The Haddad Fab 5

Who knew?

2011-04-02T16:01:00.001-07:00

You can run out of space on a blog? Not sure what to do. I make a photo file on facebook, so if you are friends with me, you can see all of the AZ pictures that way for now...handy little Facebook!

Spring Break Trip 2011-Arizona

2011-04-02T15:53:00.000-07:00

Mary and Ed Lassak ~~shared~~ gave up their home for us.

Nick and I had 3 funfilled kid-free nights together!

The kids were the most amazing road trippers!

We are SOOOO proud of them.

Next road trip, Lake of the Ozarks to meet our other cousins.

And, to Florida to see Pop and Nana...all in one trip!

Joss remembered her old trike and road it every day.

The 3 cousins...Josslyn, Leighton and Taylor.

We arrive with some "love us" gifts for Leighton.

We were warned she could be shy but she warmed right up to us!

Hmmm...could it be the cookies we gave her when we first arrived!!?

More bribery.

Josslynnie loves Papa.

The boys thought it was great to have sidealks to skate on!

Jake and Tay.

Our first night at the pool with the fam.

Video: Tye - "Going Buggy" Program!

2011-03-15T17:47:00.000-07:00

The next cutest thing to Tye was how excited his brother and sister were for him. If you listen back to that video, you can hear Jake yell out, "Go, Tye" from the front row of kids.

And Joss...just imagine as she can hardly contain herslef during Tye's entire show!

Hilarious...soooooo Joss.

Tye's Kindergarten Program

2011-03-15T17:38:00.000-07:00

Tye was FANTASTIC in his show. He was amazingly coordinated and on the beat. We're so proud of our big leader.

Above: Tye and his best friend, Sawyer.

Doing is trio on the floor of the stage.

He was very nervious before hand...

shined during the show...

and realized he loves performing in front of an audience.

Good work, Mr. T.

XOOXOX

Tooth and Weather Update

2011-03-15T17:26:00.000-07:00

We continue to lose teeth at what seems to me, an insane rate.

Tye lost yet another tooth yesterday at school.

Then today, Jake hops in the car after school and shows me, he too has lost another tooth.

(I wonder what the nurse thinks?)

They are all growing up so quickly.

This is my view from the kitchen window when we make dinner.

Wait till you see it when everything is green early this summer.

The weather has been gorgous...a light coat is all you need in the afternoon. Its been in the low 60s and WE LOVE IT.

Nick got the bikes ready to ride today when the kids were at school.

What a cool afterschool treat!

They're in their element, outside.

Next step, getting Joss to ride her 2 wheel bike off road, in the forest. For now, when the boys are in the forest she just rides her trike.

Josslyn's 4th Birthday!

2011-03-14T17:36:00.000-07:00

It's incredible that our baby girl is now 4 years old; not even remotely close to a baby.

Yay...you're four!

A new Wii game, just for her!

Daddy made it a very special birthday for our angel.

This weekend, we has a little party.

Concentrating on her cupcake decorations.

Balloons!

A new piggy bank for her allowance.

The beloved Uno.

A princess party wouldn't be complete without the girls doing each other's make up and nails.

A "real" puppy. (It wiggles and squirms.)

Tye made her a St. Patty's Day bear.

Joss still adores her doll house and finally got the kitchen furniture to go inside it.

And a new bed!

Joss LOVES this card. We have a very girly, girl on our hands.

The monkey.

This is what happens when you have two big brothers.

Happy 4th Birthday, big girl!

We love you.

No Teeth Tye!

2011-02-28T19:15:00.000-08:00

Tysen ~~yanked out~~ lost several teeth in the past 2 days. Despite the shocking look, he's still ever the sweetie. (Gotta mention, between Jake and Tye, 4 teeth have been lost in the past 3 days...we're like a school of sharks over here!!)

Jake! 2nd Grade Student of the Month-February!

2011-02-26T10:31:00.000-08:00

February 2nd Grade Student of the Month!

(Double dog tags from 1st grade and now 2nd...keep it up, Mr. Man!)

A short month after Tysen was crowned Kindergarten Student of the month in January, his big brother gets the 2nd grade award! Can I just say, WE ARE SO LUCKY!!!!! Not a day goes by when either Nick or I pick up the kids from school, that someone doesn't tell us how amazing the Haddad boys are. Little do most teachers at the elementary school know, that there is still one last peanut soon to come...and a girl, no less, to wrap up the Haddad kids. Nick was lucky enough to be able to see Tye's award ceremony last month and Jake's yesterday. I loath missing out on those precious moments, when the principal and teachers speak about the student of the month's attitude, leadership and academic successes. So I picked the boys up an hour early yesterday to take them out to celebrate. When I went into school, 6 different faculty members, from the librarian to the PE teacher all the way to the principal mentioned how fabulous both boys are. And when the vice-principal spotted Joss with me, he added in surprise, "Who knew there was one more Haddad left? Lucky us!"

We are so, so proud.

We love you JJ.

Jake's Second Grade Program

2011-02-21T10:21:00.000-08:00

In celebration of President's Day, the 2nd Grade had a patriotic themed music program. Jake was admittedly, very nervious but he did a great job!

Jake had an extra special day recieving the Citizenship award on Friday, the day after his little brother received it for Kindergarten!! Go Haddads!

I loved having a small second grader since that put him in the front and was perfect for picture taking, despite Jake's disappointment that he didn't even get to stand on the risers at all, let alone on the coveted top row!

The show was actually very touching and super well orchestrated. Will I ever make it through a program without tearing up? Let's hope!!!!

"Old Abe Lincoln, he came...

out of the wilderness, out of the wilderness."

It was loads of fun. What's more, Tye's show is in 2 weeks, on Josslyn's birthday.

February 2011

2011-02-10T19:38:00.000-08:00

Can you say, "Freeze Day"?

It's a real winter wonderland!!

Our precious Jossie.

We got another couple feet even after this.

Our big J.

Our sweet Tye.

Snow bunny and bros.

Having a Blast!

Tripple sledding.

Down, down, down.

Tough T pushes.

I <3 my life.

Day 1: Rock Band

2011-01-31T16:10:00.000-08:00

This is HILARIOUS!!! We were all laughing so hard when we watched this today.

Soar Student of the Month: TYSEN HADDAD!! (and more...)

