Times are a changin’

Today as we walked Parker to school (side note: don’t know what I’m going to do next year when he has to be at school in the early morning!) we were having our usual banter and discussing the trees and flowers and things that Brinlee saw in the sky (which are not really there but – if the girl wants to see a pony in the clouds, who am I to judge?) and parker starts talking about smoking. “ Who smokes Mom?  Mom I think Uncle Kyle smokes. (this was particularly funny because he said it as we walked passed Uncle Kyle’s house and saw a cigarette on the ground).  Mom I saw a big boy at school on the movie who smoked and he gave it to the girl and she runned away really fast!”

So we had our little talk about how Heavenly Father gave us our bodies and we need to take care of them.  Smoking hurts our bodies and can even kill us.  But then as we walked passed some high school students he started talking about how those people were smoking and I had to launch into the whole “ smoking is bad for us and we don’t ever want to do it, but everyone gets to make their own choices.”  Then I got “but that’s a bad choice Mom.”  Oh dear.  “Yep bud that is a bad choice, but every one is still allowed to make their own choices and it’s not our job to tell them weather a choice is good or bad.” I’m envisioning many horrific trips in public where my child teaches the population that smoking is a bad choice.

We talked about how smoking and other drugs are bad for us.  He said he saw a movie about drugs.  HELLO!  While I am glad that he is being taught that drugs are bad in school, I am in his class every wed and had no idea they had this lesson or that he even knew what the word “drugs” meant.  Yikes, maybe I am really behind the times but he’s FIVE! And he’s my BABY!  Seems like this week everything is coming up all at once which is good because it has given us a chance to talk- but I am totally taken aback.

Oh yeah – and if that wasn’t shocking enough he announced as we were almost to school (after stopping to “rest his legs because they were SOOOOOO tired) that he wants to be a tow truck man when he grows up instead of a rock star now.  I told him that’s great and asked him why and he said “because my dream didn’t come true Mom”. 

Oh geez – I feel the “perseverance and enduring to the end” talk coming on… I’m not sure I’m qualified to give these lessons as I am still desperately trying to learn them myself. 

All in all I am glad that we are where we are now.  They are little and I can protect them right now – at least a little more than I know I will be able to in the near and frightening future. And they still think I know everything and for the most part listen to what I say. Which I know is going to last for about another second so i am relishing in it!

Parker Allen aka Tow Truck Man.  Not to be confused with the artist formerly known as Rock Star.

Brinlee Elizabeth, aka Brinlee cat.  Lover of all things horse and pony right now.  To quote “yeah mom they’re horsies and they go, like, neeehhhhh neeehhhhh.”

Kaden Henry, aka the Kookoo Brid.  Loves to talk…and talk, and talk – I don’t know where he gets it from! ;).

PS not to toot my own horn or anything but I am getting better! These are not edited at all and were taken in MANUAL!!! yay.

 

I love these boys.

 

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I love these babies!

Why Tuesday rocked

He did it!  He was so proud of himself – and I was so proud of him.  I cannot believe how big my monsters are getting…

WARNING!!! The Darndest things...

WARNING: If you get squeamish or uncomfortable talking or reading about "private part talks with kids" then leave this post now....seriously! Although I will say we thought it was pretty hilarious. You have been warned.

My little kookoo bird Kaden (who is 4) piped up during one of our family conversations the other night sending Danny and I into one of those "one of us has to face him and it better be you because I can't keep a straight face" situations. Here is the rundown. Recently I hitched a ride to the temple early in the morning with my Mom and was able to do a little shopping afterward. My sister asked me to pick up a book at deseret book if they had it. After teasing her endlessly I found the little nugget of info titled "How to talk to your kids about sex". After laughing about how we cannot believe that we are approaching the time where this book is necessary, I flipped through it reading some of my favorite excerpts for Danny - I know REAL mature, but it is what it is!
ANYWAY
We decided that as goofy as some of the points were, the main idea is that we need to start having some "age appropriate" sex/body parts/behavior conversations. ugh. So as I am getting everyone in PJs the other night and Danny is looking for a bedtime story to read, I mention that we should probably have a quick little "private parts" talk with the kiddos just to get the ball rolling. Husband (looking like he would rather shove bamboo shoots under his toenails, agrees.
So we read our bedtime story and then I (of course it was me do you really think he was gonna go there?) nonchallantly ask the kids if they can name some body parts for me. They said awms, wegs, eye baws, etc. I then - very cooly I might add - mention that some of our body parts are private and asked if they knew which ones. They did of course and I asked them what WE in our house call those parts. Now, let me explain - I realize that I have a weird family and you will soon understand why I was seriously confused about all of this stuff until I was in the fifth grade. Everyone that knows my family knows we can sometimes seem to have our own language and so it was with this topic. Boys had a hooter (don't ask questions...there really is no understanding it...even for me suffice to say I have crazy parents and crazy uncles and aunts who like to hear kids say funny things, and also hate when 2 year olds announce issues they are having with said body parts in very public places using correct terminology. Don't judge I cringe as well and do not use the correct terms to this day - besides how often do you need a word for that anyway - but I digress...) wow this post is taking a ridiculously long time! Sorry. Anyways the boys tell me they have a hooter, to which I reply "there is actually a real name for it do you know what it is?" neither did (I know mother of the year) So I explained the correct term (which I will not type...I pretty much just refuse because I don't care who you are it's a disgusting word)
Moving on - I tell them to correct term and Parker seems fine with it and Kaden looks confused. We wait....and the he asks "Mom what's my hooters name?"
wow
My husband has now become very fascinated with something out the window which is conveniently located in the opposite direction of the questioning child. Keeping as straight a face as I could at this point I explained they are all called the same thing and quickly ended the conversation!
Later Danny and I were laughing about our little "Kaden moment" and he said he knew I would hurt him so he stopped himself from telling kaden that he doesn't get to name it until he's 21.
And you wonder why these conversations are avoided!
certainly one for the books!

