Swim party

The neighborhood LDS ward invited us to their pool party at the new Payson pool. I made sure I asked, "Is it ok? We're not going to change faiths. We don't want to offend anyone when we show up to your stuff but have no intention of joining..." This got many laughs. Those chicks are so friendly, I felt at ease with them but I'm still not going Mormon. I think Mormons are fabulous people -- kind and giving, good neighbors, fun to be around, etc. Just don't want to join 'um.

At some point during the evening, a kid swallowed some water, gagged and yes threw up. Everybody out of the pool, its time to treat the water for Crypto. After last year's mass outbreak, Utah pools don't take any chances. How did the twix keep busy?

Yes, they played belly bump.

Can I OH MY GOSH bigger than last time?

Mr. Marsh of "Phineas and Ferb" has offered to arrange a tour for us if were ever in town. I have to figure out how to contact him. Clicking on his blogger identity didn't work. And on Disney Channel I can email the characters but do they answer the character or is that like a pretend email thing for kids. We will actually be in So Cal and Disneyland for the twix's birthdays Sept 14 thru the 19th (even maybe the 20th if we need an extra day so inclined).

Do any of my computer genius friends know how do to this? In the meantime, I'll post my email (I can always make a new one if I get bunches of spam) here and hope for the best. Please contact me "Swampy." I'm afraid to even mention it to the chicklets in case it fell through. But it would be like a dream come true for them.

After the dentist

We went to MCD and picked up breakfast. So close to our old house, we decided to visit friends. The main crew weren't home so we headed to the park. Alex promptly banged his forehead into a pole and screamed and cried for the entire 15 minutes we were there. I dropped the whole concept, swung by the old Pear house (looking awful as the grass was all dead and weeds covered the entire lawn area) and headed to therapy.

The new place is much better.

To the Dentist we trekked

Bright and early this morning, I dragged the chicklets out of bed, threw them into their car seats and took off for the dentist (45 minutes away -- but he and his staff are fabulous).

Sean and Ryan are on a different cycle thanks to Seany's chipped tooth. So they just got to wait and wait and wait. Two 2 year olds, waiting and waiting and waiting. I had to tell a busy body off in the waiting room -- they'd ripped up 5 brochures for some dental payment plan. She was shocked, shocked I tell you. She'd never seen such naughtiness and she didn't know what to do when I told her to bugger off. At least they weren't SCREAMING.

Alex went first. He had a blast -- super sensitive man finds the whole teeth cleaning operation ticklish and he giggled through his check up. NO cavities -- go Alex go Alex go.

Andrew went next. Andrew must have needed some attention this morning. "The light is in my eyes. Turn it off. I can't see." All the while squint, squint, blink, blink. "Alex, fix my chair for the lady. My chair is too low." Alex happily obiligied. "Lady, look at my teeth they are squeaky clean." Rubbing the latex glove back and forth she made them squeak squeak squeak. Giggles insued. Another kid cavity free.

And me for the first time since Andrew's pregnancy folks I be cavity free! YES!

Mark on the other hand has two to be filled next week. (I'm secretly pleased as I took quite a lot of ribbing 4 years ago when those 14 cavities appeared after Andrew's pregnancy.)

A Big Thank You

to the creators of Phineas and Ferb. You guys ROCK!

The things I love about the show are too many to list (but I'll name some 'um!):

1. In the museum Jeremy tells Candace that the fossil of their initials in a heart is his favorite. (How well do you know teenage girls? I actually sighed that was so sweet.)

2. Every antic of Candace's rolls right off Phineas and Ferb.

3. Mjr. Monogram snapping a shot of Perry dressed in the hula gear for the circus.
3a. Perry stopping in on the circus and doing his bit to not disappoint P&F.

4. Isabella and the fireside girls are too cute for words.

And most of all the fact that Phineas and Ferb are such sweet kindhearted boys. I just can't help but love them. I see bits of my four guys in the amazing duo.

So thank you, Jeff "Swampy" Marsh and Dan Povenmire. YOU ARE AWESOME!

The $600 Playyard

Although the backyard is not ready for it, we have purchased the playyard. Its resting comfortable in Mark's spot in the garage. The garage by the way smells wonderful! We inventoried the set and had Toys R Us replace one broken board.

Anybody want to come out for a weekend and help us put her together?

The first flower EVER

So this morning after breakfast, Andrew ran outside to do I don't know what. He ran back in immediately. "MOMMY! ALEX! BABIES! You guys have to see this! HURRY! HURRY!"

We all dart to the door (I made a quick detour for the camera just in case). The fire fighting helicopter landed on our driveway? Mark's car is on fire? The neighbor kids are covered in tar and feathers? Nope, nope, nope.

