The Barefoot Times

Happy Thankgiving, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!!...

2009-11-24T22:26:00.000-08:00

...who knows when I will do this much posting again (haha)!

2009-11-24T15:51:00.000-08:00

Grace had her third birthday party...Can you guess the theme? Avery was greeting people at the door...We had our friend Jenn dress up as Cinderella. Grace was in awe! I never thought as a parent I would go to the extremes for my 3 year old, but I cannot get over the way her reality works, and how she really believes what she sees! I understand a little better about how we should all have a "child like" faith. I love watching my kids grow up and go through their different stages...This one is a blast!

2009-11-24T15:34:00.000-08:00

Halloween is way more fun when you have kids that love to dress up!! Grace thought that she was Cinderella, and Avery was not missing out on the trick-or-treating! Dave went to an after party and was a good lookin' mime!

2009-11-24T15:19:00.000-08:00

Okay, I am catching up...Avery turned one in September. Time flies when your having fun! It is really interesting to watch the two girls and how different they are. Grace has turned out to be a social butterfly, and Avery is quite shy and takes a while to warm up to people...but they are both so sweet and have silly little personalities!

2009-08-16T14:30:00.000-07:00

Well we caved and could not resist taking Grace on her first Disneyland trip that she can talk about. It was so much fun. Dave and I left Avery to have fun with Grandma and did not tell Grace where we were going until we got in the car and started on our trip to Anahiem. She had been asking daily for a while to meet the princesses and go to the "happiest place on earth." It was very memorable for us anyway to watch her look at the characters and buildings as if they were real! We visited Toon Town and she kept wanting to see Mickey's bed and use Goofy's potty...it was pretty funny. She did meet the princesses (which we stood in line for almost 2 hours for) and she was in awe. She was disappointed not to meet Cinderella so her souvenier was a Cinderella doll. She took the doll on "Its a small World" (twice) and made sure Cinderella could see all of the characters on the ride. She would hold her up and ask if she saw what she was seeing...it was adorable. That was one of our favorite parts of the day. She made it through the electric parade and saw the fireworks. We walked to our hotel and she was passed out!! We can't wait until Avery is old enough so we can do it all over!!!

2009-07-15T10:36:00.000-07:00

2009-07-15T09:27:00.000-07:00

Hi to all our family and friends...

Just wanted to update you on how big our kids are getting...Grace is going to be 3 in November (and acting very much like a 3-year old) and Avery is going to be 1 in September...Crazy how time flies...We have been having lots of family time this summer with going to the coast, going to the lake, and just hangin' out at home...Grace loves to paint, and help mom with the the ongoing projects at home. Her latest is that she really likes to sit on the counter and watch me cook, and do little day to day things...Avery is so content, and is very low maintenance...and she loves her big sister! I (Katie) am very busy in summer school trying to complete my masters in administration, and Dave is plugging away at building his business at Smith Barney. We are blessed with a healthy family and will continue to keep posting updates (but I can't promise how often):)

Tour of California

2009-03-22T16:42:00.000-07:00

My dad and Dave got the chance to see part of the Tour of California. They drove over to Paso Robles and stopped along the way as the riders flew past at top speeds. Dave just happened to be in the right place at the right time and snapped a pic with the world famous cyclist George Hincapie. He used to pull Lance Armstrong up the hills in the Tour de France. They had a great time!

Sisters

2009-03-22T16:22:00.000-07:00

I have posted pictures in a while...I found a spare moment. Our lives are busy, but we are enjoying watching our little girls grow bigger every day, and enjoy the connection they have as sisters. Grace can make Avery laugh more than anyone. If they are in the same room, Avery's eyes are fixed on Grace the whole time. It is pretty cute to watch!! Grace is almost potty trained...she has been eating a lot of jelly beans as prizes for going on the "big" potty, and getting stickers on her potty chart. Avery is 6 months old now, and is not going to be left out of anything! I have a feeling she is going to be a determined little girl. She is already sitting and getting up on all fours getting ready to crawl...where does the time go. As you can see Grace is quite the "girly" girl and loves dress up and putting on mommy's makeup...one of her favorite things to do is put lots of clips in her hair and look in the mirror. Dave and I laugh all the time, and love all the funny things that happen around here. Hope you enjoyed the update:)

2008-12-23T18:47:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to everyone...Here are some pics of the family...we are not at a real photogenic stage of life...We just wanted to say that we love all of you and wish you a blessed Christmas and New Year!!

Avery is here!!

