First Day of School 2013

The night before school starts is always a little emotional for me.  I think ahead of all the challenges and opportunities my kids will face, their triumphs and temptations, and I mourn the passing of lazy, summer days.

 We prepared backpacks, stuffed them with the necessary supplies.  Then we talked together about how great school is, how much they can learn (most of which is accompanied by groans from Caleb and Dallin) and Mitch gave each of them a Father's blessing.  In case you're wondering why none of the boys have shirts on, it's hot here in August, and our kids think this means that summer pajamas consist of a pair of comfy shorts.

On the morning of the first day of school I asked for a photo.  

I know that many kids are excited for school to start.  Can you tell that is not the case in my house? With the exception of Brandt, this photo accurately captures my boys' attitude about the matter.

But Brandt was excited. It was his first day of preschool and, with his new backpack, he was ready to conquer the world.

The other boys weren't quite so sure, but they did finally smile for my pictures.  

Here's Adam on his first day of 1st grade.

Dallin's first day of 3rd grade.

Caleb's first day of 6th grade (his last in elementary school)!

We walked to school together.

After finding some decorative trash along the way, Mitch offered to come into Caleb's classroom and meet all his new friends.

Caleb declined.

Once we dropped off the older boys we walked Brandt to preschool, not far away.

He was excited to see his new teacher.

And despite previous frowns, everyone had a good first day of school and I'd say things are off to a good start.

Kid Quotes

You know I love to catch my kids' quotes.  Here are some recent favorites from over the summer.

A Brave Plan
After hearing horror stories from a scoutmaster about the obstacle course "of death," Dallin turned to his friend Broc and said,
"Okay, let's just try to run the best that we can and try not to get hurt, or die or anything."

Epic
Brandt turned to me while playing Angry Birds and said,
"Mom!  I just did something so epic."
"You did?" I replied.
"Yeah. You should have seen it.  It was really epic."

Like a Boss
Caleb:
"One time I was catching grapes [with my mouth] and it was so boss..."

Lofty
After searching it out on the globe together Dallin looked at me and, as if revealing a great secret, said,
"Mom, did you know when I'm grown up I am going to climb to the top of Mount Everest?"

Like I Didn't Know
Brandt, in exasperation:
"Mom, didn't you know I know everything?

A Disturbing Pattern
Adam asked,
"Why does everyone try to trick Mom?"

Drawbacks
Caleb told Dallin,
"I'm so glad I'm not a cowboy when all they ate was bacon and beans."

Trump
During a minor argument with Adam, Brandt stated smugly,
"I'm cuter than all of you guys."

Mom's Cookies
Dallin told me,
"Mom, just so you know, it's impossible to get tired of your cookies."

Hairy Little Monsters

Adam's new little friend from school has been wanting to have a playdate with Adam for awhile now.  His mom and I finally coordinated our schedules so we could meet up at the park yesterday after school.  The kids played on the playground while the friend's mom told me how much her son admired Adam and wants to emulate him.  Then she said,

"He doesn't want to comb his hair because he says,
  'Adam doesn't comb his hair so I don't want to comb my hair either.'"

She had just told me she was a hair stylist. Haha!

So I'm not so good at styling my boys' hair.  Actually my solution to the problem is usually to cut their hair off when it gets too long to look good without combing.  And, it's time to do that again.  But I still think they look adorable, my little monsters.

Crazy Hair Day

Today is Crazy Hair Day at the elementary school.

The kids normally have short, short hair and in the past we haven't really participated in Crazy Hair Day beyond a few gelled spikes.

This time the kids were determined (and they have a bit more hair to work with).

Dallin dearly wanted to dye his hair, but since he has blonde hair, and his baptism is tomorrow morning, I convinced him that may not be a wise choice.  He had to settle for spikes and pick-up-sticks.

He was alright with that.

Since we didn't plan ahead beyond bedtime last night, I didn't have hair dye (and was too lazy for a nocturnal run to the store) we ground up our last bits of blue chalkboard chalk and used it to color Caleb's spikes.  He decided they made a good sea for his little tropical friend.

Adam's interested in aliens right now so I thought it would be fun for him to sport some "alien eyes" among his locks.

He agreed.

What am I doing with my own hair for crazy hair day, you ask?  I'm thinking a ponytail sounds good right about now.  Sheesh. I have new respect for the daily morning routine of moms of little girls with long hair.

First Day of School 2011

Yesterday was the first day of school.  I always have mixed feelings on the first day.  I am excited for all the new things my kids will learn, the friends they'll make.  I know they need the structure.  And yet I miss them.  

Caleb's a Bear

Caleb received his Wolf badge for Cub Scouts.  He had to complete a lot of requirements to earn his Wolf.  Way to go, Caleb!

Caleb Turned Nine

Caleb has been growing.  It happens so gradually that I hardly notice until his pant legs no longer cover his ankles, I have to raise my hand higher to ruffle his hair.  He's nine now.  Wow.  I love this boy with all  my heart. Love his quirks, his intelligence, his sense of right.  I love his shy smile.  His helpfulness, his determination.  Even if he does develop a little attitude when it comes to having his picture taken.

