bad weather

We haven't seen the sun forever so we went to the Dinosaur Museum.......again! We took Kate with us to give Nana and Dave a break.

The Other Side

Now that some of you have read about the good things Josh does, I need to fill you in on Josh's other side, lest you or I mistakenly start to think I am actually doing a good job as a mother.

Josh was sent to the hallway during school today and told he had to write down reasons why he should be let back into the classroom. Apparently, while the kids were walking to and from different classes, one of the girls picked Josh up and tried to put him in the girls bathroom and he screamed bloody murder (just like a girl, ironically--I know this because Jake said his entire class heard it from way down the hall and the teacher had to shut the door). This all culminated after Josh's teacher had given him several warnings to "settle down".

I was mortified, but only after I laughed hysterically for 10 minutes. Does anyone else think it's hilarious that a girl picked him up! He was punished, however, and pretty severely. Another reason I was so hysterical was because this was Josh's argument when I got mad:

"Oh, so you just expect me to be absolutely perfect don't you? What, do you just think I can pick up a guitar and start playing automatically? I'm just average mom." (...no, I don't know what the guitar had to do with anything.)

Someone please help me through this obnoxious ten-year-old boy phase. I don't know what I am doing.

I am DREADING parent/teacher conference next week.

By the way, the reasons Josh gave for going back to class were: "I promise I will calm down" and " I need to get my work done."

Bad Day

I was having a really bad day. Jeff left out of town on trial the day before and Sam was up through the whole night with a stuffy nose and I literally got 2 hours of broken up sleep. By the next evening I was to the non-functioning exhaustion state. Sam was whiny and fussy and I had no energy left to entertain him. Josh walked in the family room and picked him up, sat him down in the recliner next to him and rocked him and sang to him for an hour. I hadn't asked Josh to do this, but I was able to lay down on the couch and close my eyes for a minute and rest. I am so thankful and feel so blessed to have such a good 10 year old boy. The day before this he vacuumed the kitchen in addition to his regular jobs without even being asked. He is a great big brother and loves to make up games for Jake and Lucy. Everyone loves Josh.

New Posts

This post is just to tell ALL of you (except Stacey) that you need new posts, PRONTO!!!!!
Nicole, being in Germany is not a good excuse.
Kimberlee, neither is having shingles.
Steph, I don't care if you just moved into a new house.
And for heaven's sake, Julie, all you have to do right now is take care of 4 month old twins.

Love to all!

Christmas Break

We had lots of fun over Christmas Break. Here we are on New Year's Eve at California Pizza Kitchen (or CPK as the cool people in the family call it) with the family

Me and the twins. Ben is in blue, Ethan is in red. Aren't I doing a good job of holding both of them Julie?

Nana and twins. Ethan left, Ben right.

Julie is a pro and handling both of them. I am amazed at what she can do.

Ethan left, Ben right. They are identical but I am so proud that I can tell them apart.

Keri and Ethan

Chris and Stacey told us about this fun tubing place up Parley's Canyon with a rope tow. Jeff and the boys went with Chris, Stacey, PJ, Keri, Dave and Nicole.

Keri and my boys. Love them all.