Walking to School

Ethan has been bugging me to walk him to school forever. It is a ways and I'm the type of person that I need to plan and outing like that so I told him last week that if the weather was good and we planned the day ahead of time we could do it. So last Wednesday we planned on walking to school. Ethan was up at 5:30 am so that he would be sure to wake me up in time. We got all ready and set off at 8:10 am to walk Ethan to school. Holly had to ride her bike and Mason wasn't too happy that he had to be in the stroller but we set off.
We made it half way there and I made my kids stop by the fountain in a park that is between our house and the school. I love the fountain and think it is a great place for pictures. To bad they roped it off so you can't get up to sit on the rocks. That would make some awesome pictures.

Anyway I've gotten off track here. We get all the way to the school and Ethan takes off without giving me a hug or anything just "Bye Mom". I guess he is just at that "too embarrassed to kiss his Mom" age.

Holly by this time was getting tired but I told her that if she could make it to the park we would stop for a bit and she and Mason could play. That got her there and they played but we also found a couple of ladies in our Ward that said that on Wednesday's a bunch of them get together and meet at the fountain so they can all walk together and pick up their kids from school and then they stop at the park on the way back so that all the Mom's can talk and the kids can all play together. Holly heard this and decided that we could go home make a picnic and then go walk to get Ethan and play with the other kids on the way back.

Being the wonderful Mom I am said "yes", not thinking that I wouldn't be in any shape to walk all that way again but we did it. We ate some of our picnic but the kids were having too much fun to stop and eat much. We finally got home and crashed! I got burned to a crisp because I was too busy making sure the kids had sun screen on I forgot about myself. Holly got a huge blister on the back of her heel and was so tired that I never want to walk Ethan to school again. I clocked it the next day and found that it is 1.2 miles one way to the school and Holly and I did that 4 times. So we walked a total of 4.8 miles between 8am and 12noon. It was Earth Day so I can say I did my part because I didn't drive my car the whole day.

Ethan had the gall to ask if we could walk the next day. I told him once I recover from the last time I will think about driving to the park and walking him from there but I will not walk to and from school with all three kids again. I'll think about it if it's just him and I, but we'll see.

Sofie the Kidnapped Spider

We were all in our back yard the other day, enjoying the sun shine and playing a little ball, when the golden lab puppy who lives just through the fence came to play. I guess there is a hole behind our shed that he can get through from his yard to ours. This dog loves to play with who ever he can find. My kids love him BUT are a little freaked out because of how excited this dog gets.

Well the puppy decides that he is going to have some fun and gets a hold of the tennis ball that Ryan and Ethan was using to play baseball with and takes off with it through the fence. We all thought this was funny but were trying to figure out what we were going to use to play ball with when the puppy appears again with the ball in his mouth and runs around with it. Clearly just wanting to play with someone.

This goes on for a little bit when Holly puts her stuffed spider, Sofie down to swing. The dog runs right over, grabs Sofie in his mouth and runs off behind the shed and through the hole in the fence. Thinking he was going to do the same thing with Sofie the spider that he did with the ball we wait for him to come back with her. We wait, and wait and Holly is starting to really get upset. Then the dog comes back but without Sofie at which point Holly freaks out. I look at Ryan and say you better go over and tell the people who live there 1) that the dog took off with Holly's stuffed spider and ask if we can get her back and 2) to see if they even know that the dog is getting out.
So Ryan says "oh alright" and gets Ethan to go with him. I stay in the yard with Holly and Mason and try to get Holly to calm down to no avail. Ryan returns a few minutes latter triumphant with Sofie in hand. Holly is so overjoyed she can't thank her Dad enough for "saving Sofie". A little girl is happy once again and so ends our tale of Sofie the kidnapped Spider.

Easter 2009

Easter was quite at our house this year. The kids got up and had a Easter egg hunt around the house and enjoyed what the Easter Bunny brought them. They didn't get new outfits or anything we just went to church and then came home and had a Ham dinner.

But I guess that is the best way to celebrate the Savior. Simply and with family.

Here are a few pictures of the kids with their Easter treats.

Holly checking out the baskets...

I love the look that Ethan is giving his sister while looking for eggs.

And here is my cute boy...

Boomer

So Mason now has an official nickname that has stuck. Boomer. Because he destroys everything he gets his little hands on and so it looks like it just went "boom". Get it.

Anyway he has been at it again. He is taller than Ethan and Holly were at his age and so I've have had to learn the hard way that he can reach a lot. Also to add insult to injury he is a little to smart for his own good, as he has watched his older brother and sister and has learned how to use a stool. So I can't leave him alone for one minute.

He loves to go get the stool out of the bathroom that we have for the other two to use to reach the sink to brush their teeth, and brings it into the kitchen. I keep a box of tissue on the island there as we are always in need one for someone. Mason just loves to pull out all the tissues because when you pull one out another one just pops up. As you can see from the picture I made the mistake of buying too big of a box thinking it would last longer. Oh how wrong I was. The bigger the box the faster it goes with Mason around.

Mason also loves anything electronic, especially if it is his Dads. Ryan is always on his Blackberry or his iTouch so Mason just seems to thinks that its cool because Dad does it. So I walk into my bedroom one night and find this...

He is lying on his Dad's side of our bed with Ryan's Blackberry, pushing all the buttons he can. Lucky for Ryan that he locked it before he put it down so that Mason wouldn't call anyone. I guess he learned after Mason got a hold of it and called Wal*mart's wire transfer center one day.

