I Graduated with my Masters!!!

Last Friday I graduated with my Masters in Education!!! I started this journey years ago and stopped after I had Kai. Well, this year was my last year to complete it or I would have to start over again from the start. So, I decided to suck it up for a year and finish it! I have never been happier to finish something in my life. I could not have done it without the help of my wonderful husband and In-laws, who helped with all the kids while I was in class or working on my thesis. Now I can go back to just being a mom!! I love it!!!

My husband and his parents.

My Professor and I

My wonderful husband!

The kids didn't come to the graduation but I had to get a picture with them in my cap and gown.

My wonderful cohort...we were all girs!

Ready, Aim, SMILE !!!...

Kai hates taking pictures! Anytime a camera comes out he will run away. Getting him to look at the camera to take a pictures is almost impossible. So, this means I am taking alot of pictures of Nyomi but none of kai(at least not of him looking at the camera). Yesterday, however, he was playing with baby and giving her hugs. I told him he was being such a sweet brother. He looks at me and says, "Get the camera Mommy!! Take a picture!" I was so excited and hopeful I ran and got the camera. This is the great picture I was able to get!!! yay!

Funny Kai

Funny Kai moment (which there have been so many lately - thankfully - because some days his behavior just kills me). He has just recently been completely potty trained. He is so proud of himself and loves saying he is a big boy. Well, my husband loves to try to get Kai to say funny things...So, a few days go Matt was in the bathroom and Kai calls out, "Daddy, what are you doing?" So Matt replies "I'm dropping a duke!". I didn't think my 3 year old really understood. But sure enough three days later Kai was in the bathroom and I go in there to see how he was doing. He looks up at and me a gives me a big smile and says, "Mommy! I'm dropping a duke!!!" Funny Kai, Funny Daddy.

Hall Ladies in Shades....

Nyomi recently discovered sunglasses. She loves to put them on when she is in the house but will have nothing to do with them when we are out in the sun :). I thought I would take some mother and daughter pictures of us in our SHADES....

Here we are wearing our shades.

She wanted to try on mommies sunglasses. So, I exchanged glasses with her.

Make a Book Out of Your Blog!!!

Ok, I am super excited!!! I found a website that will make your blog into a book!!!!!! I have been wanting to do this since I started this because its like scrapbooking which hasn't happened alot lately. Check out this website: www.blog2print.com

My Reading Kids

Kai loves to read books. He will sit down and read a book to himself. Of course he is not actually "reading" but putting his own words to each page which I think is extremely cute. Lately, he has started reading to Nyomi. She in turn has started trying to read too.

Here is Nyomi reading.

Here they are reading together.

"Relax Mommy!"

My son is a very vocal and emotional kid. He gets worked up and frustrated over the smallest things. So I have been working on teaching him how to calm himself down by counting to 10 and taking deep breathes. During the day I say, "Relax Kai" about a 100 times. Well, I got a dose of my own medicine the other day. We were all ready to go out to watch a free movie at Regal when I realized I didn't know where my car keys were. This happens to me alot. I looked all over the house for 10 minutes straight and was starting to get really frustrated. Then Nyomi started to cry cause she wanted me to carry her and Kai was starting to whine cause he was excited and ready to go watch the movie. At this point I started loosing my cool and start yelling at my kids to shushhh up! Kai, my 3 year old, looks at me and says, "Mommy don't say that. Relax." That made me stop and realize what kind of example I was setting for my kids at that moment. Seems I need a lesson or two on taking deep breathes and counting to 10.