Saturday!

They started with Connect Four & then went to Crazy 8's
then on to puzzles

Jumpin' Monkey's

Chute's & Ladder's & Candy Land

& finally finished up with a round of Memory!

Today James and McKay were home - and it is Saturday! Why is that such a surprise??? Because they have spent the last two months worth of Saturday's skiing! I completely support the skiing thing 110%! I love that they go together - I love packing their lunches - I love their excited faces as they leave & I love that James usually ends up carrying McKay in when they come home because he has fallen asleep! I LOVE that James makes such an effort to make special memories with McKay.

However, this Saturday McKay was sick... he had been struggling with a sore throat the last couple days. And even though he tried to convince me into letting him go - I just thought it would be best to keep him home. James was up and busy early - changing the oil in the cars & giving my car a full detail. While he was busy I worked on a little sewing... & as I sewed the boys played games. I LOVED listening to them as they played - so content in just being together. They played games for an hour and a half! I sat up in the loft and sewed & just followed their cute little conversations!

We headed out the door and ran a few errands - we went to the DI, the quilt shop, the sporting good store to get McKay's soccer jersey & a few other little stops. While the boys napped with Becky - Wayne, James & I went up to the hills behind the house & I started target practice for hunting this fall! I still don't know who is more excited - Me, James or Wayne!!!

It really was a nice day with James & McKay home! But, I will be happy for them when they head off skiing next Saturday too!

Flashlights & Tarzan

When I was making Carter's bed this morning this is what I found under his pillow! I have to admit that i just put the pillow back and made his bed leaving it there! McKay falls asleep sooo fast - Carter not so much. So, if this is what helps him bring it on!

Star Wars Skateboarding Room????

1. Googled Star Wars Stencils
2. Traced picture on freezer paper & used exacto knife to cut out figure. 3. Iron stencil onto fabric.

4. Paint

5. After letting paint completely dry remove stencil and WaHlAh... You have Darth Vader

6. Finished Star Wars pillow for McKay's Bed

My little helper - Give him a tape measure and it entertains him for a long time!

McKay: "Mom, do you think that we could change my room".

Erin: "Ummmmm what's wrong with your room"?

James: "It looks like an add for Pottery Barn".

Erin: "It looks like a little boys room".

James: "A little boys room from Pottery Barn..."

Erin: "McKay how do you want your room"?

McKay: "I want a Star Wars Skateboarding room!"

Erin: "Ummmmm are you sure about that"?

McKay: "Yep, I think about it all the time"!

So, I made my first decoration for the Star Wars Skateboarding room today! I know that many of you are on shock - it is NO secret that i do not like anything with characters on it... Just not my thing. My boys do have a couple shirts with Star Wars or Transformers on them but they know that they are only to wear at home! But, you are only a little boy once... that is what I keep telling myself anyway....

Alien Pizza...

Seriously how awesome are those glasses and the hat! How it would be to be a child again!

Cannon watching his brothers & happy as long as he has food!

Becky bought the boys a "Alien Pizza Kit"! However, when we got it open they had put half the supplies for the pizzas and half for sugar cookies! So, Grandma quickly mixed up some special green alien dough. I LOVE moments like this - so special to capture of just Grandma and the boys. How lucky they are!

Good Entertainment!

I LOVE this picture of Carter! So Intense - watching his ball!

Carter waiting for his ball to come back...

McKay showing Carter the line you can't cross...

Last Monday night we took the boys bowling for family night. It was the best entertainment for $9! James & I didn't bowl - we didn't need to - we had too much fun watching the boys! Thank goodness for the guard rails or Carter would have had a meltdown! Afterwards we went to Wendy's for dinner... where McKay proceeded to eat 3 yes 3 Jr. Bacon Cheese Burgers... I think this is just a sign of what is to come with three boys! I just didn't expect it to start so soon!

Mac

• Mac - I used to hate it when people called you Mac... Now I find myself calling you Mac too!
• This picture is of you heading out the door to go skiing... you have got to be a good little skier... now doing jumps, skiing backwards and racing down the hill at times faster than your Dad would like! If someone else crashes you never pass them - you always stop to see if they need your help!
• You love to dip carrots in strawberry yogurt!
• There is a girl that you think is cute at the bus stop up from yours... So, now your Dad takes you to the other bus stop so that you can sit by her on the bus!!!
• You are learning about Chinese New Year at school this week - so, you are now attempting to eat everything with chopsticks! I have to admit you are pretty dang good!
• You are convinced that you are going to Hawaii or China on your mission... I have tried to explain to you that you won't be able to surf on your mission... But, you are still saying Hawaii!
• You constantly walk around with a football in your hands... happy for anyone to throw it to you!
• I LOVE how Cannon will crawl up to you while you are standing and just lay his head on your leg - he stays there for a minute just loving on you & then crawls away.
• You fall asleep sooooo fast! It drives Carter crazy!
• You are doing really well on the piano - and are starting to play a couple little tunes!
• Your favorite thing to eat right now is Velveeta Shells & Cheese - you tell me that you dream about it while you are at school!
• You LOVE to have me read to you! You would rather have me read you a book than watch a movie! You are starting to read & I love to watch you as you read through your little readers!
• When I get out of the shower in the morning I find a pile of clothes that you have picked out for me and set outside my bathroom door! Some days you will even put a treat or my perfume or jewelry!
• At night when we do our "Happy's & Sad's" you always want to go last - letting everyone else go ahead of you!
• When Dad & I were at your school a couple weeks ago your teacher asked to speak with us... I have to admit I was a little nervous! But, she asked us what we had done to make you such a confident & polite young man! There are lots of things that Dad & I try to teach you - things that we feel that are important - But, when it comes down to it it is just who you are - who you have always been! You make us very proud!
• You LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Reece's Peanut Butter Cups!
• You don't like to color... I have to bribe you to get you to finish your school coloring projects!

