Smiles

I've been heavily involved in redecorating my living room, so I apologize for the lack of blogging. I'm refinishing furniture and making new window valances. It's very exciting, but time-consuming. The boys don't get into it, either. Just rearranging the furniture is troublesome to them.

I took the kids to the zoo one day when Spencer was off. Parker had a relaxing ride in his stroller. Wouldn't it be nice if someone just wheeled you wherever you wanted to go, offered beverages occasionally, and generally ensured your every comfort? As you can see, he's got it made in the shade!

Grandma insisted we ride the carousel. Spencer's favorite animal is the tiger. I couldn't get a decent picture of Carson, but he rode it too.

Parker looked so cute in his little sunhat, so I had to take a picture before he pulled it off.

This is one of those Norman Rockwell kind of things. If you can't read it very well, it says, "Sherman Detective Agency: Open Monday-Saturday 8am-5pm." Then he wrote "$100 per hour," but crossed it out and put "FREE!" He told me that Carson suggested maybe the price was a little steep, so he slashed it by 100%! I don't know if they ever got any business, but I do remember that when I called them in, they complained that they were just getting started on a "new case."

Dakota is the kids' furry footrest. She lies on the floor while they watch TV and they wiggle their toes in her fur.

Parker is becoming Mr. Mischief! He is very aware of what "no" means, and many times he smiles and says, "Huh!" The other day he dumped an entire bowl of Dakota's water all over the floor, and both of his brothers just stood there and laughed!

Guess who said "mama" over the weekend?? He had just finished eating lunch and I went to the sink to get a washcloth. He knew if I wiped his face clean he could get down and play. He got excited, wiggled his arms and legs, and exclaimed, "A Mama!"

All he wants for the Fourth of July is his two front teeth! He's only lost one, but the other one is getting there. We begged him for days to get that tooth out. Finally at school the kids all started chanting, "Pull it out! Pull it out!" Even the teacher got involved! Sometimes only peer pressure can convince a kid.

Last night we rented "Return of the Jedi" because the boys love Star Wars and hadn't seen it. Carson always roots for the bad guy, so Darth Vader is his favorite character. For anyone unfamiliar, Darth dies in the movie. Spencer started pointing at Carson, and at just that moment, Carson began wailing. He was heartbroken!

One more thing about Carson.... He told me that when he grows up he wants to be "a fighter-fighter because they have cool boots." Fighter-fighters=firefighters

Milestones

Big changes never come alone. We always seem to have two or three at a time. Carson graduated from preschool, Parker turned a year old, and he started crawling! Sometimes I feel like life is cruising along so swiftly, the only way I can keep up is if I hang on and let it drag me!

Carson is now officially ready to move on to kindergarten. Preschool graduations are always entertaining. It was fun to watch Carson sing so solemnly about "Jumbo Elephant." Here he is, Mr. Serious, with his teacher, receiving his diploma.

Each of the kids had a little part (no speaking involved--too scary). Carson was George Washington, and his friend was Abraham Lincoln. I don't think "Abe" could see anything under that big hat!

Parker is one year old! That was the fastest year I've experienced yet. I wish we could keep him just like this for a long time. He had a great birthday until his party guests arrived. There was just too much activity and he felt overwhelmed.

The hat didn't last more than 10 seconds, but we got some pictures anyway.

I love the smile! He didn't know what to do with his cake, but he knew it was something special!

This is Parker's cousin, Ben, who is just 4 months older. At this point, the age difference is still a big deal, but it will lessen with time. I think they will be good friends!

Oh such a happy boy! He is still so proud of himself whenever he stands. When he starts walking, he'll be ecstatic!

Now that he is crawling like crazy, he is into all kinds of mischief! One of his favorite games is playing with the doorstop, affectionately known as "the doingy thing." He also enjoys removing all his clothes from his dresser drawer, unrolling toilet paper, getting into the trash, throwing pieces of dog food all over the floor, and splashing in the dog's water dish. (We've been rearranging the household quite a bit!) When his brothers see him coming down the hall, they yell, "OH NOOOO!" Even the dog stays out of his way when he's on the move. Look at that sweet little face--he couldn't possibly cause trouble, could he??

Despite getting into their stuff, Parker's big brothers always want him to sleep with them. It might be fun for about five minutes, and then they'd be sorry! I've slept in a bed with him, and he snores! (Like father, like son?)

Parker has a flair for posing. You may think I'm exaggerating, but he really turns on the charm when I pull out the camera. He knows just what to do to be adorable!

Nap time. I put Parker to bed and when I went to check on him, Dakota was there to keep him company. Awww!