2011-01-29T08:10:00.000-08:00

Tye is the student of the month this month at Deer Creek Elementary!!

Daddy and Josslyn both attended his little ceremony at school. We are SO proud!!

We celebrated last night with a chocolate mouse cake.

Anticipation.

Enjoying the cake.

One satisfied Student of the Month!

We're so lucky to have been gifted the Rock Band I and II with instruments from our good friend Dave.

We're nearly ready for our debut tour.

Focused.

Thrilled!

The first day the weather rose out of the teens,

we went outside for a little sledding.

Jake would rather pull her up than have his princess sister get out and walk back up the hill.

It's good to be a little sister.

Jake tried to save Joss from sledding into the ditch and in return, she wiped him out!

Playing in the yard. Last night a bunch of deer took refuge here even laying down in the "grass" after a short munch.

Seeing the wildlife, from foxes to moose, is literally a daily part of life here.

Best way to warm up is with a warm bath.

I LOVE WEEKENDS!!

Pictures! January 2011

2011-01-20T19:22:00.000-08:00

Jake made his second sacrament in the Catholic Church.

His 1st Reconciliation!

He was so excited and had a very special day.

The walk.

Our church.

Only a Haddad could make the priest laugh during confession!

Blessings.

All smiles!

Big and little bro.

Some treasure mapping.

Keep your eye on that top front right tooth!

Nuts.

Hoping to lose a tooth soon like her brothers. Seems like a family of sharks at the rate these kids lose teeth!

(Sorry, Joss. You got a while still, babe.)

Same haircut on mommy looks way cuter on Joss!

The brothers Haddad.

In the Jeep.

Jake's principal teaches his math class and calls him "Prince Haddad" for "his honor and nobility"!

Seriously.

Alert: missing tooth!

Goofs...

Cracking up.

Off to school.

Kisses.

-The Haddads

2011 Improving

2011-01-12T19:28:00.000-08:00

Well...since the car fiascos, we've been given a wealth of better days. Jake lost another tooth and Tye's first top tooth is hanging by a thread.  I do believe Nick has been enjoying the new found time with Josslyn each day as much as she has been. They are absolutely in love with one another and with her out of daycare for a while, we are saving money and hoping to keep us all a little healthier to boot! The boys are back to finish Kindergarten and Second Grade with all they have. They have really made a name for themselves at Deer Creek and have made us very, very proud. Neat.

Jake has his 1st reconciliation this Saturday at church. We are all looking forward to it. He's so big now. It's really amazing. And what a memory in that brain. Such a verbose prayer, the Act of Contrition, with unusual words especially for a 7 year old. He's a smarty though and refuses to use (or even keep in the back pocket of his suit) the offered note card of the prayer to read in case he forgets. Good hand to the little man though...he's GOT IT! :)

Nick got a Jeep Grand Cherokee which has been (please knock on wood here) great thus far. No telling when something hideous will go wrong with my car again or with the new one. I have come to expect the worst and be pleased for as long as the worst doesn't happen.  So, for now we are back to two working vehicles.

The weather has been COLD! Now, we don't mean AZ cold in the 20s...its actually been in the negatives throughout the day with highs of less than 7 degrees 3 days in a row! We even got a bunch of snow. It's beautiful so I am not complaining. Plus, I adore bundling up in layers, scarves and warm coats. And my car is like a tank through the snow and ice. Studs in the snow tires helps, I admit. However, my pseudo-son Kevin (adopted brother to my kids and my trusted T.A.) rolled his car over a cliff on Friday.  Since it was 12:35am, dark and snowing, he wasn't seen and couldn't be from the road. When he came to (thankfully unfrozen) he had to walk to the nearest house to call 911.  I am seriously relieved and thrilled to report that he is well. Minor wounds thanks to his wearing his seat belt. If you don't know, you should. Car accidents are the leading cause of teenage deaths to age 25. Can't bear the thought of one of my students falling into this statistic. And every teenager should take the Alive at 25 class likely hosted by their local police department.

On a much happier note, I have the best schedule EVER at school. Spanish II is my favorite level to teach (on account of its focus on grammar and verb tenses) and I have two of them! Plus, my third and final class is a close second, Honors Spanish IV with 13 of Platte Canyon's very top students who I have had in my class every single day, for 90 minutes a day since I came back to teaching. I am sure going to miss them. But, I can enjoy them and continue to influence them for the next 75ish days before they graduate and go off into the world. Amazing.   I love my job!!!!!! Seriously.
Oh yes, I forgot to mention that the motherboard went out on our computer last week. We had it replaced (under warranty...whooppeeee!) just today. So I'll post pictures soon. Likely after the big day, Saturday.

XOXO-Dani

Happy New Year!

2011-01-02T14:27:00.000-08:00

While 2010 ended with a bang...literally, from Nick's Land Rover when the engine blew (irreparable damage), we're thinking positive with hope that 2011 will be full of better health (and luck) for the Fab 5 despite the heater going out in my Durango this morning. So as of today, we are with 1 car that can't really be driven due to the winter weather. Why? Oh, well even if we braved the cold in the car by bundling up, there's no way to keep the windshield defrosted without heat!

Yeah baby. Go 2011.

On a happier note, I have the most amazing 3 kids and husband in the world.

Suppose "stuff" doesn't really matter anyway when I think of how blessed I am to have this wonderful life. Though 0 functioning cars doesn't lend to getting to work. Thank goodness for friends with loaner cars!

We've been busy already this year but still making sure to take time to enjoy the beauty that surrounds us.

T-man. Hard to imagine he'll be 7 this year. Still sweet and helpful as EVER!

And Little Miss, soon to be 4 years old.

Can't slow this fella down. He's 1/2 way done with 2nd grade and counting down the (many, many) days until he's 8.

Snug in her bed.

Joss and Mommy started 2011 with hair cuts to prepare us for growing out our hair this year.

Josslyn adores being pampered at Splish with mommy.

She especially loves seeing pictures of Matter of Trust, where our salon donates all of its hair clippings.

All smiles afterwards!

The boys adore their computers spending much of each day using them.

What a score, Grammy and Papa!

Still looking alike, the two of us?

The rug dubs as a fight mat.

Big man.

2 on 1 w/ weapon! No fair...for the boys!

Nonstop tea drinking is my latest pasttime...given my new leathal sore throat. Goodtimes 2011.