Here he is eating crepes, his favorite breakfast.

Here he is blowing candles out on his actual birthday.

Here are some pictures from his birthday party.

These cake pops are now adorning my thighs.  They are so good!

Tug of war!

Here's Dallin eating a cookie on a string.  He's climbed on the column in order to reach it better.

Caleb's favorite game was Capture the Flag, which got a little intense when Mitch joined in.

Water balloons, then squirt guns.  One boy said, "Now this is what I call fun!"

After blowing out candles on the cake.

Those boys had a ton of energy, and they had a great time.  Happy birthday, Caleb!

Pinewood Derby

Last weekend Caleb entered a car into his first official Pinewood Derby.

He and his dad spent some time conceptualizing, cutting, sanding, and painting.  This is the finished product.

 

It was a fast one too.  Caleb won 2nd place!  Way to go, Caleb.

Haircuts

 These boys were so shaggy, and they badly needed a haircut.  Here they are before and after.

Before

After

You can see how thrilled they are -  that their mom made them sit for an itchy haircut, and as if that wasn't enough, she then made them sit for the camera.  They look ornery but handsome.  Don't you agree?

New Move

This is Caleb's new "Mario flip", so named because Dallin says he looks like Mario (as in Super Mario Brothers for the Wii) when he does it.  Pretty cool, huh?

Grill Masters

Caleb has been working toward his Wolf badge in Cub Scouts and one of the things he did was plan and help  prepare an outdoor meal.  He is growing so fast and learning so much and I love to see him working with and learning from his dad.

 Even if it is just grilling chicken for dinner.

What Would Mom Do?

Caleb: Dad, I don't think you're doing what Mom would want you to be doing.

Harry Potter Books are Good

Caleb just finished the third book in the Harry Potter series and thought it was "good."  You may not be impressed with his assessment, but he wasn't just saying it to be saying it.  Caleb, while a very good reader, rarely reads more than the requisite "few minutes" before bed.  With this book, as well as the first two in the series, I saw him sneaking off to read, cross-legged on the backyard bench, cuddled on the couch, or even at the kitchen counter at times when he would not normally be reading.  He was hooked on these books. Thank you, Mrs. Rowling!

Wii-strictions

The problem

My boys love the Wii.  A lot.  So much that in recent weeks they were often circumventing my 1-hour-a-day rule and spending too much time like this:

Meanwhile, we're enjoying the best weather of the whole year - gorgeous sunny days, blue skies, temperatures in the 70s.  This is what we look forward to the whole sweaty summer, and these boys were spending it in front of a screen!  

The crackdown

Mitch came up with the idea that they can't play during the daytime.  So if they have free time while the sun's up, they're much more likely to wander outside and jump on the tramp, shoot baskets, or swing.  I've got to tell you, those first few days under the new rule were pretty hard.  You could say the boys, especially one and I won't mention any names, were having Wii-thdrawls (that was a bad one, sorry).  But now it's understood, and the rule isn't questioned much and I'm happy to say that it's working out pretty well.

Disgusting Dishes

"Mom, I almost threw up looking at something." It was Caleb's turn to clean up the kitchen.  He had attacked the dishes piled in the sink, but a minute later he walked into the study where I was addressing an envelope.
"It was a bowl of oatmeal with chocolate milk and apple juice in it."  He made a face as he paced back and forth on the rug, "It was disgusting."
I assured Caleb that, since I do that chore every day, I know exactly what he's talking about.  To his credit he did buck up and finish the job.

Run! Run!

 Mitch ran his first half-marathon last month!  I am so proud of him for accomplishing this goal!   Brandt is proud too.  I ran the 5k and felt good about my time.

A week or two later Dallin participated in his first 1-mile fun run.  He really ran hard.  Caleb also showed great effort in the 5k and they both finished with good times.  It was neat that Grandpa Tom got to be involved too.

 

Recent Quotes

Caleb
Disappointed, we piled back into the van after discovering the tennis courts were already in use.  Caleb said, "We just came here for nothing."
Mitch said, "It's not like you guys were doing anything.  You were watching TV. "
Caleb replied, "We were wasting our time in a better way."

Dallin
A girl passed by on the sidewalk outside the van.  Dallin gasped.  "It's a girl!"
He knocked on the window and the girl turned at the sound.
"She likes me," Dallin said.

Adam
"Ooo, Christmas trees for sale!" I said as we passed a brightly-lit lot on the corner.
"Outstanding!" Adam declared.  "We can get one of those for Christmas!"

Brandt
"I... [insert the word 'love' here]... cookie!"

Fall Sports

We've been pretty busy with sports this fall.  Dallin played machine-pitch baseball and Caleb played flag football.  Between practices and games for these two, we had sports six nights of the week!  Not only that, but Mitch was the coach for Caleb's team.  Here are a few pictures.  The boys have had a lot of fun and learned some new skills.  Dallin was awarded the Most Improved Player award.  Caleb will play in tournament game tomorrow.  As for Mitch, I think he enjoyed his coaching experience and spending that extra time with Caleb.