Our Super Scholar

I have some catching up to do...

Last Friday, Ethan received the "Super Scholar" award in his class for the month of October.  Shaun, Spencer, and I were able to surprise him by going to the assembly to watch him get his award.  It was fun to see Ethan at his school, and it was very nice to see how well-behaved he was even before he knew we were there watching him. :)  We are so proud of the hard work that he does in school and the progress he has made...even though when I told him how proud Mommy, Daddy, and Pops are of him for working so hard he said, "I don't really work very hard though."  Patrick predicted that he'd say something like that.  I guess it's time to challenge him a bit more.  Here are a few (bad) pictures of the event.

After his name was called.  (He didn't know he was getting the award until then.)

Receiving his certificate and pencil.

This is shortly after he spotted me.  He's proudly showing me his pencil.

Our Super Scholar!

The Weekend

Look at me.  Only four days later! :)
Ethan and Patrick had their fall break from school last Thursday and Friday.  Although we didn't do anything special on those days, it was nice to see them a little bit more than normal.  On Saturday Patrick and I went with my mom and dad up to Pine Valley and to see the Mountain Meadows Massacre memorial.  Before this weekend I didn't know that the massacre occurred on September 11 (interesting coincidence) or how many women and children were killed in the attack.  So sad.
The boys spent most of the weekend with Shaun.  They had fun, like always.  They roasted marshmallows over a fire on Friday night and went on a pretty long bike ride together on Saturday.  Yesterday they had to go along with Daddy to help film a movie for one of his friends.  Spencer ended up playing a small role in the movie.  Shaun said he was very excited (and I'm sure he was) to be the little boy getting ripped apart by two zombies, but by the time I got there to pick the boys up, he looked like this:

Apparently, the waiting between takes was too much for him.  It was "taking forever".  He was having fun though, because during the second take he looked like this:

I don't know if you can tell, but he is smiling, maybe even laughing.  The last take went really well.  I think it was partly because he was really mad, but he also understood what he was doing and played the pain/fear thing pretty well.

Overall, it was a pretty good weekend and a nice break from school.

I also wanted to add a couple of "Spencerisms" to this post.  Although I'm sure I could write an entire post every day of the silly/crazy things he says, I'll try not to overdo it.
Today Spencer has probably already said "This is freaking me out" about 12 times.  Before today, I had never heard him say it.  I'm not sure where he got it from, but his definition of what it means is that "you hold your breath for ten seconds, but you don't die".  Oooookay. :)
On our way back from dropping Ethan off at school this morning, I said "Oh my heck!" about something.  Then Spencer said, "Oh my James!"  I asked him why James, and he said, "Because it's my favorite word".  I seriously love this kid!!

Here Goes Nothin'

Once again, it's been way too long since I updated this blog.  I have a couple of new goals.  One is to do better to keep up with this blog.  I'm not going to make the goal any more specific than that; I just need to be better.

So...here's an update.  We moved back to St. George for Patrick to attend Dixie State College.  He is enjoying his classes and is doing really well, but he is a very busy man with full time school and a full time job (which we are super grateful for!).  I have the pleasure (sometimes displeasure, but I'm super grateful for it too) of staying home with the boys.  I have struggled to feel like I'm doing my job well enough, but I am working toward improvement, so I guess that's good.

Ethan continues to do very well in school and really enjoys being in first grade.  He is a great speller and reader.  He makes me so proud!  He has made new friends quickly, and he has an admirer whom I think he also admires.  He has his first loose tooth.  That thing has been holding on, but getting more and more loose for months.  Ethan loves to clean and help with anything I let him help with.  He's a very sweet and sympathetic boy.

Spencer is getting used to the boredom that is being home alone with Mommy all day long.  He keeps me entertained, though.  He makes me laugh every day.  Not only is he a normal silly four-year-old, he also has a great sense of humor.  He really enjoys making people laugh.  The best part is his ability to keep a straight face through his humor.  It's great.  Spencer also has found a new passion for numbers and math.  He is almost constantly thinking or talking out equations, and sometimes shocks me with the things he knows.  Spencer has a hard time being helpful since everything I ask him to do "will take forever", but his cuddles and cuteness definitely make up for it.

Alright...now for my other goal.  Brace yourself for a moment of truth.  I have decided that it's (way past!) time to get serious about this whole exercise thing.  And here's why:

Yes, that's a scale.  And, yes, that's my weight.

