Jacob and The Big Memorial Day Parade

We were lucky enough to get to spend Memorial Day weekend with the Fords. It doesn't get any better than that. Jenni documented our delicious Memorial Day breakfast on her blog (you can find a link to her blog over on the side if you haven't seen that already). It was my job to document the big Memorial Day parade featuring none other than the great and talented Jacob Ford, but we'll get to him in a minute. First we have this picture of Sydney and her favorite "Kaylee". She knows her name is Kati, but she just can't quite get it out that way yet, but nevertheless, she loves her dearly...

Cute Tyler and Tyson waiting for the big parade to begin...

It was a bit windy the morning of the parade, and this seemed to bother Sydney a bit. She wouldn't let go of her ponytails...

Thinking that they bothered her when they blew in her face, Kati decided to make them little loopies instead...
Hair blowing in her face was obviously not Sydney's concern because she still wouldn't let go of them. I guess she was more worried about them blowing away, who knows...
And now the highlight of the parade... Jacob Ford, trumpetier extraordinaire!!!

It was way fun to see Jacob in the parade and to cheer him on! It was also fun to see him try to play the trumpet and smile at the same time! You did awesome Jacob! And Jenni actually stayed pretty dry-eyed this year!!! :)


By the way Jen, I have about fifty more where those came from, I'll send them your way.
Sydney did take her hands off her ponytails long enough to wave at Jacob!

Here's the group photo...
Now the real nature of the group shines through...
Don't you wish you could have come?
Thanks Jenni and Jim and all the Fords for a great time! What a blessing to have you so close!

Warm and Fuzzy Moments

Conversation with Tyler the other day:
"Mom, Brianna's Mom is sooo nice! Not that you aren't nice, but she is sooo nice. Do you know what she did? She gave Brianna a DS without her even asking! Can you believe it? Isn't she so nice, I mean you are a pretty good too, but ..."

Hey, at least I am pretty good!

Sydney Latest Hit

I recognize that this is probably several times more cute to me than it will be to you, but I am her mother and that is to be expected. You don't have to watch it, but then you would be missing out on Sydney's latest hit in which she sings praises to her family, and to a favorite little round hole in her belly...

Graduation Day!

After much hard work, fortitude and diligent effort, Sam has taken a very important step forward in his pursuit of education and excellence. On Wednesday, May 13, Samuel Ross Gordon joined the Channahon Park District Preschool Graduating Class of 2009.

(Yes, that is a very fancy cap and gown, Spencer was a little digruntled that when he graduated from preschool he did it in a garbage bag, Mom feels that he was just as cute.)

Unfortunately graduation day brought stormy skies and sheets of rain, thus the reason for Sydney's wet appearance. Here she is waiting in anticipation for the graduates grand entrance, and aspiring to one day be a preschool graduate just like Sam.

And here they come, marching to the familiar strains of "Pomp and Circumstance." There is something about that song that always makes me teary. If I can get that way at Preschool graduation, I fear I am going to be a mess at High School Graduations. (This made me think of you RaeAnne!)

After a few recitations and musical selections including "Hello Everybody", and "Tiny Seed" the graduates received their much awaited diplomas.

And here they are, Ms. Jolene's 2008-2009 preschool class.

Sam and his awesome teacher, Ms. Jolene.

And Sam's most favorite friend Colin. Oh how Sam loves Colin!!!

Congratulations Sam!! You are an inspiration to us all!!!

Mother's Day Landslide Cake

About a month ago Steve got this new cookbook from work. It is full of recipes for all kinds of baked goods from cakes, cookies, brownies to homemade marshmallows. This is not, however, a cookbook for Weight Watchers, we will just leave it at that. Well, Steve decided to try out one of the delightful cakes in this book for Mother's Day. In the book it is called "Grasshopper Cake", we now officially call it "Landslide Cake."

This cake is made up of three layers with chocolate-mint ganache between as well as fluffy mint frosting. Here is Steve layering the cake...

Frosting the outside...

Steve with his finished product...

The first slice...

As we were all admiring the first slice of cake something odd began to happen...

It was kind of like plate tectonics! The top layer went one direction, the middle layer another, and all the frosting ended up in a pool on the side!

But, it was just another one of those lessons of life: outward appearance just doesn't count, it's what it tastes like that matters, and it was delicious!!! Thank you Steve for wonderful cake and a good laugh too! I love you!

Here is a picture of our wonderful dinner party. We had the honor of having Brian and Charlotte Weight over for dinner, I don't know what I would do without the Weights!

For you American Idol fans...

If you like American Idol, then you know this man, Randy Jackson. If Randy really likes what a contestant sings he might say, "Yo Dawg, you can sing the phone book!!!"

I guess that makes Sydney a shoe-in for American Idol someday...

Curly Sydney

I mentioned in my last post that my friend Marla put Sydney's hair in spongy rollers last week. Well, she put them in and then we left for Chicago leaving Sydney, curlers and all, in the care of her Daddy. So Steve got to experience the mighty unveiling of Curly Sydney on his own. If ever you wondered if Steve loves his little girl, may you wonder no longer. He took no less than 35 "before and after" pictures of her. Here are just a few for you to enjoy. Do you get a sense from these photos that my Sydney is a bit of a ham? I think she enjoyed her little photo shoot. Here are a few of the "before" shots...
And here is a small collection of "after" photos...

Wish I could have been a bug on the wall for that little Daddy/Daughter moment!