Boys in the Hood

We had the privilege of watching Greyson and Henry on lovely Sunday morning a couple of weeks ago. Some critter, bug thing was hatching and apparently that makes for some fishing so good Dustin couldn't pass it up, and his wife Amy was teaching a yoga class the same morning. Scott and Dustin were playing poker and Scott volunteered us for kid-party 2011 so Dustin wouldn't miss his fishing extravaganza. I don't know how the fishing was but the kid-party was awesome!

After trashing the house, the living room and the playroom several times with trains, cars, blocks, balls, you name it, we decided to get the winter gear on and head outside. Sure, it was a beautiful sunny day but it was not exactly warm. The boys ended up playing an epic game of Star Wars-Angry Birds-Fort. I don't know what that is. It involved bubble stick light sabers, angry bird bombs (see that one getting launched into the fort?) and a stuffed carnival crayon missile. Hilarious. Scott got tackled numerous times...and ended up with dog poop on his shorts.

Sloane kept up with the boys pretty well, but eventually she just wanted to swing. We almost thought she fell asleep in the swing at one point but then she'd squeal if it started going too slow and we knew nap time was a ways off.

After our fun in the sun, it was time to make a...gingerbread house! Also known as eating lots of candy while pretending to make a gingerbread house.

See, this island is totally working! It's big enough for like eight bowls of candy and four kids and lots of flying candy. Kind of handy to have the particle board because really, who cares if it gets messed up. Which it did.

Considering the candy and frosting frenzy that happened the second we started decorating the gingerbread house, it was probably a good thing we had a temporary finish on the island. It was like little toddler piranhas voraciously consuming M&M's, candy canes and gum drops.

Look at these faces...seriously!!! How is there any candy on this gingerbread house?! It's all in their mouths!

Eventually, little hands overpowered little sweet tooths and we did get some candy decorating done. 

The smiles are half-proud decorating having fun success and half WHEEEE!!!! We are on a sugar high! (at this point, I am hoping they do not barf peppermints and M and M's all over the house).

And, yes, at one point, Henry ate gumdrops right off the house. With his face. That is some serious candy dedication. The others thought this was a fabulous idea. So again, I was worried that our gingerbread house was going to be just...gingerbread, puke, and memories. Fabulous, hilarious memories. 

Candy levels at a maximum high, we sent the little terrors off to play. And out come Tagg and Greyson with pretty much every musical instrument we own. Grey announces that they have formed a band, they need Henry to sing, and they want to do a concert for us. I thought...oh! how cute! I'll find the little electronic guitar we have and Sloane can be in the band too. So the boys are up on the stage (ottoman), rocking their stuff, and Sloane tries to join with her musical guitar. I have visions of Fergie and the Black Eyed Peas. Sloane and the Blonde Boys? No, no. Greyson promptly informs me that this is a BOY BAND. A BOY BAND. Sloane is not in the band. She's a girl. Not invited. Not even if they need some serious guitaring.

I tried to be offended about the gender exclusion, but the fact that she was off running to tear down the elaborate train village they had just made and that the little fellas were starting a BOY BAND was just too precious and perfect. Sorry gender equality. Maybe next time.

Eventually, she gave up the ghost and sacked out in this chair while the boys played Wii Resort. Swordplay. Yep. That was hour six and it's just what we needed to do. Good play day all around!

Christmas Miracle Kitchen, Part 2

 

This is our island template, after the guys built out the extended cabinet complete with two pull-out garbage can drawers. It's big. Like way big. But we are really liking the configuration so far. And Tagg seems to like his new hiding place.

  It's like where's Waldo, right?!

The doors are off getting remade. Counter tops have been ordered. We have to rebuild and move some of the back boxes of the cabinets for a little "drama" element we've got planned. And I've got painting on my hidden agenda. Don't tell Scott.

Tagg has done a lot of ear-plugging the last few days. Never a big fan of tool noises (even as a baby, he would scream bloody murder when the food processor or the beater was on), he has been a little freaked out by the air guns, table saws, air compressor, and general audio chaos. He's also been stoked about helping Scott with anything he can...if it involves tools.

Christmas Miracle Kitchen, Part 1

We have officially lived in our house for 10 years. I have officially hated our cabinets and countertops for about 8 of those years. The first two, I was just happy to have my own non-rented kitchen so it didn't matter so much. Plus we were never home and when we were, the counters were usually covered with...stuff.

It is now time to update this kitchen. Especially if Scott's prediction that we will "die in this house" has a shot in hell of coming true. I am not living with apartment-grade crap oak cabinets and gray Formica till I die. I have my standards.

