A whole hand!

Little B had his 5th Birthday and he is so proud to be able to hold up a whole hand for his age! Birthday preparations have been fun. Last year he starting asking for things like his own real huge airplane, a real dump truck, a jet, a sharp sword, and his own robot. Every day he would ask for about 50 things. Most of them too impossible to ever get, but it worked well to just say, "Yes, maybe you can get it for your birthday." This clammed a lot of tantrums in the Wal-Mart toy aisles.

With his Birthday coming up I told him he can not have anything too dangerous or expensive. As his Birthday came closer his stage of asking for 50 things a day passed. Brian and I have tried to stick to getting just 3 gifts for kids Birthday's and Christmas. (It is always so easy to over shop) Here are some of his birthday surprises

Brian's Birthday Gifts started with a sweet endearing letter from Emma she writes, " Brian, Happy Birthday. your great. I (heart) you. Love Emma." Brian asked what the heart means. I asked him what he thought it meant. He just smiled and thought about it. Brian told us once that he was going to marry Emma, because she is a girl and not his sister. When he told Emma, she told him she was already going to marry another boy, (Max, I think?). This Birthday note was very special.

Brian also got another Birthday card in the mail. This one was from Great Grammy Fuller. She has a very unique loving way of card giving. In one birthday card you will get several cut outs from other inspirational, christian and Birthday cards. She lovingly tapes several messages inside one card. Its always fun to count how many cards she cut to make one card. She is very generous with gifts. Brian has a little cash built up mostly from Grammy and Grandaddy

The morning of B's Birthday he got to open one of his gifts from Brian and me. I love making these shirts! and this is one of my favorites, I am exited to make more. Brina loves the big 5

At preschool the kids sang to him, and he gave everybody a sticker. Brian's favorite San Diego cousins came over and enjoyed cake and gave him some great gifts, he loved all the phone calls Brian's gifts were a hit. he slept with his toy jet, woke up and finally figured out how to shoot the bow and arrow to make them stick and all day he has been playing with Lego's. Brian was so exited to find out that for his birthday everybody in the Fuller family is coming to San Diego and we are all going to Lego Land!

His last 2 surprises came today. While I was cleaning the kitchen I had the front door open enjoying the nice weather and the mail man came. He said hello to the kids so I came in, quickly to answer the door. He asked if it was somebodies birthday we said yes Brian's was yesterday he then handed the mail and package to Brian, a gift from Grandma Jones. Then the mail man sang Happy Birthday to him! Wow that was a surprise, the nice looking, dark, mail man had a beautiful voice! He said I don't usually do this but, here you go young man and he reached into his wallet and gave him a dollar!

Brian is so likeable and charming. He makes everybody ar ound him happy! He is a special boy! and is looking forward to more Birthday fun with Fullers!

A super hero nice thing to say.

Little B. said something nice today that I want to remember. While I was cleaning his room he came in and laid down on his bed that I had just made then he said, "Wow, Mom, my bed looks nice...I like my bed, thank you." and I said, "Your welcome," as I was cleaning his room, " It's nice to have things clean, isn't it?" he said, " Yea I like my room clean. Its better then Dora, Nick Jr! (I highly recommend this FREE online game as well as the other nick Jr games. My kids are learning Spanish and Chinese!)"

I love how he compares things that don't quite relate. Another example of this, and cute story that I want to remember, was the morning after the kids had a baby sitter. He had been telling me that he didn't want Heather to baby sit, but that he wanted Maria. I told him Maria was busy and Heather was busy also so we were going to have a new babysitter Jessica. She came and everything went well. The kids were sleeping when we came home, and the report from the sitter was all positive. In the morning I asked Brian how things went, he said fine, I asked if he wanted her to come back, he said no, and that he still wanted Maria, to babysit. I asked what he did with Jessica he said, they read stories, watched a movie and played games. So I asked what he does with Maria that was so fun and in an exited voice he said, "We read stories! Watch movies! and play games!" I said is she nice? she sighed a yea, is she fun, yea, is she pretty? Yea! She is pretty! Super pretty! Like super hero pretty! I smiled big, but held back the laugh, so as not to embarrass him. I just said yeah she is pretty! and I am glad you think so too!

Names have been changed. :)

Brian's Lucky Tooth

We took Brian to the dentist last year and he loved it. Not a suprise becuase like Susan, Brian is a very happy kid. He loves almost everything. At the dentist he did real well, laying down on the dentist chair, letting Dr. Ryan, my brother-in law's brother, look at his teeth, tickle them, and holding still for the X-ray. After the exam Dr Ryan told us Brian has a "lucky tooth" a cute name referring to the extra tooth Brian has between his central incisor and his lateral incisor. Its the little tooth in front as you can tell in this photo that captures Brian's smile. The Dr. said there is plenty of room in his mouth so the extra tooth is no big deal, for now.

Along with Brian's great, toothy, smile, comes an infectious laugh. He has a great sense of humor and can make us laugh just to hear him giggle. At a Christmas gathering with the Ollerton Family my cousin, Kolby, read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas Spanglish Style . Kolby is a funny guy also, so he had some of us laughing but Brian thought the poem was hilarious! Brian is learning Spanish words and loves rhyming all these combined had Brian laughing loud as the poem was read. The poem was great, and Kolby read it with a lot of character, but I think most people were laughing because Brian's Laugh was so, sincere, sweet, and infectious.

