New Tricks

Parker has been learning all kinds of new things lately.  He can make animal sounds (cat, owl, pig, bee, lion/dinosaur).  He particularly enjoys snorting like a pig, and he practices in public as well as at home.  I found myself snorting back at him one day in Target and suddenly felt very self-conscious!

He is saying a new word nearly every day.  He loves Sesame Street, especially Elmo ("Melmo") and Grover ("Gro"). He would happily eat Goldfish crackers for every meal.  His favorite songs are "Itsy Bitsy Spider," to which he does all the appropriate actions, and the ABC's.  He knows all the parts of his face and can say some of them.

 The big brothers are into football and they taught him to "be a snapper."  A snapper is the person who passes the ball between his legs to the quarterback/punter.  So when someone says, "Parker, be a snapper!" he immediately assumes this position.

 

The neighbor boys outgrew this little BYU hat, so they gave it to Parker and he wears it a lot.  

 

Here's Parker in the nursery at church.  I love the distance between his feet and the floor.  Those are such small chairs too!

RAOK Week 3

Dec. 17--We made a sign that said, "BEST DAD HANDS DOWN," put all the boys' handprints on it, and went to Andy's office.  As we walked in, we started singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and we taped the sign to his door.  He was surprised to see us!

Dec. 18--We went to the symphony!  Every year, the Utah Symphony comes to Weber State University and does a special Christmas concert for kids.  Santa is in the lobby before the show, so we prepared a card and a "Symphony" candy bar for him.  Just as we got there, the lady told us it was time for Santa to go backstage and get ready for the performance.  We looked sad and asked if she would deliver our gift.  Her heart melted on the spot, and she let us be the last ones in line!  Santa told Spencer that since he brought him a card, he would get double gifts this year!

The concert was amazing!  Carson listened with rapt attention.  Occasionally he would reach up and touch my shoulder to tell me something, and his eyes sparkled with delight.  As we walked out to the car, he kept looking back to try to see Santa's sleigh on the roof of the building.

Dec. 19--Spencer was at Grandma's house for a sleepover, but Carson and I wrapped some presents for a friend in our neighborhood.  Hopefully that will relieve a little of her stress.

Dec. 20--We all went caroling to our bishop and his family.  We sang "Rudolph," with Spencer doing the echoes.  Even Carson belted it out!  Then we sang "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" as we went back to the car.  It made them smile!

Dec. 21--My birthday!  I wanted to give something to the babies born on my special day, so I found two little boy outfits and two little girl outfits, attached cards to them, and we delivered them to the nursery at the hospital where I used to work.  I told the nurse to give them to four special babies who were born that day.

Dec. 22--On our way home from my family Christmas party, we stopped at the grocery store parking lot and left candy bars with notes on three random cars.  Spencer signed the notes from "A Christmas Elf."

 Dec. 23--The boys wrote cards and delivered them with big candy bars to their church teachers.  Only two of the four were home, but one of them was obviously tickled by the gesture.  He bent down and chatted with both boys and had a big grin.  I've often wondered if he feels unappreciated, and he seemed very pleased. 

Dec. 24--A hectic day, so we just made a special effort to give hugs to Grandma and Grandpa after our Christmas Eve dinner.  That's not a big deal for Spencer, but Carson is usually reluctant to show affection.  However, he didn't hesitate this time.  I guess he was feeling the Christmas spirit! 

We voted at our next family night, and we intend to make this an annual tradition.  I'm not sure how easy it will be when the kids are in school during December, but we'll do our best.  I think we all had a good time.  It's fun to see people's faces light up when they realize someone cares. 

RAOK--Week 2

Dec. 10--We went to the bank to cash a check.  After taking our cash, we slipped a candy bar and a note in the vacuum tube and sent it back to the teller.  Then we drove off before she could respond!

Dec. 11--We bought a dozen pink roses (and a couple of candy bars, for the men) and presented a rose to each librarian at our local library, wishing her a Merry Christmas and thanking her for taking care of our library needs.  Librarians are the forgotten service workers.  Everyone thanks the mailman, the teachers, the firefighters and police, but librarians just don't get noticed.  They were all women that night, and they were thrilled and surprised at the token of appreciation.  One lady said, "It makes public service worthwhile!"  Their smiles couldn't have been broader.  How could they help it when two cute little boys gave them flowers??  This RAOK is right up there with the garbage man.

