Welcome to Summer!

No more teachers . . . and all that jazz.  Summer vacation snuck up on us this year.  Don't get me wrong.  The kids finished testing weeks ago and have been enjoying all the fluff of the end of school routine.  I've been counting down the days till we start our summer fun and schedule.  Somone seems to have forgotten to tell the weather, though.  It snowed on Monday.  Did you get that?  It snowed . . . on Monday.  It warmed up, of course, and today we hit almost 80.  Warm enough to have some water fun at our SUPER FUN SUMMER PARTY.

We had a water gun fight (and by "we," I mean my kids, their cousin Justin, 2 of Lucy's friends, and every kid who owns a water gun on our block).  It was awesome.  Then they played water kickball while I planted some flowers out front.  Then a little snack of watermelon, some bubble-blowing, some hose limbo and . . . the end.  Adam refused to take a nap while all the fun was going on, so he snuggled up to me at about 5:30 and zonked for 20 minutes or so.  After pizza in the park for dinner, and jumping on the trampoline till 9:00, all kiddos went to bed with visions of summer fun dancing through their heads.  I LOVE SUMMER! 

Miss you!

Zach, Sarah, Lucy, Kye, Isaac and Adam with Gpa Ron and Gma Tina

Mother's Day 2010

We have such a wonderful time while my parents are here.  We are so lucky to get to see them several times a year. Thanks to Mom and Dad for driving those delightful 17-20 (depending on snow in Wyoming) hours to see your Utah kids.  We love you.

Mother's Day Weekend 2010

I haven't been with my mom on Mother's Day for 16 years.  It was a lotta, lotta fun to have Mom and Dad here.  Dad was busy planning and preparing a feast worthy of queens (brisket, anyone?), enlisting help from Zach and Spencer.  The moms in the house were allowed to take it easy for the weekend.  It was awesome! 

Saturday began a little earlier than I am comfortable with.  Luckily, I survived.  Even then dad had been awake for a few hours already.  We left at 7:30 a.m. to catch some awesome Utah yard sales.  Dad stayed busy looking for stuff for their house in Malad.  Mom stayed busy convincing him they didn't need most of it.  My favorite purchase of the day was a complete Mission to Mars lego set, all put together for $45.  I'm pretty sure it's worth at least a bazillion dollars, so it was a steal.

The kids each got $2 from Gpa Ron for their spending pleasure.  Kye used his almost immediately to purchase a Pixos something or other with lots of tiny little balls that is now in the DI pile.  He was bored for the rest of the time.  Lucy took her time looking for treasures worth the money.  She would show Gpa  and Gma something nice she saw for herself or Adam and they'd pay for it.  She also found a few quarters and ended up making money on this venture.  Isaac spent a little here and a little there, and got an armful of stuff.  Adam stayed at home with Zach.  All in all it was a good, good bargain day.

Saturday afternoon after trips to the store and taking Adam in to urgent care for an ear infection and bad breathing, we went to Canyon View Park for a picnic.  I wish someone in my family would designate themselves the offical picture taker so I wouldn't have to keep bringing (and not using) my camera.  I call "Not it!"  Becca?  Camille?

Saturday night Mom, Camille, and I took my nieces Hannah and Sarah to Barnes and Noble to celebrate Hannah's 13th birthday.  After Hannah found 4 books within her spending limit, we went out for cupcakes, and stopped at Smith's in Provo.  My mom walked out the door 2 seconds before a guy in the store was shot and killed by police officers for pulling a gun on them.  People started running out and we couldn't see Mom and we were a little panicked there for a minute.  She arrived safely, though, and we drove away after hearing the story from another shopper.  F-r-e-a-k-y.

On Mother's Day, I got to read all of the tributes.  And now I will share.  Because they are awesome.  And I loved them. 