Bop it. A blast and a half with these super coordinated babes.

Well, here's to 20!!

XOXO-The Haddads

Swimming in 0 Degrees!

2010-12-30T17:49:00.000-08:00

Of course, the pools are super warm and all varying from warm to insanely hot.

Jake can swim now completely on his own...even in the deep end!

Tye is really getting close.

The best part is that the pools are indoors and out. You can swim outdoors from the indoor pools and with the air less than 5 degrees much of the time we were at April's timeshare in Breck, it was a crazy feeling letting your head chill and then dipping into the hot water.

We spent most of the days indoors since the kids weren't big fans of the cold air freezing their ears, nose and hair when they weren't under the water. I told them, "Just keep dipping!" Truly, my hair froze several times!

Never, and I mean NEVER, have I ever seen a little boy swim like Braden. He's Josslyn's age and literally jumps in the deep end when we first arrive and 4 hours later still hasn't gotten out! Insane. Scary, kind of, in that he thinks he's invincible.

Between the Risenhoovers and the Haddads, we have a 7, 6, 6, 4, and 3 year old. Soon though, Joss will be 4 years old, if you can believe that!

The place was not busy at all. That is...until 4pm when the ski lifts shut down for the night!! Then, it got PACKED quickly.

Tye never took off his goggles! Big swimmers!

Merry Christmas Day After!

2010-12-26T10:21:00.000-08:00

It's gorgeous out today, as it was yesterday. A warm December 66 degrees.

Tye is overjoyed with his new computer from Papa and Grammy.

Another Great Aunt Deb hit, the Mickey Mouse music player.

Preparing for 1st grade already with his math facts. This computer has everything a kid could need for school readiness. Thankfully, these kids all LOVE school!

Jake looks absolutely dapper in his new suit.

Ready for January's, 1st Reconciliation!

More trying on of clothes. Snowboard, snowboards and more snowboarders.

Little miss sassy today...

Then, on Mother's Day, Jake makes his 1st Communion! Big man, big year-2011!

Go math facts!

Jump roping with yarn.

New hoodie from Dad.

Playing cards.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend. We're just hanging out today. Then, tomorrow we're off to Breck for a week.

XOXO-Us

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T20:09:00.000-08:00

Christmas was amazing. We rejoiced that we were all well to celebrate together.

What an incredibly, relaxing, peaceful day it was.

Jake opened his Ipod as his Christmas-Eve gift. He's loaded with music and ready to roll. Rock-n-roll, that is!! :)

Josslyn got to take a bath with her new singing in the bath mermaid.

Tye and I made yet another batch of cookies.

Then, Christmas came. We had a blast.

Smiles got even bigger. (Remember these days?)

Finding out that you were good enough to get what you asked Santa for.

Pure joy.

And amazement.

Clothes...these kids go thru clothes. They love the new attire.

Big hit from Great Aunt Debbie.

So precious.

Focused.

Semi-automatic Nerf gun? For Christmas? Boys!

We Wii'ed out all day!

Who knew Mario Cart on the Wii was so challenging? Go get yo' daddy, Sage!

Beloved hair-do doll.

Admiration for the hair, I think.

Unable to miss a moment...Joss fell alseep in the middle of the floor.

Snuggly with her new "pets" and the good ol' never-can-be-left-out-of-anything-ever---forever, Bun-Bun.

Hope you had a Merry Christmas. We had the most merry ever.

Miss the family and my BFFs. Love to you all.

~Danielle and the H-Dads

Better!...almost.

2010-12-12T14:29:00.000-08:00

November flew by rather uneventfully when we look back on it. All we really did was pass one virus or infection to each other time and again. This month however, is shaping up to make up for the troublesome month passed.

A favorite pastime around here is playing house...of sorts. The Haddad kids like to play a variety of series of house...with baby, with pets, with wizards, with knights.

We had the kids resting the day away if they had to stay home from school. Everyone missed at least one day and was forced to sit around.

So we found ways to entertain ourselves...mostly by beginning and finishing the first 2 Harry Potter books on tape. WE LOVE HARRY!!!! Talk about impressive. So awesome to be able to listen to it for the first time with my kids. This week we are going to watch the 1st movie and listen to the 3rd book. Exciting!

We'll be joining any decade-late fan clubs out there!

Seriously...

All smiles now that we're feeling better.

One of a thousand babies it seems we have in this house.

Resting and relaxing a bit more.

Christmas count down.

Meanwhile, Key Club hosted a dance. The Winter White Out...we hung blacklights, balloons, disco balls and lasers and hosted it in the tri-level foyer. It went off without a hitch. Thank goodness since I was the acting administrator. I was even taught how to properly search students. Turned out I hadn't needed the training! PCHSers are so rad.

A sweetie, even when she's sick. Boys too. We have really good "sick" kids. Lucky, since we have THREE! And they are getting big.

Until next time.

Venting Time

2010-11-28T17:42:00.000-08:00

So, I'm going to take a minute to vent. Friday I became sick with Strep throat along with Nick who started his RX on Wednesday only after a bout with puking on Tuesday. Jake with his hacking cough which flairs up his otherwise non-existent asthma, has been coughing almost non-stop since Wednesday. Poor guy has the best six pack in the state now though. Then yesterday, big Tye started puking his poor little brains out. For hours he continued puking and we just kept cleaning and disinfecting like psycho freaks. Then, everyone went to bed and Josslyn woke up puking. Sweet darling was up from 11:30-2am vomiting with the force of an adult. And yes, the little angel had a puking virus only just 2-3 weeks ago!! And then today...wait for it...I came down with the stomach nasties to accompany my killer glands and throat.

On the upside, I suppose that means we've all had the pukes and we shouldn't be able to get it again for what? At least a few days, right? And I get to take work off tomorrow. (Feel the sarcasm there?) Suppose that also means I will be falling behind in the most hectic Key Club week ever and since I have no emergency sub plans (those were all used up over the past 2 weeks) I will have to write out some plans and email them to my assistant. Last year I never, ever used any of my emergency sub plans and this year I have already blazed through all 4!

