6 Andrew-isms for his 6th Birthday

Happy Birthday Andrew!

1. Andrew is a fan of easy living.

2. Andrew loves being a big brother.

3. Andrew is a naturally assertive and confident individual.

4. Andrew loves to dance.

5. Andrew is an avid video gamer.

6. Andrew's family loves him with all their hearts, he brings a smile to the lips simply by entering a room.

Happy Birthday Sweetie

Yesterday, Mark turned 30-late something. Thank you for being my best friend, a wonderful father, and just fun.

Bros Birthday

Alex and Andrew celebrated turning 10 & 6 together! So proud of my big guys.

Gifties

Alex opening his gift from Peggy & Ian! Loved all the DS games. It took him a few minutes to figure out the significance of the 10 dollar coins and the 10 dollar bill. :)

Thanks Peggy & Ian.

Early Christmas

Love my dad's auction job when he brings treats likes these! Lovely gold ornaments, enough for an entire tree!

Snow

Andrew up past his knees.

Snow day 1.

Happy 10th Birthday Alex

1. Alex is extremely enthusiastic about....EVERYTHING!

2. Alex loves to play sports -- basketball, soccer, baseball...

3. Alex is usually a kind and thoughtful big brother.

4. Alex loves comedies -- the more slapstick the better.

5. Alex is an excellent reader.

6. Alex loves to play war games with complicated battle scenes.

7. Alex is a walking encyclopedia.

8. Alex loves video games.

9. Alex is getting his very own phone today.

10. Alex's family loves him very much and wishes him much happiness as he embarks on his second decade!

Happy Birthday A L E X!

I've been patiently waiting to say

I've been patient because I'm not sure if Mark's filled his parents in or not. I think he has. If not, sorry!

The good news is that Mark's got a new job! He's going to be the call center manager for the Sandy Utah office of the 2010 census. The contract starts in a week or two and lasts until July. Although it's not a permanent gig, he's very excited to move up to the next level of management , run his own call center, and say good-bye to his current low wage job.

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Santa

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Santa came to the University Mall on his National Tour last night. We happened to be in the right the place at the right time. My 4 chicklets got to meet the REAL Mr. Claus. There is no doubt, after you've met him, you will know as well as we do that this dude is the man.

Elf, Andrew, Seany, Santa Claus, Ryan, Alex, and Elf.

Seany chose Santa's face for his cheek.

Andrew got a Christmas tree.

Ryan wanted a reindeer with a red nose (hmmmmmm.....).

Alex chose Santa's face as well.

They also got to write their letters up and mail them in his express mailbox RIGHT THERE in Macy's!

Mark couldn't keep up with all Andrew's dictation and therefore left off "And even if I don't like all the toys I get, I won't complain and I'll still play with them."

Alex started off with, "I've been bad this year but please give my brothers what they've asked for." I intervened and suggested he offer to make amends for past naughtiness and promise to try harder to be better in the future. After adding that to post script, he also noted that perhaps he and Andrew could get a DS game to share.

Seany's letter: "THANK YOU! THANK YOU, SANTA!"

Ry Guy: "My wanttttttttt a MONSTER! (claws up and Rrrrrrr!)"

Busy days with Auntie Carolyn

We've had a lot of fun with Carolyn.

Yesterday, we decorated the porch and put the village up. After, we went to the zoo and visited the baby elephant. She was her usual darling self, rolling around in the hay and munching on snow.

The baby giraffe did the splits to munch on some hay at its feet.

And 2 female monkeys fought over a baby struggling to just be free.

Then we went to the Gateway to see the Christmas Tree (BEAUTIFUL!) and Temple Square to see how the LDS temple's grounds were light up -- trees of every color, v. pretty. The only thing I didn't like, the nativity area was pitch black except for camera flashes. I would have liked to see the life sized nativity and doubt we'll have time to go back.