Lucy wrote:

• If I could give my mother something special, it would be:  I would pay off the house, let you go on a cruise, go to the beach, go to Disneyland, Seaworld and every else you want to go. 
• I could describe my mother in one word: AWESOME!
• The funniest thing I can remember about my mother: The funniest thing you do is dance!  It's so funny to watch you dance crazily!  I LOVE YOUR DANCING!  p.s.  Even though I say it embarrasses me.  Love, Lucy B.
• Super Mom to the rescue:  When you let me play with friends, you are a super mom.  When I am hurt you help me and you're a super mom.  Any time you're a SUPER MOM.  Love, Lucy B
• A special lesson my mom taught me:  playing outside is good for you.  Electronics are not!  Eating fruits and veggies are good for you.  The food pyramid is important because it tells how much to eat of the different food groups.  (*Note* I've never mentioned the food pyramid to my children that I can remember.)
• A fun experience with my mom: A fun time I had with you is when we go four wheeling together at South Dakota because we get to talk and enjoy the scenery together.
• Dear Mom, Happy Mother's Day!  There are some cupons to go with this card.  I l(heart)ve you!  You are the best mom ever!  I l(heart)ve you.  L(heart)ve, Lucy
• Dear Mom, Happy Mother's Day!  Yo uare the best mom ever!  You are awesome, great, supe, cook, sweet, good, and I love you.  Happy Mother's Day.  Love, Lucy

Kye wrote:

• Dear Mom,  I love you because you help me do my chors and you make my food.  Love, Kye
• I'm happy your my mom, I'm happy your my mom, Cause you take good care of me.  You love me and you show it, So I'm happy as can be.  I love you!  xoxo Kye
• I love you mom.  You are the best mom in the world.  xoxo Kye
• Coupon Book.  Good for: loding the dishwashr, waching adam well you take a nap, making your bed
• I'm bloomin over Mom because: she lisins to me when I ask for something and she loves me.  From, Kye

Isaac wrote:

• Dear Mom.  I love you.  Isaac

Adam wrote:

• Mom (scribble scribble)  Flower.  Adam

There were also very nice cards from my parents and Zach and all-in-all it was a fabulous, fabulous time.  Thanks to all the family.  (And, mom and dad, we miss you!)

Mother's Day Program

I've officially celebrated 10 Mother's Days.  For all you math geniuses out there, yes, I realize my eldest daughter is only 9, but we snuck one in when I was pregnant with her.  And, folks, they just keep getting better.  I love all the things kids do for moms in their classes at school.  (I always feel a little bad that dads get no such stuff b/c school's out.  Then I get over it.)  In fact, the 3rd grade actually had a Mother's Day program this year on Friday afternoon. 

It was fun and fabulous and I may or may not have had a few tears in my eyes during the sentimental stuff.  (I'm a bit more emotional than I ever envisioned I would be when I was young.)  They sang songs and we ate cookies and I guessed (correctly) which portrait was mine on the wall.  It was delightful.  And I forgot my camera.  Technically, I remembered in the car, but I was worried about being late.  A lady right in front of me recorded the whole thing because her son was sitting right behind Lucy.  So if I ever remember, I'm totally going to ask her for a copy.

When Lucy stood up to give her part, the mom sitting next to me leaned over and said, "Is that your daughter?"  "Yes," said I.  "She's beautiful!" she said.  Don't I know it.  Lucy and I both filled out questionnaires and compared our answers.  Here they are:

(1) Where was your mom born?  L: South Dakota (M: Independence, MO)
(2) What year was your mom born in?  L: 1972  (M: 1976)
(3) What is your mom's maiden name? L: Fesler (M: Fesler)
(4) What is your mom's favorite color?  L: Red (M: Red)
(5) What is your mom's favorite  ice cream flavor:? L: Chocolate (M: Chocolate Caramel.  I wanted to write Ben and Jerry's Karmel Sutra, but I wasn't sure what we were doing with the questionnaires and it's not exactly a name you want to explain to a 9 year old.)
(6) How many brothers and sisters does you mom have? L: 3 sisters 5 brothers (M: 8)
(7) What was her favorite subject when she was in elementary school? L: Math  (M: Social Studies and Reading)
(8) What is something your mom cooks that you really love? L: Cheese crisps  (M: Cheese crisps)
(9) Where would your mom like to go on a vacation? L: A cruise or Hawaii (M: London, though I would take a cruise or Hawaii any day.)
(10) I make my mom happy when I?  L: Thank her.  (M: Say thank you.)

All in all, I think Luc knows me pretty well.  It was wonderful.  Imagine a picture of Lucy and me *here,* because that would be awesome.