Dec. 12--We went to Walmart, bought 10 balloons, and handed them out to children as they walked out of the store.  The parents were quite skeptical, which is understandable, now that I think of it.  There's usually a catch somewhere when someone offers you something "for free."  But a couple of moms were very pleased and made my little givers feel good.  Spencer kept warning Carson to "hold on tight," so the balloons wouldn't get away.  Then Spencer lost one up in the rafters!

Dec. 13--Wrote Christmas cards to the workmen who have been finishing the kids' new bedrooms downstairs.  One guy has a cute little dog who waits patiently in the back of his truck while he's working all day.  He showed us some tricks he can do.  His name is Junior, and he climbs 40- foot ladders!  Unbeknownst to us, he has been on the highest peak of our roof!  He could play fetch all day long with his little yellow football.  The kids loved him, so we got some doggy treats just for Junior, too.  We haven't delivered them yet. 

 Dec. 14--We decorated a neighbor's door with a bag of M&M's and positive adjectives that begin with "M."  Here is a picture of our messages:

It's probably hard to read, but it says, "Merry Christmas ______!!  You are... Mindful and Meritorious, Magnificent and Magnanimous, Marvelous and Much-Appreciated, Multi-talented and a-Mazing."  When I drive by their house, I see they have removed the package of M&M's, but left the signs in place.

Dec. 15--We dug into our wallets, and came up with some change.  Then we drove around town and put some money in all the Salvation Army buckets we could find.  At Walmart, there was a bell-ringer at both doors, so they ran from one to the other.  The second bell-ringer guessed what we were doing gave me a knowing smile.

Dec. 16--We wrote Christmas cards to the managers of the kids' favorite restaurants.  Spencer chose a local pizza place and said he loved their pizza and they are #1!  Carson wrote to our local burger joint.  He wrote, "Your restaurant is my favorite because ....   I like your cheeseburgers and corn dogs.  I like your chocolate milk.  From Carson   P.S.  Merry Christmas!!"  Then he drew a picture of Santa's bag and a stocking.  I hope people enjoy the effort that goes into our messages!

RAOK--Week One

I ran across an idea on Pinterest (if you don't know what this is, you should--it's amazing!) of how to help your kids focus on others instead of themselves at Christmas time.  It sounded really fun and worthwhile, and since I knew they'd be out of school from Thanksgiving to January, I decided we would have plenty of time to give it a try.

Basically, it was a list of Random Acts of Kindness that we can do together, one for each day of December.  I thought it might be fun to blog about it too!

Dec. 1--I introduced the idea and the kids thought it sounded like fun.  I gave three $1 bills to each boy, which they slipped into three of their favorite books at the library, along with a note that read, "If you are lucky enough to find our surprise, Merry Christmas!  This is one of our favorite books.  We hope you enjoy it.  Love, Some Christmas Elves".  This was super exciting!  They tried very hard not to let anyone see what they were doing.  So sneaky!

Dec. 2--Wrote notes to friends.  They are men of few words.  Carson wrote, "What do you want for Christmas?"  That was it.  Spencer had to keep adding P.S. and P.P.S. because I told him he hadn't said enough.  Even then it was brief and to-the-point.  Oh well.  Hopefully eloquence will develop with age.

Dec. 3--After our family night, we got in the car and went to the grocery store to buy a much-needed gallon of milk.  As we got to the checkout, I made Spencer ask the clerk what her favorite candy bar was.  We fumbled around a bit, trying to locate a regular Snickers, paid for it, and wished her a Merry Christmas.  She seemed pleased, though not as surprised as I expected.  Maybe it was all the fumbling and conspiratorial whispering that clued her in.  Anyway, the boys enjoyed it and Spencer got out of his comfort zone a little bit. 