Again, on the upside, my students will at least be able to continue with the plans I had for the new unit and my Key Clubbers will really have a chance to step it up and deal with all that needs dealing with before Friday night when we'll be hosting the very first non-Student Council hosted dance in the history of the school. A huge honor, I know, and the principal has reminded me several times last week that I'm the only person he'd trust to host a new dance with 400+ totally reved up teenagers. "I completely trust you" is a nice phrase to hear although it ups the anty quite a bit for me personally. Its going to be amazing but I MUST pick myself up off the floor of the baño long enough to make it happen.

Well I'm off...not to bed...to figure out what my Honors Spanish 3 kids will be doing tomorrow with out my being there. Easy to plan for Spanish 1 when really anyone could present them their new material (albeit, not as well as I can) but Spanish 3 is different. Forcing myself to find an upside...I suppose I could have a stellar student go through the new material with them, learn and teach as she goes; a tough concept though of the negative informal imperative tense, she'd definitely be stronger in her Spanish because of it. We'll see.

Gray skies are gonna clear up...right?

Update with Tye's Birthday!

2010-11-27T08:40:00.000-08:00

Three weeks ago...for the first time this winter, we hit the slopes as a family.

We geared up at the Breck house and drove a quick 3 minutes to the slopes!!

Josslyn was a pro for her very first time on real skis.

She seemed to really enjoy the day!

Nick and I rotated riding with the boys to get them back in the swing of things.

Waiting.

Resting.

Chilly!

Up the chair we go.

Now with Jake.

Then, we all got sick. Pink eye, Strep Throat, Stomach Flu, Hacking Cold.

So we ate soup and rested.

Feeling better, we went hiking/sledding. The summer hiking trails are now covered in snow so its fun and easy to pull the kids on sleds.

Then, we the incubation periods began ending for the viruses we passed one another when we were all sick with something different...and we all got sick again.

So sick in fact, that we fell asleep wherever the urge hit us...

Jake learns Yoga at school and thought it might help he and Joss to feel better.

Then, cam Thanksgiving for which we changed our plans like a million times as everyone continued to pass around our yucks. Finally we settled on staying home since Nick and Jake were still terribly sick. Tye's Big 6th Birthday was the next day, Black Friday, and we enjoyed the day both in Breck and at home. But, before the night should end...I came down with the dreaded Strep throat! Errrrr.

We did get to do some more sledding at Breck's big sled hill.

The boys went at frightening speeds. (next time helmest will be a must...thankfully everyone made it out unscathed)

And Tye got to open his birthday presents and eat his delicious Snowboarder cake.

Hard to believe Tye is 6 years old. Our NICU baby, a big boy. In fact, the most healthy of all 3 kids.

We love you Birthday Boy!!

Halloween Day

2010-11-02T17:43:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a day at Elitch Gardens for Halloween. It was a blast...the best part, I got to ride the BIG roller coasters with my boys for the first time! (Nick doesn't ride...equilibrium issues and Joss of course, was too small.)

They got to do some Trick or Treating in the amusement park.

We even got to go through the REAL Haunted House! (with the lights on and all monsters "asleep")

Bat girl and her mama.

And her dada.

Ninja, GI Joe, batgirl and mama wait to ride the Octopus together.

And now, for the crowning achievement...the Boomerang and the Sidewinder Roller Coasters.

Up, up, up...

down, down, down...

upsidedown and around!! Then, you do it all backwards!

The boys were INCREDIBLE. Tye and I screamed the entire way every time but Jake was silent, each of us with a smile the whole way!

Happy Halloween!!!

Wintery Weekend

2010-10-31T07:46:00.000-07:00

Hiking in the snow.

The big brothers lead the way through the forest behind our Breck house.

Giving her best "mean face".

Checking out the Halloween gifts from Nana and Pop.

They LOVE their new backpacks!

We spotted a fox on the trail about 100 yards in front of us. Joss was scared so JJ carried her! LOL.

(That's a huge feat with her snow gear on.)

Puff Ball mom with a puffy baby on her back!!

Anything to practice their balancing skills!

The End.

PCHS Key Club

2010-10-30T12:06:00.000-07:00

This year, I took over the Key Club at Platte Canyon High School. Last year's 6 members have morphed to a whopping 58 members! I could not be more thrilled and truly proud that of our 411 total student body, 58 want to be actively involved in community service, random acts of kindness and leadership!

A leadership camp that I held at the local Firehouse. We had a great turn-out.

One of the team building activities I had them do.

Awesome parent volunteers generously provided us with snacks, meals and drinks. Involved parents ROCK!

Jump!

These truly amazing teenagers have something like 20 service projects going at once, not including Key Leader camps, diversity conferences, tutoring programs, Deer Creek Elementary weekly classroom volunteering, Coat Drives, etc. that are always ongoing.

This is the 1st year Platte Canyon has had a Key Club shirt...I thought it was an absolute MUST!

We are quite a force in the community.

You've never been so inspired about the future of our world as you are working with this tremendous group of kids.

Halloween Hall and Haunted House

2010-10-30T11:30:00.000-07:00

Each year, the elementary school hosts Halloween Hall and Haunted house. I got our high school Key Club (for which I am the advisor) involved and it was hug hit. They did a GREAT job of working with the PTO, decorating, and running the Haunted house. Looks like everyone had a blast.

Jake-Skull Ninja, Tye-GI Joe Snake Eyes, and Joss-Batgirl.

Entering the Haunted house.

Mr. Brave leads the way.

The Haunted house was INCREDIBLE...Kudos to my Key Clubbers!

Jake lead the way while Tye and Joss clung to my legs.

Halloween Hall starts the evening with safe trick-or-treating around the school.

The teachers decorate their rooms and the hallways and pass out candy for trick-or-treaters before they enter the Haunted house...if they dare!

One of the biggest hits was the pirate cove in the Haunted house. Good work girls (Nat and Sarah)!

Talk about scary! Zombies on the floor slithering around grabbing ankles and screaming! Joss had me pick her up the first time through!

Tye's beloved Kelsey came out to let him know its just her throwing out candy from behind the curtain.

One of my favorite costumes of my students, was Matt with his Mad-Hatter get-up. He was on the Haunted School Bus where my assistant also was...waiting to scare the crud out of me. Jake and Tye thought it was the funniest thing ever. :)

It was a great night and my Key Clubbers proved once again why they are the "cream-of-the-crop" Platte Canyon HS kids! In fact, I got an email from both the elementary principal and the Superintendant in regard to their leadership throughout the planning and execution of the special night. I'm so proud!

