Oliver graduated from Kindergarten yesterday. I felt sad for him...having to say goodbye to teacher and friends. Cortney couldn't come because he already had to help me later in the day take the two boys to the dentist to have cavities filled. So I didn't get any good pictures.
Oliver is in the middle of this picture with a black shirt on.
Rob and Oli playing together afterwards.
Oliver and his teacher Miss Smith. She is such a cute girl/lady. Oliver loved her.
Rob stuck.
After school the boys went to the dentist. I couldn't believe how good they both did. I was amazed. The dentist said they were some of the best patients ever. Rob didn't even budge when they gave him the shot. My eyes welled up a little, I was so proud.
After that we (Cali and I) thought it would be fun to take the kids to the park for a little out of school celebration. They hadn't been to this park in a long time and were so happy.
GG and CC trying to pop their hips to look cute...
How funny that they know how to do this.
The three oldest boys...Rob wouldn't stop playing for a second to get a picture.
Henry and Fiona were so tired but did pretty good playing with a plastic bag.
After Henry had it I put him on my chest and was singing to him. Every time I stopped he would start crying again. Love this picture of his little hand and arm.
Cortney never tries to surprise me. So when last week he asked me to find a babysitter for Wednesday I was shocked. He and Joey had a surprise date night planned for Cali and I. All day they were trying to trick us and get us off their scent. It was strange. 11 years I have known Cortney and this was the only the second time he tried to surprise me.
I am not sure I like surprises.
Anyways, I asked my friend Corinne to watch my kids. It was perfect because I knew we were going to be gone like 6 hours and for that kind of baby sitting you need someone older...someone that knows what they are doing. She used to be one of my young women...but has grown up and moved out of the ward. I was thrilled when she said she would watch them. I think it has been over a year since I had my last babysitter that wasn't family.
Joey and Cali came to pick Cortney and I up and we headed straight to the Hale Center theater. I had figured this was the surprise and as we pulled in I said "oh I am glad this is what it is, because Cali and I were scared it was going to be a concert we were going to and we really don't want to stand up all night." Then Joey pulled out of the parking lot and headed to Salt Lake. He and Cort had planned on going their as a "trick". Funny huh?? As we got on the freeway Joey turned on a CD and turned up the music. Sure enough...we were headed to a CONCERT. hahaa. Whoops I guess I put my foot in my mouth there. The boys had seen that one of their favorite bands was coming to Salt Lake City and had snatched up tickets. I couldn't believe that they kept it quiet for two whole months. So anyways the band we went to see was Laura Marling. Both boys have been obsessed with her for a while now. I thought I was going a little crazy because everywhere we went together they would play her music...turns out they were trying to get us ready for the upcoming concert. Which is funny because it actually worked and I recognized almost every song she played.
First we stopped for dinner at Acme burger. A delicious burger place. Yummy, yummy sweet potato fries, and to die for homemade potato chips SMOTHERED in bleu cheese and bacon. However don't order their sampler platter...the ahi spring rolls tasted super fishy. So fishy in fact Cali had to spit hers out (and it isn't because we don't like tuna...). Everything else I ate though was so good. They even had a chips and salsa appetizer that comes with melted butter for you to dip your chip in before the salsa...YES PLEASE. Joey ordered a bison burger and Cortney ordered a 12 oz burger. I couldn't believe he finished it. WOW.
Then it was on to the show. The venue was Kilby Court. A funny hole in the wall "garage" that fits a couple hundred people. It is down in SLC's dodgy part of town. The pictures of the actual place are not mine...I got them online somewhere.
Here is the outside...the place where they bands play is the silver part. Behind the red fence is an open area with random chairs and a bonfire...and all sorts of grungy looking teenagers sitting in the dirt
Here is the actual stage area inside the building. We pushed our way up to the front and were in the second row....right in front of Laura. Fortunately for us...the shortest girl EVER was standing in front of us (as seen in the picture below)...so it was actually like being in the first row.
When the show started I was in awe. She was amazing (our boys were in love...seriously Joe looked like he was going to cry). So good live...and the venue was so small and cozy that it felt like...we knew her. Cali and I kept saying "it smells like high school in here". Which is funny because when we were in high school we were so naive that we didn't know what we were smelling was weed...hahaa. The smell there was a combination of cigarette smoke, weed, beer, body odor and toots from the boy standing in front of us. I am not kidding you, and my mom would hate me writing this but there were times we could barely breath. Whomever it was that stunk wasn't trying to hold one in...he was just letting them rip. We were so close to the front I am sure Laura could smell it too...cali said "I hope she doesn't think it was us"....hahahaa.
It was a great night. I was EXHAUSTED when I got back home. I was asleep minutes after hitting the pillow. oh...and of course Henry only slept 45 minutes the whole time I was gone. ANNOYING. He must have been too excited to see Corrine. The boys loved her and had the best time. Rob told her she should ask her mom if she can come over and play another time. hahaha.
