TheOriginalCin & the apples of her eye

Honesty... the best policy?

2011-09-21T09:20:00.002-06:00

One day a few weeks ago Chase was having tummy troubles, so I kept him home from school. He just couldn't be too far from the bathroom. (I think he ate too many cherries and grapes the day before!) When I picked Aiden up from school, we had the following conversation:

Me, "How was school?"

Aiden, "Mrs. Daniels asked me 'Where's Chase'?"

Me, "What did you tell her?"

Aiden, "He had to stay home because everytime he farted a little bit of 'dockeria' (that's what my boys call it) came out."

Some things are better left unsaid... But little boys don't seem to get that! :)

Sharing

2011-08-31T09:41:00.003-06:00

We were hangin' with my sweet niece, Mara Jade the other day.

Aiden came into the room where I was and excitedly showed me some big fat pretzel sticks that Mara Jade shared with him! What a nice cousin!

He then informed me, "She doesn't really like pretzels. She just likes the salt. So, she licked off all the salt and then let me eat the pretzel! Isn't she soooo nice?"

Uh, ya, Aiden. That's the first thought that came to my mind too... "NIiIIiIIiIIiIIIIiIICE"
(After I threw up in my mouth a little bit! I'm tellin' ya... nothing is gross to boys!)

Disappearing act

2011-07-15T13:37:00.002-06:00

We went to Elitch's last week with family. We played in the water park for most of the time. (The rest of the time was spent waiting around for the lightning to stop... and then finally just getting rainchecks to come back another day.) Anyway, the water was quite cold at first, but we adjusted quickly and had tons of fun.

After a while, Aiden discreetly pulled his swimming trunks out at the waist and told me to "look inside". I complied, not sure what I was supposed to be seeing. He then asked, "Why did 'it' get soooo small?" Thanks to knowledge I gained during a "Seinfeld" episode, I was able to inform him that it just happens sometimes when it's really cold. (To be quite honest, I couldn't really tell a difference, but according to Aiden, it was quite dramatic!)

Fast forward to the next night at bedtime. I put the boys in bed and was laying with them and singing songs when Aiden interrupted and asked, "Mom, remember when we were at Elitch's and my weiner got soooooo tiny?" I remembered. He then exclaimed, "It's a good thing we didn't stay there for days, because then 'it' would've been GONE!"

Party planning

2011-07-15T13:23:00.003-06:00

4 of the party animals (minus Brady)

We've been celebrating lots of birthdays lately. First we attended our friend Kabren's party. We hung out at his house with his family, our family and another family. Next Aiden and Chase were invited to a "drop-off" party for their friend, Brady. Apparently this was a super-cool party because the kids got dropped off at Brady's house without parents. (Brady's parents ARE quite brave, right?!) The next party was back at Kabren's house for his brother (and our friend), Traysen. Again, fun time!

After all the partying and considering the boy's birthday is coming up next month, it has got them thinking and planning what they want to do for their party. They change their minds on almost a daily basis, so we haven't come to a final conclusion yet... MY favorite idea so far?! They wanted to do a "drop-off" party of their own.... at Kabren and Traysen's house!!! ;) How can I refuse?! lol

Watch what you say...

2011-07-15T13:00:00.003-06:00

Driving up to the zoo one day with Grandfather, Aiden asked out of the blue, "How old do I have to be before I can date?" Grandfather said, "Sixteen!" Aiden thought about it and decided that was a fair age. He then informed us that BEFORE he'll date any girl, he'll first ask her, "Do you take Heavenly Father's name in vain or say the HELL word?" Apparently those are deal-breakers... Don't mind the fact that he SAYS the "HELL word" when asking her if she refrains from saying it! ;)

Quality control

2011-04-24T23:11:00.003-06:00

Aiden, Chase, and Luke (their cousin) have always been good buddies. (Look at my little babies! This was taken nearly 4 years ago, but the only one I could find of the 3 of them together!)
Luke being the older cousin (by like a year and a half) is semi worshipped by the other two. There's nothing they wouldn't do for that guy.

This past weekend we were at my brother and sis-in-laws softball game when the 3 boys came and said they each needed to go to the bathroom. So, we sent them off as a group to the port-a-potty that was a few hundred feet away, but clearly in our sights. After a little time passed, they came wandering back with the assurance that they each used hand sanitizer. Good job.

They also informed us that Chase and Luke both had to go "#2"... and there was no toilet paper! Never fear! Aiden had their backs! Their backsides, that is. He innocently shared that he dutifully checked each of their butts and was confident that there was nothing to wipe. Thank you, Aiden! Definitely the man you want with you in a tight spot! ;)

Mistaken identity

2011-01-29T10:47:00.003-07:00

Chase is a whistler. He practices all the time. I think it's cute most of the time, but sometimes it can get a little bit annoying. His dad is a little less tolerant and finds it annoying pretty much all the time. Fast forward to Friday night...

The Elders from our church joined us for dinner. We were all seated around the table passing bowls of green beans, serving up fettucine, etc. all while being serenaded by a soft, easy whistling. Nobody seemed to mind or really notice until Karam in a threatening-loud-only-made-by-dad-kind-of-voice exclaimed (looking directly at Chase) "NO whistling at the table!" Chase innocently proclaimed, "It was the missionary." So then Karam added a serving of "words" to his plate... Gobbled 'em right up! ;)

Po-TAY-to/ Po-TAH-to

2011-01-23T21:48:00.001-07:00

I have a habit of saying dag-NAB-it a lot. Emphasis on "NAB". It's kinder and gentler swearing than some other things I could say. My boys have never picked it up. Never heard them say it... and then this exchange yesterday:

I was playing a game. Chase was watching me. I lost. Chase exclaimed, "dog-DAM-it". (I cannot tell a lie, it still makes me giggle everytime I think about it.) After the shock wore off I said, "That's a bad word." Chase immediately replied, "Grandma said it!" (phew! He wasn't trying to copy me... it was GRANDMA'S fault!) I asked, "When did she say that?" He said, "When she left her purse at home." ***disclaimer... upon confronting Grandma, she insists she said, "Dangit."*** Lesson learned? A swear word by any other name is just the same... to a 5 year old. ;)

There's a monster in my house

2011-01-12T09:00:00.008-07:00

Ok, so maybe I exaggerate when I say monster. Maybe it's really just a mouse. (I get that if there's "A" mouse, there's more than likely mice plural, but it's easier for me to pretend it's a single, solitary one that is terrrorizing me. It's a little more tolerable.) To ME, though it's a monstrous problem.

I'm not a fan of mice. Not even a little bit. If you look in my pantry, it is practically bare... every food item NOT in a glass jar or metal can is in my fridge or freezer. I want the mouse to die and never, ever return again (like as a ghost to haunt me... it's friends aren't welcome either). I would probably be like the little old lady in the movie Ratatouille and actually shoot at it if I owned a gun. I'm that irrational when it comes to this unwelcome, uninvited intruder.

My young sons get that I'm completely horrified by the monster in our house. We had a little teaching moment the other day (Chase teaching. Me... listening, but not really open-minded about the subject matter!)

Chase: "Mom, didn't Heavenly Father create mice?"

Me: "Yes, He did."

Chase: "Why do you want to kill Heavenly Father's creations?"

Me: "Well, Chase, I don't know what Heavenly Father's intentions were for mice, but I'm sure they are not meant to inhabit humans homes and get into their stuff and poop and pee in their pantrys. So, since that's what is happening, I think it's ok for us to get rid of the mice in our house."

Chase: "Well, maybe Heavenly Father just made a mistake."

Ha, ha... or maybe I need to be a better example. I just don't see it happening. Not anytime soon. Just not when it involves His creation, the mouse... in my house.

P.S. There's a super cute kids song called "there's a monster in my house"... it turns out to be a snoring father, but for me, well, you know what my monster is.

Dare to bear

2011-01-11T10:51:00.005-07:00

On Fast Sunday this month (in our church, the first Sunday of each month is dedicated as "Fast Sunday". We are invited to fast from food and drink for a 24 hour period while praying with a purpose. We then donate money equal to the cost of meals we've abstained from and our Church meeting is open to the congregation for the bearing of testimonies... what we personally believe to be true.) both of my boys decided to share their testimonies in front of the congregation. It's important to me for them to say what is in their hearts, not what I prompt them to say. It's a little scary, however, to stand there for "moral support" never knowing for sure what they're going to say.

This particular time was no exception. Most people begin by saying, "I'd like to bear my testimony". Aiden bravely got up on his own claiming " I dare to bear my testimony". It is daring, you have to admit, to be brave enough to get up and bear testimony in front of a congregation of 100+ people! He got a little nervous and wanted me join him at the pulpit. I did, but continued to encourage him to say what HE wanted instead of telling him what to say. He got lots of snickers when he said, "I hope we don't say bad words." :) Honestly, though, I hope we don't say bad words as well.

Chase got up and said he wanted to "bury his testimony"... of course he wasn't burying it, he was bravely sharing it! ;) Most of us (me included) choose to bury our testimony on fast Sunday, instead of getting up and bearing it. So, good for you, Chase for bearing yours even if you wanted to bury it! Your confidence was showing, as well, when you just stood there with one hand holding on to each side of the pulpit. Just like a grown adult. I was impressed.

Later that night, Aiden was saying the family prayer and had this heartfelt message to share with his Heavenly Father:

"Dear Heavenly Father, I beared my testimony today and everybody laughed at me. It hurt my feelings."

I was touched (and maybe a little embarassed as I have to admit I was giggling during his testimony too) since he hadn't said anything to me about the snickering he heard. After his prayer we talked about it and I assured him that when people laugh at things children say it's because they're so cute it makes us smile and sometimes even laugh. Apparently that explanation sufficed because he vowed to continue to be cute enough to make people laugh. And... there's been no more mention of it in his prayers. lol

P.S. Did I mention I adore these guys? Maybe it shows. ;)

Measurements...

2011-01-11T10:36:00.001-07:00

My cute little boys always say and do things that make me think. For example, the other night Chase prayed that "Satan will start choosing the right". How cute is that?! I'm pretty sure I've never prayed for Satan. I've prayed against him. I've prayed that he won't have power over me. But to pray for him?! I wonder what kind of influence we could have if we all prayed for him? The whole human race... praying for Satan. With the faith of a child. Who knows?

Eclipse... the movie

2011-01-11T09:36:00.002-07:00

Back in December (ok, so I'm a little behind) I arrived at my parents house (where my boys had been most of the day... and where they'd stay ALL day EVERY day if I'd let them) and Chase eagerly came up and asked, "Mom, can we watch Eclipse tonight at the movie theatre?" A little confused, I reminded him that it wasn't in the theatres anymore. He insisted that Grandma was going "out" to watch it later in the evening. I realized that he must be talking about the LUNAR eclipse, not the latest movie in the ever-popular vampire series. I explained what the eclipse really was... apparently not very well as evidenced by the following conversation, which took place several hours later:

Chase: "Mom, please can we go watch Eclipse with Grandma tonight?"

Me: "Chase, it's the moon. The eclipse is the moon. Up in the sky."

Chase: "Soooooooo... the MOON is showing a movie?"

I was a dutiful mom and I woke each of my boys up and carried them outside into the freezing 2:00 a.m. air so they could witness the eclipse. In the morning, neither of them even remembered anything about it (or believed me when I insisted that I did, in fact, take them outside to view the reddish moon, for that matter).