They are good pals. Of course, this was taken before he was mobile, so this sort of thing doesn't happen anymore. Dakota's been rolled on a few times and now when she sees him coming, she goes to a safer spot! She sure is his best buddy when he's in the high chair though. Not only does she get what he throws on the floor, but he hand feeds her sometimes! He giggles when she licks the Cheerios out of his hands.

The Beach

This is really the last one about the vacation. Finally we got to the beach! This was the boys' first time at the beach, so it was the highlight of the trip. It wasn't warm enough to get into full swimming gear, but we rolled up our pants and got our ankles wet. They enjoyed jumping over the ripples of water and the sensation of the sand washing out from under their feet.

Shouldn't this be on a Father's Day card?

Parker barely touched his feet on the wet sand and then he refused to put down his landing gear again!

Carson couldn't speak much because he was giggling.

Andy cracks up every time he looks at this one because it looks like Carson is saying, "Holy smokes, Spencer, look at those WOMEN!!"

When you travel with boys, you have to take note of all the "cool" cars around. We were on our way to dinner when Spencer dropped his jaw at this Ferrari. I guess I'm just not tuned in to stuff like that.

But this is his dream car--a yellow Corvette. He'll have to be a careful driver because police will easily spot him in a sunshine yellow car!

The day we went home, we had some time to kill in the morning, so we went to some little shops nearby. This pirate-themed store was a hit!

Nah, I think Andy's cuter. A pirate's life isn't for me!

San Diego Temple

This vacation is going to drag on for a long time! We drove by the San Diego temple and walked around the grounds a little. I can't get over the beautiful foliage and flowers everywhere. It's a plant's paradise.

Parker was having less than a good time, so Spencer started driving the stroller around a circular sidewalk. He picked up speed, and although Parker was laughing, I worried that the centrifugal force would get the best of his stomach.

Pictures to pull out when they leave on their missions....

Bottoms up!

I love begonias.

Road trip naps are fun to watch. At one point all three boys were asleep with their heads leaning to the left.

Too bad kids have to use car seats now. Gone are the days of stretching out in the backseat.

Mormon Battalion Museum

Okay, here's a continuation of the trip.... We visited the Mormon Battalion Museum in San Diego. (If you don't know what the Mormon Battalion is, look it up on Wikipedia.) Pretty cool place, recently renovated by the church. There are missionaries assigned there to be tour guides and teach people about the Mormon Battalion and their purpose. I was particularly interested because I have an ancestor who was a member of the battalion. We looked him up in their database, and sure enough, there he was! I nearly busted my buttons.

Abraham Hunsaker--what a charmer! I've always loved his little top curl. Carson used to have one just like it when he was about 6 months old!

And here's a modern-day version. See any resemblance? I kinda hope not!

They outfitted Spencer with some of the equipment the men had to carry (in the heat with wool uniforms--ick!). Those were heavy guns!

After the tour, we panned for "gold."

Parker didn't find anything of value, but he enjoyed being part of the action.

That night we went to a Mexican restaurant in Old Town, a fun little tourist trap. Luckily we were eating outside, because Parker was noisy! He enjoyed using his voice and banging on the table with his little measuring spoon. He looks so cute with the flowers in the background.

The next day we went to see the ocean and look at the tide pools. (When the tide goes out, some of the water stays in the crevices of the rocks and little creatures live there.) We saw little crabs and other living things we couldn't name. If the kids were older, we could have done a lot more exploring. In a few years we'll have to do it again!

We passed by this veteran's cemetery. I was awestruck by the rows and rows of headstones, stretching beyond view. It renewed my gratitude for the many, many people who preserve our freedom and ensure that my children will grow up with the same privileges I had.

USS Midway

As many of you know, we took a family vacation a couple of weeks ago to San Diego and nearby areas. So here is the first of probably three posts about it....

The boys were interested in touring the USS Midway, an aircraft carrier that was used in WWII (as well as two other wars). They gave us these little ipod things to listen to a "self-guided" tour. Carson was completely oblivious to anyone around him when it was turned on. I could talk and yell and he had no idea until I lifted the earpiece away, at which point he would say, "WHAT??" I feel sorry for his wife when he's an old man.

They enjoyed sitting in the cockpits of the planes, and there were a LOT!

I think Andy enjoyed it the most. He was nearly giddy by the time we left.

If you know Spencer at all, you know this is "his" plane--yellow!

I must admit I was a little bored. One airplane is much like another to me. But they had some fun cardboard cutout guys. This one seemed a little stiff...HAHAHA!

Top Gun, here we come!

I love what wind does to my hair. I realized too late that part of the reason Parker wasn't having a good time was because that snack tray on the stroller was blocking his view of just about everything. Poor bored baby, he couldn't see a thing!

Cute little heads