5 year old

Ok. For a 5 year old he sure is funny. We are sitting here watching Dinosaur Train on PBS this morning. Here's our conversation:
M: "I should take you up to the museum by my office"
P: "No."
M: "It's the dinosaur museum where Dr. Scott (on the show) works"
P: "Oh, have you been there before?"
M: "Yes. A long time a go when I was a little girl"
P: "Oh, so the dinosaurs were dead when you were a little girl?"


The other day I had asked P to come and help unload the dishwasher. When we were done he looked at me and said, "Do you owe me one now mom?"

We sure are excited for Christmas morning. Merry Christmas EVERYONE!

Baby?

We'll some of you know, and some of you don't. So, I'll just make it official. No we are not expecting but yes the stork should be coming soon. Let me explain.
Since the first part of October we have been in the process of trying to help my cousin by fostering her infant son (4 1/2 months now). I don't know how many of you have been through this process, all I can say is "it's hell". If someone doesn't like you or thinks that you are unfit then your done. Person A (DCFS agent in SL County) and Person C (Kinship specialist in Northern Utah area) don't talk to each other, they don't even know each other, they go through me (Person B) to get to each other. Their is no one there to help me through this process. They just keep wishing me luck. Holy crap! I certainly think the needs some fixing.
On November 30th @ 9am we will finally have our home inspection done. We were hoping to have the baby with us for Thanksgiving, but that's not going to work out. We hope that once Person C comes, it will only be a short period of time until the baby comes to us. I've heard that it can happen the same day. We'll see. We'll keep hoping and praying for a quick resolution to all this.
At least I have a week + to finish getting the house ready. Locks on doors, door knobs on doors, railings on the deck and front porch... It will all come together.

1st T-BALL game

I absolutely LOVE baseball. I always have and probably always will. T-BALL is the best of all. It is baseball at it's best. The things we'd all like to do when we play, but can not because we are now adults. Enjoy the pictures, and if you can, come watch one of the games!
































I think that one of the reasons I love the t-ball game so much is it's teaching the kids to love the game. Everyone is a winner.











Everyone hits.





























Everyone makes it on base.














(I love this picture of all the kids from the other team bunched together to get the ball!)
















And Everyone scores



























Even if they are crawling on their hands and knees.

EASTER

Here are the pictures from Easter Sunday at the Dave Gudgell's. The kids ALWAYS have fun with their cousins.
That is the BEST ever.I know these pictures will get to my mom.

I CAN

I am so sick of the rain. I want spring here. We haven't been able to practice or play baseball much because of the crappy weather.
So here we are today, Saturday April 18th. Two practices that overlap each other. That's okay, as long as we get it in.

Porter feels like such a big kid playing baseball. He could not figure out WHY he got to take the shirt and hat home today. So cute. He KNOWS he can run faster than anyone on his team and he KNOWS he can throw the ball farther than anyone on his team. He has this I CAN attitude with EVERYTHING he does. His one problem with baseball in touching all the bases. Why does he think he can jump over the bases? I love watching T-BALL! Can't wait for soccer in the fall...

Trevor is a very hard working baseball player. He tries so hard to do whatever he can to help out his team. He's ALWAYS encouraging his team mates and congratulates the other team when they do something great too. He has the BEST sportsmanship of anyone on any team any where. I can not tell you how much that means to me as a mom. I'm very proud of him for this great quality he has on and off the field.

I'll post pictures later this week. Porter has a game Tuesday and Trevor on Thursday and Friday. It will be a fun and crazy week full of the GREATEST GAME IN THE WORLD.

Porter & Twilight

So, Porter is the funniest kid. I just laugh at him none stop. As we were driving down to St George last week, he kept asking me if I was going the right way. I pretty sure I've got it covered. At about Beaver he perks up and says, "Yeah Mom, you are going the right way". Then as we got closer to St. George he started recognizing his mountain, Emily's mountain, Meagan's mountain.... Way too cute.

So of course while the kids & I were there, TWILIGHT came out on DVD. We watched it Saturday night, then Sunday afternoon, then on the way home on Monday (we'll Natalie & Porter did). So Porter's new obsession is Vampires.

Fast forward to today.

Porter cut himself while trying to cut an apple. He comes to me and says, "Mom, look I'm bleeding". Me, "what happened?". P, "I was trying to cut the lucky thing off the apple". Me, "oh". P, "At least we don't have any yucky vampires here." I couldn't keep a straight face. My sweet little boy. He just keeps me laughing.