Thanksgiving 2009

The turkey day crew: Alex, Ryan, Carolyn, Mark, Andrew, Kathryn, and Seany.

Alex, Ryan, Carolyn, Andrew, and Seany.

The sisters.

Fun with presents from Auntie!

Carolyn also brought them a murder mystery game, v. fun.

Prison!

On the way to the airport to pick up Carolyn:

Mommy said, "Look guys, there's the prison and the prisoners in the yard. I bet they're not having the best Thanksgiving ever."

Seany eagerly answered, "I want to go to prison! I want to go!"

Ryan hands waving frantically in the air, "ME TOO! ME TOO!"

Xmas pictures cast your ballots

#1

#2 -- my personal favorite

#3

#4

#5

Andrew and Ryan built a house and even made a door....

Smarty pants

Andrew had a sore face (too much licking chapped skin). "Andrew, before you go to bed, we need to put that stuff on your face."

Andrew responded, "And what stuff (pause) would that be?"

"The stuff we put on your face for chapped skin."

"And what would this stuff we put on faces for chapped skin be called?"

Yeah, he's been listening to me speak.

Shocking

The lady that watches the 3 youngest chicklets: "I don't think I've ever met a more polite boy than Sean. I've never heard so many pleases and thank yous and excuse mes."

Naughty Seany. The Seananator. He's so got her fooled.

Sweet boy

Andrew: "Mom, today I want us to not get in any trouble so you can be a happy mom. Won't that be great?"

......Smile.......

Daddy and his babies

Ryan, Mark, and Seany.

The $3 costumes

Andrew and Alex

Ryan and Seany.

Just before we tricked-or-treated

We tried catch a snap of our costumed gang. Andrew aka Wolverine, Seany the Dragon, and Ryan the Tiger in the back. Alex the GI Joe guy Snake Eyes up front.

A post for Lisa M

Baby G was quite impressive (8-ish feet tall) until Daddy came out.

Football Fun

Alex blocking.

Andrew ordering the twix around.

The twix ignoring Andrew's orders and doing their own thing.

Pumpkin Carving

Ryan and his dinosaur pumpkin.

Andrew's masterpiece (all by himself!).

Mark and Ryan with their monster (see the bolts and stitches? It's Frankenpumpkin!).

Seany and Mommy and our ghost!

Alex and his scary monster (again all by himself!).

Zoo day!

Meet the cute little "Pigwidgeon" inspireee.

The chicklets waiting to go in (Andrew, Seany, Alex, and RyGuy).

YEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAAAW!

Seany was all about the Yee-haws last night. Alex and Andrew went to a party. So I took the twix to Wally World to pick up some last minute stuff for the big night approaching.

As we walked by the boys section. They'd marked t-shirt costumes down to $2. Seany LOVED the cowboy and chanted and giggled with his hand over his mouth about his cowboy costume non-stop. "Yee-haw!" hahhahaha. "My cowboy costume real cool, Mom." "Howdy." HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Ryan quietly picked the pirate version and put it in the cart.

As they were buckling into their seats, Ryan exasperated said, "SEANY. IT'S. NOT. A. COSTUME. It's a t-shirt. Its a shirt, Sean."

School Pictures Retake or Keep?

My vote is for both to retake. I can take better snaps than these!

Cast your ballots!

Economics Fair boasts results

Alex came home from the economics fair with 3 guns: marshmallow, rubber band, and a sling shot (which might as well be a gun).

This morning, "Mom. You know what I learned at the economics fair?"

Mom asked, "What did you learn at the economics fair?"

"This is a true fact. Violence sells, Mom. Violence sells. Its a true fact. Did you see what I bought and that was just the stuff that was left. I had to mark my drums down to 25 cents. And the foam swords went for $2.50! $2.50 and one was broken! Mom, when Andrew is in 4th grade he needs to make a gun or a sword."

America, land of the ?