The first bloom at our new house appeared today. A lovely WHITE hibiscus. We all thought it'd be pink. I'm so pleased with the white flower and it looks like maybe 50 more will bloom in the next couple days! This is why I love gardening and I LOVE LOVE LOVE that Andrew shares my enthusiasm.

Inaction Figure

The comments left by Swampy of "Phineas and Ferb" led to the great "Phineas and Ferb" summit of 2008. This morning's breakfast talk was all about the show's finest moments.

Alex: "I liked it when they went into space on the roller coaster and as they passed the satellite, Phineas said, 'You know if that lands in our yard Candace is in charge.' Classic. Just classic."

Andrew: "Well I liked it when Candace turned into a mummy and Phineas and Ferb and Candace ran back and forth in the museum. That was soooo funny. (Huge Grin)"

Mommy: "Ok when Doffenschritz is telling the story about why he doesn't like birthdays and says 'It all started on the actual day of my birth when both of my parents failed to show up.' That would be a bummer."

Andrew: "Yeah Mommy, a bummer." Obviously distracted, Andrew folds his hands on the table, places his chin on his hands and sighs, "I want an inaction figure." (We've had this particular talk maybe 20 times.)

Alex speaks for me: "Andrew when we go to Disneyland in September, we will get you a Perry the Platypus stuffed animal. Just use your imagination and it can BE an inaction figure."

Andrew: "No Alex. I don't want a stuffed animal. I want an inaction figure of Perry the PAT-A-PUS. Alex, I want one like Phineas and Ferb made at the toy factory. That's what I want."

Alex: "Well, just ask Santa for it, Andrew. He can make anything happen."

Andrew: "Alex, how about you just call me Phineas today? OK."

Alex: "Ok, Andrew. Oh sorry Phineas."

Ryan: "Mommy Mommy, my Fer my Fer." All that discussion makes RyGuy realize he was not at that moment watching the show.

Mommy: "Ryan, do you want to watch "Phineas and Ferb?"

Ryan: "Yes."

Seany running full speed ahead to get the choice seat on the couch shouts "YEAHHHHHH!!!!!"

OH MY GOSH!!!

The co-creator of Phineas and Ferb "Swampy" commented on the "I'll be Phineas and you CAN be Ferb" post.

If anyone faked it -- tell me now. Otherwise I'm totally stoked! Hurray for me! Everybody go read his comment now! If you're a faker then shame on you.

Nails

I've been avoiding biting my nails lately after a binge of 4 months (started about the time we were getting set to move). Its tough, very tough but its going ok so far. I treated myself a bottle a nail polish and made 'um pretty in pink.

Ryan was there, pouting and distraught when I said, "Nope, sorry bud. This just for girls. You're a boy." The next thing I knew I'd painted RyGuy's finger and toe nails also pretty in pink.

---

Last night I had to reapply to my finger nails and add a second coat. Seany came over, "Whatcha do-in?"

"I'm painting my finger nails."

"Woooo! Cool!"

Two years old and we're already doing cool stuff...

I'll be Phineas so you CAN be Ferb

Alex and Andrew were gearing up for an all afternoon session of pretend. They were heading out to the garage to get their tools together. They were deciding on what to build. They were trying to agree on who would play Phineas and who would play Ferb. Since Phineas does all the talking, his was the prized part to play.

Alex: "Andrew are you sure you don't want to be Ferb? He's were all the action is. Phineas is just an idea man. Ferb's the guy with actual talent. Ferb's a man of action. Ferb can actually DO this stuff...."

Andrew: "ALLLLLLLLex, I want to be Phineas."

Alex: "But Andrew, Ferb's the one who actually builds the roller coaster or the time machine or whatever. Ferb is the one with the talent."

Andrew: "ALLLex, please let me be Phineas."

Alex: "We have to agree soon or Mommy will say that we are fighting and then we won't play at all."

Andrew: "Alex how about I be Phineas and you be Ferb."

Alex: "Ok, but NEXT time, I'll be Phineas and you be Ferb."

Andrew: "Ok."

More Fire Pictures

The ridge line around 10 pm

The next morning.

Today.

The fire burned out of control for all of Friday night. 200+ acres went in the first 2 hours. We never heard a second report on the total loss -- no homes (though many were threatened) and no casualties. We were ready to get out -- the smoke was my biggest worry. But luckily the wind changed direction and blew it away from us.

Payson Fire

At 5:30.

6:30.

7

7:15

Dry Creek 3

Playing in Dry Creek

Andrew.

Andrew and Alex.

Seany and RyGuy.

Biking Fun

Alex loves Payson's bike trail. They even posted a sign "No Motorized Vehicles." This city actually wants the kids to go out there and hit the trail!

Alex coming off a steep bit.

Alex coming down the 'best' hill.

Alex pleased I wanted to capture his antics.

