2015 re-cap

I guess this is a 2015 re-cap.

February
Macy made it to the regional science fair at BYU.  The regional science fair was in April.

We took a trip to St. George to visit grandma and grandpa.

Braden played basketball.

Celebrated my birthday with chocolate cake.

Macy froze while skiing.

Tanner throwing one of his monstrous tantrums in the hallway of the school.

March
Brian and I took a trip back to Kauai.  The kids were upset that we didn't take them.

 Me eating a hot dog and liking it.  It helped that it was more of a polish dog and had pineapple mustards and mango somethings, etc on the dog.

 Hike on the southern side.

 Our ATV tour to see beautiful surroundings and movie back drops.

 The rope swing from Indiana Jones.

 Secret cave on the south side where native royalty would go to hide.

 View from our balcony.

 Hanalei Bay

 A point where we hiked to.

 Stopped by a restaurant we went to on our honeymoon.  We almost had to to dishes to pay for our meal because they didn't except Amex and we left the visa at the condo.  Luckily I had thrown cash into the glove compartment.

 Met up with friends from home (Clint and Kelli Hansen) who happened to be vacationing there the same time we were.  We went on a hike with them through a mahogany farm and came to a pretty pond.  We saw these signs along the trail.

 Exotic foods from the farmers market.

 Surfing the last day.

 April
Tanner helped me with yard clean up.

 Then he got himself stuck/lost in a window well.  I could hear this faint "mom, mom" because he was stuck.

 We dyed Easter eggs.

 The kids made their fort for conference.

 Chased baby chicks.

 Braden started baseball.

 May
Tanner thought the dryer was a good place to hang out.

 Then he wanted to see so he solved this problem by dumping out the dirty rags and using the basket as a step stool.

 Probably not the best idea.

 Parent night at rock climbing.

 Macy's violin recital.  After 1 year in the school orchestra and then 1 year with a private teacher she switched to voice.

Took a trip with the our friends, the Kirchens and Hodlmairs, to my uncle's home in St. George.

Backyard remodel started.

June
Taylor's wedding

 Tanner enjoying some root beer.

 Brian and I were a "ma and pa" for our ward youth conference pioneer trek.

July
Trip to Island Park with Grandma Carol and the rest of the family.

 Walking with their buddy Nelson.

 Strolling with grandpa.

After Island Park I went river rafting in Moab for our ward girl's camp.  Macy was really bummed she couldn't go but all of her friends in the neighborhood were able to attend because they are a year older.

Tanner's birthday

Trip to St. George with Grandma Wendy and the rest of the family.

In July our backyard was completed.

August
School begins.
Kelsey is in 4th grade.

 Macy is in 6th grade.

 Braden is in 1st grade.

 Tanner wants to go to school too.

 When I won't let him this is how he decided to spend his time, playing the wii.  He wasn't very good.

 We went on a hike to Lake Mary.

 And we visited the Jordan River Temple for FHE.

September
Macy turned in her soccer cleats for cheer shoes.
Morgan, our niece, was married.
Braden played soccer and started piano.

 Kelsey played volleyball and is still taking piano.

At the kids jog-a-thon Braden ran 2 miles. Braden was mad because a friend beat him by 1 lap.  Last year he ran the most laps in kindergarten and wanted the same spot.

 Kelsey ran 1.8 miles.

 

We were given lots of tickets to a suite at Rio Tinto stadium to see the Monarchs play.  The kids were able to take a friend.  I don't anyone watched the game.  They only ate the free food.

I guilted Brian into helping me remodel the front flower bed.  I added a drip, laid a pathway, tore out old plants and planted new.  We will see how it turned out next year.

October
 Tanner playing chef.

Kelsey and Braden being goofy.

 Macy made some demands.

We went to Temple Square.

Halloween

 Tanner's pumpkin has the binky.  We weren't going to carve one for him until he demanded it.

 Kelsey did the cat and cut most of it herself.

 Braden was the gnome and did it all by himself.

 Macy was the bat and I did most of it for her.

November
Tanner found swim goggles and they gave him super powers.  He could run "super fast" and would run around the house with this arms out stretched behind him.  He had to wear his goggles to parent teacher conferences.  There were a few giggles as he walked by.  Macy was embarrassed and made him take them off.

 Kelsey got glasses in November and looks super cute in them.

Kelsey had her 10th birthday party at Discovery Gateway with all her friends.

