Kids are such a boost to self esteem

About a week ago the bishopric in our ward was released and a new one sustained.  Brian had only been a part of the old bishopric for about 9-10 months.  The Saturday evening before his release Kelsey started asking questions about how a bishop and his counselors are chosen.  Brian told her the process. He told her the stake presidency thinks, prays and seeks inspiration and the Lord's approval for who should be bishop.  The bishop then goes through the same process for his counselors.  When Brian is done Kelsey says "and they picked you?"  After a good laugh, realizing her mistake she says "no I just meant I didn't think you were old enough."

Kelsey was on a roll because the next day we were at my mom's celebrating her and JT's birthday.  We were eating ice cream and one of the flavors was a chocolate brownie.  Kelsey didn't like this flavor so she says "I don't want this 'poo' ice cream. Can I have more Moose Tracks?"  JT was scooping so he gave her this huge, I mean huge serving of ice cream.  Kelsey exclaims "finally someone who understands me."

Another good story that happened recently involved Tanner.  He was picking his nose and Brian saw him.  Brian asked him to stop.  Tanner says "There is just something in it."  To which Brian replies "So that makes it ok?"  Tanner continues to pick and says "There is just something small in it."  Yes, Tanner it is called a buggar.

Other fun events this week: 

• zoo on Wednesday with snow that evening which culminated into a snowball fight because of JT's suggestion
• Thanksgiving at Uncle Dale's on Thursday
• Mall shopping with Macy and Kelsey on Friday
• sleepover at Grandma Wendy's Friday night with cousins and decorating her tree on Saturday
• snow fort building with JT on the same Saturday
• Decorating our tree Sunday
• more snow last night which meant a desperate attempt at sledding after dinner, we didn't get tons of snow

More Things to Remember about this Past Year

I believe this happened sometime around May.
Me: "Did you fart?"
Tanner: "no"
Me: "Are you sure?  It really stinks."
Tanner: "No. Kelsey did it."

Kelsey was at school at the time.

Tanner is very sensitive to stinky smells.  He plugs his nose around farm animals and will ask what the smell is.  Well around the same time as the conversation above, Tanner went through a phase for a week or so of crying and plugging his nose after Kelsey would fart.  He would cry and be so mad at her.

I found a text to my mom and Emily on May 21.  I said "Not sure if I love this, but I am downstairs and can hear my kids playing baseball inside.  I guess at least they are getting along somewhat.  Of course Macy is ensuring they follow every rule she can come up with, especially ones she has to make up on the fly because the situation doesn't fit in current rules."

Around the beginning of June we took measures to get rid of Tanner's binky.  I snipped it piece by piece just like I did with Macy.  At first he didn't notice or he didn't say anything about it getting shorter.  He just took it.  Finally one day at nap time he said, "my binky popped."
Me: "yep"
Tanner tried the other binky and said, "My other binky popped."
Me: "Oh no."
Tanner: "Fix it," as he handed it to me.
Me: "I can't."
Tanner:  "Yes you can.  Get duct tape."

The funny thing is it has been at least 4 months since the binky has been broken and just the other day he was asking for it.

That kid is a problem solver.  He will try to figure out to get whatever he wants.  He uses my 5 gal wheat, sugar, and flour buckets as stools.  He has done this since he was at least 2 1/2.  He moves them all over the main floor.  He uses them to feed himself from the fridge and pantry.  He gets cups out of the cupboards and uses them to help cook when I don't really want his help.

He gave up his nap shortly after the binkies were gone.  This is both good and bad.  He doesn't sleep any longer at night.  He gets up at 5:30 to 6:30 AM no matter what time he goes to bed.  He will fall asleep in the car in the afternoons.  If you can manage to wake him up he is a beast for an hour at least.  If you just let him sleep he will sleep 2 hours+ and not go to sleep at night.  He quickly figured out how to turn on his bedroom light at night.  Luckily his room light is a fan so when we put him down at night we had to pull the string so he couldn't get up and play.  About 2 months ago we finally stopped locking his bedroom door.  I think we had to lock his door for about 2 years because he hasn't consistently slept through the night and we didn't want him falling down the stairs in the dark.  It was also at least a year where he would cry at his door if he didn't want to go to bed.  He is stubborn and strong willed.

Right now I love to hear Tanner talk.  He uses sound effects to help describe what he is talking about.  For example he was said "I want a bow and arrow for Christmas.  It goes phssh, like that."  I wish I could remember more examples.  He uses sound effects as descriptions all the time.