This, that and the other

I've got to update this with that and the other. Here is what is going on with us Randall's the last little while. Since the last blog was PORTER, here is what NATALIE & TREVOR have been doing.
Natalie insists on wearing a pony tail every day (I hate that) and looking like a teenager. She even brought me in a magazine article that said, " teens favorite hair style is..." and yes pony tail's won with 41% of the vote. Great. Ok, just make sure it looks good. On Sunday she came upstairs with this new outfit on that she created. Was I ever surprised. The skirt my mom made before her and my Dad left on their mission. The vest is what Natalie got for Christmas from them this year. So cute. I was so excited that she put it all together. Of course she could look cute in a garbage sack. She's just that way. No fair.This week she got the news that she has been waiting since Kindergarten for. She was chosen to be a library assistant for next year. She is VERY EXCITED. Talk about a perma grin. She was 1 of 16 people chosen for this honor (trust me at her school, it is an honor). Mrs Thompson (Mrs T.) had over 40 applications this year. There are only 2 5th grade classes with about 56 students total. So clearly the majority wants to have this honor.
The rules are; they have to be going into 6th grade next year, they have to be willing to spend some recesses learning the Dewey decimal system and shelving and...., they have to have a letter of recommendation from someone other than a relative (thanks Karen for that one), they have to fill out the "job application" and than be interviewed by Mrs T. That is a lot of work.
Natalie did it!! And we are so proud of her! When she sets her mind to something she gets the results.

Trevor is learning that same concept. School has been a struggle for him most of his life. So much that I even put him in Sylvan (don't waste your money or time) years ago. He is finally getting it all. I am so very thankful for this. In the past few weeks he has had 2 tests that he has come home and studied for and gotten the results we were looking for. Math test 97%. Science test 86%. WOW! I love it. Way to go Trevor!!!!!!
Last night he had a band festival with 3 other Jr Highs in our area. Millcreek (his JR HIGH) was the largest. They have over 120 students in there advanced band. One Jr High had 10 students, another had about 25 and the 3rd one had about 75. Crazy numbers. We have an awesome band instructor who really does a fabulous job - Thanks Mr. King for all you do. Sadly, Trevor has decided not to take band next year and try his hand in art (which I've have recently found out he has a talent for too). It will work out for him and we are happy to support him in this decision. Here are some pictures of last night. He noticed I was taking pictures and tried his best to hide.


I don't know what his friend Zach is going to do without him sitting next to him next year.

We have baseball tryouts tomorrow. I am soooo ready for baseball season that I even signed Porter up to play. And, Trevor is going to ump some of the t-ball games. We will be all baseball all the time. YEAH!!! I'll post pictures in the next few weeks.

The many faces of Porter

Okay, I know he's spoiled. But, I always remember to take his pictures when he's done something soooo dang cute. The older ones don't do so many cute thing anymore. Here is what Porter's been doing lately.
1. The hat. He had to wear the hat to bed. Then to school the next day. So funny. I did take it off of him after I took the picture.










2. The bubble hat. What can I say. He LOVES his bubble baths.



















3. I LOVE my older kids. Especially when they pitch in and help out with reading to Porter at night. This is such a great picture of Trevor reading to Porter. So sweet.
















4. Then there is the SOCCER GAME with his Dad. Craig had just walked into the house and Porter said, "Come play soccer with me Dad". I couldn't resist a picture or 32. It was great! Don't ask me who won though.

Natalie's birthday party

We'll here it is finally. It's been 2 weeks ago that Natalie turned the big 11. Craig & I took here and
10 friends to Robintino's for lunch. Despite 2 spilled drinks, I think all of them really enjoyed themselves. And hopefully some of them learned to use some manners. Here are some pictures of her party.

LOUSY LOUSE

Okay, I've had enough. Lice is not what I call fun. Poor Natalie.

Thursday night Craig & I came home from a friend's birthday party (way fun!) and the first thing out of Nat's mouth was, "I found a bug in my hair". I started looking in there and noticed MANY moving bugs through out her hair. So in my PJ's I headed down to Rite Aid at 8:50 pm. (Love that store because it's close by and NOBODY is ever there.) I grabbed a bottle of the NIX and home I went to Nat and her nests of bugs. I washed her hair and put NIX in it for 10 minutes and we sat and waited. Then we combed and combed and combed. Each time I was combing, I was pulling out bugs. Probably 2 dozen in all (that I could see/tell) I sent her to bed about10 pm and of course all I could do was itch my head. Sympathy scratches I guess. Didn't sleep well at all that night.

The next morning I called her teacher (my neighbor) and told her what was going on. The whole class had their hair checked by the school nurse. Natalie had a day off from school (which of course she was upset about - she had 2 tests and an Valentine art project that they were working on). Natalie and I worked on cleaning EVERYTHING in her room and everything she had been wearing or touching or anything that had touched her stuff. Everything was washed, scrubbed down, disinfected etc. No stone left unturned.

Last night we found 2 bugs again. That was all. Today I pulled out more dead ones. Thank goodness. They are the ugliest things. I'm hoping that we have all of them. She is sick of being cooped up inside. I did take her and Porter to Nielson's for a frozen custard (drive up). Sorry Mom, no lemon custard - it was Oreo last night. I'm hopeful we are on the mend. I NEVER want to go through this again.