Mason has such a great personality and is so cute you can't help but just love him. The problem is that he knows just how cute he is and uses it to his advantage. I know life with him is going to be so much fun!

To Much

So I haven't been really good about posting anything lately and that is mostly because I just haven't had the motivation to. I think I took on to much for too long and now my body and mind are shutting down.
My kitchen still isn't done, my room still needs to be painted and Ethan's room is begging to be done. But I just don't have the energy to do the dishes so where do I get the energy to finish my house? I have no idea....
The weather around here really isn't helping matters either. We have a nice day where the sun is shining and I can open all the windows and then... RAIN and COLD blow in. Talk about a downer. Today is SNOWED! I really am starting to think that the sun will never come out.
I don't know about anyone else but I like the sun shine, not the heat but the sun. It can be cold and snowy out but give me the sun! I didn't used to be like this...maybe I've just been married to Ryan too long. I am starting to take on some of his traits because he really needs the sun shine to be a happy boy.
Anyway I'm not slacking because the the lack of anything to write about just the motivation and energy to do it. So pray for sun. For me pray for sun...

!st Hair Cut

Today Mason had his very first hair cut. He was getting a pretty bad mulit. Although it was curly and pretty he was starting to look like a girl. So it had to be done, but for some reason I just have a hard time with their first hair cut, with my boys anyway. Holly didn't have any hair until she was almost 3 so I didn't have such a hard time with her. I guess it's just because once they get their hair cut they are not babies anymore. They are suddenly kids and it's sad that I don't have my baby anymore.

Mason did really well with his first hair cut. I took him to get it cut while the other two were in school and we went to this place that was "just for kids". It's called Snip It's and it is so cool. They have a big screen TV in the waiting area that was playing "Kung Fu Panda" today and they have bright colors everywhere. The barber chairs are just the right size for kids and they have straps on them so they are safe while they get their hair cut. You know how kids like to wiggle around. Then they have a monitor at each station were they put something on for them to watch and a chair for the parents to sit right next to them so they don't get to upset.

Mason wasn't too sure about what was going on once they put the cape on him and started to cry. But the staff was quick and turned on a bubble machine that made him smile right away. Then once he knew that I wasn't going to be going too far and the video got his attention he was fine. He sat so still for the stylist while she cut around his ears and neck. It was really nice that the electric clippers that they have didn't make hardly any noise. I know that is the part Ethan hates when Ryan cuts his hair, the buzz in his ears.

Mason loves his picture taken too so when I pulled out the camera that made him happy. Once we were done, they took him up to the front where he got to put a little bit of his hair and a blue pass card they gave him into the counter where we pay. It the base of it there are slots where you put the hair and card and it sucks them up and spits out a little "bubble gum" machine prize for him. A little plastic dinosaur. He liked the round container it came in better but, hey whatever makes him happy.

I can't say enough about this salon, it was just great! I hate going into some place like Supper Cuts and the stylists all fight over who has to take "the kid". Snip It's is only about $3 more than Supper Cuts and so worth it. I will be taking the other two to Snip It's for their next hair cuts.

Anyway now my baby has become a kid. On to getting him into a toddler bed instead of his crib.

Not Dead, yet at least...

Hey just a quick note to say we are not dead just trying to finish off this floor!
It has taken a lot more time then we thought because of 1) the other things we have had to do during this time 2) kids and 3) a few surprises along the way.
All I have to do now is finish putting in one molding between the hall and the bathroom, then paint as the tile was higher than the new flooring and then put all the the base boards back up. Then it will be ready to glue and seal all the seams and transition points.
I really hope to have all of that done by the end of the week but I can't get too much done because of kids and house work. I think I will need a vacation after all of this.
I will be finishing off painting the cabinets next week and hopefully by the end of the month the kitchen will be done and I can post before and after pictures.
Wish me/us luck!

Going to Go Crazy!

I am just dreading the next 7 to 10 days. I am still in the middle of trying to refinish my kitchen cabinets and all of my kids are sick with this yucky cough/cold. Poor Mason had his 18 month check up yesterday where he had a fever, the cold, the start of yet another ear infection and then got 3 shots! He was so sick with fever, yuck and his legs hurt him so bad he couldn't stand yesterday that he just wanted to be held all day, which he got for the most part. But the doctor said that he is growing wonderfully and developing at the right rate so that is a plus.
Then this coming Tuesday is our next big Enrichment activity that I'm in charge of, being the Enrichment Leader and all. We are having a dinner and program to celebrate the Relief Society founding/birthday. The activity itself is stressful enough on a normal day but this one half of my committee has been released, selling there house or just had a baby. So I'm TOTALLY stressed out and shorthanded with no one willing to commit to help, only a "we will see what we can do". (sigh)
To top it off the only week that Ryan could get off to put in our new kitchen floor is next week. He wants to start ripping up tile this weekend so we can get it all done within the week.
So to recap my total insanity - my kids are sick, my kitchen is about to get ripped up while I am having to get food and handouts ready for 50+ people for my big Enrichment activity. Boy I wish they would release me!!!!
Don't get me wrong I am willing to serve in almost any church calling I'm given but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy it. I just get too stressed out because everything always seems to converge at the same time. Then I need time to recover and that time is never there. I think I would welcome being committed for awhile in a big white room. Ah bliss....