A moment to remember

This morning I decided that I would actually vacuum our room. I had the energy so decided to just get to it. The living room is what REALLY needed to be vacuumed but the boys were playing and I didn't feel like fighting them to clean up so had decided I would just do it later. Well, as I was vacuuming the hall, heading to the living room. Andrew ran up to me and told me to stop because not all the toys were cleaned up yet! He asked me to help them finish up....Well, YES!! I'd be happy to help finish. They had already done most of it and just wanted the last few things off of the floor so that I wouldn't vacuum them up. I was SO HAPPY!! I congratulated him and told him I was so proud of him for cleaning up without being asked. He said "Yeah, I learned that in church on Sunday!"

Poor Ben

About a week and a half ago...Conference Sunday, we were getting ready to take the boys for a walk, and Ben got his finger pinched in the door of the car. OUCH!! I've been meaning to take a picture of it for a while now, and decided we really should document it for posterity sake. This is what it looks like now. Bob went ahead and cut the nail back. We're wondering if it's going to fall off all together. He tells me several times a day that his finger doesn't hurt anymore. Which is good I guess...He does have a tendency to play with it. Which of course grosses me OUT!!! I have a hard time just looking at his finger, it all looks so painful!

More Colorado

After spending a few days with my parents, we headed to Grammy and Grandpa's to play!!! Andrew enjoyed getting wet in the little pool. ( as well as trying to get Uncle David wet with that hose)
Ben decided his favorite activity was jumping on the trampoline. Pure Joy!!!


They ALWAYS enjoy playing with their cousins. Isn't Tinsley ADORABLE!!!

Star of the Week!!

Last week Andrew came home and told us that he was STAR OF THE WEEK!!! This after he came home last week and told us he had been moved to a new table. When I asked him why he said it was to help the girls to pay attention;) Well, OK then! When we asked him how he got picked, He told us that the teacher had everyone stand up and then if they were wearing black they had to sit down, and so it went until he was the last one standing. (We've since figured out that she chooses them ahead of time, but it sounds like doing it this way, they think it's because they were the last one standing:) Not a bad idea, not so many hurt feelings)He had a poster to fill out about himself. He wanted to do it. It took a lot of self control to let him do it. I SO wanted to just take over and write everything for him, but, I let him do it. He also got to take his favorite book to school to share. He wanted to take his new Star Wars book, but it's a chapter book we're reading with him. He said that if it was a little book, then she would read some of it. So we convinced him to choose his favorite book that he could read on his own. He said that he did get to read some of it to the class. He also got to be the line leader where ever they went so he insisted that we get to school early enough that he could meet his class in the cafeteria and lead them. That wasn't good enough and so on Friday I let him eat at school. He LOVED it! He would eat there everyday if I would let him.

Uh OH

On Tuesdays Andrew comes home with a homework folder that has 4 or 5 worksheets for him to do and then turn in on Fri. The teacher doesn't want them to turn it in early if they get it done early, so when he finishes his folder I set it on the piano and try desperately to remember to put it back in his backpack for Friday. This has only been his second week of homework and I was TERRIFIED that I would forget to put it back. So I was stressing over it all week! Come Friday morning I remembered and was so proud of myself. Then, Friday afternoon after I pick up Andrew from school and after we've run some errands, he tells me that he needs to remember to take his homework folder to school on Mon.!!! WHAT?!?!?! I told him that it was in his back pack, he said he never saw it. All I could think of was that this WASN'T happening!!! His second week of homework and he's already forgetting to turn it in? I told him that Connor does the same thing and so that his grades aren't very good. He told me that Connor just doesn't think sometimes. Sorry Connor. When we got home I had him look in his back pack and sure enough, there it was under the papers HE had put in to bring home. I still don't know how he didn't see it. So on Mon, I made sure he gave it to his teacher, I had him carry it in his hands into class. WHEW!!!
Then on Mon we found out that we are having a little girl!! Andrew has decided her name should be Ally, this came after I said no to Aubree and he tried to tell us it should be Aully....Aubree with an l instead of br. Yesterday when I was talking to Ben I asked him if he wanted a baby sister, he said "No thanks" At least by last night he had decided maybe it would be OK, but he does change his mind a lot.

Glenwood Springs

While in Glenwood Springs we got to stay here and swim in the Hot Springs. The boys LOVED it!!!
Andrew even braved the fountain in the middle of the kiddie pool!!!

Their favorite activity was tossing the ball around with Grandpa.

Sometimes Andrew's ball would land IN the fountain, all though he braved it, he still wasn't quite sure of it, it was REALLY cold though.

Can you tell Ben LOVED the ball?!? Unfortunately the next day while we were playing he was bouncing around in the pool and even though it's only 2' deep, he lost his footing and went under. I tried to be really calm and just walked to him and lifted him up. Then we cheered him on about putting his head in the water. He didn't buy it, he's still a little unsure of getting in the pool, even our little kiddie pool. Let's hope next summer is better.

Grandma would hold him while we were in the big pool, but you can still see he's a little unsure, but he doesn't like to wear arm floats. He kept sticking his fingers in his mouth. The water was a little salty and I guess he liked the flavor because he kept liking his fingers, the ball of he even grabbed my hand a few times and tried to eat my fingers. I guess the kid has been deprived of sodium.

Andrew LOVED floating around with grandpa in his fish floater. Once we convinced him that the WHOLE pool was only 4.5' he willingly floated from one end to the other.

They swam for so long, this is how they came out. Check out the wrinkles!!!

There was enough soda or salt (I don't know which it was) in the pool that Andrew came out with white on his face from having water fights with grandpa. Ben was just happy to be OUT of the pool.

