HELLO TIGER!

This week has been a busy week around here. On Monday after seeing 4 1/2 mice in the pasture and droppings in the pantry again... we decided some abandoned cats would serve us well as mousers outside and then we got some traps for the pantry. We caught 2 mice inside on Tuesday. R is in charge of disposing of the bodies and killing them when they aren't dead yet...Anyhow... he shot one with the bb gun when it wasn't dead yet but suffering so he tried to put it out of it's misery but it took MANY shots. Anyhow the cats are looking like good mousers from watching Tig stalking and catching grasshoppers today, we'll see how they grow, they are still pretty young now. The boys named them Tig and Belle. Yesterday the boys started scouts and loved it... they both went on fieldtrips and made some more friends. Then last night we went out to Paul and bought a gelding for me. We are going tonight and looking at another one for R and maybe one for the boys too, depending on how long it takes in Twin. Anyway Tiger is a massive specimen and the first thing AJ said when he saw him was, "dad I'm not getting on that horse." We are thinking a pony may be better for him and Levi.

LAST HURRAHS

Last night we went to Joe and Victoria's house for a family dinner before we leave, yummy tacos and stuff, seems to be our tradition. It was fun to hang out and relax and let the kids play with their cousins! I wish we had done that more often but everyone is so busy all the time. A couple of weeks ago we asked Caleb what he wanted to do for his birthday since we'll be moving on his actual birthday. He picked Sunsplash so that is what we did. Today we went to Sunsplash with some of the fam and then to Organ Stop Pizza afterwards. I couldn't believe that noone in Ryan's fam had ever been there, they lived right down the street for pete sake. Anyhow, as always, the boys had a blast at both places. This was the first time I wasn't stuck camping in kiddie land. AJ and Levi went on the real slides with us and then decided that Uncle Joe, Aunt Karla and Allie were better than us and they went with them instead, sorry guys for dooming you to the tamer slides. The boys, and us, had so much fun, I'm so glad Caleb picked it for us. I'm glad that some of his fave cousins could go to. What a great day! We leave in 11 days, crazy!!!!

JUST BEING A BOY

As Caleb was practicing the piano yesterday I walked past and noticed some of the things that make my boys such boys. First of all he is playing Star Wars. Second, note the sling shot that he put on the top before he started practicing. It's also funny to note that immediately before he decided to practice I had just jumped all over him for "hunting pigeons" with it in the back yard. Third, on the other end of the piano lays Jake's sports glasses and mouth guard where he laid them after practice. Not to mention that yesterday they got up and made me a breakfast of eggs and toast all by themselves for no apparent reason. So... my boys are all around boys, they are rough cowboys, athletes, sensitive piano players and pretty decent cooks. Someday they'll grow up to be great men.

I love them and I'm so proud of them but I'm sure you could tell that by reading this!

HUMILITY

I've recently decided the Lord made children so difficult to raise to keep us humble. There is nothing I'll ever do that will be more important than doing a good job with our boys and the enormity of it is weighing on me daily. Add that to the fact that most of the time I feel completely inadequate and it is definitely keeping me humble. Pretty much any other job in the world you can practice and get better at, and maybe that is so for parenting but so far, I'm seriously doubting it. As soon as you feel like you have a good handle on one thing, it changes and something new is the problem. The situations are endless, the boys are constantly changing and to make matters more difficult, they are, I'm certain, smarter than me AND they team up against us. They aren't malicious, thank goodness, just mischievious! They have a never ending supply of energy and questions and I am completely outnumbered. Thank goodness that they are such good boys, even if they really do enjoy driving me crazy. Life with 4 boys is never boring, always busy and often exasperating but definitely an adventure and well worth the heartache, worry and loss of sleep/complete exhaustion.

WHAT CHILDHOOD IS ALL ABOUT

When you are the mother of 4 busy, industrious, adventurous and fun loving boys the days are full of fun. You never know what is going to happen. This morning started out as a normal Sunday and the day pretty well ended that way too come to think of it. Anyhow, I guess that this didn't really surprise me but I got out of the shower to hear laughing and yelling and lots of thuds. Of course I go investigate and this is what I saw. To be honest this is much better than when they were pushing each other down the stairs in the laundry basket so I told them to keep it down since Ryan was sleeping and went to finish getting dressed. Then I decided to video it. I told Ryan about it this afternoon and he said he did the same thing when he was their age but he didn't tell them about it and said they all figure it out eventually. It was great to see them having fun together and laughing so hard. I love to watch them play and laugh.

COWBOY UP

This weekend was the Heritage Festival in town. We hadn't gone before and it sounded like fun. It also sounded like something to keep the kids out of the house so Ryan could sleep without the screaming and fighting of bored kids. It WAS fun. There was a craft fair, I LOVE craft fairs. There was a hayride, the boys love hayrides! There was a petting zoo and kids crafts and roping dummies and stick pony barrel racing! There was even a tractor pull! There were antique engines, running I might add and tractors, old and new, as far as the eye could see, at least Levi's eye. Levi loved the petting zoo but mostly he loved the free candy he got everytime his brothers did something, like roping. Levi really wanted to ride the stick ponies but everytime the girl handed it to him or looked at him he hid behind me instead. So of course AJ did it...