The Kluge family visits the Haddads

2010-10-27T18:30:00.000-07:00

WELCOME Arizona Kluges, to Colorado! It's cold!!!

These 4 got along like they had never been apart.

Always the goofball!

On the way to the snowball fight arena.

Let the fight begin.

Oh yeah...I got him alright!

Harder than it looks...get all 5 of them in the same place at the same time!

These two became GREAT friends.

Wet, dirty boots off.

My boys teamed up until Jake hit Tye in the ear! Youch.

I'm rather certain we ALL got hit in the head at least once.

Get 'em T.

Packing snow.

Feel warned...I thoroughly enjoy snowball fights and aim to make contact everytime!

The Haddad/Kluge crew.

Tye prepares for more snowball battle.

Aimed at Brian.

These two are more like brothers than third-counsins-twice-removed-in-laws! LOL

The Kluge Family! We sure love you guys!

We all visited Keystone.

And the kids got to play in the Ripperoo House.

Joss and Ella rode the Buffalo.

And then, they all did!

Next, we went horseback riding! First some playing in the horses' yard.

Riding horses! Go brave Trish!

Alex and Jake got to ride together.

And Tye and I rode together. We got our horse excited and he ran fast! Althought Tye wasn't a fan.

We took the Kluge's to Elitch Gardens.

I'm pretty certain I hit Brian several times without his even knowing it was me!!

Here-he figured out who was shooting him!

We also went to Le Central, our favorite restaurant ever. Yes, it's French.

The Kluges seemed to enjoy Elitches and Le Central so much that they went back to both two days in a row!

The clan at Le C.

From the other end.

Don't get the wrong idea...they are related. LOL.

At Elitches again.

The Farris Wheel.

We rode the FW, girls in one and boys in the other!

Jake took Ella on this ride to give her some good spinning power!

They all enjoyed the mini-roller coaster...everyone except Joss who refused to go this time.

Thumbs up!

Tea cups...make me sick!

The end! We miss you guys already!

Jake on the ramp.

2010-10-07T19:42:00.000-07:00

Watch Jake read.

2010-10-04T20:14:00.000-07:00

Amazing how fast they learn.

A Breck Weekend-October 2010

2010-10-04T19:36:00.000-07:00

A potato gun + boys = FUN.

Cha-cha-cha!

Leftover face-paint from the football game.

Green wristbands are for our fire chief who is fighting brain Cancer.

Eeeee

Gail carved the boys guns for Christmas last year. They still love them.

Again. Yes, she does dress herself still.

The kids had Braden and Alyssa over after school since April had middle school conferences.

So sweet.

Brothers having breakfast.

The Skate Park. -Breck

Braving the ramp.

Joss's preferred method thru the skatepark.

A bowl lesson.

The girls...don't laugh at the gloves...its cold in Breck!

Quarter pipe on a skateboard.

Rail-slide on a skateboard.

Wheelie off the wall.

Summary: "...feed me..."

Puting the gear away.

The boys shut the back gate now!

Then, we went for a hike at the top of Breck, which will soon be covered with snow and exactly where the boys are going to be snowboarding this year!! Come on snow!

Steeper than it looks.

And a walk downtown by the river.

Some got a ride.

Grown up Tye.

Rock climbing.

LOL

The end.

Back to the work week.

Lucky, Lucky Kids

2010-09-25T17:36:00.000-07:00

It's HOMECOMING weekend here in Bailey, CO. A very, very big deal in this small town.

First, the boys got to ride the Junior's float in the parade. The Homecoming dance is themed Mardi Gras so they threw beads, candy, masks and coins.

Joss collected the loot. When I say loot, I mean INSANE AMOUNTS of it!

The softball float girls begged to have Joss ride along but she wanted to collect the goodies on the street.

Then, we went to the Homecoming Football game. We creamed 'em 47 to 14! And if you look closely, little Jossie is on the track cheerleading with the real Platte Canyon cheerleaders!

Ra, ra, ra! They taught Joss a couple cheers and by the end of the game, she had them down!

Many more pix to come but I have to run...time to head back to school to chaparone the Homecoming Dance.

Terrific Jake and Tye

2010-09-20T16:22:00.000-07:00

2 weeks ago, Tye got a lettet home from the principal. Today, we got one from the principal for Jake!!

We could NOT be more proud!!!

Good News From School!

"Jake got the Pink Key today for being accepting. He played with another boy at recess who didn't have any friends. Awesome kid!"

"Tye recieved the Pink Key today for being scholarly. He was listening to his teacher. Awesome job!"

We had a great birthday weekend for Nick. We had a little get-together at our house Saturday night. Then, we hit Oktoberfest in Breck on Sunday with the kids! What a blast!! The weather has been in the 80s again so the kids got to play in the river downtown while the adults enjoyed the relaxation time, not to mention the beer, dancing and yodeling. We stayed in Breck last night and dropped the kids off to school on the way home this morning...then, we headed to our favorite restaurant in the Capital District in Denver: Le Central. AND, we were greeted with a big surprise, our lunch was paid for (longdistance) from my mom. Thanks a million! It was an incredible day, I think Nick would agree. Tomorrow, Tuesday means back to the grind. This is homecoming week so lots of excitement at the high school. Plus, Jake, Tye and Joss were asked to ride the Junior and Senior class Mardi Gras floats at the homecoming parade on Saturday. Not sure how they will pick. And then, I am chaperoning the Homecoming dance that night. Not to mention parent-teacher conferences from 4-8 on Wed. and Thur. This is sure to be a busy week!

Josslyn acting silly in her Breck bed.

HAPPY B-DAY MY LOVE!!!!

House Exterior

2010-09-19T11:41:00.000-07:00

Per some of your request...

Here's the daytime view from the side deck.

This is the outside of the house.

From the bottom of the yard.

Tye-Tye with his newly shaved head.

Jake finishing lunch yesterday. (Sat.)

Josslyn finishing her lunch.

Haddad + Newpapers

2010-09-19T11:10:00.000-07:00

Can you find Jake, Tye, Jossie and Mama Haddad in the picture?

We had a blast at the Breck's Skate Contest and this little 5 year old boy tore it up! Amazing!

Then, my 1st Key Club meeting (which drew over 50 high schoolers) was pictured in the newspaper as part of our school district's efforts to continue improving as to stay on top as one of CO's BEST.