All four of you who read my blog probably reacted in some small way to this confession.  One or two of you might be wondering why I would share this with the whole small world that reads this blog.  Maybe, possibly, one or two of you are thinking That's it?!  She's worrying about a measly 163 pounds?  Well, here is the reality.  I have never before in my life seen this number on my scale unless I was pregnant.  And, the most sobering part of this reality is that even when I was seeing smaller numbers on the scale, I wasn't really healthy.  This reality does not excite me.  So, I've decided to make a change.  And, although none of you have volunteered, I've decided to let you help me.  Don't worry, it's easy.  All you have to do is pretend to read my blog.  Actually, you don't even have to pretend.  I'll do that pretending for you.  See, the point is for me to have some added accountability, and since my other goal is to keep up with my blog, I am going to pretend that you expect some sort of an update on my weight loss/fitness.  Just the fact that I've told you about this goal should be enough for you to believe I'm serious, but in case you need some more convincing; I bought new running shoes and a sports bra.  Yep.  I have been doing some treadmill running the past two weeks, and I was getting tired of clunking around in shoes not made for running and having my bra straps fall down every two seconds.  So, now I'm ready.  I will be more specific with this goal.  I would love to lose at least 30 pounds, but my real goal is just to feel healthy, because I know that will help me to be more happy.  And don't these cute boys deserve to have a healthy and happy Mommy?

I think so.  Wish me luck!

Life...According to Spencer

*How old are you?  3  (He was at the time.)
*How old is Mommy?  18
*What is your favorite food?  eggs
*What sports can you play?  On the Wii?...Super Mario Bros.  (Oh, dear.)
*How old is Daddy?  18  Pops?  18
*How tall are you?  Um...let me see...11.  I am 11 tall.
*What is your favorite TV show?  On the Wii (Netflix)?...Super Mario Bros. show.
*What is your favorite movie?  Umm...Uhh...The movie with the flying train, 'cause that's the movie that we never sawed.  Do you know that movie?  Daddy has it.  (Um, ok?)
*What do you like best about your dad?  presents
*What else does Daddy do that you like?  trains
*What makes you laugh?  tickle
*How strong is Pops?  I don't know.
*What is your favorite color?  Red and green and yellow.
*What is your favorite drink?  I kinda like orange juice.  (He doesn't, actually.)
*What is your favorite song?  Gotta Get Get and Fireflies.
*Where do you like to go eat?  The ones with the olives.  (Olive Garden.)
*What is your favorite snack?  Fruit snacks and apples and cheese.
*What is your favorite toy?  Legos  (He was playing with Legos during this interview.)
*Who are your friends?  Boston and Cassidy.
*How heavy are you?  100 heavy.
*What time do you get up?  At 100.
*What do you eat for breakfast?  bread
*Are you a nice brother?  No.  Why not?  'Cause, but I'm kind of nice.  I'm just a little nice.
*What is your favorite place to go with your family?  Target
*What is the grossest thing you can think of?  peanuts  (He loves peanuts.)
*What are moms made of?  Mommy is made of computers.
*What is your favorite animal?  A cow and sheeps.
*Who is the boss at your house?  Mommy and Pops.
*What does Mommy like to do?  Make dinner.
*What do you want to be when you grow up?  When I turn four, Boston will still be six.  (He is right...)
*What do you do best?  Play with Legos. 
*How tall is Mommy?  18  Daddy?  18  Pops?  He's tall as a motorcycle.
*What time does Mommy wake up?  At 8:30.  I know everything about it.  I better tell Cassidy that I know everything about it.
*What do you love about Mommy?  I love Pops  (Ouch!)
*What do you love about Daddy?  presents
*What do you love about Pops?  I love a lot of presents.  


And, there you have it.  I love this boy!

Just Mommy

I was lying in bed last night and couldn't sleep.  I got thinking about something.  In the past few months some new nicknames have become popular in our little family.  I'm not sure where they all came from, but the names Popsarooni, Ethanator, and Spencerilla are used pretty frequently around these parts.  What I was thinking last night was the fact that I don't have one of those silly nicknames.  I am always just Mommy.  For a second I wondered why that was, but then I realized it didn't matter.  I am perfectly happy just being Mommy.  I love being Mommy.  In light of the fact that I quit my job yesterday, I am excited for the opportunity I will have to be just a mommy for a while.  I am also very nervous.  It's hard to quit a job that you like, that you've had for almost two years, and that was sort of a saving grace for you at one point in your life.  I am starting to realize that my job at Deseret First has become a bit of a security blanket for me.  I don't know if it's just the timing of when I got the job, the people I have become friends with there, the fact that I've been there for as long as I have, or something else entirely, but I think I'll be really sad when I'm done.  Of course, since I'm no stranger to mixed emotions, I know that at the same time I'll be very happy to once again have the chance to be "just Mommy".

Ethan's Wisdom

I stole these questions from my sister.  I have been wanting to do something like this for a while, and I've finally gotten around to it.  I will be posting an interview with Spencer soon also.


