Well, we moved. I may or may not ever get around to posting about that, but I wanted to document at least a few snippets that have happened since then.
We currently live in a duplex. We have our own very small fenced yard. A couple days after we first moved here Will said to Zach, "Dad, why did you order a small yard?"
Our neighbors have a little boys our boys love to play with. Moving in was made much easier because they were entertained for much of the day while we unpacking by standing on the crossbeam of the fence and talking with and watching the neighbor boy. This habit has continued. Our boys set up a chair to reach the crossbeam so they can see over the fence. Our neighbor has a ladder propped up on his side, so he can do the same. They will go out in the morning and yell for the friend and make plans for the day. It is mostly a blessing and occasionally can prove to be challenging because they want to be playing all the time and even Max feels comfortable leaving to go next do whenever he feels like it.
One morning Will climbed over the fence to play with his friend who was playing in his backyard. I went over and got him and we talked about how it wasn't ok to climb over the fence, and he always needed to ask before he went to play at the neighbors. A while later the boys went over to see if they neighbors could play and no one was home. They came home and Will headed to the backyard. I reminded him that he could play in the backyard, but he was not allowed to climb over the fence. Two minutes later he came walking in our front door, with the neighbors dog! He had climbed over the fence, retrieved the neighbors dog, walked through their (empty) house, and brought the dog into ours. We had a little talk about how it is not ok to go into someone else's house without their permission, especially when they are not home, and a little reminder that we don't climb over the fence.
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Monday, April 13, 2015
Spring Break 2015
Zach had to work Spring Break, but since Joe and Will were both home from school the whole week I decided we should at least do some things a little out of the ordinary. We kicked off by roasting marshmallow Sunday night with Zach. The boys loved the fire, but Max and Will both decided they prefer marshmallows plain rather than toasted.
Monday the boys and I headed to the Bean Museum. Usually Will just runs wherever he wants, much to my frustration. This day however, he was really good and staying with us and we only had about two instances where he went too far from us. On one particular occasion he was especially patient when Joe and Max were interested in an exhibit that he wasn't and he waited patiently until they were done looking. That boy really has grown up a lot. Since we were in the neighborhood, I thought it would be fun to go to the creamery for lunch. We have never been in all the time we've lived here. We were not the only ones with that idea and it was quite busy. The boys weren't too bothered by that though because they just got to eat their ice cream before their food because the wait at the grill was so long.
That night we picked Zach up from work and headed to the Park City outlets to shop a little for Joe and Zach. We found some things for Joe for Summer and some dress pants for both him and Will, which they both needed. Will and Max both had fun accessorizing while we shopped.
Tuesday we joined Ashley and Nicole and their kiddos in St. George. It was fun to play with the cousins and just hang out. I was a little nervous about driving there without Zach, but the boys did surprisingly well on the way there. Wednesday was full of more play and a short trip to a nearby trail to let the kids ride bikes, scooters and wiggle bikes. Will took quite a spill down a hill, but rebounded pretty quickly until we were back and Justin and Nicole's and he remembered how much he was hurting. A little showed quickly cured him. Nicole let me take a little snooze and after that we headed home. It was a short trip but it sure was fun! On the way home we stopped in Beaver at the Cache Valley Cheese Factory Outlet. The boys got ice cream (it was good!) and I got some cheese curds too (original, yummy, salsa flavored, not so yummy). The ride home wasn't quite as smooth, but we made it home without major incident. We were so happy to see Zach when we got home!
Zach left super early Thursday morning for a trip to Billings. So, we went to Grandma Jeans for lunch. The boys always ask grandma for Yoplait yogurt when we're there, and she always has some for them. I never buy it, so it's a special treat for them. She made us homemade mac and cheese that was scrumptious and we had some fruit with it too. It was fun to visit with Grandma. We swung by my mom's on the way home and we ended up staying for dinner! The boys played with the chickens and watched a movie with uncle James while I went across the street to Gram Betty and Grandpa Ivan's to visit with them and Paige who was in town for a visit.