FUN!!

A Breckenridge Weekend

2010-09-13T17:14:00.000-07:00

Most recent photo of this morning (Monday), getting ready for school.

But...this is what we did over the weekend.

Friday, we drove up to Breck after school and daddy surprised us with a GREAT new hike!

With Mike and his dogs, we hiked about 3 miles!!! to the Country Boy Mine.

We leap frogged through large streams, climbed rocks and some of us (moi), sunk in some quick-sand! Well, more like "quick-moss". :)

And we all braved the giant, pitchblack chute slide that lead a big hike down the mountain.

Joss went with daddy after Mike and the boys lead the team down the initially scary then, totally safe slide.

You can see the route the slide takes down the chute of the photo pictured above.

Hiking.

The guys, doting over Joss.

And Saturday, we went to the park to skate. Well, "they" skated, Joss played at the playground and I caught up on some phone calls and work emails.

The boys are so good at skating. Jake can do a wheelie at least 3 feet and Tye can ride out 2 stairs!

Eating a doughnut...Jake's leftovers to be precise. That's after she ate hers! Oink. :)

The boys set their boards aside only to climb a little.

And Tye, to munch some more of his (yes, chocolate) doughnut.

Endless energy.

Off to try it again.

Joss loves the park. Running is her deal these days.

The wheelie.

Skatin' stairs.

The day before, we went for a Gondola ride to see Breck at the very tippy-top at the end of summer. Tye mentioned how different it looks without snow covering every inch. We all agreed. AMAZING!

Unfortunately, I forgot I had parked in short term parking and it had expired, so we had to leave as soon as we got to the top, so no pictures of the views. Just a picture of these 3 cuties!!

And Saturday night, daddy gave his boys another skate lesson. On the bowl.

And when we returned home on Sunday, the boys brought wood up to help prepare for the fast-approaching winter. They devised a system using teamwork to make it easier.

Whew. What a weekend.

Wednesday, September 8

2010-09-08T18:21:00.000-07:00

While Jake did homework,

Tye and Joss played outside.

Here are a few pictures.

So sweet to his sister.

Good Night!

A couple MUST SEE VIDEOS from today.

2010-09-08T18:05:00.000-07:00

A few more horseback riding pictures

2010-09-07T19:28:00.000-07:00

First the kids pet some animals at my student, Tori's house.

Then, she lifted Jake up first.

Next came Tye.

As you can see, my students LOVE the kids. Jake, Tye and Jossie are constantly finding themselves lucky to be the kids of a teacher in this small town. Nice.

It was a fun day for all of us.

Finally: PICTURES!

2010-09-06T18:19:00.000-07:00

Lots of excitement the past month...

The boys had their first day of school.

Jake = 2nd Grade

Tye = Kindergarten

They come with me to school and stay in my class until my assistant takes them downstairs to catch the bus to the elementary school 3mi away. Kindergarten sits up front on the bus, then 1st grade, 2nd, and so on. Jake was allowed to sit with the Kindergartners with Tye. So, the first week they did...now they don't! Already...they are separating from one another. Tye explained his daily routine in detail to me the other night and said that he waits for JJ to get off the bus when they get to the school and then they say goodbye before they ever enter the school. Kind of unsure of their independance from one another, I asked Tye why they part ways before they get in and he replied: "Cause Jake always has to hug me, even kiss me. I don't want anybody to see that!" Nick and I nearly died laughing. It was one of what seems to be daily, hilarious events in our house.

So handsome. Our gentlemen.

The whole world thinks the boys are twins now that Tye has caught up to Jake in height. As Jake put it in regard to his new hair cut, "now, we don't look like brothers at all. We're like half brothers!" Gotta laugh.

And Little Miss is as sassy as ever. (In a good way.)

Tye and Jake have received rave reviews already this year. Nick and I are constantly amazed at how amazing our life has turned out. These 3 kids are incredible.

Reading and relaxing.

We all adore the new house. I finally put my finger on it just tonight...it feels like a comfy, oversized tree house. Well, that ~~may not~~ probably doesn't convey the feeling it gives us at all, but it does feel like that. Feels like home for us birds, apparently. I'm just making matters worse..so I'll zip it! LOL

Some Wii action!

Without TV, we can watch movies thru or just play the Wii. (As a side note-I highly recommend getting rid of TV. Lots more talking seems to happen throughout the house...at least for all of us)

The sunsets from the desk of the (newly dubbed) "tree-house" have been incredible. We have been taking advantage of the decks as it is very rapidly getting cooler. High 70s day, 30s night!

We're thrilled to have a wood burning stove again. Bring it, winter!!

Two of my students took the kids and I horseback riding. It was a BLAST! To be done frequently from now on.

Tori dallied the boys' horse and shared her saddle with Joss.

I'll leave you with that...a horses behind!

More pics soon.

-D

Lost Camera Cord

2010-08-21T09:29:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you all know, I lost our camera cord somehow in the move. I will get one next time I go down to Denver and then, there will be loads of pictures from the past month to post.

In the meantime, we have been in heaven at the new house. Its quiet with an average of 3 cars coming up or down our street per day. Nick and Tye made a quad track around the yard so the kids and us can ride our quads right here on our 3 acres of property. We finally feel like we're HOME in Colorado. Its lovely. The man who rents us the home is willing to sell it to us when we are ready. It will be nice to live in the house for a year before we make any decisions of that nature. The new house is 12 minutes from Jake and Tye's school and just under 20 for me. Nick is still doing the commute from Bailey to Breck and staying in the house in Breck when he works a double. The kids and I meet him up there every Friday after school and stay until Sunday. Its been fantastic. No plans for changes to this new program any time soon!!

Jake started 2nd grade last Wednesday and Tye starts Kindergarten on Monday. The boys will come to school with me in the mornings and hang for the first 35 minutes of my 1st hour class. (Honors Spanish 3) Then, my assistant Kevin (one of the most amazing teenagers you'd ever meet) walks the boys to the front door of the high school and waits for them to get picked up by the bus. Jake knows the drill since he did it all last year and Tye is super excited to start on Tuesday. (Daddy is driving him to his 1st day of Kinder) It is just amazing that we have 2 kids in real school. Next year, Joss will start Preschool but until then, she will continue to be with Sherry during the day. Thankfully, Josslyn absolutely ADORES going to Ms. Sherry's house and Sherry loves Joss, too.

