Silly Bands

Remember when the multicolored plastic bracelets were all the rage? We would see how many we could fit on our arms and use them as braces! Well, they are back and even cooler than ever. Silly Bands are the new hot trend for the kids around here. Apparently, Peyton and Eliza were the only kids in the entire school who didn't have these today. I, of course, don't want them to feel left out and be the laughing stock of the school. So, we drove from CVS to CVS to find these darn things. They were sold out everywhere. Finally, a nice woman secretly told me that she had seen 20 packs at the nearby 7-11. Off we go. I am surprised I didn't get a speeding ticket, but I had to have these today or my girls would just fall apart. I had heard the girls  talking about them for weeks, but clearly didn't understand their coolness and popularity.

We got to 7-11 and Peyton came inside with me and right behind the counter were the bracelets. I felt a huge sigh of relief and Peyton was grinning like she had won the lottery. I wish we had won the lottery, but alas; maybe next time when the jackpot is over 100mil it will be our turn.
I am sure you are wondering what makes these bracelets so cool.  Well, they look like plain old colored rubber bands  when  they are on the wrist. But, when you take them off they go into their original form which could be anything. We got a bag of zoo animals, dinosaurs, and farm animals. The perfect match for P and E. Three bags for $9.00. My kids couldn't be happier. There are so many different varieties that are sold,  so the cool thing to do is trade on the playground. I remember those days

of trading garbage pail kid cards and stickers. I am much happier with them trading these harmless bracelets. I made my kids night and they are both sound asleep with 16 silly bands on their wrists.

                                                                            cool, huh?

Splash Park Fun

Kai had a blast for about 10 minutes at his playgroup the other day. We went to the splash park in Sarasota's Bayfront Park. We had never been there and had always wanted to go. I thought it was great! I don't know what was wrong with my little guy, but he was G-R-U-M-P-Y! I got a few pics when he was having fun.

Lil' Dude

Today I broke down and took Kai to Lil' Divas and Dudes for a haircut. I have been letting his buzz look grow out a bit and it was getting weird looking. I knew I did not have the patience today or expertise to do it right, so off we went. I really thought he would enjoy it because he got to sit in a cool yellow jeep and watch a movie. As soon as the lady put his cape on he freaked!! He screamed the way he did when he was getting stitches. It wasn't pretty, but we powered through and I love his cut. The lady offered him a lolly towards the end of the cut and should have given it to him from the very start. Oh well.  Thankfully, the crying didn't interfere with our stylists cutting abilities and I think Master Kai looks adorable.

Finally calm and ready for a nap with a new haircut! She put a little gel in it, so that is why it is spiky.

Lovin' The Zoo

Kai taking  a snooze on our way to the zoo.

Adorable Orangutan family. The dad was in the corner covered in a blanket, relaxing. Typical male behavior.

Off to see something cool.

Kai loves emus.

There was a huge sign that said CAUTION: EMUS BITE! I am thinking Andy didn't see that sign.

Always the kids favorite part.

Riding the dromedary named Mongo.

Eliza wasn't so sure about this ride, but Peyton was in heaven.

Feeding the parakeets.

Ready to cool off.

Ahhhh, feels good.

Kai made a little friend.

The girls tried to soak Kai!

It worked.

Soccer Stars

Peyton and Eliza had their first soccer games of the season today. They were incredible!!! Eliza is the only girl on her team, the Dinoroos, and kicked all the boys butts. Her team won!! She loved every minute of her 40 minute game and never seemed tired. She can't wait for next Saturday!!

notice her pink ball

her team

Peyton scored 3 goals!!! She was so excited! Her team, The Croc Hunters, won 8 to 2.  It was like watching a real game. She is by far the fastest kid out on the field and makes really smart passes. Just had to brag a bit :) 

high-fiving  her buddy Igor after a goal

So Far This Week

After a wonderful birthday weekend for Peyton, she continues to be on a roll. She proudly brought home a math test and a spelling with big 100's on them!! Yay!! She was then awarded the school award for kindness. This is her second year winning that award, so as you can imagine we are very proud parents.

                                           
Peyton also began soccer on Wednesday. Her team are the Croc Hunters, which she was thrilled about due to her love of Bindi the Jungle girl and Steve Irwin.  The coach was nice enough to let Eliza practice since her team doesn't start until Saturday. That girl can kick the ball well and kept up with the big kids.....in her crocs! I was extremely impressed with both of their skills out on the field. We are looking forward to Saturday when they both have their first games!

                                                         Cali wanted it to be her birthday
                                                                         and so did Lexi.

                                                         

Here in the Smith house, we love our mayonnaise.  Our sandwiches just aren't complete without it.  Hellmanns  is our mayo of choice. I had been searching for something new with less fat, but still had a yummy taste. That is hard to find.  I had seen a commercial for Hellmanns  new mayo made with olive oil and half the fat and new I had to give it a try.   

           It is delish! Nobody has noticed that I have even switched :)

Onto our sweet baby Kai. Everyone knows that Kai walks on his tippy toes. Maybe it is a balance thing, maybe he is conscience of his height or maybe he is just a little fruity. It is too early to tell and we aren't too concerned. What we are concerned about is his love of hair bows. He puts them in his hair every chance he gets. He even color coordinates them with his outfits.

Pay attention to me Eliza!! Look, I am wearing your bow!!

That is what has been going on in our neck of the woods this week. We are hoping for a beautiful weekend, so we can take advantage of the beach every chance we get while we are still here.

Happy 8th Birthday Sweet P!

I can't believe it has been 8 yrs since our sweet Peyton came into our lives. Where does the time go? We had a fantabulous birthday bash, as a family, at Animal Kingdom! The weather was less than perfect, but the kids were so excited and happy the rain didn't matter! We ended up having a couple of rain free hours while we explored Dinoland, Asia, and Andy took the girls on the Kali River Rapids, which Eliza would have done all day if allowed.  The highlight of the day was going on the African safari while it was torrentially raining. The animals were all out, well some were hiding in the trees. We saw a mommy elephant step out of her watering hole after a quick swim and two cheetahs up on a hill. Cheetahs are Peyton's favorite animal, so that was really special for her to see. My pictures are not the greatest since the lens was wet, but here are some pics from our great day. Happy Birthday Peyton, you amaze us everyday and we are so proud of you. We love you.

 

Dinosaur cake

 microscope she has, apparently, always wanted

off we go

Kai is very excited

we are here

first stop

weeeeeeee

fossil dig

Ever wonder who would buy a chocolate covered frozen banana?

This guy!

The deadliest lizard, the komodo dragon. The habitat specialist was nice enough to tell us that if we ever got bitten by one of these, we're dead. There is nothing that can be done to save us. Thank you sir for that wonderful bit of knowledge.

Hey you, turn around!

Such a beautiful cat!

Checking out some Asian cattle behind the wall.

The bird show was excellent!

Sleepy Kai!

 

  Now, he's awake!

             Eliza loved this and Peyton was not so sure  .

Future tribe members!

Someone was not too happy when the safari began :( He was scared and cold.

Here are the baby giraffes. Their mommy was in the trees behind them.

What a great day!!