2008-09-24T08:50:00.000-07:00

Here we are!! Avery is here, and doing great! She was 6 lbs 11 oz, and 19 1/2 inches. We delivered at Clovis Community Hospital this time via c-section, and thankfully I was out of there in under 24 hours!! I was able to come home to my own bed, and have as many people over as I wanted. It was a blessing! Little baby Avery has been claimed by Grace as her own, and she wants to hold the baby, but I don't think she really understands the whole picture yet because when she is done holding her she just pushes her away (toward the floor, if I was not there to supervise...) just like she was one of her dolls. We have been dressing her "babies" in Avery's clothes, feeding them bottles, and giving them diapers to make her feel more like a "big girl." Overall, it is fun, and exciting, yet I know the hard part is yet to come when Avery feels like it is time to stop sleeping so much, and wake up to her new world. Dave and I are taking one day at a time, and enjoying both of our girls! Dave has been wonderful! He has gone beyond my expectations and really taken over all of the household chores, errand running, coming home from work early, taking Grace to daycare and picking her up...and the list goes on while I am recovering from everything. We are so thankful for our family and friends that have helped out and brought us meals and and spent their time with us. Enjoy the pictures!!

2008-09-03T19:27:00.000-07:00

Grace is becoming quite the artist now days...We found sidewalk paint at our favorite store (Target) and she loves creating masterpeices outside. I cannot believe how big she is getting. She is really starting to talk now, and I think is ready(for the most part) to be a big sister. Baby Avery is coming very soon! September 15th is the big day! Y0u can be praying that everything runs smooth with the delivery (c-section) and that Avery is healthy. Pray for Dave and I too because everyone knows that a newborn is HARD!!! but wonderful...Some other news is that I have decided to get my masters in administration through Fresno State, which starts in January. Dave is plugging away at his job, and loves it, but is challenging in an economy like ours is right now. Our plates are full, but we are blessed to live in a house we love, and have a healthy family!! I feel rich!!

2008-09-03T19:17:00.000-07:00

We went to Monterey Bay Aquarium with my whole family. It was so much fun. As you can see Grace wore a leash, but we called it a "backpack" since she is into Dora the Explorer and her backpack these days. I used to say things about people putting their children on leashes...until I had kids! I will never judge again!

2008-09-03T19:06:00.000-07:00

This was crazy!! Dave came in and told me there was a hot air balloon outside, which we have every once in a while...it was nice and high at the time...minutes later I heard the fire from the balloon and it sounded rather close. I walked out in my backyard without my camera (darn) and was startled to see the basket of the balloon about 20 feet above my roof. I could have had a conversation with the people that were along for the ride. They proceeded to land in a resivoir that is right behind the houses that are across the street from us...It was quite a sight!

2008-09-03T19:02:00.000-07:00

Grace is turning into a big helper!! She likes to do things herself, which is good now that a new little one is coming in the picture...

2008-07-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

I know that I have not updated our blog in quite a while...for those of you that know me REALLY well know that my intentions are good, and I don't take care of the little details in life very well. As long as my family is fed, my house is somewhat clean, and my dogs are still alive - I will get to the other things little by little... Well the summer is in full force and we are having a great time with Grace. She is enjoying her last moments as an only child, and has no idea what is about to rock her world. She is hilarious! While I am off work I am trying to do things with her that we don't normally get to do like go to the zoo, swim as much as possible, go to the lake, hang out with friends and all their growing families, and hang out with my family fairly often...It is fun watching Grace grow into a little girl! I enjoy her first words, although I wish there were more of them because I am getting a little tired of the grunts and screams when she wants something and cannot communicate what it actually is. Above is a picture of a lot of our friends kids, and it is amazing how time flies! We used to be able to eat dinner together and enjoy conversation, and now it is a bit different!! The below picture is Grace at her cousin Gavin's Birthday party. There are now 9 cousins that she enjoys to see on both sides of our family, and here were some enjoying a water park contraption that my brother and his wife have that kept the kids happy for hours...
Grace is really into shoes and clothes!! She regularly gets in our closet and chooses the shoes she wants to try on and then she makes me put on dress shoes too!! She is quite the character!

We just recently bought Grace her first potty!! She seems a bit interested, and does not like sitting in a dirty diaper, but I am not really ready to spend the time frantically running to the potty trying to avoid accidents...The time will come, but for now she really enjoys letting all of her stuffed animals use it!

Daddy bought a seat for her to go on the back of our bike with an Elmo helmet and matching knee pads and elbow pads...too cute! She loves it, and it gives daddy a chance to take her places alone and do something special!

We went to the zoo, and plan to go again. It gives her a chance to run around and pet animals that she would not normally get to touch. She loved the petting zoo! Not afraid at all!

We spend a lot of our Sunday afternoons at Grandma and Grandpas house with a lot of the cousins, aunties and uncles eating and enjoying their back yard...it is amazing how entertained kids can be with a little bit of water!

This is what Grandpas do...sugar them up!

Pool? Who needs a pool...water inside of a flower pot works wonderfully!!