Top Ten--April 2010

10) M: I love you, my little Adam. And I love you my big Isaac.
I: I'm not big, mom. I'm just medium sized.

9) Adam's knowledge of the natural world expands.
M: What's that?
A: A tuttle
M: What's that?
A: A ephant.
M: What's that?
A: A funny wabbit.
Watch out "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom."  Little A-man could be your next host.   

8) Broken this month: glasses, skin, lips, my sanity, skin again, several toys. Is it weird that I love it when my kids' toys break? Cause then I get to throw them away and my life feels less cluttered.  (Just kidding about the whole sanity thing.)

7) Lucy's favorite expression for the month: Touche. And I haven't caught her using it incorrectly once yet.  Is "touche" a normal expression for a nine year old to use?  (Blogger, why won't you let me put an accent over the "e"?  What have I done to displease you so?  Anyone know how I can fix this?)
 
6) M: What should we do for dad for his birthday?
K: I think we should hit him in the head with a rolling pin.

What we actually did: let him go fishing in Mexico with Gpa D and Derec and then went out to dinner with his sibs when he got back.  Happy 36th birthday, hubba lub.  Love you.
 
5) Oh spring weather, why do you tease me so?  Oh wait.  I already wrote that.  But it still applies and I'm leaving it.  The upside, however, is that my allergies are very manageable right now.  And that blessing is nothing to sneeze at.  (Badumbum.)
 
4) Lunch conversation:
M: Where would you go if you could go anywehre in the world?
A: Da demple!  Da demple!
I: I would go anywhere that dad would go--and when he goed.
M: You want to go to China?
I: Yeah, there.
(And later)
I: Dad'd better bring me back some chapstick from China.
M: You mean chopsticks?
I: Yeah, that.
 
3) Kye's inherited sensitivity to feel good family movies. 
K: (After watching Hotel for Dogs on famly movie night): I'm feeling really cryable right now.

Who did he inherit that from?  Was it me?  No.  Well, unless I'm feeling hormonal.  Was it Zach?  No.  Who could it be?  ( I'd never post for all to see that it came from one of his uncles on my side.  *Ahem* Micah. . . )  Love it.

2) I: You can't break a pinkie promise or you have to cut off your pinkie.
 
Too bad we can't institute this pinke promise practice into our government somehow.  Of course, then our country would be run by pinkie-less politicians.
 
1) Adam's on the potty train!  Woowoo!  (Or, as he says, "Poopoo!")  Kind of weird to have no diapered kids.  Rumor has it I'll get used to it very quickly.

Misc.

Skyler's biggest fans: Kambree, McKell, Madi, Lucy

Beautiful girl:

Zeeky boy:

Heading home.

Bu-bye, Azirona.  We'll see you next year.

Phoenix Children's Museum

Little A learning an important life skill--making the only food he loves.

Isaac doing some shopping.

Kye the checkout kid.

Lulu: hopefully not indicitive of a future on the back of a chopper.

Adam in the noodle forest.

The best kids on the planet: Isaac, Lucy, Adam, and Kye.

(Love Kye's hair?   You can have it, too!  Just take a shower at night.  Comb all your hair straight up.  Go to sleep.  Wake up with awesome hair that your mom can't put down no matter how much she sprays it.  Enjoy all the looks you get from those around you.)

Tumbleweed Park--Chandler, AZ

Aaaaaaaaaaazirona . . .

Spring break came with immpecable timing this year: we got a full week for the first time since I've had kids in school, and it was the week after Easter/Conference weekend. We drove down to Gilbert on Friday afternoon and had 9 beautiful days in the warm, warm Valley of the Sun. Snow during spring break is always a bummer, but snow for Utahns means 70 degree weather for Phoenicians. P.e.r.f.e.c.t.

We celebrated Kye/Kinley/Konnor's bdays and had an Easter egg hunt after Saturday afternoon session of Conference. (There's nothing like trying to listen to conference with 21 kids around to make you appreciate only trying to shush and entertain 4:) Still, so fabulous.

We had a wonderful Easter dinner, enjoyed staying out at Gma and Gpa D's new house, playing with cousins, and keeping ourselves otherwise entertained for a week while Zach went fishing in Mexico for a week with his dad and brother.