Watch your language...

2010-12-06T11:50:00.001-07:00

Aiden: Mommy, what language do people who live in China speak?

Me: Chinese

Aiden: Oh. (Then with a disappointed sigh) I wish I spoke Chinese. Or Arabic. Or English. Or Spanish. I only know HUMAN!

Teacher vs. Student... Who is who?!

2010-12-05T22:57:00.002-07:00

I'm such a good example. I teach my children to choose the right. They learn. They follow. ;)

Just the other day, Aiden finished his pancakes and headed downstairs to play. I called after him, "Aiden, are you finished eating?" He yelled back, "Yep!" I questioned, "Why is your plate still on the table?" He very sweetly replied, "Because I wanted somebody else to put it up... to be helpful and kind!" I kindly helped him and put his plate in the sink.

Aiden's such a good example. He teaches me to choose the right. I learn. I follow.

Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies

2010-11-17T22:36:00.002-07:00

I love how bedtime at my house becomes "true confession" hour. Take tonight for example... It started with Chase having an upset tummy. He suggested that maybe he drank too much water. I countered that maybe it was because he had 2 sodas today. The conversation continued like this:

Chase, "Aiden had 2 sodas too."

Me, "No, Aiden had chocolate milk."

Chase, "Aiden had chocolate milk at Grandma's house."

Aiden, "Ya. I spilled my chocolate milk in the family room. On the carpet. I didn't tell Grandfather."

Me, "Why didn't you tell Grandfather?!"

Chase, "He cleaned it up!"

Me, "But why didn't you tell Grandfather?"

Aiden, "Because I was afraid he would get mad at me and spank me and lock me out of the house or put me in a dog trap."

Me, (more than a little amused... remember Aiden's my dreamer with a vivid imagination) "Grandfather wouldn't do any of those things. He might give you a time-out. It's better to tell the truth. Adults get more angry when someone lies about a mistake."

Aiden, "Well, I'll tell Grandfather tomorrow."

Chase, "Well, maybe I drank too much water."

Me, "When did you drink too much water?"

Chase, "In the bathtub. I'm sorry, but I drank the bath water."

Me, "That's pretty gross. Maybe that's why your tummy hurts."

Aiden, "Mom. We always drink the bath water. When you're not looking."

Me, "Well, maybe it could make your tummy hurt so you shouldn't do it anymore."

Aiden and Chase, "We won't."

A clear conscience must do wonders for little boys since they promptly fell asleep. ;)

Which way do we go?

2010-10-19T08:49:00.002-06:00

We recently had an FHE (family home evening) lesson about the pre-existence. We talked about there being two plans, Heavenly Father's and Lucifer's. Since we're here on earth, we obviously chose to follow Heavenly Father. Whenever the boys are making bad choices (read: being naughty like only 5 yr old boys can!) I ask them, "Who are you choosing to follow right now?" It usually makes them think, at least, even if they don't immediately become the obedient, loving children I know they have in them... down deep inside... ;)

Fast forward to FHE last night. Aiden wasn't paying attention and was climbing all over the furniture. After numerous reminders to sit down properly (on his bum on the seat of the couch rather than on his head with his feet against the wall) and listen, I asked, "Aiden, are you choosing the right?" He said, "No. I'm following Satan... Does that mean Satan chooses the LEFT?" ha ha ha... Well, I guess when you put it that way, we should definitely choose the right and not the left... right?! ;)

It's the little things...

2010-08-03T11:36:00.002-06:00

Chase was washing all the hair off his body in the shower after we shaved his head. He was washing all over and said, "Gotta wash my bum?" I said, "Yep, wash your bum." Then he stuck his finger out like he was making an important point and said, "And can't forget the little guy!" Hee hee hee. Gotta record that one for posterity! ;)

Omnivorous

2010-06-21T10:45:00.003-06:00

Aiden and Chase were talking about herbivores and paused to ask me, "Mom, are we herbivores?"

I asked, "Well, do we eat plants?"

They questioned in return, "Do we?"

So we discussed some plants we eat like tomatoes and carrots, to name a few.

Satisfied that we're herbivores, I asked, "But don't we also eat meat?"

Again, the question, "Do we?"

So I named, "Chicken, hamburger, roast beef..." and they decided we must be carnivores.

I said, "Well, since we eat plants AND meat, we are..."

Before I could finish, Aiden clapped his hands and declared, "I know! We're DINOSAURS!" HA HA.

Independence

2010-06-21T10:32:00.003-06:00

Aiden and Chase start kindergarten in the fall. They're soooo excited! We went to the charter school they'll be attending for a tour and to watch the kindergarten spring program. The cute kids showed off some of the knowledge they'd gained over the school year. Pretty impressive. One thing they learned was about the Declaration of Independence. The teacher asked, "What did the United States tell England?" The students replied (in unison, pointing their fingers) "You're not going to be the boss of us anymore.

My parents were out of town that week, so I wasn't surprised when the boys excitedly told them all about their "new" school when they returned. I was quite amused to realize what Chase took from the program when he got up really close to Grandma and whispered in her ear, "My mom's not going to be the boss of us anymore!"

Ha, ha! I had no idea that's what he thought. He'd kept it secret quite well, considering how excited he was about it!

It's a bird... it's a plane... it's...

2010-05-21T08:19:00.001-06:00

"Look Mom, it's Jesus!"

"I think it's Jesus!"

"A girl Jesus!"

(Or maybe just our friend Becca in her graduation gown!)

Gotta love my Aiden! Never know what's going through their heads, right?! :)

Your roots are showing...

2010-04-17T15:43:00.004-06:00

I think my cute little Aiden is going to be brilliant someday. As with lots of brainiacs, I sometimes wonder about his common sense. ;) For example, we went somewhere the other day. We were all getting out of the car, but Aiden started to cry and claimed to be "stuck"! I calmly suggested that he take his jacket off so he could free himself from the seatbelt underneath it! :) Problem solved!

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Today on our way to the previously mentioned freezing soccer game, Aiden put a plate on his head that had streamers on it. (It was a rainbow windsock he made at storytime yesterday.) The streamers hung down over his face and he exclaimed, "Mom, I'm BLONDE! I can't see!" I think you mean "blind", buddy, but then again... ha ha

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We went to PenRad yesterday to get x-rays on Chase's leg because he's been having some pains and difficulty running. He insisted that he needed his brother by his side. We walked into the lobby and there in the corner was a clear, large glass "cup" proudly displayed with a plaque identifying it as an award for excellence. Aiden was sooooo proud of the employees when he saw it. With a thrilled voice Aiden proclaimed, "MOM! They won the Piston Cup!" (Any Cars fans out there?) He insisted on getting a picture of it! In my defense, I DID try to tell him what it really was, but there was just no convincing him!

He's innocent! ;)

2010-04-17T15:11:00.003-06:00

Chase is always saying things that take me a second to process... to make sure he's not saying something "innapropriate". While my friend, Kristy, was in town looking for a place to live (yay! They're moving back!) she came over to visit for a bit. Chase was playing with my cell phone. He'd push a button to make the backlight come on and ask, "Mom, what time is it?" Then he started sticking it under articles of clothing to see if the time would shine through. Upon sticking it under his shorts, he asked, "What time is it in my pants?" Kristy and I laughed enough that we embarrased him and will hopefully not be posing that question to others in the future!

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Then today on our way to a f.r.e.e.z.i.n.g. soccer game (it's April in Colorado, what do you expect?!). Visibility was very poor as we were driving. The boys thought I was going to get lost since they couldn't see where we were going... Chase commented, "Mom, I think the fug is in our way." I paused while the shock wore off and I could logically figure out what he really said and not what it sounded like he said. I then replied, "Yes, Chase the FOG is in our way!"

What's in a name?

2010-03-25T14:48:00.004-06:00

So, my little Chaseroo decided a few days ago that when he turns eleventeen, he's going to change his name. TO... Spiderspeed! Why Spiderspeed, you ask? Well, because he's sooo fast and he has Spiderman shoes, of course.

"Chase"

Today he decided he wanted his head shaved. I didn't have the heart/guts to really shave it, so I just cut it really short with the smallest attachment we have. The result? He LOVES it, but decided that because "WOW!" he looks "SOOO cool", he's no longer waiting for his eleventeenth birthday to become Spiderspeed. No, that is effective immediately. If you happen to slip and call him "Chase", never fear, he'll be happy to remind you of his "new" name! ;)

"Spiderspeed"

boys will be boys... accidentally

2010-01-16T14:49:00.005-07:00

The other night after piano lessons with 2 of our friends, I went down to visit with their mother for a few minutes before they headed home. Our boys were playing together while we visited. After a couple of minutes, they decided to venture upstairs, which is where their bedroom is and some of their toys. No problem, right?! WRONG! Prior to piano, Aiden had asked me to make him some popcorn. Unfortunately he hadn't eaten much of it, so it was a perfect temptation for the BOYS being BOYS to have a POPCORN fight!! We told them they had to clean it up, but after 15 minutes, their only progress was to completely block every hose on my DYSON (the love of my life!) and overheat the motor! So together, Rena and I whipped out our cell phones to document the mess and then together we cleaned it up... she used my Dust Buster while I swept the carpet.

The pictures really don't do the mess justice. Suffice it to say, popcorn was EVERYWHERE! Cleaning it up was reminiscent of the styrofoam beads due to the staticky nature of both! :P

While Rena and I cleaned, the boys all had a "timeout"... her boys on the couch, mine in their room. After a few minutes, my boys came out to inform me that they had prayed about it and apologized to Jesus. I asked how they felt about what they did. Aiden responded, "I told Jesus I was sorry and He said, 'It's ok, it was an accident'." Thank you, Jesus, for reminding me that no matter how destructive little boys are they don't MEAN to do it. They're just being BOYS!

Aiden and Chase... partners in "unintentional crime"!!

Oh the weather outside is frightful...

2009-12-07T15:35:00.003-07:00

BUT we braved the cold and shoveled the walks and driveway (and not to toot our horn, but to remind the boys in the future when they read this blog as a book, we shoveled the neighbors driveway and walks as our "Christmas service for the day"... they were so proud and kept worrying that she would come home and catch us! ha ha) and THEN we built a snowman. Am I a good mom, or what?! If any of you answered "yes" to that question, you may change your mind when I confess that Aiden and Chase's winter boots are too small for them, so they wore MY boots/ shoes which are way too big for them!! (You can kind of see them in the snowman pics, but here is what they looked like after being removed.)

Yes, I really did let them go outside wearing those! :)

On top of that "technical difficulty", the snow is waaaaay too powdery to stick together. Not to be deterred, we figured out that although we couldn't make the snow stick together enough to "stack" we could make piles that we could semi-form. So meet our tired/ resting/ lazy snowman.

Wow! Check out those big feet! ha, ha!

All in all, a fun time. Now if only my toes would thaw... and my BONES would warm up. Sooo worth it, though! ;)

Back seat drivers...

2009-12-06T22:28:00.002-07:00

Grandfather usually has to stay late after church because he's in the Bishopric and has things to do. Last Sunday he just happened to be leaving at the same time as us, so the boys excitedly declared they were riding home with him... The following is an experience and resulting conversation that Grandfather relayed to me:

Someone was kind of riding Grandfather's tail on the way home, so as he turned the corner to head to his street, he caught a bit of the curb.