*What is your favorite sport? A Wii sport?  Golfing. 
*What are you best at in sports? What are those?
*When you come home from school what do you like to do? Play Wii.
*What do you do best? Maybe...I think I'm the best at basketball.
*How old is Mommy? 28
*How tall is Mommy? Uh, I don't know.
*What time does Mommy wake up on the morning? 9:00
*What does Mommy do when you are at school? Go to work. 
*What do you love about your mommy? Like, um...is it like you give us something?  Like that? Like, why do you love me?  Because I do.
*How old is Daddy? 28*What is your daddy's favorite sport to play? I think he plays nothing.
*How strong is your daddy? Uh, uh, I don't know. 
*How strong is Pops? He's strong as a back ride for us.
*How tall is your dad? Like, Um...30 inches.
*How tall is Pops? 31 inches.
*What do you like best about your dad? I like watching a movie with him.
*What is our favorite movie to watch as a family? Alice in Wonderland. (The last movie we watched together.)
*What do you do when you are really silly? Play with Legos.
*What is your room decorated with? Wood. (That's fancy, '80s wood paneling to be exact.)
*What is the best thing about you? I don't know.
*What is your favorite cartoon? Cat in the Hat.
*What is your favorite color? green
*What is your favorite dessert? ice cream
*What is your favorite drink? apple jiuce
*What is your favorite food? cheese pizza
*What is your favorite holiday? December.  I think I like Halloween too.  I like Halloween and Christmas.
*What is your favorite ice cream? vanilla*What is your favorite movie? I think...I like Cars.*What is your favorite place to go? Daddy's house.  And Boston and Cassidy's house.
*What is your favorite restaurant? Olive Garden.
*What is your favorite song? Gotta Get Get.  Wait, Right Round.
*What is your favorite store? Walmart.*What is your favorite time of day? 7:30
*Where would you like to go on vacation? Maybe Journey and Addie's house.*What is your favorite snack? Goldfish *What is your favorite toy? Choo-choo trains.
*What are your favorite bed time stories? Uh, what is that book called again?...If you Take a Mouse to the Movies. 
*What is your favorite book? Missing Honey (A Berenstain Bears book we recently read.) 
*What is your favorite subject in school? Recess...and snack, because I'm getting hungry there.
*Who is your favorite teacher? Ms. Godfrey
*What do you want to be when you grow up? A meteorologist.
*Who are your friends? Boston and Cassidy
*How tall are you? 101 inches.
*How old are you? 5
*How heavy are you? Too heavy.
*How much does Daddy weigh? Almost like 10 hundred inches.
*How much does Mommy weigh? 200 inches. 
*What time do you wake up? 8:30
*What do you eat for breakfast? waffles
*Which of these do you think would be best:
a. Dinner with everyone at the table and the TV on your favorite show.
b. Dinner that everyone chose what they wanted from the fridge and no one ate the same thing.
c. Dinner with the whole family together and no TV on.Dinner with the whole family with the TV not on.*If you could have your room any way you wanted how would it be? A train place.  Would it be clean or dirty? clean And who would clean it? you*Are you a good friend? yes
*If you are afraid or sad what do you do to help yourself feel better? Say a prayer.*What is the most fun thing our family has done lately? I don't know.*What is the nicest thing a friend has done for you? Play the Wii.
*What are two things we should do next Saturday? Go to Alex's house.*Do you believe in heaven? yes What do you think it is like? I don't know.  I think it looks like clouds.*If you could have a weird, unusual pet, what would it be? kitten Why would you want that? Because that's my favorite pet.
*What have you done in school, or anywhere, that you were especially proud of? recess 
*Do you think girls are better with, or without make-up on? Without makeup on.
*How much TV do you think kids should watch each day? Uh, I don't know.
*What is the grossest thing you can think of? bugs
*Tell me something you remember from Kindergarten. I remember recess...no...snack. (Nice.)*Who do you think you are most like in our family? Daddy Why? Because. *What are moms made of? skin
*Who is the boss at your house? Mommy*What does your mom like to do? To eat.
*If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be? Your hair. What don't you like about my hair?  That color.  What color would you like it to be?  Gold.
*What do you like most about Pops?  Back rides.
*If you could change one thing about Pops, what would it be?  Nothing.
*If you could change one thing about your daddy, what would it be?  Nothing.

Hello Again

So, Patrick and I have been married for over three months now.  It seems like longer than that.  I am still impressed by how well the boys are adjusting to everything.  They love being able to play with their new cousins every day, and I'm just grateful that we live so close to such fun and generous family.  They really make me feel like my boys have been in the family all their lives.  It's great.  What isn't great is the weather.  I'm really trying to get used to it, but snow in March is just not fun.
Ethan is still doing well in school.  I am so proud of him.  He even finally holds his pencil correctly.  Most days I think he likes his new school and teacher.  He is still fascinated by the weather.  He learned about weather at school for a couple of weeks this month.  He loved it, of course.  Ethan is also way too into the Wii.  He loves Super Mario Bros., and he's actually pretty good at it.  He and Pops (Patrick) made it to the secret world at the end of the game, and now he's obsessed with finding out if there are more secret worlds to find.
Spencer is still his crazy, funny, moody self.  He says things almost every day that surprise me and make me laugh.  He's learning faster than I'm able to teach him, and his sensitive, sweet personality comes out more and more all the time.  He's always hungry, and he might be in love with his cousin, Cassidy. :)
The boys spent last weekend with Daddy and some of his family.  They had a lot of fun (they always do with Daddy) and came home happy and exhausted.
That's about it for now.  I'll try to post some pictures soon.