradition with the Schwinns and went Apple Picking at Russell's Orchards in Ipswich, MA.  Now, you might wonder why we would go all the way to Ipswich when we have not one, but three perfectly good apple orchards in our town....

Well, since we used to live in Salem, and we started going to Russell's four years ago (three years with the Schwinns), we just keep going back for the tractor rides, the apples, the cider doughnuts, the experience!!  And always, always, always we just laugh SO much with Robyn and Erich.  I really wished they lived closer to us...sniff, sniff!

But before we left I just had to take a photo of Cole and Charlotte in her little apple outfit. I bought it last year on sale at Gymboree with this very excursion in mind! I also love that I can pull in her hair into pigtails!!   I don't know why I placed them in the shade for this photo but oh well, I am still learning the art of photography!!

We waited in line for the tractor ride (Russell's is a VERY popular place) and I had time to snap photos of these beautiful flowers!!  Of course, my friends (ahem!!) and husband had to make fun of me the entire time I did.

Oh, all of them together!! It was hard to get a photo closer than this with all of the different heights on them! : )

Such little boys these two are. I still cannot believe they are only a day apart in age!

I had to post this again because I love it so much. : )

BFFs and the kiddos...

I love this one of Morgan....  I changed it to B&W too and sent it on to Robyn.  Now, if I just get my butt moving with using Photoshop then I could have made it B&W and kept the apple red!

This photo makes me laugh.  There was a fantastic climbing tree at the playground area. All of the older boys were climbing it which made Cole want to climb it too. So I put him on a branch and he held on for dear life! Another year or two and he'll be climbing with the best of them!

Gavin shows off the coveted apple cider doughnuts!!

More Soccer Pictures

Yippee! I have more soccer pictures to show you! : )

The weather was just too, too gorgeous to pass up the opportunity to take some really great photos of Cole's soccer game. But first I had to play the part of the mammarazzi and take pics of Cole and his team getting their team photos done.   Yes, I know, someday Cole will shun me for doing this.... 

Until then.... I shall continue to snap away at my heart's content!

Playing duck, duck, goose before pics...

Cole kept trying to stifle a smile! I don't know if he thought he had to be serious for these pics or what! I eventually ran over to him and told him I would tickle him if he didn't smile..

That did the trick....

Awwwww, so cute!!  All of them are just adorable.. Look how little Cole is!  I think he was the only 4 year old present.  Even if Caden was there (and we missed you buddy!) he has the height of a 5 year old so Cole is still the peanut!

I don't know why but Cole felt the need to roll up his shirt when he wasn't running after the ball!

Or, you know, practice his "hike" position for football....

Here they are lining up for the start!  Cole is yelling "Hi Zachary!" who is on the green team.  Before the game Cole and I talked about how if a yellow team member has it, then he shouldn't go after the ball. He said, "Ok, I won't try to take it away from my team and I won't try to take it away from Zachary."  : )

Action shot! Look at that face!

I have no idea why he is doing this but I laughed so hard when I saw this photo.

I LOVE this photo. Look at his face. His tongue is still out and  he is braced for impact!

Playing goalie for a quick moment anyway....

High five to Dad after the game...

And just another adorable  pose....

Hahahahaha!!! (roll on the floor, wipe tears away..)

Saturday morning we got out of bed, harassed Daddy to get out of bed as well, and Cole went into the bathroom to remove his pull-ups and change into underwear. Charlotte followed him, because she is the little sister and that is what she does. Charlotte incidentally is really interested in the potty now and loves to practice sitting on it! : ) I'm hoping potty training for her is much easier than it was for Cole!! Anyway.... I wasn't in the bathroom but I heard Cole say to Charlotte....

"Careful Charlotte, you'll hurt your penis."
What?! That in and of itself made me laugh!

I said to Cole, "Actually, sweetie, Charlotte doesn't have a penis. Only boys have those."

Cole looked at me like I was crazy. "Why??!!", he asked incredulously.

I said, "Well, God, didn't design girls that way. Only boys."

He just looked at me and said in way I can only just say was simply hilarious...

"Well, that's strange."

Just a snippet...

Just a quick update.... I took over 250 pictures today! Yikes! I narrowed down my favorites to 61 but I have to narrow it down even more before I can post them here....

But here are a couple that stood out today. : )

My BFF.  I love her to bits.  We are so similar we even have the same taste in clothes and wore the same thing to go apple picking today! What a couple of goofs.  (It was not intentional, by the way!!)

Tag! I'm It!

SevinStiches tagged me....guess I didn't get to "gools" in time... : )

I decided to have a little fun with this one because quite honestly, it is sad, but I couldn't think of six things that were interesting about myself...

1. I once read Moby Dick, Anne of Green Gables, and 10,000 Leagues Under the Sea in one day and still had time to redecorate my living room.

2. I have spoken with Elvis. He said to call him back later.

3. I fear sometimes I have lost "myself". Sigh. Maybe I'm still wandering through racks of clothes at Ann Taylor...

4. I worked with the CIA for 2 weeks when I was 16. They were trying to determine if my Track team was a covert operation for the Kremlin.

5. I used to sing loudly in public elevators. Then someone got mad when I sang "Henry the Eigth I am" for 25 consective floors.

6. Gravity does not apply to me. I wear special shoes to keep me grounded. Also, humility helps.

I hope this post brightens your day!! : )

One and two-thirds

....or 20 months, to put it simply...

That is officially how old Charlotte is today.

It is amazing to me how much development and growth has occured in that short amount of time...and how much will change in another 20 months!

What a little girl Charlotte is! "Nature" really does play a role here. Charlotte loves to dress up, often wearing more than one hat!  She also loves purses and we have gathered as many as possible from around the house/my closet for her enjoyment.  

Charlotte most often has a soft, sweet voice and knows her own mind as well! When answering a question, she'll answer "kay" or "yup" and then there's the screech of "Noooo!" She loves to repeat the Rogers' names over and over again... "Ra" (Rob), "Yisa" (Lisa), "Cay-cay" (Caden), Cole (easy one!), and "Cowa" (Cora) and often points at their house and asks to play.  One day she was  inside looked out the window and saw Rob and shouted his name and became so excited! I think she may have a little crush!  But when we are talking with him or playing with them, she seems star struck and won't talk! I told Rob that yesterday and he said "Yea, I get that a lot!"  Here she is giving Cowa a hug. : )

Her new funny thing is "Ready? Yup!" This started when we were playing in the pool and we wanted them to say "ready" before jumping in. Now she does it for everything...racing, jumping, etc!

Charlotte also has taken to saying her own name when she wants to do something herself. I'll say "Can Mommy help you?" and she'll say "Yaryotte", meaning she'll do it herself.  It's pretty cute.

Charlotte copies Cole often, from imitating what he is saying/singing to running around the house or laying on the floor. It is hilarious to watch!

She also loves piggy back rides now!

Her personality continues to grow and we are entertained as she is often a "ham" around us, often making funny faces or being silly.  

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday Mummy! I hope you had a wonderful day....and I hope you know just how much Cole, Charlotte, and I love you so much!

I still can't get over that my "baby" sister is in her sophomore year at college.  Sniff, sniff!

And here's my baby!  Before we know it she'll be in college.