Chase, "Uhhh What was that?! A bump?"
Grandfather, "Ya, it was a bump."
Aiden, "It felt like a dead human!"

Ummmm what?! I don't even know where to begin... So maybe I just won't.

Things learned in Primary...

2009-12-06T22:23:00.002-07:00

We were sitting at the table last week eating breakfast and out of the blue Chase asked, "You know what my teachers say when we say 'nothing'?" I said, "No, what?" He replied (with a pointing finger and great enthusiasm), "You greatful UNchild!" lol It has become my new favorite saying. :)

Summer 'O Fun... take 2

2009-10-11T16:14:00.002-06:00

Oh ya... I started something way back, huh? Take 1, there has to be a continuation, right?! Well, here we go... Well, of course we made more trips to the Colorado Springs zoo... OUR zoo.

More terrifying moments in the grip of the giant bear:

Chase

Aiden

And in case it's not clickable, here's a close-up! :)

And before you think I'm just mean and evil for finding pleasure in the above picture (ok, maybe I am!) the boys do this pose almost everytime we go to OUR zoo. This time, for some reason, Aiden thought he was going to fall, hence the face. It's so priceless, though, don't you think?

our friends, Megan and Trevin (I know, cute overload!)

our other equally adorable friend (and son/brother to Megan and Trevin) Talan, the giraffe.

And last, but not least, their handsome son/ brother, Tyler! :)

My very own snow leopards... dangerous, scary snow leopards, I should add! ;)

climbing through the wolf tunnel...

Aiden

Chase...

Cousin, Laura

Running into scary animals who have escaped from their cages... ok, just kidding! :) Our friends, the Malans with their cute little grandson!

These are just a few of our adventures at our zoo. Anyone want to join us? After this pictorial, how could you NOT?! :)

My laughing place

2009-09-20T16:28:00.006-06:00

We got a flier in the mail from Geico... The boys wanted me to cut the picture of the stack of money with the eyes on top and glue it to a popsicle stick for a "puppet". After playing with them for a while, Aiden set his down and then couldn't remember where he put it. I had to laugh as he wandered around the house asking, "Hey, where'd my guy go?" Guy-go? Get it?! ha, ha, ha

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Whenever my dad says or does something that my mom thinks is inappropriate, she says, "Dennnnnnnis" with this kind of disgusted/ chastising tone. Well, Aiden has adopted it as a "catch-all" for anything and everyone who says or does something inappropriate. Like today, we were sitting at the table eating and Karam said, "I have a great idea... After we eat, we should ALL take a nap!" Aiden immediately responded with, "Dennnnnnnis!" Guess he didn't think it was such a great idea! :)

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The other day we were just sitting around in the living room after getting out of bed. Chase, just out of the blue, said, "Dad, you don't has a neck." Karam and I just looked at each other and laughed. :)

An earthly home complete with singing and dancing...

2009-09-05T19:44:00.005-06:00

My boys love to entertain me. Aiden likes to dance. (You may remember his cute little "booty dance" that I posted previously.) Well, he's recently started going to the piano bench and pulling out the music for "Fur Elise" and asking, "Mom, will you please play this? It's soooo beautiful!" So I comply. Don't pay too much attention to my playing as I made plenty of mistakes... AND the foot is just Chase's way of trying to steal away a little of Aiden's attention! ;) Everytime I play it for him, Aiden dances for me.

Instead of dancing around, Chase sings... and sings... and sings. His two favorites these days are "I Love to See the Temple" and "I am a Child of God". He sang the first for me on camera... He gets a few words wrong, but when I've tried to correct him, he says, "I just want to sing it wrong". Very well, then. :) There is one part I haven't tried to correct, just because I think with his faith and innocence, it could be more accurate. (To "see" the Holy Spirit rather than "feel") :)

After Chase's performance, Aiden wanted to sing so here's a video of Aiden. He couldn't make up his mind which song he wanted to sing and then when did decide on one and realized he mixed up the words, he just sang a little softer so maybe you can't tell. ;)

I'm so grateful for these two little guys. They are the GOOD things in my life! :) I'm not so sure they feel the same, as evidenced by Chase's version of "I Am a Child of God". He inadvertently?combined a couple verses to come up with this, "I am a child of God, and He has sent me here. Has given me an earthly home, that I have to endure"... :) Good luck with that, my son. Good Luck!

Who am I?

2009-08-30T13:35:00.002-06:00

I was helping my mom make a comforter for my niece, Hailey. As I cut the excess batting along the edges, Chase and Aiden would tear the pieces away from the blanket. At one point, Chase looked up at me and proudly asked, "Mom, are we the 'tearers'?" I laughed and exclaimed, "Yes! Yes you are!"

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Chase was practicing his rhyming skills. Red-Fred. Flower-power. Happy-sappy. Karam would intermittenly suggest words for him to rhyme. Chase would respond, until he said, "What about Karam?" Chase promptly replied, "Yes, you can have a turn." ;)

--------------------------------

Karam wondered if Aiden was as proficient at rhyming as Chase, so he was asking him to rhyme different words. Aiden was too busy playing with a Transformer and took no notice of Karam. Chase, on the other hand, would rhyme whatever word Karam said. I decided to get in on the act and asked, "What rhymes with Mom?" Chase said, "Doh-doh." Ummmm NO! Thanks a lot, Chase. And I think you laughed way harder than was nescesary, Karam.

Learning curve...

2009-08-19T16:25:00.002-06:00

I often find myself asking "why don't they LEARN?" when my boys do something repeatedly that they get in trouble for each time. Take the following for example:

My brother, Marc and his wife, Leilani and their kids, Charly and Kavika were in town visiting a couple weeks ago. They came over one morning for breakfast. (Marc makes the BEST crepes! EVER!) After playing downstairs for a while, the kids came up and informed me that they made a MESS. This was the scene that greeted me in the family room and down the hallway:

I have a big, giant stuffed Mickey Mouse. They decided it would be fun to unstuff one of Mickey's legs and play with the stuffing... AFTER dumping out every toy in their playroom. (We had even cleaned right before Marc and family arrived, so every toy was in it's place.) So, the little styrofoam balls were E.V.E.R.Y.W.H.E.R.E!!! And if you know anything about little styrofoam balls, they're very static-y (?) and stick to everything.

M.E.S.S!!!!! GIANT MESS!!!

SOOOO much fun to clean up, let me tell you. :) I was not a super happy mom, I'm not going to lie. I got everything cleaned up, and made it VERY clear that this was not an activity they were to engage in again. Apparently they didn't learn because the very next day, I went into the playroom and found that they had gotten into the beads (that I had "strategically placed" behind Mickey Mouse) AGAIN. They weren't ALL out, but still, another mess. This time I put the beads in the spare bedroom, which is off-limits AND grounded them from playing in their playroom for a week as punishment! Take THAT! They'll learn from that, right?!

Fast forward to today. I had a presidency meeting this morning at my house. While our Presidency was upstairs meeting, the children played downstairs. In the playroom. The logical place for children to play. After everyone left I went downstairs to get the boys and SURPRISE!, I was greeted by millions of tiny little styrofoam beads. Again. Everywhere. Hmmmmm...

Who isn't learning here? Could it be the 3 and 4 yr olds who find playing with beads SOOOOOO much fun (really, who can blame them?!), or perhaps the MOM who keeps cleaning them up and storing them (to restuff Mickey at some point) in reach of the 3 and 4 yr olds?

I'm happy to say that I've finally learned my lesson. Three cleanups later, I put the bag of beads up. They're hidden away. I'm not even going to tell you, the reader of this blog, where they are. They're safe from all 3 and 4 yr olds. I'm feeling smarter already!

Summer-O-Fun... take 1

2009-08-12T22:11:00.005-06:00

This may come as a surprise to some... those people who don't know us AT ALL, anyway... We went to the zoo. The news here is that we went to the Denver zoo, not the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. We met our friends, the Smiths, so they could show us around the zoo in their neck of the woods (as we took a few turns escorting them around the zoo in ours... or OUR zoo as we commonly refer to it... ha, ha). They have animals that we don't have. For example, red pandas (Kristy's favorite)... Camels...

Polar bears...

Very friendly polar bears who stand on their hind legs and let us compare heights with them...

Ok, just kidding. What? You couldn't tell that was a cutout? Obviously our little ones have a way to go...

Seals...

Elephants...

Oh. Just kidding. We have elephants. I just thought this elephant was so funny. She looked like she had a little too much to drink (not the tipsy-kind-of-too-much-to-drink, just the too-much-for-your-bladder-to-hold and you have to cross your legs and hold it while looking for the nearest restroom...)

Then Aiden found a matching-shirt-twin. Actually his matching-shirt-twin found him. It was cute, the little boy came running up and just stood in front of Aiden not saying a word. He just knew that words were not necessary. And he was right. Aiden simply gasped, cheered, and hugged his instant buddy. Then their proud moms took pictures to document their little meeting. :)

And finally, we found a gorilla on the loose that turned out to be no match for my two little animal tamers... (He doesn't look happy about it!) ;)
It was a fun day. Thanks Smiths! Too bad we waited so long and only got one chance to go with you before you moved far away to Alabama. Maybe one of these days you'll be back. Or maybe there's a cool zoo down there we'll have to come check out... In the winter, of course! The Denver Zoo was hot enough for us! We miss you already!

Happy Birthday Grandma...

2009-06-19T08:27:00.003-06:00

or as I used to lovingly refer to her, post children, Mom!

The other night we were on our way home from Grandma's house and I reminded the boys that Grandma's birthday was coming up in just a few days.

Aiden asked, "What kind of birthday?"

I replied, "Her 61st birthday."

To which Chase asked, "How OLD is she going to be?"

Me: She's going to be 61!

Chase: Wow, that sure is a LOT.

Here's to a LOT more birthdays! We love you!

Home of the Braves...

2009-06-13T11:17:00.007-06:00

Strike that! We're actually the home of a couple "A's". There just happened to be some confusion somewhere. We're not sure how or where it happened. When we signed the boys up for t-ball, the forms we were given said we were the Bonforte Braves. So that's what we were... For a couple weeks. Then we got the t-shirts that said, "Athletics" and the green and yellow hats with the big capital "A"... It has taken a little time to turn our Braves into A's. Now the boys like to remind me, "We're 'A's', NOT Braves"... I think they think it was MY mistake. :D Whatever. It wasn't my fault. I wasn't wrong, ok? (Do you get the impression that I've been defending myself for a while? Chase, especially, likes to ask, "Mom were you wrong and I was right?" ... mind you, it's not JUST in the case of the mistaken t-ball-identity, but that's just what I happen to be blogging about right now.)

Part of the team at the beginning of practice. (Can I just say I think they lucked out in the coach department?! He's awesome!)

I digress...

So, the boys are playing t-ball and LOVING it. Chase asked me (prior to signing them up) "Mom, when do WE get to play sports and everybody can yell, 'go Chase, go Chase'?" I guess that comes from going to watch Madi play soccer and Luke play t-ball and Dennis & Liz playing softball. :D They decided they wanted in on the action.

Chase batting during practice

Aiden batting during practice

These are their favorite things about playing t-ball:

Aiden:

-anything COACH related. He just likes saying the word.

-the big water cooler and paper cups that COACH brings to games and practices (I don't know why I even bother bringing their water bottles anymore.)

-the snacks after games.

-the dirt to play in while "out" in the field.