All is well with my new school year. I am busier than ever having never taught Honors Spanish 3 before, I have taken over the Key Club (a volunteer, leadership organization) and have began a Spanish Club where the students will teach Spanish lessons to the elemenatry school kids each week. All 3 of my classes have waiting lists and while I'm glad that my taking over the Foreign Language Department has increased student interest, my class sizes are no longer 8-15. We hired a French teacher over the summer so I am only teaching my passion from here on out and I could not be more thrilled. I've been all over the place with my work on my Master's degree. The public school trend to take the personal counseling out of the School Counseling position is forcing me to reconsider even after having taken classes for that degree. I absolutely want the same schedule as my kids but can't see myself dealing with 80% academic advising and 20% therapy. The reverse would suit me well, though! Oh well. I've got time, I guess. Plus, despite not having any babies, life seems to only get busier. 'Tis the season of Religious Education, Karate and Dance. Not a day goes by where I say, "Man, what a boring day". And with the elimination of TV from our house, the kids are even MORE active outside than they were prior...and we all know, they have always been very busy little people!

Nick and I just continue to grow in our marriage and we agree that all the hard work of raising 3 toddlers so close in age is paying off more than we ever imagined. The kids are absolutely amazing. All 3 amaze us on a daily basis. Tye is chomping at the bit to start school and after his Kindergarten interview (the Kindergarten teacher spends 1hr alone with each kid to get to know them) he is even more excited for this new adventure. We are certain he will do well. And Jake is of to a bright start in grade 2. He got $100 Creek Cash yesterday for his exemplary behavior and when I saw the principal and assistant principal at the elementary, both complimented on Jake's efforts to be always kind and do the right thing. They even told me a few very touching stories of our sweet, sweet boy on what was only the 3rd day of school. So happy Tye will have Jake there to lean on if he needs him.

More to come...lets hope that will include pictures! We are all around happy, happy, happy. Hope you are too. Miss you all.

-The Fab 5

Busy, busy summer tizzy!

2010-07-29T12:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry, no pictures for this post. We have been very busy packing for our move here within the town of Bailey where I work. Plus, the kids slept over at Alyssa and Braden's house for the last 2 nights. Nick and I enjoyed some alone time in Breckenridge. It was wonderful! Thank a million, April. Last weekend Nick and I went to a wedding and the kids got to visit Cameron in the hospital. Poor little Cameron got in an accident with his grandpa on his riding lawn mower. He fell and his feet got caught in the blades. So, so sad. He lost all his toes with the exception of 1 toe on each foot that may be able to be saved and his heels are gone to the bone. So say some prayers for him, that he may one day walk again. For now, he has developed a rare infection so his surgeries are put on hold. Aside from that, all is well here. Looking forward to Bailey Days this weekend and more fun in Breck. Will post new pictures soon.

Jake turns SEVEN!

2010-07-22T20:48:00.000-07:00

Jake's 2,555th day of life started with some gift opening.

Had to mention...he's reading the card himself! We're SO proud.

Hoorey for the Spy Gear.

Then, we hit the Elitch Gardens.

Brave boys...

who want to ride everything that spins

a mom who wants to keep up

1 very,

very,

very, sick mommy! Oh yes, but let's not talk about it.

But per the usual, Joss looked cute! LOL!!

(Even with her new haircut, compliments of her brother Tye.)

Jake asked Joss to go down the slide (she never has before) for his birthday.

She said "yes" so he walked her up.

First, they watched Tye go down.

Dry, no problem.

Then, Joss gets scared...

but Jake talks away her fears.

Next, they decide to pull an illegal move. JJ will ride down with her.

Uh-oh, she's wet. Real wet!

He liked it, did SHE?

No she did not.

Then, she was all smiles again at ChuckECheese.

The birthday boy got to plays games and eat (rather gross, sorry CC) pizza.

Tye tried his luck at the Wheel of Fortune.

All 5 of us nearly laughed ourselves on the floor at the rather limp ChuckECheese show.

Joss slathered herself in germs and viruses. (ROTFL!)

Jake shot some hoops.

Then, it was time to cash in the tickets.

Measly

127

123

and 14 tickets.

(by birth order)

Notice the scorpion?

Proud of her 14 tickets.

It was a great day for our man J.

In the words of the birthdayboy himself:

"Peace".

Summer Fun Continued...

2010-07-20T11:19:00.000-07:00

Between mountain biking, hiking, fishing, skate boarding, river walks, swimming, and playing at the parks...Breck is even more fun in the summer!!

Look alike yet? We think so...though its likely just wishful!

Breck has a great skate park. The boys (including daddy) make the most of it.

Joss just runs around doing her best to stay out of the "big boys'" way.

Tye practices side-to-side in the bowl.

Having a blast.

Ever cautious Jake finds his line...

thinks about it...AND...I miss the next shot...his banana peel crash landing!

He's fine; not so sure about my heart though.

In the bowl.

Working hard to get a kick flip down.

Although Jake IS upsidedown, its safer at the plain ol' play ground.

Chilling...or hiding from brothers?

Even Josslyn

(who is nearly ready to say "toot-a-loo" to training wheels)

keeps up on the riverrun bike trails so that mommy can jog while all 3 kids ride bike! So, so rad. I've been dreaming of the day when they could ride fast enough for that!!!

The boys spend most of every day outside even when we are home since the Breck house backyard has mountain bike trails galore, from green all the way to black.

Tye hits the jumps every time and can pop a wheelie on his bike.

Figuring out a plan.

Tired but one last task, getting the bikes back up to the house.

Daddy to the rescue!!

1 more day (Wed. the 21st) till this big guy is 7 years old!!

And this dude is all set of Kindergarten.

Don't be fooled, this little girl peddles at lightning speeds and has some serious leg strength to get up the huge hills of the bike trails.

This week we found another one of Breck's little treasures...a giant Pump Track.

Its got everything from jumps and bumps to dips and walls.

(Its a track of only the Haddad boys' favorite things!)

Since training wheels won't go (and believe me, we tried it) this is what Joss does at the Pump Track....helmet and all.

...did I mention the imaginary dirtbike she's "vrooming".

But these 2 boys are no joke learning new tricks nearly every day!

Not without wounds, many, many wounds.

