Words, Words, Words

On a whim tonight I gave both boys a dry erase marker and asked them to write a letter of their choosing on the whiteboard. I was curious what letter they'd choose and how well they'd do. Cole immediately drew an E, and Grant followed suit.

Then they both wrote the letter H.

Not bad, eh? In both of these examples Cole's letter is on the left and Grant's is on the right.
Full of blind optimism I wrote their full names and asked them to try.

They were obviously proud of themselves, but not as proud and their daddy!

Bryn Sweet Bryn

Anyone for a berry smoothie?

How about some help unloading the dishwasher?

Yep, she's a keeper.

The Morning After - Adventures in Motherlessness - Part 2

The saga continues.

7:02	From inside a sleepy haze I hear Grant yelling "I need to go potty!" Afterwards, I put him back in bed, telling him, "It's too early, go back to sleep."
8:27	This time the boys will not be denied; they are up and in my bed. After several kicks to the kidneys and other sensitive areas I decide it's time to get up.
8:44	French toast with peanut butter and whipped cream: Yum!
9:28	Cole picks up a cantaloupe. Grant also wants the cantaloupe. I break up the tussle and declare a jump ball. No, actually I tell them it's time for...
9:29	Painting! We get out the water colors to paint a picture for our absent mom. Grant declares he's painting a picture of a "giant effafant and a giant giraffe." When it's done I ask him where each animal is. He points out the elephant (the tan area) and the giraffe (the bright blue area). So I ask where the shark is and he points that out, too (bright red). Then I ask where the slug is and I get a definite, "there's no slug."
	Cole sticks to his declaration that he's painting a "really big lion." Hmmm, it must be nighttime in Africa, or the lion is so big all he could fit on this page is a close up of its nose.
9:53	I cut up the cantaloupe and the boys eat most of one half.
9:54	Dancing (I put on the same CD as last night) in the living room with cantaloupe. Uhh, hey guys, back in the kitchen while you're eating.
10:06	The cantaloupe is done and there is a heated controversy about sharing. Grant declares that he, "always wants to share," and attempts to persuade Cole with everything from gentle words to whining to tattling to physical force. It must be time to go outside.
10:25	After a scramble to find jackets and shoes, the boys are out digging in the dirt.
11:23	A sand throwing incident effectively ends sandbox time.
11:27	After cleaning the sand out of Cole's eye I put the boys into the bathtub.
11:30	I spend a few minutes looking for the plug but fail to find it. I rig up a plug with plastic wrap and fill the tub with water.
11:52	The key to bath time is to keep them in there long enough to soak off the dirt but not so long that they get bored and start pouring water out of the tub. Today, after 22 minutes, they're done.
12:07	It's noon so do I have to make lunch? No I don't! Let's go out.
12:20	McDonalds Happy Meal? Yes we can!
12:34	The search for the longest fry begins.
12:46	Mom calls! She's home and wonders where we are.
12:54	Ice Cream? Yes we can!
12:58	Cole demonstrates the ice cream goatee, reminiscent of the fabled "Yo-tee". Unfortunately, we didn't bring a camera to document.
1:12	The search for birthday presents for Mom begins. Bed, Bath and Beyond? Yes we can!
1:13	Good grief! Am I insane? I just brought two three-year-olds into a store filled with oodles of interesting stuff just at their height. Yes we can, but I probably shouldn't have.
1:17	When did B,B&B start carrying trains? Grant sees the display with trains and exclaims, "Oooo! Some Trains! Maybe mama would like a train." Cole supports that conclusion with, "These are cool!"
1:20	As we walk around the store the boys predictably get excited when they see things they want. At B,B&B that is mostly limited to colorful kitchen implements and candy. They like it when I pick out something and let them carry it around for a while. One of my goals was to get some bath tub plugs. I ended up getting three identical plugs, similar to the one we've been using. We also got some of Mom's favorite candy and several other items.
1:53	Safely back in the car and heading for home I coach the boys on how to be appropriately sneaky about not telling Sue immediately what presents we got for her. This is how the conversation goes: Me: Okay, when mama asks what presents we got for her what will you tell her? Cole: We got plugs! Grant: We got treats! Me: No. You have to say we got her something else. Cole, you say you got a hippopotamus and Grant, you say you got a crocodile. Cole: We didn't get a hippopotamus. Me: I know, we're just tricking mama. Cole: Yeah! We'll trick mama. Me: Let's practice. Cole, when mama asks what you got for her, what will you say? Cole: A hippopotamus! Me: Grant, what will you say? Grant: We got treats! Me: Just say we got a crocodile. We'll trick mama. Grant: I wanna say we got polar bear. Me: Okay, that's good too. Grant: Polar bears are not nice. They have big claws and they bite. Cole: Hippopotamuses are not nice. Grant: Polar bears say "GRRRRRR!" (While attacking Cole with his claws.) Me: Just tell mama that you got a hippopotamus and a polar bear, okay? Cole & Grant: Okay
2:13	After arriving at home this is how the conversation goes: Mom: What did you guys get me? Cole: We got you plugs! Grant: We got you treats! Me: No No No. Remember what I said? Cole: Ummm, we got you a hippopotamus! Oh well, in keeping with tradition in Sue's family, any present presented prior to the actual holiday is to be opened immediately. So she said she loved everything we gave her. Especially the hippopotamus.