Funny McKay Story: So, my Brother-in-law Joe is in Haiti right now. He is a Orthopedic Surgeon & is over there helping for 10 days. So, on Sunday we got an email telling us how he was doing - about the conditions & his experiences. James & I were talking about his email as I was dishing up dinner. We had made homemade chicken noodle soup for dinner & McKay doesn't like soup... So, I dished out noodles, chicken & carrots & told him he could just eat that. He still was complaining a little bit... So, I went into the whole spill about the fact that Uncle Joe was in Haiti right now - I explained to him that there had been a terrible earth quake & that there were a lot of people without homes, clothes, food etc..... (James asked me under his breath if this was the modern day Ethiopia speech we all used to get when we were little!!!). So, I told him he needed to be grateful for the things he had and to eat his dinner with a smile on his face!!! He did the best he could & I wondered if he even really got it!

So, the next morning I was having my daily fight with Carter about what he was going to wear... He is soooo picky with his clothes! His 3T pants are too short and the 4T are longer than he likes... On Saturday I had bought him a new pair of jeans (jeans are his favorite). But, when he put them on they were a little bit longer then he likes and he got upset. So, I told him he could stay in his room until he could choose to be happy about his pants! A few minutes later I walked by the boys room to hear McKay say "Carter, do you know where Uncle Joe is right now? He is in a place called Hawaii. And there are lots of little kids in Hawaii that don't have any nice clothes to wear like you do. There was a bad earthquake and they don't have any clothes. So, you should be more grateful for your jeans"! At this point James had stopped to listen with me and we both about died! So, what if he got Haiti and Hawaii mixed up! The kid got the point!

Cute Little Monster!

This is as good as this picture is going to get... It's useless right now to chase him around and try to get him to hold still... It's just not happening these days! He is slways on the goooooooo! This little shirt was his Valentines present! He is such a cute little monster!

He's Finally home...

My parents had been asking to have Carter come and stay with them and a week ago Sunday James had to make a day trip to Idaho Falls... So, I packed him up and sent him with James. He was sooooooooooooooooooo excited to go - you could tell that he felt like such a big boy! He always stays at home with me and watches as McKay gets to go skiing, to school parties, to his cousins.... So, I thought it was important for him to have his own special time! Carter is my little shadow... So, it was hard for me to have him gone! When I would call to talk to him he would hardly talk to me because he was always off having too much fun! They went to the donut shop, to the Dollar Store, to the Blue Fish (It's what my kids call Arctic Circle in Idaho Falls), he got to play with Tyson, they went all over town and found him a plastic piggy bank (he wanted one that really looked like a pig!), he played marbles with Grandpa , got to see Uncle Travis & most importantly just got to BE with Grandma & Grandpa! I grew up looking forward to my summer trips to Boise to stay with my Grandparent's & LOVE that my boys have such a special relationship with their Grandparent's too! I have to admit that we have been having to re-program Carter a little bit! He got a little used to all the attention and being spoiled! He told me yesterday that he was just home for a couple days & then he was going back to Grandma's! McKay REALLY missed Carter! But, I was proud of him for how happy he was for Carter that he got to go! He is looking forward to Spring Break when he gets to have his turn!!!


James & I left early Saturday and headed to Idaho Falls to pick Carter up. James & McKay spent the day skiing at Kelly's with Wendy & Jackson. I got to spend a wonderful day with my Mom! I wasn't going to go... and them I was... and then I wasn"t... But, at the very last minute - literally! I decided to go & I am glad I did! Thanks Mom - I LOVE you!

Valentines Gifts

I REALLY don't like how commercialized all the holidays have become... I think I really realized it last year after just having Cannon and I had to run to Walgreen's in the middle of the night before Valentine's Day to get my boys their little Valentine's packages put together... Just to see that by the end of the next day they had eaten all the candy and the little knick-knacks were already broken and strewn all over... only to notice the same thing with Easter... So, after that I decided no more... I would make them meaningful things that they would use and enjoy.

So, this year this is what they got - I made these little "Car Cozies" that I saw on a blog called My Little Gems. They're perfect to throw in the church bag! And I made them each their own set of Bean Bags (only I used rice! I had a ton in food storage that I needed to use and I like the softer feel of the rice...). McKay's have the numbers and a plus sign, minus sign & equal sign - it's a fun way for us to practice his math! Carter who is just learning to spell his name of course got the "Carter" bean bags! Cannon got a cute little shirt that I made him that had an appliqued monster on it... However, he is asleep right now with the shirt on... I will have to post a picture of that later!

I have to admit that I was very happy when my boys showed more excitement and enjoyed these gifts better than what I got them last year. They were wondering what James got them for Valentines... because they had got him something! That's when we had to have the talk that Dad pays for everything that Mom makes!