Thanks Cortney and Joe...you guys did a good job.
Here is a little clip Cortney recorded during the show. Seriously you guys should check her out (her voice, songwriting, guitar playing...all amazing).
Today was Oliver's school's Dance Festival. He was MORTIFIED. For weeks the kid has been telling me that he didn't have to go to the dance part...that his teacher told him if I said it was okay he didn't have to go. I wasn't falling for that...I wasn't born yesterday. So I made him do it. I didn't however make him dress up like a cowboy. He begged me to not make him dress up. I can't believe my kindergartner cares that much. I took a video but he would kill me if I posted it. So here are some snap shots.
look how embarrassed he looks.
Even as much as he didn't want to do it he was still concentrating so hard to do it right. He kept telling his partner what to do.
Tonight we took a family walk. It was so nice out and so great to get out and spend time together. The boys were exhausted when we got home.
a crappy picture taken with my phone. I love when Cortney skateboards. It makes me feel like we are young again (I am sure it makes him feel old...hahaa). I usually hate when women say stuff like this but...he is really attractive to me when he skates.
Yesterday we woke up to snow. Boo. It stuck around almost all day too. In fact tonight while I was grilling up some shish kabobs I found some leftover snow and hit Cortney with a snowball...I have NEVER successfully hit Cortney with a snowball...and I try all the time. It was awesome. Oliver said I was acting like a kid tonight (because I tried to skateboard, I threw a snowball and because I jumped on the trampoline...it is crazy how to me, that to him I am just some old lady.)
Henry and Fiona's first trip to the library...to get books for their moms...not for story time.
LOOK at his hand on her back isn't that to DIE for?? It is...trust me.
He was laying back relaxing and she sat up straight the whole time...it perfectly describes their personalities.
I have been working on a blog book for my mom and dad...it is totally making me miss them so much. I came across this picture of the girls and dad in Mexico...we had a Daddy daughter date (of course with our mom too....but my dad was the one that arranged/made the husbands watch our kids). We shopped, ate, got massages, and laid out by the pool. Just us with our parents. It was a perfect afternoon. It was fun to remember back on that.
My kids are definitely ready for summer. All winter long I kept thinking "wow Rob has totally outgrown running away to the neighbors house"...but it turns out it was just too cold out. Everyday I start to think..."Rob's really being quiet I better check on him" sure enough he is always over at Sarah's house. One time he was over on her doorstep with a whole bunch of toys just waiting for them to come home. It is seriously so annoying. It will take a couple more groundings before he stops doing it...I'm sure (please let that be true). The boys are totally obsessed with climbing trees and Sarah has an awesome tree for climbing. It is all Rob thinks about. Yesterday he told Sarah "call 911, because I am stuck". He is asking Sarah to help him get unstuck every three seconds. If I were her I would just send him home.
Anyways...Cort took some pictures of the kids climbing a tree at the park. (these are phone pics so not the best quality)
whoops...I guess first up is a picture of Henry....this is what he does all the time...hahaha.
gotta love this one of Rob.
They were up pretty high. Luckily I wasn't there...that is totally something just dads should witness.
Here Oliver is across the street from our house looking for trees to climb.
The other thing the boys do is ride scooters and skateboards. They love it.
This is Oliver posing for Cortney...he is so cheesy. I love the foot up on the car and him looking longingly at his skateboard. Oh and you gotta love the bird poop on the car. He CRACKS me up.
Rob is getting so good at riding a scooter. Too bad he doesn't have one and he freaks out if Oli tries to ride the scooter (which Oliver got for Christmas) I HAVE to buy another one before my kids kill each other. (doesn't he kinda look like Carter, Boices?)
I don't know if I have mentioned it before but Oliver gets holes in his pants. He wears pants for 1 month and then blamo...a hole. It drives me nuts. However, one of my friends told me about Shopko's tough kid guarantee. They let you exchange anything with a hole in it no questions asked...no receipt, no explanation. It just needs to be same brand same size. I have bought 3 pairs of pants there and have probably replaced them 12 times. Seriously it is the best. The jeans I get on sale for around 17-20 dollars...which is more then I usually spend...but to be able to replace them 3 weeks later for another pair worth ever extra penny. Plus he has worn the same size pants for a year now. I love it. Talk about a good deal.
Rob with the neighbor Kempton. They love playing with him...and ask me everyday if they can.
Here in this last picture is the other thing my kids do. FIGHT. It drives me crazy. I can barely handle it. I just know I am in for years and years of this.
Cortney happened to capture Rob getting mad about something and trying to tackle Oliver and Oliver, nonchalantly hitting Rob in the head. OYE.
My sister in law Heather sent Henry this adorable shirt and Cortney just had to shoot a couple pictures of him (plus Cortney had already taken pictures of someone that day so the stuff was set up).