As for me, I'm just glad everyone is back where they belong.

Yes We Can! - Adventures in Motherlessness - Part 1

Sue works with the Mia Maid class at church (14-15 year old girls) and the entire young women organization is having a sleep over at the cabin of a ward member. When Sue told me about this she said that she'd take Bryn with her and the boys and I could have some bonding time. Right. "Bonding time" is momspeak for "Mwah ha ha ha! I'm never coming home!" If she hadn't ridden up with the bishop and a couple of other women, I'd wonder. So here's how it all transpired:

5:02	Sue leaves and I enter the house, alone. A single parent. A marked man. However, it's all quiet because the boys are still asleep from their naps. Maybe I'll survive.
5:04	The boys wake up. I subdue them with tickles, bonks, and pokes.
5:21	We discuss dinner and agree that since mom is gone, we'll definitely have pizza. "Yes we can" becomes our motto. Can we have pizza for dinner? Yes we can! Can we sit in different chairs at the table? Yes we can! Can we have Doritoes with our pizza? Yes we can! Can we eat in the living room? Not if you value your life. I put the pizza in the oven.
5:32	The UPS guy stops by with two packages. They are both addressed to Sue. We open them anyway.
5:33	One contains our new Oakiwear business cards and a return address label stamp. Each boy (all 3 of us) gets to stamp the box a couple of times to test it out.
5:35	The second package contains a CD player Sue ordered for the living room (she's an E-bay ninja). We load it up with a CD I made for Sue before we were married. All of the songs contain some reference to Sue, Susan, or Suzie. The music helps fill the mom sized hole in our house.
5:38	The pizza is ready. It fills the pizza sized hole in our stomachs.
5:55	The boys ask if they can have milk. Yes we can!
5:56	Chocolate milk? Yes we can!
5:58	Cookies? Yes we can!
6:01	Milk and cookies gone, the boys start playing with the box that the CD player came in.
6:05	Controversy arises over sharing of the box. Cole doesn't want to share. Out comes the egg timer with Grant declaring that, "when the sand is all gone, it's time for me to get in the box."
6:06	They switch places. Grant contorts himself down so that the lid flaps close, leading to a discussion about packing Grant in and mailing him like a present to Grandma. He likes the idea and declares, "but it won't be a present because it will be me!"
6:08	Cole's turn back in the box. He, too, wants to be mailed to Grandma. If only...
6:10	The box has lost it's charm. Can we watch cartoons? Yes we can! With Doritoes? Yes we can! And a small bag of treats? Yes we can! Cole wants a pear. Yes he can!
6:17	Pink Panther? Yes we can!
7:32	Road Runner? Yes we can!
7:53	Warm milk? Yes we can!
8:04	Bugs Bunny? Yes we can!
8:45	Stay up late? Yes we can!
9:01	Time for bed? You better believe it!
9:27	Done reading books (Clifford), singing songs (1 little, 2 little, 3 little Indians) and boys are in bed. Then Grant says, "We forgot to brush our teeth!" Yes we can!
9:34	Back in bed. Lights out!
9:39	Corner Gas on YouTube. Yes I can!
10:34	I'm going to bed.

Tune in later for day 2.

Bryn Bryn Bryn

Let me tell you about Bryn.

She loves flowers,

most bugs,

dirt,

watermelon,

playing the piano,

looking out the window,

her brothers,

and her blankie.