If You Build it, It Will Come

Last summer we built an RV pad and finished the backyard.  We have been wanting a boat for so long.  We had gotten used to the idea of not having a boat and I thought the RV pad would never see a boat.  Well today we finally bought a boat.  I think Brian went through a mid-work life crisis.  Things had been a little stressful with the new job.  Sunday night he was browsing KSL looking at boats and who knows what else.  He came across a good deal on a 2006 Tige.  He shouts down to me from the computer.  "I am going to look at this boat tomorrow.  It looks amazing.  I might have to buy it right then so someone else doesn't get it.  Are you okay with that?"  I told him sure thinking Brian isn't that type of person to do something like that.  Well he came home Monday night saying he bought the boat and asked if I could get a check the next day to pay the people.

Here is the funny story

Right after I finished the last post I hear Braden and Tanner go into the bathroom.  Then Braden shouts out "Tanner just drank out of the toilet."  According to Braden he put his lips to the water.  Not sure if he really touched the water or why Braden did not stop him but none the less that is gross.  Good thing Braden cleaned the bathroom on Friday.

Life Goes On...

Life seems to go really fast when I see that it has been 2 months since the last post.  I was going to at least post something monthly this year.

The biggest news comes from Brian's corner of the world.  At the end of January he was asked to be 2nd counselor in the bishopric.  He was a little nervous but he has really stepped up to the task.  He has only nodded off briefly on the stand once. The final test is will be next Sunday when he has to conduct in Sacrament meeting for the first time.  I am not worried.  He is a natural when presenting and his testimony is strong and always comes out eloquently.

His other news came this past week.  He was asked to move from his corporate position at work to be president of the Utah division of Woodside Homes.  Again he is nervous but he is excited about this assignment.  I know he will knock it out of the park.  He is so talented and dedicated that he does well at everything he does.

I wish I had some funny stories.  I am sure there were some funny moments but nothing comes to mind.  I even downloaded pictures to try to jog my memory.  I guess they have been pushed out of my mind because I have felt a little overwhelmed lately, from my own doing.  Might be time to step back and try to re-prioritize.

At the end of January the kids were off-track so we did a couple of fun excursions.  We made a trip to the Provo City Center Temple open house.  We visited the ice castles in Midway.  They were cool but it was definitely freezing even with proper gear.  We met up with Emily at Ogden's Treehouse Museum.

Kelsey played volleyball and took ski lessons while off-track. Macy just finished up the last of her 3 cheer competitions.  I guess she is going to tryout for a competitive team next year. Brian took Macy, Kelsey and Braden up skiing twice.  They all seem to enjoy it.  Braden doesn't really last a full day yet so he might not get another trip this year.

Tanner found his bike from last year.  He decided to bring it in the house and prefers to ride it in here despite the nice weather and a fenced in backyard.  He has continued his antics.  He dumped a full bottle of shampoo in the tub for the bubbles.  He has continued to color on the walls with pen, crayons and pencils.  One pen drawing was so big and deep that the magic eraser wasn't working.  Brian had to paint over it this weekend.  He also thinks he is big enough to walk to school by himself.  One morning I heard the front door open.  I didn't rush to check on him because he usually digs in my front flower beds.  When I went to see and bring him back inside, he was gone.  I looked all around the house, in the house in the window wells and at the neighbor's house.  Nowhere.  I grabbed my cell and started to make my way to the busy street.  On my way my cell phone rang.  It was my neighbor that worked at the elementary school.  She informed me that Tanner was in the office at school.  I guess he had heard all the kids at recess and made a beeline for them.  Braden was at recess and found him.  He had walked the whole way barefoot and threw a tantrum when I brought him home.  The next day he told me he was going to go to school.  I told him no and watched him very closely that day.

 Tanner as a box troll.  Kelsey's creative idea.  She made a box for herself and Tanner.

 

As for me I spent our tax refund on new patio furniture.  The gas fire pit and the jumbo umbrella are not out yet.  But below is a picture of my new table. We lounged on it today in the beautiful sunshine. I got my vegetable garden ready and planted my peas, lettuce, spinach, carrots and onions.  I just looked and some are starting to sprout.  I hope to get raspberry plants in soon.  Brian and I spent a Saturday finishing up my front yard project.  I weeded everything, put Preen down and then we spread mulch over everything.  Hopefully the mulch is thick enough.  I have a few plants I need to buy and plant to finish the front and replace a couple from last fall that didn't make it.  If you can't tell I am excited for the nice weather.

 These are the kids Valentine boxes from this year.

Kelsey's - Sniffle's cage

Macy's - Valentine monster

Braden's - Monster sack he made in school

I just  got after all the kids.  Macy and Kelsey were sent to their rooms.  Tanner was pushing me to the edge a bit so I was a little rough with him.  He says with a hint of anger "I not a jerk.  I not a jerk."  I respond, "no you are not a jerk."  Then he proceeds to say "Kelsey a jerk.  Macy a jerk.  Braden a jerk."