In case you can't see him, that is AJ under the massive pile of cotton looking for coins, he found a nickel. Caleb found alot more than one, I don't know how much Jake found.

I love living in a small town!!!!

a recipe for DISASTER!

What do you get when you mix 4 boys of various ages and agility levels, sticks, fresh air, and 4 very active imaginations with time on their hands? I don't know what you get but I get ALOT of "Kung- fu masters", "I'm dying, save me" 's, some sword fights complete with "Watch it, you hit my fingers!" and a home made teepee in the backyard that they are upset they can't campout in. By the way, I was not the rain cloud preventing the teepee campout, it just isn't big enough to sleep in and we don't have any bigger sticks. I'm pretty used to Jake and Caleb and even AJ sword fighting with sticks but when Levi picked up the broom and AJ was forced to defend himself I had to laugh. I'm probably a horrible mom for not intervening but I figure AJ has picked on and pestered the rest of them for so long... well it was funny to watch anyway and luckily for AJ and me, Levi wasn't in it for blood, just fun. Have I mentioned how much I enjoy my boys!? They are so much fun to have around and so entertaining!

More Spring Break Goodies

I know I'm a little behind... Last week was crazy busy and pretty fun. We hung out with Joe and Victoria and hopefully helped a little bit more than not on Wednesday. We FINALLY left for our camping trip on Thursday. I couldn't wait and the boys were just as excited as I was. Poor Ryan didn't get to sleep in on Thursday despite my best intentions since Caleb got past me and woke him up to get going. My favorite quote was Caleb on Thursday morning, keep in mind he and AJ were up at 5:45, yes that's pre dawn. We are laying on the couch as I tried unsuccessfully to get them to go back to sleep, and the sun starts to come up, Caleb says to me, "Mom is this the crack of dawn?" "yes," I say. "Then why aren't we leaving yet?" he says. And at that he and AJ are up and getting dressed, Jake and Levi followed soon after. Oh well, who could blame them. We made pretty good time despite going through Phoenix and hitting construction. The campground was beautiful and the weather cooperated, it was pretty cold at night but thanks to my BFF and her awesome husband we had plenty of firewood to keep us warm and toast our smores. Many memories to keep me laughing and smiling for a long time. Thanks to Mel and fam for coming on this adventure with us, as always, it was a blast for all of us. Thanks to Lyle for the Elk roast and fixins from the dutch oven, I'm not sure which was my fave, the cobblers or the dinner, seriously. We made it home on Saturday, after Caleb cried because he didn't want to leave, he is like his dad, "a toasted marshmellow (crusty on the outside and gooey on the inside). Now I'm peeling, proof to Ryan that sometimes, maybe only twice in 9 years, but sometimes I do burn. I did manage to get AJ's jeans clean, miracle of miracles, my tub on the other hand will be harder, I think we may have left some dirt in the forest but you wouldn't know it to look at the boys, their clothes and after baths, my tub. The kids are back to school and we are back to the grind but we'll go back and I can't wait!!! I can't get my pics to post but I'll try later.

I love Saturdays too!

The boys started Spring Break today, unless you ask Jake and then he started yesterday after he got out of school. Anyhow, we have lots of big plans so hopefully we'll have lots of good pics. So far I'm not doing so well since I'm so busy doing I forget to bring the camera or camcorder. Today we went to the St. Patricks Day parade in Phoenix. My crazy mom wore a lime green blazer, a lime green wig and a green velveteen hat with green earrings. The kids loved it and so did the parade goers who took lots of pics of her including one for the newspaper. She is such a goofball when it comes to holidays like this. The boys were up and dressed in green before the sun this morning and when we got to the parade they got big green hats. The highlight for AJ was the "horse of a different color". She is there every year and always green. I think it's really the only reason he wanted to go at all. After that we went to a BBQ with some friends at the White Tanks. LOVED IT!! We had so much fun. The boys ran until they couldn't have found any more dirt. Ryan took the three oldest on a hike and the boys, all of them, loved it. I stayed back with some of the moms and just sat, mostly. It was such a nice evening and the best part is Ryan got to go and have fun with us. The boys all fell asleep on the way home. I get the rest of the night with my husband all to myself. HOORAY!!!!!