After spending the day at the pool, we headed back to the train station to wait for the train. The boys needed a little help with the waiting part, so grandma sang songs with them...a favorite was "Johnny hammers with One Hammer"
Andrew thought the train was REALLY loud and Ben couldn't take his eyes off of it, so, this is the best picture we could get.

A train ride!

While we were in Colorado my parents took us to Glenwood Springs for the night on the train! The boys had a lot of fun.


This is how the boys spent their time, Ben on Grandpa's lap. Or looking out the window.

Andrew spent a lot of time pointing at all the cool things out the window, or just staring.

WHAT?!?!?!

Why yes, yes that is Benjamin sitting on the potty! He thinks he's potty training. Every now and then he'll decide he needs to use the potty, most of the time he's right. But, it must still be easier to not take the time to go to the potty, because there are more times that I have to convince him to let me change his diaper. This is his face when he's "squeezing" it out. Cute huh! We'll take this slow, I'm not ready for the headache of potty training.

Why does Ben have shoes on his hands?

Well, he's dancing of course!

And what is he dancing to? Ooo and Ahhh from Disney Channel!

A Cute memorable time

While in the apartment, we had at least one sweet moment.....Andrew reading to Ben. Ben thought it was SO COOL!!!

1st day of school

Andrew started school on Mon Aug 24, 2009! He was SO excited!!! He thought it was a little boring though because they didn't get to play outside. But he did want to go back on Tues. so that's good. We live close enough that Ben and I get to walk him to school, when his teacher came by to pick up the kids who don't eat lunch at school, he waved good bye and headed right in the gate with his class. Ben and I weren't going to follow, but, all the other parents did so, we did. There were NO TEARS on either end, I was surprised that Ben let him go so easily. When I asked his teacher how he did, she said "not so good, he has some behavior issues that need to be dealt with" WHAT?!?!?!? I was shocked! After talking with her and explaining our year, she understood a little more, and I think so did I once I voiced how crazy it's been with Bob being gone for 4 months, driving to CO for a week, driving back to WA, being there for 2 days before getting BACK in the car and driving to Bakersfield, living in an apt for three weeks, rushing into finding a new rental, flying off to CO again for another whirlwind week. Being back for a week and spending that WHOLE week trying to get Andrew enrolled in school so that he could start with all the other kids. And completing the process at the VERY last minute the Friday before school started. And now....to BREATHE!! So, I guess it is a little understandable that he would have a few issues with listening. I guess she had to tell him 3 times to not play fight. So, we talked about it and when I asked her about how he did yesterday, she said he did A LOT better! YAY!!!! He also said he had a lot more fun on the second day, they got to play outside and he thought that was pretty cool.

Andrew in front of our house Aug 24, 2009

Andrew and Ben infront of the sign at school,
Ben thought he needed to be in the picture too.
Andrew and Davin Peterson
( a little boy from primary, not in the same class at school but they do get to see each other on the play ground!!)
Waiting in line to go into class

Swimming lessons

Attempting a back float.

Ben got to play in the kiddie pool while Andrew was taking lessons.

Andrew's teacher attempting to get him UNDER the water.

After going under the water.

See, not overly excited about swimming lessons.

When we moved here and we realized HOW many swimming pools there are, we decided it was time for Andrew to learn how to swim. He enjoyed the first few days, then, by the 4th day, it was kicking and screaming to get him in the pool. What was so cute though was that on the Thursday I asked Andrew if he would like to say a prayer to help him be calm and not be afraid to go under the water. So, everyday after that, when ever we'd pull into the parking lot, Ben would fold his arms and say "prayer". He figured we needed to say a prayer before every swimming lesson. SO CUTE!!!

Today...

Today while brushing Andrew's hair for school, he said.."Mom, maybe when you're a little boy you can where your hair spikey"
M-"Um, Andrew, mom while never be a little boy."
A-"Well, when you come back to earth maybe you can be."

uh, ok.

We're back!!

But first... yesterday in the car this was my conversation with Andrew...
A-"mom, are you old?"
M- "no"
A-"but you were born before me?"
M-"yes, but that just means I'm older than you, not OLD"
A-"But grandma and grandpa."pause"how did you get to our family if you used to be part of theirs?"
M-"What?"
A-"How did you get to be in our family when you used to be in grandma and grandpas?"
M-"Um, I'll answer that question later, I have to think about it."
A-"But, how did you get to be part of our family if you used to be in grandma and grandpas?"
M- me, already hungry and tired NOT wanting to think right now....."Andrew, I will answer your question later, I have to think about it."

Where does he come up with his questions? They're ALWAYS like this, no real answers.

July 3rd

The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays and this year we were able to go home and celebrate it with family. It's been a tradition in my family to go to Edgewater Park on the 3rd for their fireworks. We've been going ever since I was a teenager and we went one year as a youth activity. I LOVE it! They light off the fireworks on one side of the park and everyone sits on the other side. Andrew is usually unsure of fireworks close up, so I wondered how he would do. But he and Ben LOVED them!

Andrew and Benjamin waiting for the fireworks to begin.

Grandma bought the boys light up swords...They really kept them entertained. Ben kept saying star wars over and over while they played with them.

Connor grandma and Andrew keeping themselves entertained while they patiently await the fireworks.


Can you see where they are lighting the fireworks?
So....we all have to look at them like this....
Because they are like this....right above our heads! It's not uncommon to get a few ashes on your blankets.

The next day the 4th, we spent at Bob's parents house. His dad took A LOT of pictures and I will post them later when we get a copy.