Dec. 4--Carson went to a birthday party at the skating rink/fun center.  We took him to the party, and then Spencer went into the boys' bathroom and left a large candy bar attached to a sign thanking the person who cleans the bathroom.  Hopefully some naughty child didn't just steal the candy.

Dec. 5--We left a treat and a note for our garbage man... 

Andy and I were worried that he wouldn't see it or he wouldn't read it, assuming it was trash, but all was well.  When I heard the truck come up the street, I was making beds and the kids were outside getting in the car for swimming lessons.  We all watched anxiously to see if the gift would be received.  He was just about to lower the big claw when he stopped, looked, opened the door, and pulled the sign off the trash can.  A BIG smile spread across his face and he looked around to figure out which of the several children outside had made the sign.  The givers were actually spying from the garage.  The garbage man grinned again, waved, and drove off.  I'm sure it made his day.  This is my favorite RAOK so far!

Dec. 6--Last day of swimming lessons.  Each boy taped some quarters to the vending machine just outside the pool, along with a note reading, "This snack's on us!  Merry Christmas!  From, A Christmas Elf."  To be quite honest, I was shocked at the cost of the snacks!  Gone are the days of the 50 cent candy bar.  You can't get anything for less than $1!  Oh well, maybe some hungry person will be glad for the help.

Dec. 7--Held the doors open for patrons of Wendy's.  Some young guys were rather surprised when Spencer wished them a Merry Christmas as they walked in, and they said, "Merry Christmas to you too, little buddy!"  Some high school girls commented, "How cute!" when Carson greeted them. 

Dec. 8--Paid a surprise visit to Grandma and Grandpa in Provo by riding the new high-speed train.  Getting there was no big deal, but getting home was a whole other story.  They waited for an hour and half, standing in the aisle of a bus, just to get on the train to go home.  After that, it was another hour and half on the train, and then a few minutes to drive back home!  They seemed cheerful and upbeat about the whole thing.

Dec. 9--Wrote Christmas cards.  Again, not a lot of wordiness, but it was sufficient.

I'll keep you updated on the coming week's activities!

Nature Center

One day when the kids were out of school (was it October??), I took them to the local nature center.  I remembered going there as a kid, so I thought they should experience it too. 

I remembered Chitters the owl and what do you know?  He's STILL there!!  We found out he is now 35 years old (yes, the same age as me).  Most owls live about 15 years in the wild, but he has had such a stable and safe home that he is still kickin'! 

Isn't this beautiful??  We walked along the wooded trails and the boys enjoyed finding interesting sticks and leaves. 

They also had fun pretending to be frightening creatures in the shadows!

Then there was the treehouse.  Little boys' paradise!  They could have had fun there for many hours.  We'll just have to go back sometime!

Here's Parker watching TV with his daddy. 

And snuggling with Uncle Mike on Thanksgiving Day. 

I like watching Spencer feed Parker.  I was trying to capture him opening his mouth while putting the spoon in Parker's mouth, but they were finished before I got a good shot. 

Everyone was excited when we put out our lighted deer and sleigh in the front yard!

The big brothers were wearing hats one night, so Parker had to have one too!  Spencer told me that the other day he walked into Parker's room and Parker said, "Geevenfoof!"  He asked, "What's Geevenfoof?"  Parker just pointed at Spencer, so we assume that's his new nickname.  If only I'd thought of Geevenfoof when Spencer was born!

"Aw!  These shoes stink just like Spencer's feet!  I love them!"

Carson has recently discovered a new talent...puzzles!  He is crazy about puzzles and he's really good at them.  He quickly got tired of all our 24-piece puzzles that are meant for children his age.  So now he's doing 100-piece ones!  It's fun to watch him because you can almost see the cogs turning in his little brain.  Spencer has never enjoyed puzzles because he lacks the patience for it, but Carson thrives on such a methodical activity. 

Aw...Sundays really wear him out!  At this very moment, he is snoring rather loudly on the bed.  I sneaked in with the video camera.  Now I have solid proof that he snores!

October

I am repenting for neglecting my blog and will do my best to keep it up better.  I am always surprised to learn how many people actually read this thing!