A Glimpse into Kelsey's Mind or this could be Titled Gold Digger

A month ago on a Sunday Braden was teasing Kelsey that he saw her underpants and knew what color they were.  Kelsey replied by saying everyone knows what color her underwear is because it was Sunday.  The reason we all would know because on Sundays she wears white underpants because white is pure.  Just in case you were wondering a couple of Sundays after that statement more underwear talk was going on.  The elastic waistband was above her pant line which was what was causing the talk between her and Braden.  I pointed out that she wasn't wearing white underwear and it was Sunday.  I guess she forgot about the purity thing.

Tonight was the best.  Kelsey asked Brian what happens when you eat boogers.  He responded with something about why do you ask that?  Have you picked your nose recently?  Knowing Kelsey I chimed in saying "recently as in sometime this last month".  Kelsey giggles.  Brian asked her if this was true and if she has eaten her boogers recently.  I comment again about "recently as in sometime this past month."  She giggles more and while laughing says "I didn't want to get up and get a tissue."  Brian is totally disgusted and tells her as much which only makes her laugh more.  In her giggly voice she says "What?  It's fun.  It's kind of like a game, when you stick your finger up there and try to reach for them and they move all around..." More laughing and giggling.

That was not the start of the evenings silliness.  Before the boogers conversation I was playing on the ipad with Kelsey sitting next to me.  I turned to ask Brian a question because he had sat down on the opposite couch.  I look up and there he is wearing Kelsey's junior jazz jersey that has been out since Saturday.  He had removed his own shirt to help it fit better.  He put it on to tease her about not wanting it or caring about it.  I died laughing.  Kelsey began screaming.  She said that was gross and there was probably hair in it now.  Brian replied with a yes there probably is and pulled it down a bit to show some chest hair.  She screamed some more and said there is probably boogers on the jersey too because he has been sick.  She claimed it was going to have to be washed a thousand times.  Macy then walks in and exclaims "oh my gosh!  You look like a ..."  Kelsey finishes her sentence with "a weirdo".  The scene was epic.  Of course it was followed with the booger conversation.  At least Brian had put back on his own shirt otherwise I might have wet myself.

Sept thru Dec re-cap

September 

 His way of helping with the laundry. Not Really.

 Starting to climb.

 Kelsey dressing him up.

 I think you sat in something.

October

 Kelsey at it again.  This time with the Halloween box

 Macy (bottom) and Kelsey's (top) pumpkins.

 Braden's pumpkin.  Braden designed it.  Dad tried to carve it.  Mom had to salvage it.

 Leopard, 2 ninjas (one is the gold ninja from Ninjago) and Nemo.

Luckily we had this costume from Kelsey.  I had picked one up from Costco but when I went to put on the new costume someone had swapped the top and bottom.  The jacket was a 12 month size and the pants were 3 to 6 months.  The pants definitely weren't going to fit.

November

 Braden wanted to write an 8-page Christmas list.  Then he changed his mind and went with 6 pages.  He only filled 1 1/2 pages.

 Translation:

 Trouble

December

 Those are Kelsey's underpants on his head.  Luckily they came from the clean clothes I was folding.

 Christmas morning.

Kelsey's note to Santa.  His reply was that he wished he could give her a real light saber but there is no such thing.  He can't make money so he has to be careful how he gives it out.  Her reply was "well he could have given me an iPad mini."

Feeling a Guilty

I was telling my sister about Braden on Christmas Eve.  On Christmas Eve he was so excited.  Of course he was having trouble sleeping.  Kelsey had written a note to Santa Claus asking for 2 real light sabers, not fake ones.  If she couldn't have those she wanted $1000.  If those weren't available, she was willing to take a mini iPad.  Well Braden was inspired by that note.  At  10:30 he comes out of Kelsey's room (all the kids started sleeping in her room for Christmas Eve last year).  He needed to see his Christmas list because he said he forgot 2 things.  In a rush to get him back to bed, I told him to tell me the items and I would add them to his list.  He wanted $100 and magic, said with fingers wiggling in the air mimicking sparkles.  He said he wanted real magic.  When I was finished she told me I need to put that story on my blog.  Oh yah?! That.

That got me to thinking.  All the other kids have stories about them growing up.  Braden maybe a little less because I wasn't as diligent.  But Tanner will have nothing if I don't write.  The family history guilt came over me.  I have done a little bit of indexing.  I found a couple names to take to the temple.  I even added a story to familysearch.org.  I guess I should try to do a little for Tanner.

