Mr. C

 So much to say about this kid in the middle!  What a joker!  Teaser!  Goofball!  Prankster!  He is also my most considerate, thoughtful peacemaker.  I know, how can those two things possibly go together?  I don't know, but they do with him.  Granted, he can over tease which may not be a "peacemaking" quality.  But he is quick to realize what he is doing and stops it.  Then tries to fix it immediately.  He is always willing to share with J to make him happy.  He is so willing to do everything.  He is my one that asks what he can do to help.  He is my one that asks if he can rub my feet or play with my hair when i am no feeling well.  He just looks for things that need to be done and does them!  It is an amazing quality.

 This poor little guy doesn't have room in his mouth for all of his teeth!  He has them coming in every which way in places they are not supposed to be!  He had had three emergency visits to the dentist this year with an absessed tooth.  They have to pull it cuz their just isn't room in there.  So, we will be visiting an orthadontist to try and figure out what we need to do to help his little mouth out.  He always asks if he is getting a tooth pulled because he has decided he loves getting them pulled because the tooth fairy pays more for a pulled tooth!!!  Silly kid!

He is very tender-hearted and thoughtful.  Just recently his primary teachers grand-daughter passed away.  She was only two years old and drowned in a stream.  He LOVES his primary teacher and was so sad for her.  He kept insisting that he had to go to the funeral.  It was the same days a cousin kelby's wedding.  But i felt it was important he went...he just wanted to go.  So, we went to the viewing right before and he had written her a card he had made on his own.  He waited in line and when he saw her he ran to her with a hug!  She just picked him up and held him for five minutes crying.  It meant so much to her that he came.  His card meant even more.  He hates to miss sunday ever because he wants to see his teacher! 

 This boy really loves to practice his piano.  He is progressing well, even if his mom only gives him a lesson once a month!  ;-(  I need to do better because he just loves it.  He also loves his green ukelele.  He can play "Three Blind Mice, He got the Whole World, and Twinkle" really well.  Now we just have to work on the singing in tune part.  He takes after his dad in the singing department.  ;-)  He too loves playing with legos and learning how to build things from D.  He really enjoys building with k'nex sets too. 

He is getting so much better with his reading and loves the fact that he can actually read "Chapter books" now.  He is my one that has his homework done by the time he gets home because he does it on the long bus ride home!  He really loved playing baseball this summer and is looking forward to giving basketball a try this December.  He loves art.  Drawing, coloring, journaling, playdough, etc.  Just loves it!  I can't keep enough paper in the house for this kid!  This boy also likes to dance but won't do it in front of everyone.  He feels silly.  So, he just sits and laughs at his brothers going to town on the dancing.  He also works so hard on his spelling words.  Last year he just really struggled with it.  Missing 6 to 7 words per test.  This year, he is dedicated each day to work on it and has not missed more than two words.  He has aced most of the tests!  I have been so proud of him.  He is also counting down the days to his baptism and being able to start scouts like D.  He loves to set out his school clothes the night before to be ready to go.  He is my plan ahead boy and I love that about him.  He is getting better and helping with the younger kiddos too.  He is a pleasure and a joy to have in our family!

Mr. D

I love this kids right here!  I can't believe that he is so big.  He is like a kid...a boy now.  Well, that being said... he is one fantastic boy!  Just look at that smile below!  He is very thoughtful, smart and kind.  He loves to dance to music when it comes on at the end of movies, loves to read...i can't get his nose out of a book and loves to shoot his bow and arrow in the yard.  His dad has been preparing for the archery hunt and so D wakes up bright and early so he can go target shooting with his dad before school.  He just loves his bow and arrow.  And his mother (he-hem) is finally okay with him having one!  He is very careful and safe with things.  He is also the Lego-king and loves playing with legos!  He is a little too much like me in the worrying department, which i hope i can change for him.  Because i don't want him to struggle with what i struggle with.  I want him to enjoy life and have fun, laugh lots and smile lots...that's what is important.  

The worrying is definately not worth the stress it causes that's for sure!

His favorite sports right now are basketball and baseball.  He really wanted to try football but we just couldn't do it this year, it's alot more than the other sports.  So, he is counting down the days for basketball to start.  He also wants to do the third grade chior they are offering, so we are trying to figure out schedules to see if he can do it.  I hope he can...i want them to be involved.  It is just so hard when we are so far away from the schools.   He really wants to take swimming lessons this next summer too, so we will see.

 He loves playing with his cousin J around the corner.  Their favorite things to do are play in their "fort" on the mountain, play army guys outside, build in the sandbox (as you can see) and have late overs at our house.  They also love to let copper, our dog, out and play football with him like "airbud"  .  It is pretty funny to watch!  D thinks it is crazy that his cousin J does not like milk!  And Cousin J thinks D is crazy for reading so much!  These boys are so different in their personalities but they sooooooo love hanging out together.  It has been a great thing!

This little guy also loves the scouting program.  He is constantly reminding me that i need to sign his book or he needs to pass something off before the next week so he can get his award.  He just got back from the annual scout day camp and couldn't stop talking.  They got to do archery, canoeing, built bird houses, and there was a petting zoo.  He was so excited to take his money he had been saving for the trading post.  Last year he got a hat kind of like an Indiana Jones hat and his brothers just love it.  So, when he got home the other night from his camp, he had a huge smile on his face and said, "somebody bought his brothers souvenirs!"  His brothers were of course so excited.  So, he made them sit down and close their eyes.  Lo and behold, he pulls out two hats just like his he had bought the year before...then he said, "don't worry mom, i got them different colors so we don't fight over which one is ours.  We all have our own color!"  Then he got them each a "sports clip"  A caribeaner clip with webbing then a key ring so you can clip things to it.  D has a football, C baseball, and J got basketball.  I was just so surprised the he spent most of his money on stuff for his brothers.  I had a proud "mom" moment and held back the tears.  ;-)  

I love this guy and am so proud of the young gentlemen he is becoming!

First Day of School

Well, here I am...Finally updating!  My Sister-in-law Keli is so awesome at updating her blog and using it as a family journal.  I love reading her updates and wish I were better at mine.  So what if blogs are like, so 2 years ago?!?!  They are still a fantastic way to keep a record for your family.  Especially if you use blurb or other programs to turn those entries into books.  It is fantastic and Keli has inspired me to be more consistent at it.  For record keeping purposes.  I am already mixing up stories and things that happen with the kids, so i need to document it when it happens so i don't forget!!!  

Thank you Keli for the much needed motivation!

Okay.  So the kids first day of school.  C was MORE than excited to be going this year because he had the same teacher D had last year!  D was very excited to be going because his teacher is also one of his scout leaders in the ward!  I didn't get individual pictures because my camera battery barely lasted long enough to get this shot of them together.  So, here they are, sporting their new shoes, clothes, and haircuts.  

 

C picked black and green SHAQ high top shoes, or i guess boys call them basketball shoes.  ;-)  

D picked blue and black sketchers that light up on the sole.  

 

I love boys.  I love THESE boys!  They are so happy and so content and easy to please.  I took them shopping and they got their new shoes, which really weren't all that expensive for shoes.  They about died at how much i spent.  So, then then the rest of the night they would say, "No, mom, we don't need new bookbags cuz you already spent so much on our shoes.  It's okay, well just use our bags from last year."  It made me giggle...I think i spent $50 total on their shoes combined and they thought it was "so much"!