-being able to use his own bat.

Chase:

-hearing his name being "cheered on" during games

-batting

-being the one to "catch" the ball

-snacks after games

-saying Coach Craig

-reminding me that I was wrong about the team name

Their games are a riot. Aiden has run for 3rd base twice after hitting the ball in a game. Chase got lost running from 2nd one game. The coach was telling him to run for 3rd, but he headed across the field for home. When the coach told him to "come back", Chase decided that meant to go back to 2nd, so off he went back across the field. He did finally figure out that he was supposed to go to 3rd. :D This is a perfect age for them to learn too because they don't get embarrassed or self-conscious about anything. It's all fun and games for them, which I love. We're already looking forward to soccer in the fall... at least I am. :D

Watch as the ball rolls right past Aiden who is busy playing in the dirt!

Chase's first at-bat... first game

Aiden heading straight to 3rd base.

fashion?!

2009-05-05T16:14:00.004-06:00

This is my sister, Staci. (She's Madi's mom to those of you who don't know her. Of course everybody knows Madi!) She watched Chase for me last week while I took Aiden to the dentist. (I'll blog about Aiden's dental-work experiences another time!) They have two dogs, Peanut (a chihuahua) and Tyrone (a mutt?... Stace?).**

While we were visiting with Staci and Mad after Aiden's appointment, Chase suddenly got a concerned look on his face and asked Staci, "Did your dogs rip your pants?"

To which Staci replied, "Ummm, No. I bought them this way." I think he's with Grandfather on this one and thinks Staci must be crazy. ;)

**If anyone wants a free dog, Staci is ready to give hers to a good home. :D

Through the eyes of a child...

2009-05-04T23:07:00.003-06:00

We went to the library the other day and Aiden saw "A" car in the parking lot... He got excited and disappointed all at once saying, "Mom, we never had that car before!" Then as we walked past the car, Chase and our little friend, Trezden, commented, "Isn't this car B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L.?!"

It was highly decorated... and artistic. Life would be so much easier and better if we were more like children and could appreciate a beautiful car because of it's art instead of it's "status" ... don't you think? (Not that I'm "there". I just wish I was closer!) :D

Remember my architect in the making?

2009-04-30T16:20:00.006-06:00

I thought I'd post a few pictures of some of Chase's designs.

In spite of his continued building (on an almost hourly basis... while we're at home, anyway), he's decided he now wants to be a zoo keeper. It's a toss-up, really, whether he spends more time building or at the zoo (our home-away-from-home), so his indecision between professions is understandable (well, that and the fact that he's only 3!).

Chase has now combined his two passions and reguarly creates animal habitats... Quite the variety of animals, you'll notice. (I think there's even and monster/ogre type thing in the mix!)

While visiting the zoo last week we met a zoo keeper who was working with the monkeys. After Chase had asked her a million and one questions (at least), I informed her that he had decided he's going to be a zoo keeper. Pleased with his decision, she offered to let him and Aiden help her prepare a snack for one of the monkeys. They put the treats into a paper sack, scrunched up the sack, and then the zoo keeper threw it to the monkey. The monkey pulled everything out one at a time and gobbled it up. Once she devoured everything in the sack, she tossed the sack back at the keeper. :) Very entertaining! It only encouraged Chase more to become a zoo keeper... We shall see.

Obedient Aiden

2009-04-24T09:24:00.002-06:00

We were at Hobby Lobby and I kept having to remind the boys not to touch! In spite of the reminders, Aiden kept reaching out. I once again said, "Aiden, please stop touching!" He promptly put his hand to his forehead (salute-style) and said, "Yes, SIR, your Highness!" A surprised, empathetic mom in the aisle had to turn her head to hide her snickering. Pretty funny! ;)

T-Mobile...

2009-04-21T21:20:00.003-06:00

Have you seen those commercials where the 3 girls are grilling their dad (on their friends behalf) about his "internet dating" progress? Well, tonight we were at my parents watching American Idol and that commercial played. After the youngest girl said, "She thinks you're super delicious" my little Aiden piped up and said, "I want to say that to my dad." I queeried, "You're going to tell Daddy that Mommy thinks he's super-delicious?" He disgustedly said, "NO. I want to tell him Grandma says that." Oh man. I thought "Grandma" was going to pass out, she was laughing so hard! Now I just can't wait to see Karam's response! :D

When I grow up...

2009-04-01T23:33:00.003-06:00

Today Chase informed me that he wants to be a "home builder" when he grows up. Interesting. I asked if he wants to actually build the homes or just design them. He said, "Maybe just design them." I suggested that maybe he should be an architect. He questioned, "What is that?" I explained that architects design homes and buildings. He decided that's what he wants to do. Pretty ambitious.So, Aiden, what do you want to be when YOU grow up?" He said, "Ummm. I'm going to be a cyber kid." Ummmm ok. And what are you going to do? He responded, "I think poke people." Alrighty then. Then he was distracted by something he saw and informed me, "I'm hungry Mom. I want to go to the pig. The pig, Mom! The pig. Please, Mom, can we go to the pig?" Having NO clue what he was talking about I asked, "Which pig?" He said, "The one that goes MOOOOOOOOO." (But OF COURSE. We had passed Chick-fil-A!)

2009-03-24T14:53:00.002-06:00

So, this is our humble abode. It's a bi-level with 4 bedrooms and 2 baths. I feel like it's sufficient for our needs... actually more space than we really need. I remember an old country song that says, "Love grows best in little houses". I subscribe to that philosophy to an extent. Apparently Aiden & Chase feel differently. We were pulling onto our street the other day and Chase asked, "Mom, is our house BIG?" I said, "It's big enough." He said, "Are other people's houses biggest?" I remarked that some people do have bigger houses, but some people also have smaller houses. Aiden responded, "Yeah, like DOGS!"

Aiden makes me giggle...

2009-03-10T21:07:00.004-06:00

Aiden is so quick to forgive. I love that about him. Seriously, Chase can take something away from him, hit him with it, and then hide it... Once Chase gives "it" back and says sorry, Aiden quickly responds, "It's ok. It was a 'accent'." (Even though OBVIOUSLY it wasn't an "accident".) If I lose my patience with him, it breaks his heart (and he tells me so) but if I say I'm sorry? "It's ok. It was a accent."

Aiden is also very easy-going. He's tender-hearted and quick to tear-up, but he's just as quick to laugh and find humor in things. Today he made ME laugh when he came out of his room after going to get clean socks (he ran outside in the snow with the socks he had been wearing) with two completely different socks on. Before I could say anything, he said, "Mom, my socks is 'tending' to match." Gotta give 'em an E for effort because it takes some imagination to pretend those things are anywhere close to matching! :D (Ok, so they ARE both striped...)

Citizen Karam

2009-03-02T11:03:00.005-07:00

Usually I post about my little boys. Today's post is about the "big" boy in my house. He's originally from Baghdad. He's actually lived in the U.S. longer now than he lived in Iraq. He thinks he's pretty much mastered the language... and he does ok... until he tries to use common "sayings" or slang. That's where the humor begins. We even dubbed his silly sayings "Karamisms". The other night after a ward adult activity (not the "adult" kind you're thinking... ha, ha) Karam was proud of himself for socializing and making a potential "date" to go to the shooting range with BRAVE Kevin. When we got in the car he commented (in an effort to make me proud of him as well), "See? Your hubby is a butter SOCIAL fly!" I'm so proud! ;) lol Just for fun I thought I'd post a few of the other more "entertaining" things he's said to me (or others) over the years...

*After spending lots of time indoors while visiting my brother and sister-in-law in New York, Karam wanted to get out and GO somewhere. He claimed to be getting "homophobic". (We questioned Dennis since he was the only other male in the house at the time!)

*It drives him nuts when other cars on the interstate don't stay in their own lanes... and "step on the lines".

*Because he is SEVERELY claustrophobic, he had to be "seduced" by the doctor prior to getting an MRI. Mind you, he just gave him "seduction" pills to help take the edge off. ;) (Sedation usually works better... for most people.)

*When we were still "dating", he was a smooth-talker. He told me that he couldn't ever imagine being with anybody else. He said it was like I'd dug a hole and he was just stuck in there forever. "But", he said, "As long as I'm in your hole, I'll be happy."

Anyway, just a few Karamisms I thought I'd post for posterity (and anyone else who needs a good laugh). :D

Lot'a love

2009-02-22T21:05:00.002-07:00

My favorite Jordyn in the world used to tell her mom, "I love you Mom. All the way up to the sky. Is that a lot?" I always thought it was so cute, so I started telling Aiden and Chase that I love them all the way up to the sky. Instead of reciprocating the thought, they tried (in their own way) to outdo me. I get things like, "I love you as much as the moon." or "I love you like a hippopatamus." In the spirit of "can't beat 'em, join 'em", I've started saying silly things like, "I love you like a giraffe loves crackers." Tonight's exchange convinced me that my comparisons are falling on deaf ears. Case in point:

Me (to Aiden and Chase): "I love you like flowers love sunshine."

Aiden: "I love you like an alligator."

Me: "You love me like an alligator loves a swamp?"

Aiden: "No. I just love you like an alligater."

Me: "Oh."

Chase: "I love you like a swamp!"

Firsts

2009-02-22T14:27:00.002-07:00

Today was the first time my little Sunbeams, Aiden and Chase, had an assignment for sharing time. Aiden was supposed to bear his testimony, while Chase was assigned the scripture and prayer. (We do one talk and one testimony because none of the children in our ward bear their testimonies in sacrament meeting, so we decided we needed to help them develop their testimonies.) So, Aiden gets up there and got all shy. Not completely surprising, right?! I prompted him to say, "I want to bear my testimony." No problem. Then I asked (like we'd rehearsed) what do you believe? (Hoping that he didn't talk about carrots and cars... like when we'd rehearsed... hoping that I impressed upon him the "appropriate" things to talk about in a testimony.) His first thought? "I love Jesus Christ." (So far, so good.) Nothing else? Family? Anything? Then this... right into the microphone for all the giggly primary children's amusement, "Mommmmmmmy. I has to go poop!" Nothing like a little "potty" talk to kill the spirit. Thanks Aiden. Way to make your Primary-president-mother proud! We'll laugh about this for ages! :D

In tune

2009-02-18T14:41:00.002-07:00

So, this morning before breakfast Chase was saying the prayer. He would thank Heavenly Father for something and then giggle. Then thank Him for something else and giggle some more. He just kept doing it... over and over. I finally interrupted him and whispered, "Chase you're praying to Heavenly Father. You need to be more reverent and respectful." His whispered response?!?!... "What? He's laughing too!" How do you argue with that?!

THIS is Aiden

2009-02-15T16:25:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite Aiden photo EVER, so I had to post it. :D

The trail of toys.

2009-02-15T16:06:00.005-07:00

I was checking e-mail and stuff online (ok, maybe I WAS playing Mafia Wars) and the boys were playing in their playroom. They were making tons of noise throwing things in the toybox and stuff. They said they were cleaning. Good for them. I didn't even have to ask. What good boys, right?!