Back to the Lucky tooth. I have been feeling lately like Brian is growing up so fast! He will be in Kindergarten soon and I am afraid I am gonna miss him so much while he is gone! He lost his first baby tooth this past weekend. Just another reminder to me that he is growing up! So I figure lucky for me he still has the same number of baby teeth as a child born with the normal number of teeth. To me that means I still have a little time for him to be my baby. Before his new big tooth grows in, before he starts school, before he stops getting into bed with me in the middle of the night, before he stops wanting to cuddle and lets me play with his hair. Brian really is a special kid and I love him so much!

He is so exited about loosing a tooth! He has been telling everybody, and asking me 50 teeth questions.

What a Happy Girl!

Our little Susan is the HAPPIEST baby ever! She does so many funny things that I have been wanting to write about for a while:

1. her laugh; She has the cutest fake laugh. We noticed this unique laugh back in September, when she was 8 months old or maybe even younger. Its like a dolphin squeal, or happy witches cackle, whenever I make the laugh noise she copies me, super cute! I hope to post a video clip of that one soon

2. Her happy feet dance. When she gets really exited she does these quick light stomps and laughs a genuine laugh, she sometimes even looks down at her dancing, happy feet. Usually she is so exited because Daddy just came home and she wants to be picked up. Along with the happy feet dance and giggle she holds her hands up in the air which bring me to number 3.

3. When Susan wants something and she can't say the word for it she flaps her tongue up and down and babbles Its a lot cuter to watch or listen to then it is to explain so I am trying hard to get this one on video. That is the noise on Katie's talk video clip, (Susan was closer than Katie to the camera and Susan wanted the camera.)

4. Susan has the cutest happy wiggle run. Again, when she is exited, and going somewhere she runs while exaggerating the hip shake movement. Her little butt (which is actually kinda big for a child of Brian and I) wiggles back and forth as she happily runs away.

Susan really is such a happy girl, she has a way of making everyone around her happy too! She has always been easy going and lots of fun. When strangers pass us by at the grocery store, Church, preschool, everywhere she waves, smiles really big, and "talks (see#3) until they notice her. Then they always say,

"What a happy Girl!"

Shout-out: Thanks Cindy for taking the great pictures at the George's Luau! Susan had so much fun that night!

Day Trip to Ramona & Another Food Critic Rating

Every Saturday that Brian is not busy with school we try to do something fun with the kids. Brian has a hobby for driving, studying maps, and go new places. It is always fun being married to that. Last week we checked out the Mexican boarder. We drove as far south as we could then as far west as we could. Usually the beach is open there but due to rain the beach we closed to car traffic so we decided to drive around. There was lost of signs that said, you cant go this way, Government Property! So we cruised until we found a dirt road that only said " No off-roading." We followwed the road up a hill/mountain to the top and saw a great view of south San Diego and the ocean. We wanted to see the border and check it out more so we followed the road a short ways further south, just as we could see a freeway, that must have been Mexico with its brightly colored overpass the Border Patrol Agent saw us. He kindly told us to get out of there, that we were in a spot where there was a lot if drug smuggling and people illegally entering the country. We left but wonder what was down the hill, and bummed that we never did get to see the border.

This Saturday Brian wanted to go back to the boarder and walk on the beach. He herd the boarder and beach were pretty cool there. I asked him find out more about that, and maybe next time. So we checked Ramona. It is up in the mountains about 30 miles east of us, Brian had been there for a service project to help clean up the fires so he knew a little about the small town.

When we got there, we could not find a suitable park for the kids, but we found a goat family! It was the cutest thing I have seen in a while! In a little green field, with a small stream flowing through it, there was about 10 baby goats (kids) and three adult goats. I decided it is about time to wien when I related tot he mommy goat as she walked near the kids and they chased and aggressively started to nurse. Susan kept laughing and wanting to get out of her stroller. The Kids (humans) loved watching the goat family. It was stinkin' cute!
After the goats we continued out walk to Main Street. We strolled down the street enjoying the small town atmosphere we decided on Dinner at Romana Cafe. The sign said historical land-mark and it looked pretty casual, with 3 kids under 5 we have to be careful! We walked about 5 blocks then crossed the street and back up 5 blocks to the cafe. ( Good advice: When walking with kids in a busy place and they just want to run around, play red-light green-light.) The cafe was pretty simple, the kids were hungry and confterable. Nobody minded Susan running around, she was in the stroller the whole time and needed to get baby wiggles out. When we ordered, I had been busy chasing the kids so I asked her what was popular and she said the Chicken Cordon bleu was featured on the Food Network so I said, "sure I'll get that!"

The food was great, the french classic, chicken cordon bleu was deep fried! but not in a eww greasy way, it was delicious! Even the mashed potatoes were dressed up with nutmeg and the meal was surprisingly very good! It tasted so homemade. Brian got meal loaf, corn bread and he loved it, the kids chicken strips were great and they loved the model airplanes decorating the cafe. The Waitress was very personable and casual. It was a surprisingly great dinner.

Cafe Romana gets.... 5 1/2 tacos.



We ended the day with a nice bath

Arizona Statehood day!

We love Arizona! and we love San Diego! One of the things we love here in San Diego are the funny little things that remind us of Arizona. All these photos were taken here in San Diego.
Happy Arizona Statehood Day!

And Happy Valentines day. In case you couln't tell I am really enjoying the picture maker!

Here we have:Susan's cute heart pockets. A super cute valentine diaper cake from Kims Shower. The build-a-bears all dressed up for the holiday. Katie wearing her valentine's day shirt and showing off her cookie. The ultra cheesy, and totally perfect box of chocolates I LOVE ( the box not the chocolates). Flowers blooming in the back yard. Valentines gifts for the CTR class Brian and I teach, and Jr with his perschool cookie.

I feel so blessed to be surrounded my pepole who love me. Happy Day everybody!

Happy Valentine's Day Brian