Demolition meet inspiration. We have to figure out our official plan ASAP.
Where is the tape? And the vision?

We have been debating the future configuration of our new kitchen for a long time. And, frankly, I was the hold-up. I just couldn't decide what the best set-up would be for our new kitchen so it was impossible to commit to things like granite and cabinet colors and styles. And then, one day, we moved the kitchen table to simulate a big giant island and wah-lah! We had a plan! You can't really see it from here but we got it under control!

I really don't know what to do with this star. I kind of want to keep it
even though EVERYONE has one now. It's a reminder of my cutting-edge design skills.
The crap on the counters? That's all Scott.

It was like we realized how we actually use our kitchen. No matter what, everyone hangs around the center, the heart, the island. Dinner, parties, cooking. Doesn't matter. Everyone gravitates to the center of the kitchen. So we are building a big, giant island where we can gather as a family. And we booted the pool table from the front room, in spite of the fact that the kids love to "play balls" on it. That was looking like a recipe for a broken front window as they get older. So the dining room table will be in the front room so we can gather as a bigger family for holiday dinners or Sunday dinners or random weekday dinners. Or for game nights or craft nights or whatever. We may need to add some lights out there or our dads will cheat more than usual at cards and blame the low-light. Guys, we are soooo on to you on this one!

And, just for a little added pressure, we started this process December 1st. December 1st! TWENTY THREE DAYS before Christmas. We have our 11th annual Christmas Eve-Eve party on December 23rd where we take donations for the Road Home, and we get to hang with our people before they get sucked into family stuff and we never see them again.

The Girls at a Christmas Eve-Eve Party. New background in the works!

We will be done with Phase One in 16 days. Technically, today is Day 6, the day we picked our granite, bought cabinets, finalized the island design, sent the just-sold pool table to its new home, elevated the kitchen table to a dining room table, and started demolition on the kitchen. 18 days to Christmas. 17 days to party. Oh, yeah...and all the holiday, Christmas stuff to deal with. This is not lost on me. But I think we can do it. We rock when we're on a deadline! Stay tuned!

The BirdWalk

We like to go for walks around the "hood" and when you get a warm-weather day at the end of November you take advantage of it! So we geared the kids up in coats and their new Angry Birds hats (courtesy of Papa's trip to China and Tagg's obsession with the game), Tagg's scooter and a whole bunch of Kleenex.

Not content to rock just one hat - even if it is the yellow Angry Bird - Sloane decided to wear two hats and a hoodie. Layers, people. It's all about the layers.

I love it when my kids hold hands. Doesn't happen a ton but it's about the most precious thing ever in the world.

These cows live in our neighborhood and we usually pay them a visit on our walks. This particular day they were, uh, up to some funny business when we walked up which was hilarious. Our first explanation of the big s-e-x conversation with Tagg went something like this: "uh, the cows are playing piggy back." Awkward. Especially when Tagg said, "I want to play piggy back." Backfire! At least we learned something for next time.

As soon as the sun drops behind the mountains - at 4:40 mind you! - you better book it home because it gets cold fast! Good thing we brought the blankets and there was a nice, warm fire waiting for us at home. Along with a fresh box of tissues from Costco.

Thanks A Million

I love Thanksgiving. Not just because turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls and pumpkin pie are my favorite...although that's always been a big part of it. But mostly because it gets really easy to take all of the things that make life wonderful for granted and this time of year you get to revel in each and every blessing that you have. So here we go...

Our Little Man.
He is such a joy and a blessing and a gift. There's no way to describe how his big heart and sharp wit and around-the-neck-bear-hugs and 'emergency kisses' have made our life and our family so amazing. He has this little lilt in his voice when he says things like "Thanksgiving is for loving mommies and daddies" or "You wanna make a deal?" We are so incredibly grateful that Tagg is our son.

Our Baby Girl
Those big blue eyes. Sloane brings new meaning to love and adventure every single day. She will wrap her arms around your knees one second and scale the counter tops the next. There is nothing better than her belly laugh or her big kisses or her curiosity for life. She is our angel and our love and our miracle baby.

Friends, Family & Crazy Running Stuff.
I am grateful for my family and friends who do crazy things with me, like run 188 miles in 24 hours or get up at the ass-crack of dawn to run a 5K in freezing temps on Thanksgiving. And I'm grateful that I am healthy enough to run a block, let alone 6.2 miles in 63 minutes. Most every step is hard, but every step is a gift and I know that for sure.