Some of our highlights, besides our Easter weekend: meeting my friend Alice (and her kids) at Tumbleweed park in Chandler, going shopping at Merchant's Square with Alisa and Lindsey, going to the Phoenix children's museum with my kids and Gma D, reading a couple of books, staying out at Lindsey's and going to the park to play, Steve's Crazy Sub, staying up late one night laughing like crazy with Luanne, Skyler and Kailyn, visiting with Josh and Allie when they came in for dinner, watching Skyler's group "Light" perform at the Scout-o-rama, celebrating Zach's birthday at Oregano's with Don and Alisa, Lindsey, Derec and Luanne, and being outside as much as we could. Thanks for being a great family, Bradshaws! We love all of you.

Saturday is a Special Day

My Day:

7:00 a.m. Up to walk on the treadmill and read scriptures

7:45 a.m. Put cereals, bowls, spoons, bread, butter and toaster on counter so kids can serve themselves when they get up

8:00 a.m. Get sort of ready

8:15 a.m. Go to 3 garage sales. My bargain of the day was a tub of Legos for $7. Yes, seven bucks. I couldn't stop talking about it

9:15 a.m. Home again, home again. Jiggity Jig.

9:30 a.m. Endure whining, crying, yelling, screaming, no fairing and aw manning while the kids did their morning chores. (And that was just me . . . )

11:00 a.m. Enjoy 60 minutes of peace and quiet while the kids played Wii, while making lunch and cleaning the kitchen

12:00 p.m. Lunch

12:30 p.m. Clean up after lunch

1:00 p.m. Work with Zach, Lucy, niece Hannah, and niece Sarah to spread dark wood chips in all of our (flower) beds

3:00 p.m. Pick weeds, remove and throw away old woods chips, and finish last bed

3:30 p.m. Ask children to get shoes on for our Saturday "Pizza in the Park" Adventure. Get phone call from Powells wondering where we are.

3:40 p.m. Get lemonade ready, request 7 children use the bathroom and PLEASE get in the car, gather paper towels, cups, Adam's shoes, kickballs and jackets to be used as bases

3:45 p.m. Another call from the Powells, who've been waiting so patiently for us

4:12 p.m. Finally leave house for the park

4:30 p.m. Pizza and Kickball in the park. Enjoy sitting and chatting with Camille while Zach and Spencer play kickball with the kids. Get really sunburned.

5:45 p.m. Leave park :(

6:00 p.m. Start shower schedule. Niece Sarah in shower, Adam and Isaac in bath. Sarah out, Lucy in, french braid Sarah's hair, Adam and Isaac out, Kye in, Lucy out, Justin in, french braid Lucy's hair, Justin out, Zach in and out, me in and out.

7:15 p.m. Leave Hannah babysitting, take Sarah to a birthday party in Provo and head out on date with Zach

7:45 p.m. Go bowling at BYU Games Center

8:15 p.m. Walk around campus and relive old memories, which were scarce because everything is actually completely different than when we were there.

8:20 p.m. Notice Florence Nightengale exhibit in the library. Read every single word, while Zach patiently watches.

8:40 p.m. Leave BYU

8:50 p.m. Go to Wingers for Pazookie dessert. Ummm, yum.

9:15 p.m. Go to pick up Sarah. Have discussion about where our children will sleep when we are at family reunion this summer. (Wha. . . ?)

9:30 p.m. Stop at Larsons for a few things and head home.

10:00 p.m. Arrive home and hear Hannah's tale of bode and woe about babysitting. Hmmm,

guess I should have called to check how things were going.

10:20 p.m. Comb and french braid Hannah's hair

10:45 p.m. Do bulletin for Relief Society tomorrow, searching lds.org for a quote from President Hinckley that I decide not to use.

11:00 p.m. Update my blog. (Is this really the best time?)

11:41 p.m. Get really annoyed that I can't double space between lines. Really?!?! So decide to bold times instead.

11:42 p.m. And I'm done. Good night.