PIctures by Andrew and Alex

Photo by Andrew.

Photo by Alex.

Naughty Seany

I had confiscated a sharpie marker 3 days before. I was going out of my mind trying to find this one. FYI, its hard to see but each of Seany's nails is 'colored.' Hope he's not going Goth already.

PlayDoh Day

Alex and Andrew

RyGuy

Seany

Show off.

You know its time to go back to school, when you've pulled out the play-doh for the 45th time and the kids only play with it for 5 minutes. At the beginning, it was a 90 minute activity. We so need to some summer fun ideas.

Blanket

Last night we (I mean the whole gang) watched National Treasure 2 together. Alex as usual was cold so he went and got his blanket. Andrew then decided that he too was cold and got his blanket. (Yesterday it reached 98 degrees outside.)

Andrew asked if I too was cold, so I played the game. He draped his blanket over me and Seany who was sitting on the other side of me. Then he got bored and went to hang out on the cool couch with Daddy and Alex. Seany said, "Heyyyyy, I wanted that here."

"Well go get your blanket then."

"Ok." Stomp, Stomp, Stomp super fast.

"Mommy, Mommy I did it! I got my bank it." And then he draped it over the both of us in sort of a balled up tangled fashion and said, "See Mommy, my bank it."

Teeth

Ryan always assumes I'm talking to him -- much like Andrew always does.

"Go brush your teeth and go potty," I told Andrew and Alex last night.

"OK, Mommy!" Ryan cried as he darted past his brothers to be first into the bathroom.

When I got there a couple moments later, I found Andrew brushing Ryan's teeth. His hand holding on to Ryan chin, saying, "Good, now say 'Ah again so I can get the backs.'" Ryan smiled at me as he was being such a good boy.

Water Water Water

So this morning, Alex and the neighbor girls went for a bike ride to pick blackberries. After they came back, the had waters and otterpops from the garage fridge (or so I thought).

A bit later Alex and Andrew went to another kids house to play for a bit. Sean and Ryan and I decided to walk a bit (explore). Just as we crossed the street, Ron (the guy in charge of dealing with all my complaints) pulls up.

He explained that he saw Alex with 2 girls at the model house. One girl climbed in a window and reappeared with 3 waters. Then they split. He said that the models windows and doors where on a silent alarm system that would cause the police to show up when ever its armed even if deactivated after it goes off.

I agreed to talk to Alex and the girls. But I still can't figure out what's the deal with the window. There's no screen on it. The windows are the same in our house so you couldn't open it from the outside unless it was left unlocked. I asked about it but this was brushed aside. What if next time it wasn't 2 8 year olds and a 6 year old? Am I crazy to think that Richmond should be more concerned about this?

Anyway, as soon as Sean and Ryan fell asleep, Alex and I walked over to the model where he replaced the 3 waters and apologized for stealing them. He was very embarrassed especially since it was the 6 year old who did and not him. Then I had to explain that he accepted the stolen water and stood by waiting for her while she pilfered them.

The 6 year old girl was grounded but no consequences for the 8 year old girl. What happened to accountability?

My Ferrrrr

There is a show on Disney, Phineas and Ferb, its a hit at our house. Everybody loves it -- the kids, the twix, and the mom (Daddy will watch it if its on). Premise: step-brothers Phineas and Ferb are going to make everyday of their summer vacation their "BEST DAY EVER." The older sister, Candace, is always trying to bust them -- but they don't care and love her anyway. The pet platupus, Perry, is actually a secert agent up against Doofenschritz.

Very funny. Very clever. LOVE IT!

Ryan was stressed to the max. I was answering an email. "MOMMY! MOMMY!" he cried.

"What?"

"My Ferrrrrrr, (WAHHHHHH!) My Ferrrrrr. (WAH!) (WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!)"

"Your finger? Something happened to your finger?"

"NO! (WAHHHH!) MY FERRRR!"

I listed everything I could think of all to a no followed up by crying -- toes, legs, shoes, Sean, nose, hair, head, ears, belly, drink, Food, Friends, -- all no, no, no.

Mark hears all this, "Ryan do you want me to turn on Phineas and Ferb."

"YES!" sigh.....

Random Zoo things

Alex was fascinated by the polar bear arm and pelt -- the claws felt like pieces of dried wood.

The elephant trunk.

A tiger turtle.

Seany caught in a giant spider web. Andrew said many times that the giant spider eats people and although he knew it was fake he would NOT play in the web.

Ryan gave up just before the playground and spent most of the rest of the visit snoozing.

Things the kids and I touched: hissing cockroach.