Then suddenly Chase was behind me saying, "We don't really want a playroom, actually." Huh?! What?! (A month or so ago we turned MY sewing room into THEIR "sewing room"... in other words "playroom". I didn't find it blog worthy at the time... but... It was impossible to keep the family room clean because of all their toys. Plus, half the time their stuff was all over my sewing room anyway. Hence the decision to consolidate the mess into one "toy room".) Fast forward to today...I questioned, "Well, what are we going to do with all your toys? Throw them away?" Chase said, "No, actually, we're moving them back." All that "cleaning"... it was more like "moving"! This is the trail that greeted me:

The virtually empty toy room:

The cleaning DID take place, after all. Just not the helpful, unbidden effort I thought was going on. It was a group effort (read-mostly Mommy doing the work) of turning the toyroom back into the toyroom... for the second time.

Say what?!

2009-02-08T13:42:00.003-07:00

This morning while getting ready for church, Aiden was refusing to put on his shirt no matter how much I coaxed him. While I was persuading, he said, "But MOM..." to which I teased, "Don't 'but Mom' ME!". He then said, "But Cinni." Again I said, "Don't 'but Cindi' ME!" He stopped, looking a little perplexed and said, "What? You're not my mom OR my Cinni?"

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Aiden & Chase's primary class is taught by a couple, the Davenports. During sharing time, Sis. Davenport (who is pregnant) got up and left for a few minutes. Aiden ran to the back of the room where I was sitting and whispered, "I has'sa tell you someping. My teacher runned away!"

Care Bears

2009-02-07T08:46:00.001-07:00

Create your own FACEinHOLE

Chase for hire

2009-02-04T23:37:00.004-07:00

So last week Chase wanted me to read him a book but I told him I had to make dinner since the missionaries were coming over for dinner. I said that I also needed to straighten up the living room since there were toys all over the floor. Not only was he understanding, he VOLUNTEERED to clean the living room. (Keep in mind, he's only 3.) I told him that would be awesome. So, he did a fabulous job and THEN informed me that he was also going to clean his room, which was a huge mess. He cleaned it to near-perfection! WAY TO GO, Chase!!

Fast-forward to yesterday when I was doing laundry. The dryer buzzed to signal that the load was dry. Chase picked up his own little green toy bucket and informed me that he was going to "pretend this is a laundry basket". He then proceeded to take the clothes out of the dryer, one bucket at a time and dump the clothes on the family room floor. I sat down by the growing pile to begin folding only to be informed in no uncertain terms that HE was folding the clothes. Ok. He didn't want any help. He just wanted me to take pictures. I dutifully complied.

He made neat little piles. (And even thanked me sweetly when I carefully stepped over them to take more pictures without knocking anything down.) The only trouble was when Aiden decided he wanted to get in on the "act". Chase insisted that he wanted to do it all by himself. After a few minutes, he relented and allowed Aiden to help... At which point Aiden picked up one of my t-shirts and threw it around the room for a little while. Then he put it on (sort of) and then sat down on the floor and pulled on a pair of my nylons. THAT was the extent of Aiden's help. ;) (And never mention the panty-hose wearing to Karam!! lol)

And for anyone wondering, NO I did not refold any of it. Even if I was tempted, I didn't have a chance since Chase insisted on putting the clothes away immediately (with a little help from his mom). So, let the requests pour in... just keep in mind, I'm not offering his services for CHEAP! ;)

Aiden. My heart.

2009-02-02T21:42:00.005-07:00

If you call Aiden anything else, like sweety or honey, he insists he's just Aidee-heart. :D And he is my sweet-HEART. He makes my heart happy because he's so cheerful and easy-going. He also has a sweet tooth (as witnessed in this picture... we made brownies and when I turned around after sticking the brownies in the oven, I discovered Aiden with his whole head in the bowl trying to lick it clean!). He's just sweetness all the way around. He is very thoughtful and caring. He's also a "thinker"..

I had to laugh the other night when I told the boys, "It's time to go to bed." Aiden looked over at Karam snoring away on the couch and asked, "Can you carry Daddy upstairs?" lol

Then tonight my parents came over to eat with us. After dinner, my dad said he was ready to go home because he was tired. Aiden turned to my mom and asked, "After you take Grandfather home and put him to bed, then you can come back to our house?" Don't forget to tuck him in, Grandma! ;)

Chase. Plain & simple.

2009-01-26T11:00:00.003-07:00

I had to post a few "Chase" moments from the past 2 days...

At church yesterday, when the bread tray got to our row, Karam took a piece and then held the tray for Chase who took a piece. Chase then got down from the bench and walked the length of the row "passing" the sacrament to each person, then handed the tray to the Deacon waiting at the end of the pew. When the water arrived, he did the same thing. He's only 3, but practicing already for the day he turns 12 and can exercise the Priesthood! :D

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On our way home from church, Chase begged to go to "Old McDonald had a farm". I reminded him that it was Sunday and we don't go out to eat on Sundays. He pleaded, and pleaded... and threatened not to be my friend anymore. I held firm. After none of his previous efforts worked, he informed me, "Dear Heavenly Father was standing by my door and he said it's ok if we go to 'Old McDonald had a farm'." Oh reeeaaaaaallllllly?

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Then this morning we were eating breakfast at my parent's house and Chase said, "Grandma, can I borrow your backscratcher?" She asked, "Why? Does your back itch?" Chase said, "No. My butt."

This boy keeps me on my toes! I never know what's going to come out of his busy-thinking little brain!

Observation deck

2009-01-22T21:43:00.003-07:00

So, my boys are very observant. Good thing? Maybe. Sometimes. They notice what makes people happy and sad and then use it to their own benefit. For example, they aren't super accepting of "new" people (just ask their primary teachers, the Davenports). They know that I want them to be more friendly to people. So, when they feel unthreatened (the Davenports don't threaten them, it's just threatening to them to be away from their mother! lol) they will do their best to be the friendly little boys they think their mom wants. Today at the store, there was an old oriental man sitting on a bench apparently waiting for someone. Aiden & Chase noticed him all alone and felt the need to be friendly. So, they both ran to him and threw their arms around him hugging him tight... multiple times. He just graciously accepted their affections and smiled. I was just amused... until...

We were standing outside the store when a lady came walking up the steps. She had long, stringy, thin, reddish-pinkish-brownish hair. She was wearing lots of colorful mis-matched clothes. Quite frankly she wasn't very attractive. Unfortunately MY silent observation was given voice by my little Chaseroo... OUT LOUD... RIGHT WHEN SHE GOT CLOSE TO US when he remarked "Mom, she's ugly." Then when he wasn't sure if I heard him (since I didn't agree or comment), he repeated himself. She didn't respond or react. Once she was out of earshot, I talked to Chase about not saying things "out loud" about people that aren't nice, yada, yada, yada. When I told my compassionate sister Staci about the incident, she commented "Hopefully she was ugly AND deaf"! :D Thanks Stace! Hopefully.

Generation gap?

2009-01-15T23:39:00.002-07:00

Maybe not...

I went to my friend, Anna's bridal shower last night. Her cute grandma (who is pictured above... and I stole the picture from Lori's blog. Thank you, Lori.) was soooooo funny when Anna was opening her gifts! She got a little embarrassed by the lingerie, which of course Anna got plenty of... it was a bridal shower, after all! ;) First of all, after opening a few of the nighties and such, Anna's Grandma said, "I'm trying not to picture her in all of these things!" I thought it was so cute and hilarious. Then she said, "I guess Henki (Anna's fiance) is going to be a lucky man." lol! Then she gave Anna her gift, which was wrapped in a sweater (you can see it resting on her lap in the pic) and informed her that the sweater was to cover up when wearing some of the other gifts! The final moment of hilarity was when Anna opened the gifts from her grandma which included a set of frying pans. She informed her that they had multiple uses! :D She's just so cute anyway, but last night she really kept me laughing! :D

It's a bird. It's a plane. It's... Grandma?

2009-01-15T15:38:00.003-07:00

Today we went to the park. The plan was for Grandma & I to walk around the path surrounding the park while Aiden & Chase played. Instead they insisted on following us. Since it was cold and their walking/ running around was making their coughs worse, I eventually just stayed at the playground while Grandma finished walking. There was an Air Force cargo plane circling in the air the whole time we were there. The boys and I were all on swings just enjoying our time. I asked, "Where's Grandma? Anybody see her?" I looked around and when I saw her I pointed in her direction saying, "There she is!" The plane just happened to be circling just above where she was walking. Aiden quickly informed me, "Hey! That's not Grandma! Hers not an airplane!" Silly me. I often make that mistake.. is that Grandma flying around in the sky? Nope. Just an airplane! ;D

How could I forget?

2009-01-14T22:01:00.004-07:00

This was supposed to go in the "introducing Mychele" blog, but since I forgot, it gets it's own post...

On the first or second day Michele was here, I had gone into her room and we were laying on the bed talking. Chase came in to check on us. He leaned over and picked something up off the floor, held it up in the air and asked, "Mom, is these her's boobies? She leaved them on the floor?" We both look over to see Chase standing there with Michele's bra in his hand... It might be one of those "location-experiences"... you had to be there for it to be funny, but to me, it's still funny everytime I think about it. He was just so matter-of-fact and serious about it. So it gets to be entered into our blog for posterity. If nothing else, I'm sure it will embarrass Chase someday. ;) (Or maybe since I posted a picture of Michele's bra, it might at least make her blush. ha, ha)

Bee-shy-E-she-O...

2009-01-14T21:47:00.001-07:00

bee-shy-E-she-O... and Bingo was his name-O. At least that's how Chase spells it! ;)

Burgers & Buns

2009-01-09T22:47:00.006-07:00

After our outing to the park, we were all hungry. Mychele was craving a burger. Fast-food or CS experience?! We opted for the experience and took her to Conway's Red Top. If you like BIG BURGERS... (which, just for information purposes, I don't. I don't like any kind of burgers.) then it's a place you've "gotta" try!

Ok, so her first impression proved she was a bit intimidated...

Never one to back away from a challenge, she overcame her fears and "bit the bullet"...

Her first few initial attacks on the "beast"...

Believe it or not, she actually finished it!! Go Mychele! How could I forget to take a "the end" picture of her empty plate?!?

Check out the "kid's burger"... not so kid-sized, after all!!

Then there's Aiden (who takes after his mom with the whole picky-about-meat thing) with his puny, little, normal-sized grilled cheese! :D

After our MEAL, Aiden was messing around with the juke box. He kept doing this little "booty" dance that had us and the servers laughing hysterically. Once the camera came out, he took a little persuasion, but persuade I did. :D

Yes, we're die-hard...

2009-01-09T11:25:00.006-07:00

We couldn't miss out on seeing the Grinch post-Christmas. Rumor had it his heart had actually grown. We had to see it. We found him very agreeable. The boys were a little cautious, still... these same boys who actually PRAYED that they wouldn't be scared of the Grinch and have enough courage to give him a high-five... They warmed up to him quite nicely.

Call us crazy, freezing... whatever you want (just not to our faces, remember how sensitive I am!) ;) We had a good time.

The hot chocolate at the end was so worth the freezing cold and snow! Rich, creamy, and hot, hot, hot! You can tell by my dad's eyes as he fearlessly cools off his first spoon-ful... Tasty, tasty!

Girl's night...

2009-01-09T11:15:00.004-07:00

During the holidays the girls in my family decided we needed a "girl's night out". After hanging at Chuck E. Cheese first for Madi-Moose's 5th birthday, most of the girls wimped out. The only ones left standing were Michelle (my sister-in-law, married to Chris), Mychele (my cousin), my Mom (my mother) and Me (Cindi). ;) AND our night OUT turned into a night IN. We just hung out at my mom's house chatting, snacking (poppy-cock), and playing silly games. It was a fun time. Those of you (you know who you are) that wimped out... missed out!