Sunrises. Sunsets.
Somehow the sky gets painted with these breathtaking colors and patterns that make me stop in my tracks.
God, nature, miracle, call it what you want. I don't care. I love them.

Freedom.
You ain't seen nothing until you've seen Sloane in the throes of the joy of running. In her Uggs and her leopard skirt-pants, baby mullet flying in the wind. She is the epitome of joy in life, all day every day.

Love.
You can't ever have too much love in your life, we always say. And judging by the calls, texts, emails and hugs we got today, we are not lacking in that category in any way. We are so very, very blessed to have an extended family that envelopes us all with so much pure, unadulterated, unselfish love. It is beautiful and amazing.

Special friends.
Tagg and his cousin Ashley have a special relationship. They have grown up together, with Auntie Leese who watched them when they were little and they just, well, they just love each other. I have a lot of friends like this. The ones who love even when they smack you or share their cold with you. No matter what they are always there to hold your hand when you need it, or when you don't, and to give you their last M&M, even if you don't ask.

Add caption

Scott gets the love. I am the ride.

My Amazing Husband, Scott.
I love this man. He is my best friend, my rock, my guy who will do anything for me as long as I ask with a smile on my face, and he is the best best best father in the world. He can out-play, out-patience, out-smart, out-love our children without a sweat...and that's saying something!

Seriously. Does it get any cuter than this?

 

 

Suburbia.
Normally I don't love living in the burbs but every once in awhile you find a reason to love it. Today, we had an epic Thanksgiving dinner at Kent and Nicole's and then the family walked about a half-mile to see a zebra. Oh yeah. You heard me right. A ZEBRA! Like at the zoo. And a couple of emus, a goat and some horses and stuff. But seriously, a ZEBRA...named Zuri. We fed it grapes.

Feeding the goats.

Here, goatie, goatie.

Grandparents.
Scott and I have unbelievable parents. And those parents make over-the-moon grandparents. It's a different kind of special love. It's beautiful to watch and enjoy and appreciate and be inspired by. And I love that our babies are embraced by that all-consuming love from all of their grandparents every day of every month of every year.

Family.
Sometimes a walk on a cool day is the thing you remember.
It's always the thing that you love.

Football.
I am grateful for DVR (thanks couch potatoes) so I could watch the games between chasing kids.

 

Food on the table.
We ran a 10K this morning to benefit the Utah Food Bank. They did a challenge recently to see if you could survive on food stamps for a month which basically meant you could spend 6 bucks a day per person on food. Uh, hello. That's my Starbucks budget. So we've tried it and failed. And I am so, so incredibly grateful that our family has enough to eat and that we can share with others who don't.

The spoon is actually sticking to Sloane's hand like magic. But really it's sticky Jell-o hands.

Hope.
I want everything for my children, my siblings, my parents, my family, my friends. When there is something that they desire, I want it for them and we will do everything we can to make it a reality. Today we know that the all promises of life and love and family continue. There are so many great things ahead of us, more joy, more love, more photo moments. And we are nothing but thankful. So incredibly thankful. Today and every day.

Sunday at the Park

Sunday was one of the last real days of fall. Fairly warm, blue skies...so we were off for a walk and a trip to the park. We dressed Sloane in this hot-pink velour sweat suit (it was a gift) and promptly dubbed her J-Slo (like J-Lo, get it?) for the duration of our adventure. She NEVER lets any of the absolutely darling hats I buy her stay on her head for more than about 20 seconds. This ridiculous baseball cap? On for almost the whole trip. Really? At least it says "I Heart Mommy" but I'm still not sure I can get behind it.

Commandeering Tagg's scooter. She can totally ride it.
See him in the background? That lasted for about a minute before he took over.

J-Slo loves to climb. Anything and everything. Including the stroller.

And she's in! Quite proud of herself.

At the park? Same story...climb, climb, climb!
Whatever, dad. I don't need your help!

Tagg pondering the wisdom of sliding down this one on his own.

And decided it would be more fun if daddy went too.

Now they're adding wood chips to the sliding adventure.
Because that's more fun. Obviously.

And when the wood chips are in your hair? Game on!
This must be the reason for Sloane's no-hat rule.
How are you going to put junk in your hair when you have a hat on?!

One of Tagg's first bike-riding extravaganzas. He's getting the hang of it. And, yes, he does have a helmet, for the serious rides like when he's mountain biking. As you'll notice, all of our video clips end up with us stopping the camera to avert some kind of danger. Welcome to parenting!