Kate's Birthday--10 YEARS OLD!

I can't believe my baby is ten years old--double digits--as she likes to point out and two years until she can babysit (also her).  It's kind of crazy!  Luckily, this year we got to spend the whole day together since it was spring break.  I let her choose what she wanted to eat for each meal and an activity that we could do together.  We had waffles for breakfast, Arby's for lunch and taquitos for dinner.  We spent the day at Las Vegas Mini Grand Prix and had a great time.  The girls drove go-carts on the "fast" track.  It was the first time either of them had been behind the wheel and both Robert and I were worried.  The first couple of times around the tracks both Kate & Ella had looks of sheer terror but after a few passes they were grinning.  The boys had fun on their track too and Jackson was convinced he "won".   The kids rode a tame roller coaster, slid down slides and a few other rides.  They played Air Hockey and Max pretended to shoot his gun at bad guys.  We came home and opened presents and gorged ourselves on cake and ice-cream.  A great day and a Happy Birthday.  We love you Kate.  Here's to a lot more birthdays!

Hawaii Chicks

I think Robert may be having a mid-life crisis and it involves Chickens.  Not the delicious marinated, grilled kind--no, no--the-loud-smelly-egg-laying variety.  I cannot fathom this.  I have tried.  I have tried to see the appeal and to feel the utter joy and contentment he feels when they lay an egg.

So I asked, "Where does this new obsession with chickens come from?"
He responds,"What new obsession? I've always liked Chicks."

He gets a "har--har" from me but that's about it.  The fact is--it's weird.  He always wants to talk about his chickens.  All I can figure is that it is a throw-back gene from the pioneer-cross-the-plains days.

So we had a great time in Hawaii--maybe a little too much chicken talk but what can you do?  It's a mid-life crisis.

Jackson learns the "F" word...

It was Sunday and the weather was lovely.  Or as Ella says, "I love it when the weather is medium Mom."  And it was perfectly medium--not hot and not cold.  So we decided to take a desert appreciation walk.  Also, the kids had just sat through 3 hours of church and may have killed each other had we not left the house.  We decided to explore the desert behind our subdivision--the last frontier.  We noticed the landscape is being graded for development and wanted to enjoy the wide open space while we could.   We found desert apples, sharp cacti, and interesting rocks.  We even saw three jack rabbits!  

It was an exciting, wholesome adventure until we decided to explore the "bridge".  Jackson, who is always running ahead called back to me: "Hey, Mom what does F--- You mean?"  So thank you Punk who decided to spray paint the wall with such creative language.  I really enjoyed trying to get around explaining what that meant to my 6 year old.   I hope you have the same experience with your child some day and that your child has lots of blow-out diapers, colic and dumps honey all over your carpet and then wipes his hands on your dry-clean only couch and then finds the scissors and cuts up your favorite shirt.  The end.

Compliments--Max style.

"Mama, I like your eyeballs.  I like your wing (ring). You pretty." --To me.

"Hey, I like that guy."--After seeing a picture of Grandpa on the computer.

Overheard by a friend at church while I was out of town.  He was being babysat by his Aunt and Uncle:

"Hey, I got a new Mom."--to anyone who would listen.

"Where's Robert?  I love (sounds like lub) him."--When noticing his Dad was gone.

 Max can photo booth himself (this is his own work pictured above), run Netflicks, the TV, DVD player, Wii, and X-box and change the screen saver on my computer as well as find his favorite websites in the History tab.  You would think it wouldn't be difficult to teach the kid how to clean up his messes and make his bed--it's not like it's computer science or anything.

Blogging Hiatus

I've been in a blogging bog.  I have not been able to motivate myself to turn on the computer, down load the photos, think of something to say, type the words and create a post.  Much more interesting and easy, I might add, to read all of yours.  Still, I claim when I need to justify my piece of cyber-world that this blog is my family journal.  I've been known to even spout in self-righteous overtones that it counts as my journal and I can cross that to-do off my list.  Still my life isn't as shiny or photographed as beautifully as other blogs--and gosh darn it those lives are attractive, interesting and distracting.  Sometimes it is just more fun to read about what YOU do or what YOU made or what tantrum YOUR kid threw.  Nevertheless, my alter-ego, Mrs. Guilt-o-maniac has intervened in my unconscious or at least unintentional blogging strike and I am ready to begin anew.  Or at least start and stop several times and be wholly inconsistent...

We had some crazy hair days.  Or a sneak peek at how my children may look in 3-10 years during a rebellious phase.

We had some crazy food for April 1st.  This is a cake or rather  Bisquick, pepperoni & sausage, red-sauce-filling with mozzarella cheese on top.

I'm afraid this is more acting than true consternation but still a good part of the fun.

Green cookies for dessert--the trick was they were actually good!

These were my own April Fool's joke.  They were suppose to be hot dog cookies.  I ask you, do they look like hot dogs to you?  Yeah, I had to improvise with the green cookies.  Kind of disappointing.  

Jello juice.  Max was the only one kind of tricked.  He couldn't figure out why his "juice" wouldn't come up the straw and he was thirsty.  And it wasn't a laughing matter.

Next year Kate, that expression is going to be real!   It's on!

Another one bites the dust...

Or could also be titled:  I thought we were over this Max!

He proposed!!!

Today, while I was frantically rushing to get us to Stake Conference on time, Max decided it was finally time to make his intentions known.  He knelt down on one knee, grabbed my hand and said, "Mamma will you marry me?"  I quickly accepted, kissed him and helped him pull on his underwear.  One of my favorite proposals. ever.