Easter Sunday pictures

Future Missionary

In primary they had a lesson on missionaries and this picture was too cute to not post. He has a future missionary tag on. Thought it would make mom and dad proud anyway.

Easter is normally in April anyway.

So here are a few pictures from easter. Last year the boys hadn't cleaned up their toys the night before easter saturday so we told them the easter bunny couldn't do any eggs in fear that they would be completely lost. So in order for the easter bunny to come the house has to be cleaned. (Just so you know this works like a charm and really gets my boys moving to get their jobs done.) So again this year saturday jobs had to be done before easter fun could be had. Since we were going to be doing eggs and a hunt later with Darin and Kali we dicided just to hide the basket and let them go looking for the basket. Blake being the cleaver guy that he is, even made up poems to help give them clues to find their baskets. The boys of course loved it and were very excited to get their baskets of goodies. As mentioned before we went to Darin and Kali's to do a bbq and egg hunt. Darin and Kali were good enough to get the eggs, fill them and then hide them at their house. And they also provided a bbq that was awesome. It was a fun day for sure. Thanks guys. and Happy easter/spring to everyone!

BRAG ALERT!!!!

Ok, so i've basically been lazy about getting to this but it's not because i'm not proud. It's been something that i've just had a hard time getting to because of computer things.

Anyway, so last month ethan had a piano festival and had 2 pieces to play the first one he did perfect, with out any mistakes. the second one he had a small little flub at the beginning that only a few even recognized because he flowed right through with out drawing attention to it. He had a few spots in the second piece that kept him from getting a perfect score. But he still did awesome. He got 36 out of 40 and lots of great comments. Ethan has has a natural gift for the piano and add in his complete desire to do well and his ability to focus. Anne Cox, his piano teacher, has commented several times to me and to Ethan what an amazing talent he already is. He learns pieces quickly, memorizes them with ease, and just has an ear for it. Good thing those Priday genes are coming in for at least one person in the line. For those that know my aunt kaye, i think he has some potential to be like her. He likes to compose his own songs and music all the time (not just by making it up as he goes, but writes it out and works on it for a few weeks to perfect it). So what i'm saying is Ethan is pretty dang good at the piano, and pretty cute too. (the judges even made comments on how handsome he is--i just simply agreed).

At the schools around here they do a story telling festival. First the kids in their classes tell a story (most of the time they have a theme). Then after, the class all votes one kid from each grade level to tell a story for the rest of the school. From there the judges decide who tells their story for a district level representing the school. Ethan did this in first grade, second grade, and now forth grade. He was picked all 3 times for his class, then his grade, and was able to tell his story to the rest of the school at an assembly. He has no problem getting up there and doing his story (something i think he gets from his dad, cause i was petrified to do things like that at his age). Ethan's teacher this year has been teaching for many years and is getting close to retirement. He has been involved with some advanced learning programs and helped judge these story festivals before and he said that ethan just did great. He was pretty impressed with ethan's own original story and coached him a little on how to stand and present his story to impress the judges. Ethan just soaked in the information and did just what his teacher had told him, and did great. So the following monday when i got a call from the school (which i totally admit, i hate seeing the school on the caller id, cause i've had a few calls that were not because of how awesome my children are), i was a little surprised. Ethan's teacher said "ethan has something he needs to tell you," to this i started thinking oh great, what happened. To my great relief, Ethan got on the phone and squealed with excitement that he had been picked for the school to go to the district. I told him how proud i was and he was pretty happy as you can imagine. His teacher said that if his story was picked he'd give the class and ice cream party, so that of course added to ethan's excitement. About 10 minutes later i got a call from the school again, only this time ethan was in tears. Come to find out there was a mistake and a boy named Teegan Young had been picked for the school but both ethan and his teacher thought they said Ethan Young. Ethan was truly disappointed but almost more disappointed about the ice cream. So i quickly told him i'd bring ice cream anyway, since he had done such a great job anyway. I know my opportunities to be cool mom are starting to fleet as the years pass, and that ice cream won't always fix the sadness that will come from time to time, but for today I truly am grateful that ice cream is enough to fix the problem. Someday if you're lucky enough you can ask ethan to tell his stories, he's pretty good and i know this ordeal has not changed his mind about doing it again next year. A friend of mine was telling me that she was able to get small scholarships by doing thing like this and she got a number of them so she didn't have to pay for much of her schooling. This could really be a great thing for ethan since he still says he wants to be a doctor and he will have lots of schooling to do and pay for. He is that smart you know.

See i told you it was a brag alert.

Late St. Patty's Post

So i know it's a little after St. Patty's Day, but I thought others might like it too. Ryan made a Leprachan face in pre-school and it was just on the fridge when sam picked it up an started doing his little jig. Made me laugh. Then of course Ryan mimicked Sam and again sort of made me smile. So Happy be-lated st. patty's day.

Ryanisms

So the other day i was at target getting some groceries with Ryan. As we turned down one isle, there was a tall black man. He was a vendor innocently taking inventory. Ryan saw him and just watched him for a minute and then of course just as we are getting within ear shot of this man, Ryan says with great clarity in his voice "Mom, what color is he?!" I smile as we pass the man as he looked over his shoulder smiling (thank goodness). And I said to him "kids say the darndest things, eh?" To my great relief he sort of chuckled.

Saturday Ryan had a birthday party for a girl in his preschool class. As he was getting ready to walk out the door i handed him the wrapped present and reminded him that this was for Makinley, not him. Especially as of late, well as of his birthday back in December, he tells people all the time that it's his birthday, today. And like most kids (at least my kids) they like getting presents and opening them. So I kindly reminded him "now when you get to the party you give this to makinley and tell her happy birthday, this is for her." to which he replied "ok, i'll give it to him." Since he is still only 4 and only sort of understands the whole he/she, him/her thing i corrected him and said "her, you need to give it to her." he just as quick as before with a smile on his face said "ok, i'll give it to him."

At least i tried.

The Tunnel of LOVE!

Yesterday the boys were looking over the sunday comics that granma had saved for them. After finishing the favored ritual, both Ethan and Sam made comments about the tunnel of love. Sam's comment was something like "i want to take Aliah (his "girl friend" of the last 2 years) in the tunnel of love mom. i really love her." This comment was of course accompanied by a big smile and twinkling eyes.

I really liked what Ethan said about it. He said "Mom, when i am older i want to take a girl i'm really on a date with through the tunnel of love." I said "what do you mean 'really on a date with?" He said "like when she's really on a date with me and i'm really on a date with her. you know?" I said well no, i'm still trying to understand what you mean. He then explained "like when you really like that girl and she really likes you too."

I love the way the boys understand things. Just kinda makes me smile.