Since Joss can't ride the Pump Track (yet) she's enjoys a leasurely stroll or 25 around the parking lot. The boys lovingly let her win a race, even congratulating her at the end.

Loving summer,

A weekend in Breck

2010-07-07T14:21:00.000-07:00

This is the view from the backyard of the house (which has been converted into 6 apartments).With our upcoming move to a much cheaper house in Bailey, Nick asked around and we got the best hook-up on a Studio rental in Breckenridge. We signed a year lease along with our year lease cabin rental in Bailey where I work and the kids go to school. This will make it much easier on Nick in the winter months for his commute, not to mention that we'll all be up there every weekend in the winter for snowboarding and all the enjoyment we've gotten out of it already this weekend since it fell into our lap. Its a short 2 minute drive to Fatty's (Nick's work) and an easy 10 minute hike to Main Street.

Heading out for another hike.

One of the many trails we have ~~hiked~~ ran this week.

Its about a 25 minute hike to the town park. (and that's with Joss hiking in Crocs!)

A newly learned skill.

I smell trouble on the monkey bars.

Go Tye, go!

Still mis-matching the Crocs!

Brothers!

Some perspective on how steep the hike to the park really is.

Putting it to scale, you can see a woman hiking if you look closely.

At the trail head...like the ski slops, the hiking trails are labeled Green, Blue, Black and Black Diamond. These three hiking champions absolutely amaze me with their strength and stamina on this, yes...BLACK DIAMOND hike!!

About 1/3 of the way back up.

The first time we did this hike, the kids got pooped out in a flash since they wereracing each other up. They very quickly learned, slow and steady really does win the race!

Gotta love this picture.

A homemade see-saw made even more fun by the Haddad kids.

Is that great balance or what?? You can see why they are such great little snowboard dudes!

Well, that's it for now...the kids wanted to keep a Wildflower Photo Collection so we are creating a second page to our blog...check it out for new wildflower picture additions.

4th of July 2010

2010-07-07T13:39:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July to all!

We celebrated the 4th over a span of a few days with the big show of fireworks from the studio in Breckenridge.

Sparklers were are big hit for the boys right off the bat.

You can see Josslyn's reaction to the boys' ground fireworks and sparklers.

Braving the Piccolo Pete.

Joss prefered to snuggle up with bunny and daddy.

Some neighborhood kids joined the boys in the fun.

Finally, with 1 sparkler left...Joss decided to give it a try.

Not quite sure.

Success!

Even venturing away from daddy's protective arms.

We hit the downtown Fairplay parade with Gail, her son and his family.

Gail was thrilled to have us all together at her house with baby Katie.

Toothlessness!

Hope you had a great celebration of our independance!

Summer fun!

2010-07-01T18:43:00.001-07:00

Georgia, Tye, Joss and Jake.

"Cha-cha, cha-cha, cha, CHA!"

ANOTHER lost tooth & more...

2010-06-30T10:32:00.000-07:00

Tye lost another tooth last night! Exciting!

A little water fun at the park in Denver before we head to good ol' Walmee.

Waiting on the rock for the boys to come down the slide.

Here come daddy and Tysen!

And there they go!

Now comes Jake!

And he swims right out of it!

Heading back up the hill to the slide.

Little snorkelers and a kicker.

With mommy's personalized swim lessons,

the boys are now both able to swim across the pool in the deep end taking up to 5 breaths without a break! We are so proud of the progress they have made this summer. Joss...well, she's a little too adventurous for her own good, letting go of her noodle in the deep end trying to be like her brothers! Thankfully, mommy or daddy are never more than 2 feet away for moments like those. Yikes! We can't get enough of the water!

Six Flags Waterpark

2010-06-21T17:57:00.000-07:00

Another 1st for the Haddad kids...

We spent the day today at Elitch Garden's Water Kingdom.

It was a blast and a half!

Don't let 'em fool ya.

It was a whopping 96 degrees in Denver today!

This is NOT us...but we all went down the Family Raft Slide...yes, including the bravest little girl ever!

(Yes, Ms. Mismatched-Crocs picked 2 right feet this morning.)

Jake has conquered the midsized slides all by himself.

And both boys can ride the BIG, BIG slides (and rides in the amusement park) with mom or dad.

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T18:56:00.000-07:00

Nick worked most of today, so we are celebrating Father's Day on Thursday and Friday of this week.

We did enjoy some cake that the kids made, even Tysen who is recovering well from Strep Throat.

Happy Father's Day, guys.

~H5

Strep Throat! :(

2010-06-18T14:07:00.000-07:00

Here's Tye 2 days ago,

hiking, picnicking, climing poles, etc.

That very night, Tye came down with a crazy fever,

headache, stomach ache, rashy red throat and vomiting!

We took him to the Doctor and

the lab results came back today...

stinking Strep Throat.

(Though, ever the great trooper, Tye's still smiling!)

Joss so far hasn't come down with it.

And "Jacob's Ladder" building, "Chinese Jump Roping" Jake, is still Strep free as far as we can tell.

RVing and Quadding

2010-06-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

We just returned home from our trip.

It was a wonderful week of fishing, quadding, hiking and more.

Weather was in the 70s but turned cold last night

with light snow this morning.

Tye was the wound king.

But as usual, he was tough as nails even going so far

as to pull out his very 1st baby tooth!

Snack stop.

Then, a little fishing.

Hope you're enjoying your summer as much as we are!

Love to all.

-H5

Summer Fun

2010-06-07T08:19:00.000-07:00

Unlike Arizona, not many inground pools exsist in Colorado...at least in the Rocky Mountains where we live.And we have to be especially creative since our beloved Green Colorado has a ban on outdoor water spickets as to reduce water waste for washing cars, watering lawns, plants and flowers, etc.

So it took a lot of Haddad teamwork

(which thankfully, we happen to be great at)

to fill the tiny play pool.

Water balloon fight!

With summer weather temperatures maxing out at 85 here, we're expecting a gorgeous few months.

Super Soaker war!

This week's plan: Camping Tuesday-Saturday.

Expect that picture update this weekend!

Water Rallies!

2010-05-29T15:48:00.000-07:00

All I could say was... "Oh my gosh!"
I totally thought they were going to get stuck!
As you can surely imagine...the crazy boys LOVED it!
(Despite the water being snow melt at 13,ooo feet elevation!)