Seven Years Old

Seven things I love about Kye:

(1) His dedication to getting chores done quickly and thoroughly so he can get on with the fun stuff in his life.
(2) His dislike of most tv, movies, and music. It is a very unique feature for a 7 year old to have:)
(3) He giggles out loud when he reads something funny in a book. So much that it makes me want to laugh, too.
(4) His excitement when he thinks about getting baptized next year.
(5) His crazy hair: so thick and fast growing that he always looks like he needs a haircut, with a little part on the back right side of his head that ALWAYS sticks up. (Hmmmmm, suspiciously like a young wizard we all know and love. Except without the lightening scar and the broken glasses and any magical ability whatsoever.)
(6) His lack of embarrassment during truly embarrassing situations. May it serve him well in life.
(7) His delightful smile that lights up the whole house.

I love you, little man. Happy 7th birthday. (A month and a half late.)

p.s. A special thanks goes out to Cooper, who first showed Kye the AWESOME peace sign in pictures. He's been doing it ever since.

Kye's Birthday, Part Deux

When you celebrate a birthday in Arizona, it's just a given that multiple children are the birthday kids. In this case, we had a party for Kye, Kinley, and Konnor. Had we extended it out a week or two on either side, we would have hit at least 6 more birthdays. But we didn't. So on Saturday, after watching two sessions of General Conference and having an Easter egg hunt in the backyard, we had a party.

Kye and Kinley

Cade, Kye, McKell, and Cooper
This kid made bank, let me tell you. He was excited to put it all away in his Disneyland funds.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KOOSKI!

Kye's Birthday, Part I

2010 is our year of family birthday parties instead of friend birthdays. Lucky for Kye, we celebrated with our Utah family a few days before his 7th birthday. We drove down to AZ on his big day and celebrated with our AZ family the day after.

Waiting so patiently . . .

Oh, gimme, gimme, gimme. . . .
Some of the booty. . .

One of These Things is Not Like the Others. Three of These Things are Kind of the Same.

A typical Saturday morning around these parts sees the boys up at an indecently early hour. Okay, so "indecent" for us is anything before 8 a.m. Hey! It's Saturday. Where's Lucy, you ask? Where any self-respecting kid who stayed up way too late reading books the night before is, of course.

And . . . I'm back

Where was I, you ask? Well . . . nowhere, actually. I've been here every day, checking my blog to see if it's spontaneously updated itself with all of the exciting and wonderful things that have been happening. It hasn't. So here I am. And, though I rarely play catch up (I figure if I don't get it on here within a month of so, it'll never happen), I'm actually going to do it this time. For posterity. Because one of these days I'm actually going to make a blook from blurb. You know . . . a blook. (Blog+book=blook. I just made that up. I like it almost as much as snow+rain=snain.)

Scars Are Awesome

Or so I've heard. And it's a good thing because Kye is bound to have a couple of them. He frantically called me from school one morning, gulping between sobs. "Mom, (sniff, sniff), my scooter hit some snow on the way to school and (sniff sniff) I fell off and my nose is bleeeeeeeeeeeeding and it really huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurts."

Now, just between you and me, I downplayed it because this certain child tends to overreact to pain. Just a little. Like you can't tell the difference between a little scratch and a broken limb by the severity of the scream. So I told him I'd be down there in a second. And I changed Adam's diaper . . . and changed my clothes . . . and brushed my teeth . . . and grabbed a bandaid . . . and then drove down to the school.

I was expecting a little bloody nose. What I saw was Kye holding a handful of bloody paper towels up to his face, with his nose swollen twice its size. Ummmm, oops. We ran home and cleaned it up, got the bleeding to stop and glued it back together. Literally. Not too shabby, if I say so myself. And back to school he went.

Day #1

Day #1, view 2
DAy #2

Day #3

Day #4

It healed pretty quickly, but he got a big old bruise over the bridge of his nose and on the tip. He was quite proud to tell the story to anyone who would listen.

Want to see something really cool? Click here to see the most ginormous of all self-inflicted nose jobs.

The Land of Pirates

For Zeeky's 5th bday, we went to Pirates' Island. It was fun. And dark. And terrifying for Adam. And crowded.

When all's said and done, I considered it a successful social function. And then I decided that next time we'd get a few $5 pizzas from Little Caesar's and take a trip to the Nickelcade.