By the way, I didn't call him a jerk.  I think one of the older kids called Tanner a jerk or each other a jerk or they called me a jerk because they were mad. 

Love/Hate Relationship with a 2 year old

I think 2 to 4 is my favorite age for kids.  This is especially true when I think back to when my other kids were 2.  I love the way they talk and how they word and phrase things.  I love their reactions.  I love their highs and sometimes laugh at their lows.  I love their pudgy fingers and feet.  I love their unconditionally loving nature.

I love those same things about Tanner.  What I hate is how smart and curious he is.  He is quite the problem solver and go-getter.  He will do what it takes to get what he wants.  This creates a lot of mischief and a lot of angry siblings.  Macy has started locking her room to keep him out.  If it is silent and no one can find Tanner, we have problems.  The first place to look is under the dining tables followed by the pantry.  He has stolen and eaten so much candy.  After Christmas I found a pile of candy wrappers behind my flour and wheat buckets.  One early morning when we let him watch TV and play the iPad while the rest of us slept, he found a bread knife and was scraping it along the edge of my iPad.  Last July he got hold of my toothpaste and washed his body with half a tube of it.  It was all over his hands and legs and all over the carpet in my bathroom.  It was a mess.  On December 23 he went through our stationary drawer and found a sharpie.  He decorated the hardwood floor under the table.  He was under the table hiding so he had an idea that what he was doing was wrong.  A week or so later he had grabbed a pen and added more artwork to the floor beneath the table.  Then this week I am in the shower and I hear pounding noise in my room.  I can see Tanner but not what he was doing.  He found a blue crayon and colored the wall.

the damage

making him help clean it up (he asked to help)

That was not the only mess he created this week.  The day before the crayon incident I was giving him a bath before a meeting I had.  Before I put him in he said something about poop.  So I stuck him on the toilet and a miracle happened.  He pooped in the toilet.  I was so excited until when he was in the tub.  I had my back turned and he pooped a huge load in the tub.  There was so much and it was all over.  And I had the YW presidency coming over in 10 minutes.  I was furious.  I am still not sure how much control he had over the situation because he was getting over some diarrhea but this is not the first time he has pooped in the tub.  It is the third time with another time in the shower.  Each time I have had my back turned.  But how can you continue to be/get mad at him slumps his shoulders, puts his head down and says in his little 2 year old voice (which is surprisingly clear) "Sorry mom.  Sorry."

Then this same week on Saturday everyone thought Tanner was with someone else.  When Brian realized Tanner was missing and he had been too quiet, we all started a frantic search knowing that trouble may be brewing.  Tanner continued to stay quiet and never responded to our calls.  He knew he was doing something he shouldn't.  Soon I hear some noise coming from the toilet room.  He had shut himself in the toilet area so no one could see him.  He had the toilet brush in the toilet.  Toilet paper was in the toilet.  Water was every where.  And he was hiding back in the corner with my old toothbrush in his mouth that he had pulled from the garbage can.

Like I said he is smart.  He can find anything to act as his stool.  He dumps out toy buckets, moves my 5 gal flour buckets all over the house and pushes the table chairs to achieve his goal.  Last night  Brian and I are watching a movie after the kids have gone to bed.  Tanner is still awake but locked in his room.  He won't stay in bed so we have been locking him at night in for 6 months.  We also have to do this because sometimes he wakes up in the super early mornings (like 3 AM) and thinks it is time to get up and play.  Anyways at night he sits and kicks at the door and tries to talk to us.  Sometimes he does this for an hour.  While watching the movie I hear him.  Then I hear a flicking noise.  Brian checks it out.  He is using a toy bucket to reach his light switch and is turning the light on and off.  Brian takes away the bucket and puts him back to bed.  Five minutes later I hear that someone is awake.  Brian checks again.  Tanner is out of his room somehow.  We put him back to bed wondering how he unlocked his door.  Five minutes later I hear a door opening and closing.  I go check and catch him in the act.  With the lights all out he has found several large plastic coins and he is using them like a screwdrivers to unlock and lock his door.  I took those away and I think he finally went to sleep around 11 PM only to get up at 6 this morning.  He was a happy camper.

I love his cuteness and after things have blown over I can laugh.  But right now I am praying the messes and destruction will slow and one day he will harness his talents and be successful.

One last quick story.  Tanner loves his binky.  We have been trying to limit it to only naps and bed time.  Many times he will grab it and try to get away with sucking on it other times during the day.  When we see him with it, all we have to do is ask him if he is ready for a nap.  The binky will immediately come out either by him spitting it across the room, throwing it across the room and dropping from his mouth.  He loves the spitting and throwing method.  Sometimes he will do one of these and take off running from us.  If he won't give it up, we just have to pick him up and out it comes.