Catching up

I always hate when I have to start with that title! Things have just been a little nuts around here.  I had a great time doing my spring special photos.  Overscheduled myself a little perhaps….what of it?  Starting this business is a total learning experience!  I had Crystal and Mike’s kiddos for the weekend a while back and it was really fun.  Everyone survived amid the loosing of teeth, scraping of knees and force feeding of of what I now know is not Halle’s favorite – taco soup. 

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One morning after baths (bathing 6 kids under 7…you should try it some time it’s quite an adventure)  we decided to put “jello” (gel) in the Ya’s hair and spike it up….later I noticed this little Dennis the menace thing he had going on and had to capture it!

Not to mention that he had this shirt on…

We had a little drama with this:

Because Aunt Sar has never had a kid loose a tooth and it was a little bit of a nervous situation!  But after 2 days I finally grabbed her tooth and yanked it out – we make a pretty good team!

The beat goes on…

So here are a few things we have been doing in this gorgeous weather.

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There really is nothing like playing in the dog’s kennel on a beautiful spring day.

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They did this for quite a while.  I think the trick to making it fun is you have to be pretending that you are Skippyjon Jones and screaming “itchy gitchy gumba, Dinos do the Rumba” at the top of your lungs.  I might try it some time because they seemed to really be enjoying themselves.

We did a little gardening.  Ok…Danny did a little gardening!

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And of course Kaden did a little sampling….Oh Kaden…

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There is a complicated grid system involved. Laugh if you will Dust, it works!

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We truly heart wearing our old busted rain boots – that mom has thrown away – twice – with no socks- and shorts!

Hope you have been having as much fun as we have!

The Terrible, Horrible, No Good Bad Week…

Just call me Alexander or something!  This has truly been a ridiculous week and I don’t even know where to start.  So I’ll start – with the end.  Because I don’t have the energy or the intestinal fortitude to replay it all again, I think the fact that this was the LAST and certainly not the worst thing that happened this week  says it all.

 

Ahem….the end.

Easter fun

I am way behind and before I can explain why I have to get these pictures up or I know it will never get done and I want to remember.  Whew how was that for a run on sentence?  We had so much fun over the Easter weekend. On Fri Parker had an Easter egg hunt at school. Sat we were over at the annual Fowler Easter egg hunt – totally a tradition for our family now.  The kids look forward to it every year. The actual hunting takes about 10 seconds,  then they take the loot and sit on the retaining wall with their friends eating candy and waiting for Bishop Fowler to bring out his Easter cookies!  The kids are getting so big I had to keep myself from getting all emo about their self sufficiency!  It was so fun to watch them.  Danny’s Mom sent us the new gospel art kit and it is amazing.  All of the old 70’s pictures have been updated and they added new art from Simon Dewey and my Favorite Liz Lemon Swindle.  I don’t know how I ever did Scripture study with the kids without it.  I was amazed at how much they knew and what they could tell me from just looking at the pictures.  We started talking about the Atonement a couple of weeks before Easter because I really wanted them to understand that there is a reason for the holiday and it’s not a bunny with candy( as much as we love him!)  I was rewarded with some pretty adorable conversations and a sweet spirit in my home that I CANNOT live without!  Thanks Nana!  The boys received  their very own scriptures(book of Mormon) from the Easter bunny and I am pretty sure they told every person at church that would listen!  They were so excited and Kaden announced it was the BEST Easter ever!

 

 

There is no Easter morning picture of Parker because he wouldn’t sit still long enough to get a non blurry one! 

come back...

Mr sun, sun, mr golden sun - please shine down on me! There is something about a beautiful sunny day in Oak town that makes me sing Raffi songs at the top of my lungs! Baby beluga in the deep blue sea...ok I'll stop now. We had two - count em' TWO gorgeous days of sunshine and I literally woke up and ran to the kitchen where my awe struck children were eating their breakfast and promptly taught them the words to zippyde-doo-dah while trying to make my husband dance with me! That is what 6 months of cloud cover will do you a person! We spent the entire day outside - two parks in one day I tell you. It was so fabulous. And just now as I was finishing typing this my cute little daughter "sassy" (name has been changed to protect the guilty) just vomited all over me. She woke up not feeling well and acting really strange. Don't worry I cleaned us both up before I finished this! Looks like I've got a few fun days ahead of me. Good thing Danny left for work this morning, he would have LOST IT if he saw that - a paramedic who can't stand vomit, go figure.

um…yeah

So I kinda fell off the face of the earth there for a minute!  I have been super busy with pictures and spring break and I am glad to report that it was fab!  We had such a great time with the kids and everyone was pleasant. Makes me excited for the summer! We took the kids to the Seattle Aquarium and they had a blast. (for Danny and I it was pretty much the 7th circle of Hell… It was $1 admission and the entire universe was there…with their children…and their neighbors… small hallways – can’t breathe…you get the idea!)  But I was glad that we went because it was a fun time as a family.