I had plans Friday to go out and do something but we ended up having kind of a rough morning and the most exciting thing we did was have a backyard picnic to try and turn the day around. Max refused to nap even though he was exhausted and the boys ended up just playing at home the rest of the day. I didn't feel like cooking, so we had scrambled eggs, green beans and green smoothies for dinner!
Saturday morning the boys all crawled in bed will me and cuddle for a bit. It was a pretty sweet moment. I'm so lucky to be their mom. Then a few hours later Zach got home! He had driven all the way to Pocatello on Friday so he got home around 10am. He took a nap and we spent the day at Costco and the park (which was my original plan for Friday). Then Zach and I got a sitter so we could visit our friends Trevor and April who just had a baby without overwhelming them with our crazy kids!
Even though we didn't get to everything we planned, it ended up being a really fun week. I think one thing I need to do better is always take advantage of the fun things there are to do around wherever it is we live at the time. I think too often I think I need to have things perfect before I leave the house with the kids or need to have a certain amount of time wherever we're going to make it worth it. Sometimes I just need to do it anyway!
Monday the boys and I headed to the Bean Museum. Usually Will just runs wherever he wants, much to my frustration. This day however, he was really good and staying with us and we only had about two instances where he went too far from us. On one particular occasion he was especially patient when Joe and Max were interested in an exhibit that he wasn't and he waited patiently until they were done looking. That boy really has grown up a lot. Since we were in the neighborhood, I thought it would be fun to go to the creamery for lunch. We have never been in all the time we've lived here. We were not the only ones with that idea and it was quite busy. The boys weren't too bothered by that though because they just got to eat their ice cream before their food because the wait at the grill was so long.
That night we picked Zach up from work and headed to the Park City outlets to shop a little for Joe and Zach. We found some things for Joe for Summer and some dress pants for both him and Will, which they both needed. Will and Max both had fun accessorizing while we shopped.
Tuesday we joined Ashley and Nicole and their kiddos in St. George. It was fun to play with the cousins and just hang out. I was a little nervous about driving there without Zach, but the boys did surprisingly well on the way there. Wednesday was full of more play and a short trip to a nearby trail to let the kids ride bikes, scooters and wiggle bikes. Will took quite a spill down a hill, but rebounded pretty quickly until we were back and Justin and Nicole's and he remembered how much he was hurting. A little showed quickly cured him. Nicole let me take a little snooze and after that we headed home. It was a short trip but it sure was fun! On the way home we stopped in Beaver at the Cache Valley Cheese Factory Outlet. The boys got ice cream (it was good!) and I got some cheese curds too (original, yummy, salsa flavored, not so yummy). The ride home wasn't quite as smooth, but we made it home without major incident. We were so happy to see Zach when we got home!
Zach left super early Thursday morning for a trip to Billings. So, we went to Grandma Jeans for lunch. The boys always ask grandma for Yoplait yogurt when we're there, and she always has some for them. I never buy it, so it's a special treat for them. She made us homemade mac and cheese that was scrumptious and we had some fruit with it too. It was fun to visit with Grandma. We swung by my mom's on the way home and we ended up staying for dinner! The boys played with the chickens and watched a movie with uncle James while I went across the street to Gram Betty and Grandpa Ivan's to visit with them and Paige who was in town for a visit.
I had plans Friday to go out and do something but we ended up having kind of a rough morning and the most exciting thing we did was have a backyard picnic to try and turn the day around. Max refused to nap even though he was exhausted and the boys ended up just playing at home the rest of the day. I didn't feel like cooking, so we had scrambled eggs, green beans and green smoothies for dinner!
Saturday morning the boys all crawled in bed will me and cuddle for a bit. It was a pretty sweet moment. I'm so lucky to be their mom. Then a few hours later Zach got home! He had driven all the way to Pocatello on Friday so he got home around 10am. He took a nap and we spent the day at Costco and the park (which was my original plan for Friday). Then Zach and I got a sitter so we could visit our friends Trevor and April who just had a baby without overwhelming them with our crazy kids!