Tanner is almost 18 months.  It is hard to believe that Macy was 18 months when Kelsey was born.  That was a crazy life that hasn't ended.  Some things are easier, some are harder.  Macy and Kelsey always had a friend which helped keep them busy.  Braden was always my little buddy and pretty low key. These characteristics are diminishing quite rapidly the older he gets.  He whines more, hates going to stores with me and doesn't stick around home much.  However, I am still required to come down and give him a hug and kiss before bed.  We laugh a bit and he smiles at.  He still loves me and the hint of my buddy is there.

Tanner spends a lot of time without siblings.  More so than Braden because of the age spacing.  He wants to be as big as the other kids.  He tries so hard to do all that they do but he just can't.  Sometimes it frustrates him that they leave him and he is stuck at home.  He is a busy body so the only time I can really accomplish anything is when he is napping or down for the night.  He could open all our doors as soon as he could walk.  They are all lever handles and no locks fit them.  One Saturday the kids left.  I forgot to lock the outside doors when I jumped in the shower.  I realized this between the shampoo and conditioner.  I jumped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around me to check the outside doors.  The door leading to the garage was open along with my garage door.  I had to run back and throw on a jacket and pj bottoms.  By the time I got outside Brian was home in the garage asking if I knew that Tanner was outside.  I answered yes but I couldn't run outside naked.  He is a climber.  I never had one of those.  The bar stools have been put in storage and he is always on the kitchen table.  Cups filled with water and bowls with milk are not allowed to be left out.  He pulls large cans out of the pantry and uses those to get to higher shelves.  He throws the biggest temper tantrums out of all the kids.  When angry he can cry for 20 minutes straight.  He throws himself into couches and falls to the ground scooting all over the place. He has hurt himself during these tantrums but there is no consoling him sometimes.  They are actually quite funny to watch.

Tanner is not all stinker.  He is actually one of the cutest kids.  The neighborhood loves him.  All of Braden's friends love him.  Tanner thinks they are his friends too and will grab their hand when they come in the door.  He loves Steve Kirchen and the Kirchen family.  He always wants Steve to hold him and his visits them regularly during sacrament meeting. He is a great hug giver.  He calls it a huggie.  He wraps his arms around your neck and squeezes over and over.  It is the best feeling.  To make it even better, he adds more people to the group.  If Brian is around and I ask for a huggie, he motions Brian over and we have a threesome.  There have been times when he has brought the whole family together for a group hug.  While Brian and I were at the Vegas Bowl in December, the kids stayed with Brian's parents.  They taught him to raise his hand whenever someone would say "Who wants smooches?"  Smooches are kisses so someone would run over and kiss him.  He loved this game.  Recently he has learned how to say "no" by shaking his head so sometimes he shakes his head "no" instead of raising his hand.  He says "no" a lot like when we ask if he wants to go to bed, brush his teeth or get in his pajamas.  We need to teach him "yes" not that he would use it when we asked to brush his teeth.

TV watching started early for him.  I tried to avoid it until he was older but sometimes he was in such a mood right when I needed to make dinner.  I found the TV settled him right down and I could get everything done.  It sometimes snaps him out of one of his tantrums.  So I have given in and try not to use it too much.  He is in love with a show called Baby Genius.  The kids say they hate it but get sucked in as soon as it comes on.  It is all nursery songs.  When he first started watching the show he would scream and clap and stomp his feet.  It was hilarious to watch his excitement.  He would scream when a new song would come on.  He still gets excited when you say TV, Baby Genius or actually turn on the TV but the same passion isn't there.  Now when the TV comes on he plops down like a big kid and settles in.  It is cute.  Sometimes he grabs the remote himself and will hit buttons trying to turn it on himself.  I have tried some other shows but nothing holds his interest like those songs.

A few other fun facts:  He likes to go to bed at 8:30.  He doesn't deviate well  like the other kids.  He has never wanted to climb into our bed.  In fact, he hates it and usually squirms out immediately.  So much for trying to catch a few more winks.  He has 12 teeth with at least another on the way.  Despite being the youngest, he is quite the jibber jabber.  He is always talking baby talk.  He has a few words in his vocabulary: go, ball, mom, dad, gox (socks), bune (balloon), peas (please), shoes, huggie, and poop.