Andy has asked me repeatedly if he could have a bow tie.  I just didn't think it would look very good unless he was attending a formal event.  So he borrowed one from a boy at church one day and took a picture to prove how debonair he looked.  I'm still considering....

Yes, this is from Halloween.   Andy told the kids that if he had to carve the pumpkin, they had to clean it out.

Poor Carson had a hard time.  I thought one handful was enough, but Andy insisted he do more!  The poor boy had already helped clean out a pumpkin at school, and his teacher said he did it willingly enough, but turned his head and gagged audibly a couple of times.

Parker was a little dragon for Halloween!  I took him around to see some of our friends in the neighborhood. He's a pretty popular guy, especially with women. They always comment on his squishable cheeks.

Dakota loves to have someone sit with her.  She follows me around the house all day and literally sticks her nose into whatever I'm doing.  She loves her toys too.  She's started bringing them into the house sometimes, which I'm not in favor of, but it's cute that she loves them so.  Her favorites are the squeaky ones, but I think she has loved the squeak out of all of them.  Maybe Santa can help....
 

Spencer is learning to type.  He's pretty good at it, especially for a third grader.  I didn't learn until 8th grade.  Already his education is so much different from mine!  Anyway, I liked his comfy little set-up here.

Parker loves to watch shows with Carson.  They were watching Sesame Street on this day.  He giggles and dances when they sing.  Then when it's over, Carson turns it off, and Parker wails with despair. 

Catching Up

Once again, time has slipped away from me.  There's something about having the third little boy that keeps things really busy!  It's not any one of them, it's the combination of the three.  Anyway, here's the update....

You may have heard of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers."  At our house, we have Invasion of the Food Snatchers.  I went out with Carson to catch his ride to school yesterday, and when I returned to make my lunch, the plate that had previously been full of roast beef was quite empty!  The plate itself was right where I had left it and all the other food was undisturbed.  I turned around and saw these brown eyes watching me, guilty as sin!  She was uninterested in her doggy kibbles that afternoon.  Hmmm, I wonder why....

She really likes Honey Nut Cheerios.  She hangs out by Parker in the mornings because she knows he'll start tossing her Cheerios.  He throws them over the edge of the high chair and immediately shakes his head "no-no."  (He's aware of the rules, he just chooses not to obey them.)  Dakota snaps the cereal in midair and Parker giggles like crazy. 

Dakota loves her family.  She always goes in the bathroom and rubs against Andy's towel.  I've even noticed her rubbing up against the kids bath mat when the shower curtain isn't in the way.

One day she stood at the window, growling and barking in her scariest tone.  I saw an animal control truck across the street.  Apparently the neighbors had found a stray dog and called the county to come and get it.  Dakota has never had any contact with animal control, though, and I can't figure out how she knew who they were and that she didn't like them.

Parker is a delightful little rascal.  He is busy getting into mischief all day and he gets really mad when we stop him.  He wants to be deeply involved in whatever his brothers are doing, whether they like it or not.  He recently taught himself to play the kazoo.  (If I can figure out how to post a video, I'll put it on here.)  He also enjoys playing an impromptu duet when Spencer is trying to practice the piano.  He loves to go for wagon rides, especially when Dakota comes along.
 

He loves his baby swing and giggles a lot. 

This was Spencer's birthday party at the pool.  Parker looked super cute in his little baby Speedo.

Enjoying the outdoors at Carson's soccer game.

 One day while the kids were out of school, I took them to a trampoline park.  It was pretty amazing!  Basically, it's a huge room with multiple trampolines hooked together so the kids can jump from one to another.  They have an area for basketball and dodgeball.  The boys' favorite part was the foam pits.  They bounce down a long tramp and jump into a pit of foam cubes. 

Spencer is becoming a good swimmer!  I am delighted with his progress.  I've scheduled them for more lessons while they're out of school in a couple of weeks.

Geronimo!!

He actually enjoys jumping off the diving board and going down the big slide.  This is amazing for any child of mine!

Carson isn't as brave yet, but hopefully with more time and practice, he'll get there.  Right now he just needs to get his face in the water!