Michelle being strategic... ;)

Mychele feigning innocence... ;)

Mom... profile pic (why wouldn't she just look at me?!)

Me... self-portrait... shot... whatever...

Introducing...

2009-01-09T10:40:00.005-07:00

"mYchele"

My cousin, Michele decided to escape the chaos that is Utah by moving to the calm peace that is Colorado! ;) I've always called her Mychele... Now my boys call her "your" Mychele. She's living in our basement. Whenever we want her to come upstairs the boys go to the vent in their bedroom or bathroom and yell down to her. We've dubbed it our "chele-phone". hee, hee, hee

She's a trooper and has been game to join us on our outings and adventures so far.

When you go to the America The Beautiful park, watch that first step... it's a doozy. ;)

We're going where? In 16 degree weather? In the freezing, blizzarding snow?... Ok. :D

Ok, now let me do a "model" shot.

Weird... the zoo is so much more enjoyable in the daytime without the snow.

Chuck E. Cheese... watch me zoom my way to the top score...

So, not only is she fun and willing to "play" with us... she's starting beauty school next week, so I'll have my own personal cosmetologist in training... right here... whenever I need her. I'll be her 4th and only "live" head model to practice on! Woo-hoo! :D

Welcome, MYchele! We love you!

Good ol' fashioned butt-kicking...

2009-01-03T00:00:00.003-07:00

Karam decided to teach Chase how to play Dominoes this morning. Karam claims to be quite the pro, having grown up playing it in Baghdad. He must also be a great teacher *wink, wink* since Chase won the first game! :) He proudly exclaimed, "Mom, I kicked Dad out of his tail!" ha, ha, ha!

Holidays

2009-01-01T00:06:00.005-07:00

I failed to take very many pictures of Christmas or New Years... Oopsie.

Here's a quick "highlights" list:

Marc & Leilani and Charly & Kavika showed up as a big surprise! Woo-hoo. It's always so fun to have them around. The highlight (for me, anyway) was their singing. I could listen to either or both of them continuously!! They were so sweet and made Karam & I a breakfast buffet (Marc's crepes are to-die-for!) for dinner on our anniversary (6 years?!? Really?!?).

Santa came through and got Aiden the Mickey Mouse racetrak with extra cars that he wanted. Chase got the Handy Manny that he had talked about for months, but then changed his mind about wanting several times just before Christmas. Luckily by Christmas morning he wanted it again! :D

We went to the zoo to see their Winter Wild Land twice. The first time, Aiden and Chase were scared of the Grinch... he's a mean one, you know. (I hear that since Christmas his heart has grown 2 sizes or so and he's not such a mean one anymore... we may check it out tomorrow night just to see for ourselves!) They really wanted to be brave, so the second time we went, they were gearing up for it. At dinner prior to going, Chase prayed that he wouldn't be scared of the Grinch and that he'd give him a high-five! His prayer helped them both overcome their fears! :D

New Year's Eve we decided to cheat since most of the children who were at my parent's house can't tell time anyway (they're not dumb... just young!). So when the kids were too exhausted to stay awake any longer, we just got out the noisemakers and had a countdown. :D Trickery? Maybe, but it was just as fun for them! It had nothing to do with me having a difficult time to stay awake either! :D I only wish we'd thought of it before Josh (too sexy! ha, ha) & Kelly (watch out for her boyfriend!) and Chris & Michelle and their children left! We did have a fun time with Karaoke before they took off, at least!

Now it's the New Year... resolutions?!? Maybe next week! ;) Welcome... 2009!

Helping hands...

2008-12-29T17:26:00.002-07:00

Aiden pretty much slept the whole day yesterday. He was fine before church, but fell asleep soon after Sacrament meeting started. Then I found out after church that he slept through nursery as well! Later we were at Grandma & Grandfather's house and he slept most of the time there too! He said he felt fine, but all that sleeping just isn't like my little Aidee, so we asked Grandfather and Uncle Marc to give him a Priesthood blessing. (Karam was at home.) I was sitting on the loveseat holding him on my lap while they administered to him. I was more than slightly amused when halfway through the blessing Chase (who was standing behind me on the loveseat) chose to join the circle by placing his hands on top of Grandfather's and Marc's! :D Someday he's going to make a great little Priesthood holder!

Anatomy 101

2008-12-17T14:47:00.003-07:00

***Warning... "explicit" discussion... (between a 3 & 4 yr old)***

Conversation overheard (by me) between my 4 yr old niece, Madison and my 3 yr old son, Chase:

Madi: You have a penis?

Chase: Yes. You don't have a penis?

Madi: No, I have a jay-jay.

Chase: I don't have a jay-jay. Um, who cut 'it' off?

Madi: Um, the penis-guy, I guess.

Who knew there was one of those guys? I guess it only makes sense. ;)

Grandfather's apprentices

2008-12-11T20:49:00.004-07:00

So, as I mentioned previously, my dad came over to replace our dishwasher. Aiden & Chase were ready and willing to lend a hand. They love working/ playing with Grandfather's "toodles" (as they call them... I'm sure it came from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse).

I'm sure it's not difficult at all to work with one child on your back and another elbowing his way into the cabinet right along side of you...

A few of the most amusing moments to me:

Grandfather: "Chase, you need to move so that I can see what I'm doing."

Chase: "But then I can't see."

Aiden: "Grandfather, you're in my way!"

Thankfully Grandfather is very patient and is teaching my boys how to be "handy". I know they'll appreciate it (and so will their mom and their wives...) when they get older! Thanks, Grandfather!

Brainless

2008-12-08T17:29:00.002-07:00

So Grandfather came over today to replace my dishwasher... that's another post... and he needed a different size wrench than what he had so he went home to get one. Aiden & Chase insisted on accompanying him. They walked out the door, but Aiden promptly came back inside to say, "Bye, Mommy. I wuv you." I said, "Bye. I love you too." He asked, "You're not coming wiff us?" I said, "No." He asked, "You has a hegache?" I said, "Nope." He said, "What's in your head?" My quick, unthinking response, "Nothing." Um... Wait... That's not what I meant. He was already gone.

"I has a secret"

2008-12-07T22:00:00.003-07:00

We went over to watch the Christmas Devotional at my parent's house tonight. When it was time to go, the boys decided they wanted to sleep over! Aiden tried once before but came home around 2 a.m. Chase has never even attempted it. They kept stalling me when I was leaving. They forgot to kiss me. They forgot to hug me. They forgot to wave. They forgot to say, "I love you." At one point, Aiden informed me that he had a secret and needed to tell me in my ear. So, I leaned over to listen. Then I thought I was leaving for sure until Aiden informed me, "I has another secret to tell you." I again bent over, lending my ear. He turned my head and said, "Not in your ear, in your mouth." As he put his lips to mine, I thought "the secret is a kiss", but NO! He started whispering in my mouth! I failed to hear what he was saying, either because my mouth "ears" weren't working or maybe I was just laughing too hard!

Seriously?!?

2008-12-06T22:54:00.006-07:00

Anybody else out there who is a little sensitive about people talking about you behind their back? Is it really just me?!

When you feel like you've been doing your best at something (and feel like you've succeeded) but then find out that other people are saying how unorganized things are or whatever (completely unsolicited, behind your back), do you feel personally affronted?! Am I really the only person that is bothered by things like that?

When you walk into a room and people suddenly stop talking, and it's obvious they were talking about you, do you doubt their sincerity? Do you wonder what else they're saying about you?

When people "snub" you or someone you care about, do you care?

I feel like I'm so sensitive, and yet I just don't know how NOT to be offended by these "little" things. I just don't.

I'm not innocent. It's not like I NEVER gossip. It's not like I only say all good things about people. When I DO say something negative, it's about some way I've been wronged or something that has happened to me personally involving another person. Not that that's good or really "ok", it's just a little more "justified" to me than simply judging and critiquing people for no other reason that to criticize and find fault. Especially when they're nice and friendly to your face.

Perhaps I'm just the most insecure person I know. Maybe if you're super secure you really don't care what other people say or do or think. Then again, if you're super secure, I don't think you would feel the need to find fault with other people either. Not caring is probably the happier way to be... to be indifferent to the cruelty out there. I just know I'm not one of those people. I never have been. Maybe someday I will be. Maybe. Maybe it's better that way. Or maybe it's just insensitive. I don't know... Do you?! Am I really alone in this?!

Christmas past and present...

2008-12-02T09:39:00.006-07:00

2005 (4 months)- "What? There's a stranger holding us? Hi Mom. Hi Grandma. Hi Grandfather." 2006 (16 months)- At least somebody's having fun... Santa, Grandfather?
2007 (28 months)- "Santa? What's the big deal? I like him... to talk to... just don't ask me to sit on his lap!"

2008 (3 yrs, 4mths)- My babies are really growing up! They will talk to Santa, sit on his lap, and even SMILE! (And what lovely smiles... even if I do say so myself!)

"THE" talk...

2008-12-01T14:16:00.006-07:00

So this morning Chase hurt "himself" on the toilet. While he was complaining about the pain, he suddenly asked, "Mom, did you make these?" (talking about his ahem*** testicles*** lol) Before I could think of a response, he asked, "How did you make me?" The rest of the conversation went something like this:

Me: I grew you in my tummy.

Chase: How did I get in there?

Me: Well, mommies have eggs inside them and daddies have sperm. They get together and it creates a baby that grows in the mommy's tummy. (I borrowed this explanation from Staci.)

Chase: So I cracked?

Me: Huh? No... Wait, What?!

Chase: Well, I'm not in there anymore.

I guess it's only logical that the egg had to crack at some point, right?! The boy is ALWAYS thinkin'.

The curse strikes again...

2008-12-01T14:13:00.003-07:00

I had to say that I was thankful to be able to watch Brayden, right?! Now his grandparents suddenly arrived for an extended stay and I'm no longer watching him... possibly for the whole month. Possibly forever. So, I take it all back. All that I said I was thankful for. I take it all back! What was I thinking?!? (I don't mean I'm no longer thankful... I just should've known not to say it out loud... or in writing... oh, you know what I mean!)

I am thankful!

2008-11-27T10:17:00.006-07:00

Yesterday for our "preschool" time we learned about the Pilgrims and how the Indians saved them by giving them food and teaching them what to plant... Then we made Pilgrim hats and Indian head dresses. Never mind that Chase kept calling them Pilgrims and Aliens. lol Then he'd ask me, "What are they again?" I asked them what they were thankful for and wrote their answers on their feathers. Chase was mostly thankful for food, but other things as well to include oranges, meat, Aunt Dee Dee, Uncle Todd, and Aiden. Aiden was also very thankful. He included Charly, Aunt Lani, Dee Dee, Aiden, Chaser, Aiden, Cindi, "Me"... So he's very greatful for himself and I'm greatful for his high self-esteem! ;) I was most touched that he was thankful for Jesus Christ... TWICE. (Second only to his thankfulness for himself... not bad for a three year-old!) ha, ha

I am thankful for my two little guys and impulsive moments like this:

We were at story-time and Aiden, out of the blue, put his arm around his brother and then kissed his cheek. Chase didn't even mind! Those are moments that make my heart happy!

I'm thankful for sisters who I can call anytime (and who call me) to complain, vent, share good moments with. They are my best friends!