Lunch Special: Crawdads 'N River Rock

Brynie loves the creek just as much as the boys do.

The rocks are delicious!

Breakfast for the "Neigh"bors

A few mornings ago, I saw Grant cleaning out the produce drawer of most of a BIG Costco bag of carrots. I decided not to say anything. I mean - really - $5.99 for all those carrots; that's a small price to pay for the adventure he was on.

I snapped a few shots from our living room window. In his jammies, in the rain, no shoes on...

One came,
then two,
then three.
I don't even know why, exactly, but it sort of makes me teary. He thought of it all on his own. He has a good heart.

Nephite Wardrobe Basics

Grant (out of the blue, after putting his candy necklace on his head): "Hey Mom, I'm Nephi!"
It's hard to say what all the Crunchers are getting out of their favorite books (obedience? kindness? bravery? Hard to say.) But they know the basic Nephite dress code.
Head bands, baby! No Nephite is complete without one!
Our Zabriskie buddies Papa Z and B.G. ("Big Grant") give the real life illustration on how they should be worn in "With Mine Own Hand" at BYU Education Week 2008.

Bathing Beauty

Bryn loves her bath. It's her favorite time of day. Sort of reminds me of a couple of other 10½ month olds...

This'll Embarrass Him When He's 16

But it's cute for now! One of my former Laurels just finished a college photography class. For part of her final, she needed to photograph some kids, and asked me to bring the boys. I was pretty sure this would be a disaster. When we showed up, I realized I had even forgotten to bring bribing treats. Oh boy. Not a chance in the world of cooperation....until....Grant's little friend from nursery showed up.


Holding hands, hugs, smiles, perfect compliance.... Evan and I just keep looking at these pictures, wondering, who is that boy? Can't possibly be our son. I guess we just never had the right motivation when doing our family pictures.
And by the end - the permanent forced/pained smile going on.
I think Cole might be immune to girls.

Dear Mom,

I just wanted to apologize for spreading our toys out from one end of the house to the other when we were little. I see, now, how truly annoying that must have been! A complete disaster that takes kids minutes to create takes all day to pick up. I'm sorry we made you do all that work!
I guess the boys will finally understand why it drives me crazy when they have little mess makers of their own. Until then.....
this is our lovely living room. Watch where you step.

Love,
Sue

Blackberry Vegetable

Here's a shot from our Labor Day weekend in Bremerton (on Puget Sound) with cousins at the Blackberry Festival (which the boys kept arguing with us that it was actually the Blackberry "vegetable." Okay. I guess that makes more sense to them. What on earth is a "festival?"
We decided to support Breast Cancer Awareness by buying little umbrellas at their booth, because you can NEVER have too many umbrellas. Then we rode the big slide.Evan's absolutely incredible bake/cook of a sister made this blackberry pie to celebrate. It says "Evan Bean Pres." It's a sibling thing.
Thanks for letting us come visit, Young Family!!!!

Off To The Races!

What's so special about a picture of Brynie racing cars on the track with her brothers?

Oh yah - she's goin' hands free these days (just barely 10 months old.)

There's a distinct scream....

...I've come to know well. There is not a more blood curdling cry for help than when the boys get stung (often 2-3 stings at a time.) I HATE these yellow jackets!!! They're very aggressive, and they're everywhere! We don't even go out on our deck anymore. Yes, we spray. It doesn't matter - they are some super genetically superior type, and their nests are often in the ground, under plants, and they leave such nasty welts on my boys. Most people talk about about getting stung once or twice in their lives....not our boys. More like once or twice a week. And the only remedy we've found - yes, popsicles seem to be the only thing that help the pain.
Hmmm, do you think all those popsicle sticks laying around might be attracting them?

2009 Summer Spectacular - Part 7: Idaho!

Our all-too-brief stay in Idaho was marked by lots of cousins. Here's a few of the cousins hanging out on the trampoline. And under the trampoline (with candy). And jumping high on the trampoline (also on a sugar high). Of course there was ping pong. And ping pong on a sugar high. Everybody loves Bryn. We may get plenty of rain in the northwest but we don't have gutters to play in.
Hi Ho Brynnie!
Bonding with Grandma. Bonding with a sno-cone.
And I just love my boys.
Finally, the obligatory (only slightly retouched) family photo.