Ryan expands

Ryan having used his fingers to count 3 people, expanded his repertoire. Yesterday, he used his fingers not to count but to show his family. When he filled up one hand, he felt a moment's panic. How would he show the remaining member of his family. He then realized he had another whole hand! And keeping all 5 fingers outstretched pointed to the lone remaining member of his family.

Ryan can count to 3!

At lunch today. Ryan showed Mark his 3 fingers.

"Wook Dad. Andrew 1, Daddy 2. (pause, pause, pause) Ryan 3! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

Pumpkinland!

Andrew and Daddy at play.

Alex going down the slide.

Seany climbing.

And RyGuy on top of the slide!

The chicklets and my friend Sheila's girls.

Birthday present from Auntie Erin

Seany and Ryan opening and playing with their awesome dragon castle!

While Mommy's busy with someone else...

Seany gets into trouble.

Andrew begged and pleaded all week long to play on hotwheels.com. I relented today. While he and I were logging him in (yes, Andrew has his own username and password at 5 years old), Seany and Ryan were supposed to be watching Go Diego Go.

Instead Ryan was screaming, "Sean MOVE! Sean! I can't see! Move Sean MOVVVVEEEE!"

Then I heard a bang and Seany maniacally laughing as he thundered up the stairs to cause mayhem in Alex's room.

"MOM! MOM! The TV is OFF!!! Seany blahhhhhblahhhblahnnnhblaflhhhhh TV!"

I came out tried the remote. Nada.

Couldn't press the power button because Seany pushed it into the TV (yes without a remote our TV is useless).

So I pulled a what would Mark do?!  I unplugged all the components and then spent 24 minutes reprogramming the TV. Can't figure out how to get the time to stop displaying but we're back in business baby!

(And speaking of my most fabulous hubs, he rearranged the garage so we can park BOTH cars in it again!)

Where's your boss?

Yesterday, drama at work led to the three youngest chicklets hanging out until we resolved an issue.



I asked them to be quiet while I talked to my boss about it. When my boss and I got back, Andrew asked, "Mommy, I don't see your boss. Where is he?"

"Andrew, this is him standing next to me. Boss, Andrew. Andrew, Boss."

Boss waved at Andrew.


"Mommy, that's not your boss. That man doesn't have red hair (yes, yes he does). That man has yellow hair. I want to see your boss with red hair."

Stand up

Ryan fell face first out of his car seat and onto the pavement yesterday. I was trying to put something in Alex's backpack and as I said, "Ryan you need to sit in your car seat," out he tumbled face first 4 feet to the ground.

We called the doctor, we got the all clear, and home we headed.

Mommy, "Andrew, what do you do when I say to get in your car seat and put your straps on?"

Andrew answered, "I sit down and put my strap on."

"Seany, what do you do?"

Seany answered, "I sit and staps on."

"Ryan, what do you do?"

Ryan cried, "I stand up and fall down and get big OWIEEEEEE!"

The little singer

Seany has a very deep and warbly singing voice. One night last week he sang the following while Ryan and Andrew ignored him playing with toys.

"RYYYYYYY-annnnnnnn, I want you to loooooooooooooooooook at meeeeeeeeee and then weeeeeeeee can play. Please Ryan just loooooooooooook at me so we can playyyyyyyyyyyy."

Goose bump

Andrew had a wee little bump on his upper arm. I touched it thinking it was fuzz and he then HAD to examine it.

"Mom, I think I know what this is. This bump. is. a. goose bump."

"I don't think so." And I may have giggled a bit.

"Don't laugh at my goose bump. I must be scared about something, I just can't feel what it is."

"Well, let me know when you know." Definite hysteria now.

Then doing the two fingers at his eyes and back at my eyes, "Mommy I really need you to focus. Focusssssss. My goose bump is not something to laugh at."

Some of the twix's gifts

New 'soccer balls' aka football jerseys. Ryan's is black and Seany's is red.

Seany the dragon with green boots and Ryan the tiger with red boots.