I'm thankful for my parents who keep me sane. (Not debatable... this is MY blog!) I don't know what I'd do without them! They are there for me for whatever I need. They rescue me from problems (like taking the boys with them when I have a migraine or forget to find a "sitter" and have a meeting or something). My dad has done SOOOOO much for me that I would never have been able to afford to pay someone for. (Fixed our fence, tiled our entry, put up the bunkbeds, fixed the dishwasher, replaced the mailbox, fixed the disposal... more than once, painted, cut wood, built a wall... I could go on and on.) I owe him BIG! I could never repay him even if I had a million bucks! My Mom is always ready and willing to go with us to the store, zoo, movie, or wherever. She has been to the e.r. with Chase and I more than once. She'll drop what she's doing just to come over and give the boys a hug or kiss if they're feeling sad and that's what they say they need to feel better. She'll come right over, regardless of how much she has to do, if Chase or Aiden call and say, "Grandma, I want you to come over." More than anything, they're both just there for me. My life would beVERY, VERY lonely without them!

I'm thankful that Karam is working (and driving back and forth to Denver each day) to allow me to stay home with the boys. I'm thankful that I can watch Brayden, which also provides just enough extra money to allow me to stay home with my boys.

I'm also thankful for the friends that I have. Especially the ones who stay good friends regardless of how often or infrequent we see each other... Like Kristy and Laurel.

Finally, I'm thankful, of course, for my Savior and that I have his true Gospel to lead me and guide me. I am so blessed and so thankful for the blessings that I have!

Ho, Ho, Ho...

2008-11-25T15:06:00.005-07:00

My boys were playing in the spare bedroom downstairs (where they love to play all the time... we rarely have visitors, so I don't worry about keeping it "guest-ready") and I was folding laundry (or taking a catnap pretending to fold laundry) when out they come. Apparently they were going through the chest of holiday stuff. Weird that they've never done it before now. Hilarious (at least to ME), the outfits they put together!

First, we have Chase wearing my one and only Christmas (actually my only holiday-anything) sweatshirt with one Christmas stocking and one "Cat-In-the-Hat Hat" on his feet:

Next is Aiden wrapped in our Christmas shower curtain, with mis-matched Christmas stockings adorning his feet:

I guess we're getting in the spirit...Hmmmmm.... maybe Christmas photos for our Christmas card?!? :D

"You don't make friends, you earn them."

2008-11-24T22:13:00.004-07:00

On November 15, 2008 our friend, Julia Holt, passed away. She found out she had cancer just a few weeks prior to her death. I knew her from Church. She was always smiling and friendly, but I didn't know her very well. While attending her funeral and hearing about how much fun she was, I was sad that I hadn't gotten to know her better! I missed out! She earned many, many friends and will be missed.

You found WHAT?!?!

2008-11-21T23:23:00.002-07:00

We were at my parent's house and Chase excitedly came running from the kitchen to the family room yelling, "Liquor! Liquor! I found some liquor!" It's not something I buy or keep at MY house since I don't like it. My parents, on the other hand, are both BIG fans! Yes, my Mormon parents. Yes, my Dad who is in the Bishopric. ... Of course, if you're not Chase and you've had a little more exposure, you wouldn't leave off the "ice" at the end. That simple little ending changes the sound from "liquor" to "licorice"... ;) Funny how that works. Hopefully he won't go to church and tell people he likes to go to Grandma & Grandfather's house because they have good liquor; which they share; with their THREE year old grandsons... Then they'd have some 'splainin' to do!

I'm a Convert!

2008-11-21T13:32:00.004-07:00

I've seen pics of Robert Pattinson. I've seen movie trailers of Twilight. I was disappointed in the casting choice of Edward. I LOVE Edward, the character in the books. NOT so much, the actor chosen to play him in the movie... UNTIL...

The first two minutes of seeing him IN the movie. In fact I went from being disappointed to practically drooling... as long as I'm being honest. He's super yummy-looking and attractive! I also loved Bella! Whenever I read the books, I always pictured my niece, Jordyn as Bella. The whole time I watched the movie last night/ early this morning, I kept thinking "exactly like I pictured in my head". Yea! :D

This is Jordyn... the "Bella" in MY head!

I give the movie and casting two-thumbs up! I also give my "real" friends two-thumbs up for braving the cold and the crazy midnight showing time with me! Thanks girls! It was a blast!

House of mouse...

2008-11-19T08:27:00.006-07:00

Guess who celebrated the big 8-0 yesterday?! That's right Mickey Mouse! We had big plans for his big day, but Aiden wasn't feeling well, so we didn't go "all out" like we planned. We had Mickey-Mouse-waffle-sandwiches for lunch.

After baths Aiden was feeling better and the kids reminded me that we hadn't had a party for Mickey and we didn't decorate Mickey shaped cookies or play games. So we improvised. We made a Mickey shaped rice krispy treat "cake". (quick and easy)

Then we made our own party hats and sang Happy Birthday and helped Mickey blow out his candles. Then we sang Happy Birthday and helped Mickey blow out his candles. Then we sang Happy Birthday... ok, you get the idea. Yes, everybody got a turn! :D (Nobody ever even mentioned "pin the nose on Mickey" so we got away with NO games!)

We like to move it!

2008-11-18T08:50:00.006-07:00

Thanks, Kat, for inviting us to celebrate your birthday at Madagascar 2! My boys laughed a lot. Especially Aiden. He thought the movie was hilarious! I thought HE was hilarious. So... all good. And even though it made us late to Jessica's baby shower, we got there right after the games (like feeding each other baby food??!!??)... again, ALL GOOD! ;)

Little slice of humble pie...

2008-11-18T08:36:00.004-07:00

My hair has always been naturally curly. Lately it seems to have lost most of it's curl, so I straighten it on most days. This past weekend I just didn't have time (it was a busy Saturday and lazy Sunday) so I left it "natural". Here's Aiden's attempt at taking a picture FOR me:

Here's MY attempt. While it's a hideous picture of me, you can get a good idea of what my hair looked like.

So, on to my story. I had just finished my hair and we were getting ready to leave and my sweet little Chase touched my hair and said, "Mommy, your hair is not wet." (I guess I achieved the "wet look"?!) I said, "No, it's not." He then asked, "Um, you want to wear it wike tHat?!" Well, now that you mentioned it, like THAT, maybe not, but what choice did I have?!!

Then that night while putting them to bed, Chase said, "I wike you mommy." I responded, "I love you." He said, "No, Mommy, I said, I wike you." I said, "I like you too." He then said, "Mommy, I wuv you too... a tiny, wittle bit." Gee, thanks Chase. ;)

serenade

2008-11-14T20:44:00.003-07:00

I always sing songs to the boys at bedtime. Last night was a treat as Chase chose to sing to me. He sang "My Heavenly Father Loves Me" (one of MY favorite songs):

"Whenever I hear the song of a bird, or TOUCH the blue, blue sky...
He gave me my eyes, that I might see.
He gave me my ears that I might FEEL."

I like his version. It's my new favorite.

Cindi's law...

2008-11-13T20:52:00.004-07:00

Not familiar with it? Perhaps you're familiar with Murphy's Law- If something CAN go wrong, it WILL. Well, Cindi's law is similar, but with a twist. If Cindi says something out loud that can go wrong, it will. True confession... When I was young, REALLY young (like 6) we still had afternoon primary (yes, I AM that old, and that's not even my confession!!). We always picked up other kids and there was one girl in particular that I didn't like and didn't want to pick up. Well, one day I told my sister (in secret in the back of our station wagon, not buckled in or anything!) that I wished the girl would get run over by a car so that we wouldn't have to pick her up. Well, my sister, my confidante (I could write a whole blog about how she's proved NOT my true confidante over and over... Not a whole post. A whole blog. But that's another story...) shared my wish with my mother! (Yes, I got the lecture about not saying mean, threatening things like that because if it really happened then I would feel very bad.) Just seconds later we pulled onto the girl's street and surprise, there's an ambulance in front of her house. She had been playing ball in the street and a parked car started rolling down the hill behind her; HIT her; then rolled over her (with her in the center between the tires, luckily). She had a concussion from getting knocked down, but otherwise she was ok. MY FAULT? Who knows, but I did learn at an early age to be very careful what you wish for out loud. (If it's bad, anyway. The good things NEVER come true.) Sadly, I didn't learn my lesson. I have had other bad experiences like that, but I figure one REALLY bad confession is enough for one post. Fast forward to a few days ago. We were at the zoo. (It's what we do.) Brayden (the little boy I watch 4 days a week) wanted my dad to help him get on top of a wall. My dad told him that he'd have to climb himself. I informed him that I already told him he couldn't climb because "It's bad enough when my OWN kids get hurt, but I don't want to be responsible for someone else's child getting injured." Then we went into the little building they call "the loft" (I learned this when the paramedics were talking to me). Brayden was just sitting down on one of the little log bench-type things, but he lost his balance and fell, hitting his head on another log. Why, oh why did I have to mention out loud the whole not wanting to deal with another kid getting hurt?! His head swelled up quite a bit. It bruised almost instantly, and he had a cut across the bruise. After putting an ice pack on it and cleaning it and bandaging it, he was like new. You can't even tell from the picture that it was as bad as it was! Hopefully I'll be more careful with my words in the future! :D Besides THAT mishap, it was a fun day at the zoo. We got to pet a skunk (de-scented) and feed carrots to the hippos. Surprisingly enough, I didn't have my camera! The cell phone pics will have to do. :D

Ask me no questions...

2008-11-11T15:51:00.001-07:00

Call 650-388-1117. Then comment back with your reactions. ;)

No more whining

2008-11-10T12:17:00.004-07:00

Who? Me?!

Well, like most mothers, I hate whining. It's just annoying. So whenever my boys start whining, I pretend not to hear them and remind them that I "don't understand whining". They miraculously adjust their tone so that I can understand them clearly! Well, my voice has kind of been scratchy the last few days and I was informed by a stern Chase, "I don't like it when you talk like that Mommy. Use your big-boy voice!" ummmmmm... I'll have to work on that!

Sweet nothings

2008-11-09T21:12:00.003-07:00

Tonight when I was putting the boys to bed, Aiden called out, "WAIT!" Then in a whisper, "I has to tell you someping. I wuv you, Mommy. I has-a kiss you." As far as good mommy moments go... that one ranks WAAAAYYYYY up there! :D

Talking tummy

2008-11-08T22:05:00.003-07:00

Today Aiden lifted his shirt and leaned over a bit and said, "What? You're hungry?" Then he straightened up and said, "Mommy, my tummy just told me it's starving!" I said, "Ok, we better get your tummy some food." Then up came his shirt again as he bent forward and said, "What, tummy? You're firsty? What? You want chocolate milk?" Then he said, "Mommy, my tummy talks to me." ;) So off to the kitchen we went to fill his tummy's desire.

shameless 60 second plug...

2008-11-07T23:37:00.008-07:00

So, the length of time really depends on how long you take to read and how long you admire the pictures of my super-cute boys! (I'm not at all biased, of course) And (unfortunately for me) I'm not getting paid or anything for this free advertising. ;) My boys love "nac-stics" (in their words) or doing "my tricks" as they also call it. I've been wanting to take them to gymnastics just to try it out. (I do have a little hangup, though. I'm afraid if I let them do too much tumbling and such, it will stunt their growth. I guess because most gymnasts are soooo short. Is that silly?!) My boys love Pump It Up, but they claimed to like Aerials gym even better! Imagine that! It really is a great deal (only $5 per kid for 2 hours of playtime!) and a lot of fun! If you live in the Springs or have an Aerial's gym near you, you should check out their open gym time! I'm so glad we found out about it and gave it a try! Fun, fun, fun!