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE!! NO SERIOUSLY

I haven't blogged in awhile, mostly because ALL of my kids have been sick and it's been a little rough to put it lightly. I wasn't going to blog tonight but I was just checking my email and one of my wonderful sister-in-laws sent me a great message that made me think about how much I love my kids. They make me crazy, they are 100% all boy and non stop action and goofy and rough and tumble. They also amaze me. They take care of each other. They look out for each other. They care about others. They are caring and loving and FUNNY and I absolutely love them. There are no words to express just how much I love them and I'm so proud of them. Even Levi when AJ is hurt or upset will stroke AJ's hair, the same way I do, to calm him. AJ, if any baby is crying will take him/her a toy to calm them down. Jake loves to show off his brothers and carry them around and teach them things and play with them. Caleb is often taking them around and playing with them, talking with them. They take time away from their games and what have you. I love my kids!!! I was talking to a friend from High School the other day and he asked me what I was up to. I had no exciting answer just 4 kids and a husband. He hit the nail on the head when he said, you wouldn't trade it for the world would you? He was right, not ever.

ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE

On Saturday I decided the boys and I should get out so that Ryan could sleep after a long night of work. Besides I knew that he had homework to do and wouldn't be able to get it done with 4 boys running around and climbing on him. They are so excited when he is home and want to tell him everything they have been doing and climb on him and wrestle and he wouldn't be able to get anything done. Anyhow, we went out early. First we went to the Young Women's fund raiser yard sale for girls camp. I got some great bargains and the boys had fun, they love yard sales too. When we left it was still early so I called my BFF Melanie and she was planning a picnic at the park so we decided that sounded fun and thankfully, she didn't mind us tagging along. We had so much fun, they boys played non stop and ate a little. I got to talk to Mel and Lyle and soak up the perfect weather. Before we left we went to feed the chickens and peacocks. We ended up feeding more pigeons than anything else, big surprise there. The boys, mine and Mel's had fun and I'm glad I thought to bring my stale hot dog buns. Levi had a great time chasing the pigeons and if a face could really freeze, his and AJ's would have the biggest smiles ever from that day. Jake and Caleb and I used to do that often but AJ and Levi hadn't done it before, I guess I slacked off. They had so much fun and it was free!!! Definitely won't forget to do that again in the near future. Jake got an assignment from Scouts. He is supposed to write about his favorite place. He picked Saguaro Ranch Park. Isn't that funny, we've been to Greer, Flagstaff, Jerome, The Tetons, Yellowstone and camping countless places not to mention the ocean and Utah, you get the idea. So many far away places and he picks a park that we can do in a day trip. There's a lesson I need to learn. Far away and expensive, no better than close and free!!! Aren't kids great for keeping us humble and teaching us the really important things in life? Have I mentioned I really LOVE MY KIDS!!! By the way, the extra kid in the pic belongs to my BFF Melanie, her middle boy, Jared. He looks like he could be one of mine ehh?

INDIANA JONES

Anyone who knows my boys knows they are an adventurous bunch. Yesterday AJ and Levi went out into the backyard to play but within moments the fun hit a snag. AJ tried to swing from a rope that was tied to the fort. I'm not positive but I'm pretty sure he tied it up there. Anyhow it didn't go well as you can imagine. He was crying and kept repeating "Jones do it, Jones do it." He apparently saw some scene where Indiana Jones was swinging on a rope/vine. I tried to explain that it was TV and he can't do it. He still insists Jones do it and so can he. Looks like he is following in his brothers' foot steps.

Stick em up varmint!

I turned around in time to see AJ just like this. Then he pulled out his guns and told me to stick em up! He is such a miniature version of his older brothers. They used to do the same thing. Caleb used to put his in his belt. I think the pockets are my favorite. My boys are so boy and they crack me up. His stick em up face is hysterical. He is so serious.

Yuuummmmyyy Oreos!

Levi discovered that he REALLY likes oreos. We bought some Christmas Oreos yesterday and he got one for dessert after dinner. He wore a lot of it, thank goodness for oxyclean! He had to break in those three new teeth! Caleb was enjoying his dipped in milk, my personal favorite. I haven't made any Christmas cookies this year and it feels like my Christmas is missing something. The boys are done with school until after the holidays and so I think we'll bake on Monday. I might invite some friends over since having the boys help me will be go better with another grownup to help me. Any mom will know exactly what I mean. I love them so much!

Pasta Maniac

So, just in case you can't tell, Levi LOVES his pasta. He is such a joy, except when he thinks it 's funny to pinch my boob while he is nursing. It really hurts and he just laughs, which by the way, interupts his nursing thereby giving him more pinching time. He is growing up so fast, he'll be a year old in less than a month. He is walking so much now and his personality is becoming just as strong as his legs. The other nght he got up at 3:30 and I, being exhausted, brought him into our bed to nurse. So I'm laying there dozing and nursing and he was wide awake and wanting to play. He woke me up completely by smacking me. He put his top arm behind his body and then flung it forward, like a blasted catapult, and smacked me. He got such a kick out of it that he kept doing it over and over again and laughing like crazy. Like I said, completely awake at 3:30 in the stinking morning and not at all happy about it. Then he went to sleep. Isn't that the way things go. Some days these boys are lucky I love them so much because they drive me crazy! At least there is never a dull moment in our lives.