Even though we didn't get to everything we planned, it ended up being a really fun week. I think one thing I need to do better is always take advantage of the fun things there are to do around wherever it is we live at the time. I think too often I think I need to have things perfect before I leave the house with the kids or need to have a certain amount of time wherever we're going to make it worth it. Sometimes I just need to do it anyway!
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Cute Things Kids Say
I will forget if I don't write them down so...
The other day Joe says out of the blue, "Mom, when is Grandpa Ed going to come back to life? I really miss him!" So sweet. I love that my boys got to know their Grandpa Ed while we lived with them. Also, we explained that we don't know when exactly we'll be resurrected, so it might be a while.
I was cuddling with Max before his nap and got a stray eyelash off his cheek. He wanted to look at it, so I showed him and he said, "Wow, that's beautiful!"
Tonight we were driving home from Costco, and it was dark. The kids are a little fascinated with it getting darker earlier these days (I don't love it). Will said, "I can't see anything. I can't see horses... or Cinderella... or anything!" Not sure where that came from. Or when he ever sees Cinderella.
These boys sure have a laughing and smiling. We love them.
The other day Joe says out of the blue, "Mom, when is Grandpa Ed going to come back to life? I really miss him!" So sweet. I love that my boys got to know their Grandpa Ed while we lived with them. Also, we explained that we don't know when exactly we'll be resurrected, so it might be a while.
I was cuddling with Max before his nap and got a stray eyelash off his cheek. He wanted to look at it, so I showed him and he said, "Wow, that's beautiful!"
Tonight we were driving home from Costco, and it was dark. The kids are a little fascinated with it getting darker earlier these days (I don't love it). Will said, "I can't see anything. I can't see horses... or Cinderella... or anything!" Not sure where that came from. Or when he ever sees Cinderella.
These boys sure have a laughing and smiling. We love them.
Saturday, August 23, 2014
First Day of First Grade
We've really been enjoying Summer at our house. Joe was ready for more structure though. He missed the first day of school because we got to pick Stephanie up from the airport from her mission! Wahoo! I gave him the choice to come with us to pick her up and miss his first day, or go to the first day of school and see her that night and he decided to miss the first day.
The night before and morning of school Joe was a little sad, and told me he was going to miss me. And Max. He was also concerned that school was going to be hard since he was going to first grade now. I tried to alleviate his concerns, telling him that kindergarten helped prepare him for first grade and that we will still get to spend a lot of time together as a family.
When he got home from his first day he told me it wasn't very good and "I really missed you, Mom." So we talked about his day and some of the things that happened. It's a little hard to tell from his perspective, but I think the recess after lunch Joe missed the bell, and was out with another class and got a little lost. He got a little teary that fist day. He was re-telling the story and dinner and said, "...I was sitting by the wall...just thinking about you, Mom, and how I really missed you..." When he started crying at the dinner table Zach had him get out of his seat to give Zach a hug, and Joe said, "I don't know why water is falling out of my eyes?!" Oh, it was so sweet and funny. And I was a little flattered that he missed me so much.
So that night, Zach gave Joe and Will a blessing, and then Max sat on the chair and said, "my turn!" So, Max got one too. Every day since then Joe has said that it has gotten better.
And then there is this kid who is just too cool for school.
No, but seriously. I took Will to sign up/meet preschool teachers this summer and it was a major flop. He froze up and freaked out and two of the three preschool and the third one he was ok with, but I wasn't a huge fan. Anyway the first day of Joe's school was rough for Will! He missed him a lot. I would love to get a little play-group together, but he doesn't have a lot of friends his age and two of them are pretty shy. So I saw this sign driving home one day and I thought, "why not?" So I took him to meet the teacher, and although he never made it inside the home, he didn't freak out and he even agreed he would go back to the open house next week, so we'll see what happens.