This is my favorite: Aiden and Chase both trying to climb UP, but finding it difficult.

So Chase, the smaller of the two, gives his brother a little help. That makes my Mom-heart happy! :D

We now return you to your regularly scheduled life. ;)

Call it intuition?!

2008-11-07T23:26:00.003-07:00

Grandma and Grandfather came over tonight to watch the purple hippo dance on the computer (because they're suckers for tears and Chase showed some when they didn't come home with us after dinner!... I'll have to get Chase and Aiden's imitation of the hippo sometime... now THAT'S funny.) After watching the hippo dance (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isLonQ6L3G4 just in cast you haven't seen it, or in case you just want to watch it again if you already have) several times, Grandma & Grandfather were preparing to leave, but they got sucked in to sitting with the boys to watch Enchanted. Chase sat next to Grandfather and said, "You gotta see this. The mean woman is the queen and she turns into a dragon at the end and Giselle has to fight her and prince Edward is there...". My father interrupted to ask, "Have you seen this before?", to which Chase innocently replied, "No. Not yet." ;)

Anal retentive...

2008-11-07T17:02:00.005-07:00

I wouldn't normally use that phrase to describe myself. I think of myself as pretty easy-going. (If you think differently, it would be interesting to know... as long as you tell me with lots of sugar-coating and diplomacy so that it doesn't hurt my feelings or offend me because I'm NOT delusional about my easily-offended-takes-everything-personally traits.) Anyway, I realized I'm a little obsessive about what the boys wear when Aiden had a fit because the car pajama top I picked and the car pajama bottom "DON'T MATCH!". Hmmmmm. A THREE year old cares about his pajamas matching. Wonder who taught him that?! (In my defense, they DID in fact match. There were two sets that came together and were interchangeable. It's just that one had vehicles all over the top and bottom and the other had solid colored pants with a top that just had four vehicles in a square. Maybe I just convicted myself rather than defending! ;) oopsie) Well, in an effort to relax my retentiveness a bit, I actually let the boys pick their own clothes yesterday... they didn't match and Chase's shirt was even on inside out. Yes, I DID tell him, but he said he "wanted to wear it like this" I allowed it! I also allowed Aiden to wear his t-shirt backwards. He liked having the "GAP" symbol that is normally in the back in the front instead. I even told Karam to leave it when he tried to convince him to switch it around.See? I'm soooo easy-going. Not only that, I happily agreed to let Chase help me "fold" the laundry AND I didn't even re-do the things he "folded" by wadding them up. :) I'm fearless! Yeah ME!

Chase likes to sing...

2008-11-03T19:28:00.004-07:00

There's more where these came from, but it takes 20 years for each video to download. Anyone else have that problem? Wait, did I say 20 years? That may have been a slight exaggeration. I meant 20 minutes.

Posting again?!

2008-11-03T18:51:00.005-07:00

I know, I know, I've gotten a little post-happy lately. My whopping TWO followers are probably getting a little tired. ;) Since I'm clearly not disturbing the masses and these are really my only attempts at journaling (to be printed later... yeah right!), I'll just keep on posting. Or not. Whatever happens.

Today was a busy, fun-filled day. First we went to the America the Beautiful park (one of our favorites). After playing until we could play no more (without dying of starvation... at least for the little guys... I could've probably lasted a little longer), we left. Once in the car, I saw I had missed a call from "Grandma". Turns out they were headed up to the mountains for a little hike. So, after refueling with a few lunchables and grapes, we were off and hiking. Very fun! Since the hiking part was impromptu, we weren't exactly dressed for the occasion, but managed just fine. We even saw a little cave. The boys wanted to go inside to investigate. Me? Not so much!

Rock climbing. ;)

Wondering "just how cold is that water?"...The boys and Grandfather who they think the world of

Chaser-wok and Grandma on the way down... when Chase started to get too chilly.

Halloween...

2008-11-01T22:21:00.002-06:00

Chase planned for months to be Mickey Mouse. Aiden planned for months to be Cookie Monster (again). Then Aiden changed his mind about a week ago. He wanted to be Donald Duck. I went to buy a pattern, but they were out of the duck pattern. I figured I'd go to a different store the next day, but didn't have to since Aiden woke up wanting to be Mickey Mouse like his Chaseroo. So, we had Mickey Mice... Mickey Meese... Mickey Mouses... 2 Mickeys for Halloween. P.S. How would YOU say it?!

The zoo... again

2008-11-01T21:53:00.005-06:00

So, my friend Kristy came down from Denver (Aurora to be precise). Kristy has been back in Colorado for at least a year (maybe two... Kristy?) and this was only the third time I've seen her since then. Megan & I continued our activity overload and met Kristy and her kids at the zoo for the afternoon. You'd think after her being in Maryland and then California, we'd get together more often being so close and all, but no. (side note... Megan and Kristy found out they had lived in the same exact ward on the east coast... small world, right?) We have tried a few times, but things just "happen". Then we finally get together and this is the only pic I got of them.

Megan got smart and bailed (activity overload... remember?!) before the last area (hippos and gorillas). Too bad 'cause there was more excitement! Aiden & Chase got to feed the hippos a big head of cabbage each! At least they tried... The hippo's mouths were a little high for their aim. They did try, though. I didn't have my camera ready on Chase's turn and barely caught Aiden.

Then at the gorilla enclosure, there was a huge rucus with the gorillas screaching and chasing the male. It was quite the entertainment. Then as we were preparing to leave, the kids wanted one last glance at the gorillas. The big male silver back, with his back to the glass, swiftly punched the window with his fist. After the initial startle wore off, everyone got a good laugh. Apparently the Smith's (Kristy's fam) have history with the gorilla family! So watch out if you accompany them to the zoo... ;)

P.S. Megan and Kristy- I found this on my Google search for "how many stripes does a zebra have?" Best Answer - It depends on the species of zebra..."the common (or plains) zebra has 26 stripes per side, the mountain zebra has 43 stripes per side, and the Grevy's zebra has 80 stripes per side."Of course, since stripes on a zebra are like fingerprints on humans, your mileage may vary. Now we know. ;)

Hans & Frans...

2008-11-01T21:37:00.007-06:00

are here to "PUMP YOU UP". (ok, is my age showing?! oopsie) Ok, so seriously, no Hans or Frans. Just Pump It Up... with pictures this time. ;)

We picked the perfect day to go. There weren't very many people this time. Very fun. I tried to get a video of Megan and her boys in the "boxing rink" because 1. it was just so cute. & 2. it was just so cute listening to Trevon laughing at his Mommy & big brother, Tyler. You'll have to settle for a pic and just imagine the cute laugh!

And then we went to the zoo... again... but that's another post. ;) (Do you think we were trying to wear down the kiddos? Whether we were or not... WE DID!) ha, ha

Aiden strikes again...

2008-11-01T21:26:00.004-06:00

'Nuff said?

The Golden Arches...

2008-10-27T22:34:00.003-06:00

or "Old MacDonald had a farm" as my boys call it (OMHAF for the purposes of this blog post). I've never been a big fan, but somehow they've developed a love for it. Maybe because they take after their father? Maybe by association since they love the Old MacDonald song (even though I know it's spelled differently. They don't know that yet. Refer to my previous post about still learning the alphabet.. ha, ha). Anyway, I took them there tonight simply because Chase took a nap (pure evil... he always wakes up crying and complaining and is almost impossible to deal with for at least half an hour, and then he won't go to bed at a reasonable hour... he's still up at 10:43! grrr... but I digress) and was STARVING when he woke up. Of course that made his usual waking-up-from-a-nap-like-a-crazy-mad-angry-bear so much more tolerable! (Did I mention he's been like that since almost birth and I've tried everything to no avail?!?!) ;) Anyway, he wanted OMHAF. I agreed just because I knew it would make his normal tirade a whole lot shorter and I hadn't started making dinner yet. Well, once there, the girl asked if the "Happy Meals" were for boys or girls, then gave us matchbox cars accordingly. A little presumptive, if you ask Aiden who insisted on trading his in because HE WANTED A BARBIE! Just don't tell his dad! ;) Then I broke down and actually let them play in the play area, which I haven't consented to for OVER a year because our last time a little boy peed in the top structure and it came pouring out all over the floor below close to where we were standing. It even splashed on Aiden. DISGUSTING, RIGHT?! (I've since heard worse stories!) Anyway, the boys always know they can't play at McDonalds. It doesn't stop them from asking, but they always answer their own questions with "some kids pee and poop in there and it's gross?". Well, after being cooped up in the house all day, I relented this time and actually let them play. They kept reassuring me when they'd come off the slide, "This is really fun Mommy. There's nothing gross in here!" Then it was time to go. While I was putting Aiden's shoes on him, Chase happened to touch somebody's smeared ice cream on a table nearby. He didn't know what it was, only that it was brown and a little slimey. He seriously started gagging! I had to hold his hand so that he couldn't see it until we got to the bathroom to wash it off! Maybe the end of our visit will overshadow the "fun" they had and they'll remember it as a gross place again. ;) I can only hope!

Photographer in the making...

2008-10-27T13:18:00.004-06:00

Aiden LOVES taking pictures. Anytime he sees a camera he becomes almost obsessed! I'm constantly deleting pictures he's taken. I decided to download a few just for fun...

Daddy :D

Chaseroo

The wall and curtain? (Believe me, he's taken much weirder ones... true confession- I was looking through the camera once and discovered to my HORROR and SHOCK that he had taken pics of me getting out of the shower. I had NO idea he was taking them at the time and said a silent prayer that I discovered and deleted them before somebody else found them!!)

A picture of a picture! :)

I guess we all know what HE'S getting for Christmas. (I'll have to start keeping the bathroom door locked!)

Construction...

2008-10-27T12:45:00.005-06:00

So we decided to have a few friends over to make "haunted" houses. (I know I said nobody could come over for 15-16 years, but both friends had already been to my house and seen all the messes. Plus, Jennifer reminded me that the furniture isn't complaining. You just have to keep things in perspective! ;) Thanks Jenn!) As always, the visions in my head and the final product were waaaay different, but at least we had fun doing it. Because the icing was too thick and didn't dry quick enough or stick (or whatever), our "haunted" houses turned into "condemned" houses. Hopefully I'll remember this lesson when it comes time to make gingerbread houses!

Megan proved her professionalism by being the only one who constructed a house that actually stayed together in spite of the icing! Impressive! Must be all those years of Gingerbread-house-building under her belt. Talon wins the award for the house with the most Skittles! ;)

Michelle, Lilly, & Adalee proved very adaptable by giving up on the 3-d houses and just settling for one-dimensional. (You can see them a little in the back.) Lilly was also the only "little person" who stuck with the project to the end. Everyone else just came and went.
Here's Chase's house just after it came crashing down. (We did manage to put the base back together, but never got the roof to stay up. It's the house in the center in the picture above.)

Aiden was very meticulous and concentrated hard to get his house "just right"... then the roof fell off. Then he was done. :D

Thanks, guys, for coming over and "playing" with us!