Grace enjoys tormenting our dogs...she loves to hold them and then kind of squashes them...it is all in love. I am a little afraid of what she might do to the new baby!

Summer fun! We are planning on having lots more fun including more lake trips, and spending the fourth of July with the Spees' at Bass Lake. It should be a good time!

Guess What?

2008-01-21T15:49:00.001-08:00

We will let you figure this picture out on your own...

Hope you enjoy our updated pics!

2008-01-21T15:37:00.000-08:00

Dave's "Wedding"...I mean "White Party" was so much fun! He turned 30, and everyone wore white for the occasion. There was food, dancing, and a great time!

2008-01-21T15:32:00.000-08:00

First We had Christmas Eve with Dave's family...We got our neice a new bike...it was fun to wheel it out as she kept her eyes closed.

2008-01-21T15:21:00.000-08:00

Christmas was a blast! This picture does not show everyone that goes to my (katie's) parents house, but you can see by the number of stockings hanging on thier fireplace...

2008-01-21T15:16:00.000-08:00

Elmo is one of her favorites!! My day care person tells me that if she does not feed the kids before Elmo comes on...they don't eat! The important things in the life of a toddler...

Grace Turned One!!

2008-01-21T15:12:00.000-08:00

I could not believe how well she performed with her cake!

2007-10-28T20:11:00.000-07:00

Grace enjoyed the pumpkin patch, but it was more for us than her...I just wanted cute pictures for her first halloween!

2007-10-28T20:02:00.000-07:00

We went to Disneyland recently...it was so much fun, and I recommend the "mommy pass." Grace was more interested in the leaves on the ground and had no idea that she was in the "happiest place on earth," but she had fun anyway.

2007-10-28T19:56:00.000-07:00

2007-10-28T19:47:00.000-07:00

A basket full of joy! Sometimes I wonder why we buy toys...they are usually happier with common household items...

We think some of her clothes are more fashionable than ours...thanks to good friends and hand-me-downs!

2007-10-28T19:42:00.000-07:00

We spend a lot of time at Morro Bay with family. This is Grace and mommy building her first sand castle! Not really...I was trying to keep her from putting sandy toys in her mouth!

2007-10-27T16:17:00.000-07:00

...and more fun! We love to get dirty!

Spending time with cousins on Sundays!

2007-08-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

Cousin time! The top picture is Grace and Gigi. They are going to be buddies, but don't know it yet. The bottom picture is everyone wathing a video...and obviously completely sucked in!

These are things Grace is into lately...

2007-08-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

Chillin at the back window playing with the curtains, and yelling at the kitty outside...

2007-08-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

...Taking the dogs chewy bones! Sushi (our dog slowly grabs the bone with his teeth and takes it back...poor dog!

2007-08-26T10:05:00.000-07:00

Getting in the shower after we get out...when it is nice and dangerous! She loves slipping around on the the wet tile!

2007-08-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

...Getting cozy with the puppies...the puppies have learned just to tolerate the intruder!

Just some cute Gracie moments...

2007-08-02T12:43:00.000-07:00

This is her favorite toy right now. Cousin Gavin let us use it for a while...

Thanks Gavin!

2007-08-02T12:38:00.000-07:00

Crazy Gracie! You can only imagine the sound that is coming out of her mouth at this moment.

2007-08-02T12:34:00.000-07:00

Why is it that babies always want the most

dangerous things...plugs, electrical wires, stairs...etc.???

2007-08-02T12:31:00.000-07:00

Every time you say "cozy" she grabs her blanket and burrows into it...so cute!

2007-08-02T12:23:00.000-07:00

Just woke up from a nap...she was a bit dazed!!

Time flies when you're having fun!

2007-07-30T08:31:00.000-07:00

Grace is 8 months old today! This is her and her auntie Annie.

Our visit to see our cousin Gavin in Irvine...

2007-07-30T08:14:00.000-07:00

We visited Irvine this last week to help my brother and his wife who are moving, and expecting their second baby. Gavin is Grace's cousin, and they had a ball at the park daily! Grace had her first swing ride, and she loved it! We would go to the park and let the little ones run all of their energy out, and get real dirty....it was fun. Gavin is a great big cousin...he is gentle, and shares his toys with Grace. He did get a bit sensitive when My brother or his wife Lisa would hold Grace. She was the intruder! I thought he did extremely well for only being two. It was fun seeing them interact, and spending time with their family.

2007-07-19T14:44:00.000-07:00

Grace got her first two teeth. No wonder she has been chewing on absolutely everything!!

2007-07-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

Hello from the Scalzo family! We decided to set up a blog so everyone can know what we are up to, but mainly to show off our little one Grace Evelyn! She will be 8 months on July 30th....my how time goes by fast! She is already crawling and trying to stand on her own. We are quickly finding out what we need to baby proof in our house. Hope you all enjoy!