The night before and morning of school Joe was a little sad, and told me he was going to miss me. And Max. He was also concerned that school was going to be hard since he was going to first grade now. I tried to alleviate his concerns, telling him that kindergarten helped prepare him for first grade and that we will still get to spend a lot of time together as a family.
When he got home from his first day he told me it wasn't very good and "I really missed you, Mom." So we talked about his day and some of the things that happened. It's a little hard to tell from his perspective, but I think the recess after lunch Joe missed the bell, and was out with another class and got a little lost. He got a little teary that fist day. He was re-telling the story and dinner and said, "...I was sitting by the wall...just thinking about you, Mom, and how I really missed you..." When he started crying at the dinner table Zach had him get out of his seat to give Zach a hug, and Joe said, "I don't know why water is falling out of my eyes?!" Oh, it was so sweet and funny. And I was a little flattered that he missed me so much.
So that night, Zach gave Joe and Will a blessing, and then Max sat on the chair and said, "my turn!" So, Max got one too. Every day since then Joe has said that it has gotten better.
And then there is this kid who is just too cool for school.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Solo Sunday
Zach woke up this morning with a terrible migraine, so I took the boys to church by myself. They are generally a handful in sacrament meeting and I was worried about managing all three of them without Zach. Things were going pretty well, although I wasn't able to listen much, until halfway through the final speaker. I can't even remember what set him off but Will started throwing a loud tantrum complete with hits, pinches, and yells. I told Joe to go out to the foyer and had to carry out Will. What about Max, you ask? The girl sitting next to me kindly accepted to keep an eye on him while I was gone.
I took Will outside to have him sit in time-out for his behavior. Of course he was upset about it and was very vocal about it. I'm sure the people in the foyer were distracted from the rest of the meeting. After the meeting we went and collected Max. Poor guy just laid on the floor after I left. He probably thought I had abandoned him. Will couldn't very well go to nursery after an outburst like that so I took him and Max home to put them both down for naps.
It took all of Gospel Doctrine, but once they were asleep I headed back to church (don't forget, Zach was home, but his migraine left him incapacitated). I made it for Relief Society where we had an excellent lesson about having a peaceful home. The Spirit taught me a lot that meeting and I was so grateful to be there. Then I started thinking of how it would have been different had Max and Will still been there. It's likely they would have run out of steam before Relief Society was over and I would have had to intervene. Even if that weren't the case, I would have been at least slightly preoccupied with thoughts of how they were doing.
Although Will's behavior was a far cry from perfect, I felt like it was a blessing in disguise. First, it was an opportunity for me to practice patience. Although I often enjoy those opportunities, I need them. Second, because I took the boys home I was able to fully participate in Relief Society.
On the surface it may not seem like it, but today was a good day.
I took Will outside to have him sit in time-out for his behavior. Of course he was upset about it and was very vocal about it. I'm sure the people in the foyer were distracted from the rest of the meeting. After the meeting we went and collected Max. Poor guy just laid on the floor after I left. He probably thought I had abandoned him. Will couldn't very well go to nursery after an outburst like that so I took him and Max home to put them both down for naps.
It took all of Gospel Doctrine, but once they were asleep I headed back to church (don't forget, Zach was home, but his migraine left him incapacitated). I made it for Relief Society where we had an excellent lesson about having a peaceful home. The Spirit taught me a lot that meeting and I was so grateful to be there. Then I started thinking of how it would have been different had Max and Will still been there. It's likely they would have run out of steam before Relief Society was over and I would have had to intervene. Even if that weren't the case, I would have been at least slightly preoccupied with thoughts of how they were doing.
Although Will's behavior was a far cry from perfect, I felt like it was a blessing in disguise. First, it was an opportunity for me to practice patience. Although I often enjoy those opportunities, I need them. Second, because I took the boys home I was able to fully participate in Relief Society.
On the surface it may not seem like it, but today was a good day.
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