Things the kids touched (not Seany as he fell asleep and not I as I was holding Seany): king snake that eats rattle snakes (not Alex snakes creep him out), bearded dragon (lizard/iguana type thing), and a possum. Andrew really wanted to touch the trantula but they wouldn't let him because it gets scared and stings you with its little hairs. As an aside, I have touched a trantula.

Let it be known, I'm not the complete wimp certain peeps (Mark) would have the world believe.

Face Painting

The tiger, Andrew. While waiting in line for the train, Andrew noticed a boy staring at him. So he asked him, "Why are you looking at me?" He wanted the answer, "You look like a tiger." But the kid was so startled at being addressed that I think he and his mother thought he was being rude.

The snake, Seany.

The other snake, RyGuy.

The cheetah, Alex. I tried to convince Alex to get a something on his arm, because I thought stuff all over his face would make him uncomfortable. Two minutes after the picture, while in line for the train, he asked if he could wash it off.

My four animals -- Ryan, Andrew, Alex, and Seany.

Alex's favorite animal at the zoo

The bald eagle. At the bird show, they had a chicken do the chicken dance under the flag. The handlers cut the dance short when all of a sudden premier bald eagle wanted a piece of that chicken.

The chicklets met a leopard

Lunch.
Seany and Ryan at play.

Gorillas

Alex.
Andrew.
Ryan.
Sean.

We didn't actually get to see the gorillas -- they were in their inside space and it was so stinky at the doorway that Alex refused point blank to enter.

Zoo Zoo Zoo

Alex and Andrew earned a free day at the Hogle Zoo by walking/running 26.2 miles (a marathon) over 3 months. Actually, they did it in less than a month because we go for a walk everyday.

I wanted to get a snap of Alex and Andrew together in their t-shirts. The twix obviously assumed they should be in the shots as well and spent the entire time disrupting my attempts to get a good picture.

This post courtesy of Penny

Jazmine up front, Josh in the inflatible, Alex walking in back.

Alex and Jazmine.

Andrew's ear.

Auntie Erin, Andrew, and Josh (across from him).

Alex and Andrew went up to the creek for the Devlin 4th of July weekend celebrations. Penny emailed me the following. Anyone else with pictures of my oldest chicklets, please pass 'um on. I'd love them!

I think they had a good time. They were very polite to
everyone. Andrew shared his potato chips with me. He'd give me a
couple, then when I ate them ask if I wanted more. He'd ask "do you want
more?" and I'd say "yes, please" and he'd hand them to me and I'd say "thank
you" and he'd always say "you're welcome."

For our anniversary, some reasons why I love Mark

He's makes me laugh. Even when I'm mad at him, he can make me laugh. Its very frustrating to want to throttle the guy at the same time he's forcing me to smile.

He's a great dad to our boys.

He will occasionally help with chores around the house without being asked.

He's a wonderful husband and lover.

He usually does what I ask when I ask. Although sometimes I have asked five or six times.

He wants to provide for us, even when he got laid off he took whatever job he could find until he could get back into his professional career.

He makes time for me to read everyday.

Thank you, sweetie.

Tucano's

Mark's grandma and dad took us ALL out to dinner Saturday night for our wedding anniversary, Tuesday July 15.

Grandma really wanted to go to the place where they had the 'swords' complete with swishing motion through the air. It was place Grandpa Jim had really enjoyed and hoped to come back too.

So off we went. Delish. Delish. Delish. I've never seen such a tiny woman put away so much food. Even Seany ate like there was no tomorrow. Seany even ate 4 bowls of cantelope/strawberry salad.

Thank you, Great-Grandma.

Music at the Park

Payson is great! We're so happy we moved to an actual city with stuff happening.

Last night (Sunday, no less), we walked to Memorial Park (1 mile away) and while the kids played we got to listen to the Payson City Band play some well know pieces.

Alex climbed, slide and climbed some more. Sean & Ryan did a bit of this and a bit of that. While Andrew, found friends and together they collected beetles. At the end of the night, he and his friends made plans to meet up again next Sunday night.

Loose teeth and ice cream

The first of the uppers to vanish.
Its in his belly.

We had ice cream for dessert with Great-Grandma and Papa Pat. All of a sudden Alex's mouth was bleeding and he was in a panic. NO tooth! The tooth fairy requires a tooth in exchange for a sparkling dollar bill! (Yes, tooth fairy dollars sparkle in this house.)

We wrote her a note:

Dear T-Fairy,
My tooth is in my belly. Hope you have better luck at the
next kid's house.
(Heart), Alex
PS Please kiss my little brother, Andrew.
PPS Papa Pat didn't get anything when his last baby tooth fell out at
age 55, please compensate him.

Yes, I helped compose the note.

"T-Fairy" came through with a buck for Alex and nothing for the Papa. After all the drama the night before, Alex didn't even mention his dollar. I had to ask and got a fleeting, "Yep, I got a dollar."