Heather is a MAJOR entrepreneur and is always coming up with great ideas. She sells the cutest kids shirts in her ETSY shop. It was hard to get a good picture because the babe was tired (it was like 10 p.m.) plus he can't sit up quite on his own or stand so the design was always covered. But Cort did manage to get some pretty cute shots.
you gotta love those feet.
I thought it this picture he really does look like a karate master.
"Um yeah...does this shirt make my arm look fat??"
"give me some food!"
(i could just imagine Henry saying both of those things...hahaa)
tonight I saw my cousin Ryan...we (my bros and sister) met over at Cali's house and hung out for awhile...he was here on business. It was great to see him. He made a delicious apple tartin...hmmmm....I wish I had more right this minute. It was a wonderful summer night with kids running amuck outside until dark...and adults gabbing away inside. It felt good.
Today I forgot Oli twice. First I forgot that it was Monday which means he goes to school at 12:08 not 12:38...so he was a half hour late...no big deal. But when 2:45 came around and I got a call from the school saying he was waiting to be picked up...I about died. I was 15 minutes late. For some reason I thought he got out at 3:00 today. The secretary told me it just wasn't my day today...yeah no kidding.
On another note...my kids are playing at my neighbor Sarah's right now. I can see them climbing in the tree from my kitchen window. I am so grateful to have a neighbor I am friends with, and that I TOTALLY trust. What a difference it makes. Seriously.
We headed to church this morning and actually made it semi on time. We had let the boys stay up late the night before and I knew when I woke up to them screaming at each other that we would pay for that decision.
Every mother's day in our church the children go up on the stand and sing a couple of songs to their mothers. It is a highlight of the year for me. I love it. My boys always are so cute and sing pretty loud...that is until today. Around the second verse of the first song I notice Robbie is trying to give Oliver a indian burn on his arm. It escalates from there and at one point oliver has his fingers in Robs ears and Rob is trying to push Oliver away. Seriously...I couldn't believe it was happening to me. I made the slit my neck sign to Oliver meaning "you're dead when you get down here." I couldn't believe that they wouldn't stop. Oye. I said to my friend sitting in front of me "aren't I lucky??" To which she responded "yes, you are...trust me you are." She isn't married and doesn't have kids...I knew she was right I am lucky. Fighting and all.
I took Rob for a quick time out, he told me he did that because he is a "shy kid". I wasn't believing it. I know he was trying to be funny. (why does he have to be so much like me...the kid is a total know it all.)
Then second hour of church I roamed the halls trying to get my 20 lb tired baby to sleep in my arms. He wasn't having it. Another one of my friends held him for me for a little while to give my arms a rest (you would think my arms would be so toned from all of the child carrying I have to do...but alas...they are not.). He finally fell asleep moments before Relief society. I was so happy. 10 minutes after I sat down Rob's teacher brought him in because he was having "issues"...oh my goodness...you're kidding me right?? Turns out he was throwing a fit because he wanted to play with the paper to his fruit by the foot that I had in my purse...what??? I made him lay on the floor until class was over.
Mother's day is so funny...I always expect my children to be so nice to me, and for everyone to be so helpful. Hhaahaa. It really is a day you just have to be grateful to be able to have days like this...because I am. All I ever wanted in life was to be a mom...and for me today was a prime example of what it means to be a mom...I wouldn't give that up for the world.
I insisted Cortney take a picture of me with my little ones after church. The boys weren't thrilled but I finally talked Rob into coming to stand by me.
I love how Henry looks in this picture...his face and legs are delicious.
I had to include this one because I think my boys look so much alike.
mmmm....
Cortney let me take the most delicious nap after church. Ohhh it felt so good. Then when I woke up, to a cleaned up house, the boys had a present for me....
Pots and Pans....can you believe it. I was besides my self.
Cortney...you did a good job.
I had been using the same pots and pans for the past 12 years. For Christmas my senior year of High school my parents bought me a 4 pan set from walmart...it cost $19.99. I have been using them ever since. These babies have been through a lot.
Every once in a while Cortney has to get the hammer and flatten the bottom of these pots. I don't know why but they are so flimsy they distort after a while.
Yumm how can something cooked in that pan NOT be good. hahaa. Oddly enough I am attached to these pans. It will be hard to say goodbye.
I am so excited to cook with my new pots. I love to cook...it is a shame for someone who cooks as much as I do to have to cook in the monstrosities I have been using. What a great gift...I hate spending money but...I need these. They are a need and a want so it is perfect. Plus Cortney spent his OWN photography money on these. Thanks so much.
After my nap I treated myself to my FAVORITE treat. My Grandma Alice makes the best "to die for" cereal mix. I love it so much. But Alice lives in Rexburg so if I want it I have to make it myself. I ate myself sick....what a great day.
